by Candy Crum
"We did," Samuel said. "Now, how about those drinks?"
His friend laughed and clapped him on the back. "That's what these Arcadian boys don't realize. Battles’re only challenges. They deserve ta be celebrated when won. Glad ta have one of me own ta drink with tonight. There's an empty cart over there. Any of the wood that's lying around that ye can fill it with, ye can keep.”
Ren spat a mouthful of blood on the ground before smiling, one of his teeth missing. “Anything after today, ye have to come cut down yerself. I’ll happily give it to ye. Let's pack up these carts and head back ta Arcadia. We have several injured, and I think it's time we had ourselves some drinks."
Samuel and Andrew finished chatting with Ren before heading off and gathering up an overstuffed cart full of wood while the others packed up the injured. They'd been lucky that everyone survived. That was all thanks to quick reaction, Samuel’s and Andrew’s expertise, and the low numbers of remnant. Twelve or so.
"This ain’t exactly how I planned on this going," Samuel said. "But I guess it worked out fer the best anyway. Not only that, ye earned my respect today. Believe me when I say that's not easy ta do. ‘Specially fer an Arcadian."
"I don't trust people at all, but here lately I've been learning that not everybody is quite so bad. Including ugly old bastards like you."
Samuel smiled. "Now yer gettin' it! And hey, tomorrow, ye might even wake up with some calluses on those baby hands of yers."
"You're still within sword’s length, old man. I'd say that I'd cut you in half, but I'm not exactly sure if that's possible," Andrew said with a smile.
"Yer all right, Arcadian. Now, shut yer trap an’ help me get this thing hitched to a horse. It's time ta go get drunk.”
After having taken a few days to prepare before leaving, Arryn's nerves had certainly picked up. She was incredibly anxious, her stomach rolling at the thought of leaving. She couldn't decide if it was fear or excitement. Elysia assured her it was both.
“You're gonna do just fine,” Elysia said. “I know you’re worried. Believe me when I say I’m worried, too. I have no idea what you're gonna be doing, who you're gonna run into, if they'll be good or if they’ll be terrible people. All I have to console me is my faith in both of you. I could not be happier that things worked out the way they did. If either one of you went out alone, I’d be a mess. But you can't let my worries affect you.”
“I think what she's trying to say,” the Chieftain said, placing a hand on Elysia’s shoulder, “is that she's crazy. She is a borderline psychotic, overprotective mother, and deep down, she knows that you're a hell of a lot stronger than what she gives you credit for. Both of you.”
Elysia scoffed, turning and hitting her father in the arm. “You can be a real dick.” She shook her head. “You're lucky that, even in your old age, you’re still stronger than me.”
The Chieftain laughed. “Oh, daughter. You and your threats.” He turned to Arryn then. “See? I told you. Psychotic,” he said, whispering the last bit.
Arryn was happy for all the smiles in those moments, the silliness that surrounded them. They were good people. They’d raised her well and taught her everything that she needed to know about family.
Everything everyone needed to know about family. Things she wasn't even certain her own parents could've taught her.
Her parents had both been kind, loving people, but Arcadia didn’t have the sense of family the druids do. In the forest, where there's nothing else, the people around are all they have. And even though Arryn was more like a family friend than true family, she knew they could never be replaced.
She looked up to the sky and saw that the sun was directly overhead. It was midday. “Time to go,” Arryn said. “We need to get on our way. We've already wasted too much daylight saying goodbye to everyone.”
Elysia and the Chieftain stepped closer to Arryn and Cathillian. The Chieftain extended his hand to Cathillian, two solid, carved, wooden bracers in his grip.
Cathillian took them and looked them over before slipping them over his forearms. While wooden bracers might have seemed impractical, to a druid, they were an honor.
“That wood was cut from the Heilig tree,” the Chieftain said. “They’ll give you strength, and will always tie you to nature.”
Elysia took a step toward Arryn, a smile on her face. “I know you prefer the bow,” she said. “So, I made this for you.”
She lifted a stunning, expertly crafted bow and handed it to Arryn. Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened as she inspected the beautiful piece.
There were small designs etched out and engraved in the length of the wood. The grip was perfect, and she knew by the color of the cord that it was made from none other than Chaos' mane.
“I hope you like it,” Elysia said. “But that’s not all. Somewhere down the road—while training with Cathillian, I imagine—something happened to make you decide you liked hand-to-hand combat. Even though it isn’t customary, I wanted to give you something else.”
Nika appeared then, carrying a long staff. It, too, had been carved of the same wood. Nika handed it to Elysia before giving Arryn a wink and stepping back.
“Eventually,” Elysia began, “Cathillian will train you how to fight in close quarter combat like a true warrior. When that time comes, you’ll rely more heavily on a different style of weapon, and you’ll find that you use your bow less and less. Because of that, I made you a second gift. Actually, Cathillian helped me.”
Arryn looked at Cathillian for a moment, a large smile on his face as he peered down at her. There was a look of pride in his expression. Arryn looked back to Elysia before replacing the bow that was on her back with the new one and taking the staff from her, inspecting it as well.
