Raven's Nest

Irvin hadn't touched his food at first, one ear on the conversation and the other on the general background, his eyes discretely moving from his untouched meal to Mageria as she looked through Darren's journal, suddenly remembering that he'd made a copy of it and he should ask Darren later what he should to do with it. While he was not exactly hungry, he had quickly emptied three glasses of water as if he had spent a month crossing the desert without a drop. Only when he was halfway through his fourth glass he finally started to slowly go through his bowl of stew; discretely pushing aside some pieces of vegetables, leaving them in the bottom of the bowl. The boy lifted his head abruptly at the mention of 'acquiring' things in Newhaven, a little snicker escaping under his breath. "Never been to Newhaven... Sounds like a lovely place to acquire things." He stated, poking the pieces of vegetables with his spoon absently.

When Mageria asked about what was happening in Blackpond Irvin scratched his head absently as he thought about it. "Not sure what I can tell that'd be useful... It depends on what kind of stuff you want to know, I guess. Been underground, literally, for over a year... Ain't much I know about life in the city except what I'd hear when someone new came along, and there's no way of knowing what is true and what is just some made up shit. Even if some stories are particularly odd. There was this guy for instance, I knew him from the streets, he got locked up a couple of months after me, told me he'd sneaked into one abandoned building one night to try and get warm... And there was a gambling house of sorts being ran in there. Said the patrons were some rich-looking folk too, that it didn't look like something you'd see in Blackpond even in the good days. He didn't stay too long though, he bolted when he saw some guy be dragged out the back by some guys dressed in all black. He was totally freaked out, said he could hear the dude screaming but no one seemed to even notice; although the weirdest part of it would be that such a place exists. Every Inn, tavern, or any other business like that, legal or illegal, is being shut down...Violently. I hear even the Wolves bolted. That much I know because that's how I got caught, in a tavern. Those guys though... They would have been left untouched and that's odd." He stated, pushing the bowl away and finishing off his water before leaning against the table and propping his chin up on his hands. "Another thing I heard is that kids been going missing... Kids no older than ten years old I heard... People in general don't seem to make much of it, or anything else really, what with the way things are going lately, but I heard of it because this one guy got locked up after he freaked out on a bunch of guards for not helping him find his kid. I didn't meet the guy though, I was just told the story. So I don't know what of it is true either." He gave a light shrug. "So there; a small sample of my extensive knowledge in stories and gossip." He said, smiling a bit as he pulled back from the table, stretching lazily in his seat. “That I could maybe draw a map of our section of the dungeons if you think it’d ever be handy.” He snickered. "Who knows, maybe Jake will end up to getting tossed down there again. He seems like he's crazy enough for that."

Mageria’s gaze grew a bit distant as she absorbed Irvin’s information. “That sounds . . . unpleasant. We should. . . .” She abruptly bit her lip, looking down for just a moment. “I mean, if I was still in Newhaven, that sounds like something we should look into.” She clenched her jaw as the reality of what happened hit her again. She still had all of her ideals, but none of the power. If she allowed her mind to dwell on it, she would go mad. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her mind back to where it belonged.

It did sound like something that she would have been looking into, had she still been with the Blacks. Yes it was good that the illegal element was being shut down, but it was the wrong way to do it. And that bit about children . . . she had a very bad feeling.

Sham speared her Captain with a glance and shook her head. Mageria had that look in her eye, the one that meant she felt like she was on to something that needed to be fixed. It usually showed up before events of great chaos, and never boded well for those that got in her way. She shook her head and polished off the last of her stew, glancing over at Irvin’s bowl. He was pushing the vegetables around like a fussy child and it didn’t look like he was going to eat them anytime soon.
“You gonna eat those?” She gestured with her spoon, hoping for a little extra to eat.

Mageria glanced over and shook her head, smiling just a tiny bit. “I would like it if you could draw out that map. You’re right, it could come in very handy.”

Darren sighed, retrieving back the journal from the Captain and as he listened to Irvin and the Captain speak; again the visions from physical contact with the journal, flashed across his eyes. An ominous and somewhat foreboding chill crept up his spine. Anyone looking at Darren would notice his sudden frozen stare and a curious, almost familiar violet-blue glow emitting from his sockets. It was as if his hand was glued to the journal for a few moments before his free hand forcibly pried his own fingers off the leather. Again, he witnessed the many faces of children; specifically two girls: Both young, fair skinned, one with red curly hair and the other with ear-length, raven locs. As their faces faded, a nauseating wave passed, thankfully quickly, but not before he pushed aside his empty bowl. Feeling sudden eyes upon him, he forced a tiny smirk.

“I have a horrid feeling...Irvin...those rumors of missing children....” Darren swallowed hard, pointing at the journal, “...have more truth to them than we may realize..” The young man wasn’t sure what he would find, once decoded; if there was a list of those responsible for his visions, a connection of some sort..or maybe at the very least, a clue. It was only the icing on the cake, as far as he was concerned and granted he was reaching in the dark at this point, yet still he trusted his gut and his gut was internally screaming. Leaning into his arm, he rested his head lazily upon his open palm, propping upon an elbow, turning his gaze towards the Captain once again. "I suppose I should tell you a bit about myself..." Darren's smirk faded as he went into vivid detail on his enlightenment, explaining a quick summary of how he ended up in the prison to meet Jake and Irvin. He kept his tone low, so only those sitting at the table could hear him. When he'd finished, he added, "It's...like always having a mystery to solve...without a timeline..."

Irvin turned to face Darren as he spoke of the child disappearances, a look of fright crossing his features as if his new friend's words suddenly made the whole thing real. In that mindset he absently pushed the bowl with the leftover vegetables in Sham's direction without saying anything to her. His thoughts had momentarily wandered off to his little sister and whether or not she was safe, but he pushed the thought away; there was nothing he could do for her now and going back to Blackpond was simply out of the question, at least for a while.

His distraction caused him to lose most of the following conversation, and when he came to, he realized that he still wanted that sleep and so he slowly rose from his seat. “I’d love to stay longer and chat you guys up, but... Unless one of you lovely ladies is willing to tuck me in...” He started, smirking playfully. “I should go curl up some place more appropriate for sleep, if you’ll all excuse me.” He smiled rather sweetly at Mageria giving a slight bow of his head. “I’ll get that map done first thing when I wake up, and then maybe I can see about joining that club of yours. It definitely sounds like something worth my efforts.” He said, still smiling as he wandered off to find himself a quiet corner to rest.

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The Manor

Amber stood for a moment facing Lamya as if she was frozen by confusion. Once that moment passed however a sweet smile crossed her borrowed features. “That’s silly. You are silly. It’s a pity you won’t live much longer...” She stated absently, beginning to head towards the kitchens and motioning for Lamya to follow. “It’s always funny how people assume that what they see is what they are... I mean... If that was the case, then I am you, but... Then, if I am you, you didn’t kill you, because I’m very much alive while being you... Not that I would know, I still feel very much like me... No matter what I look like... I still feel like the same old little me.” She giggled cheerfully. “Gladly, others usually can’t tell how I feel like, so to them I feel like whoever I look like, but no... Still me..” She shrugged, pushing the door of the dining room open and wandering in. “Just take a seat anywhere, and try not to step on the cats... People have ‘disappeared’ for mistreating the cats.” She warned, stepping through another door to that led to the kitchen.

Sham grabbed the bowl of leftover vegetables and almost ate them whole, finally slowing down a bit towards the end as she stopped to chew. An early childhood of never knowing where her dinner was going to come from had taught her that the best place to stoe food was where no one else could get at it. She glanced at Irvin as he walked away and then peered over at Mageria, a slight sideways grin on her face.
“Cap’n, I’m fairly certain that the club he’s talkin’ about, an’ the one you were talkin’ about, don’t happ’n to be the same thing.”
Mageria grinned briefly before looking back at the journal in her hands. “Why Sham, I don’t know what you mean. What could I possibly have said that would give him the wrong idea?”
Sham shook her head and got up, ready to seek out her own bedroll for the night. The Captain had the oddest sense of humor sometimes. . . .

Mageria leafed through a couple of the pages in front of her, face falling into somber lines as she thought about what it might contain.
“Darren, I promise you that if these rumors you’ve heard about the children are true, we’ll do something about it.” A hard smile slashed it’s way across her face. “Truth, it’d be harder to keep people here than get them to go, everybody here is used to solving their problems with a sword blade, we joined because we felt that we needed to, otherwise there were better ways to earn a living with a sword.” She looked him in the eye, her own slowly darkening to onyx. “Children are to be protected. Sometimes people need to be reminded of that. It’s not quite like what I did last time, but this is a different situation.” She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax, looking at the young man with a sharp assessing gaze.
“But if family was involved,” she gestured a bit with the journal, “are you going to be able to do what you have to?”

Darren folded his hands upon the table with a heavy sigh, a somber stare went through and past the Captain. He didn't answer for a few minutes, nodding slowly, but to what, was locked away momentarily in his mind. It wasn't until recently Darren had taken his first life, just before his seventeenth birthday. He'd avoid it at all costs, until there was no other resort, no other way to survive. Even when he'd taken coin in exchange for a 'favor' or two, he'd try to find another way to resolve the situation in less blood shed. Of course, it never ended that way. He could give reasons for his decisions, but when it came down to it he found no honor in it. Down to the person's last breaths, Darren made sure to fight fair, especially when they didn't. He'd always had a choice and in those choices he was trying to live an honorable life and was struggling along the way. When he failed at taking down his father's business, cornered in a battle of the powerful, only then did he realize there was something bigger than him. Suddenly he snapped back into reality, realizing he had been asked a question. Slowly he smiled.

"...I hear....Family...isn't just blood.....Family is some dream of loved ones built on trust and sacrifice. So this man, who is technically my Father is very far from that." Darren took in a deep, cleansing breath, focusing his blue-lavender eyes upon the Captain. "I'm old enough to know that sometimes we just need to do the necessary evil, to salvage any good left in this world. I may not like it, but if normal justice is out of reach for Asher, I trust myself to do what is necessary." A slight smile widened upon his lips, a subtle wink fluttered from his right eye. "If you can't trust yourself at least, then WHO can you trust, no?"

Pushing himself away from the table, Darren stood, backing away toward the exit. "I'm going to make myself useful, if it pleases you Captain. Have a run there at that journal and I'll stop by to find you later to throw some ideas at you?" With a bow he waited politely, as if for permission to move on.

Mageria bowed her head slightly with a brief hard smile on her face. "If me and mine are involved, it won't be normal justice. But the debt will be paid, one way or another." Her eyes flashed black briefly before returning to normal. "This is something that we do very, very well." She stood up and held the journal gently in her hands, the way one might catch the head of a posiones snake. She could tell that there would be answers contained within, but that they were not going to lead to anything pleasant. But she had been walking in the sun for a good long time now, living in a safe little bubble here in the woods. Yes, it had been difficult, but only in the way that could be solved with hard work. This, she know would lead to those kind of actions that left her with sleepless nights and uneasy dreams.

Time to walk in the shadows once more.

Journal in hand, she went back to her cabin to settle in for a good long period of studying.

It had been dark for some time when Ess finally strolled back into camp, taking a roundabout route to make sure she wasn’t followed. Passing through the narrow path, she heard the familiar greeting of the hidden guards and gave a wave, a voice shouting down something along the lines of, “Damn horse wouldn’t let anyone touch him...think he’s at the stables...” Ess chuckled at those words, first confirming the Stallion was taken care of and settled for the night before making her way towards the medics cabin. People were still up and about, although the air was quieter than expected. When she entered, several individuals greeted her with a once over, shaking their heads. Sitting down beside a fire, chilled down to the bone, a gentleman appeared by her side, a basin of clean water and bandages to dress her minor, scattered wounds. He worked silently, taking extra care at the slice beneath her chin, muttering, “No worries..this shouldn’t scar, at least.” Nodding a bit Ess gave a sad smile in response, “Pity...”

“You need me to get the Captain...?” He asked curiously. Ess smiling her answer, the man nodded as he gestured to another to find her.

Mageria had been working on deciphering the journal when she received word that Essence was back in camp. It took her a moment to pull her mind away from the dance of numbers and symbols, when she did she nodded and stood up. The journal was valuable enough that she didn't want to leave it just lying around, instead she tucked it into a cupboard in the wall, locking it and drawing a panel over it so that only somebody who knew it was there could find it. That was what paranoia did for you, there were secret panels even in a place where you normally only planned on staying for a couple weeks.

Heading out of the cabin, she swirled her coat around her shoulders, running her fingers down the new seams. She wasn't sure how she felt about something so flashy, she had the horrible feeling that someone was going to give her a ridiculous name based on it. But it was warm and they didn't have the materials to make an entire new one. She'd just have to hope that no one got a bright idea while she was wearing it. With a sigh, she dismissed those thoughts as she came upon where Essence was sitting near a campfire, getting a couple of cuts tended. She reached out and turned the young woman's face a little toward her so that she could see the full extent, then shook her head and smiled slightly.
"Well, I hope that the other guy looks just as bad. My reputation as a trainer is going to suffer otherwise." She somehow shifted from friendly to in charge without raising more than an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Ess greeted the Captain with a smirk, holding back a grimace as her neck was turned, purplish blue finger sized bruises appearing along her throat. “Well.....wasn’t just one....but i’m still standing..with both my eyes....so I must have done something right.” She began with a wink. “Long story short....Ran into Luckas after you two got back into camp..he was on his way out...we...uh...got into an argument...hit a nerve...so went out riding..to think and cool off away from people...” She leaned back in her chair, fidgeting as her chin was bandaged awkwardly, stretching her jaw uncomfortably. Motioning to the empty chair at her side she sighed. “I ran into....some unexpected...friends...Woman I thought was dead, the one I told you about...my first kill...with Xypher...a few miles from here..” Ess growled...”They had been looking for me...and Xypher had a White Knight ...uh..Dominic...with him. He apparently knows you?” Ess quirked a brow, an amused smirk crossing her lips. “He’s pretty strong...” She muttered, rubbing her neck absently. “If it wasn’t for the fact Xypher admitted to trying to overthrow the Queen and that I had interfered with his plans...I don’t know if I’d be standing here...Dominic let me go and took off with Xypher back to NewHaven, I presume....leaving me to take care of Ebony...who...I lost because some highway nutcase robbed us...well Ebony...I didn’t carry anything..but some more men were in the woods...I watched from afar...they took Ebony...I don’t know who they were..” She remembered, her stare moving back from Mageria to the fire. “Oh...” Ess added, as if she was forgetting an important detail, when really she was still in an amount of shock from it. “I have a living son, I thought was stillborn...all in all an eventful day....How about you?” She snorted.

A hard look flashed through Mageria's eyes at the mention of Xypher trying to overthrow the Queen, for an instant fully the Captain of the Black Knights once again. She'd deal with that soon enough however. Right now there were more immediate things to deal with. She settled down in the chair next to Essence and leaned forward slightly.
"A son? I assume from the fact that you're here that you weren't able to find out where the boy is?"

Essence rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “I was testing out some...’methods’, trying to find out that information, but...all I know is that he was brought up by his father in Blackpond. Guess...” Essence cleared her throat. “I can start there, but last I heard...he was in prison...” She smiled wide. “And rightly so...a rat bastard...I was only a child....” Ess felt her fingers tense, bending them back a bit to crack and loosen. “Speaking of which, hear anything new on our little... ‘side project’ yet?...I’m hoping to track down my brother soon enough..maybe find something out from him..” She shrugged, reaching for a glass of water.


Mageria tilted her head to the side slightly.
"I've been getting some crumbs, but I have to be careful. I don't have the shield of Newhaven to hide behind, so I can't leave any trails that lead back to us. However," she paused. "I've got a person who just got back from Blackpond, she didn't get any further than the prison kitchens, but she might have something to tell. She'll give a full debrief in the morning, after she get's a few more good meals under her belt. And there's a very interesting journal that's come into my hands, but I've just started to decode it." She reached out and rested one hand on the girl's shoulder.
"I promise you, as soon as we have something to move on, we will. We would have whether or not we were still at Newhaven, but if it get's out that we knew about this and didn't move, there wouldn't be a soul left in camp."

Essence smiled at the gesture. “I know Captain...and I trust you, obviously. I haven’t nor will I discuss this with anyone in camp, until you give the say on whether or not it’s time to move. I agree this is a very delicate situation and needs to be handled carefully.” Ess paused, looking over Mageria slowly, her smile closing slightly. “You...Okay Captain? What happened today?” She inquired, thinking the Captain looked like she need some sleep, same as Ess felt truth be told. Stifling a yawn, she drank some water, looking sourly at a bowl of stew that was suddenly placed before her, not sure if she felt like eating.

Mageria smiled. "I know that I can trust you to keep quiet about this. It will happen, we just have to plan ahead." She leaned back and sighed. "As for things happening today, well, things have been 'interesting'. I heard a curse once, "May you live in interesting times." That is this, I guess." She loosened her shoulders. "As for what, exactly, happened. I had to make an unexpected trip into Newhaven, just barely avoided running into a few old faces. Not what I planned for when I woke up."
She glanced over at the bowl in front of Essence and smiled. "And do go ahead and eat something. We've managed to get something that actually tastes good finally. And there's real meat in it!" Her voice was falsely light for a moment before she leaned back, stretching out her legs toward the fire, her eyes falling half closed as she relaxed for a moment.


Ess’ stomach twisted, feeling slightly nauseated by the sight, but nodded slowly, pulling the bowl onto her lap as she started to eat. It was good, having more flavor than she had recently become accustomed to, but she just wasn’t sure she’d keep it down. “I feel our future is just going to be full of surprises, only getting better..” She muttered with a hint of sarcasm. Ess didn’t press the Captain further on her day, her mind wandering momentarily to her fight with Luckas, a bitter chuckle escaping her. A few moments of silence went by as she ate in peace, only finishing half of the stew before standing. “I’m going to share with Tala...don’t think my nerves can take much more food right now..See you in the morning Captain...Maybe you can show me how to get out of a choke hold by someone more than twice my size?” She smiled before turning to find her wolf.
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Consuming Fire

Ess hadn't been able to sleep. Was it the aching in her body from her continued training? Was it the fact that Aiden was everywhere she went lately when all she wanted was to avoid him? More than likely the revelations of her day and her fight with Luckas was what weighed heavily upon her. Lying on her back, Ess stared up at the cloth of her tent, the painted picture of a white oak tree burning, but never turning to ash, was draped up above. It had only been a week or so, she couldn’t' remember, but there was no new information on her brother, and even though Ess was usually quite a patient woman, this was beginning to gnaw at her insides. The very idea of that monster out there, made her heart race, her breathing fast and inconsistent. But this wasn't anything new as of late. Ess couldn’t also forget the sudden news, if that wretched woman was telling the truth, that she had a living son to find as well. ‘What next?’ She thought. ‘...Tomorrow we’ll find out dragons are alive and well and burning down Valcrest!’

The fire was dying, and the light was dimming, causing the shadows to dance around her painting as if to bring it to life. Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment and reopening them, Ess attempted to slow her heart. Her fingers felt ironically along the blankets for her journal, yet when she found it she simply squeezed her hand around the bind. A single thought came to mind, her free hand wiping at her cheek at something wet that tickled her skin. Her face scrunched up as she focused her violet gaze at the painting, thinking she saw something fall from it. Lifting her head off a pillow, she slowly tried to get a closer look. Had she been crying? For a second she swore tiny flecks of grey ash were floating down from the picture. Her eyes widened as the glow of her orbs ignited in her disbelief. She was dreaming... She had to be dreaming. Ess spoke in but a whisper, the sound shaky, “Sometimes Blue Eyes...I don't miss you as much....but I do miss you every day.” Ess forced her eyes shut, breathing in through her nose and out her mouth, her heart still pounding in her ears as her thoughts shifted. “I'm going crazy...Luckas...maybe you'd laugh...maybe you'd understand. Wish...” She never finished her sentence as all fell into darkness.

Opening her eyes, Ess was standing in an open space, not understanding how she got there from her tent. It was warm, the light emitted from the sun as it sank behind the horizon. Before her, a thick brown fog rolled along her feet so that she was unable to see more than a few inches. Stretching her arms out to feel blindly ahead she listened carefully, one step at a time. Gradually the fog opened in an eerie manner, her eyes just catching the figure of a small boy running across her field of vision. “Hello?” Her tone was above a whisper, soft and gentle as she was answered by a series of giggles that seemed to come from all around her. Again, the streak of a running child passed her vision but this time she ran after him. “I won't hurt you...Please...” She thought it very strange she did not hear footsteps except her own as she wandered further.

The open space seemed to never end as she was lost in the fog, until a great white oak tree appeared before her. It was lush, green, and full of life as the branches rustled in the breeze that came from nowhere. Ess came to a halt, smiling suddenly as her fingertips reached out to touch the bark upon the trunk. “Are we playing a game?” She asked out awkwardly to no one. The second she felt the bark beneath her fingers, it began to crack and break. Startled she backed away to discover the branches were now bare of any life, appearing old and stripped of nourishment. Wisps of smoke found her nostrils, tiny flames sparked within the branches, as the boy she had been chasing appeared by her side, watching with Ess as the oak began to burn. She tried to see his face but it was blurry; his voice however haunted her. “Sometimes...the hardest one to love...is the one who needs it most...”

“Noo...!” She screamed, turning back towards the tree as it began to crumble, suddenly overwhelmed with despair as the flames grew and surrounded her. She could almost smell burning flesh as she screamed again, thrashing awake, finding herself soaked in sweat still screaming before she realized she was in her tent and it was still night. Ess' body shook violently in her fear, but of what she was not sure of. Her skin burned as if she were on fire, yet there were no wounds upon her flesh. “Just a dream...” She tried to reassure herself. “Luckas....” She found herself calling out again. Absently she wiped at a bit of blood that appeared as tears along her cheekbones, Tala coming into view as she came to focus on the wolf who was attempting to clean her face. Ess snuggled herself into Tala's fur, calming gradually but never falling back to sleep that night. Usually the best way for her to relax was to sing to herself as it would calm her, odd as it was; but tonight she could barely speak, much less sing. Even though her body stilled and she was no longer shaking, she was still most certainly afraid.

As Essence was coming around the path towards the training grounds, Mageria was standing in the center of the clearing, lightly balanced on the balls of her feet, twin long daggers in her hands. Surrounding her were four opponents, three men and a woman. They were armed with a variety of weapons, clearly whatever they were most comfortable with. There was a moment of stillness, abruptly broken by a sharp cry as one of the challengers charged forwards, sword held low. Mageria twisted slightly, knocking the sword to the side and delivering a sharp kick to the back of his knee. A second man took the chance to attack, swinging a mace in a vicious over hand arc. Mageria danced inside his swing, turning so that her back was to his chest and bringing one elbow back in a vicious jab. Then she kept the spin going and faced him, only to smash her head forwards in a brutal head butt. The move cost her time however, because the woman darted in with a pair of hand scythes, bringing them around in a slashing motion at her torso. Mageria couldn't completely duck them, and they shredded her shirt along the rib cage. Taking a step back, she instead managed to lure the woman into attacking in the direction of the last attacker, using them against each other to trip them both up.

It only took a couple of minutes for Mageria to defeat the four 'attackers' and then a couple more for her to give crisp instructions on what they could have done better and what they should do next time. It was only when she looked up to see Essence waiting for her that she seemed to realize that her shirt had gaped open. Her hand made a slight move, as if to cover up something, before she began to tie it closed. However that couldn't hide the line of burns marching up her side, deliberate marks, not something that could have happened by accident. Walking over to a nearby tree, she grabbed a tunic off a branch and shrugged into it, walking over with a wry smile.
"Well, now that I'm warmed up, shall we get started?"

Essence stared out from tired eyes, severe dark circles encompassing her gaze showing her lack of sleep. Holding back a grumpy groan she shrugged off her cloak, letting out a long sigh. She stood momentarily unsure, as if she was clueless to what was about to happen. Folding her arms she nodded when the Captain readied her blades, and instead of mirroring her she began to speak, her voice still a bit hoarse from the bruising along her throat. “Who are they?” She gestured to a few approaching from behind, no weapons in hand, instead they appeared strangely non-threatening. Ess’ brows scrunched up, lips in an almost pouty expression, feeling a bit uneasy on that appearance, knowing things must not definitely what they seem, especially with the Captain.

Mageria smiled gently. "Well, one of the things you need to get used to is that you may be fighting Enlightened as well as regular people. The problem with this, is that you aren't always going to know what they are capable of doing, nor will you know right off the bat what it is that is needed to counter their abilities. So, today's lesson includes how to read your opponents ability and figure out what it is that you can use to fight it."

Essence nodded, her mind clinging to the word ‘Enlightened.’ She was contemplating the night before, her nightmare leading to into her lack of sleep, and especially her lack of control in her gift. Miraging a mirror image of a ghost was certainly not something that comforted her. Taking a deep breath she muttered, a bit of annoyance in her tone. “...Least they can control it...I thought I could...somethings off with me, Captain. I don’t get what it is. I’m having nightmares now...waking not myself but as someone else. I have always...had an issue with emotions triggering the change, but never like this and not for quite some time.” Ess scowled, stepping forward to push herself to focus on her current lesson, glancing from one to then next, an awkward smile crossing her features.

Mageria stepped forwards suddenly, fingers under Essence's chin, forcing her eyes up so that she could look into them. She frowned, searching the other woman's face, finding stress and strain that should not have been there, even for a new recruit. And there was something else, a slight hint of fear, as if something that Essence had always counted on was suddenly failing her. She turned, looking at the other fighters she had assembled for this little 'training exercise'.
"Have any of the rest of you experienced anything like this?" There were a couple of looks between the group, before two of them admitted to bad dreams and uncertainty in their control.
Mageria bit her lip, thinking hard.
"Right then. Cancel this then, I want you all to work on your control exercises. Meditation where ever you feel comfortable, and that's an order. At least an hour, maybe more." She glared slightly. "That's an order for every Enlightened in camp, so pass the word." She waited as they all nodded and split off to go their separate ways, before she turned to Essence and crossed her arms. "Have you ever learned meditation techniques? They're a bit difficult to get a handle on to begin with, but they should help with your emotional control, if nothing else."

Ess groaned again, crossing her arms along her chest. “Meditating? Is this kinda like anger management or something? Because that never worked for me.” Glancing over Mageria’s shoulder she watched the others wander off, a bit disappointed at not seeing what ‘fun’ was in store but also happy she brought it up. “I read about some breathing techniques that can help calm a person, but I don’t know if I did them wrong...or what..” Ess gave a wry smile, quirking a brow, stubbornly stepping back as she shook her head. “I take it, like you said, this will be an order for all..” Ess sighed. “So...if I do this...If you show me what I need to do, can we go back to you kicking the crap out of me?” She teased.

Mageria arched one eyebrow and smiled sweetly. "If I find out that you've been willfully ignoring the signs of serious trouble and not doing anything about them; I'll do more than kick the crap out of you." Her voice was light and gentle, the glare she sent Essence's way was not. "As an Enlightened, you need to be in control of your ability, no matter what it is. Especially given the fact that Enlightenments take a physical toll. Any Enlightened that loses control becomes a danger to themselves, if not the people around them. And given all the work I've put into you already, that's not something I'm willing to put up with." She reached out one hand and snagged Essence's shoulder gentle but no nonsense grip.

"Now. You can come along and listen to me, or you can find out the consequences for losing control. Which I can guarantee you won't enjoy. Come along."
With very little apparent effort she pulled Essence along behind her until they found a small smooth ledge above the river. It looked natural, but sitting on it proved that it was far too comfortable to be made by anything but someone who could shift earth and stone. Mageria leaned back against the bluff and crossed her legs, looking out at the river and waiting until Essence settled herself as well.

"You said that your emotions are triggering your changes. This is something I've seen before, not people changing, but getting so caught up in their memories that they don't know where they are or who they're with. It seems to happen mostly with fighters, reliving past battles where something terrible happened to them, although sometimes it happens with City folk too. But always where something so terrible has happened that it's burned itself into their memory. There's a way to get past that, it's certainly not pleasant, but it's possible. What we're going to try with you is something similar."
Mageria took a deep breath and shifted slightly, stretching sore muscles. "What I want you to do is to call up those emotions that are threatening your control. Bring them to the front of your mind, along with the memories that trigger them. You may change, you may not. The thing to remember is that you are completely safe here. Nothing can get to you up on the ledge and nothing is going to get past me. So once you have those memories in front of you, you let them go. Feel them to the fullest, then remember that you got past them and that you are still alive. Then do it again. And again. As many times as you need to."
Mageria glanced over at Essence and quirked a smile. "Do this for about an hour and if you still feel like it, we can go back to weapons practice."

“Trust me Captain, I have had my share of ‘spells’ with the side effects from using my gift, but I’ve tried to refrain from using that little talent and improve on other skills. Last night was the first time I experienced the nightmare and this random lack of control. I was honestly hoping that using it less would not result in a reaction of sorts.” Ess sighed heavily, letting herself be led to a serene spot, looking down below at the river. She mirrored Mageria’s position, absently fiddling with the end of her braid, her eyes locked upon the running water, listening intently to both the soft rapids and the Captain as if they were one in the same.

“I’m afraid of that...one day looking into my reflection and seeing someone else and losing myself entirely; mind, body and soul.” Ess trailed off, nodding, letting her eyes close, breathing in slowly through her nose, exhaling through her mouth. As if her mind had been blocking out the other sounds around her, she smiled when she noticed the birds echoing each other in the trees around them; sounding so close she could swear they were dancing next to her upon the ledge. Her shoulders relaxed, her mind searching for those melancholy memories, her smile widening as the image of her father appeared on the back of her eyelids. The smile was suddenly wiped clean off her face when the sweet smile of her father was replaced by the vision of his silent, bloody scream; antlers speared straight through his center, impaled against the kitchen wall. Then the image of her traitor brother, grinning with a sort of mockery, filled her mind. The first time Ess’ Mirage was triggered, she had taken on her brother’s form, but she had thought him dead; a ghost. Her heart then had cherished his memory. Now when she opened her trademark lavender eyes, she had changed out of pure hatred that shook her entire body, fists clenching and unclenching as she grinded her teeth in her fury. Ess appeared with slightly darker skin, covered in freckles, and short fiery red hair when the illusion settled in her brother’s form. An almost menacing laugh escaped her as she tried to focus on what the Captain specified: Some things were past and she was indeed alive. She just couldn’t grasp how she could move on without facing her problems dead on, and she couldn’t let go of the hate.

Mageria sat quietly while Essence's form changed, simply watching as her flesh shaped itself into someone new. Absently, she memorized the face now in front of her, if it was someone that could cause this sort of reaction, then it was someone that needed to be watched for. She waited as the other woman clenched her teeth and laughed, some dark emotion seething under the surface. But even though she waited, Essence couldn't seem to break free of it.
"Essence." Mageria leaned forward. "Essence. Who are you? What is it that you are remembering?"


Ess’ eyes snapped open, staring over at Mageria uneasily, before glancing down at her hands that were not her own. She gasped, not feeling the change but then again she should have known it transpired because of the intensity of her feelings, but it wasn’t always so. Her fingers lightly traced along the contours of her chin and the point of her nose, both not her own. “...Ian...” She whispered, knowing even by feel, the features painted a picture in her mind of her older brother. “I remember the night my father was killed; the same night my village burned to the ground; the same night I was taken by men because of treachery and sold like cattle.” Ess pushed to slow her breathing, only just realizing how heavy her breaths were becoming. A sudden thought crossed her mind, as if it was falling into place, always belonging but never taking the time to see it in a different light. The idea, strangely calmed her, her features one by one fading back to her own. “...If I hadn’t been taken that night...I’d be dead...just like everyone else in the village...”

Mageira leaned back. "That's right. Remember, you've helped people too. What would have happened to them if you weren't there? If you were dead, who would remember the names of the dead?" She gently reached out, laying one hand on Essence's arm. "You've used that past to find the strength to help others in the future. You're going to be the difference that helps other children stay safe."

"You feel that pain still? The anger burning inside. That can burn you alive or you can harness it."
She leaned back and watched Essence measuringly.
"Which is it going to be for you?"

Essence nodded, smiling slightly at the Captain. “I know what I want...I just get so angry, it’s overwhelming...How do I harness it without losing control? I keep finding out more things that make my blood boil, and I know it’s not going to end. What do I need to do?” She whispered, looking almost lost, searching for the answer in Mageria’s eyes as she stare intently. “Every time I think I’ve gotten past it...”

Mageria was silently still for a long moment, eyes hooded as she looked into her own past. Then she pulled at her shirt, moving the hem so that Essence could clearly see the line of burn scars that work their way up her flank.
"You see these? Given to me by somebody I should have been able to trust above all others. And the thing is? I still trusted him after that. I thought the world of him. . . until the next thing that happened. And the next . . . and the next. I came to realize that by trusting him, I let horrible things happen. I still blame myself for some of them. Until the day where I couldn't let things happen anymore. And I took action, I did something that still haunts me to this day. And you don't really get past it. You draw a line in the sand and you say, "This far, and never again. So long as I draw breath, it won't happen again. And you feed all your pain and anger to that thought. You want to scream and hit things? Imagine what would happen if you lost control, use that thought to aim your blows better. You want to rain down destruction on the people who hurt you? You wait till you have them in a position where they can't get away, where your actions won't hurt anyone else, and you show them no mercy. Channel your anger, your pain." Mageria drew a deep breath, tucking her shirt down to hide the scars. "You wait, you stalk them until you are absolutely sure that you have every single one of them, every bit of information you can wring out of them . . . then, and only then, do you take them out. But you don't lose control, because that's when you are vulnerable."

She quirked a small smile. "Of course, the White Shadows would have something different to tell you, about forgiveness and moving on. But that never really worked for me."

Essence sighed, the smile that spread across her lips mimicked her thoughtful understanding, lightly patting Mageria on the shoulder. “Not all can be forgiven, nor do they deserve such kindness...” Tilting her head, one brow rising she continued, “...Forgiveness I think..is just as much a selfish act as it is for other’s benefit. When we need closure, we grant ourselves the ability to move on by forgiving...” Ess’ brows came together, eyes narrowing, a sullen smile widening as she shifted her position to stretch out her legs. “...Once Ian is dead...maybe then I can forgive...but most likely not...”

Resting her hand on her chin, Ess moved to speak again, “...Captain...do you think...” Her thoughts were abruptly cut off by a vocal intrusion, her body straight in a rigid tension.

“To all those interested, there will be a Gala Ball in Blackpond Castle within two days. Everyone is welcome.”

Essence simply groaned, holding her head as a dull ache ran across her forehead. “Noo....more voices...and that one most definitely isn’t...Luckas...” She sighed, an annoyed growl vibrating along her lips, a slight comical tone of hysteria in her voice. “...and now the voices are inviting me to a ball...a freakin’ tea party...” She mumbles, glancing at the Captain abashed as she realized her murmurs were outloud.

Mageria only responded with a raised eyebrow, leaving no doubt that they would be talking about that admission in the near future.

