by Candy Crum
Alaric's brows creased. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
"Sweetheart," Audrey said softly, gently grabbing his hand. "He's been your friend for many years. Emotions are high right now. We lost two of our own. We saved the life of the child, and he saved our lives. If he hadn't, it's possible the child would've died. Don't argue. Let it go. Don't say something you'll regret later."
Alaric stared at Audrey for a moment before sighing. "She's right. It happened. We lost two people who deserve our respect. Right?"
Alexander admired his friend’s ability to put the argument aside, but there was still something there. He had never questioned Alaric or his motives before, so he didn't understand why he would choose to do so right then, but there it was, in the pit of his stomach. A twisting feeling, trying to warn him.
Putting that aside, Alexander nodded. "You're absolutely right. Come, let us give them a proper sendoff, then we’ll break ground on our new home. We came here for a purpose—to find peace. They didn’t die in vain. They gave their lives to help us find it."
As he stood there, eying Alaric, the two of them calming down, Alexander sensed something. It was new and blossoming. It was something he hadn’t sensed before that moment, and he wondered if it was because of his heightened emotions. He wondered if his power was sensitive because of it.
He turned and looked to Audrey, smiling as he placed his hand flat on her lower abdomen. He could sense a completely separate life force thriving inside of her.
Her eyes widened as a cautious smile grew. “What is it?”
Alexander had to take a moment, wanting to be absolutely sure. Finally, he nodded. “It’s our baby. The Matriarch has blessed us with another baby. A brand new life to bring into our new home.”
***
The Chieftain took another long drink of his wine, taking a moment to reflect on the story he had just told and seen projected in front of him as if it were happening all over again.
Elysia smiled as she looked at her father, obviously enjoying the opportunity to hear about the moment they discovered her existence.
“With the pregnancy and with the deaths of our friends, everything calmed down for a while, but his lies never stayed dormant for long, and my suspicions grew all the time. I could sense the changes in him,” the Chieftain said.
"You were friends for so long," Arryn said. "It must've been the nature magic that let you sense something different in him. Or maybe, having the extra power was what changed him. It seems like that was what happened to Adrien."
The Chieftain nodded. "Unfortunately, I think it was a mix of both. I still believe he was a good man before the power came along. I never would've thought nature magic could turn someone bad like that, but it did. And in case anyone is curious, as you all know, we did end up learning the death touch, but it was taught strictly as a way to end the suffering of any living thing that could not be healed, or for hunting.”
He sighed, looking to the sky before lifting the stronger wine to his lips.
"Wrapping things up for the evening, that night we laid our friends to rest and celebrated the new life we were about to begin. The following day, we began anew, practicing our magic on the Forest. We raised new plants and strengthened the trees. Everything grew brighter, bigger, stronger. Soon, the canopy had become so thick we called this the Dark Forest.
“For weeks we camped out under the stars. And finally, after nearly a month, we learned how to grow our very first living home. It took a couple tries, but we succeeded, and I proved Alaric wrong. Next time, we’ll pick up a little farther forward. Everyone enjoy your night."
With that, the Chieftain took his mugs and walked away, Zobig following closely. He knew he had cut things off rather abruptly, but he didn’t want anyone to see just how hard it was for him to discuss not only his late wife, but also the man who had once been his best friend and was now his enemy.
CHAPTER SIX
Just as promised, it was very early when Arryn went to wake Corrine, but surprisingly the girl was already up. A small bird flew out her window as Arryn walked in.
“Well, good morning,” she said with a smile as she sat on the edge of the new bed.
“Good morning! I’m ready to go,” Corrine chirped, pulling her hair back as best as she could with a piece of leather.
Arryn motioned for her to sit, and she took the strap, helping Corrine fix her thick, kinky hair. She had been taking lessons on how to better fix the young girl’s full, textured hair from Cassondra, one of the other druid warriors.
“I’m surprised to see you up so early after our late night,” Arryn said.
