by Candy Crum
Ren smiled. Their women had always been feisty and rather terrifying, but they weren’t fighters. Craigston was a very patriarchal and old-fashioned community. Now, he was painfully aware of the opportunity their people had been missing out on the whole time by not including them.
The same fear the wives put into their husbands, was now being put toward taking down the monsters that threatened them.
The brothers ran forward, yelling out as they swung their hammers, taking down two remnant that charged for them. "Stick together!" Sven ordered.
Ren had no plans to do anything else. They were stronger together, and fought better as well.
Sven ran forward, striking one remnant in the side before turning and swinging upward at an angle to hit another in the face that had been approaching from behind. Returning to his previous enemy, he swung downward, snapping his leg before raising his hammer over his head and smashing the monster’s skull.
The remnant fell to the ground, his head broken apart like a cracked egg.
Wave after wave came after them, the beasts having been broken up by the tree line. There were too many trees, and it forced the remnant into a staggering formation that allowed the rearick to run in and take them out, far easier than if they were out in the open.
Long ago, before Arcadia had been fully built and the Valley had become a prosperous area for farmland and noblemen, the remnant had enjoyed attacking Craigston.
It was nothing to the townspeople for the alarm to be sounded in the middle of the night, or in the middle of the day. The remnant never seemed to be far. But the rearick held strong. They refused to move and refused to give up their homeland, which resulted in the rearick people evolving.
Many believed it had been the mining life that gave the rearick their signature short, stocky build. They weren’t wrong. That in combination with constantly battling the remnant caused them to be shorter, packing far more muscle into a smaller package.
Their stature was what had allowed them to survive the cold, bitter winter months, the deep and dangerous mines, and the incessant remnant incursions.
Many in Arcadia found their appearance to be amusing, but in a fight against those diseased beasts from the Madlands, the rearick stood a better chance than anyone.
The beasts didn't seem to be used to the chill in the air that came with living in the mountains, and the lower temperatures, along with the recent snow, now slowed the remnant down, making them easy targets.
"They're running!" one of the women warriors shouted out. "We ran them off!"
Not just yet, they hadn't. Ren ran forward and smashed a remnant in the belly, as his brother delivered the final blow to one that had gotten stuck in the middle of a large group of rearick.
Two female warriors wandered up, their bloody weapons slung over their shoulders as if they were on a casual Sunday stroll. One of them looked over to Ren and winked. "Nice form, old man. What else ye got?"
She smiled in a way that told Ren she meant that in a flirtatious manner. "I ain't that old."
She laughed. "Good. Then ye won't mind buyin’ me a drink. I feel like celebratin’. If yer not headin’ ta bed, there, grandpa, I'll celebrate with ye."
Ren looked to his brother, who had a rather shocked expression on his face. "I don't look that old, do I? I mean, hell, she can't be much younger than me."
Sven shook his head, his lips still slightly parted. "Is it me, or did ‘r women get ballsier while we were gone?"
"Is that a yes? Or do I need ta club ye an’ drag ye back ta Ophelia's ta get yer attention?" the woman asked.
Ren nodded. "Definitely ballsier. And, I dunno about you, but I like it. Looks like tanight is gonna turn out all right, brother. Have fun drinkin’ alone."
The woman laughed as Ren made his way over. "Tanight better be better than all right, ‘r ye'll be feeling the business end of me hammer in the mornin’."
Shaking his head, Ren said, "Oh, don't you worry about that. I don't intend on feelin’ either end of yer hammer. I assume in yer hands, both ends would be the business end."
The woman threw her head back in laughter, clapping Ren on the back. "Ye'd certainly be right about that."
CHAPTER FOUR
After everything that had happened in the southern part of the Dark Forest, Corrine found herself desperate to dive deeper into anything and everything that was pure and natural among the druids.
Growing up, she had always been painfully aware of just how cruel people could be, but she had never seen the level of darkness they were capable of until Jerick was ready to end her life—the life of a child.
On top of that, she had seen the intense damage that had been done to Arryn's father, Christopher, over the course of a decade at Alaric’s hands, and she would do absolutely anything possible to distance herself from her dark heritage.
Christopher had been with the dark druids longer than she had been alive. Knowing the torture that she had faced at their hands while being considered an outsider, she couldn't imagine what he had been through as an Arcadian—a true outsider.
All those factors combined with her own weakness as a child had been motivators for her to take her warrior training more seriously. That had been a casual decision, but she hadn't felt truly broken and desperate to be stronger and more useful until she had looked into Arryn's eyes at the moment when the experienced warrior realized that three people she cared for were about to die and nothing could be done.
In that moment, Corrine had never felt such strength, and she knew it was because of Arryn, because of everything Arryn had taught her.
Corrine never wanted to be that weak again.
In all her training sessions, she had stood with children younger than her who were so inexperienced, they weren't even allowed to spar with one another. They were just learning how to throw a punch. It was embarrassing to her because the students her age were so far advanced in comparison, she would have taken a brutal beating if she tried to start alongside them.
