Sylvana Ward's Story

"All of the woods of Eliradia look the same." Sylvana muttered to herself as she pulled the cloak hood further over her head. While she was born in some of these very woods, she didn't know them like she wanted.

Her back was stiff from sleeping against a tree trunk. The woods were dense with foliage as she made her way slowly to them, hoping she was going in the right direction. Since she had been kicked out of Shadow Sage, she'd never been any further south than Eastleigh. The temperature was too hot for her liking and she wasn't even sure how those of Vauria survived. They would suffer greatly if they had to endure the harshness of northern Eliradia.

She knew she was close to Whitemouth and Evanpool, but she wasn't sure either one of them were safe to go to. She tapped her pack absent mindedly. She had furs to trade for other items she couldn't easily made out in the wild, one of the only reasons she ventured into the towns.

Evanpool seemed the most likely place to go to, but being more of an attraction town, she wasn't sure if she would find what she needed. Which only left the keep. Major cities bothered her and she didn't want to go, but she saw no choice in the matter.

"Well, its not like they know you as a witch." She just shook her head as she stepped over a fallen log. She kept off the of the main trail through the woods. The last thing she wanted to do was run into anyone.

It had been months out on her own and her body was beginning to show the weariness. She never slept enough, never had enough to eat most days and her clothes were becoming ragged. It wasn't clothes she wanted, but better weapons or a way to fix her own. The arrows were becoming blunted and her daggers had seen better days.

"A spell to fix clothes would be nice though and weapons too. I bet there are all sorts of things in that place." She sighed to herself as she kept walking.

A few hours later the forest thinned out into plains where houses were starting to pop up. The beginning of Whitemouth. Straightening her back out, she made sure the hood of her cloak was low as she made her way to the city. There were people everyone, trading, bartering, selling, and buying. Her eyes never stayed in one place long as she weaved her way in and out of the throngs looking for a place to get money for her furs or a blacksmith to look at her weapons and see if he would take the furs.

She found the blacksmith first. Ducking inside to get out of the crowd the owner came up. A heavy set male, but from his hands she could see he'd been at his trade for many years. She smiled lightly at him.

"What can I do for you, Miss?"

She pulled the daggers out of their holdings and handed them over. The blacksmith took them and examined them in silence. Then he cast a glance back over at her.

"They're mighty worn. You didn't steal 'em did you?"

"No, Sir. Pa told me to see if they could be saved." The man nodded accepting the answer on why a woman was bringing him weapons.

"I can fix them, but it'll be costly. They need new metal added to them."

"I uh... I have furs to trade if you'll take those. And I need the arrows resharpened too... unless you have a stone for that."

The blacksmith looked down at her with a frown on his face. "You sure know a lot."

Sylvana's face blushed. "My brother was in the army for a time. He came back with lots of stories when I was little. Taught me a thing or two."

"Ah, I see. Let me see those furs."

Taking them out, she handed them over to let him see them. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she did her best to keep her features from showing her nervousness.

"This silver one is beautiful. My wife will love it. But the others are common. Take them up just up the way and see what he'll give you. Then come back and we'll talk."

The woman nodded her head as she took her furs back and then her daggers. She thanked the man and then headed to find the booth he spoke of, so she could get some coins to fix her weapons.

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Wyatt sat in the tree, his back to the trunk as he ate a few berries he had collected from the forest. It had been a few weeks since he had left Shadow Sage for the Witches' Fortress. He was still quite a few weeks away, but he was close to the keep of Eliradia. It was the closest place to the Fortress and was a necessary stopping place.

It was also getting quite cold and they hadn't even hit the hardest areas of snow. There were only a few patches here and there to show this was the northern most territory of Vandose. His food stock was getting low, hence his picking berries to make it last longer. He still had quite a stock of coins from when he left.

Glancing up into the sky, what he could see through the trees, he watched the clouds for a few minutes before jumping down to the ground below and heading off for Whitemouth. He hated any places with large people. Crowds just weren't his thing. Call it a product of being in Shadow Sage or not, he didn't like being around a lot of people, witches or not.

He took the road, not caring about running into other people. His eyes were strange, yes. But most people never looked into the face of a stranger. Sure he would have to deal with some of the vendors, but he'd never known someone to turn down money even from a witch. Afterwards, all bets were off, but he could handle the fight. Actually the thought was thrilling, but it would take away from what he was trying to do.

The road was pretty quiet as he made his way through the small roads of the peasants' lands towards the actual keep. The people seemed pleasant enough as they worked around him. A few kids even ran near him enough that he could hear what they were talking about. Nothing of any importance.

Whitemouth Keep finally loomed in front of him. He stared up at it and managed a weak smirk. Only a few weeks out of Shadow Sage and he was already at the Keep of Eliradia. He was nearly to the Witches' Fortress. Of course the worst of the journey was left to still undertake. The snow mountains, the outlaws, well everything was dangerous past the reach of the King.

Keeping his head low, Wyatt entered the city to find a few booths to buy the supplies he needed so that he could keep going. Meat was going to be scarce in the snow and he wanted to make sure he had a decent supply of dried meat for the trip, so he wasn't stuck pillaging the whole way.

She wasn't sure how time had gone by so quickly, but it had. Day became night and night meant she had to leave the keep to the woods again til morning. She didn't want to be caught slumming in the streets. Sylvana managed to trade the furs, all but the silver one in for coins. Enough to do a decent barter with the blacksmith and leave her a little left over for anything else she could need.

