by Candy Crum
Roger stood there, staring at her incredulously, jaw slightly agape, clearly unable to believe she had just made up all those names at a moment’s notice. "There's something severely wrong with you, isn't there?"
Cathillian laughed, clapping Roger on the back. "You know, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don't ask myself that very question about her."
Arryn flipped the rabbit back over, sitting him down on the floor so he could visit with Snow. The tiger had flopped down on a rug, and the rabbit cautiously made his way over and snuggled into her thick fur. Snow threw her arm around him, scooping him in closer, making sure she didn't put too much weight on him.
"What's the plan from here?" Roger asked.
Arryn had been staring lovingly at the animals lying on the floor. She turned to Roger, bringing herself back to the present. She took a few steps back into the kitchen, sitting down at the table.
"Well, we're gonna finish eating. I guess we should probably take a nap before we start back, because we really have used a lot of magic." She pulled a bag of coins out of her pocket and placed it on the table. "And if anything is left after you take what you want out of that, I'm going to return it to the little old lady it was stolen from."
Roger held the bag in his hands, looking at her suspiciously. "You stole this? That certainly doesn’t sound like a very noble and Arryn-like thing to do. Then again, it’s not like I know you that well."
Arryn looked at him like he was a crazy person. "Are you serious? Hell no, I didn't steal that. Well, I guess technically I did. But the bad guys stole it from a little old lady after killing her son. I promised I would return it, but she demanded we take payment out of it, because if we hadn't come along, the money was gone anyway, and she wanted to thank us for healing their cows, giving them crops, and she wanted to thank us for healing her cows and growing them some crops."
He nodded, opening the bag. "While I do need the extra money, I would feel terrible for taking it. Not only from you, but also from the woman."
Arryn sighed. "I don't think you understand just how serious she was."
Cathillian laughed. "Yeah, she was quite feisty about it. Arryn is likely to get a thump if we return and no money is missing from the bag."
Arryn's jaw dropped as she looked at him. "Why just me? Why not you, too?"
He gave an exaggerated smile. "Because she's scary! I'd run like hell. If my mama ever taught me anything, it was don't mess with a woman with a personality like that. When she says something, you damn well listen."
Arryn's expression changed to one of disbelief. "If that's so, then you should probably be afraid of me, too."
He nodded. "Oh, I’m well aware. I'm just hoping she knocks your ass out, because I'll be running. I'll stand in front of a lycanthrope for you any day, but not a feisty woman. Sorry, you're on your own."
Roger laughed, and Arryn just shook her head.
"I'm glad the two of you came by. It makes me happy to see you're doing so well. I see why you were so anxious to get back home. You have good people in the Dark Forest. I'd be happy to join your people there once your battle has been won. I say ‘when’ because I have no doubt in my mind you guys will triumph."
"Thank you, Roger," Cathillian said, giving him a traditional druid salute. To Arryn's surprise, Roger returned it.
They sat in silence then, finishing up their stew before settling in to get some sleep. The day had been long, and the magic use a bit heavy. While Arryn didn't anticipate running into any more issues on the way home, she definitely didn't want to take the chance of it happening while she might be too weak to fight.
She, Cathillian, Snow, and Chaos could rest for a little while longer. She wanted to leave after midnight. This time, if the rabbit decided to come with her, she didn't plan to stop him.
But his name wasn't going to be fucking Rodney.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The bandits who had made the mistake of strolling into the dark druid territory had been busy leading the dark druids to the land they called home. The path they had to take was much longer than simply going up and over the mountain, but that was necessary because of the heavy rearick population, as well as the mystics.
They didn't want to take a chance on running into either one of them and word somehow getting back to Arryn or Alexander. Instead, they followed the same path the bandits had taken, around the western side of the mountains and then heading southeast. Once they reached the edge of the sea, they would follow it until they reached their town.
As they neared the encampment, Alaric heard the sounds of hammers striking and saw smoke billowing up ahead.
One of the bandits, noticing the concern on his face, said, "Don't worry about that. That's normal. That's one of the smith shops. We have several."
Alaric smiled, choosing silence as he thought over the possibilities of what might happen there. Up ahead, they saw a tall, wooden gate. It was poorly crafted, and had obviously been put together in a rush. Alaric imagined it was more for letting people know they were not to approach, rather than actually serving as a functional way to keep people out.
If anyone really tried, they could get in with no problem.
"Will you go and tell your master that we’ve arrived?" Jerick asked.
The bandit laughed. "Are you serious? No offense, but if you think for an instant that having us along with you is going to buy you favor with Locke, you are very mistaken. He'll kill all of us on principle alone."
Jerick shrugged. "I don't really think that's going to be a problem. They will be gravely mistaken if they attack us, I can assure you of that."
Several small thumps sounded out in front of them as a single barrage of arrows landed in their path.
The bandit shook his head, sighing. "Well, I guess, let the games begin."
"What the hell are you doing here?" one of the men on the wall asked. "You brought outsiders with you?"
The bandit shook his head. "I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. They want to see Locke."
