by Alison Pensy
Faen gave his friend a considering look as he walked past him over to Faedra.
“Ah, ain't love grand?” Faedra said with a mock northern accent.
Faen chose to ignore the comment and put a hand either side of Faedra's face, studying her with intense worried eyes. He moved her head slowly from side to side. “Are you okay?”
Faedra pinched her brows together. “I'm fine.”
“Are you sure? I mean, you have never used your new powers like that, they may have hurt you.” He put a hand on each shoulder and spun her around, continuing to examine her back.
“Faen, what are you doing?” Faedra exclaimed as she pulled herself from Faen's grip and turned herself back around to face him. “I'm fine.”
Faen took hold of her shoulders again and continued to look her up and down. He moved his head from side to side casting a scrutinizing gaze up and down either side of her body. She caught his face in her hands and held it steady in front of her. “Faen, I'm fine! In fact, I haven't felt this good since...well, you know.”
Faen's expression softened and the worry fell from his gaze. They looked at each other for another moment. Faen leaned in and was just a hair's breadth away from Faedra's lips when the crunching of leaves behind them distracted him.
Faen's reflexes were so swift, Faedra was still leaning in while her Guardian already had his sword out and was standing protectively in front of her.
Faedra opened her eyes to see Faen's back. She materialized two energy balls, a day late and a dollar short, only to let them fizzle out when she saw it was the two women on horseback.
She stepped out from behind Faen to stand by his side and could hear Etyran and Jocelyn move to stand with them. All four looked up at the two women. There was silence for a heartbeat before they started asking the questions that each of them wanted the answers to.
“Where are we?” Faedra demanded.
“Why did you bring us here?” Faen chimed in.
“What do you want with us?” Etyran joined the questioning.
“What were those things?” Jocelyn said, sounding unusually assertive.
“We will answer all of your questions, but first we have to get you to safety. Those creatures are erchyll. They are some of Arawn's many spies. He knows you are here now, and if he knows you are here, he knows why. He will send more of his spies out to try and capture you. The forest may be an escape from the erchyll, but it holds its own vast source of danger,” the woman Faedra recognized from Falconchase explained. “Please, follow us and we will explain everything to you.”
“How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?” Etyran asked.
“Good point, Etyran,” Faedra agreed. “How are we supposed to know you're not leading us into a trap?” she repeated to drive home the point.
“If we had wanted to trap you, that would have been very easy to do. Please...” The cloaked woman looked around nervously, “we need to get out of this forest and get to safety.”
Faedra looked at her Guardian for guidance. “What shall we do?”
“Can you use your power to sense if they mean us any harm?” Faen asked.
The Custodian rolled her eyes. “Of course, why didn't I think of that?”
Faedra closed her eyes and concentrated on the two women who stood before them. First, she could feel the slight unrest in the horses. Wow, she could sense animals, too? Their sensation was different to that of humans. They did not like being in the forest but they were loyal to their riders and would go where their riders needed them to go. She pushed her senses higher until she reached the woman she recognized from the treasure hunt. Anxiety mixed with fear, which was probably caused by their surroundings. Also, there was excitement and hope. A strange combination. Faedra felt her senses probe deeper and wondered if the woman could feel her poking around in her emotional energy. After a few more moments Faedra was satisfied. She could find no trace of malice or evil intent towards her or her friends. Just an overwhelming feeling of hope.
She opened her eyes again.
“Did you sense anything?” Faen asked.
“Yes, I did. I don't think they mean us any harm. I think they are being honest when they say they only want to get us to safety. I guess it would be a good idea to follow them after all.”
The cloaked woman from Falconchase gave Faedra a warm smile. “Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Carina and this is my sister Anwynn. If you would care to follow us, we will get you to safety and explain everything.”
Carina pulled on the reins to turn her horse, and Anwynn followed suit. Faen took hold of Faedra's hand and the four friends followed on behind the white horses.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“What do you think they want from us?” Faedra whispered to Faen as they followed the two white horses down a narrow path in the woods.
“Well, they do not seem to wish us harm, so I would say they need our help,” Faen replied.
Faedra took in a deep contemplative breath. “Help with what, I wonder?”
“We will find out soon enough, of that I am sure.”
Faedra looked behind her at Etyran and Jocelyn. “How are you feeling, Jocelyn?”
“Much better, thank you.”
“That cut on your face has nearly healed up. Crikey, you heal quickly.”
Jocelyn gave Faedra a warm smile.
“Thankfully.” Etyran quipped.
Jocelyn turned to look at him and gave him the same warm smile. Etyran's cheeks filled with color. He looked away quickly, only to be confronted with Faedra's knowing grin before she turned her face forward to see where she was going. She may be the most powerful person in all of the seven realms, but she'd like to hazard a guess that she was also the clumsiest. Tripping over a tree root and falling flat on her face was not on her ‘to do’ list at this point in time.
