by Candy Crum
Cathillian laughed. "You've come a long way. You surprise me every day; you surprise all of us every day. Somehow, you have managed to move from being an Arcadian, to the Arcadian druid, then to Arcadian druid warrior."
Arryn moved into a more comfortable position, leaning back on her hands as she focused on the water. "And what have I evolved into now?"
She could see him smile at her out of her peripheral. "Somehow, you’ve catapulted your way to the top, taking on responsibility and exhibiting incredible strength in battle tactics and execution. You have taken on the role of an elder. Alongside my mother, I feel like both of you are generals of our army."
She smiled. "Why do I feel like there's a ‘but’ coming?"
"Well, I felt like I should butter you up and tell you how epic you are before saying that you have no right to say ‘no’ to the twins. They are not your responsibility. They are warriors, which means they are responsible for themselves. On top of that, you have to remember that the Chieftain has the five stars—he calls the shots. He’s let you lead us, and you haven’t let us down even once. But he has agreed to let them do this, and I am behind him all the way."
She flashed him in icy look. "You think it's okay to shove our guests to the front line and hide behind them like cowards? Also, five stars? What?"
He waved a hand. “It was something I learned about from the Arcadian Guard trainees. They knew how militaries used to be run.” He shook his head. "That’s beside the point. Did you not hear the things that Amelia said about the twins? We haven't seen them fight because every one of us, including you, is too scared to get in the pit with them; not one of us wants to take a punch from them. If they want to go out in front, there's probably a damn good reason why. Don't you want to see what they're capable of? Don't you want to know who we have agreed to go to war with when all this is over?"
She sighed, shaking her head as she looked out at the water.
He continued. "When we leave the forest, we are at their mercy. We literally have no idea where we’re going. We have no idea what we're going to see, what we're going to be up against. If those girls are behind us when we go into battle with the dark druids, how the hell will we know if they survived on their own merit, or by someone else repeatedly saving their ass?
“I don't know about you, but if they’re badass enough to believe they belong in front with us, I think we should give it to them. Let's use this as an opportunity to see exactly what they’re capable of. Because when we leave the Valley, I want to make sure that your life is not being put in the hands of two people who don’t care about protecting it. I won't do it. I would hope that you felt the same for me."
She sighed again, thinking over his words. She didn't want to admit it, but his reasoning made perfect sense. Amelia said the girls were capable of throwing punches hard enough to make their insides look like they had jumped off a tall building.
If that was true, along with their ability to move a ton of earth at one time without breaking a sweat, they could probably slow down an approaching army.
Finally, she nodded. "If they want to be up front, we’ll let them. Let's see what they can do. As for you…" She turned toward him again, a warm smile on her face. "You need to stop worrying about me so much."
He smiled as he reached over and grabbed her, pulling her around to sit in his lap. "I always worry about you. I can't help it. It's been that way since we were little, and it will be that way until the day I die."
Arryn leaned forward and kissed him, which he happily reciprocated. She had been so stressed out, worrying about what was to come and how it might happen, that she hadn't allowed herself time to relax and enjoy the people around her, the life around her.
She decided that was going to change.
She lunged forward, knocking him down to the ground before kissing him again. There was no time like the present to experience everything life had to offer.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
It was late in the evening when Nika called everyone to the pit. Corrine stood off to the side, tapping her foot anxiously as she tried to calm herself.
She had been training nonstop, and Nika believed she was ready to give a demonstration. Corrine wasn't quite as sure, but she didn't want to let her instructor down when she believed in her so much.
Bast and Cleo had both taken an interest in her, and taught her even more about throwing punches. They had gotten along swimmingly, and Corrine had become quite close to them in a short time.
"If you win, I'll braid your hair like I do Cleo's," Bast offered.
Corrine's eyes widened as a smile broke out on her face, and she nodded. "I'd love that!" she admitted excitedly.
She struggled every day to keep her long, kinky, textured hair out of her face while training. It was difficult for her to control, mostly because she had never much cared.
No one had taught her how to care for her hair—or for herself, for that matter. It wasn't until she came to the Dark Forest that she learned about proper hygiene and how to even tie her hair back. She and Arryn were both still learning how to control her locks.
Bast and Cleo both had textured hair like Corrine’s. Bast kept hers straight, using physical magic and her fingers to iron it out with heat pulsing through her skin, while her sister liked hers in tight box braids. Corrine liked the idea of her hair being braided like Cleo’s.
The twins each wished her luck before walking way. She smiled as more familiar faces wandered up.
"Not gettin’ nervous, are ye?" Samuel asked. "There might be five years between you and yer opponent, but ye have heart, lass. Don't let ‘er get the best of ye."
Corrine nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly as she tried to steel herself. Samuel and Celine each gave her a hug before leaving to find their placement in the ever-growing crowd.
Looking around, Corrine saw the Chieftain standing at the head of the pit, with Elysia, Cathillian, Arryn, the twins, and now Samuel and Celine close by.
They're all here, she thought to herself.