The man standing on the wall laughed. "Locke? You really have lost your mind. You know as well as I do he doesn't entertain guests." The man on the wall turned his head to look on either side of him, nodding in each direction. All archers lifted their bows. "Kill them and be done with it. That includes those two dumbasses."
Alaric laughed, his brother following suit. Both stepped forward. Jerick flipped his hand, causing a vine to shoot up through the ground and wrap around the man's neck. The other men standing on the wall were in shock, staring with wide eyes.
Jerick swung his hand from left to right, the vine throwing his victim first to the left, then to the right, creating a domino effect and knocking them to the floor of the wall.
He heard screaming and groaning as they fell on top of one another, struggling to get back up.
"Oh, this isn't gonna be good," one of the bandits said.
Jerick gave a dark laugh, turning to the man and wrapping his arm around his shoulders. "No, that's where you’re wrong. This is going to be a lot of fun."
An alarm was sounded as the yelling and screaming of other men behind the wall began to echo through the sky. They were calling out to one another, readying for battle as the alarm continued to ring.
Alaric nodded toward the gate, and they began to walk forward. "Everyone fights," he ordered the people behind him.
Everyone began pulling swords, daggers, staves, and battle axes from their backs or belts, bringing them to a fighting position. In only a few moments, his people were ready to fight. But he knew if things went the way he wanted, it wouldn't require much of a battle.
The gate opened, and men began to pour out. They broke off into large groups as they tried to surround the dark druids. The two bandits in their custody looked around with wild eyes, their breathing heavy as they anticipated the possibility of dying among enemies.
The sound of swords being drawn echoed all around them as Alaric and Jerick stood there, their faces carefree as t
hey looked upon their enemies. As Alaric looked around, he noticed several large dogs alongside their masters. They looked upon them, growling.
"Brother, do you see what I see?" Alaric asked.
Jerick looked just as amused as he nodded, his head rotating as his gaze shifted from one side to the other.
Alaric smiled. "Let's show them the error of their ways."
While Alaric didn't have quite the ability to call on animals that his brother did, it was certainly still there. His eyes flashed, Jerick’s following suit. Alaric felt the magic blossoming inside of him, burning through him as he tried to establish connection with the animals.
Slowly, the growling began to wane, and they began to look confused, their masters even more so. The first scream ripped through the air as one of the dogs turned on its master. Several more quickly did the same.
As Alaric and Jerick controlled the animals, Alaric shouted, "Death touch!"
His people rushed forward, their magic not nearly as strong as his. Some of them needed physical contact to use the dark magic, while others had to be within a few feet of their enemy.
He watched with glee as his men and women began to drain the life from many of their soldiers. Some fight… It wasn't a fight at all. The enemy stood no chance.
Another barrage of arrows came for them, but a gust of wind blew through, blowing them all off course. Jerick had been paying closer attention than Alaric.
But the plan worked.
"Enough!" a deep voice boomed from the top of the wall.
Alaric’s people continued, but he was quick to interject, wanting to greet his new host with sincerity—and threats, if need be.
"Stand down," Alaric ordered.
His people dropped the dark magic, some of their victims falling to the ground on their knees as they gasped for breath, while others struggled to continue standing. Their death touch wasn't nearly the powerful punch Alaric’s was, but it did the trick. It scared the enemy soldiers quite a bit, but he knew he had also weakened his people significantly.
It was a price he was willing to pay in order to get what he wanted.
"You wanted to see me?" the man at the top of the wall said.
Alaric took a few steps forward, clasping his hands behind his back as he stood with a confident posture. "If you’re Locke, then yes, I did."
The man nodded. "I am. What’s this about?"
"I have a bit of a problem that I need to take care of, and I need men to do it. When some of your little friends here stumbled into my camp, I took the opportunity that was presented to me. I forced them to show me the way here, and now I have a request." Alaric stood there, waiting for his response.
"Okay, what is your request?"
Alaric smiled. "We need an army, and you just happen to have one. We also need weapons, a lot of them. My proposition is this… Come fight for me. Come help me take back the Dark Forest, and afterward, I'll help you take the Heights."
Several gasps could be heard, and Alaric knew he had made the impact he wanted to. These men were after amphorald crystals, which were only able to be mined out of the mountains—but the mountains were occupied by the rearick and the mystics.
Alaric had just offered to help them take out their biggest obstacle, allowing them to mine for the gems themselves, without having to steal them and risk the wrath of Arcadia coming down on them.
Several moments passed before the man on top of the wall spoke.
"Why don't you come in? Let's just see what we can do for each other."
CHAPTER TWELVE
Classes had been going well for Amelia, and students seemed to be responding positively to the training. It helped that she taught them meditation first; it had allowed her to teach them more about mental magic without them fatiguing quite so quickly.
She began every class with fifteen minutes of meditation, forcing them to get in the habit of doing so, at least for a short time every day. Even such short sittings would allow them to get better and better at it.
It also allowed them to conserve enough energy to go home and teach their parents or siblings or anyone else close to them.