She and the blacksmith agreed on a price with the silver fur included, but the daggers wouldn't be ready until the next day. He'd gone ahead and given her the sharpening stone for her arrows, so she had at least had something to do while she waited.

Perched up in the trees over looking Whitemouth, she sharpened the dulled metal back into points before putting the stone away in her bag. She spent the rest of her time resting to save her strength for the upcoming journey.

Morning came quickly enough and the young woman ate a bit of her food, knowing she needed to add a bit more to it before leaving. She jumped from the tree to return the Keep. The first place she went to was the blacksmith.

"All done. I hope your Pa likes the work done."

"I'm sure he will." She responded with a smile on her face as she took them back. She would inspect them later when she wasn't under the watchful eye of the smithy. He knew a warrior's eye when he saw them and she didn't need to blow her cover now.

A hot meal would be nice... but I won't have enough coins left for everything. Oh well. She thought to herself as she went to grab a few supplies for her food sources.

She could smell the food around her and it was tempting. Opening her coin bag, she counted what was left. Only enough for a few herbs to help with the cold would be left to get, but first she had to find someone who sold them here. Because she was in Whitemouth finding what she was looking for wasn't going to be the problem. The vendors would have them, it was finding them cheaper than most that she needed. Once she was done, she would be able to leave the city and put distance between her and the humans. The sooner the better.

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A good night's sleep and a warm bath did great things for the soul. As soon as Wyatt had entered Whitemouth he'd gone in search of a cheap inn. He booked himself a room, took a bath, ate a hot meal and relaxed. He slept in a real bed for the first time in weeks and likely to be the last one in weeks.

He woke early wanting to get his things from the market and then leave. As soon as the market was opening, he was stocking up his supplies, which didn't take long. As soon as he was done, he headed back to the inn to get a fresh meal before he left. He ate slowly enjoying the warmth for what it was. That was when he thought of something.

This morning there was a young lad with stained hands... I wonder. Once he was done, he stood and went to the inn keep asking questions about the boy. That was when he learned he was right about the profession and given the room number. He just hoped he caught him before it was too late. The male would have some supplies others didn't that would be nice to take with them into the snow.

Heading up the stairs, he stopped at the door and knocked on it a few times. The raven haired male stepped backwards to try and be less imitating. When the door opened, he saw he at least was given proper information from the innkeeper. It was the same boy from this morning when he'd left.

"You're an apothecary. I saw your hands. You have any supplies to sell?" he asked, his voice low, so other patrons who were walking around the upper hall didn't have to overhear the conversation. Once he got what he needed, he was gone. The room was paid for, so all that was left was this visit and hopefully it yielded something.

The request was simple enough. The male in front of him wouldn't be able to fight off any real attacks, at least in Wyatt's opinion. He didn't look like he'd ever held a sword let alone run someone threw with it. He hadn't either, but he wasn't afraid of it. He had his magic and used it to fight with instead. Fear worked just as well as actually killing someone.

But was it safe to travel with another person? Let alone someone he knew nothing about. He'll just slow me down. He won't be able to keep my pace and schedule... But as he stared at the other male, he knew he couldn't turn him down. It wasn't in his nature. While he looked down upon the weak and had been raised to believe that only the strong should survive, he believed in giving others a chance to prove they had the worth to live.

If he didn't prove himself in the field, it wouldn't be hard to kill him and take what he needed. Finally he nodded.

"All right. Thing is, I'm leaving now and I travel at a rather fast pace. If you can't keep up I will leave you." His eyes were dark with the words, but they were the truth. He couldn't risk being slowed down any further than he was already for having stopped for supplies.

"The name's Wyatt."

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Luck didn't seem to favor her. Maybe it was the witch blood, maybe she was just rather unlucky. But she couldn't find what she was looking for within her price range. So she had purchased a small loaf of warm bread and headed out of the keep.

Sylvana looked behind her at the impressive stone work. A shiver went down her spine and she pulled her cloak tighter around her. She just couldn't shake the feeling she was having. Repressing a gulp she headed for the woods behind of Whitemouth. This was the start of her final leg of the journey. Soon she would be within reach of the Witches' Fortress and all the knowledge that it held. Then she would learn everything and bring vengeance down upon the Shadow Sage.

It's funny. I never had a problem with their orders until they found out I had white magic and kicked me out saying I wasn't worthy. But there are gray users there, they have white in them. It's so stupid... No use dwelling now though. I've got to keep going. The real truth is in those walls on which side is right. I will aid whichever side, no matter the cost.

With those thoughts in mind, she kept her eyes sharp and her hand near one of her daggers as she made her way through the woods further north.

Some how through good graces, the two very odd traveling pair had managed to get outside of the keep before the gates were closed for the night, much to Wyatt's relief. But with the sun already down and the night winds coming from the north, it was increasingly cold and he almost longed to be back in the warmth of the inn.

Not wanting to take the chance of using his magic to keep himself warm in front of Jasper, he pulled his black cloak around his shoulders and fastened the clasp. There at least he would be warmer for now. The further north they traveled the colder it would become.

Wyatt glanced over to where Jasper was walking. It hadn't been easy making sure they left on time and making the male understand they would be safer at night wasn't easy either. Bandits at night.... yeah, but bandits were out all of the time. Not to mention due to his dark demeanor bandits weren't likely to attack them. Unless they were stupid of course. Or had a death wish. That had happened once.