She didn't want to be at that low level anymore. Not after what she had seen. Life was scary outside the barrier of the Dark Forest; even inside, bad things could happen if the wrong people were motivated enough. She wanted to be prepared.
Nearly losing her life had traumatized her, but it had also driven her forward. She wanted to be more than just a warrior—she wanted to be one of the best warriors the Dark Forest had ever seen. Just like Arryn, the woman she was coming to think of as her adoptive mother.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Christopher asked as he accompanied Corrine to the training pit. "I've not been here long, but from what I've learned, you're about to be in a world of pain. You're so young; there's still plenty of time for this, you know." He smiled at her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She shook her head. "When I was on my knees, and the man I used to call my Chieftain had a knife raised above me, that was supposed be my final moment. I should've died. But I didn't. Who's to say something like that won't come around again?"
Christopher sighed as he shook his head, his hands clasped in front of him as they walked. "That sounds very mature. You remind me a lot of Arryn when she was little; she was mature for her age, too. I understand why you want to do this, and I admire it. I imagine I would've made this trip a thousand times with Arryn, if I'd found my way back to the Dark Forest instead of being captured in Arcadia."
There was a brief pause before Corrine responded.
"You missed a lot, but it made Arryn strong. I probably sound older than I am because I've had to survive alone and take care of myself almost since I was old enough to run. I'm a strong kid because of the way I lived before. She's a strong grownup for the same reason."
He nodded, the look on his face content. "I suppose if things had been different, Arryn would be like any other noblewoman. She would have proper manners, be courted by a young man that probably wouldn’t even be close to being good enough for her. She would have learned magic, but I think she would've
been more like me. She wouldn't have been as talented as her mom was—Arryn had no real motivation to push her through her attention deficit issues."
Corrine shrugged. "I was stuck in my magic, too. I had a hard time learning how to heal… though, I guess I haven't been here very long. Fear and anger are good motivators, just like Arryn said. I was scared of the classes for the kids my age, but I started in the baby classes where they told me to. I learned the basics, but I was still scared. Then everything happened."
“I’m guessing that changed your mind a bit?” he asked.
She nodded. “I learned what real fear was. Taking a punch from a kid my age and size isn’t nearly as scary as a grownup your size holding a knife to my throat. Now, I’m not scared to test my limits. Besides, they’ll heal me. The pain is only temporary.”
“You’re very strong. I think you’ll do amazing things in those classes.” Christopher smiled as he reached over and brushed her cheek with his hand. "Speaking of healing, have you seen yourself lately?"
She shook her head, her dark curls bouncing.
"When I first saw you, your skin was grey, though it wasn't quite as dark grey as Alaric's or Aeris'. Your hair suffered as well. Since we've been back, your skin has developed a beautiful brown tone and looks very healthy, and your hair has turned solid black and shines in the sun."
The girl smiled as she reached up, her hands brushing against her hair. "Really?" She pulled her hands away and looked at her skin.
He nodded. "Mmhmm. You look beautiful. More importantly, you look healthy. I suspect your skin and hair will continue to change. You have beautiful dark skin and hair, and beautiful green eyes. I no longer see hints of grey in them; they are a rich emerald color."
Her face lit up as she touched her cheeks. "It must have happened when I healed Arryn. Maybe it healed me, too!"
He laughed. "I think you might be right. This is a sign for you to keep moving forward. You were never anything like them, and now every trace of the connection you once had is disappearing. You have the opportunity to live a healthy, happy life that you can be proud of. I happen to think you're on the right track with this training stuff—even if I think it’s a little rough. Your culture here is much different than where I’m from."
"You really think so? You think I’m ready?" she asked as they reached the pit.
Nodding, Christopher said, "I think your passion to do the right thing, the love for and from everyone around you, and your curiosity will make your dreams come true. You will undoubtedly be one of the best warriors in the entire tribe."
Rushing forward, Corrine wrapped her arms around his waist. He smiled as he reached down to brush her hair out of her face and pat her on the back.
"Thank you!" she said.
Corrine turned and ran over to Cassondra, who’d come out to greet them and now gave Corrine a warm hug as well. Corrine turned and waved, and Christopher waved back before leaving the pit.
There were days when he could stay and watch, but other days it affected him in dark ways, triggering memories from his time with the dark druids.
"Are you ready for your first real day?" Cassondra asked Corrine when Christopher had gone.
Corrine beamed as she nodded with enthusiasm. "Yes! I think I've learned enough in the basics class with Ryel to defend myself."
Cassondra led her through the rules, preparing her as best as she could. She called Jacqueline, another student, forward.
"Jacqueline is the closest to you in experience that we have, without you going back into the younger class. That being said, she’s still two years older than you. Real training doesn't usually begin until kids reach ten, and the really rough stuff comes a couple years later. Are you sure you're ready? She's been at this for several months, so when she hits, she hits hard."
Corrine didn't hesitate. "I want to get really good as fast as I can. I can't do that if I'm being babied. I know I'm still a kid, but I want to at least try. If I can’t handle it, I'll go back to the other class."