"I'll have to see about that invitation, somehow I just don't get the feeling that it's on the level." She just barely restrained the urge to roll her eyes. "But for now . . ." She stood up and started off back down the path. "You need to work on your hand to hand still."

Ess rolled to her feet, jogging a bit to catch up with the Captain with a comical pout on her face. “Wait...you heard it too, right? Are we going to a party? Can we go to a party? I get to come, right?” She sighed, nodding at the mention of more training, moving quickly to comply.


~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essence collapsed at the base of the fire pit, leaning back lazily along the log. With an annoyed sigh she began striking flint amidst some kindling to reignite her fire that had been cold for some time. Her muscles ached from the exercises the Captain put her through, relentless more so lately than when she first began. She took it lightly, more as a sign she was ready for bigger challenges, her mind hungry to absorb as much as possible even if her body was slow to keep up. That would change soon enough. Ess growled, realizing the sticks and moss were damp, not wanting to light.

“....I can help with that.....” A voice whispered almost timidly behind her. Ess quirked a brow, turning her gaze slightly.

“...I really can....” The voice spoke louder this time.

Essence smiled, staring up into Jason’s green eyes, messy black locs falling along the bridge of his nose. Her mouth opened to give a soft protest as the boy closed his eyes and breathed slowly, focusing quietly, fingers outstretched towards the fire pit. Jason’s fingertips seemed to light up and as he exhaled in a sudden huff, a tiny burst of flames leapt forward in an impressive sphere, cracking through the wood. He seemed equally surprised, relieved, and proud all at the same time at his display of control. An amused giggle escaped Ess’ lips as she watched in awe, where the boy was now missing a finger from his encounter with Xypher, two tiny streams of flames twisted and twirled together as if to fill the vacant space before disappearing entirely.

“...You’ve gotten better Jason...been practicing, yes?....Just be real careful, especially..” Ess trailed off, snickering at herself. “What am I saying, you already know what you need to do...and in time it will come as naturally and easily as breathing.”

“That’s basically what Mageria says...that I need to keep practicing so that I can control it and not be afraid....no ‘accidents’.” Jason sighed, sitting beside the fire as he remembered Mageria’s words: "When a man throws rocks at a herd of horses, do you blame the horse for what it does when it's frightened and hurt? It's the man's fault, because he's the one that wanted to cause harm. Your ability, your gift, is like that herd of horses. When they're frightened and hurt, they're out of control. But at the same time, they can be trained to work together, if someone with enough patience works with them.”



“....What happened in the Castle, wasn’t an accident, Jason. It was self defense....” Ess playfully poked the boy in the side, causing him to smile slightly. “Maybe...it got a ‘little’ crazy, but served Xypher right for what he did.

Jason nodded slowly, staring off into the flames in a silent trance. “...They said he was...sick...his mind had left him..” He muttered before falling into silence again. Ess sighed, mulling over the boy’s words for a moment, choosing how to answer his statement.

“Yes...and no...I believe he was aware of what he was doing...and even for a moment..IF he didn’t, It does not make it better or ok that it happened...you know that right?” Ess whispered softly to the boy, quirking a brow. Jason shrugged, still staring into the flames as Ess spoke again. “Jason...the world is a crazy place and sometimes it’s hard to make sense out of it all, so just....remember to believe in yourself. Sometimes...it’s all we have.”

“I understand..” The boy whispered, finally looking up at Ess curiously. “I just wish I understood why the world was so...dark..”


“We can try to understand the why until our ashes migrate upon the winds of time...and we still won’t understand it all...” Ess paused, gently patting Jason along the back. “You believe in the Twins, no?” She smiled as the boy nodded again. “....People were created to be loved, things were created to be used. The reason the world is in Chaos is because things are being loved and people are being used.” Essence turned away to place a kettle over the fire. “Not everyone is like that, you know. Not everyone places money and power higher than friendship and love.”

Jason smiled, green eyes twinkling slightly. “Yea...I know that.”

“Do you want some tea, Jason?” Ess smiled warmly and nodded as the boy politely declined and stood to leave.

“...I better go...Mageria did say all enlightened had to practice control.” Jason smile softly. “..Even though I have to do that every day anyhow...” He stated with a slight chuckle before wandering off back into the center of camp.

Essence spent some time relaxing her sore muscles, quietly sipping her tea. She let her mind go silent, which of course didn’t last long as it was shattered by a stray thought if she had anything else of importance to do for the day. Never liking to remain idle for too long, Ess believing laziness was like a leech that would suck her dry, she finished her second cup of tea and found herself walking back into camp. The ground suddenly shook, accompanied by a loud crash that simply changed her direction, her legs moving to follow the commotion. Glancing up she noticed several of the guard in trees, using rope to hoist up materials; wooden bridges crossing between a few. “What..are they doing...?” She gawked.

Aiden...

Aiden was still staring in what appeared to be a confused daze, only snapping out of it when a familiar hand rested upon his shoulder. “Hey there...don’t worry, I haven’t been working your friend too hard, I promise.” The man smiled, taking the rope harness off of Tala as Ess retrieved her hand, blinking in response.

“Ok..what have you two been up to? All I hear is noise and feeling the ground shake. Anything for me to do?” Ess returned Aiden’s smile as he stood, glancing over his shoulder at the tree he had been hacking at. “...Huh, I took you for a man who would give an enemy a quick, clean death. What’s with the torture?” She teased, noting the bits of wood scattered along the snow.

“What happens when they don’t want to talk...” Aiden joked back. “Come now, there is a reason I fit into the Black Guard in the first place. You of all people should know looks are deceiving.”

Essence nodded, holding back a laugh, “Maybe...but somehow I think our definition and reasoning for torture might differ more than you realize.”

Aiden’s smile faded a bit as he approached Ess, quirking a brow as his eyes scanned her from head to toe finally resting upon the bruises along her neck. “..You seem...like you could benefit from a nap or maybe a drink? Perhaps it’s too early for that though. You alright, Talon?”

Ess’ smile disappeared, her gaze faltering to the ground before her feet. “..Sure. A little tired...and sore...Hey...What are you all doing working? Shouldn’t you be meditating or something as the Captain ordered?”

Aiden sighed shaking his head, “A few of us were going do a sort of group meditation after lunch..but you’re changing the subject now. I know you don’t want me to ask, and I honestly am not sure I want to hear the answer but..What happened yesterday?”

“You want to know what happened? You mean you want to know what happened between me and Luckas.” She sneered, her voice fading a bit. “...I don’t even know...but hey...” She scoffed, “Maybe you’ll get your wish and he won’t come back..”

Ali had taken a considerable amount of time going through her bag, realizing she had actually left her tools scattered all over the insides of her tent. It wasn’t unusual for her to leave a mess if she happened to be working on something, and her current project was proving to be a challenging one.... Or maybe she was being too much of a perfectionist with it; she wasn’t sure. Probably both. Once she managed to gather what she needed, and place it in the bag over her shoulder she grabbed her bow, thinking she could still think of ways to fiddle with it if she had an idle moment later, and sealed up her tent before walking back to where she had left Jake and Aiden. It didn’t take long for her to spot Aiden and realize Jake was nowhere around. She wondered where he’d run off to, and why; he said he was going to stick around camp and get some rest. She shook her head slightly. “That boy’s going to get in trouble again...” She mumbled, a bit of amusement crossing her expression and slowly fading as she approached what could immediately tell was a rather tense scene.

“Maybe you’ll get your wish and he won’t come back..”

Ali looked from Aiden to Essence with an intrigued look in her eyes, still expecting to spot Jake somewhere nearby, but not catching any indication that he’d even be lurking invisible. “Heey...” She greeted, still looking from Ess to Aiden as if trying to figure out what was going on without having to ask about it. Finally she chose to act as if she hadn’t heard anything at all. “So, what are we doing?” She asked opening a cheery smile, her eyes catching sight of the half chopped off tree. “Hmmm....” She grinned widely. “Can I have a piece of that?” She asked Aiden, her eyes lighting up as if she had just seen the prettiest toy in the world. Turning to Ess she nodded. “You still want to learn to shoot?”

Aiden opened his mouth to speak, a wounded look in his light brown eyes, but the words never left him. Yes, he would not deny to anyone that he was not Luckas’ biggest fan by far and that he may secretly dance a jig of glee if he did not return, but what he saw hiding behind Ess’ eyes made his chest ache. Keeping his eyes upon Essence, he opened a small smile when Ali greeted them when she returned. “..Was just about to get back to work..” Aiden turned back towards the Yew, retrieving the axe which he used to point out different branches and such on the tree. “Which here do you want? Or how much, Ali? I could just cut up the entire tree for you.”

It was like flipping a switch at how suddenly Ess’ mood appeared to change, turning to smile at Ali. “Hey! I am trying to be productive, while Aiden here seems to be massacring a tree.” She winked, a soft glow appearing just around the silver of her eye with the mention of an archery lesson. Clearing her throat, her voice cracked momentarily as she continued. “Of course I still want to learn. It’s not a bother right? Can I help you make stuff too?”

Ali chuckled and nodded at Ess . “Not a bother, it’s more entertaining than spending the day making chairs, although only by a little bit. Making furniture has its merits as well.” She played, eyeing the tree with interest and care. “It’s just the perfect tree for bows, the right age too, although some would argue that doesn’t matter as much...” She shook her head before she started to ramble and smiled at Aiden. “Well, for what I want I’d need a piece about two inches wide and six feet tall, but if you guys could use some extra bows around camp, I’d advise to cut it all for that. They’re not particularly hard to make... Usually takes me a while though, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.” She said, rolling her eyes a bit and sighing before turning to Ess. “If you really want to learn then suppose you’ll need a bow, but... if you want to start, let’s say, now... You can use mine.”

Aiden smiled, holding back a chuckle as he remembered Jake’s words about if he let Ali boss him around. “I can do that..” He stated, a flurry of swings already in motion as he set to work. His goal would be take take down the Yew and size as much of the wood as he could to meet Ali’s specifications. “Six by two....six by two..” Aiden muttered to himself.

“Alright, awesome. Lets get training then, shall we?” Essence beamed, giving a slight wave to Aiden, receiving a smile in return as she stepped past Ali. “Suppose I do need a bow and looks like I’ll have another weapon to add to the collection. Course I do love my knives..” She paused quirking a brow, “I like assortments of weapons, but I do favor my dagger. It has a matching sword and is very, very sharp..I...find it best for more....intricate work.” Ess giggled. “Is the bow your favorite?” Ess took in a deep breath in her small spurt of rambles, walking in the direction of the river.

“Enthusiasm... Nice.” Ali smiled and waved at Aiden as she started to follow Ess. “Thanks Aiden, you’re a sweetie. And next you see Mister Invisible, tell him we’re not done talking.” She stated playfully, shaking her head at Jake’s sudden disappearance, but not making much of it as it wasn’t the first time he’d done something like it. Probably wouldn’t be the last either.

“Oh, yes... Knives.” Ali snickered softly as she walked. “I appreciate a good blade, I’m just not too good with them. Actually, if I recall correctly... I almost got killed on the few occasions my life depended on that skill. I have gotten considerably better in the past couple of years, and suppose I am pretty good with throwing knives, but I’d still rather rely on my archery if the option is given.” She sighed softly as she paced after Ess, her fingers gently brushing the white feathers in the quiver still at her waist, as if actually thinking of whether the bow was her favorite weapon, even though it was pretty clear. “Well, the bow is my favorite weapon, but I guess, it’s a bit more personal for me... My brother’s bow was the only thing I carried with me when I escaped the fire; was way too big for me, even after I grew up enough to properly draw it, but I refused to dispose of it until it finally broke... I think being great at this is the only thing that connects who I am today with who my family was. Well, that and...” She trailed off giving a little shrug and slightly changing the subject to a small detail of Ess’ talk. “And what do you mean by intricate work? I’m curious now...” She asked, playfully raising an eyebrow and watching the woman with an interested expression. “Do tell.”

Essence began to pick up her pace slightly, displaying her anticipation and excitement in the conversation, leading Ali back towards her tent. “Now I want to show you my collection I acquired a while back..” Ess giggled, nodding as Ali spoke. “I think my skills are limited in combat but growing, thankfully. Deception would have to be what I am best at even though my skill with throwing knives is a close runner up; then you know about my ‘interest’ in art. I..” Ess sighed, letting her smile fade a bit. “I didn’t leave my home with much else. You’re luckier than most, I think.”

As they approached her tent, Ess playfully leapt over the dying campfire and trotted into her tent, rummaging through her belongings before retrieving a small leather pouch. Stepping back out she smiled up at Ali, retrieving a few finger sized daggers from the pouch and held them out to her. “These are my favorite I think because of how small and flat they are making it easy to hide almost anywhere, not to mention control and grip is within my comfort zone so it feels like an extension of my own hand. But..” She turned briefly to grab her sword and dagger that were still strapped to her belt that was leaning against the log by the fire. “Intricate work...” She started, a devilish smirk curling her lips, adding a dark but comical appearance to her violet eyes and dark scar that stretched down her left cheek. “...an expression of pain. Something that requires a more delicate touch especially when it’s personal. If you look at the dagger and note the markings, feel the balance, and witness it’s cruel edge...it’s almost empowering. I actually feel relatively weak without them. Is that strange?”

“Luck is not what I’d call it...” Ali whispered under her breath, not losing her smile however as she followed after Ess towards her camp; attentively listening as she talked about her blades. “You talk of pain as if... In a way causing it is a form of art. I suppose it can be, for some people...” Her eyes lingered on the dagger Ess held and it made her momentarily frown. It was nothing like Perry’s weapon, but it somehow made her remember it. “...Crys and I often discuss whether physical pain can be worse than emotional pain... What’s the fastest way to break a person... I guess the only conclusion we reached is that it differs, and also... The more you know of pain the better you are at inflicting it.” She shrugged idly and snickered. “Of course it takes more than just being able to do something... It also takes being willing to do it. I don’t think I would. Growing up with the Wolves made me look at pain as something that simply... Gets in the way.” She ended her comment there and changed the subject slightly. “Where did you get the sword and dagger? They look... Ancient... I have a couple of friends who’d love to have a look at those markings; looks like it’s some sort of language isn’t it?”

Essence shrugged, slipping the tiny blades back into the pouch. “I believe emotional and physical pain are strongly connected and together they can break a person. Personally...each time I feared I may have been broken, I found a reason to show otherwise. Maybe I’m a freak to equally hate and fear the horrors I’ve lived through yet at the same time find beauty in vengeance and the simplicity of it appealing. The direct act may be personal but I think I honestly keep moving forward for the final outcome...that which maybe I’m just hopeful...or hopeless.” Ess snickered, “Depending..on one’s perception I gather..Course it is a constant battle for me. My emotions are my biggest flaw I think and at the same time my greatest strength.” Running her fingers through a few loose curls she smiled. “..I thought the markings were some sort of language, but honestly I’m at a loss. I have been searching for the answers since I was a teenager with no luck. I ...uh...” Ess cleared her throat. “..I acquired them the day I escaped Blackpond...they belonged to the brother I killed that day and the sister I thought was dead until yesterday...” The woman sighed, a deep breath escaping her, pausing for so long it seemed like she had stopped breathing altogether until she spoke in a gentle whisper, “...the last day I saw my best friend...” She trailed off, motioning towards the training grounds as she changed the subject. “So...I get to use your bow....what are the first things I should know..so I don’t break it or something.” She rolled her eyes, giving a playful mortified expression.

“My personal opinion is that the more you survive the more you are able to endure. That’s why I’m not too fond of the idea of making my enemies suffer as much as I did... In a way, if I do that I’ll be making them as strong as I am.” Ali stated, giving a little dismissive shrug, changing the subject back to the weapons and training. “Those markings remind me of something I’ve seen on... Another dagger... A while ago... Have you gone to the White Shadows with these? They have books that date back to the creation of Valcrest. They don’t open their archives to just anyone, but if you show their leader the language I’m pretty sure she’d be willing to look it up.” She grinned. “Some people can’t ever resist a puzzle.”

Starting to wander off towards the training grounds Ali chuckled, shaking her head as she reached for her bow at her back and held the weapon out for Ess to look at. “You hold the wooden part and pull on the string. No mystery at all. Just in case though, let me repeat to you what I was told the first time I picked up one of these: This is not a fighting stick. Never, ever, ever, release the string if there’s no arrow nocked; it hurts the wood, and last but not least... If a bow string hits any part of your body in the process of shooting, it’ll hurt like hell, so be careful with that.” She warned with a playful tone in her voice as they reached the training area and stopped.

Ali turned so she and Ess were face to face and, pulling an arrow from her quiver, indicated the little notch carved at the rear end of it. “Arrow nock, string goes here.Three feathers, one of them faces away from the other two; you want to nock the arrow with it facing away from the bow.” She nocked the arrow, carefully pointing the tip downwards as she spoke. “Usually, in a bow like this, the arrow rests on the archer’s hand, but my bro carved a little arrow rest on his bow when he crafted it and so I did the same on mine. It makes the shot considerably more steady.” She explained, showing the cut in space on the wood just above the grip of the bow as she fit the arrow shaft into it. “My instructor in the Pack liked to tease me by calling it cheating, but the hell with it.” She smirked. “To draw the bow you want to face your target sideways, if you’re right handed like me you’ll want to grip the bow with your left hand and draw with your right, so you’ll have your left side face the target. Hold the bow with you left hand, you want a firm grip, but not too tense... Hook three fingers around the string to draw it, you index finger goes just above the arrow and your middle and ring fingers just below it. Raise the bow to eye level and pull the string towards you until it touches your nose and you hand is resting against your chin.” She put the arrow away back in the quiver and pulled a different one, one without the sharp steel triangle on the tip and only a blunt iron tip, she offered Ess the bow and arrow and smiled encouragingly. “try nocking and drawing. If you it’s too heavy though, let me know... This is a war bow after all; it’s build to shoot far and with plenty of force, so the draw weight is rather heavy... Not what I’d recommend for learning unless you’re a masochist like me.”

”....I’m not too fond of the idea of making my enemies suffer as much as I did... In a way, if I do that ....I’ll be making them as strong as I am.”

Ess was listening to Ali as she spoke of the simple fundamentals to archery, but her focus was mostly on her thoughts of how she could not see her actions resulting in the empowering of her enemies as it in turn had done to her. She found many who were now nothing more than ashes and dirt, too pathetic. The idea of creating a stronger foe, did fascinate her because she was a walking example but she didn’t leave her victims alive, for the most part. Ebony of course was somewhat of a fluke and the idea of that woman becoming a greater threat sent a shiver of giggles through her body. Yet, she did know from experience that an action does not simply end but is returned with a reaction of sorts, even if it is in one’s favor; but not always. Maybe, sometimes Ess was less likely to pay attention to the many possibilities of consequences, not because she was blind but because she had previously planned around them if they were not simply avoided.

As she continued to ponder Ali’s opinion she had taken the bow from her, subconsciously absorbing the tips she gave on posture and proper technique, following through the motions first without pulling directly on the string. Ess snickered when Ali called herself a masochist, giving a lazy shrug. “Something like that...” Taking a deep breath Ess pulled on the string, slowly at first until she realized indeed how much of her strength would be needed so that the feathers of the arrow touched her nose. A few months ago she knew she would have lost control and most likely would have been unable to draw it all the way back, but now from her training she was able to draw the bow but her right arm trembled so that she lost the arrow as the string left her fingers in a clumsy haste. In a slight embarrassment she winced, shutting her eyes tightly, not even seeing where the arrow went. “Ooops....” Opening one eye she glanced at Ali curiously. “Again?” She chuckled, her right hand outstretched, awaiting another arrow.

Ali watched with an amused expression as the bowstring slipped through Ess’ fingers and sent the arrow flying out of sight. “Huh... Nice. That could’ve gone worse. I might need more arrows though.” She mentioned, counting the feel blunt arrows left in the quiver. “You know how Crys used to train me, so something like this wouldn’t happen?” She asked casually, pulling another blunt arrow from the quiver. “She’d make me hold the bow drawn and would stand blocking the target so that if my hand slipped I’d be forced to shoot her. And while she was standing there she would calmly remind me that shooting my instructor would be considered treason and punished by death... Good times.” She chuckled, handing Ess the new arrow and walking around to stand behind her, giving her a brief pat on her right shoulder blade. “When you draw, you want to pull using these muscles here on your back; that’s where you should put all the tension, not your arm. And that’s where you’ll probably feel pretty sore in a bit too; that’s how you’ll know you’re doing it right.” She played. “Try again.”

“Hmm, kinda wish I had a mirror to look at myself while I’m doing this...” Ess trailed off, repositioning her stance, once again drawing the arrow, making sure it was knocked along the ridge in the bow. She didn’t feel like she was straight enough, fidgeting here and there through calculated breaths as she succeeded in holding the string before she finally released the arrow. Ess smirked when she missed the target completely but instead went into a tree trunk beside it, bouncing off the bark and into a pile of slush. “Huh...when I released it, its course changed..” Without glancing at Ali, she held her hand out for another arrow, taking it in her left hand as she switched the bow now to her right hand and began the process in the opposite motions. “..I wonder if I can do lefty...”

Ali nodded, not making any comments on the fact the arrow missed the target, and pulling another arrow. “I wonder that too.” She stated, a curious tone in her voice. If Ess was her recruit she’d probably advise against switching hands like that, but she wasn’t this as much as training a recruit, more like helping out a friend, so she figured might as well let her try it. “Give it a shot maybe lefty is better for you, who knows. I suggest though, if you want to be good at it with both hands, you should work on your best side first and once you’ve gotten comfortable with it, then work on the other.” She advised, handing the woman the arrow. “And seriously... I’m going to run out of arrows.” She chuckled.

“Hmm...well then you best not stand in front of me since these suckers have a mind of their own..” Ess teased, knocking the arrow back, her right arm steady as her left drew back the arrow, violet eyes flashing a sudden glow, staring down along the arrow as she exhaled slowly. The target ahead was one of five straw-filled dummies posted on a stick, randomly spaced from one another. Ess paused a moment at the end of her breath simultaneously releasing the arrow into target number three’s straw arm, her eyes lighting up as if she had won a prize. Ess turned, beaming brightly at Ali as she waited for another arrow. “Well, that one I didn’t lose on you. I can’t lose everything, even if it is as small as the arrow. Having some sort of control is always comforting, especially when the past couple days I just feel like I’m losing my mind.” Ess scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Like today, and the random voice inviting me to Blackpond for a party...the VERY LAST place I ever wanted to go...” Ess sighed, shaking her head, an apologetic look on her face for her bit of rambling, changing the subject a bit. “Ali...ever feel like you’re losing control of yourself? I don’t talk about it, my gift I mean. Not many here know what I can do because I haven’t used it...at least so it’s noticed...but point is all I want to do is train. It’s the only thing I feel I can change or control...it brings focus, at least most of the time.” She inhaled deeply, snickering at herself, feeling she was chatting a mile a minute, the act reminding her once again of her childhood friend. It was a fleeting distraction of peace as she blinked, glancing up into the trees.

“Oh, yes... Has nothing to do with aiming; it’s the arrows that refuse to obey.” Ali smiled, taking a couple of steps back as if taking cover, watching intently as the arrow was sent flying towards the arm of one of the target-dummies. “Hmm...” She mumbled, walking over to retrieve the arrow from its resting place as she listened to Ess’ speak. The mention of the party in Blackpond caused her to wince slightly and halt as she wrapped her fingers around the shaft of the arrow. This sounded somewhat like a trap, but at least it wasn’t just her and Jake being invited into it. She wondered if Crys had heard the voice too. Should she be back by now? Shaking her head, Ali pulled the arrow out of the target and went on to examining it to see if it had broken in any way. “You got that invite too, huh?” She asked, walking her way back with the arrow once she was satisfied that it was intact. “As for losing control of myself... You mean my enlightenment?” She scratched her head slightly and shrugged. “Either way, I think I know what you mean. It’s easy to get lost in something, or someplace, that makes you feel comfortable or in control. The world has its way of intruding somehow, I’ve come to realize that lately.” Ali sighed, absently stroking the white feathers on the end of the arrow. “Are you going to that party? I’m thinking about going, but haven’t made up my mind completely. A party in a Castle, even in Blackpond, is a place I honestly don’t see myself feeling comfortable in. Think it’s been at least five years since I last wore a dress, so...” She shrugged, handing the arrow to Ess. “Close one eye, use the tip of the arrow as reference and try to aim somewhere a bit higher from the spot you want the arrow to go.” She paused and took a deep breath. “high and to the left... There’s a bit of wind.”

Ess smirked at the idea of this party in a castle, even though she was uncomfortable she appeared amused, speaking to keep up appearances. “..Hm...wonder who else has been invited. Not sure if I should go though...last time I was at a Castle party, it ended in torture and murder.” Ess quirked a brow, half smiling wide. “Wait....this party could be killer! If I go, you should come too. You know, to help keep me out of trouble, because I tend to look for it even subconsciously. I wonder If I should go as myself...” She trailed off, thinking of what she would wear. “Wonder how many blades I can hide on me beneath a dress..” Ess chuckled, her eyes fluttering back and forth as if she were indeed counting. “...Depending on the size....think my highest was twenty..Hmm..probably be security...won’t be able to go that far..”

Ess stood, bow drawn as she closed her right eye, playfully circling the dummy target with the arrowhead before picking a spot along the left shoulder area, towards the head. “Wind...high and to the left..” She muttered. “Wait....wind? What wind?” Ess’ smile faded, replaced by a childish confused look in her eye as she released the arrow. Ess simply chuckled when it hit the target; not because it did for a second time and she was proud, but because when it hit the target, it landed where a person’s throat would be. She couldn’t get the image out of her head of blood spurting from a wound like a geyser escaping from a crack within the earth.

“Twenty? How?” Ali blinked, a little bit confused as to why anyone would need to carry over twenty blades and at the same time amused that she’d ever consider anyone to be too armed; she couldn’t remember ever thinking that before.“You think I’d keep you out of trouble?” She chuckled. “I tell you... I’m known for quite a few things, but that’s not one of them for sure. Still... If you’re going to get in trouble, might as well have some company right?” She snickered, walking to the target dummy to once again retrieve the arrow. “Nice shot. I’d go for a head shot, instant kill, but I see you and I have different preferences, right?” She asked, smirking a bit as she checked that the arrow was in one piece, before handing it back to Ess. “Wind.” She stated simply. “If I concentrate I can feel it; it’s subtle, but it’s there. Doesn’t take much to take an arrow off its course. Try aiming for the dummy’s head this time. Keep going until you hit the center, or get tired; whichever happens first.” She instructed, glancing around idly until she found a piece of rock good enough to sit on and made its way to it, taking a seat and pulling a small wolf figurine from her bag and began eyeing it curiously as if wondering if she’d done a good job of it. “Do you like music, Ess?”

“Throwing knives, Ali. The tiny, finger-sized ones I showed you are quite easy to hide anywhere. I constructed a holster for them which I can discretely strap along my legs and even arms.” Ess winked, drawing back the arrow, her arm shaking slightly before releasing it into the dummy. It was quite obvious such a powerful bow was going to take a toll on her much sooner than she wanted, a heavy ache already weighing down upon her shoulders. “Plus there’s boots, bodices...plenty of hiding space.” Ess continued the motions again and again, firing the arrows into the target and retrieving them, until finally she imbedded one into the ‘face’ or ‘cheek’ area. “Oh, not a kill shot but more like, really painful.” She playfully cringed. “I’m pretty good at blending, so in reference to ‘trouble’, having backup is always a good thing, but I’m sure going into the city will be less eventful if I go disguised, even if it is for a dress.” Rolling her left shoulder to keep the muscles loose she paused, carefully holding the bow at her side as she turned to face Ali. “Doesn’t everyone like music?” Ess shrugged, glancing down at the bow but seeing past it as she thought of her father, a sad smile daring to peek out. “I can dance...been told I can sing, but rare for anyone to ever hear me do so. Music, I find holds much meaning; history, lessons, and even fictional stories. You know, now that I think about it, its been a long time since I heard any music. I think I kind of miss it.” She sighed, stretching her neck side to side so that when it twisted it would crack, following with her fingers in a soft popping chorus. “Maybe it’s time for a break. How long does it take for one to get use to such a powerful weapon, hmm?” She stated handing back the bow with a bit of admiration in her voice.

“Not everyone likes music. Crys says some people are afraid of letting anything reach into their souls, and that’s a sad thing. My mother would sing. I can’t remember her voice anymore, but I remember that she did. I haven’t danced in oh... Hmmm... A few months, actually. The Crimson Shadows are very much fond of partying, not matter how cranky one is, you can’t avoid them all. I kind of miss the noise actually... Awfully quiet here at night.” She smiled, eyes still scanning the little wooden wolf in her hand. “I’m not much of a singer, can’t play any instruments either, but I’m good at memorizing sounds. If I hear a song I’ll usually remember it... Too bad it only started after my enlightenment.” Taking the bow from Ess she let the weapon rest beside her on the ground. “I’ve been training with it for ten years now, give or take.” She chuckled. “To get past the sore muscles and fingers, because the string’s going to hurt your fingers after a while of doing this... I’d say a couple of months, if you practice everyday. You have some training by now, gladly. It’d take longer otherwise. Took the kid I trained in the Pack a year of shooting with a training bow to get to draw one of these.” She stopped talking, shaking her head as if trying to push something away and changed the subject slightly. “You need your own bow though... Once I customize this one, no one else will get to touch it.”

Essence stared back up at the tree tops, a thoughtful grin on her face. “My father use to sing me my mother’s songs. I never knew her. I actually learned some important things from those songs that many may not see. It’s like reading between the lines, or a poetic puzzle of sorts.” Raising her brows her grin widened. “Crimson Shadows..sounds like friends of mine I have yet to meet.” She played, tilting her head at Ali. “Your enlightenment..you mention being able to feel the wind when I do not and you speak of memorizing sounds. I’m a bit confused what your gifts are exactly. Are you more sensitive...er, your senses more sensitive?” She smiled at the idea of having her own bow as it would add to her assortment of weapons. Indeed she was at an advantage because of her training and a couple months to get use to pulling the weight of the bow was quicker than she actually anticipated. “Here come more calluses..” She muttered to herself.

Ali chuckled softly. “Oh, yes... My enlightenment, exactly, is that I can enhance any one of my senses at will; at the cost of another. It can be quite useful at times, especially if I find myself in a situation that requires enduring a certain level of pain...” She smirked. “Snooping around and holding up well under torture are valuable skills for any assassin to have.” Ali put away the little wooden wolf and went silent for a long moment, staring at her new bow. “This weapon is so much better than my previous one, you know... It’s new, more powerful, more reliable too, but it doesn’t... It doesn’t feel mine. Do you know what I mean? Feels like walking on someone else’s shoes.” She picked the bow up and stood, walking towards the dummies and pulling an arrow from her quiver she quickly shot it at one of the dummies, right in the center. “Not even the biggest change in my life lately...” She pulled another arrow and shot it at a second dummy. “The most personal though, I guess. Should I be worried that losing the place I’ve called home for nearly a decade, and then losing the place I’ve starting to consider a home for the past three years doesn’t really affect me as much as losing a ten year old piece of carved wood just because my brother touched it before he died?” She took a deep breath and pulled another arrow to shoot a third dummy, in the head as the others, and chuckled shaking her head before drawing and taking aim. “I’m sorry, I’m ranting... Just can’t help but resent the fact that the past just doesn't seem to want to stay dead.” She muttered out, releasing the arrow, again in the center of the dummy’s head. “If I ever find whoever is behind all of this...” She sighed, lowering the bow and leaving the sentence unfinished; occupying herself with retrieving her arrows from the assassinated dummies.

Essence nodded here and there, keeping silent as Ali spoke and simply smiled when she said she was ranting. “Hey, I do the same and I’m good for it so know you can rant at me any time.” Ess wandered over to retrieve the arrows from the dummies for Ali, carefully plucking one after another, again her mind picturing the holes they would leave and the fountain of blood that should escape their imaginary wounds. “I have never had a weapon that didn’t belong to someone else first, but they’ve become mine. I do understand giving more value to nostalgic trinkets and possessions. I think we all do that, and besides, home is where loved ones dwell, no?” She stated, backtracking on the conversation a bit, dipping and ducking away from a dummy as Ali aimed and released another arrow. “If you find who is behind all of this, I would ask you share that information. I promise to do the same..” Ess whispered, her smiling failing her as she stared back into Ali’s eyes, the glow in her own gaze dwindling to almost an ash like purple. “Something tells me, we will need whatever help we can get.” She stated matter of factly as she handed Ali back a few of her arrows.

Ali half-smiled as she put her arrows away in the quiver and gave Ess a long look as if wondering about something. “If I find out anything that may lead to whoever did, or is doing, this... I’ll be sure to let you know.” She promised, internally assuring herself that mentioning her mother’s journal wasn’t needed to keep her word here. She still didn’t feel like letting anyone else know about it just yet, not unless it was actually necessary to do so. “I guess this will be a first for you then.” She stated, a cheerful note taking over her voice. “The bow will be your first brand new weapon. I shall make you something special!” She grinned as she spoke but didn’t elaborate on what she meant by it exactly, changing the subject entirely almost as if to avoid any questioning on the matter. “I’m curious about something, and... Excuse me if my curiosity feels intrusive in any way, but... When I caught up with you and Aiden I... Felt there was something rather tense going on between you two and well... The look he gives you is quite clear...” She paused and cleared her throat feeling that maybe she was crossing a few lines with this. “So, I guess... I’m curious about what goes on there with the two of you... And I don’t like being curious, it’s not good for my sanity, so you see... I had to ask.”

Essence nodded firmly, accepting Ali’s word on relaying any possible information about those who are responsible for much death and destruction from their pasts. “I heard rumors that these people have been around for a long time..much longer than they should be.” She mumbled, her cheeks flushing slightly when Ali stated she was going to make her, her own bow. “Very kind of you Ali. Maybe I’ll be able to return the gesture in some way in the future. I mean, I can pay you..” Ess sighed, trying to remember the last time she was given something; anything, just because, even though it was something she did need.

Ess felt her body tense at Ali’s small array of questions, her expression reflecting an empty thought process; blank. “Aiden..” She whispered, releasing a long sigh. “He acts like a lost puppy. Good guy. He means well.” Ess shrugged, turning away as she continued, her tone casual as if she were talking about the weather. “Does he seem that smitten? I thought it was more of him trying to be protective.” Clearing her throat she gave a soft smile, looking back over her shoulder. “I guess some men can’t be ‘just friends’ with a woman.” She paused, thinking she saw Ali wanting to ask her something else and gave her room to speak.