He sighed. There was nothing he could say that would lighten the mood between the two virtual strangers. They were on the main path heading north from the Keep. The only other place to travel from here was to the hot spring city, whose name had escaped him for some reason. He guessed this was where his companion was stopping at.

"Jasper, may I ask where you are traveling north to? It's rare for one such as yourself to travel alone." It was true. People who couldn't fight or defend themselves against the perils traveled with large companies that could fight off attackers.

He wanted to try and break the ice as much as he could, but something in the pit of his stomach was sitting right. Something was wrong. Maybe not directly around him, but he was hardly wrong. Something was going down somewhere. And it related directly to magic.

He missed the days where he could talk to others about the odd sensations he had. It seemed other magic users tended to have them as well. It was as if they were all connected in some way to the higher powers, at least in relation to things that would play a major part in the world.

"Look, I didn't mean to get off on the wrong foot at the inn. I apologize for rushing you, but time is of the essence when it comes to those gates. They wouldn't have opened them back up even if we paid them."

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Time had dragged on slowly, much slower than she would have liked. All the trees were blending together again as she made her way through them further north. It was cold, but luckily she was managing to stay warm with her clothes and by staying moving.

It wasn't much later that she heard something head of herself. Almost light enough to believe it was a animal, but she knew the difference having to hunt for her own food. She paused and used a very tiny amount of her magic adding it to her eyes so she could see further ahead.

It was a human. Female from the silhouette. What was another woman doing out of here on her own? Well, she might not be alone and Sylvana didn't want to take a chance.

Retracting her magic, she pulled her bow off her shoulder as the figure continued on ahead. She glanced around and found a tree branch not far behind the woman. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before the world burred around her and her figure disappeared. She reappeared in the tree looking down at the other woman.

The young witch took a few seconds to stabilize herself before she pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and notched it in the bow. She pulled the string to her cheek and aimed it at the figure.

"Stop where you are." She demanded raising her voice so that the woman could hear her. She had to make sure there were no hidden surprises or people waiting in the bushes for people like her. Sylvana kept to the woods for her own protection. Everyone seemed to do it only to prey on others. She wouldn't be one of their victims.

Katherine picked up her pace as she made her way through the woods. Being caught this far North was not something she had intended on happening. She kept looking back over her shoulder to keep track of the figure behind her. As she looked back, she noticed the figure had disappeared. Had she imagined the entire thing? Confused, and a little bit frightened, Katherine hitched up her skirt and ran as best she could, the thick snow slowing her down as her feet sunk down through the layers. She stumbled a few times, managing to right herself before continuing. She stumbled again, her hand nearly touching the snow when she heard a voice.

"Stay where you are!"

Katherine stayed crouched, looking up slowly. Before her stood a fierce looking woman, maybe a few years older than Katherine, but Katherine wasn't really paying attention to the woman's face. No, she was more bothered by the arrow pointing at her face.

"I assure you Miss, I mean no harm," Katherine said, slowly standing, her hands raised in case she needed to fight, "Your weapons are not needed here." Well, unless I decide to set you on fire, Katherine thought, then they might be needed. There was no need for her to show her hand yet. She lowered her hands to her side, waiting for the woman to make her next move.

"We have all secrets," Wyatt muttered as he stared at the road ahead of them. As dark as it was, he could see perfectly in it. Some odd trait he was sure had nothing to do with his magic and more to do with his parentage. There was definitely something the other male was keeping from him. But without more information he couldn't even begin to guess at what it was. Other than maybe it had something to do with Jacob who Jasper looked so much like. Only he wasn't going to be the one to bring that up. He wasn't in the mood to be answering questions about his own past.

When Jasper's comments turned back towards their rushing to leave the keep, the black magic user finally stopped walking. He took a deep breath before turning to his traveling companion.

"Look, Jasper. There aren't many people who travel north even to Evanpool especially this time of the year. So even if that's where you were going, heading up this road in the day time would have meant death for you or at best imprisonment. Why? Because whoever the fuck governs over the Whitemouth Keep is a paranoid son of a bitch who believes the witches are forming a rebellion."

Well, he's not too far from the truth there. Because Shadow Sage is doing just that. I should know, but I've got to find out the truth first before I blindly follow the orders they give me.

"It is far safer to leave at night where no one can see which direction you are heading in and stop you to ask questions. Now I suggest that we keep moving and increase our pace because Evanpool and a nice hot, prepared meal is at least another three days walk from here. Five if we keep at your pace."

Wyatt gave the male a pointed stare before turning back around and started walking again. Let him think whatever he wanted. He knew the truth about the harshness of the world. His mother had made sure of it when she raised him to be a perfect machine for the Shadow Sage just like her and his father. Too bad they couldn't control his need to know things for himself.

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Sylvana narrowed her gaze on the woman, but she kept the arrow notched and pulled back. Her arm had a slight shake to it, but she knew it wouldn't impact her shot too much if she had to fire.

"Where are the men with you?"

Part of her wanted to go ahead and kill the woman, use her magic and get the hell out of there. But the part of her that knew what the Shadow Sage did the was wrong, couldn't do it. This was another human being. Just because the witches were hunted down and murdered, didn't mean they needed to turn around and do the same thing right back to their oppressors. They had to be better than that.