Cassondra nodded. "Very well, then. We let our kids here make decisions for themselves when it comes to their training. If you think you're ready, you're ready. It isn’t for us to decide what your limitations are. But if you decide otherwise, that's fine, too. Please know there is no shame in changing your mind. It happens often—though we don’t usually let kids skip so far ahead as you."
Corrine stepped into the pit, and Jacqueline followed close behind. The older girl was only a little taller than Corrine, but her body seemed to tower over her with the lean muscle she had already developed.
Corrine took a deep breath as she and Jacqueline saluted one another.
"Begin!" Cassondra called out.
Only having experience in movement and not in actual fighting, Corrine ran forward, throwing her fist out in an attempt to punch the other girl. Jacqueline hadn't had much more experience than Corrine, but it was enough that she was able to easily dodge the blow, stepping to the side and punching hard.
Her fist connected with Corrine's nose with impressive strength. The smaller girl cried out as she felt her nose crunch, and blood immediately poured out over her mouth and down her chin.
In a flash, Jacqueline knocked Corinne's feet out from under her, taking her down to the ground with one hand on her throat. "Even with a punch to the face, never let your guard down," Jacqueline said.
"Are you giving up?" Cassondra asked in a stern tone.
Corrine tilted her head to the side, spitting a mouthful of blood out onto the ground. "Never!" she shouted back, doing her best to fight the tears that were welling in her eyes.
She had never felt pain like that, so she wasn't exactly sure how to process it, but she was grateful. Every punch she took from another student—especially one like Jacqueline, who obviously wanted to help teach her—was a punch she wouldn't have to take from full-grown man or woman who planned to kill her.
"Good girl!" Cassondra called out. "Get up."
Jacqueline's eyes flashed brighter green for a moment as heat flooded through Corrine. The injured girl closed her eyes and ground her teeth as the bones set back in place.
"Don't give up. I'll help you get better. The pain is temporary, but death is permanent," Jacqueline said as she stood, extending her hand out to Corrine.
The girls split apart by several feet, each one of them taking a defensive position. Cassondra once again announced the start of the round, and Corrine held her place. If nothing else, she had learned a lesson about rushing in, and also underestimating her opponent.
This time, Jacqueline ran forward, and Corrine spun out of the way. Jacqueline was quick, dropping down and attempting to sweep Corrine’s feet out from under her again, but Corrine was ready.
Corrine jumped, and Jacqueline's leg swept under her elevated feet. When she landed, she took advantage of Jacqueline's turned back. As the older girl began to stand, Corrine rushed forward, dropped to her knees, and wrapped her right arm around Jacqueline's neck to pull her down and hold her. Corrine’s left arm stabilized the hold, making it almost impossible for her opponent to breathe.
It was a move that Ryel had taught her to use to silence an enemy if she were ever able to sneak up behind them. He told her it would cut off the airflow and put her opponent to sleep, if she held on long enough.
As Jacqueline reached back to grab her, Corrine used her weight and fell back, landing flat before rolling over and forcing Jacqueline on her stomach as she continued to hold her down. As children in the younger training courses, Jacqueline had the ability to tap out if she felt the need to, and she did so now.
"Very good!" Cassondra said with a smile on her face.
Corrine followed her lead, smiling as she let go of Jacqueline and took her weight off. As Jacqueline had done for her, Corrine extended her hand to help the other girl into a sitting position. To her surprise, her opponent was smiling as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Nice job! I thought I would be able to get away from you, but I
couldn't. You have quite the death grip!"
Giving a restless laugh, Corrine said, "Thank you! That means a lot coming from you."
"Everyone on your feet," Cassondra said. "Time to go again. This is only your first day of training, so there are no winners. Tomorrow, however, will be another story." The warrior held an almost wicked smile as she winked in the girls' direction.
Jacqueline tapped Corrine on the shoulder. "Everyone thinks Nika and Elysia are the scariest, but just you wait until you see her fight. She’s scary, too."
Corrine knew she had meant it as a warning, but after what she had seen with Arryn, deep down she felt like no one could compare to that—except maybe the Chieftain. Still, hearing just how strong Cassondra was didn't make her feel threatened; it made her feel excited.
She couldn't wait to be strong like them.
***
Nathaniel set his bags down, taking one last look to make sure he had everything he needed. Today he was finally headed for Arcadia. He would be joining the Academy, and his father couldn't be prouder.
"I still feel strange, leaving when the city is just getting back on its feet," Nathaniel said.
His father, the governor of Cella, waved him off. "Don't worry about all that. Our laborers are returning soon; a lot of them already have. When that happens, Arcadia will send their laborers here just as we did for them. We have a great position with the Arcadians. I think the Valley will prosper with Amelia at the helm. Now the Temple, the Dark Forest, and Arcadia, as well as Cella, are all united for the first time. If there was ever a time for you to go to Arcadia, it's now."
"More guards are supposed to show up, though, right?" Nathaniel asked.
The governor laughed. "You’re worrying far more than even I am. And yes, more guards will show. We’ve finished training the first group she sent us. They helped rebuild some things and gave us the added numbers in case anything happened. In return, we’re sending them back trained up and ready to go. The new recruits will be here later tonight or early tomorrow, so you have nothing to worry about."