“Pay me?”Ali raised an eyebrow. “No, I don’t think so.” She said, shaking her head as she refused the offer. “You already offered to help me make stuff, so I’ll just hold you to that sometime and we can call it even.” She smiled seeming satisfied with that arrangement. Not that she would expect anything for the bow, but she didn’t want Ess to feel like she owed her anything either. Her expression changed from curiosity to that of someone who was seriously considering which path to take at an intersection as she listened to Ess’ answers to her questioning. She had other questions she’d like to ask, but she could also end this conversation there for the sake of not intruding any further. After a moment or so she settles for replying to what the woman had told her and then decide whether to ask anything else. “Honestly... I don’t know Aiden, I might have seen him maybe once before, and I never spoke with him until today. That said... Guys, in general, tend to express things a lot more by gestures and looks, and usually whether they want to or not... By what I’ve seen... I’d say they are actually better at expressing themselves when they’re trying not to express themselves, even... Go figure... Based on that alone I can say Aiden seems pretty smitten, yes.” She shrugged casually. “I could be wrong, not everyone is the same, but I’m thinking that it’s the case here.” She went silent, shaking her head as she considered what to say very carefully in her head, but honestly she couldn’t really find any way she could stop herself from being curious and so just decided that, what the hell, she’d just run with it. “People tell a lot about themselves in how they act, you know? Especially in how they... protect themselves. For instance, some people talk incessantly as a way of keeping others distracted, others shut down... I do a bit of both myself, depending on my situation or mood... My point being, I see you as a person who keeps most people at arms length, even when you are being open with them. And I don’t see Aiden as a guy you’re willing to allow closer than that distance... I just don’t think he sees that too.” She sighed. “Like I said, I’m just talking about what I can tell, and maybe I’m wrong, but things like these among two friends can make life complicated.” Ali left the subject at that, giving Ess room to ignore or reply at her will as she gave a little chuckle. “Suppose this gives you the right to be nosy and inconvenient with me in the future, so maybe was not best topic of conversation, but now it’s a bit late though.” She said, wincing playfully.

Ess was quiet, almost thoughtful as her fingers itched a spot along her chin. She snorted through another sigh, nodding as Ali spoke, giving a half smile while her eyes stared off into the trees. Even though they were talking about Aiden somewhat she couldn’t help but think back to yesterday and what had transpired between Luckas and herself. “..Well...it’s refreshing to know there are others who pay just as much attention to detail as I do.” She winked. “Overall, yes, you are correct.” Ess stated, her tone sounding a bit unsure of where she was going with this and how much she would indeed tell of herself or the situation with Aiden. She wasn’t blind, but also knew denial’s power and how things are fuzzier when right in front of you compared to looking on from afar, from an outside perspective. A flicker of light flashed within her eyes, that could be caught by well trained eyes, as she pushed to hold back a feeling of sadness and anger. It hurt to think of her friend in that moment, but this talk of Aiden didn’t help her focus much.

“..I thought about it, you know...trying beyond friends. He’s sweet, attractive, and is a good man but..he’s not the one I’m interested in. Besides..” Ess smirked, rolling her eyes as if what she was about to say was absurd. “I’m.. just one of the few women around that may just not care to see that man naked.” Snickering, she shook her head. “..Just because he may be good for me, doesn’t mean necessarily that he’s right for me. Sometimes I feel like some people expect me to go that path, but to me it’s wrong.” Coughing suddenly she smiled, the gesture betraying her thoughts. ‘...It’s not easier to be a whore..’ “I don’t want to be an empty shell that is kicked around in the sand. Not anymore. You see...” Leaning back against a nearby tree, her fingers twitched as if she was trying to distract herself and habitually ended up sifting through her burgundy curls. “..I spent a good portion of my life pretending to be someone else. More accurately, many other someones so that I didn’t have to focus on knowing who I was. But the joke’s on me, because I do know who I am. Always did. Just have to get use to being in my own skin and not let myself fall into old habits.” Ess kept her smile, thinking she had said more than intended but it was nice to have someone else to talk to who wasn’t directly involved in the drama of her life. Only twice she had let herself open up around females. Well, three times if she were to count the Captain, but usually she found the company of men even when she shouldn’t.

“I most certainly will not turn away the future opportunity to pry into your business then.” She giggled, relaxing somewhat against the tree. “You seem like a strong woman, so maybe my luck will change. You see, most of my friends tend to get themselves killed and usually has nothing to do with me. At least, for the most part, I think.” She paused a momentarily worried look on her face before she smiled again. “..Never had too many friends anyhow...so maybe it’s an unfair comparison.”



“He’s not the one you’re interested in?” Ali asked raising an eyebrow with playful curiosity in her eyes. She didn’t voice the rest of her question, but her expression made clear what she was thinking. “Well, I can’t say it’s on my list of goals, but I wouldn’t mind taking a peek at that man.” She played, snickering softly. “I get what you mean though... After all, this is not the kind of thing you can rationally decide one day. The human heart doesn’t seem too fond of being ordered around, it likes to do what it pleases.” She stated idly fiddling with the little notches that held the string of her bow in its place. “If you know who you are, Ess... Then I’m glad for you. I’m not exactly sure I can say the same for myself quite yet. It is rather unnerving, I’ll admit. Something tells me though I’ll find out before this is over... Whatever this is... It feels like one of those moments in life, you know?” She heaved a small sigh leaning against a tree beside Ess’, continuing to fiddle with the bow as she shrugged. “I wouldn’t call myself strong, I’d say ‘foolish and lucky’ is much more my style... Can’t ever say I won’t get myself killed because I nearly have only a few weeks ago, but I can surely say whenever I do get myself killed I won’t go down quietly. That’s not anywhere in my nature.”

Essence grinned, “..We are all constantly discovering things about ourselves, but I mean, I know my values and morals, thus I know who I am. Seems like you have a pretty good idea of who you are and in some ways we are alike I think. I can be foolish and I tend to find myself in mortal dangers from time to time.” Walking away from the tree she leaned against, she meandered over to Ali and lightly rested a hand on her shoulder. “Me neither, nor will I let others go down quietly...” She winked. "I could see you and I getting ourselves into some trouble. Could be fun. What do you say to a trip into the city now?”

Ali let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as if in disbelief. “Amazing how I seem a lot less stupid than I feel. Either I’m just a lot smarter than I’m willing to admit or I’m wonderful at faking it...” She smirked to herself as she thought for a second and then added. “I wonder if it really matters which one is true. Some would argue that if you get enough people to believe in something it automatically becomes the truth. I’m sure history is full of things like that.” At the offer of going into the city Ali’s eyes lit up in excitement, although she frowned slightly in doubt; Crys told her to stay in camp until she got back. “Hmm... I kind of told Crys I’d wait here until she got back from the plains...” She mumbled, looking down at her feet for a couple of moments thinking about it. What was the possible worse that could happen really? “... Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time... I always had a problem with following orders or advice that involve staying anywhere.” She argued. “Suppose bossing Aiden around a bit and giving you an archery lesson count as making myself useful, so I got that covered...” She snickered, nodding as if agreeing to something inside her head. “Yep, let’s go to the city. Haven’t been there in a little while.”

“Huh...I find faking it quite easy, but I do believe one has to be smart enough to pull that off.”Her grin grew, eyes lighting up at a thought. “..Do you use senses, like being able to pick up on heart beats, changes in breathing..? Perhaps clues to if someone is lying?” Pulling her hand back, she shrugged. “Into the city we go then. Should we play..a game? Could..turn into a lesson.” Ess nodded, as if convinced of the thought. Inhaling deeply she fell still as a statue, raising her hands into a frozen position, displaying open palms. First her eyes fell dim before flickering a deep violet, for mere seconds maybe. Next, her hair darkened and straightened, appearing to shorten a few inches along her back. The change was gradual, her eyes remaining steady and aflame with light as her skin gleamed with a more golden tone, lips and nose narrowing quite a bit. She took her time. Ess appeared much younger than she was, maybe early teenage years and as her smile faded she cleared her throat, stretching her lips before she went to speak. “Time...to practice some control...” Her voice was louder, deeper; as if more confident, still feminine but not her own. “Let me know how I do, eh?” She paused before finding her real sound and continuing in it’s tone but speaking now with an accent, drawing out her vowels. “Tell Crys it turned out to be productive...which in some ways will be more than promised..” Essence turned, trotting on her heels as she yelled out for Ali to follow with encouragement. “Make sure if you address me, it’s by Talena.”

Raven’s Nest: 6 Days After The Ball, Early Afternoon

Jake was slightly distracted with brushing Shadow's coat; a task that was slightly unnerving for the horse, and had Jake running the risk of being kicked for if he took too much time to do, but it was something Indrani had taught him was important, not only to keep the horse healthy, but also to form a bond. "Hush now, you big baby." He muttered at the horse as he started to grow impatient, neighing and snorting loudly in annoyance. "Shadow... Knock it off, I'm almost done, and then you can have a treat, okay?" He promised, patting the horse comfortingly. Shadow seemed to calm at the offer, holding still so Jake could finish the work. "There ya go... Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked, gently stroking Shadow's neck as he rummaged through his bag. "No apples left... But... Huh... Behold: A carrot!" He exclaimed, faking excitement at the discovery as he offered the horse his reward for holding still.

"You... Need some human friends, Killer." A voice called from behind him in a tone of laughter. "I thought it was the prison that was messing with your head, but you definitely haven't gotten any less strange on the outside."
"Irv... I have human friends. Thank you." Jake chuckled. "And Shadow is just as smart as any of them, and more so than a few."
"Well, talking to a horse is less strange than singing to a stuffed dog..."
"Dragon. And I wasn't singing to it." Jake protested.
"Dragon, whatever..." Irvin laughed. "Still, man; not healthy. I'm starting to fear for your sanity."
"Alright, let's say there's something to worry about... What does it matter to you?" Jake asked turning to face the boy.
"Well... Let's just say I'd like you to remain sane, since you did promise to help me." He smiled a slightly devious smile. "That's why I got you something."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "You 'got' me something? And who did you 'get it' from?"
Irvin chuckled. "You know me too well..." He shook his head in amusement and revealed something he'd been holding behind his back. "I got it from that redhead lady you were staring at."
Jake's face turned completely white when his eyes locked on the teddy bear Irvin held in his hands... Taking in every little detail and stitch on the stuffed animal as if looking for something, anything, that proved this wasn't the bear he thought it was. His gaze rose to meet Irvin's as he clenched his fists at his sides. "You had no right to take this, what the hell were you thinking?!" He muttered, a sudden spark of anger lighting up his eyes as he glared at the boy. He took a deep breath to calm his tone as he added. "Go back and return it, right now!"
"Man relax, it's just a stuffed animal... Thought it'd be a good ice breaker if you found it... You need to make some friends."
"Take it back now!" Jake muttered.
"Fine, gee... What the hell is it with you and stuffed animals? Really, man, I think you have a problem." Irvin mumbled, looking a little confused by Jake's overreaction.

Essence had promised Lily that drawing, and sadly it had taken longer than she meant. The young girl wandered over to her fire that afternoon, holding tight to a teddy bear in a surcoat, Puppy tight on her heels. Tala happily ran over to the Wolfhound, the two pouncing and playing carefree, now ignoring both Ess and Lily as they talked, Ess presenting Lily with a detailed black and white drawing of what she thought a dragon should look like. The child beamed, bouncing with excitement as she offered her bear for Ess to hold so she could look at the picture better.

"This is Sir Penic, Knight Cap'n of the Order of the Eternal Light." Lily stated proudly. “Be careful with him, he’s been through a lot.”

Quirking a brow, Ess’ smile turned slightly sad as she took the stuffed bear from the child, her fingers trailing along the sun emblem upon the surcoat. “He’s very handsome. You know, I have a Knight Bear as well, isn’t that funny? Course he’s not a Captain.”

Lily smiled, rocking on her heels. “Oh, can I meet him? He can come to our next tea party!”

Gently handing back Sir Penic, Ess stood only to disappear in her tent. “Huh...I swore...” Ess’ eyes scanned quickly over the pile of blankets, lightly kicking some pillows about, thinking maybe the stuffy was buried on accident. When still, she found nothing, her brows furrowed in annoyance, trying to think on where she would have placed him. Leaving the tent Ess playfully bowed towards Lily. “I’m sorry Miss Lily, but it seems my Sir Knight has gone off on a mission and is not around. I will have him come by when I do find him...”

Lily nodded, giggling a bit as she turned around calling Puppy to follow as she went back towards the Captain’s cabin. “Thank you Miss Ess, I have to be back for lunch now. Bye!”

Shaking her head, Essence let out a frustrated growl. She knew it didn’t just get up and walk away and there was no reason for her to move it. “It was there this morning...” She muttered to herself as she began walking towards the center of camp.

Irvin told Jake he would take the bear and return it, but that's not exactly what he did, as Jake come to discover not so long after, when returning to his cot and finding it hidden inside his bag. "That little... Thieving... Lying... Unreliable... Son of a..." Jake growled loudly holding the teddy in his hands. grabbing his bag and hiding it back inside before walking out to find Irvin. He was going to make the kid take back what he stole one way or another, or so help him.

Irvin was quietly watching the movement at camp, he hadn't gotten to know a lot of people there, aside the ones he came with and the Captain, but time to change that. It wasn't long until he spotted the woman, visibly frustrated by his little thievery walking a fast pace to the center of camp.The moment he spotted her, he moved and walked a straight line in her direction as if he didn't see her, looking to the ground as if looking for something. If he kept walking straight he would've walked right past her, but last minute he took a step to the side, so that he collided with her. This was something Irvin did when he wanted to pick pockets, and for that he'd rather there be a crowd around, but it didn't matter in this case; he wasn't picking the woman's pocket, although his hand did unnecessarily brush up against her backside in the moment of impact. Can't waste a good bump-in with nothing, right? "Ow!" He exclaimed, faking surprise as he looked up to face the woman. "I'm so very sorry. Miss! I swear I didn't see you there." He stated, looking genuinely embarrassed. "Please accept my apologies."

Essence had seen the teenager out of the corner of her eye when he collided into her, her attention trying to pinpoint what could have happened with her nostalgic teddy. Her eyes softened in surprise, a curious grin curling her lips when she felt the boy’s hand trail along her back side, the silver outline of her irises standing out against their lilac illumination. Fingers instantly went along her waist, habitually confirming the dagger on her left hip, nodding politely. “Guess I wasn’t paying much attention either where I was going...” The gentle whisper of her voice sang. “Apology accepted for the bump...” Slowly she leaned into the boy, her fingers trailing lightly down the arm that had touched her, tracing along his wrist. Suddenly her brows narrowed when her fingers clasped tightly around the boy’s wrist, her other hand unsheathing her blade, simply holding it against his hand; the blade already nicking his flesh from the razor like edges. “..But not for poor manners boy..” She hissed, a venomous tone snaking from her lips. The silver from her blade glimmered reflecting a few rays of sunlight, giving the relic the appearance of a new forge, yet it was older than herself, that much she knew. “Tell me why I shouldn’t take your perverted hand from that arm of yours?”

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy!" Irvin exclaimed, his blue eyes widening when he felt the blade against his flesh. "I'm not a pervert, I didn't mean it like that, I swear!" Sure he could break free, if he really wanted to, but using his enlightenment on a lady was something he wouldn't do for anything short of a death threat. "I just thought you're pretty is all... Can't you take a compliment?" He asked, with a little smirk. "You're honestly too pretty to be this tense. Now, how about you let me go and we start this conversation again, huh? I promise I'll keep my hands in sight. And my name's Irvin, by the way."

Ess stared intently at the boy for a few minutes, eyes scanning him from head to toe. In her silence she responded by stepping back, lifting the dagger away from Irvin’s flesh. Tilting her head curiously she twirled the hilt of the blade along her fingers as she answered him, her tone back to its gentle, almost hypnotic grace. “Essence...” Clearing her throat she tucked the blade back at her hip. “You need to learn better ways to pay a woman a compliment, or you may end up ticking off the wrong people. I have a friend who is much less forgiving than myself.” A chilling giggle permeated the air. “How old are you anyway, Irvin? You got a lot of nerve for someone who is barely a man yet, hmm?” With a sigh, Ess saw Tala cross behind a few trees, out of her peripheral line of vision, also appearing to be searching for something as her nose trailed along the ground furiously. She was moving slower than normal, but her belly was getting larger. Ess shook her head, forcing herself to focus at the boy. “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment...I seem to have lost something quite dear to me. A momento, if one would call it.”

"Well, perhaps you can teach me manners, Miss Essence, I'd surely appreciate that." Irvin replied with a little playful grin, raising his hands to her line of sight as promised. "And I'm fifteen." He added, finally letting his gaze fall on the woman's face, he flinched slightly as he found her familiar somehow. "Your eyes are very different, but... Funny... They remind me of something familiar..." He mumbled, a small frown forming itself and then slowly fading as he shook his head and went on talking. "And I've encountered less forgiving people before, yet I am in one piece... Just because I haven't fended for myself now, doesn't mean that I can't if needed." He opened a smile and nodded when she said she was looking for something. "Oh, what is it? Maybe I can help you look? I'll do it as a thank you for not cutting off my hand."

Jake had looked for Irvin where he usually liked to hide, he was sure the little weasel would be hiding after pulling something like that, but apparently he wasn't... As Jake spotted the kid and who he was speaking to, he just wanted to kill. He couldn't however, not right then, so he made himself invisible and waited to get the kid alone.

Essence mumbled something about fifteen year old boys, shrugging her shoulders. “You’re not a stalker now too, hmm?” Chuckling she waved a hand, dismissing her comment, not expecting an answer. “Manners are part of common sense. You want respect, you give it. Simple. No one wants to feel inferior by definition, that’s the best way to think about it.” She kept her gaze locked upon the boy, her expression blank when he mentioned her eyes. It was an observation she couldn’t avoid by anyone, mostly because she knew they were very unique and never had she come across another similar. “Some take it as a sign I’m enlightened, but honestly my father said it runs in the family...I have my mother’s eyes, so I was told.”

Ess turned at a sudden bark, to see Tala staring at the side of a building. Why, she didn’t quite understand as the wolf simply turned in circles, obviously catching the scent of something. “Tala! What are you....” Turning back towards Irvin she apologized for her distraction, muttering, “Damn crazy wolf...” She began walking around Irvin and forward, still speaking to him, expecting him to follow. “It’ll sound silly to you, I’m sure. It was a gift, that I have not parted with for over fifteen years and now it’s just gone. It’s...” She rolled her eyes, a bit of honest embarrassment peeking through. “It’s a teddy bear, dressed as a Black Knight.”

Irvin tilted his head curiously in response to Essence's remark on having her mother's eyes... He couldn't shake off the odd feeling of familiarity, wasn't just the eyes; she was familiar to him. "You... Have any family in Blackpond? Just curious." He asked, following after her quickly as he noticed the wolf had seemingly discovered something, except there was nothing there to be seen and Irvin winced slightly behind the woman's back honestly hoping that wasn't Jake, because if it was he'd be in some serious trouble later.

Jake didn't notice he was cornered until it was a bit too late and he heard a bark, he looked away from where was watching the boy and the woman talk to see that a wolf had caught his scent, and that seemed to have drawn the woman's attention as she was suddenly walking his way; Irvin right behind her. Jake held back a sigh, thinking that he'd get back at Irvin for this somehow, at some point... He hid behind the building he'd been leaning against, just out of sight of where the woman and the boy had been standing, and deactivated his enlightenment, waiting to get caught.

“The only...living family that I know of, is my older brother...” Ess trailed off muttering incoherently. “..and that won’t be for much longer...” Essence’ head snapped over at Irvin curiously, thinking out loud, “Fifteen...fifteen...hmm too young...” Her eyes again trailed up and down over the boy before she followed Tala, talking over her shoulder at Irvin. “...I may also have a son somewhere here in Valcrest, but he was taken from me, so I’ve never met him..I am from Blackhurst originally...my town was burnt to the ground...I haven’t lived in Blackpond in...about fourteen years...” When she reached Tala she paused, eyeing the wolf as she started to growl a bit but it quickly faded into a whine. Ess’ mind wandered off to why this boy was asking random questions of her, but gradually pushed it aside, attributing it to his youth. “Tala...what is your-” Ess peeked around the corner, spotting a man, only half paying attention since she simply reached down to grab the wolf by her scruff. “Why are you bothering this man Tala...come on....” Glancing up she gave a sweet smile. “I’m sorry sir...Tala here is very curious and too smart for her own good sometimes.”

After the wolf backed off, Ess looked up at the gentleman who stood before them. Her smile fading when she didn’t recognize the man. “...I don’t believe...we’ve been introduced....I’m the Captain’s new recruit...” Ess didn’t finish giving her name, slightly startled when she caught the man’s eyes, her own widening in a momentary shock. They were so blue, a heart melting sadness seemed to linger behind them that gave her a chilling feeling. She hadn’t seen that color since she was a child. With a sigh, she snapped herself out of it, noting she was staring and internally scolded herself for her gap in reality. It had happened before, when she thought she saw her friend running through the streets of Newhaven, making it a point to chase the boy down because she swore it was her friend who had passed away so many years prior.. Grief had made things hard for her and she had to remember to keep a grip on the present, not the past. Ess didn’t even remember at that point to finish her sentence but turned away back towards her wolf. “Tala...go find the bear...go on..find him...” The wolf whined up at Ess not exactly understanding at first, tilting her head, ears perked quizzically before a throaty bark left her and she trotted off again down the beaten path. Ess began to excuse herself as she moved to follow.

Jake was sure his heart had stopped beating for a moment when he felt the woman's eyes lock on his and he felt as if he had something caught in his throat; even after forcing a cough to clear it up he was still unable to say a word to respond to her, he simply stood there staring blankly, until she turned away to leave. He was almost starting to feel a bit of relief, despite the fact that he knew he had what she was looking for right in his bag and he needed to take care of it.

Irv stayed behind with Jake watching his friend with confusion in his eyes, he didn't know the man for long, that was true, but he had never seemed to Irvin like the type to freeze that way in front of a woman unless there was something wrong. "You alright killer?" The boy called out, as his friend still seemed frozen where he stood. "Jake?" Irv called again,giving the man a nudge.

Jake shook his head slightly, opening his mouth to answer Irvin, but stopping himself as the wolf had sniffed her way down the path and made a turn right back to him, sniffing at his bag. Jake twitched slightly and gave Irvin an angered glare.

The boy gave Jake a slightly apologetic look, hoping that he wouldn't kill him for this later and mouthed the words. "Sorry, Killer."

Jake heaved a long deep sigh, knowing that this might not end up so well and he needed to be careful with his words.

Essence only took a few steps, quirking a brow as her eyes followed her wolf around a few buildings and back to the man’s side, her attention all upon the bag he possessed. Her eyes flashed momentarily, making her way back slowly only to freeze when she heard the name, ‘Jake.’ How odd she felt suddenly, noting the strange way the black haired man was staring at her, not able to dismiss the familiar name mentally, yet her brows narrowed as she motioned towards Tala. “You...either have something she likes...or ...you have something that doesn’t belong to you...” Clearing her throat she added coyly, dragging out the man’s name, “...Which is it...Jaaake...?”

Ess bit down on her lip, between her and Tala they managed to keep the man cornered when she closed in on him. “Who...are you?” She muttered suspiciously. “...Why haven’t I seen you before? Your eyes...are not something I would forget...reminds me of someone...” Absently she began twirling her fingers around a couple of her red curls, tugging lightly she repeatedly straightened and released those curls, watching as they quickly bunched back into their bounce.

Jake felt very, very, vulnerable where he stood. He was cornered and the way he was shocked there was no way he would be able to lie his way out of it; in fact, he wasn't sure if he wanted to lie. Truth was bound to come out sooner or later and lying now could make it all considerably worse. He opened his mouth to speak, but he had no voice, and he must have looked somewhat lost and pathetic, because Irvin decided to try and rescue him somehow.

"Look, Essence, I..."

"Irvin, piss off." Jake managed to mutter out.

Irvin turned his head to look at Jake with a little bit of shock in his eyes. "But, Jake..."

"Go check on Shadow for me... I got this." Jake insisted. When Irvin didn't move he pushed further, his tone a little more forceful. "Go, kid!"

Irvin didn't need to be told one more time, he gave Ess a little apologetic look and walked away. Jake waited until the kid was out of reach, and then he slowly pulled the teddy bear from his bag. "The kid takes things, and hides them, when he wants to meet someone... It's a habit... I apologize for the trouble." He said, offering her the bear, but keeping his gaze away from hers as he spoke. "I was in Blackpond, this past month, I assume that's why we haven't met. I was just reinstated as a Knight before I left to check on a lead... I didn't have time to get acquainted with the newer members of the Guard." He answered. Jake's gaze lingered for a moment on her as she tugged on her curls and released, feeling chills down his spine at the sight.

Ess looked between Irvin and Jake, not quite sure what was going on which only increased her suspicion; she gave a slight wave to Irvin as he walked away. As soon as she saw Jake pull the bear from the bag, a high pitched noise pierced her ears, his voice echoing in her head as all details around the bear faded. Her jaw dropped in surprise hearing him, but still not absorbing the words at first. She didn’t reach for the bear, instead her fingers found her left cheek, trailing along the scar that beamed across her pale skin when the glow from her eyes deepened and burned in the memory that replaced her vision.

17 years ago...

“You know, you don't have to say you're sorry, or explain anything if you don't want to. We can just play.” Her friend had told her, trying to distract from whatever she had been through while they were apart. "Here..." He pulled the bag up and dug his hand into it, but didn't pull it out again before explaining. “.....I didn't know your birthday, but she said you don't need a reason to give someone a gift, so... She made this for you.” As he said that he pulled a teddy bear from the bag; a small bear made of fabric and stuffed with sawdust. It was nothing extraordinary, but its most interesting feature was the little black tunic engraved with a crescent moon and a little wooden sword attached to its hand. “It was my idea, you know, while you don't go to Newhaven you can have a Knight of your own.”

Essence stretched her neck, as the memory faded, her eyes growing suddenly tired, a soft growl shot in Jake’s direction as she gently gripped the bear by the arm when she took it back. She had possessed this stuffy while she still healed from the wretched scar now along her face, and she didn‘t realize how much it represented a little piece of beauty in a world of gore, until that moment when she got it back. “Why....am I being focused on today? First he frisks me...and I almost chopped off his hand...now you’re saying he likes to steal from people to find an excuse to meet them?!” Her voice started off quiet yet grew to almost a shriek as she continued back down to a whisper. “..She said...Black Knights were the scariest...” Her fingers poked at the bear’s flat nose, looking away and back towards the man. “Who....are you?” She prodded again, noticing how he again was staring at her and had not answered her completely.

“..She said...Black Knights were the scariest...”

The whispered words caught Jake's ears and he closed his eyes for a split second his entire body tensing as if he was desperately trying to hold still. When he opened them again he sighed softly. "Irvin... He's not a bad person, he just has some very bad habits... Don't hold it against him, he won't do it again." His eyes sparkled a little brighter for a moment. "Good people can do bad things sometimes, I was told." He shrugged slightly. "I am... A ghost with no name... That's what makes Black Knights the scariest, I think." His eyes locked on the little teddy bear and he involuntarily smiled, the words escaping him before he could think them through. "Aren't you a little too grown up for toys?"


“Good people can do bad things sometimes, I was told."

Again, Ess froze, tiny beads of sweat appearing along her forehead as her heart began to pound in her chest at the familiar words. Over and over she kept telling herself it was just a coincidence, but that didn’t stop her tongue from moving as she muttered a natural response.

“Technically Jake, bad people can do good things too and that may not make them good either.” She glanced around a bit shocked at her words, trying to keep her mind from drifting back into a memory. “...You don’t seem very scary to me, now...and well...” Ess’ head began to throb, feeling slightly dizzy, yet she played it off forcing a smile. This was unreal. Her own words shattered her focus, her own voice calling from afar as she remembered having this conversation once before.

“Most important...Trust your gut. Make your own decisions on people, because not everybody agrees on life, so just make sure to agree with you.”

Ess gave a tap at her teddy bear’s nose and smirked, a strange giggle shaking her. “I have finally snapped...full blown hallucinations. Everyone is haunted now, except now my ghost has aged.” Tala began to whine again, her cold nose nuzzling Ess’ free hand, sensing the sudden heightened mood, a small drop of blood appeared along her nostril as she began to shake. “What are you looking at?” Ess said almost casually, yet after the words left her lips, she tensed, growing afraid of what would come next. How far would her mind go this time? How long would it last? “It’s never simple..it’s never black and white..” Shaking her head in a subtle denial she began rambling softly to herself, as if she was trying to talk herself out of this. Again she looked up, “I said...what are you looking at Blue Eyes?”

Blackpond, 17 years ago...

"Jacob, will you please stay close to me?"
Jake sighed annoyed as he turned back to look at his sister, pacing backwards. "I know where I'm going, Jess. I'm not a baby anymore, geez!" He replied, turning back to where he was headed and continuing to walk, only to be stopped by a hand gripping him by the shoulder.
"Baby or not, you're still my little brother. You go where I go." She argued. "Besides, father will be home for supper and you need to help clean the house, so we can't stay long."
"Father said he would be home for supper last week too. And he didn't even show. He just sent uncle Nate instead." Jake pointed out, before looking up at his sister and frowning. "Besides, cleaning is girl stuff."
Jessica giggled softly. "Oh, is that so?" She asked, ruffling his hair playfully.
"Stop that." he complained, pushing her away.
She only laughed more. "Wow, you are so cranky this morning. You're like a tiny old man." She joked. "I think I'll get you a tiny little cane to walk around with."
Jake laughed out. "Shut up. Why are you so weird?"
"Oh, so you can laugh." She replied. "I was thinking maybe you were sick or something." Then she stopped walking and sighed. "Fine, Jakey... You can go have a look around while I get supplies, but the moment I call you we'll go home and clean up: No whining. Deal?"

Jake grinned widely and nodded in agreement. "Deal."
"And what will you not do?" She asked.
"I will not disturb the shop keepers, or go anywhere with strangers. And if something happens I should look for a guard and tell them my name." He recited. "I know, okay? Can I go now?" He asked, with a smile.
"Fine, go ahead." Jess told him. "But remember: The moment I call..."

Jake was already running his way across the market, without waiting for the end of the sentence. The market was Jake's favorite place in the world, especially in the morning. So he walked around watching as the street vendors tried to push their merchandise on everyone that passed by. Each one of them claiming to be selling the best and the cheapest of whatever product they had; it was funny how they always found a good answer for everything, and how convincing they could sound even when telling a customer the complete opposite to what they had just told the one before. Jess would often repeat that lying was a bad thing to do, but apparently those people had no one to teach them those things.

Absently Jake pulled a wooden sword he always carried on his belt and began swinging it around aimlessly as he walked past the clothing stores without giving them a glance. A little bit up the street the City Guard was taking a man away for stealing a bag of coins, so the boy stopped to watch curiously as they dragged the man away; one of them discreetly slipping the stolen coin purse into his own pocket.

Essence turned her gaze back to the street to find a small boy staring over to her right. She watched out of the corner of her eye the City Guard taking possession of a criminal. She thought she saw one of the guards put something in his pocket, but she could not see for sure.

“Would not surprise me,” Ess hissed.

Looking back towards the blue eyed boy, Ess pushed herself off the window and began to approach him. She could not help smiling as she looked over the child with envy. He was gripping a practice sword that he was swinging about as he stared at the guards to her right. So much innocence and ignorance. Not a bruise on him that she could see. He probably had a family who loved him; something she barely remembered.

Essence stopped behind the boy, standing at least a foot taller than him, her shoulder length, red curls fluffy and full of static from the morning heat. She was dressed in a long green tunic, that stopped at her thighs, black trousers and calf high boots. Pulling at her sleeves she attempted to hide her bruises, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to herself.

Gently she whispered, “Whatcha staring at blue eyes?”

Jake was distracted watching the man begging not to go to prison. His father always said that thieves were bad men, that if a man steals he would do any other mean thing; which meant they were liars too. Suddenly he was startled by a soft whisper behind him. He turned to look at the older girl who had asked what he was looking at. He tilted his head to one side as he looked at her. "Nothing." He replied. "And the name's Jake." He asked, still swinging the practice sword from side to side absently, watching her with curious eyes. He'd never seen her before, suppose that made her a stranger, but she was just a girl, so how dangerous could she really be? "I've never seen you before. Are you from around here? What's your name? Are you here alone?" He started, asking every question that crossed his mind without even taking a breath, until he stopped, made a pause and spoke again. "Your eyes are purple." He pointed out. "I've never seen anyone with purple eyes before."

Ess was not surprised by how friendly the child was. He was, after all, young and naive. Her smile broadened extensively, her violet orbs sparkling in delight at the child and his sudden burst of questions.

“Hi Jake.” She said sweetly, her voice soft as she raised it from a whisper. “I’m Essence...my friends can call me Ess. I do live around here, but I am not from here.”

Glancing quickly about she returned her gaze back to the child. “I am not alone, I am here with you.” She beamed, making sure her master’s dogs had not been sent to find her yet. Perhaps her absence still went un-noticed. “What about you? As big as you are, surly you are not alone?” She did not wish to offend the young lad, as he was at the age of wanting independence.

She shrugged lightly at the child’s observation of her eyes, chuckling as they glowed suddenly before dimming back to their normal tone. “This has always been the color of my eyes...Guess that is just how I was born.” She trailed off, pointing at the child, “Just like yours are a handsome blue.”

Ess took a deep breath and peered back towards the Guards disappearing down the street with their suspect. “You know Jake...” She began... “life is not always black and white.” Motioning towards the Guards. “I feel sad for that fellow. Maybe he was just trying to feed his family. You never know.”

Her smile faded as she took in the boy’s reaction. Someone that young should understand that sometimes we do not nice things to survive, but not all of us are bad people. As if in a daze, she began massaging her bruised arms. “Sometimes, we do what we need to do to live another day, Jake...If we like it or not.”

Jake had dropped his bag to the floor in his shock as he caught the woman's reaction; Ess thought she was hallucinating, or she was hoping that she was, he couldn't quite tell... He didn't know whether he'd rather feed that illusion or shatter it to bits... He knew what he believed was right, but he was terrified at the idea of doing either. Heaving a sigh he replied to her, in a whisper. "Nothing. And the name's Jake." He locked his eyes on her and added. "You're not crazy, Ess... I'm not a hallucination... I'm just sorry you had to find out this way." As he said that, he pulled the golden locket he had tucked inside his shirt. Just like Nate had, he knew she would recognize the jewelry. "I'm real. I'm not dead." He mumbled. "I didn't want you to find out this way..." He repeated.

Essence looked genuinely confused, her eyes no longer glowing, the violet so dark they almost looked black when she stared at Jake. Maybe she didn’t hear right. Maybe it was a trick. It just wasn’t possible. A sudden manic laugh erupted deep from within her belly, slowly shaking her head. “No...” She muttered defiantly between her laughter when she took in sharp breaths here and there. Ess appeared to be thoroughly amused for a moment. “Bloody telepaths...that’s what you are...another dark haired man trying to prod into my mind...into my memories...What does this illusion help you gain? Hmm?” As her gaze fell upon the golden locket, she felt her blood boil, her paper white skin beaming red when several veins began to bulge out along her temples, branching off around her eyes. “Where the hell did you get that!? That’s not yours!”