"Thanks for coming, everyone," Nika said with a radiant smile. "Ryel and I have been working to train our students as well as our teenage recruits, and, as always, we couldn't be prouder of our young warriors. But sometimes, we have a student that sticks out above the rest. Around here, that's something to celebrate—not be jealous of."
Corrine felt a blush come to her cheeks. She saw Arryn smiling at her with pride and love, and Cathillian and the others wearing similar expressions.
Just breathe, and don't let them down.
"We called all of you here because we have such a student. As all of you know, Corrine came from a place where differences weren't celebrated; they were feared. Since coming here, she has gone from not understanding our ways and even being afraid of taking even the tiniest punch, to demanding to be accepted into full warrior training.
“I'm sure you can imagine our shock, given that she is only eight years old. We have never had someone that young want to take the training, because it’s rigorous and violent. But as a community, we listen to our children and to one another. Instead of deciding for someone else what they are capable of, we allow them to take a step forward and try.
"We didn’t pick her opponent; the opponent picked herself. Her peers are so proud of her that they each took to the pit, sparring against one another for the right to fight Corrine here today."
Corrine's eyes widened. She hadn't been aware of that. She looked over to her friend, Emily, to see her smile and give a curt nod. To know she had literally fought her way to the top to help Corrine show off and celebrate her newly acquired skills almost brought tears to her eyes.
Ryel turned to Corrine. "Win or lose, Corrine, this is a success. This match isn't to prove you’re better, but to show off just how great you are, and how much you have learned." He stepped back and gestured for her to enter farther into the pit.
She nodded and approached her opponent, giving a salute as she had been taught.
&
nbsp; "Good luck," Emily said with a smile as she stepped back to her own side.
Once again, Corrine took a deep breath. She shook her hands, trying to dry the thin sheen of sweat that coated her palms.
"Begin!" Nika shouted.
Corrine immediately took a defensive position, putting her fists up as she studied her opponent. She watched Emily in hopes of catching some kind of a sign. When she saw nothing aside from the young woman also taking her own defensive position, Corrine decided to make the first move.
She charged her opponent, leaping forward and landing on her hands as she tumbled just to Emily’s side. She quickly rolled her feet, jumping up and landing on the girl’s back, quickly taking her down to the ground. Emily landed hard, and Corrine quickly pinned her arms down.
"Point to Corrine!" Nika shouted.
Corrine rolled off and helped Emily to her feet. The older girl nodded at Corrine, a warrior’s sign of respect.
The girls waited for several moments before Nika announced the start of the round.
Emily began this time, but Corrine didn't hesitate. Running forward, Corrine sidestepped a kick that was aimed for her stomach before ducking under a punch. When Emily recoiled, Corrine lashed out, punching the girl in the ribs. Emily recovered quickly, as Corrine's angle hadn't been right, and she hadn't used enough power to throw her off.
As Corrine prepared to punch Emily again, Emily's fist moved like lightning, shooting forward and striking her right in the face. Corrine felt the bone above her brow crunch, the punch sliding downward into her nose as well. In one hit, Emily had successfully broken her brow bone and the bridge of her nose.
Corrine stumbled backwards, but she didn't fall. Instead, she felt white-hot rage as the pain radiated through her head.
Letting out a battle cry, Corrine ran forward. Once she was within reach, she came to a dead halt, bent over, folding herself in half, and then whipped her leg upward, smashing the girl in the face with her heel. As Emily stumbled back, Corrine righted herself and rushed forward to punch her in the stomach, before pulling back and slamming an elbow across her face.
Emily dropped to her knees, and Corrine quickly ran behind her. She knelt down and wrapped her arm around Emily’s throat, putting her in a hold that would allow Corrine to break her neck.
"Point to Corrine!" Nika shouted.
In a real match, Corrine’s move would have been a deathblow. She had won.
Shouts and cheers erupted as Corrine let her opponent go. She stood and extended her hand, which Emily happily took. Corrine’s emerald eyes flashed bright, neon green as she pushed magic from her hand into Emily's, healing her wounds.
"Sorry about that," Corrine said.
Emily grunted as her nose set in place, twitching it several times before sniffling a bit. She dropped her hand and smiled at Corrine. "Don't be sorry. You won fair and square. I didn't go easy on you, but I'm glad you overpowered me. This day was for you."
Arryn, Cathillian, and the elders made their way over with smiles on their faces.
"You did awesome!" Arryn said, reaching up and laying her hand on the side of Corrine’s face.
Corrine had taken the time to heal Emily, but not herself. Heat flooded through her cheek and to the rest of her face as Arryn's magic washed over her. She closed her eyes and grunted as she felt her nose snap back into place and her brow bone lift and stitch itself back together. Within moments, the pain was gone, and she opened her eyes to see Arryn smiling at her still.
Every day it felt like she learned all over again what it was like to be loved and be part of the family. She couldn't believe just how supportive of her they were and how much they believed in her.
"I knew you could do it," Arryn said. "I'm so proud of you. Before you know it, you'll be kicking everybody's ass and taking names."
Corrine smiled. "Does this mean I can go with you when you go to Kemet?"
Arryn looked over to Bast and Cleo; both had guilty looks on their faces. She turned back to face Corrine. "Is that why you're doing all this?"