It was her full height, and light in color. The long staff twisted from the bottom all the way up. At the very top, the wood split into several vine-like pieces as they wrapped around a beautiful stone. It was green in color and reminded her of the green of the druids’ eyes when they cast magic. It was breathtaking.
“This wood is nearly unbreakable,” the Chieftain said. “It would take the strength of a man three times Cathillian’s size to sever it, or the magic of a very powerful druid. In our tribe, when someone begins the death process, they’re taken to the Heilig tree. In their final moments, they channel what is left of their life force and their power into that tree until they take their final breath, growing it and fortifying it. The tree itself does not have power, but what it does have is strength. It’s stronger than any other tree in this forest and grows more and more so with the passing of any druid in our tribe.”
Elysia took over. “Only an Elder druid has the power to cut even a single twig from one of its mighty limbs. This tree is used for protection. This tree is what is used to craft the shields that our warriors carry and the armor that they wear. While it may not be as sharp, it’s certainly stronger than any steel. It’s because of this, and because of your devotion to our people, that you both receive these gifts.”
Arryn could hardly believe their words. She’d heard stories of the tree, but only in passing. She’d spent a lot of time there.
At nearly seventy feet in girth, and over two hundred feet tall, the giant sequoia had been a place of solitude for her. There had been many times when she’d found herself sitting on one of its massive roots while she watched the squirrels play in its branches.
All that time and she’d never known the true meaning behind it. She only thought the tree meant a lot to them because of its age and size, not that it was a physical symbol of what the druid people stood for and those they’d lost.
Arryn wiped a single tear from her cheek as she looked first into Elysia's eyes and then to the Chieftain’s.
“I love you both, thank you for everything you've done for me, including this. It means more to me than you could possibly ever know.” She stepped forward, giving each of them a hug before stepping away and allowing Cathillian to do the same.
El
ysia began to cry, something that was quite uncommon for her. Arryn knew if she didn't leave soon, she would end up crying more than the tear she’d allowed to escape.
“I love you both,” Elysia forced out. She sniffled. “Be safe, find ways to send word back to me.” She gasped, a smile breaking across her face. “Take Chaos! One of you can ride him while the other rides another horse. That way, Chaos can come back to me and let me know that you’re safe. Ha! I’m a genius.”
Cathillian shook his head, exasperated. “I suppose there's no getting out of this one is there? I could always send Echo back, ya know.”
Elysia shook her head. “No. No, there really isn't. I don’t want Echo to have to fly all the way there, back here, and then back to you. It’s only a single round trip for Chaos. You will do this for me because I'm your mother, and you don’t want me to come to Arcadia to search for you.”
Cathillian’s eyes widened. “I think Granddad’s right. Psychotic,” he said.
Elysia’s eyes narrowed as her hands came to rest on her hips.
Cathillian quickly changed his tone. “Well, that's settled! Because no, we absolutely do not want that. We don’t need you coming in there raging like a crazy person. Nor do we need whatever death you’re plotting with the look on your face right now. Stop it.” As he said that last bit, he playfully tapped her on the forehead. “Stop it.”
Elysia laughed, swatting his hand away. “I love you. Go, child, before I beat you.”
At that moment, Chaos trotted his way up, another horse right behind him. They quickly packed their things on the backs of the horses, and climbed up.
After yet another round of goodbyes, Arryn and Cathillian set out on their way. Arryn heading back to her childhood home, and Cathillian finally getting the adventure he’d always wanted.
16
Samuel and Marie headed over to the site of what used to be the Arcadian factory. Marie knew Samuel had gone through a lot to get them the first small load of wood, and she was grateful.
Though he was a tough guy and didn't like to show his weaknesses, she could tell the fight had taken a lot out of him. He still rubbed at his shoulders and neck whenever he stood too long in one place. But it hadn't tempered his determination.
As they arrived at the site, Marie got a nervous look on her face as she looked to Samuel's worried expression. “What’s that look,” she asked. “I don't like that look.”
She studied Samuel as he stared out into the large mounds of rubble. Shattered rock, wood, glass, and various other materials littered the area in a mess. She knew what he saw. It was the same thing she did while wondering where the hell to start, but they had to try.
“Well, lass. What I'm looking at appears ta be a massive pile of shite. Not exactly sure what ye expect me ta do with this, but if it's rebuild it…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “Well, I'm not quite sure yer gonna get what ye ask for.”
“Darn it,” Marie said, sighing a bit.
Samuel looked up at his new acquaintance, brows furrowed. “Did ye just say darn it?” he asked. An amused expression crossed his face as though he couldn't believe the word had exited her mouth.
She nodded. “Yes, why?”
Samuel shook his head. “Lass, we need ta teach ye some new words. If ye wanna be the backbone of the city, ye need ta have a backbone. While I hate ta say it, because I like working with me own two hands, we need some of those fancy magic users.”
“How many do you think we’ll need?” Marie asked, looking at the shorter man beside her.