Tala was circling Ess in her excitement until the woman grew angry, causing the wolf to stand defensively between Jake and Ess, hackles raised, teeth peeking out slightly with only a hint of a growl. Essence flinched, her fingers tapping along the hilt of her dagger as she continued. “You are lying..you are a lie...good trick..I can do something like that too....but Jacob Turner is dead....and THAT, is MY sister’s....HIS sister’s locket...I’ll kill you....” She hissed, moving closer towards the man who called himself Jake.

Jake shook his head furiously at her words, trying to find a way to get her to believe him. "No, no, no, no.... Jessie made me wear it, she made me wear it when I left the house that morning... She didn't want me to go by myself, but I insisted I was big enough already... Me and my stupid pride... I should had let her go with me... I shouldn't have left her..." His fist had clenched around the golden piece, tears sparkling in his eyes, but not failing. "And I know... I know what you can do... I've seen you do it." Jake's mind was blurry and he felt an ache in his temples as he tried to find some argument, something only the two of them would know. "Jacob Bear." He stated, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Jess made him for you, for your birthday, although we never knew when your birthday was. She was up all night working on it, didn't stop until it was finished." He gave a shaky breath as he tried to go on speaking. "She was so excited about it too... Thought up every little detail..." Jake rubbed his eyes slowly as he added. "I shouldn't have left her... I shouldn't have left you... I promised... Forever and ever... I broke it."

Essence whispered, “Jacob Bear...?” Halting in mid step she looked down at her side where the stuffed Black Knight dangled from her hand, her voice softening a bit, contradicting the bulge of the veins as they began to spread beneath her eyes and across the bridge of her nose. Slowly, tears began forming in the corner of her eyes, yet were not clear but a deep crimson that began staining her cheeks as they fell. “It ....was so you’d always be with me...” A throaty growl vibrated along her lips as she tried to deny the obvious. She was fighting so hard to not listen, to not believe because it wasn’t possible. Again her voice rose, “You’re a liar! You can see in my head! Maybe you are in my head! I saw the grave!” Her free hand unsheathed the blade at her side in a subtle motion, standing nose to nose against what she believed to be an illusion still.

13 years ago...

The Coming Storm
Hurt Falls Apart

Essence had been riding towards BlackPond for hours now, the power of her fury and broken heart causing her to never break or pause. She had kept back the tears, the idea of this being a lie keeping her going until she discovered the truth on her own. It began to rain now, 'How fitting,’ she thought grimly. The hood of her cloak would not remain over her hair with the wind whipping across her form, matching her fury. Curly locks straightened and clung at her skin, the cold downpour soaking her to the bone.

Ess did not regret her anger at the messenger for his returning of her letters. That had been the first clue, but when the young man spoke of her friend’s death, Ess couldn’t contain herself and had punched the man square in the face. Tossing a small bag of coin to the floor she spat, “Take your payment and go!” Leaving moments later, she had begun her journey back to her own personal hell.

Squinting through the prickly, thorn like rain drops, she saw the torch light emanating from the city ahead. Pulling on the reins of the stolen horse she rode, she slowed its pace as she entered the main gate. Still not pausing to be questioned she made her way to the cemetery, a set of fresh graves standing out against the gloom of the early evening. Coming to a sudden halt, Ess hopped down from the saddle, jogging towards the tombstones. Several candles were burnt down to almost nothing, flower petals scattered across the stone from the current storm.

“Please don’t let it be him...”Ess prayed frantically to herself. Her violet orbs fell upon the names, her brows narrowing in anger as she screamed out in defiance at the stones. Falling to her knees, her fists began pounding against the earth, finding their way to the tombstone. With several cracks she had broken her hand, yet she ignored the physical pain as it was nothing compared to the realization of her loss. Ess disappeared in her blind rage, cursing the Twins, herself, and even her friend. Her wails of despair echoed into the city, carried off by the storm in a haunting mockery of her pain. She had met her breaking point that she had tried so hard to keep away from; she had fallen off her precipice disappearing into the abyss of sorrow.

Essence’s sobs over took her, causing her to collapse at the foot of the stone where she stayed throughout the night, refusing to take shelter from the cursed storm. Any time her sobs began to slow enough to breath, she would cry out into the thunder above in question. What had this boy done to deserve this? The memory of her friend and his strength only caused her to break into a pattern of wails again. Even after the storm broke in the early hours of the morning, she was still awake, almost hugging the gravestone, her sobs tearless now. Ess absently noted the broken fingers of her left hand as she shuffled to her feet, covered in thick streaks of mud, she made her way over to the horse. Withdrawing a journal and a pen she began writing a letter to her friend, the last she would ever give him.

Jake,
I should of been here to protect you, to help you in your time of need as you have helped me. I shouldn’t of left so soon. I have failed to return your kindness, and for that I will suffer out the rest of my days. Thank you for your gift of friendship, showing me there was good in this world. Now that all that was good in my life is dead, it seems the evil has won today; it’s poisoned claws tearing through my heart. I never expressed how much you meant to me, please forgive my ignorance, thinking I would have more time. All we have is today Blue Eyes, so now that we part ways please know that I love you my friend. I am a coward, not worthy of your friendship, but I am happy to have known it. It hurts so much that you're gone, I’m not sure if it would have been less painful to have never known you. I don’t regret you or the time we spent under our great oak tree or playing within your hideout. I only fear I will never get over losing you. I hope you found peace, wherever you are now.

Love Always and Forever,
Your Friend
Essence

Tearing the page from the book Ess folded the paper and tucked it away under a smaller rock by Jake’s grave. It was a long time before she rose to her feet again, her fingers touching her lips she passed the kiss to the stone.

“Goodbye Blue Eyes.” She gasped, before climbing back onto the horse, making her way out of the city as quickly as possible. Never would she return to the agony that was Blackpond.

The memory swelled within her heart, a sickening tremor shooting along her chest causing her knees to buckle unexpectedly. A small trickle of blood bubbled along her ear canal, dripping off her earlobe as her emotions became harder to keep in check. Since she had come to the camp, she made it a point to almost never use her gift, but at that moment she wanted to hide; her mind demanded to be someone else. Denial is a powerful tool when used properly, but in that moment she was drowning, unable to breathe. Ess thought she had gotten past that pain; that she had learned to live with it. It was in that moment though, it all came rushing back, hitting her harder than the first time, with a mocking laughter. The laughter was coming from her, the tone of her voice suddenly deeper as her form began to shift into a mural of different figures and features, swirling together like the colors of a setting sun; the only thing constant was the blood and the violet of her eyes.

"Yes, there was a grave, but I was never in it, Ess... They never found a body, because there was none to find!"

Blackpond 10 years ago...

Jake had left Lionel at the inn after convincing the older boy to let him go to the cemetery by himself, that he needed privacy. He did. It wasn’t an easy thing for him to even think of, visiting Jess’ grave, even less an easy thing to accomplish. He stood for a long while at the cemetery gates, eyes locked on the line of graves, faintly wondering where all those people had gone after all; where Jessica had gone. Could she see him? Could she hear him after all? Was it really true that she would never leave him? He used to believe, but now he simply wondered… He questioned. Sometimes he wished she could see, that he was alive and well, that he was protected… Sometimes he wished she couldn’t see how hurt he still was, how much he missed her, how much he wished he’d gone with her. Jake knew his sister would rather see him alive and happy, but sometimes he felt he couldn’t do both.

Tears already blurring his sight, Jake finally took a long deep breath as he began to pace into the burial grounds, slowly walking the little paths amongst the headstones to where he knew his family was waiting. The line of graves ended, however, rather unexpectedly, with his own name. He flinched before the grey, smaller stone, his full name marked the date of Jess’ death as if he’d died with her… Painfully ironic… After a moment of staring he crouched down, to get a closer look, his palm reaching for the dirt where his empty casket rested. As he ran his hand across the soil he felt something there, and as he brushed the dirt aside his eyes caught a piece of paper sticking out from under a rock. Carefully he dug around it and removed the rock, retrieving the old and stained piece of paper. He stood up straight as he unfolded it, his eyes scanning the blurry letters on the stained sheet; he couldn’t make out all the words, only a small section of the writing was still legible. It read:

“It hurts so much that you’re gone, I’m not sure if it would have been less painful to have never known you. I don’t regret you or the time we spent under our great oak tree or playing within your hideout. I only fear I will never get over losing you. I hope you found peace, wherever you are now.”

Jake stood frozen, for what it seemed like forever, and the feeling in itself was so familiar it burned. He read the words over and over, all the while it was as if a familiar voice whispered them from a distance; realization hitting him with one painful blow… He was dead. He had been dead for the past three years… He was dead to the world.

Jake folded the stained sheet of paper and pushed into his pocket, his hands shaking as he turned away from the graves, without saying goodbye to his sister as he planned. He just kept walking away, as far away, as fast as he could.

. . .

Jake wasn’t even sure how he made it back to camp, but he had. He simply walked into the encampment and rushed his way to his room, locking himself inside, he curled up on the bed, rereading the letter over and over, pain growing inside his chest as if it was going to explode and tear him apart. He’d thought of Essence, he’d thought of finding her once his training was completed and he was free to roam… It was something he had looked forward to, it had kept him sane, kept him moving on, but now… He wasn’t sure of anything anymore. He was dead to his friend, he had been dead and buried for three years; what if she forgot about him? He cursed at himself for not writing, for not letting her know right away what happened. He let out a shaky sigh as he moved to the fireplace with the letter crushed inside a clenched fist, tears running down his face… It was too late, he decided… Best to just stay dead… Why bring it all back… He wasn’t even that same boy anymore… That boy had died three years ago… Jake heaved a shaky breath as he let the paper fall into the flames. “Forever and ever…” He whispered, a hint of bitterness in his tone, his hands still shivering in anger. Jake couldn’t help being angry at himself for what he was doing, but he forced himself to believe it was best to leave things as they were, that he should stay dead, and the more he tried to convince himself, the angrier he got, turning away from the fire he quickly dove under his bed, searching for a small leather book he had hidden there, he crawled from under the bed and sat on the floor for moment, gripping the book tightly and staring at the flames; his body tense and shivering in his rage… He was so tense that he jumped up as someone knocked on the door, and Crys called for him. He ignored as much as he could, but eventually he came to terms with the fact that she wouldn’t leave. He quickly tossed the book under the bed, and went to answer the door.

Jake had closed his eyes for a moment at the memory, the rage he felt at himself then coming back to him as he realized just how much this had hurt his friend. As he opened his eyes he flinched slightly, his eyes widening as he saw Ess' face change; that in itself wasn't what caught him by surprise exactly, it was some of the faces she changed to that made him very uneasy... Well, there was Aiden, and Mageria, which she obviously knew from the guard, but there were other people Jake knew, like Lena and Allison... Even his own face as a young boy... Jake stood in a shock for a few moments, staring at Ess with a perplexed look in his eyes.

Blackpond 17 years ago...

...A small smile creeped along her lips. “I try not to be sad Jake, I’m sorry. It’s hard to feel anything else when you're someone else’s property and not in charge of your own life.” She spoke simply without anger or happiness, almost empty.

“Jake?” She stared at her friend curiously as his expression suddenly changed. She couldn’t make out the feeling behind it exactly for sure. Ess had not attempted to change her visage and in fact had not had that incident occur since the night before she met Jake. This Enlightenment was not under control by any means, heightened and triggered by intense emotions. She was still looking out from her violet eyes, her soul still intact so to speak; yet there sitting before the young boy, was now the image of an older boy. Fire red hair, pale skin painted in freckles appearing thicker in build at around the age of seventeen. It was an awkward sight, when a boy spoke only to have a girl’s voice. Ess still hadn’t realized that she had transformed once again into her brother’s form as she continued to look over Jake.

Jake smiled slightly at what Ess said to him, but he couldn't smile completely, quietly trying to think of something he could do to make her feel better. He didn't understand what she meant when she said she was property. Property is something you own, how could someone own another person? It didn't make sense to him at all. As he tried to make sense of that in his head, he looked down for a moment, wasn't even for long, but it was enough for him to miss what had happened just before his eyes. As he looked up again, his blue eyes widened in an expression of shock as he saw a much older boy sitting where his friend used to be; the shock increasing as the 'boy' spoke in his friend’s voice.

Jake stood up slowly, sincerely frightened, but not wanting to show it. For a long while he simply stared, his eyes examining the strange face before him, but eventually locking in the familiar violet gaze; it was his friend's eyes, his friend's voice, but everything else was different. Finally he managed to stutter a few words. "W-what... H-how... H-how are you doing this?" He mumbled, motioning with his hand as if to reach for the 'boy's' face, but stopping halfway through and pulling away thinking that maybe he shouldn't. Eyes still widened in shock, the child didn't know whether he could believe his eyes or not, it was all too confusing for him to comprehend.

Ess felt something had changed now, she saw confusion within Jake’s eyes. She had reached out with a delay towards Jake’s hand but missed it as he pulled away, noticing her hands now. They were larger, thicker than hers really were. In a sudden sob, she began patting her face, her hair...all had changed. She didn’t know what to do and suddenly began to panic. Sliding backwards along the ground, she backed herself into a corner, her breathing becoming harsh in quick gasps. Her body trembled and shook violently as if she were submerged into a pile of snow, she turned her head and began dry heaving like a dog with a hairball. She curled up in a ball, hugging her knees into her chest, her hood tucked tightly over her face so Jake couldn’t see her any longer.

“I dunno what’s wrong with me....Jake...”She wailed as her body gave up and she laid there crying heavily for some time. When she went to catch her breath, she sat up, her features back to their normal doll like qualities except her nose had begun to bleed, dripping like the rain off a roof.

Jake didn't move. Between confusion and panic, he didn't know what to do, so he stood. He stood for what seemed like a long time, yet again. And he would have stood for much longer, or worse: he would've run, wasn't for the fact that he suddenly remembered what he had promised just moments ago. Feeling a bit of shame stir up in his chest, Jake finally moved faced the corner where the girl had curled up in; she looked like herself again, and now Jake felt worse to realize she had been sitting there crying all the while he was standing there. Finally, he decided on what to do and picked up the candle he had placed on the ground and walked to the bag again, pulling a piece of cloth from it.

As he left the lit candle on top a chair, closer to Ess he walked over to her and put the cloth in her hands. "You need a hankie." He said, awkwardly trying to smile. "Do you feel sick? If you feel sick I can run and get Jess, she always knows what to do." He offered. Then he went silent for a while. "My... My mom... She could make things float. I was very little, but I remember... She used to make my toys float so I'd stop crying" He mumbled, his voice lowering to almost a whisper. "I'm not scared anymore." He added.

Jake locked his eyes with hers, a concerned frown marking his features as he reached down to grasp her shoulder trying to get her attention. "Essence, you need calm yourself. You're bleeding." He stated, shaking his head still trying to find arguments to reason with her that he was alive. "I still have your drawings... Every letter... I have a picture Jess drew of our mom, she was really proud of it wanted to send it to you, but was afraid to, she made me keep it so I could show you whenever we saw each other again, 'doesn't matter how long it takes', she said." He stopped talking, and forced a breath. "I'm not a liar... I'm not an illusion... I'm just... A bad friend."

Mageria had been alerted when the fight started, mostly because it involved the new people in camp and it wasn't for sure if she was needed to break it up or if the others should start laying bets. Mageria would have let it go, but she really didn't need bloodshed at the moment and she knew that Essence tended to have a hair trigger. She pushed out the door, able to hear raised voices but not much more. By the time she got there, Essence was in some sort of shock, shifting so rapidly that it couldn't be kept under control, bleeding from the ears and eyes.
"What the hell is going on?" She snarled at Jake. Pushing between the two of them, she slapped the girl sharply across the face, in the hopes of shocking her out of whatever it was that had hold of her. It didn't help. In fact, if anything it made it worse.
"Tears of the Twins." Mageria gripped the girl by the shoulders, knowing that if she didn't get her to stop she was going to be dead or the next thing to it very quickly. She needed some sort of shock, worse than a slap.

Acting quickly, Mageria ducked and hauled Essence over one shoulder, turning and running towards the river. While it might have been a heavy load to the average woman, Mageria had been wearing armor for most of her life and the girl didn't weigh much more than a full suit. So she wasn't even close to out of breath when she got to the bank, which meant that she didn't even stop, just wading out to about thigh deep; then with a silent prayer that she was doing the right thing, she simply dumped the girl off her shoulder into the river, making sure that she wouldn't hit her head, but at the same time making sure that she was completely soaked in the icy water.

Essence had pulled her shoulder free from Jake’s grip with a growl. “Don’t bloody touch me!” She keeled over as a sharp pain ran down along her back dropping both her dagger and Bear and when she stood Mageria had planted herself between Ess and Jake. When the Captain slapped her across the face, Ess never noted the pain, yet her bleeds worsened, also leaking along her nose like a fountain. The next thing she knew she was screaming in shock at the sudden icy cold river, stabbing her flesh like tiny knives all over body. Fighting the bit of current, she crawled out of the river to her feet, panting in the pain, yet even though her features were now her own, she appeared to be still bleeding. “..I’m sorry...I need to..get out of here...” Ess muttered wildly, shaking her head as she wiped at her face. A mix of embarrassment, anger, and sorrow had enveloped her and she couldn’t bare to have the Captain look at her this way as she began to wander away from the river, and down the beaten path away from the camp.

"I don't . . . bloody. . . think so." Mageria actually growled as she grabbed Essence by one arm, twisting it around and frog marching her back towards her cabin. "You want to sulk off into the woods and brood for a week, fine. I don't know what the hell is going on, but you ARE NOT walking out there in wet clothes. I've put too much damn work into you for you to go off and do such a boneheaded STUPID maneuver. I don't care where you go, but you WILL dry off and you WILL get warm and you WILL take care of yourself because you ARE not alone anymore and you DO have people who give a damn about whether or not you freeze to death." Mageria had managed to keep her voice relatively low during all of this, but she was getting increasingly angry. Reaching the center part of the camp, she planted one hand in the middle of Essence's shoulders and pushed, propelling her forwards.
"I don't know what you decide to do tonight, but the first thing you will do is go get warm. Now MARCH!" Mageria emphasized this by pointing off towards the barracks and cabins, then crossing her arms and waiting, stone faced until she did so.

“Ow..ow.....alright alright...I’m going!” Ess muttered when the Captain forced her forward, wincing at the pain of her arm in the awkward position. Even though her mind was in a fog, she heard every word Mageria spoke, piercing through her brain like burrow holes digging to the core, causing her head to ache. She knew she was right, but she was in a haze, having nothing to say to that, the Captain successfully making her feel the fool. It was what she needed though, even if in her shock, the revelation of her grief was too strong at the moment for her to think with reason. When the Captain released her and commanded her to take care of herself, Ess’ head fell as she shuffled forward, not even looking as she found her way into the barracks to sit by the fire. One of the women, the one with the familiar scar, approached Ess from the side, resting a hand lightly upon her shoulder.

“Talon...here..you can change into these..” The woman spoke calmly and when Ess turned to look at her, the woman smiled indifferently to Ess’ condition and didn’t ask a single question but offered her name instead. “Deidra...”

------

Mageria stared after Essence as she walked away, then scanned around the clearing. Jake still happened to be standing around, clutching a . . . stuffed bear? Mageria strode over, ice starting to crackle on her boots.
"Jake, a word if you please?" Continuing with the theme thus far, she grabbed Jake by the arm and pulled him along in her wake, ignoring his yelp. Pushing open the door to her cabin, she thumped down the stairs and fell into one of the chairs, leaning down to struggle with the ice clogged laces.
"Now, you know me Jake. I usually try to stay out of my people's business. But this is causing more trouble than I can ignore. So," She got one boot off and set it on a stand to dry next to the fire.
"What is it between you and Essence?"

Jake was still numb by shock and his only move was to pick the little Black Knight bear off the floor, as well as the dagger Essence had dropped. He barely reacted when Mageria dragged him away, he didn't see where they were going, he didn't really care. His mind was filled with things said and done between two children long ago, his hand still clinging to Jacob Bear as if the toy was the only thing keeping him calm at the moment. Despite his stupor, he heard what Mageria was saying, and he responded to her, although his eyes were still locked on the stuffed bear. "Ess and I met a long a time ago in Blackpond. Think, I was six then, she was, I don't know, twelve, thirteen... Doesn't matter." He cleared his throat, trying to get his voice to sound clearer, although it made no difference. "She became very close to me and to my sister too, Jess always wanted a little sister I knew that..." His voice softened to less than a whisper and he paused, again trying to make himself audible again. "I'm assuming you are aware of her past, so I don't need to explain why, but she left for Newhaven about three years later. After Jess got killed and I 'disappeared', everyone assumed I had been killed too, they put up a gravestone with my name, and so... Ess thought I had been killed then. I didn't know she thought I was dead until much later, but I... Never looked for her. I never told her the truth, and I have been avoiding her presence since I arrived and saw she was here. I didn't want her to just recognize me... But then... I don't see how anything could've made this better." He finished his talking and simply stood, staring the little bear in the eyes still.

Mageria sighed as she pulled her other boot off and propped it up.
"No, there really wasn't any way that could have gone better. But a great many it could have gone worse." She sat back and put her feet up to warm next to the fire.
"I can't say anything to what happened between you in the past. I'm far better at hacking people to bits with a sword than I am at patching up a relationship. Although, that's how Ev and I got over hating each other; we just stabbed each other a couple of times." She stood up and walked over to Jake, putting one hand on his shoulder.
"Jake, the two of you will work through this. It was a bad shock, yes. But to have somebody I loved, somebody that I thought was dead come back to me. . ." She shrugged, pain and regret clear in her eyes before they became shuttered again. "I would give anything for that. If only so that I could punch them in the nose for upsetting me." She squeezed his shoulder gently to make sure that she had his attention.
"Give it time and don't give up. You two were like family once. To get a second chance? That's the Twins blessings."

Jake heaved a shaky sigh and nodded his head slowly as Mageria spoke. He wanted, needed, to believe something good would come of this, even if he couldn't quite forgive himself for the pain he was putting his friend through. After a little while longer he let out a little cough, trying to clear his throat, before pushing the little stuffed bear onto Mageria's hands. "Will you... Will you please give this back to her? I think it's best I give her space... Until she decides she's ready to punch me in the nose or something. I think, that's the best I can do." He tried to force a smile, but couldn't pull it off; his eyes lowering to the ground as he turned to leave, hoping to just be alone for a moment. "Thanks, Captain... For everything."

Mageria smiled and put the bear gently in a cabinet. It wouldn't do for any of the children to see it and think that they could play with it. "You might want to be careful with the whole punching in the nose thing. I have been training Ess for a while now, so she might just stab you. Or light you on fire. Or poison you. Or tie you up in a tree upside down covered in honey for the bears. Or . . . ." She let her voice trail off with a crooked grin. Her people had vivid imaginations.

"Jake." Her voice stopped him as he left, perhaps just for a moment. "Pain is something we learn from. Here, we've all had a lot of pain. But we've lived through it. And we've found other people who will understand that. She just needs time. That's one of the gifts the Twins have given us." She gently clasped his shoulder for a moment. "It will come out alright in the end."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours went by and all Ess wanted to do was go for a walk, but the bleeds had only slowed not ceased. “It happens....I’ll be fine.” She’d argue with the medics, only to have them threaten to go get the Captain if she kept arguing, moving Essence to silence each time. Deidra had given Ess a change of clothes and was humming a soothing tune as she casually brushed out the knots in Ess’ long curly hair. “Aiden’s outside you know...he wants to see how you are doing..but I told him we were having girl time...” Deidra winked. Ess simply nodded, using a handkerchief to wipe at her nose here and there, basking in her own silence as her mind raced. She didn’t want to see anybody, not even Deidra, but decided she liked having her hair brushed as it was a bit calming against her thoughts.

‘I wished for this...didn’t I? For him to be alive....then why can’t I accept this? Maybe it’s a mistake....maybe it’s denial. It’s been so long...a decade, and to think he’s been in the same city I have, from time to time. Why didn’t he ever try to find me? Did I ever really mean anything? Maybe he just realized I wasn’t worth much of anything..just like the rest of the lot of ‘em.’ Essence growled at herself, pulling away from Deidra to stand closer towards the fire, fighting off the urge to sob, to break something, to scream even; she simply stood staring into the deep orange embers. Absently she pushed aside a few black feathers from her eyes, tucking them to behind her right ear. “Pathetic...” She whispered in a muffled gasp, working to keep herself calm. “Why can’t I just be happy to have what I thought was lost? No....he is still lost...the boy I knew would have searched out for me...the boy I knew perhaps is dead then. I don’t know who that man is, but he’s not my friend....he’s a shadow..’ Ess didn’t know if she was more annoyed with the fact a MAN caused her to fall apart like this, that she could let someone get so close where it could be her demise or that she was falling into the same path again with someone who can hurt her just as bad if not worse. Did she really believe her own words that it was worth the risk, for a bit of happiness? To feel loved? She couldn’t decide if Jake was just lost, or if it was all a lie and Ess didn’t understand what hurt more. Should she even try to help him? Maybe it was all a sick joke; a game of some oddity. ‘Wouldn’t be the first time...’ She scolded to herself. ‘Should of learned my lesson with Jemma.’ Ess couldn’t help but scoff at herself for that thought, knowing she’d go insane in her loneliness and would not probably be alive if it hadn’t been for her friend. He probably didn’t even know the influence he had over her, but then again, was it false?

Essence was shaking, her skin was flushed from the fire, she felt like she was about to jump out of her skin. With a forceful amount of control Ess rose slowly, casually running her fingers along a small pouch upon the rock mantel fireplace, rolling the leather piece into her hand.

“Bone needles...” Deidra said with a sigh, chuckling a bit when Ess smiled wide, a twinkle of creativity sparkling from her orbs. “What the boys been using with a string of dyes made from the smoke of an oily nut and ash soot, when they tattoo each other.” The woman paused when Ess peeked inside the pouch. “I was thinking of tiny black feathers along my left temple....something to remind me of family and strength...more of what I’ve gained than lost..”

Ess looked up at Deidra nodding absently, “..Strength.....” She whispered, feeling her skin flush with a heat as if her insides were burning like the fire before her. Shaking her curls loose, they draped along her neck, hiding the trail of crimson that trickled from her ear canal making her a bit uneasy so that she turned abruptly for the door. “I’ll bring these back later...” Bowing her head politely, Deidra didn’t argue with her, only pointed out in silence a few vials of black, sticky sap Ess would need for her current task, if she understood correctly.

Deidra shot one of the medics a look when he went to protest Ess’ departure, causing him to stay where he was, a bit defeated. Waiting patiently at her heels of course was Tala, her tail thumping slowly against the snow before the wolf trotted after her friend. Ess didn’t see Aiden as she made her way to her tent, although he was around, lingering along the tree line he hung back knowing she needed her space. Smart man.

After boiling some water in a kettle and cleaning the bone needles, Ess settled herself inside her tent, Tala guarding the entrance; periodically peeking her snout past the flap to check on Ess. She had dressed in her favorite green dress, the one that was worn from many years of use (the one Jess had actually given her when she lived in BlackPond), sliding her arms out of the sleeves so that her chest was exposed just above her bust line. After positioning a mirror before her she stared for some time up at her tapestry that hung from the ceiling of her tent; a dying oak surrounded in flames that never burned. It was almost poetic at that moment how she saw herself as that oak, crumbling under pressure, yet never disappearing. With an eerie smile she began lightly inking an outline of the oak engulfed in flames along her chest, extending out along the base of her neck and shoulders. When she was satisfied, she rolled out all the tools before her, including an old bottle of some type of scotch whiskey, guzzling a few sips of the liquid courage before she began the painful prodding and scarring of her own flesh with the tiny teeth like ends of the bone needles.

Surprisingly the outline itself of the tree didn’t hurt as much as she assumed it would, besides the few times the tiny cluster of bone needles jabbed too deep, causing her to muffle a cry behind tight lips, Tala whining softly here and there as the hours passed. Gently she would dab with a warm cloth as specks of blood appeared along her flesh, like cherry blossoms in the spring, only to be smothered in the ink and soot so that it was more than a scar upon her chest. She managed to finish off half a bottle of the liquor before the repeated pricking along already tender areas began to release a subtle whine from her lips, her hand trembling in the details. Gradually she added wisps of smoke, veins along the base of the trunk that seemed to sprout from her breasts, and bark within the leafless branches with the occasional attempt at shading substance to her artwork.

The drinking had done two things: One, ironically it had slowed her bleeds from nose, eyes and ears to almost nothing; while two expectedly, making her blood thinner and not clotting normally as it should. Essence was forced to take frequent breaks, putting pressure along the sore spots in an attempt to slow the speckled bleeding, tears streaking her cheeks as the pain grew. It was a temporary distraction to the agony her insides swelled with and finally when she couldn’t focus enough anymore, she stopped to dress and roll out a thin layer of linen across the wounds. Standing with a sway, Ess stumbled out of the tent almost tripping over Tala as usual, and just began walking across the bridge away from camp, bottle still in hand and her wolf following as expected.

~~~

Aiden had spent the past few hours hanging out at Ess’ fire, keeping it burning with something to eat for when she got back; his small way of staying out of her hair but trying to be helpful. Laying lazily upon the log beside the flames, staring up at the starless sky he began to drift off to sleep in the comforting silence from the late night slumber of camp. His mind was trailing off to how he needed one more day to finish Tala’s kennel for her and her pups when he heard his furry friend cry out, breaking the silence. There came the familiar haunting wail, echoing into the vast shadows, shattering Aiden’s thoughts. At first he remained still, a smile curling his lips as he basked in comforting howls that dragged on for minutes at a time, pausing then starting again. A forlorned cry choked into a whine, that carried on, sinking deep inside Aiden, eyes snapping open in alert. His smile quickly faded, rising to a vertical posture he gathered his surroundings to determine which direction the screams of the wolf were coming from before he bolted off into a mad dash. Something was wrong, at the very least off in the piercing sob like howls that swelled higher and higher as he closed in deep into the thicket along the outskirts of camp. “..I’m here.. Tala...”

~~~

Essence groaned, rolling over a few times in the slush where her body had managed to melt some of the snow. Her form halted against Tala’s as she arched her back howling sadly into the night. When she tried to open her eyes, she found her vision was blurred, a sticky residue was caked at the corners of her eyes, her hair saturated in the same sticky substance. “Ugh....what the...” Ess voice cracked, her fingers lightly clawing at Tala’s paws. “Arr.....stop that Tala.....my head.....” Crawling along her belly, Ess knocked her now empty bottle aside with a sigh, the wolf finally falling to silence only to cover Ess’ face in kisses. She was too tired to fight off Tala’s advances of cleaning up her face and had only crawled a few feet before she turned over onto her back, panting heavily she fought off a wave of sobs. In her attempt to catch her breath she began coughing and gagging, occasionally spitting up more blood in addition to that which already stained her gown, hair and skin. Ess didn’t hear the flutter of footsteps coming to a sliding stop when she began dry heaving.

Aiden began to panic when Tala’s cries stopped, but heaved a sigh of relief when he turned a corner and came to a small clearing, the sounds of gurgling and spitting alerting him to Ess. He was practically glued to her side, his hand already gently pulling her hair from out her face. “Talon...breathe love..breathe....” He whispered soothingly, the deep tone sending chills down her spine as she realized who was there. “Essence.....Ess.....what’s wrong....are you hurt? So much blood...”

“Bloody hell....just...out of booze...” She chuckled between coughs, her throat dry and hoarse from the fit. Aiden helped Ess sit up, resting her back against his thigh as he shook his head, caramel eyes sadly scanning over the woman. It looked worse than it was, since her dress and skin was streaked with blood from her bleeds. When his gaze came to her chest his eyes narrowed, a soft growl of concern creeping in. “What...did you do to yourself Ess? You plan on bleeding to death in the woods?”

“..Hush you....it’s pretty....you’ll see....” Ess snickered. “Or...maybe you won’t....either way...” Her words trailed off into a small tangent of hiccups, her seemingly amused expression fading into soft sobs. “They...all run away....” The next few words were barely audible, Aiden assuming they were incoherent mutterings as she continued, him simply speaking over her to calm herself and to let him help her. “..Luuuuckaas...” She whispered under her breath. “Where...are you....not...angry...” Ess’ eyes closed slowly, her body tensing a bit, using her bit of strength to lean into Aiden, his forehead lightly touching hers as he attempted to coax her to stand. To his surprise his lips suddenly met Ess’ as she pressed into him, her fingers clawing through his hair, his own arms cradling her hourglass form, as her mind vanished from consciousness. Her head fell loose from his grasp, soft lips teasingly peeled away from his own. Aiden’s jaw dropped in awe when his tongue caught the taste of iron, discovering his bottom lip was bleeding. Staring only a moment, he shuffled to a squatting position, one arm supporting Ess’ back and the other slinking beneath her knees lifting her as he stood. “Rest now....” Aiden held Ess tight against his chest, whistling for Tala to follow as he made his way back to camp to the medic’s cabin. Rest indeed was what the woman needed.

Dawn...Nine Days After the Ball...

Ess was in and out of sleep, tossing and turning in her stubbornness; the fight against sleep an epic fail. She startled herself out of a deep dream, not remembering what it was about as she simply stared at the empty spot beside her, both Luckas and Tala no longer in the tent. That realization left an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was trying to ignore. As she sat up, she immediately found her journal, remembering how she curiously couldn’t find it and how it was practically in her lap when she awoke. Without much thought, she habitually stuck the journal beneath her neckline, not bothering to change her clothes. Peeking outside, she only saw a mix of footprints, human and canine, descending away from her tent. Only a few stars were left in the sky as the light from the horizon seemed to melt the darkness away, touching every corner as far as she could see.

Essence’s expression seemed sad, her mind skipping between emptiness to the events of the evening before. With a sigh, she forced a smile, a sudden growl escaping her as she stood outside the tent, quickly bending down to slip on and lace her boots. Surprisingly she felt a soft brush of energy begin to swell within her belly, absently grabbing a bite of jerky before she began her morning run. Ess figured it was a good way to release some stress and whatever else that seemed to be growing inside her. Yet, by the end of her second lap, the adrenaline was overwhelming, her stomach knotting in a fury, her pores not only weeping from her exercise but her eyes as well. She knew she would explode in her wave of emotion if she didn’t face it and so she paused to gain control of her breathing before slowly making her way into camp in search of Jake.

“Wakey....wakey....Jakey.....” She whispered to herself, a curious sneer curling her lips. He appeared to be asleep and at first she just stared at the back of his head in silence, her brows relaxing for a moment before she stepped forward, her arms outstretched in an attempt to grab hold of his right leg and drag him off the bed, into the open air.

Jake slept for what felt like minutes, although in the back of his mind he knew it had to have been more than that. Still, his dreams didn’t allow him any actual rest and he couldn’t help but curse mentally when he realized he’d woken up before the sun was even out. Heaving an annoyed sigh, he didn’t bother to get up as he usually would and simply lay on his side, eyes stubbornly shut, trying to at least get some rest if he couldn’t go back to sleep.