After they'd been walking for a while, it suddenly dawned on Faedra how quiet the forest was. Too quiet for a place that should hold an abundance of life from the smallest tree frog to the largest owl. But there was no noise except for the crunching of leaves under their feet. This started to ring alarm bells in Faedra's internal warning system.
“Faen, have you noticed how quiet it is in here?” she whispered, and then started to look above her and to either side. “I don't like this, it's not...right.”
“You are very observant, Custodian,” the woman introduced as Anwynn responded.
Wow, she must have good hearing. Faedra thought.
“Not much lives in this part of the forest. Arawn saw to that.”
Faedra could sense the disgust in the woman's voice. “One day we hope to return this forest back to the bustling place it used to be. Full of wildlife. But, for now, even the animals are too scared to live here.”
“So why are we walking through here if it's such a dangerous place to be?” Faedra asked.
“Because it is the least likely place Arawn will look for us. He is too arrogant to think that we would be hiding right under his spies' noses.”
Faedra gave Faen a look of uncertainty. Just exactly where were they being taken, and what kind of dangers lived in this forest? She was hoping they wouldn't find out any time soon.
At that moment, they heard another noise coming from up ahead. A long sorrowful howl echoed through the trees. The four friends stopped dead and looked all around them. Faen and Jocelyn instinctively drew their swords. The light was dimming now, due mainly to them being brought deeper into the forest. Faedra only hoped they didn't have much further to go. The dark still unsettled her, as much as she hated to admit that fact.
The women on horseback did not seem fazed by the sorrowful howl that echoed again through the forest. The horses kept walking without breaking stride. Faedra creased her brow. Something was not quite right, and this time it wasn't the fact that the forest was eerily quiet, except for the odd howl up ahead.
Carina looked back when she noticed their guests had stopped following them.
“It is a
lright. Those are our calls. Our people are just signaling that we are coming back. We have guards keeping watch over this area to warn us if spies are coming. We do not have much further now.”
Faedra was relieved. The longer she was out in the forest, the more she had a sense of foreboding. There was a strange kind of energy here but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was like when you knew you didn't feel completely well but didn't know quite what was making you feel under the weather. You just knew you didn't feel right.
Faen and Jocelyn sheathed they swords and the four friends proceeded forward again. The howls were getting more frequent the deeper they went. It seemed that they were being sent like a relay further into the forest.
Faedra saw Carina and Anwynn give a barely discernible nod to either side of the path they were traveling. She realized they were acknowledging someone and let her gaze roam to the side of the road. She strained to see in the dim light and couldn't make out anything but brush and undergrowth to either side of them, until one of those bushes blinked and moved back behind a tree. Faedra's heart leapt to her throat at the surprise movement. The bush put a camouflaged finger up to a dirtied face and pressed it against brown lips. She kept her eye on the 'bush' as she moved forward. Just how many people were out here?
They walked for a few more yards until the path opened up and they were standing on the edge of a leaf covered, bowl shaped dip in the ground. The area was surrounded by boulders, and a sheer rock face rose up in front of them.
Faedra looked above her and could see the odd head peeking out above some of the boulders along the ridge ahead of them. The energy in this area was palpable. There must be quite a few people out here for her to sense it so strongly. Again, she could sense anxiety, but the more she tuned into it the more she could feel it shifting to hope. Hope that was aimed at her.
They followed the two riders down the slope until they came to the wall of rock. Carina dismounted her horse and walked up to the rock face. She mumbled a few words and waved her arm across the rock. It shimmered and then disappeared right in front of Faedra's eyes, leaving a large gaping hole in the side of the hill. Faedra realized, at that moment, this did not surprise her. She thought it a little sad that she was now so embroiled in other worlds, she didn't think anything would ever surprise her again.
Carina led her horse into the opening she had just created, and Anwynn followed. She looked back at the four.
Faedra looked at Faen. “I guess that's our cue to follow.”
Faen gave her hand a squeeze and stepped forward to follow the two women through the opening. Faedra took a deep steadying breath and fell in beside her Guardian.
The Custodian looked up at the ridge above them as she stepped towards the opening. More curious faces peeked out over the edge; she took another step and froze on the spot, sucking in a sharp breath. She stood in the opening looking like someone had just poured a bucket of icy water over her head. Faen's face filled with concern.
“What is it, Faedra? Are you alright?”
Faedra looked around her, then closed her eyes and did an internal examination.
Steadying her breath, she opened her eyes again. “I'm okay...I think. Wow, there's some pretty hefty magic in here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I've walked through wards before, but usually I'd just feel a tingle. This doorway felt like I was walking through a freezing cold waterfall. Didn't you feel anything?”
Faen shook his head.
She turned her question to Etyran and Jocelyn as they stepped through the opening beside her. “What about you two? Anything?”
“Nope. Not a sausage,” Etyran answered.
“Jocelyn?”
“I am afraid I did not feel anything either, Faedra.”