Corrine shrugged. "Not the only reason. I know you'll be leaving soon, and it's not like I'll be alone or anything, but I still don't want to be without you. I love it here, and I love everyone, but I don't want to say goodbye to you. I thought if I was strong enough, you might take me along."
She hadn't actually spoken the words out loud before, but knowing Arryn would be leaving soon had played a big part in her decision to do more training. Her fear of not being able to help the one she loved had been the biggest catalyst throughout.
Arryn sighed as she took Corrine’s hands in hers. "This is a big decision, and one I'm not sure I'm ready to make. I feel like taking you with me would be very irresponsible of me. I don't want to take you with me and risk your life, but I also don't want to leave you behind. I know I'm not your birth mom, but I don't want you to feel like I'm abandoning you or don't want to be around you."
Corrine looked down to the ground, nodding. Arryn's answer had been disappointing, but she hoped she would change her mind.
Arryn smiled as she placed a finger under Corrine’s chin to lift her gaze. "How about I promise that we'll talk about this after the battle? I think once everything is over, we will be able to think more clearly. I'm not saying yes, but I'm not saying no, either. And I think this should be a decision that we all make as a family. Not just you and I—all of us."
Corrine looked at her with curiosity. "Like a vote?"
Nodding, Arryn said, "Yeah. Like a vote. That way, we hear everyone's thoughts, and we take into consideration what everyone has to say. Then we can make an informed decision."
Corrine thought for a few moments and then smiled. "I can live with that."
Arryn pulled her into a hug, and Bast made her way over. "You kicked her ass. You ready to get your box braids?"
Her entire face lit up as she stepped away from Arryn and nodded with excitement. "Yes!"
She waved to Arryn and the others before leaving with Bast, holding hands with her and Cleo.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
In all his years, Alaric had never once used a magitech weapon, and it was something he never thought he would consider, but there they were. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he couldn't deny the possibilities that existed with using magitech in this fight.
For a week, Locke’s men trained the dark druids how to aim and how to shoot. They had been terrible at first, but most picked it up surprisingly fast. He couldn't help but think Aeris would have been great at it; then Alaric remembered his diehard affinity for laws, and knew he never would have agreed.
Good riddance.
The past few days, they had trained as they moved. Alaric, Jerick, and their dark druids, along with Locke and his hundred men, all moved toward the Dark Forest. Alaric had no way of knowing how this would go, but with his brother, he truly believed victory was inevitable.
Jerick had been working hard to create an antidote for the smoke, one that would allow them to touch it and breathe it without problems. While they didn't have enough time to come up with anything completely effective, he was able to craft a lotion that would protect the skin, and an herbal oil that could be either ingested or smoked to protect the throat and the alveoli in the lungs.
Some damage would still occur, but a little irritation and coughing was certainly better than ruptured blood vessels in the lungs, filling up their chest cavities, causing them to drown in their own fluids.
Everyone had already begun using the lotion, wanting to be prepared for anything. It wouldn't take much for them to ingest or smoke the oil if they sensed enemies approaching, but taking the time to apply the lotion would be impossible.
"What if they’re waiting for us?" one of the dark druids asked.
Alaric rolled his eyes, annoyed. He almost felt like even asking that showed doubt in his plan, his abilities. "Then we will have them on our turf, now won't we? Their strength lies in the plants. Like a physical magic user, it takes m
ore energy for them to create something out of nothing than it does to use what's already there. In our neck of the woods, everything is dead. They can't use anything."
"Oooh," the dark druid said, nodding his head.
Alaric sighed as he increased his speed. Jerick looked over at him and smiled. "Trouble with the commoners?"
Alaric almost laughed. While his people weren't very smart, they were loyal. "Always. Can't handle stupidity, especially right now. I need every ounce of brainpower I have to focus on what's ahead, especially if I have to think for all of these imbeciles as well."
"I feel your pain on that," Locke said. "Unfortunately, you either have to get used to it, or empower them. Once you start educating them, and they learn a few things, they start thinking they're better than everyone else. That's when you have to establish dominance and pop a couple of eyes out of their sockets. Fuck all that. I think it's better to have them stupid and loyal, than smart but arrogant enough to challenge you."
Alaric did laugh then. "I suppose I hadn't really thought of it in those terms. In that case, I'd have to say you're right about that."
"Okay, so here's the plan," Jerick said. "When we reach the southern edge of the Dark Forest, we will drop our large bags in the cave and take only the supplies we need. Food won't be a problem, because we can hunt and there's plenty of vegetation on their side; we can take our fill before they even sense us."
The sound of loud growling caught their attention. All three leaders were immediately on high alert, looking around. Alaric and Jerick quickly identified the culprit. Two wolves were fighting ahead, males trying to determine the alpha among their pack.
One of the wolves, the slightly larger one, grabbed the other by the neck, and throwing him into a tree only a couple of feet away. Several birds in the tree took flight. Alaric thought the birds would probably linger, not wanting to leave their nests while wolves were fighting underneath, and he was proven right as the birds swarmed overhead.