"All right, everyone," Amelia said. "Today we are going to partner up and take turns learning how to use telepathy. Telepathy is very important. Though it doesn't seem like it would be in comparison to mental shields, in an emergency where stealth is a necessity, being able to communicate without speaking is a blessing."
Amelia asked everyone to pick a partner. There were an odd number of students, so there would be an odd man out. Amelia was happy to alleviate the problem by taking Maddie as her own partner.
Everyone went to work pushing the desks out of the way, so they could sit on the floor. Amelia said she concentrated best when she sat in the lotus position, so she instructed everyone else to do the same.
"Though touch isn't necessary for telepathy, or any other mental magic, for that matter, in the beginning, it might help you establish a connection. Reach out and hold hands with your partner," she instructed.
Everyone followed her instructions, including Maddie. Without being told, every student in the classroom closed their eyes and began to focus.
Amelia faced Maddie as though she were speaking to her directly, but continued to direct everyone in the room. "Relax your shoulders and relax your body. Take several slow, deep breaths. Focus on the person sitting in front of you. When you begin to call on your magic, your body will become aware of the minds of others. You might not be able to hear them, but you'll be able to feel them."
Following her own teaching, Amelia relaxed her shoulders and her body to demonstrate. Her eyes flashed white, and she focused on the students around her. Across from her, Maddie seemed to be focusing, but not really getting anywhere.
"If you're having trouble, focus on yourself first. Once you’ve centered yourself, you'll be able to focus on someone else," Amelia told them.
She could almost feel the relief of several other students, and she knew it was because they, too, were having trouble. After several minutes, Amelia could feel some of the students making a light connection with one another; she could even feel the light tickle of Maddie brushing against her mind.
Amelia let down some of her own barrier, allowing Maddie to communicate with her.
…not even working. I'm terrible at this.
Amelia almost laughed at the girl for her irritation. She only caught the tail end of that, but it seemed Maddie hadn't yet figured out she had successfully connected with Amelia.
Try not to focus so hard, Amelia said telepathically.
Maddie jumped a little, a hesitant smile turning a corner of her mouth. Was this me? Or did you just make the connection yourself?
Amelia smiled. This was all you. I just let you in.
Looking around the room, Amelia asked, "Who has made their first connections?" Everyone in the room raised their hand, including Maddie. "Good! Now break the connection and try again."
"Amelia?" Salazar, one of her students, said lightly.
She turned to face him. "Yes?"
"I know this stuff is important, and I’m very happy to learn—especially after everything we've been through. But my dad is a guard, and I talked to some of the other guys that are in the self-defense courses. I'd like to join," he said.
Brady, a Boulevard student sitting a few feet from him, nodded. "I'm not the fighting type. I've always been tall and skinny, and not very strong, but I still want to help guard the city. I can throw really hot fireballs, and I'm a fast learner. What do you think about having a magical division of the guard?"
Amelia sighed as she sat there, her eyes unfocused as she thought over his proposition. "In the past, the Hunters knew magic. A lot of the guards did, too, but it was mainly reserved for the Hunters. The best of the best. That being said, I've seen what magic users can do on top of the wall, and it's obvious we need a range of warriors."
He smiled. "Is that a yes?"
She laughed. "It's a ‘maybe’. I th
ink your idea is a very good one, but until you guys know how to properly protect yourselves, I'm not going to risk your lives on the wall. If you can prove to me that you can create an acceptable mental shield, as well as an acceptable physical magic shield, I'll consider it."
Turning to Salazar, she smiled. "As for you, same rules apply. You have to show me you can create a mental barrier. If you guys train in here with me, and keep up, then I'll be happy to consider training you in other areas as well."
Salazar narrowed his eyes and winked. You're on, he sent telepathically.
She rather liked his forwardness. The students wanted to protect themselves as well as protect their families; if she could help drive them to do that, she would do whatever it took.
***
It had been raining for most of the morning, and smells in the Dark Forest had come alive. Corrine always loved the smell of the Terres Forest, but the Dark Forest smelled a thousand times better. The leaves and flowers there were much more aromatic, and they filled the senses and relaxed the body.
It was the Chieftain's turn to go out hunting, and Corrine asked if she could accompany him. She wanted to take another shot at it.
It had broken her heart, knowing that, last time, she had hurt the deer by trying to push her influence on the animal and force it into submission. Corrine hadn’t had enough practice to have that kind of power, though, so all she had done was piss the deer off and hurt it. She had more than learned her lesson, though, and she wanted to do it right this time.
As always, the Chieftain was overjoyed to have the little girl with him. Corrine loved that he compared her often to Arryn, and loved the idea she could be good like them.
Since coming to the Dark Forest, she had been accepted and adopted in ways she never thought possible. For the first time in her life, she had a family, and she would stop at nothing to make them proud of her.
It was Corinne's idea to bring Christopher along, wanting him to get out of the village and experience a little bit of freedom. Even as young as she was, she knew he had been cooped up for too long. Wandering always did her good, especially when her mind was full. She wanted him to give it a shot, and see if it helped.