Just because she wasn't going to kill her, didn't mean she wasn't going to continue to uphold her threat. No she wasn't that stupid or naive. How many other woman wandered around the woods on their own at night? Not many. She had only come across one other since she'd been kicked out of the Shadow Sage.

Right now all the white magic bearer wanted to do was find a place, a nice high tree where she could fall asleep in for the next few hours before traveling again. She couldn't do that if there was a possible threat around her.

"And don't play stupid with me. I know the tricks people like you pull." Even if this wasn't the woman's game, she had to get her talking to figure out what was. Otherwise, she could be dead.

"Where are the men with you?" Katherine took half a step back. Men? Why would she have men with her? "And don't pay stupid with me. I know the tricks people like you pull."

"People like me?" Katherine echoed, taking offence at this woman's words. Oh how she longed to let her powers run free, "You don't even know who I am and yet you assume you know of me and my kind. There are no men here, just you and I, so you can drop your weapons and leave me be." Katherine said, storming past the woman.

As she walked away, she began to wonder if the woman she had just left behind was a witch hunter. It would explain her immediate distrust of Katherine. Was it that obvious that she was a witch? To such an extent that that woman could just look at her and know she wasn't like the other citizens of Evanpool. Katherine looked back at the woman before heading back north. If that woman was a hunter, maybe she should alter her path so as not to lead her straight to the keep.

"You know nothing of me," She said to herself as she continued wading through the heavy snow.

Letting out the breath she'd been holding, Sylvana lowered the bow and allowed the arrow to hang loose before putting it back in the quiver on her back. She put her arm through the string and strung the bow onto her back as well.

She was safe.

Either the woman was an incredibly good actress or she was telling the truth. But she couldn't sense anyone else near her position except for the woman who happened to be going in the same direction.

Maybe...

The young woman dropped down from the tree with a soft plop into the grass. Her knees ached a bit but mostly from walking all of the time and not getting a proper rest. She stared into the distance where she could make out the retreating form before her.

No one came to jump her. There was no one around her. That didn't mean they weren't further up ahead, but if it came to it, she would simply have to take them out.

Finally, she made up her mind.

"Hey!" She called out as she started walking after the other woman. "We're both headed north."

She waited until she was closer to be heard with yelling which wasn't all that long and without using her magic to quicken herself.

"There are safety in numbers out here. Especially for women. Why don't we travel together? And I'm sorry about the arrow thing. I'd rather not take the chance."

Sylvana offered a small smile even though she knew the other woman probably wasn't too comfortable with the whole situation. Frankly, she was tired of being alone.

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At least he was still following him. Wyatt could hear the sound of his companion's boots on the ground behind him. And at least now they were making time through the night. Depending on how long he could keep Jasper going at this pace, they might be able to shave time off for getting to Evanpool.

Jasper's question almost caught him off guard in this thoughts. How had he remembered that? Sure it was only a few hours ago, but most everyone else wouldn't have cared enough to remember even if they had asked the question.

But Jasper had.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets as they walked, keeping his gaze on the road ahead of them. It didn't seem like he was very alert to what was going on, but there wasn't much that escaped Wyatt's attention.

There was something in the air, something familiar. A wave he knew well. He pushed it to the side to answer the male's question.

"We didn't have a trade. We were self sufficient. We never had a need to go anywhere. So I was taught everything on how to take care of myself and I may everything cause I was the only child. The only rule they ever had was never breaking the boundaries I was allowed to travel from the house."

He gave Jasper a cheeky grin. "I always broke the rule," he faced front again. "And they always broke my ass for it."
Though not always a beat, mental abuse, intimidation, internal abuse from magic. Not that I regret breaking the rules. I regret getting caught. Which I usually think is why Mother was always so mad.

As they moved forward, the ripple he'd felt on the air got stronger. He paused for a second to look up at the sky. Nothing was changed, so he kept going. But the further north they went the more it increased.

This was a residue of magic. Not everyone sensed them. He couldn't A few other members of Shadow Sage he knew could, but he knew a lot that couldn't. He also knew the magic hadn't been used that long ago, which is why it was still so strong. It meant only one thing - the magic user was still near by.

"Jasper," Wyatt whispered as he slowed to his companion's side. "We're moving into the woods on the other side of the road." The side opposite of where he felt the magic. Until he found the threat and knew just how much of a threat they were going to be, he wasn't taking any chances.

He lead the male into the woods, staying low and quiet as he made his way further north, taking care that Jasper didn't make any noise behind him. He was going to find the source.

Katherine continued on her way, wondering what the woman was getting at or what was wrong with her for that matter.

"Hey!" Katherine heard her yell. She sighed with frustration, her breath turning to mist. What did she want now? "We're both headed north." Katherine waited for the woman to catch up, sensing that she had something more to say. "There are safety in numbers out here. Especially for women. Why don't we travel together? And I'm sorry about the arrow thing. I'd rather not take the chance."

Katherine nodded, accepting her apology. If she were being honest she'd rather not have this woman alongside her when she was travelling. If she could be sure that the woman wasn't a witch hunter, she might have felt more comfortable in accepting the invitation of company. As it was, Katherine really couldn't think of an adequate reason to turn down her invitation., "Sure, just try not to get me into any trouble," Katherine said, reluctantly allowing the woman to travel with her, "Name's Katherine. Figure you should probably know if we're travelling together. Yours?"

"The name's Sylvana." The white magic user said with a smile on her face. At least Katherine hadn't turned her down. She didn't want her to think she was stalking her just because they were going in the same direction.