“It is because you have Savu's power,” Carina interrupted. “It is mostly evil power, and we had to do some strong recalibration of the wards for them to allow you entry.”
Faedra did not like that statement one little bit. She straightened her shoulders and puffed out her chest. “I am NOT evil!” she exclaimed, trying more to convince herself of that fact than the woman in front of her. It was something that had been nagging at the back of her mind for six months now. What if consuming Savu's power would turn her evil? She lost her temper very quickly since absorbing it. Things that never used to bother her before, would push her into a bad mood in seconds now.
Her three friends took a step back. Just like flicking a switch, the heat poured off her in waves.
“I never said you were evil,” Carina said. “But the fact remains that the power you absorbed is. There is no way of knowing how long the fundamental purity of your soul can fight against something that powerful. We will probably be able to help you, but we need your help first.” She gestured with her arm for her new guests to follow her. “Please, we have much to do.” She turned to continue walking. Her horse gave Faedra a wary look and let out an anxious whinny. Carina ran a hand down its nose and coaxed him forward.
They were now standing in a tunnel; easily the height of two people and wide enough that four could walk comfortably side by side.
“Faen, I can't hold it,” Faedra said, her voice cracking with emotion.
Faen turned his attention from Carina to his charge. She was panicked, that much was obvious. The temperature in the tunnel rose sharply and sweat beaded on everyone's foreheads. The horses started to shuffle anxiously next to their handlers.
“What is happening?” Carina asked, concern creeping across her now flushed face.
“Well, if you had done just a little more research before you dragged us here,” Faen said in a reprimanding tone, “you would know that Faedra's power is linked very closely to her emotions. You just touched on a very sensitive subject and now she is having trouble keeping said power under control. I suggest if you do not want for us all to be baked alive, you tell me where the nearest water source is.”
Carina's eyes widened. “It's just through there at the end of the tunnel. There is the reservoir that feeds our cave.” She pointed down the tunnel.
Faedra took off at a sprint in the direction Carina had pointed. The two women pulled their horses back against the tunnel walls as Faedra shot past them. The heat radiating off her now was almost enough to scold.
Faedra ran. She ran faster than she'd ever run in her life. She didn't notice the fact that the tunnel was sloping downwards; too busy thinking about what would happen if her power overtook her in there. She would kill every living thing in it, that was for sure, and what a horrible death that would be. She shuddered and picked up the pace even faster. She wasn't evil, she wasn't. Her dad was right; she couldn't hurt anything on purpose. Carina was wrong. She had to be. All Faedra could hope was that she made it to the water in time.
At last, she burst through the end of the tunnel and saw the reservoir that Carina mentioned straight ahead. As she got closer to it, she slowed and came to a stop by the water’s edge.
She stared into the mirror-like surface and her reflection stared right back at her. Worry, fear, and helplessness were all etched on her face. She slammed her energy into the water, and within seconds her reflection distorted as bubbles started to surface. A few moments later she could see steam rising from the reservoir just around the time her energy started to ebb. When she was at a point where she could rein it in, she pulled back from the water and the ripples dissipated to leave a mirror-like pond once again.
She was shocked to see that this time hers was not the only reflection that greeted her. Several feet away on either side of her were reflections of women and children staring at her. Startled, she looked up. She thought she'd been alone. Faedra didn't realize an audience had watched her lose control. Faedra turned her head hesitantly to one side. The women and children sucked in a breath and stepped back. Mother's had protective arms around their children. Fear was in everyone's eyes, and the energy in the cavern screamed it.
Faedra swallowed hard and slowly
turned her head to the other side. The same thing happened. Dozens of frightened women and children backed away from her. Faedra was mortified. She'd terrified all these people. She wasn't a bad person; she didn't want to hurt anyone. She choked back a sob and slumped to the floor feeling defeated. Sitting crossed legged in front of the pool of water, she buried her face in her hands.
CHAPTER NINE
“Faedra!” A voice she recognized echoed across the room as Faen exited the tunnel. She heard his footsteps pound towards her before the soothing calmness of her Guardian's palms rested on her shoulders.
A sob escaped, then another, and another. “I'm not evil, Faen. I'm not,” Faedra cried. Tears squeezed their way out of her eyes but evaporated before they made it down her cheeks.
Faen sat on the floor next to her and gathered her up in his arms. She was hot, but thankfully, not enough to burn him. She leaned into his caress and buried her head in his shoulder.
“No one thinks that, Faedra.”
“Carina does.”
The others exited the tunnel, hot on Faen's heels. They stood a few paces away, faces full of concern. Faen turned and gave Carina a reproving look; she averted her gaze to the ground.
“I scared all these people. All these children. I didn't know anyone was here when I lost control, honestly. I didn't mean to scare anyone.” Faedra sobbed.
“Eirwen, please take the horses,” Carina said.
A young woman, also in a blue robe, stepped forward and collected the reins that Carina and Anwynn held out for her. She led them through another tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern.