It was in the moment when he was nearly slipping out of consciousness that he felt someone else there; he didn’t make much of it, he thought maybe one of the guys was there trying to mess with him for whatever reason, so when he felt whoever it was reach for his leg he pulled it back and turned, pointing a dagger at his ‘attacker’ as if he really had been scared out of sleep. It wasn’t one of the guys though, and Jake just froze where he lay, feeling the knife just slip out of his hand. “Wh-...?” He wanted to question, but he really had no clue of what he wanted to ask... As he looked up at Essence something in her eyes told him this wasn’t a friendly gesture.

An eerie giggle reverberated into the air, eyes casually following the dagger from Jake’s hand to the floor, her foot brushing it beneath the bed. Ess’ eye’s flashed a silvery violet, without a word she leaped at him, attempting to tackle him to the ground, yet he seemed to slip right out of her grip and onto the floor, quickly rolling to his feet. Ess screamed in frustration, her journal falling upon the bed when she turned to face him again. “Jacob Allen Turner! I swear...by the Twins...” Her eyes paused upon the leather book, a growl vibrating from her throat. In an uncaring haste she grabbed the journal and chucked it at his head, jumping to her feet to run at him again. “You...son of a...” Cutting herself off she practically rammed into him, both of them stumbling outside.

Jake’s mind was way too fuzzy for his own liking, even if he felt there was something he could say he’d never manage to think fast enough to do so; being hit in the head by a book surely didn’t help his senses and next thing he knew he’d been pushed outside and was clumsily trying to regain his balance. It actually took him a moment or so to understand that the impact he felt was from her slamming into him. “I’m not doing this.” He muttered, shaking his head as he actually managed to stand upright and face her.

"If you want to hit me, just hit me... I'm not fighting you." Jake stated, turning and beginning to walk away.

Ess walked up to Jake as his back turned, without hesitation, her fist colliding along his spine "Fine… Jacob." Casually she wiped at her nose, noticing it was beginning to run, the back of her hand spotted with a bit of blood.

Jake groaned, losing balance and stumbling forward for a moment on account of the impact and the pain that spread through his back, but he picked himself up rather quickly and turned to face her, spreading his arms open. "Fine, then go ahead; I can take it. I'm still not fighting you."

"You have no idea who you simply tossed away." Ess stepped forward, spinning about in a roundhouse kick at Jake’s face.....her voice stammering a moment, "Did you just not care?! Did you simply forget about me?!"

Jake did nothing to dodge the kick, he took the hit and this time it brought him down, and he stayed down with his back on the floor, feeling a bit dizzy, but he didn't hesitate to answer. "I wanted to sometimes... When I was angered enough at the world I wanted to forget, but I didn't, and I couldn't stop caring. I wanted to... I tried." Slowly he got back on his feet. "Are you through?"

Ess simply growled, fighting back the tears. "You have no idea what that did to me...I died that day...with you and Jess..." Ess Paused staring at Jake, her pale skin pulsing red in her fury as she ran at him, at the last second she side stepped, dragging her left leg across his knees, twisting her upper body, her elbow cutting hard towards Jake's chest. "Not even starting.."

Again, not a reaction to the incoming blows. Jake didn't seem to even mind the pain at this point, he was too numb. And It had been a while since he last felt that way. "I'm sorry... I am..." He muttered, holding back a small groan. "I didn't know at first... Took me three years to go back and see the grave... I was already dead to you... I made a choice. It hurt... Still does... I'm sorry..."

"You made a choice to abandon family...to be a...coward...." Ess paused to pick up a fallen wooden sword that lay upon the ground, moving to strike in a series of slashes and minor advances. "Selfish....it was only an accident....we ran into one another...You're sorry?" A cold laugh escaped her lips, violet orbs coruscating in a steady strobe.

"I was a kid, I was confused and I was angry!" Jake retorted, his voice rising as he finally began to defend himself, almost effortlessly however, blocking the wooden sword with his forearms. "And then I was ashamed, and scared, because I knew what I had done and I knew I was not the friend I promised I would be!" In mid blow he managed to evade the sword and grip her wrist. "And I am sorry."

Ess paused not trying to pull away from Jake's grip, eyes narrowing as she met his gaze. "I would...of not given up on you.....but maybe it's my fault....because I left you..." At those words, Ess twisted her wrist down and off to the side to escape, raising her knee towards his gut.

Jake would have honestly tried to defend this time if the words hadn't stunned him first; he felt the air escape him as Ess' knee hit him in the stomach, forcing himself to take a painful breath he muttered. "You had to go." The sentence ending in a small coughing fit as Jake fell to one knee. Catching one more breath, he forced a few more words: "I thought those who love us never truly leave."

The wooden blade simply rolled out of Ess' fingers at Jake's own words...at her words. Her knees gave way beside him, "Not as long as we remember...but.." Her voice grew weak, cracking as she evaded anymore tears, she was done with feeling weak. "You have no idea how much I missed you..." Ess' voice faded to a whisper. "I don't even know who you are now..."

Jake remained still for a few moments, breathing slowly until the pain began to subside so he could speak. "Most times, I don't know who I am either." He heaved a shaky sigh. "I just need you to understand this: I never forgot you... And I never stopped caring... I never tossed you away, as you say. I just... Thought that it was just too late... To live again..."

Ess shook her head, looking away from Jake to keep herself composed. She couldn't understand if she felt worse for his words or better as her stomach ached with her emotions she was clearly trying to hide, but doing quite the poor job of it. "....You needed that push...to make that change...I get it...but I just can't help to think what a better person I may have turned out to be, If I had my best friend." Heaving a heavy sigh she turned and open palmed Jake across the face hard. "Words Jacob Turner...Words....all I see from you...words can be empty without much to back them..." Pushing herself to her feet she stood over him, as if he were still a child. The insane urge to repeatedly kick Jake in the gut was sifting like sand through her limbs and it took everything she had to hold back that anger, causing her to shake. "I don't know if I'd call THIS living... Jake... Either" Her arms gestured between him and herself as she spoke, suggesting the present moment, referencing them both.

Jake chuckled, thinking of what Ess would say if she actually knew half of it. "Living... Like I said... May be too late, and maybe I won't make it before I run out of breaths for good, but I'm trying." He didn't stand, rather he sat on the ground and looked up at her, planting his palms on the ground behind him and leaning into them with a painful groan. "I can’t and I won’t ask or promise anything… Rather I’ll just wait for you to tell me what you want from me now… Or hit me some more… Either way you prefer.”

"I feel like I'm being punished for it all... I don't know what to do now....what's the point....I just...can't hate you....Do you treat everyone like this? Do you honestly think it's better for me to think you're dead? Maybe now I want you dead, because it would be easier than to have your ghost mocking me right now. I actually want to hate you right now, because you are making me relive all the pain and I feel like you've died all over again. Fuck you Jacob, for being such an asshole. I get it...people change...I've changed....I wish Jessica could see you now.... she'd back me. Or is she alive too, and you're keeping that from me? Speaking of which, your late Aunt and I met...and now I know why she was questioning all the drawings I have. She bloody knew you were alive and kept it from me! You're all fucking fucked up!"

Jake looked up raising an eyebrow curiously as Ess’ words. “What would you be punished for? I don’t understand. I’m sure Jess would agree with you, and no, she’s not alive, no need to worry.” He stated, a bitter tone taking to his voice as he touched the golden chain around his neck, but didn’t reach for the locket… Not this time. “I let you believe I was dead, because I felt that I was, because I wanted to be, and I didn’t want you to see me that way… Fine, it was selfish, it was stupid, but I promised I would protect you, and how the hell could I if I let my sister die and did nothing?” He shook his head, a bitter laughter escaping him. “After I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to her… I failed… I would have failed you… I failed a lot of other people since… Maybe it was for the best after all.” He stopped his laughter with a little snort as he added. “That was just Lena being herself… She had a habit of not telling people things… Wasn’t personal, I bet.”

Essence scoffed aloud in annoyance, not moving from where she stood, fingers clenching and unclenching as she spoke. "Being punished for my choices... For leaving you. I should have made you two come with me. You think you're the only one who feels responsible for what happened? I was away and you were a child, but apparently that doesn't stop us from blaming ourselves; believing we could of made a difference." Ess' bottom lip began to quiver as she continued to hold back tears. "I feel like you are punishing me for your own fears and foolish convictions, taking it out on me by letting me think you were dead. And now... Why is it up to me what I want? I never know what I really want because when I think I do, I can never have it. What do you expect from me right now? What do YOU want Jacob? You CHOSE to 'fail' me without even giving it a chance. Leaving me, brother, failed me."

Jake shook his head, slowly getting on his feet. “I never saw it as you leaving me. You said you wouldn’t, and I believed it. You couldn’t have convinced Jess to leave, because believe me: not even you could out-stubborn her, and you HAD TO go.” He sighed. “I suppose maybe knowing that doesn’t matter; just as me knowing I was just a kid doesn’t matter…” He sighed, running both hands over his eyes. “The day you left, the battle… That family we saw, do you remember? The little girl lay dead in her mother’s arms and her father… Rushed in the battle without a second thought to the fact he was leaving his wife behind to suffer. I promised myself I wouldn’t be like him… Truth is, when it came down to it… I was him. And I wasn’t him for a moment; I was him for years.” He forced out a laugh. “You know what I want? I want to go back to that moment in time and not be so weak. I want to look at you right now and just be happy, not hate myself for letting you down. I want… Peace, whatever the hell that means, and I...” He stopped to take a long deep breath, ignoring the aching in his muscles as he did so. “I suppose I wish we could just… Play.” He mumbled. “And I don’t expect anything really, Ess, I just… Hope you will forgive me one day… That you won’t hate me… Because I really have never stopped loving you.”

Ess was frozen in her daze as she listened to Jake's words, feeling a sudden and ironic cold nose at her hand, glancing down she nodded at Tala, sliding her fingers along the fluff of the wolf's cheek. She remembered the day she left Blackpond like it had just happened yesterday...

Blackpond about 14 years ago...

The End of the World

It seemed fitting that Ess would be the last one Derek saw, as he died by his own blade. His wretched screams filled her ears, an almost hypnotizing smile painted on her lips as she drove Derek’s own dagger into his scrotum, a final twist ending with the matching sword penetrating him through his heart. Retracting both blades, Ess wiped the blood off upon the fresh corpse, happy at her new claim. The sword and matching dagger seemed old, but in excellent condition with strange engravings upon the blade.

‘No use in wondering about it now.’ She stated to herself as she placed the weapons in their sheaths, attaching them to the belt around her waist. Picking up a leather bag she had stuffed numerous items inside (Knight Jacob Bear, journals, books, food, money), she ran for the door of the brothel, itching to make her escape forever from this hell hole.

She threw open the door, dodging an arrow as it shot by her head into the wall behind her. The battle had spilled into the streets, breaching the city gate. Horsemen galloped by in full armor, slashing at screaming civilians as they passed by; some tossing torches atop buildings creating wide spread panic. Warning bells echoed in her ears, sending people in all directions, some attempting to fight back, others trying to fight off the flames from burning their lives to the ground. The city guards were attempting to cut off the assault and drive the enemy back out of the city, slowly but surely. With the sun just setting and the sudden attack on Blackpond, Ess took full advantage of the moment. All she needed to do was say goodbye to Jake, making sure him and Jess were ok and give him something to remember her by. She would try to convince Jess that they should go with her, but she knew Jess wasn’t ready to leave Blackpond yet. So Ess would continue to write, she would promise to stay in touch one day seeing Jake again.

Essence ran hard, avoiding the main streets, taking every ally and shortcut she could find as she made her way deeper into the city to Jacob’s home. No light shown from inside the home and Ess wasn’t sure if anyone was even there. The battle had not reached this far as of yet, but the screams were coming closer. Ess drew her new sword from her hip, keeping it at the ready, her free hand banging on the door excitedly.

“Jake! Jess! Are you in there?!”

Jake had escaped his room in the middle of the night and gone to his hideout, simply out of spite. He had gotten angry at Jesse over nothing and had wanted her to worry; childish and stupid, yes, but he was angry and that's motive enough for a kid. However, when he wanted Jess to worry, this wasn't what he had in mind at all.

As the battle started he found that it would be very hard to get out of his hideout unnoticed. He was safe where he was, but he knew his sister wouldn't rest until she found him, she could get hurt or killed looking for him and he would never forgive himself if that happened; he desperately wanted her to know he was safe, but as he peeked through the grating of the basement he could see people running in fear as horsemen armored in Black rode across the main streets, swinging their swords and slashing at people that got in their way. Jake could smell fire and hear the screaming as people tried to escape or find a particular family member unaccounted for. Damn, it was scary out there.

Jessica had been looking all over for Jake. Whenever someone raided the city they locked themselves in the basement and waited out until it was safe, but the boy had escaped through his window at some point during the night and Jess couldn't find him anywhere. Nate, their dad's best friend, practically an uncle to them, and his two sons were also looking around the city, but no one had seen Jake. Jesse knew Jake was smart, he would hide in a safe place if he could, but she couldn't be sure that he had. If he saw her or any other familiar face, she knew he would show up, so she had to keep looking for him.

She had gone everywhere in their part of the city and the market, a small, armed, crossbow and an equally small quiver for protection. Aside from that weapon Jess only relied on luck to make sure she didn't get caught in some sort of commotion. She decided to go home and see if, by any chance, her brother hadn't found his way back. As he reached the front of the house she found Ess there knocking on the door. Her green eyes scanned the girl and noticed the weapons and bag... It didn't take long to realize what that meant. She stopped, behind the girl and shouted a little to be heard over the noises of battle. "Hey! Have you seen Jake? I can't find him anywhere. And are you leaving?" She asked, saying it all pretty fast, similar to how Jake talked when he was excited. Only Jess was simply preoccupied and in a hurry.

Essence jumped, slightly startled at Jess’ words. A worried, almost blank expression crossed over her face, hearing Jess couldn’t find Jake. Her fingers curled around the hilt of her sword, violet eyes staring into the older girls green orbs.

“Jake is not here? He’s not with you?” She asked a bit frantic, thinking to herself. There were only a couple places he would be, one for sure she knew of. “The brothel is burning as we speak, so now is a good as time as any to leave for Newhaven...they shouldn’t follow me...I hope..” She muttered quickly to Jess, only to add “You both should come with me! I could help take care of you two.” Ess’ eyes softened, already knowing the answer. A huge part of her did not want to leave Jake, but she couldn’t stay there anymore. She needed to find Jake to explain that to him. She would not leave without seeing him.

“I have a good idea where he is...It would be quicker if we split up..” She stated flatly, not giving Jess time to argue. “Go to the Oak, by the Market...it’s still standing last I saw...I will meet you there...-” Ess’ eyes widened, her arms flung out to grab hold of Jess, roughly pulling Jake’s sister towards herself as several horsemen almost trampled the girl. Battle cries echoed, mingling with the petrified screams of horses as several City Guards pushed back a small line of Black Riders.

“Watch yourself Jess.” Ess nodded respectfully at the girl and took off down some side alleys making her way towards Jake’s hideout. ‘Poor kid’ she thought to herself, knowing that building was in the center of the battle, more smoke rising from the city. It seemed Blackpond was pushing the slaughter back, but chaos roamed the streets brutally still. Ess peered from the alleyway, catching sight of a mother trampled to death, attempting to save her child. It was a little girl, no more than four who now lay quietly by her mother’s side, unmoving. There was plenty Ess hated about this city, but the common folk didn’t deserve this.

Somehow, Ess managed to stay hidden from the battle and slinked her way towards the grate of Jake’s hideout. As she approached, she heard the crack of wood and the sound of something falling with a loud crash. The building was on fire from above, spreading like water, flaming lumbar splattering in shards all around Ess as she dove to escape, slamming her head against the grate. ‘Freakin’ figures’, she thought to herself, a slight groan of pain escaping her lips.

“Jakey! ...Come out. It’s Ess..” Ess pushed herself to her feet, trying to open the grate. “Open up Jake, the hideout has been compromised! It’s on fire...and everyone is looking for you..”

Jake was quickly gathering anything remotely valuable to him that was kept in the hideout. He could smell the smoke coming from the building above and he wasn’t sure what would be left of his hiding spot once the fire spread, putting his hand near the big sealed door of the basement, it was still cool, so Jake knew he had time to spare. The problem then would be making it home in one piece. It was scary out there, but he needed to go now, there was no choice. He was finally finished putting everything into a bag: A couple of blankets that he had ‘borrowed’ from home, some food, his marbles and Drake; he had brought the dragon with him since he still needed him to sleep, as much as he hated to admit it to himself.

As he tied the bag shut, tightly, holding Drake under his arm, Jake heard his name called from outside. He smiled a bit, as he put the bag over his shoulder and ran to the grating. He couldn’t make out Ess voice over the sounds of the battle, but only two people ever called him ‘Jakey’, and Jess didn’t know about this place. “Stand back a bit!” He asked, as he found the grating a bit jammed, and was forced to kick it a few time to get it open; the metal bars popping out of their place and giving the boy room to get out in the open again.

Stepping out into the alley, Jake looked around all the destruction with wide eyes, sincerely hoping that his sister wasn’t wandering around in the middle of that mess trying to find him. “Shit.” He muttered, immediately wincing at the thought of what Jess would say if she caught him cursing. He turned to Ess and couldn’t help a smile even through his worries and the raiding of the city, but the smile shut for a moment when he noticed she had a packed bag. He looked around to make sure the people running and the fighting soldiers weren’t running their way, his eyes caught the sword she was carrying and he smiled again. “Yours is way cooler than mine.” He stated. “You said they were looking for me? You talked to Jess? Is she alright?” He asked as fast as he could, as usual. A loud crash coming from inside the burning building reminded the boy that it just wasn’t safe to stand there asking questions, and he jumped up slightly at the loud sound, immediately clinging to the older girl for comfort. “We should get out of here.” He mumbled, not liking how scared this whole thing made him.

Essence only heard the word ‘Back!’ and using the grate, she pushed away from it, the momentum flinging her back across the opposite wall as Jake kicked it open. She inhaled sharply, holding her breath before releasing it in relief as Jake popped out of the

basement. “Shit.. is right, Blue Eyes.” Ess stood straight, holding the sword idly by her side as she watched Jake’s gaze flutter from her face to her bag and down to her sword. For a moment, the destructive clammer faded into the background as reality hit her that this may be the last time she saw Jake... At least for a long time. Her lips twitched in a half smile as she raised the sword to look at, holding it out in the air between her and Jake. “It’s a little heavy....a parting gift from Derek...” She winked.

With her free arm, she wrapped it around Jake tight as he clung to her. “Jess if fine...she is going to meet us at our Oak...as long as it still stands.” Side-stepping, her hand clasped Jake’s hand roughly, dragging him behind her as she lead him down the alley, back through the maze she treaded to arrive at the hideout.

“It’s ok to be scared Jake.” Ess muttered as they rounded corner after corner, so far nothing causing them delay in their path. She noted bodies strewn about from the fallen citizens caught in the cross fire, her fingers firmly yet gently clasping Jake’s hair reassuringly with a squeeze, “Don’t look Jakey...” Ess tried to lead Jake as quickly as possible pass the heaps of bodies, knowing she couldn’t protect him from the world, and there were things he was going to learn if she liked it or not.

At those thoughts, the sound of wails could be heard coming from up ahead. Ess paused, halting Jake in their path, an exasperated breath escaping her before she peeked around the corner. A mother and father held what could only be their child, in their arms, screams of agony echoing into screams of blood and vengeance. The child, a young girl who had to be only a year or two younger than Jake, was bleeding out from a violent wound along her stomach. Ess watched, dumb struck, the man and woman’s sadness engulfing her heart as she listened to the dying girls last words: “Mommy... Don’t be sad...you still have Daddy to love you, and I will be watching you with Grandma from the clouds....” With the child’s last breath, the father let out a violent scream and in his rage he abandoned his wife to seek justice for his lost daughter. The scene was utterly heartbreaking, the mother continuing to run her fingers through her daughter’s hair as if she were sleeping. “Talena...stay with Mommy...”

Ess choked back tears, “Jake...we have to keep moving...”

Jake let Ess lead him through the chaos that was Blackpond. His friend had assured him that it was alright to be scared, and boy was he scared… His eyes were wide as he caught sight of people dropping dead and wounded all around. Men and women in armor clashed on the streets uncaring to the civilians who desperately tried to get away. The Black armored horsemen simply slashed everything that crossed their paths without care and the Blackpond Castle Guard had been called from the castle to fend them off. Jake knew the uniforms well and some of the men he had met before… A lot of them lay dead on the city streets, and the boy couldn’t help the thought that his father had died the exact same way. Such a stupid way to die… Stupid and pointless.

Suddenly the sound of pained screams gave the boy chills down his spine. Ess stopped and he practically collided with her. Peeking from behind his friend, his eyes sparkled with tears as he caught the scene. The little girl, not much younger than him, was trying to give her mother comfort as she took her last breath. It was a heartbreaking scene to watch, but Jake’s eyes lingered from the girl and the mother when the father left them. Jake’s gaze followed the man as he picked the sword of a fallen soldier and ran into battle. The boy lost the man in the confusion within seconds, but there was no doubt that he had gotten himself killed in his rage. What good that would ever do, Jake didn’t know.

“Jake...we have to keep moving...”


Reality...


Ess' breaths were agitated at the memory, responding with a nod as she whispered a name. "Talena....was the little girl's name...It's a name I've grown quite fond of, and use from time to time..." Her shoulders slumped a bit as she slowly approached Jake, her palms open to show she wasn't going to raise a hand at him again. "I'm sorry too, Jakey. I'm sorry we weren't around one another to remind us of some things that were lost… But…You didn't even try… you just gave up... even if you try and let yourself give a shit... that's better than abandoning the cause or loved ones... No more turning your back." Shuffling her feet lazily, Tala heeled by her side the entire time except when she paused a foot or so away from her friend, Tala began circling the man, sniffing curiously at his legs as she made several passes. "Do you want to make it right? Do you want to start over? We have so much to catch up on...." She finally forced a smile, relinquishing the tears the were overflowing her violaceous, fixed stare. "I do have to admit, one thing this has shown me, is that if you wish hard enough for something, it's possible it can come true....and I wished for you to come back... every single day... and now..." An eccentric giggle emerged from her, slow and quiet at first, causing her to comically choke for a second before she finished her sentence. "...and now… you're here."

“I’m here…” Jake whispered quietly, his eyes following Tala as she circled him, unsure of what he felt exactly at the moment. It was as if suddenly he had found a missing piece of himself and didn’t know how to glue it back together; a dull ache in his chest that had nothing to do with having been struck there. Still he managed a smile at Ess’ words to him, even if a bit awkwardly, honestly not knowing what to say to someone he had abandoned and not seen in fourteen years. “I do want to make it right, if I can… Start over…” He ran one hand through his hair, his motion slowing as he let his hand rest on the back of his neck, looking up for a moment. “I knew I’d have to stop running someday… Suppose I just needed a friendly beating…” He smirked a bit, before letting his gaze fall on his friend again. “And I hope you got all the hits you wanted out of your system, because it will never be this easy again.” He stated, his hand moving along his neck to reach for the golden chain, he pulled his sister’s locket from under his shirt, never forgetting her words to him about it. That believing in something was never a bad thing if it brought you comfort. Still fiddling with the chain he shook his head quietly. “So we’ve got over a decade of catching up to do and I’m sore… I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink… Since I’m old enough to drink now and all.” He stated, hoping the joking would distract him from the fact he still felt bad as hell. He didn’t want to start apologizing all over again though, he wanted to move on somehow.

Ess felt compelled to reach out for Jake, her form twitching slightly, showing her slight confusion what to do at that moment. Her eyes scanned over her friend slowly from head to toe, absorbing the extreme change from the boy she knew to this man, this stranger before her. She gave a genuine smile when he ran his fingers through his hair, "....Your hair does look better longer..." Finally she let herself stare into her friend's eyes, the flush of her cheeks diffusing back to her porcelain tone. Her fingers traced the scar upon her left cheek, trailing up towards her eye as she spoke, “Did you miss me that much you had to get a matching scar?” Slowly she shook her head, an amused grin threatening to stretch across her face. “I hope your story is more interesting than mine.” She joked. It still didn't seem real, but like a dream; a detached form of reality that made her still wonder in the back of her mind if she had finally gone insane. Playfully she bowed at his words explaining he wouldn't take a beating from her again. "Well Jake, I'm like you now....but still training under the Captain. I'd hope next time you would give me a challenge...we can 'play' and perhaps teach each other a few things." Essence turned her head down towards her feet a moment in silence before looking up again. "...It's a little weird being the short one now...you know...but guess it was expected..." She didn't hold back a chuckle as she nodded at the sound of a drink and gestured for Jake to follow back towards her camp fire. "I hope you can hold your liquor boy..." She teased.

Everything seemed to stand still, Ess only focusing on her friend as they took turns discussing the past decade and a half: Their choices, their thoughts, their mistakes, their enemies, and even sharing a few laughs here and there. Before Essence knew it, the sun had gone down, a warm wind tossing her curls along her cheeks. Just like the changing of the seasons, came the differences but yet the familiar and expected details could still be found in one another. Her heart ached for her friend as she searched for that innocence she once saw in him, now apparently shattered. Ess wanted better for him; she wanted him to have a childhood different from her own, yet no one was safe. After a few more drinks and some silence, just staring at each other as if in awe, Ess finally broke the eeriness. Essence smiled, turning around to stare at the white oak behind her. “Seems our past does tend to follow and shape us through life, hmm?” With a deep sigh her eyes found her best friend once again. "I think Jacob; I can forgive you, if you can forgive me. I didn't turn out quite how I promised either, but then again I guess no one does."

Jake couldn't help a small grin from forming itself at the comment on his hair; it was like going back in time for a moment, and it brought him fond memories of the several times he and Jessica had argued over the length of his hair. It had been a long time since he’d thought of happy memories, it was comforting. His eyes sparkled a brighter tone of blue as Ess mentioned him giving her a challenge, now that she wasn’t angry at him, a little spar could prove to be quite fun. He laughed out as she led him towards the fire. “Who are you calling a boy, now?”

Time: It was such a funny thing to Jake how it could freeze or fly by in an instant, with Essence it always seemed to go one way or another and that just hadn’t changed. It had been quite a while since the last time he’d lost track of time in a conversation, and as they talked he became more and more aware of how much he had changed, how alone he had been and how much he had actually missed his friend. Through the course of the conversation he had mentioned his assassin training, Sean, how he left the Pack, mercenary work, joining the Black Knights, leaving the Black Knights… Time spent with the White Shadows and in the Desert… Of course, details here and there were left out, and Jake found himself referring to Crys as ‘a friend’ and Dani as ‘the Alpha’ throughout the entire conversation, not even coming close to the subject of Dani’s death and his involvement in it. Not because he felt the need to hide anything, but because he couldn’t bring himself to think of it still. Those were things better discussed in the future. His Enlightenment was left out on purpose, not forgetting the possibility of a spar in the near future; he was sure that would be the very best moment to show it.

Jake smiled cheerfully when Ess mentioned she could forgive him if he could forgive her as well. “Not that I think there’s anything to forgive, but I can forgive you. And we’re both here after all… So I think we could have done a lot worse.” He stated with a gentle nod.

12 Days After The Castle Ball....Dusk

Jake stood quietly staring until Luckas had gone far enough to be out of hearing range. Heaving a small sigh he gave Ess a curious look. “So, I think maybe I do want to know what is it with the two of you. Still have your dagger by the way.” He mumbled.

Ess’ smile faded, averting her gaze purposely away from Jake while moving towards the tree he was leaning against. As if she didn’t hear the question she reached up towards a low branch and clung to it, swinging casually before tucking in her legs, arms pulling her form up in a ball so that she could flip her legs up and over the branch, between her arms before releasing, hanging upside down. As she continued to swing she smiled. “...That’s where I left the dagger, I couldn’t really remember where I dropped it...I will be needing that back.” Ess giggled. “You look funny upside down...ha remember when we would swing from the Oak...”

Jake watched Ess with a mildly amused smile as she hung upside down from the tree, obviously not missing the fact that she was avoiding his questioning. “You dropped the dagger after you... Uh... pointed it at my face...” He chuckled. “I left Jacob Bear with the Captain, but I kept the knife because I wanted to have a better look at it. It’s pretty sharp, I cut myself with it three times.” He stated, pulling the dagger from his belt and offering it to her and heaving a little sigh. “And you’re avoiding my question, Ess. And I would know because I do that all the time.”

Unhooking her legs, she let herself fall to the ground a little ways, landing upon her hands, her feet quickly meeting the ground before she stood. Tossing her curls aside she nodded, taking the blade held out before her, tucking it along the hem of her pants and into her boot. “Yea, you should see the sword.” She smiled. “You should be more careful with it...last time I used it was on this guy named Scott...took away that...’Ego’ of his..” She paused, “No..wait....Was at the Ball when I saw Ebony again...Goes through flesh like butter.” Nodding at the whereabouts of her nostalgic bear she gave a tired shrug. “Why talk about it, when I know you are going to dislike anything I say about Luckas because you obviously and notedly stated how much you despise him.” Ess sighed, lavender eyes searching Jake’s deep blues. “He’s MY FRIEND...Jacob.” She stated firmly, her voice remaining soft as she spoke. “I’ve grown quite fond of him..and we have a bit of a....’history’ you could say.”

“I have seen the sword, remember?” Jake snickered. “The day you got it?” He sighed, sitting at the foot of the tree and scratching the back of his head, absently fiddling with a few longer strands of his hair as he spoke. “True, I do despise Luckas... I’m pretty sure I always will, but I’m not asking about Luckas, I’m asking about you. Don’t want you thinking you can’t talk to me because of this... I mean... I’m not trying to change you either, I’m just concerned. And I know you don’t want me to kill him, but if he was to hurt you then I’d just have to. I’m a reasonable guy, but I don’t like my family messed with, you know.” He held back an annoyed growl as he added. “Besides, he said he talked to Crys and know you were there too...”

“Aww, finally get to keep your promise to me, is that it? My own personal, Black Knight?” Ess smiled wide, the points of her teeth peeking out from her lips. “Of course I will not deter your concern, but I believe he won’t hurt me....He’s had too many chances...” Again she sighed, a momentarily confused look in her eyes when Jake mentioned Crys. “Oh...the Inn, when I first saw Crys stab Sheila with a Sai..” Ess giggled. “I don’t know what was said, they were only chatting maybe a minute..didn’t seem like anything you should be worrying about, if that’s where this is going..” Ess kneeled down before Jake, noticing how much darker it was getting now, eyes darting for some candles or something to help her eyes adjust. “I can give you the short version...and If you want the long version...just another reason to read the journal I know you still have.” Ess’ voice lowered timidly. “Maybe you’ll find a reason to not like me as much though...” She shrugged. “It’s up to you, Jakey.”

“I’d much appreciate it if Luckas would keep away from Crys... As you may or not have noticed, he’s not all too discreet about the things he’s seen in my head. I’m in enough trouble as is with her without him bringing up her mother or some other thing like that.” Jake said, still fiddling with his hair as he spoke, his eyes lighting up a brighter tone of blue as stopped to think, his mind tracking back to the things Aiden had told him... Not sure if he wanted to bring that up at all. “There are more ways to hurt someone than the obvious ones you know. So, what I think is that being so fond of Luckas may not be a good thing; no matter what his intentions are exactly...” He sighed, not sure if he was even making sense. “I was going to give that back to you... Wasn’t sure if you wanted me to have it or if you were just throwing the nearest thing or whatever... I just tucked it away in my bag with...” Jake trailed off as he suddenly remembered something and jumped up, rushing into the tent. “Hang on a minute!” He called, going through the dark tent until he found a lamp and got some light. Setting the lamp down he grabbed his bag and carefully went through it until he found what he’d rushed in there to get, stepping out a again holding the lamp and a folded sheet of paper, calmly sitting back by the tree and placing the lamp down. “Was going to build a fire, but got a bit interrupted there...” He mumbled quietly before unfolding the paper revealing the portrait of a woman, all in black and white except for bright blue eyes. “Here, I promised Jess that whenever I saw you again I would show you this first thing. It’s... My mom.”

Ess was contemplating how to delicately express her opinion back to Jake on his ideas when he seemed to interrupt himself with a sudden thought. The random excitement caused Ess to blink a few times in confusion before chuckling a bit, the scene reminding her of when he was little. It was nice to see that some things hadn’t changed, however small and subtle they may be. At the mention of Jess, a dull ache crept up from her stomach into her chest but Ess still smiled, her fingers outstretched to receive the drawing. Ess gasped in delight, remembering how she had given Jess some tips and ideas on how to draw something from memory, the girl wanting so very much to have something tangible to show Jake of their mother. “Jake....it’s...bea-.....your mom is beautiful....she looks like Jess...or...Jess looks like her...” She took in a deep breath, silently taking in the detail and how the eyes stood out amidst all the rest, similar to Ess’ own style. “....I miss her....” Ess whispered suddenly, still keeping her smile as she carefully handed the drawing back to Jake. “Speaking of drawings, the journal you can hold onto for a bit...read it and then give it back. There are...more drawings inside of it too. If you want..” Her voice cracked, “There’s a picture of Jess I re-did, I’m sure you’d like it. I’ve gotten much better, if you can believe it...course many of my drawings have taken on a..darker aspect, as of late....but honestly, she did a wonderful job, Jake.”

Shaking the distraction from mind, she backtracked to what she had been thinking of prior. “Jake...” She began, pausing in silence before continuing slowly, keeping her tone as gentle as possible. “ Luckas is my friend..so as my friend I treat him as an equal...I do not have him on some sort of leash...so if he desires to make friends or talk to whomever..he’s going to...and if you’re concerned about him mentioning things you’d rather him not, it seems like that’s your responsibility, not Luckas’. If there are things Crys does not know about..you best tell her soon because I know for a fact, us women tend to find out ALL. If she finds out from someone else or some other circumstance, you could lose any chance you have of holding onto her. Just saying.” As if trying to pick her next few words, her smile opened and closed, coinciding with her thoughts. “..I do appreciate the concern, but the idea of Luckas hurting me in other ways than the obvious, can be said about anyone...Even you Jake. I can’t live in fear and doubt all the days of my life...besides...there’s just something about him....Do you want me to start from the beginning? Even if you won’t agree, maybe you’ll understand why I feel and think the way I do..”

Jake simply nodded his way through the conversation regarding his sister, remembering how his reluctance to ever talk about her had been pointed out to him by Crys and Lena over and over as something he needed to deal with; even if he did agree with that, it wasn’t something he was willing to do right this moment. He stayed in his half-trance, looking down at the drawing as it was returned to him without actually seeing it through blurry eyes until the conversation went back to its previous subject.