Though it is odd... two women heading north in the woods in the dead of night... Could she be... like me? Another witch? She frowned at the thought and shook her head not wanting to continue down that train of thought. Keeping her secret to herself was one of the most important things to do given the state of the world.

But hiding her magic was one of the things she was best at. While she had lived and trained with the Shadow Sage for many years, she always had to hide her magic because they only wanted those who had black or gray magic, not white. It was why she'd been kicked out. Or rather once she had been found out, she ran rather than face death.

"So are you headed towards Evanpool as well? I've heard their hot springs are amazing." The smile never left her face. She really did love being around other people especially in small numbers. But it was also apart of the mask she wore to protect herself. She'd only ever been truly happy around a handful of people, but now that life was gone and she had to find a new one for herself.

"Oh, and I won't get you into any trouble. I'm rather good at staying out of it." I think... Normally trouble easily finds me. I just always manage to get out of it. But she kept those thoughts to herself. No need to go and lose any ground she could be making. While she wasn't sorry for her earlier actions, she always didn't want to make her new traveling companion feel anymore awkward than the situation already warranted.

Evanpool? This woman was headed to Evanpool? Katherine's memories of her old home weren't exactly awful but nor were they the rose tinted memories most people had of their childhood. Then she remembered that Evanpool was the last town before the keep. It made sense to stop there on the way. She had pleasant memories of play with the local children, but she was always aware that there was something different about her, something that set her apart from the other children and stopped her forming as close a friendship with them as she had wanted to.

"They are wonderful," Katherine nodded, remembering the days she and the other children had played by the water's edge, "I hadn't planned on staying over in Evanpool for too long. I used to live there as a child," Katherine offered as an explanation, "my parents decided to leave town when I was still young." Katherine didn't explain that they had moved because her powers had begun to show themselves then. She might have agreed to travel with Sylva as, but that didn't mean that Katherine completely trusted her, "What business do you have in Evanpool?"

It wasn't hard to catch the way the woman's demeanor changed over the course of her speaking. Something she had said sparked something within Katherine, but there was no definable way to pin point exactly what it was. Then as the other woman started talking, did Sylvana understand what she had been thinking about, at least to a small degree.

Evanpool.

And she had been there before. That only widened the smile on the young woman's face. "I've always wanted to visit. It must have been wonderful growing up near something so great." She didn't comment on the fact that Katherine wasn't going to be staying very long. Likely she was heading back south, because there was nothing further north except for the keep.

"Oh, nothing really. I was caged in as a child and I always wanted to explore. What better way than to visit all of the known places within Vandose." While it was the truth, she didn't care to elaborate. Yes, she had been caged as a child and she did love exploring. Maybe one day she would get to see all of the places Vandose held within its borders, but for now she had a mission to complete.

She had to make her way to the the Witches' Fortress and discover the truth of what was really going on. She would find a way to end the bloodshed even if she had to die to accomplish her goal.

"So what is it like, Evanpool? I heard its very cold there all year round. I couldn't imagine that. I'm not one of the cold really but then again nor the heat the south has. Never been there yet, but I want to go."

Keep running off at the mouth and seem like a normal person who craved human companionship. Wait, she did care human interaction, but being normal was something she didn't really know how to do. Pretend yes, but that was only acting. She was far from normal.

"And stay quiet." Wyatt whispered harshly. He didn't mean to be so rude to the other male, but there was no time to try and explain everything. He sat crouched in the tree line within seeing distance of the road. This was where the feeling was the strongest. Likely the magic user had moved on in any of the directions and he had to narrow down the choices quickly. Being surprised wasn't an option.

While he trusted his abilities and knew that it might mean revealing himself to Jasper, he didn't know those of the other magic user or even what magic they had used. He had to proceed carefully from here on out.

Finally, he turned back towards Jasper. "Something is off. Listen and listen carefully," He planned on getting both of them out of this unharmed, but the other male had to listen to him. "We're going to cross the road into the other woods and head up north. Move exactly as I do, but keep back a little bit in case things get bad. Stay out of sight and don't make any noise. Understand? Oh, and if you betray me. I will kill you."

He hated threatening someone who was already in a bad position, but if it came to having to use his magic, the last thing he wanted was Jasper to freak out, try to kill him, or run back and get a guard. He didn't need unnecessary blood on his hands.

The black magic user didn't wait on a response as he moved low to the ground as quickly and as quietly as he could. His footsteps didn't make a sound on the dirt beneath him showing off the training his mother had beaten into his since he could form rational thoughts.

Slowly, the two of them made their way up through the woods keeping to the bushes and shadows for protection. The ripple in the air was getting weaker, but it was now easier to pinpoint who or what it belonged to. Every now and then Wyatt would glance back towards his companion to make sure he was still following.

He stopped about ten feet back from where he could see two people talking to each other. But it was the one the source of the ripple pulled to that he kept his eyes on. They had long dark colored hair pulled back from their face and a very odd get up, but there was something that was oddly familiar about the other. But without adding magic to his eyes to see there was nothing more he could identify.

Sylvana stopped looking at Katherine for a response after the hairs on the back of her neck stood up on ends. Her arms were quickly joining them. Something was wrong. Someone else was there. Is this where she set the trap? Was I wrong... Her mind was whirling with the possibilities as she narrowed down where the source of her discomfort was coming from.