“I didn’t think I would be able to wake up on my own, so I asked a bird to come wake me when she woke up.”
Arryn froze, a cautious smile spreading on her lips. “You asked a bird to wake you, and she did?”
Corrine nodded, testing her hair. “It took me a couple tries, but she finally understood me and said she would. I promised to bring her babies a big, fat worm.”
Arryn laughed. “Well, we need to make sure to keep that promise. The last thing you wanna do is piss off a momma bird and get her chirping with the other moms out there.”
Arryn made her way outside, Corrine close behind. “The idea for this morning was to teach you how to better communicate with animals, but it seems like yesterday’s events with Nutty and his friends made a huge difference. Ha! Take that, Cathillian.”
Corrine laughed. “You like him, don’t you?”
Arryn’s eyes widened. “Yeah, but I think that’s a conversation for later. Much later.” She exhaled, putting her hands on her hips as she looked around the dark village. “Wanna go to the pit? You haven’t seen the Versuch pit yet.”
“What’s a verrr…”
Arryn laughed. “Versuch. It means ‘trial.’ When someone wants to leave the safety of our walls here in the Dark Forest, they have to take a test and pass it. There are three trials: magic, hand-to-hand combat, and weapons. You have to pass all three if you want to travel. It probably sounds like a loss of freedom to you, but it’s how we know the person can take care of themselves outside. We want to know they’ll be safe without the rest of us.”
“Will I have to take the Versuch?” Corrine asked.
“Are you one of us?”
Corrine nodded. “Yes, I am.”
Arryn gently pinched her arm. “Then I guess you’ll have to take the Versuch! You have to be sixteen, though, so you’re kinda stuck here for eight more years. You ready to go?”
The two walked toward the pit, Snow sleepily wandering up and ambling next to them. When they reached it, Nika was already there, lighting the torches and getting everything ready for training.
“Damn,” Arryn said. “You got here early.”
Nika smiled. “So did you. What are you doing here before dawn?”
Arryn nodded toward Corrine. “She hasn’t seen the pit yet, so I thought I’d show her.” Pointing to Nika, she told Corrine, “She is one of the fiercest warriors we have. She might not look like much, but she damn near ripped my head off more than a few times.”
Corrine’s eyes widened. “When you train, you actually fight each other?”
Nika laughed. “Pain is the best motivator, young one. If ever you decide to go into training, you’ll learn pain is your friend. When you feel it, you want to keep it from happening again. Whatever caused it, you’ll learn not to allow that to happen again.”
Arryn held up her hand. “I can vouch for that. I’ve had more broken noses than anyone here, I think.”
Nika smiled. “Not everyone. If I’m to be honest, I think I had way more when I was your age.”
“Why do you do that? Do all warriors fight that hard, or just the women? The men don’t have to train so hard, right?” Corrine asked.
Arryn and Nika shared a knowing look. “Did someone tell you men are better fighters than women?” Nika asked.
Corrine nodded. “Women aren’t allowed to be warriors
where I’m from. They’re healers, though it’s nothing like I’ve seen the kids practice here.”
Nika knelt, her eyes staring right into Corrine’s. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. You are more than capable of kicking the ass of anyone you want to, whether they are a man or a woman. If it needs to be done, don’t be afraid to do it.”
“Yeah, emphasis on the ‘man’ part. She’s mean.”
Everyone turned to see Cathillian wandering up, rubbing his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Arryn asked.
He snorted. “Who could sleep with all this racket going on? You guys talk so loud. And I think we have a new contender for the noisiest bird in the village. I thought Echo was the winner, but she and I both disagree with that now.”
She looked at him incredulously. “We have been standing outside for two minutes, whiner.”
He shrugged. “Anyway, Corrine, if you want to be a warrior, don’t think about stuff like that. Here, women are just as dangerous as the men. Probably more. When someone sees a man, they assume he’ll be powerful. A woman—not so much. That allows our women to take advantage of those weak-minded bastards and really get the upper hand. Not that they need it, but it’s kind of funny to watch. I’ve had my ass handed to me thoroughly by Nika and Arryn, so don’t let anyone tell you a woman can’t kick ass.”