He quietly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as he heaved a sigh to Ess’ words. “My responsibilities to Crys have absolutely nothing to do with Luckas at all, which is precisely my point. What I tell her, where and when, is something I need to take care of myself, whenever I even get her to listen to me. Has nothing to do with Luckas. At all. The fact is that Luckas will say and do whatever the hell amuses him without giving a shit and this is something that matters to me. Nonetheless... I don’t recall asking you to put a gag on him or anything. If he is your friend as you say though, then maybe... Just maybe... He’d listen to you.” He muttered. “I’m not pulling this out of nowhere either, Ess... He’s done it before. Back then I could overlook it because it was not a big deal, but this is. Unlike him, I’m not a kid anymore and I should have the right to handle this like a man.” He ran a hand over his eyes and sighed. “Yes I’m being stupid and paranoid, it’s really THAT bad of a mess I’m in.” He chuckled softly, honestly trying to find some amusement in the whole thing. “As for how he can hurt you... Yes, that’s true. And all things considered I know that pointing this out makes me a hypocrite, but you know... Even though I want him as far away as possible, I’d hate to see you suffer because one day he decides to just up and vanish, or do something ridiculous and get himself stabbed in the face. I know there’s probably little to be done about that, but I’m just saying.” He snickered. “So there goes my favorite dream; stabbing Luckas in the face. Damn it.”

Taking to a more serious tone he nodded, finally folding the drawing again and looking her in the eyes. “If... You want to tell me, or try to explain things from your point of view, you know I’ll listen. I’m not quite so sure I can understand though.”

“Well, I think it’s safe to say then, that we agree Luckas shouldn’t interfere. I will mention something, but obviously I can’t make any promises....and yes you are paranoid, but not stupid, Jakey. Maybe stubborn...but that’s just a family trait, no?” Ess was quite moved how Jake continued to show his concern over her well being; mind, body and soul. She tried to force a disapproving glare when he mentioned stabbing Luckas in the face, but ended up covering her mouth trying to hide the series of giggles that plagued her. When she finally calmed she shook her head. “Remember Jakey, what I told you long ago about making your own decisions on life? That’s what I’m doing. I just want you to see that, and that’s what I mean by ‘understanding.’”

Ess closed her eyes, literally starting from the beginning in her summary of how she met Luckas. She felt somewhat shameful to mention what she had been doing to even put herself in such a situation in the middle of the night, and so her eyes remained shut, afraid of seeing disappointment from her friend. Ess summarized how she came up on him some time before Lena had ‘found’ him, momentarily interrupting his ‘meal’ and how he didn’t harm her but tried to erase her memory. Obviously that did not work, and even though she mentioned the dreams, she purposely left out the new information on how her and Luckas shared a telepathic link of some sort. Ess was afraid Jake would not understand; perhaps even believing that it had something to do with the reason she felt the way she did. She did spend much time explaining the irony in running into him again the night she met the Captain and finding out how he had taken care of a ‘small domestic problem’ or two since they began their acquaintance. Ess went over the Xypher encounter and how she met Lena and basically everything up to the other night. Yes, she understood his predatory nature. Yes, she had taken part in things Jake may disapprove of, but she also made sure to remind him of the things she told Jake of herself the night they were drinking.

“Maybe...I admit, I could be acting foolish.” Finally her eyes opened, shifting nervously from Jake’s to the lantern before her. “..It’s just every inch of my...’soul’ is telling me there’s more to this guy than he tends to show most of the world. I am beginning to think I’ve witnessed some of it. I do understand him, for at least a good portion of what I’ve seen. I see myself in some ways. That I don’t expect you to understand, but mostly because you know the part of me from when we were kids and now I’m not just that girl but something more. Something, I wonder if one day may turn you from me.” She allowed a slightly saddened sigh to escape her, her expression hinting at a look of defeat. “He’s just a friend, Jake. Least as far as I can tell, even though something inside me screams for more.” Her voice trailed off almost inaudible. “That probably just grosses you out I bet..but it’s the truth....I can’t help the way I feel, especially since I’ve never had this...these series of emotions.”

Jake remained still and silent as he listened; even when he felt like he wanted to say something he’d kept to himself, not wanting to interrupt. The whole time Jake’s expression was one of interest as he watched his friend’s face, trying to somewhat guess what she was thinking as she told her story. While he didn’t think he was successful, he could obviously tell that some of the things she was telling him were not easy ones to say and he thought maybe he caught a bit of apprehension in her tone, as if she was wary of his reaction in a way; a wariness that was later voiced, as she mentioned how she’d changed from the girl he knew as a kid.

Jake was silent until Ess had spoken her last word, and a few moments after she had finished speaking, feeling somewhat unsure of which of the many thoughts on his mind was the dominant one; especially regarding her particular feelings for Luckas. He couldn’t lie to himself and pretend it didn’t bother him. It bothered him very much, but he couldn’t judge someone for their feelings, right? Even if he disagreed, even if he disliked it... Even if it almost angered him a bit. He couldn’t judge, and he couldn’t impose his wishes and views on Ess; it would be an unfair and cruel thing to do, she didn’t deserve that and he wouldn’t be her friend if did so. After a nearly full minute of silence Jake heaved a soft sigh and finally spoke. “I’m not going to lie to you, Ess. There’s a great part of me that wishes you’d feel different, or at least not as much, and it frustrates me, but... Well... Crys once told me how it’s wrong to expect or demand that someone change what’s in their heart. That to ask someone to neglect or deny their feelings was like asking them to cut off a piece of themselves. I couldn’t possibly wish to cut off any piece of your heart even if that piece happens to be Luckas. And if I neglect the fact that he’s the one we’ve been talking about I’d say you deserve these feelings, they’re awfully important ones to feel. I can’t quite be happy with it, but I can... Understand... I guess...” He leaned back staring upwards as if trying to see some starlight amongst the tree branches above his head. “Doesn’t mean I won’t break his face next time he pisses me off though.” He added, annoyance in his tone although a slight amusement seemed to be hiding underneath. As he lowered his gaze back to Ess he gave a half smile. “I’m curious if you wondered something though... What if you hadn’t run into Luckas that first night, or later in the castle? Where do you think you would be?”

Essence relaxed a bit, her eyes closing again, a long breath escaping her as she nodded. “Perfectly fair....” Opening her eyes, she looked surprised, and what one would see as a look of pride as she spoke. “...When did you get so big, Jacob? I mean...you’re growing up...or you’ve grown up...just so odd, this time skip I’m experiencing.”Ess smiled, rolling her neck along her shoulders. “ Ah...you seem like you had some good people in your life...makes me feel better some for not being there...Crys, she sounds like good people...Makes me look forward even more to speak with her again.” Playfully she reached over and ruffled up his hair, giggling softly. “I will most definitely give you the same respect back, with this situation...with any situation. “

Essence began running her fingers through the ends of her curls thoughtfully at Jacob’s questions; tilting her head forward to that she was looking up, she began tugging at her bangs. “Hmm....I …” She sighed. “I can’t really answer that, can I? I mean, it didn’t happen that way and what is...can not be changed. But I get what you are asking....” Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, she propped up her head, elbow against her thigh. “Well....If I didn’t meet him the second time, I know I’d be still wondering about him. Either way, if I didn’t meet him in the first place or at least the second time, I know I’d still have found my way here; to the Captain, and to you. Maybe....I know there most likely wouldn’t have been the Xypher encounter...but those men in my house..then again, I may not be alive still. I was...” Ess paused, shaking her head slowly. “...I don’t know if this is a fair question, Jacob.” She sighed, moving to speak and then looking up at him, lost. “I...maybe would not know about my brother....about this miracle that I have a living son... Something, I’m sorry to say, you can not understand how it feels. Something that was stolen and then impossibly returned... maybe you do...” Ess trailed off, lightly massaging her temples, a bit of blood glistening along her bottom lip from where she bit down. “I was....in a very bad place before I met Luckas....I don’t wanna talk about it...” Ess shied away from Jake, holding her head still in her hands.

Jake heaved a small sigh, watching Essence with concern in his eyes. “I’m sorry, you’re right, it’s not a fair question. I know that. It’s not fair to even ask myself these things. Dwelling on what could have been, and what can never be, is an unfair thing. I think... Sometimes it’s just amusing, in a somewhat cruel way, how things turn out. When I was just a kid, right after Jess died I was given a choice to make and if I had chosen differently I wouldn’t have been in the forest, I would have been in Blackpond to answer your letters, and a lot of the painful things I’ve gone through wouldn’t have happened. And I think about that all the time. If I had chosen differently I wouldn’t have any reason to hate Luckas, because I would probably not have met him at all... And that’s a bit funny, I think. And yet, I probably wouldn’t know just about anyone I call a friend today.” He trailed off, thinking about it for a few moments. “Guess there’s just too many ‘what ifs’ in the world for one to keep track of... Millions of them for one single decision, I’d say... So I guess it is rather unfair of me to try to ask you to measure the impact anyone has had in your life.” He snickered. “Too much of this thinking and you’ll end up crazy like me.” He played.

Ess suddenly looked up, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. She slowly nodded, absorbing Jake’s words before shaking her head whispering, “I’m pretty sure I’m not considered sane, my friend.” Ess snickered. “I know I like how many things are turning out. I think some are a fair trade for the pain I’ve suffered, and some are not. Just an exchange of ups and downs, really. Reminds me....” Ess smiled, her eyes lighting up when she realized how this conversation kind of was similar to the one Luckas had with her the night of their ‘interrogation’ of Xypher. “..Reminds me of when I was asked basically if it was worth having memories...good or bad and if ignorance was really bliss. It ties in with disrupting who we are now. Maybe if someone wished to be..someone else...” Ess held back an ironic giggle. “I think sometimes we are just confused or lost. I know I was.”

“Hmm...” Jake mumbled, scratching the side of his head absently as he thought. “Ignorance can be somewhat blissful I think. In some cases. When it comes to personal memories though, I think that being left to wonder can be somewhat... Maddening. If you feel the need to find answers then you’re probably not better off without them.” He shrugged. “In general though... Ignorance can be blissful. I think there are things in the world that people are just not equipped to handle, and certain truths are amongst those things.” He snickered softly. “Lena always used to tell me that she believed fate to be the most frightening thing... I think that if I think about it I have to agree, I mean... It is surely frightening how little control we have over the person we turn out to be. Sometimes it seems like everyone else in our lives has more of a say on the matter than we do.” He opened a rather cheerful smile as he went back on the conversation a little and added. “Suppose I did have some great people in my life. And hopefully I will again soon enough.”

Ess nodded, still listening to Jake carefully. “Fate....is a scary thing...but exciting and amazing too. It baffles me how so many people I’ve met, know each other; how things have a tendency of working out better than expected, at least in the long run. It...makes me reflect quite a bit on who I was, who I still am and who I could be in the future. Lets not forget the simple fact of the matter, how amazing it is that we are still breathing.” Going silent, Ess gradually shuffled to her feet, her belly gurgling suddenly. “Before I forget...Captain said you could help me on the next level of my poison training..Is it true?” Ess smiled. “Funny, how I was dabbling in such things when we were little...I wish....I had more of the innocence you did as a child, Jake. I was always jealous and envious of it...was one of my favorite things about you when we were little. You reminded me how I wasn’t completely cold and empty inside...” She cut herself off with, “..It’s hard to explain...maybe you should just read the journal..It’s easier to see the change than explain it, I think, but no pressure...except the pictures...I do want you to look at them.”

Jacob smiled, absently reflecting on those strange little coincidences that seemed to just be way too common in Valcrest. Seemed as if everyone in the land was connected somehow, whether they realized it or not. His eyes following Ess’ movements as she stood, he interrupted his thinking and opened a slightly wicked grin at her question about poison training, remembering exactly how he got to learn it in the first place. “I can help you, sure. Are you sure you want me to though? Lena was my teacher, and I only know her methods... Twins bless the woman, but she was a maniac.” He chuckled, softly. “And why do you suppose I started in the first place? You used to hide your books in my secret basement... And Jess used to constantly tell me that the best way to write properly is to read everything you can get your hands on. I couldn’t understand most of it back then, but still... Some coincidences are not that coincidental, I’d say.” Looking up at her and not standing up himself, Jake tilted his head in thought. “You know... I think... No one stays innocent for as long as they should anymore. I wasn’t innocent for as long as I would have wanted, but suppose that in order to survive in this world... Something needs to be sacrificed, right?” He sighed, again looking upwards towards the hints of night sky amongst the branches. “I’ll be sure to read it soon, probably later tonight if I can’t bring myself to sleep again.” He smiled softly. “It’s about dinner time, I wouldn’t want to keep you from it too long. After all, Twins only know what’ll happen if you let your psychotic stalker go hungry.” He teased.

Ess’ eyes playfully widened, teasing a look of fright. “..Lena methods, eh?....Well, Captain’s orders...” Ess smiled. “..Why am I not surprised you found those books...always were too smart for your age.” Her smile dwindled to a slightly disappointed smirk. “..Guess it’s not all coincidences and ironies. It’s like you said though, some things maybe some people shouldn’t know because they can’t handle....yet..” Ess paused, following Jake’s gaze upwards towards the sky. “...You and I both know from experience, when faced with the ugly truths, we surprise even ourselves what we can understand and deal with. I personally am a believer in no secrets..no matter the cost. I would rather know what my brother has done, then continue on in this world in ‘Blissful ignorance’, especially if my knowing and my actions can stop him and help someone besides myself.” Turning to walk away she sighed, finding Jakes words on not sleeping and she froze. She stared Jake dead in the eye, void of any emotion, yet she was feeling a mix of concern and more of the eerie irony she felt earlier. “Jake...do you have nightmares too or do you just not sleep?” She went to speak again but smiled, shaking her head. “Eh...it’s all in there...everything one could hope to learn about me. But..I don’t sleep much either...at least lately.”

Wandering off into the shadows, she couldn’t see a thing in the darkness, yet she knew the grounds and it’s surroundings like the back of her hand now, knowing where to watch for fresh piles of wood, random mole holes and tree roots that snaked beneath her feet. Her childlike giggles echoed after her at the thought of an impatient Luckas waiting in his normal spot beside the Oak, and she only slowed her pace, a sweet smile curling her lips.

“Yes, but isn’t it selfish to expect others to be as strong as you are?” Jake whispered absently, replying to Ess’ statement about her brother, but also thinking of other unrelated things of his past. He simply nodded at her questioning on his lack of sleep, only then realizing he had mentioned it in the first place, and remaining silent just letting her speak further without giving any answers. He remained seated in his spot and somewhat lost in thought for a few moments even after Ess had wandered off, until finally he moved to enter his tent and return his sister’s drawing to its place inside his bag.

[Raven’s Nest, 12 days after Castle Ball]

Luckas had tried to do some good stalking to occupy his time, but as he had suspected, it was somewhat troubling for him to go unnoticed with Tala hanging around. Not only that; but he couldn’t seem to actually find the Captain and there was really nothing else he could think of to entertain himself without causing trouble. He thought about chasing Beast Boy around and maybe mess with him, but changed his mind when he remembered how things went down last time he was face to face with him. It was quite possible that would end in even more trouble than simply causing trouble, so he let it go... For the time being, at least. So he did what he said he’d do in the first place, and just walked aimlessly for a bit; thoughts wandering freely through the ever-growing list of doubts in his mind, only occasionally allowing himself to focus on his surroundings to listen and pinpoint the sound of the wolf still following after him. He ended his walk when he found himself in his usual spot by the oak; seeing no one else around and not quite sure how long he’d walked or how long he’d have to wait.

Essence took her sweet time, stepping in short strides, dragging her heels lazily behind her. She was still smiling, pausing suddenly to hop to her left and then her right, spinning on her toes so that her curls flew out straight before burying her face. It took even longer for her to reach her tent, swaying her hips with every step, her arms appearing to float by her side as she danced to her own humming. A few hushed words were made audible here and there, but nothing that would make much sense to the onlooker. She appeared somewhat intoxicated; free and uncaring for a few moments. It was something she was not use to feeling as her mind was blissfully quiet, even with bits of her previous conversation with Jake trying to pierce through. Ess had spent more time than not, always worried about disappointing that boy. In life. In death. Not many people she held in such high regard so that she was truly frightened of them turning on her one day, and yet, even after all this time, her best friend was true to his words. Now, she was more curious what kinds of things he would ask her if he indeed read through her entire journal. It would be almost like looking into her mind as Luckas had once, except there was much even she still denied to write down. More like secrets she hadn’t even admitted to herself because she was afraid of a change of heart. Ess twirled again, her gaze staring up into the sky where she paused when she caught the glint of firelight from her camp, happy the flames were still going. Toning down her dancing a bit she grew louder in her singing. Simple sounds of vowels with no particular words spoken carried her closer. Ess felt like she was telling a story, but about what, she couldn’t know for sure; she simply remembered it was something her father use to sing when she was sad.

Luckas had been resting against the oak tree, eyes closed, not really minding his surroundings much as he waited. He didn’t know how long he’d been there, but he was pretty sure he’d been there longer in other occasions, he didn’t mind the wait at all. Only when he noticed Tala wandering off that he opened his eyes to look around. Didn’t take long for him to spot Ess making her way towards the camp, and seeming quite content. Jumping to his feet, Luckas walked in her direction with a somewhat childish curiosity showing on his face as he questioned, in a playful tone. “All that cheerfulness better be for seeing me, otherwise I might just have to throw another jealous fit.”

Ess’ eyes lit up, a silvery twinkle glittered in her stare when she saw Luckas approach. Absently she greeted Tala, her fingers sifting through the wolf’s fur, but she didn’t stop her approach, still skipping a bit here and there. Tilting her head, her eyes closed, a mischievous smile peeking from behind her curls. “..Has to be ‘All’ for you, aye? Well...I’d be lying if I said the idea of you hanging out to see me, doesn’t make me smile.” Her tone went to a slightly higher pitch in her amusement. “But, if your jealous fits are all like that one earlier...I’ll be honestly disappointed for future encounters....” Ess shrugged, pausing inches away from Luckas, leaning in curiously with a wink. “Besides, you want my attention, just say so.” When she turned her head, feathery like curls brushing against Luke’s face. Ess knelt beside the fire, adding some wood to the flames. Earlier she had skinned a rabbit; taking the heart, kidneys, and liver to cook in a pot for Tala while she leaned the hare across two mini pikes above the flames. It was about time to turn the roasting meat, her fingers sprinkling something unseen across the darkened flesh before turning back to Luckas, brushing her hands off along her pants. “Oh...come now...I hope you aren’t jealous of...well..Jake? It’s...different...” Ess stopped talking, shaking her head and just smiled at her friend.

Luckas snickered, even more amused than he already had been, tilting his head as he replied. “I’d hate to be a disappointment Lady, I’ll make sure to improve my hissy fits for future occasions.” He said, playfully raising his right hand as if taking an oath. “And well...” He forced a little cough to clear his throat. “Not all...” He grinned, leaving the sentence incomplete and just taking a seat, absently glancing towards the food as if it somehow gave him a bright idea, but not voicing whatever it was. “I’m sure I’ve mentioned it at some point... You’ll know it when I’m truly jealous. It’s not a pretty sight, I’d say.”

Ess sat before the fire, chuckling at Luckas’ words. “No...I’m sure it’s not pretty to see you truly jealous....but at the same time...” Her fingers reached behind her neck, gently massaging the sore muscles as she continued, but not finishing her sentence. “So...this...opportune time you had to...kill Jake...when was that?” Her eyes were kind as she searched to find Luckas, keeping her head still, trying to remedy the stiffness along her neck. Ess went on as if she didn’t care for his answer, when she really did but mostly out of curiosity. “I meant what I said you know...a while back...about being ok with you not telling me about Jake.” Ess sighed, her fingers temporarily tangled in her curls. “I think....it would have made things crazier than they got...and I may have not believed you...even though that sounds silly..”

Luckas tensed only slightly at Ess’ questions about killing Jake, he remembered exactly how that day just kept getting worse, it made him frown momentarily before giving a small shrug and answer. “Was after Lena died, after I left here...” He cleared his throat again, fixing his gaze on the roasting rabbit. “Jake kind of ambushed me in front of her grave and we had a little... Uh... Discussion.” Luckas ended his explanation at that and quickly moved to the next subject. “I figured you wouldn’t believe me... And I’d have to show you... And that would’ve been bad... That’s mostly why Lena didn’t tell though, my reasons were... only partially that.” He smirked a bit to himself, scratching the back of his head and absently tugging on the collar of his shirt as if trying to stretch it slightly.

“I know Luckas....I know...but gee how many bloody ‘discussions’ you plan on having with friends of mine?” Essence slowly shook head trying to hide the amusement in her face. “Crys is a friend...does that mean you’re going to have a ‘conversation’ with her too now?” She teased, thinking about where to find her and how to go about her attempt in helping Jake in his hole he dug himself. She was quiet for a time, occasionally rotating the rabbit over the flames, her smile fading while thinking over Jacob’s story about Cry’s mom. “...Poor...Jakey...” She whispered to herself before speaking louder. “...He’s got much to talk about with that girl...I just hope I can help give him that chance...” Ess stretched, pulling the pot of innards off the fire to cool for her wolf, before glancing back at Luckas. “..We know some things...are just best heard from those involved...some things are just not our business, right Luckas? I could only imagine being her and hearing certain things....lets say..from me...wouldn’t be appropriate...” Clearing her throat, she added with a giggle. “..I want to liiive.”

Luckas frowned slightly, an annoyed expression on his face. “I didn’t plan anything, was just minding my business... He started it... He always starts it...” Letting out a little snort he muttered. “And wasn’t even that bloody this time.” Resting his arms on his knees and leaning onto them, Luckas tilted his head curiously at the sudden mention of Crys. He snickered softly. “Oh, so we’re helping Jake, are we?” He shrugged. “I owe Crys one coin... or at least a drink... I said I’d repay her. I don’t see how that would end in a discussion. Besides... That woman is the last person in Valcrest I’d want to have a ‘discussion’ with, Lady. She’s scary... Like the Captain, but more scary.” He faked a little frightened shudder, before laughing softly. “You’d be surprised at how good I am at not saying... Certain things.” A trace of a sigh escaped him as he muttered under his breath. “Way too good, sometimes.”

Essence rolled her eyes, a soft laugh bouncing along her shoulders. “...Things tend to work out better when not planned anyways, no? Besides, it takes two, Luckas...you can’t put blame all onto one..somehow I doubt you didn’t have a hand in it all, but I digress.” Another laugh blurted out from her, “Ha! I believe you Luckas...in your chosen restraint depending on the circumstances...All has to do with what we ‘want’, yes? Sometimes...just sometimes, words or actions will escape us in heightened emotion, even if it is something subconsciously we are trying to hide. I’m sure you’ve seen plenty examples of such...” A random yawn cut off her current thought, her amused smile disappearing when darkened ideas clouded her violet gaze. Her mind was scattered, jumping from one thing to the next; it was unclear to why the sudden change in her expression except that her mind was always on the go and to be without some hefty burden weighing down upon her would be anything short of a miracle. Remaining silent, she reached for her dagger along her boot, freeing it from it’s sheath so she could dip the blade into a pot of boiling water before slicing up the cooked organs for Tala. Ess didn’t even say a word and the wolf was sitting quietly by her side, long shoelace like drool dripping towards the ground in anticipation.

Luckas snorted a bit. “Well, yes, but I’ve done my share of taking it... Even my patience has its limits, Lady.” He retorted, stubbornly refusing to take as much blame for anything as he obviously should; especially this. He didn’t insist on the subject any more than that, however. It was pretty much pointless, and he’d really rather think about anything else. He went silent for a moment or so, simply watching Ess with curious eyes, but then he started mumbling things under his breath here and there, not audibly enough to make out any actual words. “Heightened emotion...” He whispered, as he ended whatever ramblings he had going and fell completely silent, a small frown forming itself as he was clearly still thinking over something. Finally he seemed to come to some conclusion and spoke up. “You said... Jake is like your brother... What does that mean exactly?” He asked, seeming a bit confused. “I mean... You’re not related, and he’s not literally like your brother, and I think you probably wouldn’t want that all things considered, so... What’s it supposed to mean exactly?”

Ess’ tension soften slightly when she heard Luckas speak Jake’s name. She was still silent when she dropped diced liver and kidneys into a dish for Tala, whom inhaled the steaming morsels in seconds, happily. It had not dawned on her how her comparing Jake to a brother would cause Luckas to question her until that moment, her expression now remorseful. “...Well...Jake is most obviously not like my REAL brother in that he is not related or the fact he is nothing like that bastard Ian who betrayed... not just me, but himself..” Ess groaned, shaking her head. “Simply, Jake was my first and only friend for a long time. Both him and his sister accepted me for who I was and helped me realize the bull Ebony was trying to brainwash me with.” Sighing, she lazily slashed at the hind leg of the rabbit, the dagger cutting through so easily, for a moment it didn’t appear it had even touched the meat. Ess lightly tugged at the leg, tossing it on a pewter plate and handing it off to Luckas. “..He was the first boy, even as a child, who looked at me and saw something more...he looked up to me and it gave me a responsibility and strength to escape and better myself. To know I deserved it, was one of the hardest things I’ve faced in my life.” Ess cleared her throat. “That boy loves me in a manner that is innocent and...untainted by the normal lustful natures of men I am accustomed to. That is why he is like my brother.” Ess looked over at Luckas and smiled. “Family, doesn’t have to be in blood. Family is suppose to be trust, unconditional love and respect. No matter what, we will always have each other’s backs.”

“Hmm...” Luckas mumbled, looking down at the plate in his hands but ignoring the food completely. He couldn’t honestly say he understood, because he didn’t quite, but then he’d rather not mention he didn’t understand exactly. Finally he sighed and said what he thought he could safely say. “He’s what your real brother should’ve been... Then...” He frowned again for a moment, mentally scolding himself for being so soft all of a sudden; not long ago, something like this wouldn’t be enough to make killing someone out of the question. “So... What about your real brother... Have you... Heard anything?” Luckas changed the subject, somewhat, with the question, thinking it was best to ask it before saying anything else. Waiting for an answer he took a bite of his food and quietly chewed on it.

“He’s what your real brother should’ve been... Then...”

“...Exactly...” Ess breathed, her fingers raking through her curls repeatedly, in deep thought. Turning back towards the rabbit she sliced off a leg for herself, absently wiping at a stray tear that lingered along her lashes. Sitting down, Ess spent more time shredding the rabbit meat with her dagger than actually eating it, Luckas’ question hovering over her head. “Rumors...mostly...that and stories of....” Ess sighed, tossing some of the meat to Tala, not finishing her sentence. “Captain said she’s got some leads on some...concerns she has agreed to look into...I figured if Ian..” She twitched, a look of disgust for having to speak the name in her eyes. “...He may know more about the type of...underground business I was stolen into..and rumors are that it’s still very much alive.” Ess gripped her dagger and brutally stabbed at the rabbit carcass above the fire, leaving the blade embedded. “...That and I hear whispers of children disappearing...but no...nothing really on Ian’s location...I may just start blindly searching through Valcrest if I don’t hear anything soon...I feel like there’s something or someone I’m suppose to find.” Ess chuckled awkwardly. “Maybe it’s just myself.”

Luckas sighed, chewing on the rabbit meat for a bit longer than needed before swallowing hard, a little sigh escaping him as he took one more bite and again took his time with chewing. And then one more. After which he decided there was really not an easy way to go about this. “I... May... Know...” He mumbled simply. “I don’t think you’d want to go after him now though... I mean... It might not be the case to...” He groaned, trying to explain the best he could while not giving away the actual problem; which proved quite difficult. “It’s a bad idea. There’s things he’s mixed up in.”

Ess dropped her plate, Tala lapping up the fallen meat. Listening to Luckas, she hadn’t really paid attention to her own reaction, simply staring at her friend curiously. “You...may know? Well..I wouldn’t leave RIGHT now, my Dear Luckas..but what have you found out? How did you come across information? Have you seen him?” Ess took in a deep breath, her smile apologetic. “...Well, that is why I need to find him, Luckas. If he’s a part of things I should know about it to at least relay to the Captain, I need to find him.” Ess snarled as she breathed in , “He won’t be mixed up in anything for too much longer once I find him, anyways. I mean...what makes a difference if I go after him later? He will still be mixed up in things and if I can tone down the damage, I feel a bit of responsibility to do so. It’s always going to be dangerous...” Ess paused quirking a brow. “Why are you trying to disway me? Do you not want to have fiery fun?”

Luckas lowered his eyes completely, seeming to struggle against his own thoughts as he mumbled under his breath. “Nothing will ever be this dangerous, Lady.” Raising his head to meet Ess’ eyes he nodded. “I always want my fun, but I know you, Lady... You’re emotionally driven, as you yourself say, and if I tell you where he is you’ll want to hunt him down as soon as possible. It does make a difference; if you go after him later, it will be safer, I can see to it given enough time. This is... Bigger than you can understand.” He set down his plate, not feeling hungry anymore.

Ess held back a groan of frustration, taking a deep breath as she worked to keep her cool. Her smile tightened as she spoke, her tone still gentle. “...True...that’s pretty obvious what I will do with the information once given to me...but why do you get to make that decision for me?” She stood, moving closer to Luckas before kneeling so she was looking up at him, her hand resting lightly upon his arm. “Luckas...I understand this goes beyond just me and that’s why it’s so important. If you know something, you can’t just tease me like that and not say anything.”

“Sometimes Lady, you’re just too close to the picture to actually see it.” Luckas stated, sighing and looking away from her again with a frown. “I’m not deciding anything, I’m just... It’s not worth it... You shouldn’t go back there now.” He argued, standing up and moving a few steps away, a small frustrated growl escaping him. “If I tell you, will you wait?”

Essence was quiet for a moment, the light from her eyes flashing brightly as she stood back on her feet. She was beginning to lose her patience, feeling as if secrets were being kept and as if she were being treated like a child. “....Not....WORTH it?” Ess began, her voice taking on an icy, mocking edge. “Really....ok fine...lets put it this way. You can tell me or not tell me, but I’m going to act on it sooner than later. Giving me information will only help in my apparent ignorance, but I can make due without...always have.” Turning her back, she took another deep breath, her fist clenching as her hand rose to retrieve the blade within the rabbit, cleaning it off before placing it safely in her boot. At this point, she couldn’t hold still and began randomly cleaning, moving things around, adding wood to the fire; anything to keep her busy as she tried not to flip out at her friend.

“You speak as if I’m trying to take this from you.” Luckas said, a genuinely upset note in his voice. “Trust me, I understand how important this is, and I still say it’s not worth the risk. Is it too much to ask that you trust me with this? You’ll have all the answers eventually, I promise.” He paused just for a second as if trying to assimilate what exactly he was promising here. “I’ll tell you where he is, right now, if you promise you’ll wait.”

Essence felt her chest tighten, her breathing coming in shorter bursts as she continued to work to keep control. Emotionally driven... She thought to herself, but the woman couldn’t help it. Ess was torn at Luckas’ words on trust. “...You don’t understand...why it is worth the risk to me. What I don’t understand is why? You sound like you know more than just where Ian is, Luckas.” Ess picked up a block of wood and literally threw it into the fire. “I do trust you Luckas, but isn’t that the problem? Weren’t you the one who told me once that no one really trusts anyone? Maybe it’s you who doesn’t trust me.” The woman began to pace, anger clearly now painted upon her porcelain features and as it grew, hot tears formed behind her violet eyes. When she spoke, her tone was soft again, but shaky. “....Fine....I promise to wait....arguing like this will clearly not get us anywhere, and you obviously brought it up with the intention of giving me some sort of information...so ok.” Ess stopped, letting her legs give way as she gracefully sat cross legged upon the ground, resting her head in her hands, fingers tugging upon her curls, pulling the hair painfully along her scalp. She didn’t show any change in her expression, as she thought to herself, the only thing she did understand was not rushing into a situation where she gave herself no escape. She was at least sensible enough to plan ahead for that.

Luckas sighed. “Don’t I understand?” He muttered, but didn’t say anything more on that particular matter. “I know a bit more, but there are things I just can’t say right now... If you recall, I said... I still have promises left to keep. They involve... Not saying certain things for now.” He sighed softly yet again. “What I said... Is that people don’t trust because trust can’t be real when there’s doubt. Just because someone doesn’t tell you all their secrets, that doesn’t mean you’re not trusted, Lady. If you doubt their motives, then maybe you’re the one who lacks the ability to trust.” He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “Do you think I trust you?” He asked simply, with a little smirk, not giving her room to reply as he continued. “I saw him in Blackpond a while back. And some other place just out of the city some time before that.”

Ess didn’t move as Luckas spoke, mumbling under her breath here and there, “..Promises to who I wonder...” She sighed, “I assume you are meaning Lena...fine..I can respect promises...but don’t think I understand any better right now...” Ess meant it; she didn’t understand and she felt that was maybe why she was so unsure of what Luckas was saying and what he knew. She still felt no danger around him, and that was enough to calm her slightly when she thought how much she did actually trust him. Ess began to feel slightly guilty, especially when she reminded herself that he actually did care about her: ...."I like you... I care... I hate myself for it sometimes, but I can't help it. Is that what you wanted me to say, Lady? Is that what you need?"

Even with the memory, she still couldn’t be sure if Luckas did trust her, but perhaps that was her own self, doubting. Her fingers clenched even tighter along her scalp when he spoke of where Ian was seen and where she could most likely find him. It made sense. “..All the way back to the beginning...” She whispered, ignoring her own annoyance when she noted how Luckas said he saw him ..a while back.., not wanting to think more on it and the fact it was more information he knew about, keeping to himself . Even if the reasons were justified, even if it was so dangerous she didn’t comprehend, the idea would anger her in being left in the dark, so she simply sat in silence and nodded.
Luckas nodded thinking he maybe shouldn’t have said anything at all and this was bad idea, but it was a bit late for that now. It was stupid to even mention things he knew he couldn’t talk about and raise questions he wasn’t able to, or prepared, to answer. He could imagine how frustrating it is to have someone ask for your trust without being able to give anything back, he knew the feeling well, actually, if he thought about it. “I’m sorry, Lady... Maybe it would’ve been smarter of me to say nothing until the situation becomes more... Calm. I considered it, even. I guess I’m not as good at keeping things to myself as I should.” He scratched the back of his head a bit nervously and added. “Are you mad? You want me to go?”

Essence didn’t answer Luckas. She stood up, finally releasing her hair, the pain slowly fading as she once again went for her dagger and placed it by the fire with her sword. Purposely, she stared at Luckas then the weapons at her feet and began walking away, hoping the point would get across that she wasn’t going anywhere, especially without her weapons, but she couldn’t sit there any longer. Ess spoke softly, her voice cracking, “...Why do you ask questions to things you already know the answer to....sweetness....I need to go for a run or something...I’ll be back shortly.” Ess didn’t even wait for a response as she motioned for Tala to stay and took off in an urgent sprint, appearing as if she was trying to escape something. In a way, she was, but when it was an enemy she couldn’t yet face, she knew the anger would continue to eat at her until she acted. She didn’t plan on breaking her promise, per se. Ess would wait. Ess smiled as she disappeared into the darkness, knowing the run would help keep her leveled, at least until morning.