Finally she had it. She narrowed her eyes about a second before she was propelled backwards into the nearest tree. She landed with a solid thud as she lost the air in her lungs. Her eyes widened and not carrying about blowing her cover, her white magic surrounded her.

As soon as Wyatt realized he'd been found out, meaning the user was trained and had some skill, he reacted. He used his magic to propel him forward, pinning the magic user to the tree. This close he knew the person to be female and as her white magic rose around her, his black followed suit.

Their magic pushed against each other clearly visible as he held the woman pinned to the tree beneath the force of his weight. The white magic user glared up at him as he stared down at her.

Both of them gasped.

"Sylvana?"

"Wyatt?"

Both of their voices betrayed their shock and their magic died down slightly, though still present so they could react to anything deemed a threat at a moment's notice.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He demanded.

"I should say the same of you."

"You betrayed us. You left us."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter." Sylvana quickly countered against the tirade. "Besides you're here now."

"I want the truth."

"Then we want the same things."

Wyatt hesitated for a second before he let his magic fade back out and released the other magic user. He couldn't hurt the one person who meant more to him than anything else in the world. He'd always gone out of his way to protect her growing up and shield her from the worst of the Shadow Sage. He'd known about her white magic long before anyone else, though she never knew that and still he protected her.

Leaving for the Witches' Fortress was only one of his objectives. Finding her was another. He would have leveled all of Shadow Sage if they had hurt her and he had the powers to do it. His parents had been two of the strongest black magic users the organization ever had. He and Sylvana were the only two who ever rivaled and defeated their power levels.

Together they were a force to be reckoned with, even alone.

Sylvana rotated her shoulders for a few seconds and dusted herself off before turning to Katherine and where she felt another pair of eyes on her. Then she glanced back to Wyatt.

"What do we do about them?"

"What we have to." Came Wyatt's reply as he turned to where Jasper was hidden. Now he was going to find out if the male had the guts to betray him or accept the truth. The same with the other woman.

"So what is it like, Evanpool? I heard its very cold there all year round. I couldn't imagine that. I'm not one of the cold really but then again nor the heat the south has. Never been there yet, but I want to go."

Katherine looked at Sylvanas, "I stopped noticing after a while. You just get used to the cold. The springs take the edge of the worst of it. The springtime's best in Evanpool, it's a very pretty time of the year."

Katherine realised that Sylvanas had stopped walking. She looked back at her companion. Everything about her stance screamed suspicion. Katherine looked about them, searching for any sign of an ambush when another figure slammed into Sylvanas. Katherine watched, confused at how the figure could have appeared so quickly and attack with such ferocity. The man who had slammed into Sylvanas had a similar aura to her own magic. Sylvanas clearly knew this man, the surprise in her voice giving her away. Sylvanas was a witch? That certainly explained why she was heading north. At least now she knew she could trust Sylvanas more than she had done before.

"What do we do about them?"

Katherine looked behind her, seeing a blond man standing there.

"What we have to," came the dark haired man's reply.

Katherine looked at the pair of them innocently. She summoned a fireball in her hand, "Well I suppose this makes life a little easier for us."

"Betray you? I don't even know you." Maybe Wyatt was a bandit, but if he was, the blond wouldn't let him out of his sight. All Jasper had of value to a bandit would be his money pouch, which was well-hidden on his person. This same man did ask for some of his potions and herbs when they met, so this particular bandit would count those as valuable also. He had to be careful. Yes, he stayed close and quiet, ever tightening his grip on his walking stick in case he'd need it.

Did the shadows around Wyatt get deeper as they moved or was it a trick of his eyes? Something was indeed strange going on, and he had gone into whatever it was completely blind. What was he thinking? Was he even? There was nothing for it now. He got himself in this mess and had to get himself out. "What in the blazes?!" Again the healer shivered despite himself. Did Wyatt just fly over there and pin someone?

The two broke apart. Apparently they knew each other, as noted by the way they spoke. Jasper didn't want to eavesdrop, but the last two phrases Wyatt and friend said caught his attention. He had a feeling he heard it before, but he couldn't quite remember. Now Wyatt, his friend, and another woman who drew his attention more with the fireball in her hand other than her face, were all watching him intently. "All three of you are witches?" He didn't really expect them to answer since that question could be the death of them, or more likely him, since he's considered a greater threat having witnessed the exchange. "You have nothing to fear from me." Jasper rested his walking stick on his toes and showed them his empty palms.

Sylvana stared at the fire in Katherine's hand as a smile spread across her face.

"Aye, it does."

Now she understood why the other woman was traveling alone. They were both witches. It was unsafe for them to travel with normal people for the fear of being found out. Of course, that didn't answer to why Wyatt was.

She frowned and glanced up at his face to see the smirk. He was pleased and amused at the situation. How very much like him. Then she frowned.

"How can she have fire? You can make fire but its black, not actually red."

Wyatt turned to face his friend before he sighed. "Everyone's magic is different. Some, like us, have magic that is more closely aligned to what was originally passed out according to the legends. Others, like her, have affinities."

His explanation made sense, but it made her wonder, which was better. Having something like the original or specializing in certain areas. It could be useful, but she preferred being able to do a little bit of everything.

"All three of you are witches?"

Then both she and Wyatt turned to face Jasper at his words.

The black magic user included his head slowly, his eyes finally having returned to normal. Luckily for him, it was too dark for the others to see his little condition of using magic. The whites of his eyes flooded with black magic turning them dark whenever he used his powers.