Corrine smiled at Arryn. “That’s so awesome! I don’t think I could be a warrior, though. I don’t understand how you can take that much pain. That sounds horrible.”
Arryn smiled. “Well, if you want, you can stick around. If you don’t want to see, you don’t have to. The Chieftain will have more than enough for you to do.”
“Here, when a boy or girl is old enough to hold a spear, they are old enough to start training. You’re old enough for basics, but the rougher training won’t start until after twelve,” Nika said.
“Rougher training?” Corrine asked.
Cathillian nodded. “There’s still a lot for you to learn. Don’t worry about all that right now. If you want, you can watch Arryn and me spar today. Arryn and Nika are supposed to be demonstrating, but I think it would be good for you to see a woman fight a man much larger than her.”
Arryn looked impressed. “Wow. Actually, that’s a really good idea. See, I’m a shorty compared to everyone here. They are all tall and long-limbed, but I’m not a native druid. I’m built like the shorter Arcadians. You’re more than welcome to stay if you want, but you don’t have to.”
Corrine thought for a few moments. “I wanna watch. I don’t think I’ll like it, but if I’m gonna be a druid of the Dark Forest, I should at least see what goes on.”
“Just don’t be scared when he hits me or draws blood… or worse. Trust me, I’ll get him back,” Arryn said with a wink.
“Yeah,” Cathillian agreed. “You always do. You’re mean, too.”
Arryn gave him a playful punch in the shoulder before stepping into the pit.
Cathillian looked at Corrine. “Wish me luck. I’m gonna need it. She’s gonna show off in front of you. Just you wait.”
Corrine smiled. “You’re a big boy. I’m sure you can handle it.”
His expression turned shocked. “Well, look at you! You’re already just as mean as she is. What a pair you two are!”
He winked as he turned and followed Arryn into the pit.
"Today, I think we should try something a little different," Nika said. When Arryn, Cathillian, and Corrine all looked at her, she smiled. "The two of you are great fighters already. Let's see just how far we can push you. Let's see how you do blindfolded."
Arryn stared at Nika in shock. "Blindfolded? That doesn't sound safe."
Nika shook her head. "No weapons. Hand-to-hand only. It should test your ability to sense life around you. If you're as good with your nature magic as Cathillian is, you won't have anything to worry about. You'll be able to sense where he is at all times."
Cathillian clapped his hands, grinning deviously as he rubbed them together. "What's the matter? Are you scared? Afraid you might lose?"
Arryn snorted. "Really? Never! Bring on the blindfolds. But Nika will tie them."
Cathillian nodded. "That seems fair."
Nika removed two blindfolds from her belt, having placed them there in preparation for this very event. Arryn narrowed her eyes as she realized the warrior had planned this from the beginning.
"Do you normally carry scarves with you, or did you plan to blindfold me today anyway? Because as Cathillian mentioned earlier, it was supposed to be you and me in the pit today."
Nika laughed as she stepped behind Arryn, tying the blindfold. "I definitely had this planned. We’ve become such evenly matched opponents, I wanted to see what you’re capable of if we shook things up. If anything, it’s a compliment."
"Mmhmm," Arryn grumbled as she took a few steps backwards, carefully placing her feet and sensing around her, so she didn't run into anything.
"Okay, Cathillian’s blindfolded as well. I'm gonna count to three, and then the fight is on. If someone goes down for more than a few seconds, I'll call it. Any questions?"
Arryn shook her head, assuming that Cathillian had as well because Nika began the countdown.
"Go!" Nika shouted.
Arryn called on her magic, both physical and nature. Her physical magic allowed her to sense vibrations in the ground while her nature magic allowed her to sense Cathillian’s life energy. Once he called on his magic, she could sense that as well.