Essence indeed was not gone for long; maybe thirty minutes. She kept to her usual path, the same as her morning routine, except she paused a little ways from Jake’s camp. Spotting a light inside the tent she simply stared, trying to think of what she was going to do in the coming days. A part of her wanted to crawl beside her friend and cling to him for comfort while at the same time she did not wish to bring up anything that had to do with Luckas. She just couldn’t be sure how Jake would react exactly, but she knew he most likely would not approve. With a sigh, she turned on her heels and jogged back to Luckas. Coming to a stop was not as graceful this time but instead she collapsed upon the ground staring up at the stars, all traces of aggravation gone from her face even when she still felt it gnawing at her insides. Again she was silent, working to catch her breath before attempting to eat some dinner once more.

Luckas raised an eyebrow, watching silently as Ess wandered off before shrugging and mumbling under his breath. “I don’t.” After which he went to sit by the oak, leaning against the tree and crossing his arms over his chest as if preparing for a somewhat long wait. Heaving a sigh he muttered. “That surely went well... Still no broken bones...” He snickered softly, closing his eyes and allowing himself to drift off for the moment. Again he snickered, remembering how Lena would tease him by saying only the guilty sleep... Luckas couldn’t say he’d lost much sleep in his life. Only two occasions would come to mind where he’d been unable to sleep, maybe those were the only two occasions where his conscience had bothered him, or maybe there was another, less profound, reason; he wasn’t sure.

Luckas wasn’t sure if he had slept, if he’d been there for hours or minutes, if he had any particular thought or dreams in that time... Nothing. His wait was a blur, a stupor he snapped out of the moment he caught the sounds of movement in the camp again, sitting up to look at Ess for a moment or so, before leaning back against the tree again, still glancing at her with only one open eye. “You said... Children are disappearing?” He asked casually, as if talking about the weather or some other meaningless topic. “Where did you hear that?”

Essence was able to eat more than she thought before Luckas began asking his questions. She couldn’t help but think of herself and found the question’s answer nothing new but something that hadn’t changed for quite some time. “....What, you haven’t heard the rumors Luckas?” She retorted with a certain amount of faked shock in her tone, yet her eyes were lacking emotion. “...Children have been disappearing since before my time...some things just don’t change.” Ess sighed with annoyance, quite loud and almost childish as she dragged it out. “ People always talk, and maybe I didn’t pay as much close attention as I should, but the rumors all have a similar story.” She specifically had heard some haunting tales more recently but kept the origin of those to herself, not finding it so important. “...Children, Luckas...boys and girls all young...under the age of ten...from Blackpond, the countryside....I even heard a story about a man working to settle his debt with some nasty people, and gave up his two little girls in exchange.” There came back the emotion into Ess’ eyes, so intense that she could not even pretend to play off how much it bothered her, most certainly reminding her of herself. She almost choked on some food, pausing to drink from a flask at her side. “..Rumors...stories...Luckas...because if there were more than a few people able to show proof, the Captain would take this group who are starving for action and those people would be presented with such a bloody reckoning, the Twins would cry out in fear. At least..” She glanced over at Luckas, a curious, almost hungry glower at the idea created such a wicked smile, she gave herself shivers. “...at least...not yet...but soon...soon enough..”

Again she fell quiet, chewing her food quickly to push in as much as possible before she felt full. “Children..” She muttered to herself, suddenly her mind’s focus shifted some. “Luckas...did you ever figure out or remember who the man in the basement was? It’s just, you haven’t brought up anything about yourself in some time and I never found out how you were doing after all our arguing and you wigging out over Twins knows what.” Ess’ smile softened. “You know you can talk to me if you want....” Her words fell into a whisper. “If..you want..”

“Children.” Luckas muttered, a dark shade of red lighting up his eyes. “No I haven’t... It was supposed to have stopped... Was supposed to be over...” He trailed off, staring intently at nothing, with a look of pure hatred in his eyes. If this was what he thought it was, someone better give him some answers or things would get ugly really fast. For a long time he sat with that angered look in his eyes before finally snapping out of it, taking a deep calming breath before speaking. “Oh, I remember everything.” He answered, taking another long breath and closing his eyes as he continued. “I don’t know who that man was though, in particular... I wasn’t... Allowed to look at them. I would recognize voices, maybe, but I’m not sure. What I discovered was that... My father was killed, and my...” He let out an angry snort before forcing out the word. “Mother... She gave Matthew and I away, allegedly in return for the man who killed him. She’s... Still alive somewhere... For the moment at least.” He snickered. “As for the rest of them... I’m working on it... I know the man behind it all is dead, has been for a while now. If there was really justice in this world I would’ve found him alive, but can’t always get my way, right?”

Essence couldn’t ignore the change in Luckas’ voice if she even tried, the familiar, distinct distaste of betrayal and anger in his words. She hadn’t responded to much that he said except by moving closer towards him, leaning also against the Oak with still a good amount of space between them, enough to still see him without turning. “...I’m sorry Luckas...I’m sorry that it appears we have more in common than we could have ever imagined.” Her own anger stirred inside her, like fire burning through her veins when she thought about how her friend had endured a somewhat similar childhood. Both their fathers died; she was stolen and he was given away. Both were abused and still walked around with the after effects of whatever unimaginable things those people had tried to brainwash into them. She knew the fear and loneliness that he must have felt; if he still did, she couldn’t read him that way but didn’t change the fact she saw it in him. Closing her eyes she again saw the sad smile from her dreams and when she opened them, they glowed, a small, chilling, chuckle sifted through the air as Luckas finished speaking. “No...we can’t always get our way...but I promise you...if you need anything from me, I will gladly help you. You know this, right?” A sickening thought lingered in the back of her brain, one which she was trying to discredit; to give a reason to doubt it but the idea nagged at her. Finally she whispered, a hint of awkwardness in her words as if speaking her idea out loud would indeed make it true. “Luckas...my Dear, Dear Luckas...do you think....it’s all connected?” Surprisingly saying it out loud made her feel a bit better, her breaths coming slower and more easily, as if she was being smothered and suddenly someone ripped a pillow from her face to breathe. “I mean...what if it is connected to the rumors...what if you and I are connected...” Her words flowed rapidly, drifting off into incoherent mumbles, her mind racing to find some sort of answers. The ideas that ran rampant in her head did not ease her nerves, again thinking of her brother. Ess knew she wouldn’t wait long. “Still alive somewhere...for the moment at least..”

Luckas sighed, a bit of amusement crossing him as he glanced at her. “Don’t be sorry Lady, there are worse people to have things in common with. Don’t you think?” He asked in an honestly curious tone. “Better than not having anything in common with anyone, I’d say.” He lowered his head until his forehead touched his knees and he was curled up into a ball. “I know, I can count on you, Lady... If I need anything. I won’t forget.” He kept quiet, with his head down, lost in his own thoughts until Ess asked him if he thought it was all connected. At which point he lifted his head and turned to face her. “Isn’t it a fact that you and I are connected?” He asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling rather playfully. Thinking a bit on an actual answer, he shrugged. “I don’t know Lady... Not even sure if I have much of an opinion. I do know that the White Shadows believe, and Lena often told me, that in Valcrest everything is connected in some way. Something to do with the Myths, as usual, but I’m not sure why exactly they believe that... The most I can say I believe is that it’s possible.”

Ess snickered, “Having worse things in common with one another or others I’m sure is up for debate.” Playfully giving Luckas a poke in the side she laughed. “You best not forget it...even if you don’t need something, don’t be afraid to ask...or to just tell me how it is.” Standing up, she reached out and ruffled up Luckas’ hair, before moving towards her tent to bunk down for the night. “I know there’s a connection between us, Luckas..what I meant was more...if ..” Ess shook her head trailing off as she snuggled down into her bed, still in the same clothes and boots, not feeling like she could sleep but shutting her eyes all the same knowing she needed it. “..No nightmares tonight, please...” She whispered to herself as Tala nestled up beside her in the usual spot, leaving quite a bit of room for Luckas.

Luckas nodded quietly, only half listening as Ess spoke, still going over what he had just heard and what he thought he knew. The serious expression returning to him as he thought. “Trust... Doubt...” He mumbled to himself, shaking his head before finally giving up on making sense of things and going to try and get some sleep as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Essence awoke in complete darkness, the light from the fire dwindling down hours ago, a dull aching pinching between her eyes. Her face was half buried beneath her pile of pillows and the second she rolled off her belly, she realized her pillows were wet. As her eyes adjusted, her face felt sticky and cool, her fingers reaching up to discover her nose was bleeding. With a subtle sigh, she pinched her nostrils shut and tilted her head forward, crawling quietly to her feet. Raising a free hand she motioned towards Tala to remain, the wolf’s eyes barely open, still in a sleepy haze, her head resting comfortably upon Luckas’ back. Tala huffed out a breath, readjusting herself a bit before letting her eyes close once again. Ess tiptoed out of the tent, her eyes quickly glancing past a sleeping Luckas as she let the flap of the door fall shut.
Sitting upon the ground until the ache in her head began to fade, Ess released her nose, hoping the bleeds had at least slowed enough for her to clean her face before the blood began to cake and crust into a blackish rust. “Ugh...whhhy..” She whispered to herself, sipping at her flask and smiling. “..Never too early for a drink..” She held back a chuckle and listened, the camp so quiet she could hear Tala and Luckas breathing from behind her. Eventually her mind drifted back to the evening’s conversations between her, Jake, and Luckas. Every discussion somehow in someway led her back to thinking of her brother and in turn her anger crept back under her skin. ‘It’ll never...be over...’ She thought, scowling at the knowledge she was almost wishing she didn’t have, the ideas sickening her practically to tears. ..Doesn’t mean I’m going to stand around while it continues.. Ess stood, moving ever so silently, it was painfully slow, especially when she was practically holding her breath as she lightly stepped around to retrieve her relic blades and a few random supplies. Heel, toe, breathe was the pattern she moved before taking in a deep breath and holding it. Staring into her tent she watched Luckas for what seemed like minutes, slowly tugging at her cloak that was bunched up beside his foot. Her eyes widened when she thought she heard him stir, again freezing like a statue. When she was sure he wasn’t awake she fled into the shadows as fast as she could in her ridiculously slow movements to keep quiet, strapping her weapons along her waist.

“Shhh, boy...steady..” She whispered, patting Shockwave along his neck to calm his excited snorting and stomping. Ess led her horse by the reins, purposely walking a narrow path, passing beneath the guards that watched her from high above, a whistle signaling to her that she was spotted which she echoed back in return, her hand raised in a small wave. Her heart thudded loud in her ears as she wondered how angry the Captain would be with her once she awoke and found her note which she had stuck under the door before she left camp.

Captain,

I’ve apparently tricked myself into thinking you may not be as angry as I feared, because I am going after my brother. I am going back to where it all started, back to the beginning...As much as I try to do this on my own, I feel our mutual shadow may catch wind of this sooner than you. I promise to be back in no more than two days’ time, assuming I don’t get caught. If I feel it’s too risky, I’ll be back before nightfall.

Watch Tala for me,
Ess

Only when she thought she was far enough away, did she climb up on her horse. Leaning in to hug the stallion along his neck, he stirred, rearing up enough to push her sitting straight before bolting down the road with such a burst of energy, the wind tore the tears from her eyes.

The boy’s hands were pressed against his ears with all the strength he had in him, but still the screaming was horrifying; he didn’t know what exactly was happening, but he wouldn’t dare open his eyes. Trying to shut out the screaming of one voice only made the shouting of the other sound louder… The words piercing through his ears painfully: “LIAR! CHEATER! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!”

The child was shivering in fear and pain, tears silently running down his face as he was curled up on the blood soaked floor; eyes still tightly shut. All of a sudden a second pair of, equally small, hands covered his own and successfully drowned out all the sound, and there he sat, in the silence… In darkness… For what seemed like forever… Until a female scream echoed so high no amount of sheltering could keep it from reaching his ears… And the boy opened his eyes to his mother’s terrified figure. Her eyes locked on him, and on the other boy who had been trying to help cover his ears, and she froze for a brief moment of hesitation before moving to drag both toddlers by their hands out of the house... Still covered in blood.

Luckas opened his eyes and found himself curled up into a ball, hands covering his ears, shallow breaths escaping him in a quick succession. Once he remembered where he was he frowned, sincerely hoping he hadn’t mumbled anything in his sleep. The dream was odd to him, but still somewhat familiar; maybe he’d had it before, but didn’t remember, or maybe... Maybe it was something he’d lived. Luckas cursed his mind for bringing these memories up in the absolutely worst moments and rubbed his eyes, glancing around with half his attention still on the dream. He snapped out of his sleepiness rather quickly though when he realized Ess wasn’t there, his eyes widening slightly as he spotted blood on her pillows. He glanced from the pillow to Tala, finding the wolf seated and watching him curiously, and relaxed for a second taking the time to breathe before shooting out of the tent in a hurry. If the blood was something serious Tala wouldn’t be sitting there quiet, that much Luckas was sure of, but he wasn’t all too pleased with the alternative.

“Crazy... Emotional... Impulsive... Stubborn... Lady!” Luckas muttered angrily under his breath as he headed towards the exit of the encampment, turning to glance over his shoulder suddenly as he noticed Tala was at his heels. “Tala... No...” He sighed, looking at the wolf, but not stopping. “Stay.” He commanded, watching with the corner of his eyes as the wolf slowed down her pace for a bit as if to stop and then stubbornly continued after him. “How did I manage to get myself surrounded by stubborn females?” Luckas shook his head stopping and turning to face the wolf. “Tala... Stay...” He repeated firmly, unfazed by the wolf’s disapproving growl. “Don’t argue with me. Back to camp.” He muttered, tilting his head slightly trying to look severe although he really was more amused than anything at Tala’s all-too-familiar stubbornness. The wolf glared at him, still growling defiantly for a few moments before turning away and walking back through the path. Luckas shook his head as he continued to head away from the camp. He didn’t know if he’d manage to catch up with Ess or not, but at least he knew exactly where she was going.

The stallion slowed his pace, gradually from a rolling canter to a trot, Ess not even noticing when Shockwave meandered his way into the forest to drink from a small brook. Ess’ mind was no where on the present, but neither was she stuck on the past; she was focused on the many possibilities of the future. Would she even find Ian and exact a suffering comparable to the anger swelling inside her? What if she failed and simply returned back to the Nest empty handed, and with a wounded pride? Ess wasn’t even sure if she was strong enough to keep going, but she figured she would soon find out because her typical stubbornness refused to turn back. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply as her horse came to a stop, realizing her heart was quieting, no longer in rhythm with the entrancing hoof beats. Instinctually she leaned back, swinging her right leg over before sliding down off the stallion. When her feet touched the ground she began walking across the brook, her eyes opening just as her feet sloshed and dragged through the cold water, kicking polished stones aside. Finding herself before a large maple tree she began to cling and climb across several branches until she was at least six or seven feet over the ground where she relaxed along a divett in the center where several branches twisted together. She paused to watch Shockwave for a moment, and then unhooked her flask from her waist and swallowed a few deep droughts. Again, her eyes closed, her fingers resting comfortably along the hilt of her blade. Ess didn’t mean to nod off, she only meant to give her horse a short rest before they continued on their way, perching up on higher ground to keep an eye out for travelers. It felt like seconds before her eyes opened, unknowing for how long she actually had them closed.

Luckas wasn’t sure how long exactly he had been walking, he knew for a fact though that he’d never really covered this much distance this fast. Although, to be fair, he was rarely in a hurry for any reason. The walk was silent, and boring, and it honestly just gave him unwanted time to go over his weird dream and his annoyance for having to chase after horse tracks instead of sleeping late, which was what he had originally planned to do, but then... Maybe it was stupid of him to not sleep with one eye open after what had been the topic of discussion. Maybe the topic of discussion was the cause of his nightmare... He shook his head to push it aside, not wanting to go there now. “Only the guilty sleep...” He muttered. “So what does that make me now?”

Another piece of land covered, and Luckas had followed the tracks to the horse itself, finding
the stallion by a small stream in the forest. It didn’t take him long to spot Ess up in one of the trees, but he didn’t fully look up at her, finding a small, somewhat flat, rock to sit on and rest a bit from the walk. Staring at a point just between his feet at the ground ahead, he rubbed his eyes a bit wearily as he muttered in a very audible tone. “You promised to wait. I don’t like it when people go behind my back.” He stated simply, his tone sounding similar to the one of an ill-tempered child. “Could have woken me up at least.”

Ess wasn’t surprised when she looked below to see Luckas, his words reaching her above in the branches, appearing as if she was expecting some scolding for taking off before dawn peeked above the horizon. Swinging her legs over a branch, she scooted away from the tree’s center, letting them dangle, resting one hand upon her knee, a sweet smile shining down at her friend. “I know what I promised...and I kept it, like I keep all of my promises.” Scrunching her face together in a playful expression she shrugged, “...and besides, you looked peaceful and adorable sleeping...I didn’t want to spoil Tala’s contentment..” Ess winked, using her arms she pushed herself off the branch letting herself fall to the ground, once touching, her body naturally rolled to minimize the impact before gracefully wheeling to her feet.

“If you know what you promised, then you didn’t keep it.” Luckas muttered, still staring at his feet. “I had specified I needed time to make this safe, so unless you believed I would do that overnight, in my sleep, you knew that when I asked if you’d wait I didn’t mean until morning. So either you didn’t keep your promise, or you don’t know what you promised... I’d like to know which. Very much.” He shook his head, and stood giving Ess an annoyed glare. “I wouldn’t have slept if I thought you’d sneak out on me, so maybe I trust you a bit too much, huh?”

Ess rolled her eyes, her amusement faded along with a groan of frustration. Turning her back on Luckas she stared down at her feet, arms crossing lightly across her chest. “..Nothing will ever be truly safe, Luckas..no matter how much we try to prepare ourselves or our environment. I technically stated I would wait...so I said I would do something, hence it was like a promise.” Ess glanced over her shoulder, her gaze frightfully bright, annoyed with the idea of being called out on something she didn’t feel she deserved. “I didn’t plan on running off..” She whispered, her voice finding it’s strength again as she continued. “..I...waited...and the few hours i waited....I honestly wonder Luckas how many children were hurt..” Ess spun around, purposely backing away from Luckas, shaking her head. “How many could have died...how many could have been taken? I’m tired of waiting. I don’t want to feel like i’m turning my back...looking the other way..like so many others did to me. Always an excuse to wait...to NOT do something about it.” The woman hissed in her growing anger and stormed off towards her horse, pausing to gently pat him along his mane. “This isn’t just about Ian. I don’t expect to take on the world today, but I also don’t plan on sitting around idle any longer.”

Luckas held his angry glare for a few more moments before he released a shaky sigh, trying to calm himself a bit, shaking his head while Ess spoke. “You said... ‘I promise to wait’... Don’t...” He shook his head again. “Just don’t make me any more promises, alright? Not unless you’re absolutely sure you can keep to your word... I don’t like the idea of having to analyze every goddamn word someone says to me just to be sure they’re not going behind my back. I don’t care how you justify it... You knew what it sounded like... You lied to me.” He ran his hand through his hair, breathing slowly for a few moments.

After a bit he calmed and his tone changed considerably, even though there was still a considerable level of annoyance underneath. “You really should have woke me up. I mean, what, did you expect me to just let you run off on your own? What kind of a stalker do you take me for, Lady?” He let out a little annoyed snort. “And I’m not used to waking up and not... seeing you...” He mumbled, in an almost not audible tone. “Quite unpleasant even without the bloody pillows.” He gave a small shrug, trying not to make much of his concern. “And I’m just as adorable when I’m awake, so that’s just no excuse Lady.” He added, crossing his arms in a mocked severe expression before taking an actual serious tone to his words. “Look, I understand that nothing is ever safe, I know that you need to do this and I understand why you need to do this... You don’t have to convince me, you know. I just expected you to take me seriously enough to at least not run out on your own into a situation I’ve already said it’s pretty damn risky. Blackpond in itself is no place to wander into alone these days, even less for something like this. It’s no use getting yourself into something you can’t get out of just for the sake of doing SOMETHING.” He concluded, rolling his eyes. “And then people say I’m the selfish brat.”

Essence was quiet for some time, listening to everything Luckas had to say before she spoke. “Screw....you, Luckas. See it as you will. It’s not like I woke up thinking, ‘Oh, how can I royally piss off one of my best friends, today? Maybe I am tired of having answers held over my head. Maybe I believed you would make it a point to stop me. It’s ok for YOU to go wandering around Blackpond by yourself, but me...? Ha! Do I really seem helpless or stupid enough to not understand when I should walk away if things were going to be harder than I could handle?” She scoffed. “Here we go, double standards...should I start listing off the ways?” Ess spat, still refusing to turn back around to face Luckas, as she forced her fingers outwards running through her horse’s mane, the minor focus keeping her fists from clenching. “Keeping things to yourself is the same as lying...” She sighed, her thoughts scattered as she tried not to overthink EVERYTHING that Luckas had said. Her body was still tense, although she let her voice soften, an almost sad tone hinting outward each time she breathed in. “...It’s no fun falling asleep next to someone only to wake up and find them gone...kinda lonely isn’t it?” Ess turned around, staring at the ground intently, one hand still stroking the horse’s neck. “...And the blood....it was nothing...a bit more than usual for nose bleeds...but nothing all the same..” She fell silent again, as if something Luckas had said struck a nerve, but instead of growing angry again she continued staring off at her feet, the violet glow of her eyes strobing in a hypnotic pattern. Ess wanted to just turn, climb onto her horse and leave Luckas where he stood but at the same time she felt herself metaphorically reaching out to him. Yet, there she stood. Tears formed in her eyes but never reached her lashes; tiny ripples skipping across her irises similar to a stone ricocheting across a lake.

“Who says I wander around Blackpond alone, now?” Luckas muttered, the angry glare returning to his eyes as he spoke. “But yes, Lady, double standards... I didn’t invent them, but they exist. I’m not sure I even want to think of what will happen on the day you actually decide to make me royally pissed... I see blood being shed on that day.” He snorted, digging the tip of his boot onto the dirt and occupying himself with stirring the soil with his foot. “And if you must know, if this had been about stopping you, at any moment, I could have done just that. I can stop you if I want to just as I can kill you if I want to, but you and I both know that what I can or not do is freaking irrelevant here. So, no. I was trying to warn you but apparently you didn’t listen to what I was saying... You just made those little assumptions of yours... and really... I can’t freaking believe I’m repeating this damn discussion again.” He sighed, stomping on the bit of stirred soil he’d been fiddling with. “I know you are not helpless and I know you are not stupid and it somewhat offends me that you would think I would even be here if I didn’t... I don’t waste my time on pathetic people, I think I’ve mentioned that to you in the castle, or something along those lines... I’ll repeat myself, for your benefit, Lady: You are too close to this whole thing to be able to see the whole picture clearly. It has nothing to do with your abilities in any way... It’s a simple fact.” Luckas went silent, eyes staring at his feet as he shuffled through the dirt, after a moment or so he shook his head and spoke again, in a sincerely confused tone. “I thought I was being considerate, but if you rather I wake you before I leave... You could have said so.”

Ess sighed, glancing up at Luckas, a bitter and jealous edge to her tone as she whispered with a hint of sarcasm, “..Oh..I forgot...you have other friends...maybe in BlackPond then? I had only assumed...” Letting her features soften she smiled, not even trying to hide the feeling behind her words. “...We all make assumptions, Luckas...we all look beyond the simple words spoken...and great..now that we have succeeded at offending each other in some way...do you think that brings us closer?” Ess snickered. “Do you think knowing how to get under one another’s skin...” She didn’t finish her thought, instead she shook it from her mind, stepping forward to reach for Luckas’ hand. “Are we done arguing now? It obviously is changing nothing...we are both stubborn but I’m sure you know the truth in this as well. Do you still want to come along? I’d rather you at my side anyways..” Ess’ stomach twisted, trying to push back her anger and the urge to smack Luckas across the back of his head. Keeping a smile, the glow of her eyes faded to a darker purple, almost grey, storm like aura. She remembered where she should be focusing her anger and was almost embarrassed how she let it escalate as much as it did, even if she felt she was right for her annoyance.

Ess slipped her fingers along Luke's hand and gave a squeeze before releasing. With an acrobatic ease she leaped back up on her horse, gesturing in the direction of BlackPond. "No time for a toss in the hay now, lets get going. That is..if you're not still mad at me?"

Luckas sighed softly, shaking his head. “I have no other friends... That’s not what I said...” He whispered. “Least I think not.” He shrugged, really not caring for the whole argument anymore and just wanting to move on. He shook his head once more before looking at Ess with a more relaxed expression. “Do our arguments ever change something, Lady? I’d say we’re doomed to eternally ‘agree to disagree’.” He snickered, slightly amused at the thought. “I’m only stubborn when I’m right, I’ll have you know.” He added, with a little smirk crossing his expression. “And of course I’m going, do you think I came all the way here just for a little spat?” He snickered again, trying for an innocent expression, but unable to pull it off. “Well, it’s not unlike me to do such a thing, but no... I’m keeping a close eye on you, Lady.” Giving Shockwave a slightly wary glance, he added. “Do I get a ride, or shall I race you there? I’m a pretty fast runner, you know.” He played.

Releasing an amused, sudden burst of breath, Essence smiled. “Eternally cursed to agree to disagree...” She trailed off, her eyes finally softening to an almost hopeful expression at the thought. Rolling her eyes she held back a chuckle. “I’m only stubborn when i’m right too...” Shaking her head she scooted forward, gently patting Shockwave along his side. “If you must keep such a ‘close’ eye on me, then by all means ride with me. I don’t doubt your speed, but I do doubt you outrunning my friend here.” The stallion shuffled where he stood, nostrils flaring with each breath, turning his head to eye Luckas as if inspecting him before he settled, nodding in submission. “Normally, I don’t recommend trying to ride Shockwave, but since i’m with you, I think he’ll be ok.” She stated with a hint of playful doubt.

Luckas nodded, he couldn’t say that riding was his favorite way to get around; he’d much rather walk any day, but he didn’t give much more thought to it since he obviously couldn’t outrun a horse and he did want to keep a close eye on Ess. After giving Shockwave another, rather nervous, look, Luckas climbed onto the horse, a bit awkwardly as if he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. “Still alive.” He stated, snickering. “I think we’re good. Now... I wonder... Since you did put me through all the hassle of chasing you down, do I get some fun time for my troubles? That assuming we actually get anywhere with this.” Luke asked, somewhat conformed with the fact he wasn’t going to get anywhere with trying to turn this in any other direction... Might as well have fun with it.

“Hassle....troubles?” Ess stated with a light, airy laugh. She sighed, looking thoughtful for a moment before leaning backwards so she pressed her back along Luckas’ chest, reaching for his arms which she pulled tightly around her waist before straightening. “I know it’ll be worth it...” Ess whispered with a teasing smile. “..I won’t promise you’ll have fun, but I will make sure to do all I can to give you the full opportunity to indulge...and if I can help it, I plan on keeping my promise of fiery fun..” Shockwave began moving in an impatient forward and backwards motion causing Ess’ smile to broaden. “Ok..ok...shhh...” Addressing Luckas, she spoke over her shoulder, “Now hold on, this guy here packs quite a-” Essence laughed as the stallion didn’t even wait for the gentle tap of her heels before bucking and then lunging forward into almost an immediate full gallop. Leaning into the horse, Ess rested one arm across her waist, the other along the back of his neck, her fingers gripping his reins firmly yet the hold was loose, giving the horse much slack as they moved with an unrelenting speed.

Raven's Nest 14 Days after the Ball, Early morning before Dawn

Essence knew she wouldn’t be able to walk around camp unnoticed but even still, after she arrived during the early hours of the morning, she still avoided any that could be awake at that hour. She was mentally and physically exhausted and was hoping for a few hours of sleep before she had to deal with the Captain; if she was around. Ess almost thought she was home free until she heard a familiar bark accompanied by a soft whine as she approached her tent. Tala was already by her side, nuzzling her hand and licking her fingers in greeting, happy to have her friend back. Ess bent down to pat her side and when she stood, she was startled to see Jake by her campfire. A small wave of guilt washed over her as she realized she hadn’t thought about Jake once since the night before. She knew she shouldn’t have been surprised in all actuality to see him, and after a moment of silence her smile was the ice breaker. Ess’ eyes took on a softer and kinder expression than normal as she watched Jake. “Can’t sleep, Brother?” She whispered affectionately, letting the word ‘Brother’ stretch out across her tongue as she thought about Ian; the vision of his burning body dancing in the back of her mind.

Jake knew Ess had returned when Tala moved from his side, he didn’t have to look. It had been a while since they had both been sitting there, Jake silently keeping the fire alive as he waited. He had startled for a moment upon finding blood on the inside of the tent, it was Tala’s behavior that told him that there wasn’t any immediate danger so he just waited out by the fire. When Tala moved from his side he knew that Ess had arrived and so he moved as well, standing and stretching with a little groan, only then realizing how long he’d been sitting in the same spot. He didn’t respond immediately when Ess greeted him, staring at her in silence; his expression void as his blue eyes examined the woman’s appearance, the spots of blood on her clothes that didn’t seem to be her own and the exhaustion, as much as she tried to hide it. “I was startled by a fluffy intruder in my tent.” He responded finally. “I think Tala was feeling a bit lonesome.” Crossing his arms Jake looked Ess over from head to toe once again, then looked past her and around her as if looking for something. “Did you bury the psycho in the woods somewhere?” He asked, pointing out Luckas absence, knowing very well that he was being way too hopeful.

Essence shifted in her stance, feeling slightly awkward at the sudden amount of attention she was receiving from Jake. She looked over her shoulder as if expecting someone to actually be behind her, before glancing down at herself curiously. “What? Do I have something on me..?” Ess muttered, examining her hands with a perplexed expression. Playfully she groaned, grabbing the curls on each side of her head in a fake, exasperated gesture. “Damn Jakey. You found me out; minus one little detail, that is. I wouldn’t bury Luckas in the woods. I’d burn the body.” She sighed, glancing up at the dwindling starlight from the oncoming dawn. “You know, in memory..sort of like a last respect kind of thing.” Ess snorted in amusement and crossed her arms, quirking a brow up at Jake. “No, but seriously, sorry to disappoint but I’m pretty sure he’s consorting with a friend of ours who needs a polite reminder on how to keep his hands to himself..” She shrugged, acting like her words didn’t really matter. “Er...um, Tala wasn’t a bother, was she?” Essence wandered over towards the campfire and sat, quietly unstrapping her belt that held her sword and dagger, fussing over a bit of blood she realized was still caked upon the hilt of her relic blade. “I wasn’t gone that long to think I’d cause concern..”

Jake simply chuckled under his breath as Ess mentioned his disappointment at the fact Luckas was still alive somewhere. As much as his death meant one less concern for him, Jake knew there was a part of him that would resent not being involved somehow. That was a fact Jake believed was best kept to himself, so he said nothing more about Luckas and asked no questions about where their ‘friend’ had tried to lay his hands. “Tala is never a bother. If anything I think I’d rather have her sneak up on me while I sleep than you.” He stated, smirking playfully. “I think you know me well enough to know that if I was truly concerned I wouldn’t be sitting here patiently waiting for you to come back, sis. I’m pretty sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to make me worry in the future though, and then you’ll see. So...” He smirked, sitting back down at his spot by the fire his eyes registering the blood staining Ess’ knife. “How was your trip to Blackpond?”

Ess’ eyes remained casted downwards at her blade as she worked to free it from Ian’s blood. She winced slightly at Jake knowing she had gone to Blackpond but then again she knew she shouldn’t be so surprised. As she polished the silver of her blade, careful not to cut herself, she opened a warm smile, “More opportunities to worry you? I’m shocked you’d think I’d do that to you.” She joked, bringing the blade up to her lips to breathe upon the steel to fog up her reflection before wiping it clean. Ess paused to inspect the blade before she sheathed it back along her belt. “I didn’t take the time to explore Blackpond when I attended the Ball, but going back today was...just a sad reminder of how things haven’t changed much. At least, not for the better.” She shrugged. “I got called away on to a family reunion..one which I wasn’t looking for any plus one’s honestly but we know how my Stalker is…” Ess began, contemplating more on the information that came to light and those questions that still lingered in her mind only creating new ones as well. She wondered exactly how deep Luckas was involved, in..whatever he was involved with. Who were those people exactly she saw when he shooed her away? She honestly found herself wondering if it was for her protection or his. It still left an uncomfortable feeling in her gut and she felt slightly guilty for not trusting completely in Luckas, no matter how much she wanted to or thought she had already. Was it really mistrust though to question someone for answers?

Ess’ expression had shifted to one of melancholy as she whispered, “...I got to meet my Mother today…” She turned to look up at Jake finally, “Well, sort of...and I learned another lullaby her and my Father would sing to me...wanna hear it?” Essence beamed, trying to keep the subject on her mother more than her real reason for being in Blackpond. “...I do look just like her too...except..she had straight red hair and she didn’t look as tired or worn out as I feel I do when I look in the mirror.” Ess sighed, shaking her head. “To be fair, I think she was younger in that memory than I am now...and I think she smelled of sage... now that I’m dwelling on it.”

She glanced away from Jake, absently cracking her knuckles as she stretched out her tired muscles. “Jake...do you trust me?” Ess randomly muttered, her shoulders slumped from the ideas running through her head, trying to figure out how to bring up what was bothering her without actually bringing it up.

“You picked a bad moment to go back, the past three years have been rough on Blackpond. I sometimes think that if my father was alive he’d want to burn the city down just to put it out of its misery.” Jake mumbled, focusing for some reason on the least important part of the conversation, as if to buy himself the time to figure out his thoughts on everything else. “I spent a lot of time the past couple of years watching the place sink further, an obsessive amount of time some would argue... Luckily for them I don’t really care enough for my father’s memory to honor it with fire.” Jake fell into a moment of silence as he pieced together in his mind all the hints Ess had given as to what she had been doing. He wasn’t sure how much he really wanted to know, if he was more wary of voicing the questions or hearing the answers. When he spoke again his tone was playfully offended. “Wait, so you had a family reunion and Tala and I weren’t invited? If I didn’t have such a healthy sense of worth I’d be upset.” Even though he didn’t mean to, Jake couldn’t help a hint of sarcasm at his words, if he was completely honest with himself he would be forced to admit his sense of worth was not really all that healthy, but for the purpose of this conversation that didn’t really matter; gladly. Shaking his head Jake smiled. “You know that I trust you... After all you’re the only person to ever see my secret hideout. Why ask me that? What’s on your mind, hm?” He asked, a questioning frown marking his expression for a moment before softening into a gentle smile. “I’m glad you got to see your mom. I’m sure she’s almost as beautiful as you, sis.” Heaving a small sigh, Jake took a small glance around the camp, wondering what time it was. “I don’t think I’ve eaten all day, are you hungry?”

.. “...I sometimes think that if my father was alive he’d want to burn the city down just to put it out of its misery.”