Though Sylvana wasn't so lucky. Because her magic was white, her entire eye became white and in the darkness was a beacon. Of course, the two of them knew about each others issues before hand and it was why they had to be very careful when it came to using magic in public.

They both believed it was because their magic was more like the older types and not like the newer ones that were popping up in witches. Both of their bloodlines were pure witch.

"That doesn't mean we can trust you." Sylvana piped off just as quickly as Jasper made his proclamation about not being a threat. She turned to look over at Wyatt, who had simply crossed his arms over his chest, laying one limb over the other, ready to spring at a moments notice.

"Leave him be. If I have I will erase his memories of what he saw, but he has been loyal. There's no need to hurt him. He's going to be good to have around should we need him. No point in killing him."

"The Masters would faint to hear you say that. They'd soon kill every human in their paths."

"Yes, well, as you can see I don't just follow orders and neither did you."

Sylvana's shoulders lowered a tad as finally nodded. "Are we all heading to the same place?" She looked around the small group. "For the Witches' Fortress? If so, I suggest to stop in Evanpool to restock supplies. We're going to need them. I've heard the snow out there kills. Even with our abilities to keep ourselves warm... it might not be enough."

Wyatt nodded his head. "That was the plan. So what do you say, Jasper? Still traveling with us?" Then he glanced to the other woman. "The name is Wyatt and yours?"

Yes, indeed, this Wyatt would surely test his patience. Jasper was already feeling a twinge of annoyance at the flow of the conversation between him and his glowing-eyed friend, or perhaps the fact that the dark traveler had already talked about killing him twice in less than an hour. The blond cursed himself for a fool, but he thought he'd gone too far to head back now.

He picked up his staff and gave the ladies a bow. "I can assure you, ma'am, I am a healer and apothecary first and would rather die myself than put someone else's life in grave danger. That is the reason why I am here."

He could tell them that he was also a witch, but for some reason the words wouldn't come. His strange dreams and visions were the only proof that he had any magic. It wasn't something physical like the glowing eyes of Wyatt's friend, or the other woman's fireball. Perhaps that was the real reason he never had any troubles growing up. To all affects he was perfectly human. There wasn't even a birthmark or brand or any mark on his body for anyone to see. He couldn't force them to believe him, and he didn't really want to force anything.