She slowly began to circle him, feeling for Corrine and Nika just outside the pit. That told her where the pit ended on that side.
Cathillian—impatient as he was—was the first to attack. She sensed him coming, but it was too late to move, so she caught a fist directly to her nose. The sound of bone breaking echoed in her ears as the pain radiated through her head.
"Ah, Bitch!" she shouted as she punched him in the ribs and then kicked out, hitting him directly in the chest only by luck.
"Arryn! Are you okay?" Corrine asked, worry evident in her voice.
Arryn gripped her nose hard enough to straighten it, and the sound of grinding bone once again hit her ears as the pain gave her an instant headache. She then pinched just the soft cartilage and pulled downward, flinging the blood away from her face and off her fingertips at the ground.
"Don't worry about me, kid," Arryn said. "It's just a broken nose. Trust me, that's not a mistake I'm gonna make again."
"What? No worries for my broken ribs?" Cathillian grumbled.
"Are you okay, Cathillian?" Corrine asked.
"Na, na, na. It's too late for that. I see where your allegiance lies," he replied.
Arryn focused her magic again, using his distraction to her benefit. No one had been taken down, and Nika hadn't signaled the end of the round. If he was distracted, it was his own fault.
She found where he was standing, and he didn't seem to be moving. She quickly judged how far he was and figured how many steps it would take to get to him, and then she made a risky move.
Arryn dropped her nature magic, making it a little harder for him to sense her, and she ran directly for him. Just as she arrived, she called her magic again, which told her that he was still there.
Thrusting a knee into his side as he leaned toward her, she wrapped her arm around his neck and threw him over her back to the ground, where she straddled him after he landed. She could feel him struggling upward, but she stopped him with a swift punch to the face.
"Fuck!" Cathillian yelled as his nose was crushed by her fist.
Arryn heard laughing just before Nika said, "The element of surprise really brings out the cursing. This is the best idea ever. Also, round over. Point to Arryn. Nice, by the way—dropping your nature magic. It was a risk, but it paid off."
Arryn patted Cathillian on the chest, and his hand went to cover it. When she felt his touch, she grabbed his hand, stood, and helped pull him to his feet.
"So, Arryn won?"
Corrine asked.
Arryn nodded. "That round, anyway. Are we continuing with the blindfolds, or can we just train?"
"Yeah, I'd rather just train the good old-fashioned way. Seems like she hits twice as hard with a blindfold on," Cathillian said.
Nika groaned. "Fine, ya whiners. Take the blindfolds off. Since you can see now, no rules. Hand-to-hand, weapons, magic—whatever you wanna use."
Arryn removed her blindfold and glanced at Corrine, who had her hands on the railing that encircled the pit. Her eyes were aglow with excitement, and she had a big smile on her face.
Arryn winked at the girl before turning back to her opponent. "Round two, ya big baby. Let's see what ya got."
Cathillian put his fists up in a fighter's stance as he prepared for Arryn. This time she took the initiative.
Her eyes flashed black before Cathillian had time to react. She swept her hand forward and to the left, flinging large clods of dirt directly at him. He closed his eyes and used his arms to cover his face, and she charged straight for him, then jumped into the air and mule-kicked him in the chest. She used that momentum to somersault off him and landed on her feet.
Cathillian stumbled back several steps, but caught his balance and flipped backwards, landing on his feet. He steadied himself, and his eyes flashed as he thrust his hands out, sending a large gust of wind to knock Arryn back.
She hit the ground hard, but quickly rolled onto all fours to keep Nika from calling the round and flung her hand backward. Vines burst from the ground and grabbed Cathillian by the ankles.
When she yanked her hand back toward her, the vines pulled his feet out from under him and he landed with a loud oof. Arryn climbed to her feet and ran for him, but before she had even made it halfway, he had sliced the vines and freed himself.
He rolled out of the way, sweep-kicking her legs. She landed flat on her stomach with a loud grunt as he straddled her back, grabbed her hands, and pinned her.