He shrugged. “I don't know. Not too familiar with magic users, still ain't quite sure about ‘em. But—I know what I'm up against. Anyone climbin’ through that pile of shite, is gonna get cut up. We need some of that tele-whatever you people use ta help sort without touchin’ much. If ye can get the glass sifted down ta the bottom, then all the normal folk can heave out the big shite and sort it proper. I'd say no less than ten. But even that's cuttin’ it close. I guess it just depends on how quick ye want this done.”
“I suppose that's fair,” she said. “And telekinesis was the word you were looking for.” She winked, and he waved her off. “We can shake the debris enough to get at least the small pieces down to the bottom and shatter the rest so they can fall through. As long as everyone has good footwear, that should be safe enough for the time being. Lucky for us, we have an entire Academy full of magic users.”
The rearick laughed. “The way I understand it, ye have quite a few dummies in there, too. Those Boulevard kids can scrap with the best of ‘em, but they’re none too magically inclined, lass. You'll need strength, precision. You're gonna need teachers and advanced students.”
Marie sighed. “I was afraid of that. The last time we specially chose people from the Academy, Adrien was literally sucking the life out of them. I'm not exactly sure how excited those students will be to volunteer for anything requiring advanced students.”
She shrugged, looking around the demolished site. Everything was charred or in thousands upon thousands of tiny little pieces. As bad as the Boulevard had been, the factory was possibly worse. It had burned up and exploded from the inside.
“Well, it's a start,” Samuel said.
Marie nodded, contemplating exactly how she was about to go ask the new Dean and also Amelia if she could have students and faculty for a few days, possibly a week. While it was a necessity, it certainly made her nervous.
Cathillian and Arryn made their way through the Dark Forest. The leaves, vines, and other plants getting thicker and thicker as they neared the edge.
Once they could travel no farther, they each dismounted and made their way to the deep wall standing in their path. Arryn looked up, and then to her left, and then her right, inspecting the massive barrier. The thorns and brush were so thick, she couldn't even see through to the other side.
Cathillian looked over to Arryn before motioning to the wall. "Kneel with me."
Arryn watched Cathillian as he knelt to the ground, placing both his hands flat against the earth. She followed his lead and did the same.
"This magic is a little different than healing. It's a little different than most things that you've done. Most of the time, we focus on the energy within nature and use our own to grow it into something more.”
His eyes cut over to the thick hedge. “This time, we’re making the connection to the life directly in front of us and asking it to move. Focus on what you want to happen, which in case you hadn't figured it out, is for the plants to part."
Arryn nodded, closing her eyes and focusing on the path directly before them. She could feel the energy of everything surrounding her, and she pushed her own toward it as she imagined everything moving out of her way.
After a few unsuccessful minutes, she sighed and pulled away. "It doesn't seem to be working," she said.
Cathillian smiled. "That's because you can't bully everything into doing what you want. Just watch. Study my movements and feel what I do."
Cathillian had been outside of the Dark Forest more than a few times.
He used to escape all the time as a child before the lycanthrope attack, and, as a warrior, he'd gone to check the perimeter both inside and out of the barrier. So, Cathillian was no stranger to opening the wall before them.
Arryn had seen it done, but she'd never had the opportunity to really pay attention or try herself.
Cathillian's eyes glowed brighter green as he summoned his power. She could feel the type of energy that he was calling on, and it felt different than what she had been using.
She realized then that she hadn't paid a bit of attention to anything he’d told her.
He told her it was nothing like healing, or even growing plant life. It was something almost similar to the power that was used when one of the druids communicated with their familiar. Not quite like telepathy, but a bond with nature.
She watched as the vines began to wrap themselves around the thorns, and the thorns began to move. While she had no
way of knowing what it was like to communicate with a familiar, she did have a connection to animals.
She placed her hands on the ground again, focusing all of her energy toward the path before them.
Like Cathillian, she bonded with the life around her, willing it to do as she asked. She began to hear snapping and loud creaking.
She opened her eyes to see that the path was very rapidly opening now with her magic thrown into the mix. Soon, the passageway was several feet wide, just enough for them to comfortably walk through with their horses.
"Very good!" Cathillian said. "You’re a damned fast learner."
"Thanks! Sometimes when my teacher actually takes situations seriously, I learn a thing or two."
His brows furrowed. "Well, now, I wouldn't say that exactly. No need to be rude and throw insults. We both know I take nothing seriously."
Arryn laughed as she stood, turning back to Chaos. She grabbed the reins, and waited for Cathillian's instructions. "What now?"
"We have about twenty feet of trail to walk through, but we also have to close it as we walk. That’s why I'm not wearing my boots, so I can stay connected to nature. So, you're going to ride ahead of me, and I'm going to walk through on foot last, behind you and the horses, so I can close the passageway."
Arryn didn't respond as she got back on Chaos. Cathillian handed her the reins to Maia, the horse that he was riding. Arryn went first, making sure to hold Maia's reins behind her so the mare could follow directly behind.
Arryn could hear the popping and cracking again, and she looked back to see Cathillian, his eyes glowing green as he slowly paced behind them. His arms were extended out to his sides, his fingertips barely touching the brush on either side. The wall filled in just behind him with every step.
When they reached the other side, Arryn couldn't help but admire his handiwork. He was definitely strong and magically inclined. Having him as a teacher might not be so bad after all.