The glowing woman asked if they were going to the Witches' Fortress and Jasper's eyes widened. Was it really real, not just a fairy tale? If that was the case, there must have been a time of true peace with witches. He gave a little smile at the thought. Despite his apparent excitement at the prospect, though it might be too dark to see, he narrowed his eyes and straightened his stance, as Wyatt asked him if he still wanted to go with them. "Considering how easily you speak of killing, I don't know if I can really trust you, sir." He dropped his shoulders and gave a sigh but continued, " yet I will. I'm honor-bound to continue on this path... for all our sakes." He turned away for a moment and whispered, not expecting to be heard, "Perhaps we can finally have peace..."

~~~

This was better than he ever expected! Jacob had to hold himself back from laughing out loud. He decided to see where his target was before leaving the building, because it would be easier to capture the target if he could surprise them. His main target was a few miles north of Whitemouth, but with that one he recognized other targets as well. The Raven would certainly be impressed if he could bring them all.

By himself it would be tricky, but he swore to keep his mission a secret and to keep his target alive. Why the Raven wanted them alive was a mystery to the pale blond, but he didn't ask questions. It wasn't his place to, at least not yet. It was in his best interests to stay on good terms with all the Shadow Sage leadership, and he also liked to think it was in everyone's best interests to stay on good terms with him. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. That was true on all sides in this war.

Before he gave himself away to the sleepers or night watchmen, Jacob pulled himself out of the scrying spell. This time without adverse effects, only because he ended on his own volition. Despite the late hour and amount of magic he used since sunset, Jacob wasn't tired at all. With a wide grin and a honey cake in hand, he silently waited for the changing of the guard and left the tower undetected, heading south. Without Jacob's knowledge, the Raven also grinned and whispered in the night, "Do well, my son."

"I guess it's nice to see a human who doesn't care if they're in the company of witches or mind saving them." Sylvana muttered lightly as she shook her head. It wasn't that she didn't like Jasper. She just was used to being haggled because she was a witch or running for her life, hiding what she really was. Now she was free to do as she wanted.

She watched Jasper's reactions to the Witches' Fortress. She smiled largely, the normal hyper energy of the young woman present once again. This was the Sylvana Wyatt knew so well. So hard to handle, stubborn, hard headed, and a fierce fighter, but like Jasper she cared more about others than herself. If the two of them spent any amount of time together, Wyatt feared for the outcome.

Sylvana wanted to start speaking but as soon as Jasper opened his mouth, her energy died down into a simmering rage. She marched over to him, her hands curled into fists until she was right in his face only shorter than him by three inches.

"Listen here and listen well. Wyatt may threaten all he likes, but he would never hurt someone who didn't deserve it. So unless you make the first move against him, he will never raise his hand to you. Learn to show some respect."

She spat out the last word as she turned away from him, huffing under her breath.

Wyatt glared at her and she ducked her head slightly, unspoken words between them being all that needed to be known. She had angered him if the tick in his jaw was any indication.

"Forgive Sylvana. She doesn't take to slights of character very well, but she will be on her best behavior from here on out." The latter half of the sentence directed at the white magic user.

"Now that I'm not hiding what I am from you, I won't have to threaten you, but I couldn't take the chance of you finding out about my magic and freaking out. So peace be with us." Hopefully this was the end of the problems between the two males. Wyatt just now had to keep the peace between his old friend and the apothecary. The girl had always considered the black magic user to be her only friend and had stuck with him even when he didn't want her around. But frankly there was no one else he'd rather have at his side. While his depth of magic and ability to use it far outranked hers, she was by no means his inferior. She was creative when it came to fighting, unpredictable and that alone made her dangerous.

This was a very rag tag bunch. He only worried about how they would fair the closer they got, but the needed to get a move on before they lost too much cover from the darkness.

Without flinching, Jasper met the fierce woman's eyes when she spat her angry words and intruded on his personal space. He did move his walking stick between them for a moment, in case she planned on hitting him with something other than words. Otherwise he remained perfectly still and nonthreatening until she finished, which whether she noticed it or not was actually a respectful gesture. Then he waited again until she resumed a more polite distance, before he said anything more. "Respect and trust must be earned, my dear. To earn trust and respect takes time, and as I have barely met all of you, including Mr. Wyatt, the transition isn't yet complete." Jasper only moved to return his staff beside him as he spoke calmly and gently.

The blond healer smirked a little as Wyatt stepped forward to protect his friend, "And I don't take threats to my life well..." he paused to turn back towards Sylvana, "...nor the lives of others. As it is an offense to my trade to decide any class of people is less worthy to live than another." Panning his blue eyes over all three of them, he did step back to bow again. "Though I should also ask for forgiveness, as I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Jasper Galen and I already stated multiple times that I'm a healer and apothecary. My highest concern is people's lives, so I am honor-bound to do everything in my power to preserve your lives as well."

Standing up again, he turned fully to Wyatt and smiled, "I fear no magic, and though we had a difficult start, I am willing to take a chance at trust and will accept peace between us." He reached out his hand to shake the darker man's. Attempting to include the women, he added, "Are you willing to take a chance on me?"

Sylvana stood where she was looking over at Jasper. She took a deep breath, keeping herself calm. The last thing she wanted to do was anger Wyatt anymore than she already had. So she kept her mouth shut and only nodded her head.

"Sylvana Ward." The woman muttered after a few seconds, knowing she wouldn't be well to speak any more words. Wyatt was her only friend and while he allowed others to say anything about him they liked, she could never stand it. He was the most decent guy she'd ever met and the only one who could ever put up with her for long periods of time. Not that she herself was a bad person, she just tended to be hard to handle by others.

Wyatt watched all three of the other members of the group making sure everyone was going to get along. He still wasn't too sure about the other female magic user, but so long as she didn't try anything they would be fine.

"Let's get going. We'll reach Evanpool within a few days.

Those days went by slowly. Moving with four people undetected wasn't the easiest thing to do. Wyatt kept them away from any other people who were near the roads and kept watch most of the nights. His inability to sleep or rather not needing sleep as much due to his magic kept him as the leader for the time being.

They were definitely going to need supplies once they reached the hot spring town. It would be weeks before they actually reached The Witches' Fortress and there was no telling if any dried meat supplies were left. He doubted anything else would be good to eat. So they'd have to hunt along the way to keep their supply intact otherwise they would starve to death.

Sylvana had gone out on her own more than once and brought back small game for them until they reached the outskirts of Evanpool. They were about a mile south of the gate, waiting until it was safe for them to head inside.

Wyatt leaned back against the tree trunk, his cloak pulled around his shoulder as he munched on a piece of fruit from his pack. His breaths came out in light smoke colors, but it wasn't as bad as he knew it was going to get. He looked around at the group.

"We'll wait until morning to head to Evanpool. If we show up in the dead of night we'll be taken into custody without question."

Sylvana nodded her head as she laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She was tired, cold, and wanted a real warm meal. She shivered and the male beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her under his cloak. He remembered the time she'd gotten exposure from a training exercise and nearly died. Would have died had it not been for him. This trip couldn't be easy on her and he was surprised she had tried to go at on her own.

What he really wanted to know was what happened when she left. Or why Jasper reminded him so much of another Shadow Sage member the two of them had grown up with.

"Hey, Wyatt... Does Jasper remind you of someone?" Sylvana whispered to him, though he couldn't be sure if the others didn't hear her or not. They weren't that far away. Though he seemed he wasn't the only one thinking that Jasper was a lot like Jacob only not the same personality - far from it. He liked Jasper a hell of a lot more than he did the gray magic user.

"Keep it down." he replied back.

If you want to talk about Jacob being a lot like Jasper physically, than do it this way.

Why? Sylvana questioned back not moving her head from where it was to look at him. The mind connection between them was enough.

Because I know you well enough. Yes, they look exactly alike, but Jacob said he had no family.

What if they got rid of one of their sons? You know twins can be looked down upon in certain circles.

Not magic ones they're not. Twin magic users are stronger together.

That means if Jacob is related to Jasper then their parents didn't know they had magical children...

Sylvana glanced over to where Jasper sat. "Hey, Jasper, I got a question."

"Sylvana, don't." Wyatt's voice was firm, commanding, but she didn't heed his warning.

"Do you have any siblings? A brother your age?"

Wyatt just shook his head knowing he couldn't undo the horrible can of worms the woman had just opened.