That was all it took for Ess’ mind to fall back to watching Ian writhing in mind blowing pain as he lay in the street, burnt to a crisp. "I don't look at a fiery end, as always a respectful way of going out. Maybe because he was still alive as he burned?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Must be, and he still couldn't make it ugly. I could have kept going but I was tired. Guess I let him push my buttons.." Essence didn’t once mention the ears. She paused a moment to collect how she was going to explain the information she discovered. What indeed should she mention.

“I couldn’t let Tala follow, she’s about to burst any time now. I swear. I can’t catch enough food to keep this girl happy.” She choked on a small chuckle. “And honestly if you had followed me, I probably wouldn’t have really tried to make you go back. If someone’s got your back, then you go in numbers. Better odds. I’d be an idiot to refuse it.” Smiling she began un-braiding her hair. “My pride may be a pain in the ass at first but I like to think I can rely on people. Even if not many, but enough.”

Ess opened her mouth to speak but then found herself staring off into the fire. She stuttered a bit of a pitiful attempt to argue with Jake at the compliment, standing as she moved to cook something at the question if she were hungry. “I’m sure Miss Tala is, huh? Little piggy.” Ess baby talked softly at the wolf, giggling when Tala responded by annoyingly nuzzling her arm.

“Asking a lot of questions doesn’t mean you don’t trust someone, right? Can’t be, because you always asked the most questions out of anyone I ever met. I..” Ess coughed, tugging on a few of her curls as they unraveled from her braid. “You know that symbol, Jake? Have you seen it? Did the Captain mention it to you, to, you know, to keep an eye out for it?” She quickly said, changing the subject slightly. “My Br...that pathetic excuse of a man...who’s suppose to be my brother..” Ess almost gagged when she used that word to describe Ian. “He’d seen it. He seemed to know what it was...but didn’t. I’d like to think I knew how to get people to talk…” She whispered. “He had nothing to even say for himself, really..just disgusting. He just hated me so much. It didn’t make any sense to me..”

Ess’ head snapped back towards Jake, her eyes glowing slightly. “..Another thing that stood out though, besides that symbol with the sword, was what he said about my Mom. Apparently..there’s this journal she had and for some reason Ian acquired it for some people he couldn’t seem to name exactly. He talked about them almost like...like a ghost. He brought up my Mother’s songs and said they were written in this journal and that there were missing pages…” Ess’ fists clenched and her face changed from a torn expression to one of pure rage and her body began to shake slightly. “The night I was….the night my Father died...for a ’Journal’. I need...to find it.”

“Hmmm...” Jake mumbled. “No, asking questions doesn’t mean you don’t trust someone, and if someone can’t give you answers, or even if they lie, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t trust them. I guess it all depends on who it is and what questions are being asked, you know... Context and all.” He smirked slightly as if to say he could take a few guesses at what the context was, but didn’t say anything more on the subject. Instead he shifted a bit uncomfortably and forced a small cough to clear his throat. “I’ve seen the symbol, Ali showed it to me. Have you two spoken about that? Did she tell you what happened to her in the desert? I think the two of you should talk about this. She may give you some answers.” Jake didn’t want to elaborate any further on what Ali may or not know, but there was some similarities he was beginning to notice between her story and Ess’, and Ian’s connection to the symbol Ali had seen in the desert seemed too much of a coincidence. “Did I tell you about Irvin’s sister? I think, with everything that happened these past days I may have failed to mention it, anyway... Irv’s brother pretty much gave their little sister as payment for a lost bet. Once I... Uh... Questioned him... He said the guys who took her wore red clothing, and seemed like they were in some sort of gang. He seemed sincerely terrified of them. I don’t know if there’s any relation, but these guys seem to be mentioned more and more around Blackpond lately, and not in a good way. Did you happen to see anyone like that while you were there?” Jake fell silent for a few moments following his question, his hand unconsciously reaching for Jess’ locket under his shirt. “I’m really sorry, about Ian... Who he was... You deserve better.” He sighed softly. “How do you feel now?”

“....even if they lie, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t trust them.”

Both of Ess’ brows furrowed in an annoyed and skeptical expression, her nose bunching slightly. “I guess... so.. because they lie about one thing doesn’t mean that they aren’t trustworthy? What if it’s something big? What if...I...just don’t know how I’d react..” She sighed shaking her head. “Never mind..” Glancing around to prepare something to eat she realized she had no meat and only broth and bread which she moved to heat up over the fire. Ess froze as she thought of Ali, her tone taking on a darker edge. “No, I didn’t hear about Ali in the desert...I do know both our villages were burnt down. I wonder..” She growled. “I wonder…” Ess didn’t bother finishing her sentence as she thought long and hard on what Jake had mentioned about Irvin’s sister, the situation reminding her somewhat of herself. More than anything though, she was reminded of the places she had visited in her old ‘neighborhood.’

“Jake, I’m not sure if this is helpful, but where I grew up in the city...from my understanding, Ebony had lost her influence to an extent and seems to be replaced by more gambling than I can recall..” Ess sighed, shrugging slightly. “..I’m sure you already know about that, but was just thinking, if you haven’t already, you should check it out or ask whatever contacts you have about it. Reason I bring it up...you said Irv’s sister was taken as payment for a bet..and this place has this ledger that seems to contain everything on anyone who owes that place money. Could be a clue. It helped lead me to Ian.” Essence cleared her throat, shifting in her seat a bit uneasily. “Just be careful ok..just keep coming across all kinds of characters now a days, you know?”


Essence reached for her flask and frowned, realizing it was empty and tossed it aside in small fit of annoyance. “No.. I didn’t see anyone in red while in the city. Although, twice I’ve seen riders in red. Once was in the memory Luckas took from Jasper. There was a man in a red cloak talking with Ian, right after I left you and Jess...the night of the fires. The other was just after the Ball, when the ambush failed to keep the Necromancer from getting to Newhaven. They just ran through the carnage without stopping. Never got to see their faces..” She sighed, filling a bowl with broth and passing it to Jacob. “But no, no one in red while I was in the city...just blue.” Ess muttered the last bit to herself, staring into her friend’s eyes and forced a smile. “How do I feel? I’m glad Ian’s dead and I’m glad I was there in his final, painful moments. At the same time, I wish I hadn’t been the one...It shouldn’t have been this way, but it had to be done. I felt...it was my responsibility, you understand? I’m just thankful my folks are not still alive to know their son’s betrayal.” Ess handed Jake a piece of bread and shrugged. “I’m fine. You know me. I freak out a bit and then bounce right back…” She held her smile contrary to the way her voice trembled as she spoke. “I’m FINE. It’s FINE. It’s done. It’s over..” The breath left her as her tone faded into a whisper when she dragged her gaze away from Jake’s.

“Well, sis, lying is a bad thing, and as we know good people can do bad things and it doesn’t make them any less good, right? I try never to lie to my friends, but sometimes I feel that I should because I’d rather they be angry with me than be hurt by the truth. It’s a flaw of mine to be overprotective, I think of all people you’d know that. I’ve also been lied to for similar reasons, and knowing this didn’t make me less angry about it, but I got over it eventually. I honestly believe that in any trusting relationship intentions count above all else. People lie to cause harm sometimes, but they also lie to avoid causing harm, or simply out of fear.” He shrugged slightly. “Context.” He repeated. “In the end of the day, for me trust depends more on whether I can count on a person to watch my back, to keep my secrets, and it takes one hell of a lie to change that.” Jake smiled softly as he accepted the bowl of broth and the bread, letting the bowl rest in his lap and he parted a large piece of bread and dipped it before shoving it in his mouth and chewing it for a good while before he was free to speak again; the act giving him time to consider his words with care. He had listened attentively to Ess as she spoke of Ian’s death and how she felt to see him die. He watched her expression, her body language, the tone of her voice; all those little details told him everything her words tried to hide, or simply failed to communicate. Jake remembered how easily it was learning this in the Pack, to search for these little signs... It wasn’t until very recently that he realized that he had actually started doing that as a child, watching his friend. He could always tell when Ess was smiling just to protect him, because she didn’t want him to worry, or because she didn’t want to cry in front of him yet again. He never brought it up, but he could always tell nonetheless. He opened his mouth to speak, but simply sighed instead, dipping another piece of bread into the broth and eating to buy himself a few more seconds. Once he swallowed the food he shook his head. “I should have gone after him too.” He mumbled, pulling his flask from his belt and offering it to her. “If you have to say ‘fine’ this many times you’re probably not fine. You want to be and I know you will be, but you’re probably not right now. Just know that you don’t have to freak out about this alone, okay? And if you feel you need a distraction, then...” He smirked. “Well, we can just play. Without the interruptions of your annoying psycho-stalker this time.”

Essence nodded, sitting next to Jacob with her own bowl of broth, lazily dipping her bread into the liquid. She didn’t feel she could say anything more on how she was feeling, with the whole situation with Luckas. It wasn’t just because she was afraid Jake would be biased but because she really didn’t have much to go on and her emotions were wound up pretty tight. Essence knew something seemed off but she figured she’d find out eventually and maybe it wasn’t even something she should get all bent out of shape about. Probably wasn’t even her business.

Ess leaned against Jake and nudged him playfully as he spoke about going after Ian for her, not really absorbing it all at first. “Still always wanting to be strong for me. I’m happy some things don’t change. I know I’ll be ok and honestly I could be far worse...In fact, I was. Lets just say, I took my time with Ian.” She stated still in a playful fashion, although she knew Jake would understand the seriousness of her words. Ess accepted Jake’s flask , uncapping and taking a few harsh swigs before returning it to him. “...I forget sometimes how well you know me, Jake. It almost...scares me…” Tearing off some bread with her teeth she began to eat her meal, a small chuckle escaping her. “Distraction is always best, although not the answer, however I would welcome such. If we are gonna play, this time you can be the damsel in distress and I can be the brave knight.” A gentle smile softened her weathered skin, her fingers absently rubbing at her tired eyes. “...Dragons are definitely not the scariest monsters out there though...The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our own soul..”

Essence fell silent, drinking the broth and finishing the last of her bread. She wasn’t even thinking about anything in particular when it suddenly dawned on her, her mind backtracking on the conversation a bit. “Jakey…? What did you mean when you said you should have gone after Ian, too? You...meant you wanted to come along…?” Ess asked resting her head on Jake’s shoulder, her eyes glistening, admitting a calming, warm glow.

Jake chuckled softly as took another bite of bread into his mouth, Ess’ suggestion for their playtime amused him. “Oh, I don’t know... I feel like it’s a bad idea for me to play the damsel in distress. If word gets around I’ll never hear the end of it. I already had to endure some teasing for getting myself stuck in the dungeons. I still argue that it wasn’t a rescue... It was really all a part of the plan... Sort of... ” Jake muttered, rolling his eyes in playful annoyance, the amusement never leaving his eyes. “I was thinking more along the lines of a friendly ‘duel’, you know... My fighting skills have improved considerably since you’ve last seen me practice. Not to mention I did pick up a couple of skills I am yet to show you.” He smirked, giving Ess a playful nudge. “...Who knows, you might learn a thing or two.”

As Essence fell silent so did Jake. He took the time to finish his bread and empty his bowl, taking a couple of swigs from his flask here and there in between, thinking of nothing in particular, but simply letting his mind wander off as it pleased. When Ess asked him what he had meant when he mentioned going after Ian, Jake had to stop and think back to what he had actually said, a small frown crossing his features as he realized what he had actually meant. Ess had pretty much offered him a way out of bringing the whole thing up by how she had phrased her question; all he had to do really was confirm her assumption, but in reality, even that seemed a bit too dishonest considering he had no reason at all to hide. “Well, that too.” He replied, taking a couple of more sips from his flask and heaving a sigh. “I wasn’t going to bring this up, but it seems I’m going to let it slip sooner or later so might as well.” He took one more drink and went silent for a moment before continuing. “I actually knew about Ian being alive before you mentioned it to me... In fact, it was the night before... Before you recognized me in camp. I, uh... I ran into that guy from the ball; Joffrey, in Blackpond. We had a chat, so to speak, I wanted to see if he had any information about some of Ebony’s affairs, but he didn’t know much about anything. He did mention Jasper’s death, funny enough he thought I had been responsible for that mess, and he mentioned having seen Ian with Jasper. He also mentioned people dressed in red, but he didn’t know what involvement they had in anything. To be honest, even if he did know more I’m not sure how long I’d be able to put up with him speaking. So of course I thought of going after Ian myself before even saying anything to you, but... Then I decided that wasn’t fair and I came back here.” He shrugged dismissively, trying not to dwell too much on the subject. “I didn’t really think I needed to mention the whole thing, the only important information I got out of it was that Ian was alive and when we finally got to talk you already knew about that. Maybe I should have looked for him though... Then at least I would have been there...”

Ess let her eyes flicker towards the fire as she listened to Jake explain Joffrey and how that in turn led him to discover that Ian was still alive. It was in that moment she realized that Jake wasn’t just at the Ball; which she already knew, but that he had been watching her and she hadn’t known it. Jake was there for so much and had seen and heard her confrontation with Ebony and Joffrey. He had wasted no time in going after her childhood tormentor or in protecting her. Essence then remembered how she had reacted when she found out Jake was alive and cursed him for not caring and her violent rage towards him. She knew from their conversation she had been wrong but now she felt embarrassed and guilty for her behavior. No matter what, Jake was the one person, her family, that she could always rely on. Still, no matter what was right in front of her, she was still afraid. Ess was convinced one day she would lose her friend; the man who should have been her brother in blood and not just in their connection to one another. She wondered if she would ever stop being afraid. Even though she would hide that fear in many ways, she still kept going. Maybe that was the strength he saw in her.

Mulling over everything quietly, she didn’t notice as her body began to shake in a silent sob as she fought back those quiet tears. Finally she spoke, “I’m happy you told me, Jake..and I’m sorry for treating you the way I did. I feel just a bit terrible about it.” Ess smirked, “..Just a bit.. And, you know I was going to say maybe you’re a better stalker than Luckas but then again, I didn’t even know you existed so I think that’s an unfair advantage.” She teased, wrapping one arm around Jake in a gentle hug. “Thank you Jake. I need all the help I can get. Now I can cross Joffrey off my list, but there’s still one more to take care of…” Ess smirked muttering pre-emptively, “Yes Jake, I have a list..”

Jake sighed, shrugging a bit awkwardly when Ess apologized for how she had treated him; he honestly didn’t think about it anymore, it felt to him like such a distant point in the past that he was slightly startled to realize it had happened only days ago. “There’s no reason to feel terrible, I did mess up pretty badly, and honestly... I’ve been cursed and beaten worse for less. When you have a certain amount of temperamental women in your life you’re bound to suffer a bit of abuse now and then.” He chuckled softly for a moment, his expression shutting down into a playful frown. “What are you talking about? I’m a far better stalker than that psycho... He can’t stalk someone for five minutes without announcing his presence somehow.” He snorted in fake annoyance, leaning into Ess as she hugged him. “I’m a trained assassin damn it.” He mumbled, making a pouty face.

Setting his empty bowl aside Jake turned to face Ess with a raised eyebrow as she mentioned one more person on her list. “Oh, almost everyone has a list, Ess. I’m pretty sure you’ve already met most of mine. I saw you talking to two of them at the ball, and then there’s Luckas of course. Don’t worry, he’s at the bottom of the list until further notice.” He smirked slightly. “If you want I can help you find the last guy. I have a lot of acquaintances running around... Seeing and hearing things. How I found Joffrey so fast.” Going into silent thinking for a moment he smiled. “Are you going to draw her sometime so I can see? Your mom.”

“I’m a trained assassin damn it.”

Ess sat up straight, doing her best, silent impression of Jake as she mouthed those words back at him. Her face contorted to match his for an instant only before fading back to her own image once again. She laughed out, quite loud and jokingly pushed Jake away from her. “Only reason Luckas reveals his presence to you is because he’s grown bored. He’s managed to stay silent for some time when he thinks he’s hiding from me. Tala use to be the one who alerted me but now...I just know when he’s watching me. I seem to now have...an advantage..” A gentle breeze swirled her wispy curls along her temples as an unexpected groan came from behind, followed by a sharp crack like snap as one of the large branches from the oak separated and plummeted to the ground with a violent purpose. Essence literally jump up, nearly out of her skin, yelping in surprise; Tala instantly barking at the commotion. She was silent as she stared, noting the excessive branch was leafless and brittle, taking over the spot on the oak where Luckas usually would lean against. Slowly she moved towards it, half heartedly attempting to move the branch, but more like testing it’s weight. Her violent orbs momentarily darted everywhere the firelight reached and even hovered over some spots the light didn’t touch. It felt...empty. “Good..” She mumbled, partially relieved Luckas wasn’t there when the branch fell but at the same time she was kind of disappointed. Shaking her head, she seemed to break her own trance, trying to ignore a faint, awkward feeling in her gut. It was almost, foreboding. “I’ll take care of that tomorrow..” She whispered, turning towards her tent to retrieve something from her knapsack. Quickly returning to Jake, she smiled, changing back the subject.

“Hector…” Essence gritted her teeth when she spoke. “He was practically an old man then, so I had hoped he had already met his end. Guess that would be too easy.” Ess snorted. “He has...blue eyes, probably no hair left at this point, was surprisingly built for his age, and probably around your height.” She sighed, retrieving an image she had recently penned of the man and handed it to Jake. “Burn it when you’re finished with it. I won’t be needing it.” As she spoke those words she shuffled through a few papers, revealing one of Joffrey. Quietly she tossed it into the flames with a satisfied sneer curling her lips.

“Hector...was just as bad as Jasper..in many ways. He was the type who would beat me because he was...defective as a man...he was not able to function normally...so he took it out on me all the time.” Slowly Ess looked over Jacob as she spoke, her voice cold but slightly shaky. There were things she would never tell him about her suffering...things that were not needed, but at the same time he was older now and he would understand. These men she had been hunting for, slowly meeting their well deserved fates, were different from the day to day hell she would endure. It was in that moment she was again reminded of the scar on her cheek as she stared at Jake’s own scar. “That time...I didn’t get to see or talk to you for so long...when I missed your birthday….was mostly because of him. It was...un-natural...Jake. What he couldn’t do himself...he found other ways of achieving…” Ess snarled, not mentioning more, figuring that was enough to get the point across. “He’s probably the reason...I can’t have children…” She whispered to herself.

Ess’ chest heaved heavily as she pushed back the memory, her eyes softening as she shuffled through the pile of drawings still, pausing to stare sweetly at one in particular. Curiously she looked up at Jake then back down at the drawing. Raising the drawing so it was almost next to Jake’s face, she giggled. “...If I didn’t know better Jacob Turner, you could be a blood relative. Look…” She whispered, turning the page around to show Jake a drawing of her Father. It had to have been the most detailed one of her collection; what Ess would consider her favorite or perfected piece. Playfully Ess scrunched up her face and giggled, “Look Jake...this will be you in another fifteen years..minus some differences...and the fact your eyes are brighter…” Casually Ess let out a long yawn and shrugged. “Maybe I’ll work on Mom after some sleep..”

“Pffft.” Jake snorted, mumbling something under his breath while Ess talked about Luckas, he could argue with that, but he had the feeling it wouldn’t end as playful as it had started, not to mention he had better ways of making a point, if needed. Jake barely moved as the branch cracked and fell from the oak, he simply turned to look, frowning slightly as he watched Ess examine the fallen branch and then look around as if in search of something, or someone; had that fallen on a person it would have been disastrous. That was great, or awful, timing right there.

If Jake had watched Ess closely when the topic of conversation was Ian, when she brought him the portrait of Hector and started to tell him about the man, his eyes were completely fixated on the drawing, on every trace of the man’s face on the page, on his eyes... If Jake didn’t know... He looked just like any man Jake could cross paths with on the streets.

“That time...I didn’t get to see or talk to you for a long time...when I missed your birthday….was mostly because of him...” The words seemed to echo inside Jake’s mind, the image on the page blurring out and gaining focus again. Something inside his chest seemed to tighten painfully as if there was a fist attempting to crush his heart to bits. He could remember so clearly; the look in Ess’ eyes, the pain in her voice when she told she had been ‘punished’. He was only a boy then, there were things he couldn’t understand. Looking back at the memory now, with the eyes of a grown man, with the eyes of someone who knew well what some human beings were capable of doing to others; it brought a different feeling of helplessness than it did back then.

[Blackpond, 16 years ago.
Jake's seventh birthday came and went. He hadn't seen his friend then and had no news for weeks after that, through which he visited the oak tree several times a day for letters, only to find none. His father's gift to him was the only thing distracting him from his concern, as he had been given an 'actual sword'. The weapon was blunt, and made of lighter metal, but it looked real enough to Jake. After much nagging he managed to convince his 'uncle' Nate to start giving him lessons; he wanted to learn to fight. Those lessons, and the much he practiced by himself, kept him occupied.

As those weeks passed, slowly, Jake finally found a letter by the oak: An apology for not showing up on his birthday and a promise of explanations whenever they saw each other again. He knew it wasn't Ess' fault. He had also began to grasp some understanding of how bad those absences were. It was never written in any letter, or said in any conversation, but he was slowly concluding that if she couldn't even write him it probably meant she was hurt somehow and the thought of it made him angry at those faceless 'bad men'. While the boy knew there was nothing he could do for now, he had it in his mind that he would do everything he could when he was older and strong enough.

More weeks passed and formed full months until Jake finally got a word of when he and Ess could meet. He was glad he'd get to see her, finally. Even though the boy went by the oak, and the hideout, frequently in the hopes to maybe find Ess there, lately he always found himself alone; aside from the letters, which he noticed had gotten shorter. For some time he wondered if she just didn't want to see him anymore, or if something had happened that she didn't want him to know about; he wasn't sure which option he'd rather it'd be. So he was beyond happy to read her note and discover she'd be able to see him the next day.

Creed-Torn

Essence opened her right eye, the left wouldn’t budge as it throbbed in a sickening pain, mingling with the rest of her body. Covered from head to toe she was bearing the beating from the other night; in shades of purple, blues, and deep blacks. Reaching for her wounded eye, she felt an angry, open gash extending below the center of her swollen eye, dried flakes of blood crusted along her cheek.

She groaned in agony, shivering in the cold, empty room, her gut felt as if someone had stabbed her inside. As she discovered the dirt soaked in blood between her naked thighs, she realized she had not a stitch of clothing on her body. For a moment she lay there broken and bleeding, disoriented to where she was and how she came to be this way. There were no windows to this room, so she was unsure if it was daytime or not, or for that matter what day it actually was.

Ess attempted to sit up, an electrical scatter of pain shooting throughout her entire form, she released a gut wrenching scream only to began to remember bits and pieces of the other night..

Tye was revealed Ess's gift after his nightly visit with her. He was almost as bad as Jasper with his repeated abuse, so as much as Ess tried to hide her fear, it manifested in her Enlightenment. He was startled into thinking she was a boy as she took the shape and form of her lost, older brother. He liked the idea at first and tried his damndest to teach her to use that gift at will for his own pleasures. When she refused, he made a deep, vertical cut underneath her left eye.

She fought through the pain as she whispered, “I know you didn't mean it.” Smiling sweetly as blood poured down her cheek, she reached between his legs with one hand, the other reaching for his short sword left lazily on the floor. She leaned in slowly to kiss Tye deeply and as he bit her lip, she thrusted the blade between his ribs, twisting hard.

"You like boys so much...", she teased, "I thought you wanted to know how it felt to be stuck like a pig!"

As soon as she retracted the blade, Tye's personal guards came rushing in and knocked a hilt of a sword into her head and all went black. When she had awoken, she was lying naked in a dark, cold room. Heavy breathy creeping from each corner as rough hands grabbed her and spat in her ear, “This will take the fight out of you...." Repeatedly beaten, raped, they had cut her so bad she would never know the joys of being a mother.

Ess began to slip back into unconsciousness, muttering to herself.. “Jake....so sorry..missed...birthday..” She barely heard Ebony, her master enter as she passed out. The woman promised Ess would pay her back for the bribes she had to make in order to keep her life; that she brought this on herself and should not have killed Tye, her best customer.

Ess was not able to contact her friend for some time, unable to move much. It was several weeks before she was able to write him, for once no picture accompanied the letter.

‘Blue Eyes,

Please forgive me. It wasn’t my fault. I’ll explain when I see you...I’ll write again when I can visit. Please don’t be mad at me.
I miss you.
Your friend,
Ess’

Months went by as she healed, where she was put on "light duty" for her owner. She feared she'd never get that foul taste out of her mouth. But she had a lot of down time for once. She spent hours remembering Ian and her father sparring in the early evenings while she milked the cows and gathered water from the town well. Using a broken chair leg, Ess began to mimic those memories, attempting to teach herself those lost dances.

When she was allowed to go to the market for her master, Ess scoured the book shops gathering everything she could find on plant life and the healing and poisoning effects of each. She brought back the books to Jake’s hideout in the forgotten basement. Ess hoped he wouldn’t mind that she hid there while she read. She had been afraid to face the boy, even though she was mostly healed, a deep scar was forever painted, dragging below her left eye. She may have secretly wanted him to show up while she was there, but she never let him know when she planned on going. She had recently begun drawing pictures again for the boy along with her letters. Although, now her letters were so short, it may have given off the wrong impression towards Jake. Ess didn’t know what to say.

“I’m ugly now..” She whined softly, knowing she could not and would not hide from her friend forever. She soon caved and sent him a note when and where she would be the next day. What would she expect from a child, when already he had given so much for one so young. It was the unknown that scared her more than anything, as she did not let herself lose hope in her friend.

The day of the meeting Jake left early a leather bag thrown over one shoulder and the new metal sword replacing the wooden one on his belt. It had taken him a little while, but he had finally gotten used to the weight of it by now. To someone who hadn't seen him in months it would be noticeable that not only he had gotten a bit taller: he actually had grown up a little bit. He got to the hideout earlier than it had been agreed, and made his way in, closing the grating after himself and immediately searching for the candles; lighting a couple of them before sitting down to wait, still holding the bag firmly in one hand as if he was afraid it'd escape him otherwise.

Away-Dark Emotional Piano

Ess shuffled inconspicuously between alleys, taking short cut after short cut through the market. Turning a corner, she found herself in front of that same Tailor’s shop the day she met Jake. She paused, looking up from beneath her silk hood, her lips and nose the only features peeking out from the cloak. The window was empty, where once on display she envied a deep, red silken gown. How she had wanted that dazzling piece. She thought about how pretty it would have made her, complimenting her burgundy curls and pale skin.

A depressed sigh escaped her full lips, her hopes crushed just a bit, adding to her fear she already carried as she made her way towards the secret basement. Ess came to a lurching halt as she quickly looked about her surroundings, taking the usual precautions to keep this place a mystery as she had promised Jake. Not seeing anyone around, she gently pushed open the closed grate, noticing light peering through the darkness from illuminated candles.

Realizing that Jake was already there, she closed the grate behind herself. Keeping her head low she continued to hide her face, shaking in her fear of revealing the wretched tattoo like scar, marking her forever. Ess’ thick curls had grown, tickling her collarbone; her boots creating the facade of her increase in height. She stood silent for a moment at a loss of words, almost dumbfounded as she finally spoke, her voice cracking softly. “Hello Blue Eyes..”

Jake jumped to his feet when Ess showed up, unable to to contain his excitement. "Hey, Ess!" He greeted, a cheerful smile opening itself upon his face, his blue eyes glowing in the candlelight. "Guess what: I have a real sword now! And my uncle's teaching me to fight!" He told her, with a proud grin, pointing at the blunt weapon at his waist. He tilted his head slightly trying to get a good look at her, but couldn't.

Finally noticing that something was off, he ran one hand through his hair pulling the messy longer strands away from his eyes; Jess had been nagging him for a haircut for a while now, but he had been refusing to let her do it. Changing his tone to something with a mix of concern and curiosity, he started with his habitual series of questions: "Why are you so quiet? Is everything alright? Are you upset? What took you so long to visit? You didn't want to see me? Did I do something wrong?" Taking a small breath he went silent for a minute then mumbled, unable to hold back a small frown: "I missed you, you know." He wasn't mad that Ess didn't visit sooner, he knew that she couldn't always go out, but he just had the feeling that she didn't want to see him anymore for some reason, although he didn't understand why.

After saying all that, as usual, really fast, Jake retreated to where he had been sitting, gripping the leather bag he had dropped and pulling it onto his lap, hugging it close to him. He had something there he had been holding onto for months now, waiting for their next meeting. He wouldn't show it just yet, and he was afraid it would be a little too childish, but he hoped she would like it anyway.

A sharp pain cut into her ribs at Jake’s series of questions, unsure where to begin. Tossing her hair aside, she finally let the hood fall away from her face, her eyes taking in the boy before her. She bit into her bottom lip, holding back tears as she was tired of crying in front of her friend. Staring into his big blue eyes that she absolutely adored, she saw how his hair had grown. She approached him slowly, her fingers finding the loose strands, playfully brushing them aside.

“I’m sorry Jake, I didn’t mean to worry you...”She sighed before adding, “Longer hair suits you.”

Ess was trying to distract herself from his gaze, trying to forget the ugly scar cradling her eye. She honestly was not sure what to say to him, what she should explain and how far he should be let into her world. She smiled softly at the sword in approval, happy to hear the child was following his dream.

“I always want to see you Jake, honest.” Her voice trembling through the smile. “I wish we could hang out all the time....Ebony just prevented it better this time, more than usual..” Although her bruises were long gone, her body still ached now and again and it was clear from her eyes something was taken away from her. If it wasn’t for Jake, she would have nothing at all. She wanted him to know that but was afraid to speak as she watched his stare unable to leave her face.

Chimera Passionate and Dark Piano

When Ess' face became visible and Jake saw the scar under her eye it sent a red hot feeling of rage through the boy's insides like he never felt before. While he had swore to himself that he would protect his friend, and anyone else he could, when he was older, he had never actually considered that it involved hurting the 'bad people', that was a concept only introduced to him recently through his fighting lessons, and it was one he still hesitated to assimilate. At that moment though he felt like he could actually hurt whoever had done that if he had a chance. It was the first time he ever thought something like that.

For a long while he stood, waiting for the anger to go away so he could say something. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to think he was mad at her, or that she was causing him any more concern than what he already had shown. Finally he broke his silence replying to the comment she made on his hair, smiling slightly. "I think it suits me too. I'll tell Jess you agree with me." Then he shook his head. "You know, you don't have to say you're sorry, or explain anything if you don't want to. We can just play." He told her, trying to distract from whatever she had been through while they were apart. "Here..." He pulled the bag up and dug his hand into it, but didn't pull it out again before explaining. "I told Jess I didn't know your birthday, but she said you don't need a reason to give someone a gift, so... She made this for you." As he said that he pulled a teddy bear from the bag; a small bear made of fabric and stuffed with sawdust. It was nothing extraordinary, but its most interesting feature was the little black tunic engraved with a crescent moon and a little wooden sword attached to its hand. "It was my idea, you know, while you don't go to Newhaven you can have Knight of your own. I wanted to make him a White Knight, but Jess says Black Knights are the scariest." He explained. "I know you're too grown up for toys, but it's the best idea I had." He added, rather apologetic of the fact he couldn't come up with a better gift than a child's toy.

Grasping the teddy, her fingers squishing the bear comfortingly, she couldn’t hold back as a few tears escaped her. She had missed his birthday and yet he brought HER a gift. The sweet gestures of this young boy continued to amaze her. Ess hugged the stuffed bear, truly touched by the gift, she muttered. “Thank you Jake...Please Thank your sister for me...”

As she wiped away her straggler tears, she lifted the bear and stared up at him. “He’s perfect...and you know what? I think I’ll call him my Jacob Bear.....It will be like you’re always with me.”
The gift had managed to distract her for a moment, but not before she remembered Jake’s gift as well. Tucking the bear against her arm and chest she reached a free hand along her thigh to reveal a tiny dagger, with it’s own sheath. No longer than the length of her hand, it was gold with a star like emblem on the hilt. “Don’t think I forgot about your birthday now...”She whispered passing the weapon to him, “It’s very sharp Jake...”

Ess spent the next few moments enjoying the boy’s smile before she sat him down to talk.
“You don’t think I’m ugly now, do you?” She bravely asked. Ess understood his kindness but was still scared. All she kept thinking about was the taunts she got from the brothel. Maybe it was their final attempt to break her as she walked around, her head held high, even if she wasn’t so proud at the moment.

“Jake...I killed a man...” Ess tensed, flinching at her sudden words... “I’m not sorry....” she stated flatly, hugging the bear close, she absently touched her eye, hinting to the scar. “I was punished....bad... Jake...that’s why I couldn’t come see you.”

Essence cried silently as she spoke, keeping her composure. “I would only be sorry if you were disappointed in me...if you said I was a bad person...” Staring into his eyes she searched to understand what the boy was feeling.

Jake was glad enough that Ess had liked the bear, even more that she had named it after him, that way if they couldn't see each other for a long time again, at least he would know she wasn't alone. Of course he knew the bear wasn't the same as an actual friend, and he knew it couldn't really protect her, but it was the best he could offer her for comfort and the fact that it had worked made him very happy. When Ess gave him the dagger though, his little blue eyes beamed with excitement. It was the prettiest thing he had ever seen. "It's the best gift ever!" He exclaimed opening the widest smile and adding the sheathed weapon to his little belt. He knew he would probably have to hide it from Jess, since it was sharp and he wasn't allowed yet, but for now he was going to wear it with pride.

When they sat down to talk and Ess asked him if she looked ugly he chuckled at the question. "What? No! You look as pretty as always. You're pretty, Ess. And don't let anyone say you're not." He scolded, giving a firm nod as he spoke.

When Ess told him she had killed someone and she wasn't sorry Jake grimaced, first as he thought of what it must be like to kill someone, second as he thought of what sort of punishment might have come from doing that. He noticed, however, how Ess had reached for her eye, a little bit of the rage he had felt moments before coming back to him as he mumbled. "If this man hurt you then I'm not sorry either." he told her. "And you're not a bad person, because I trust my gut and my gut says you're the best girl I know and if you hurt someone I'll always believe they deserved it no matter what anybody else says; because you are my friend, and I know you." He stated; a serious expression in his face making it clear that he was dead serious. Going quiet for a little while he then added. "One day you'll get away from them for good, you'll never have to cry again and no one will ever hurt you because I won't let them." He added, finally letting his anger pour out in his words. He hated these people, he hated them all without even knowing exactly why. All he knew, and all he needed to know, was that they were hurting his friend, they were making her sad and so he hated them all.

“I hope to never disappoint you Jake.” Was all she could muster as a response before she hugged Jake tightly. Ess, unintentionally muttered another comment, almost inaudible, “I’ll never be a mommy now...” Leaning forward onto her knees she placed her head onto Jake’s lap, still hugging him tight. “They took everything away Jake....” Ess trailed off, feeling horrible that after so long of not seeing each other, she had to be sad and depressing. Ess could be happy, could be mischievous and playful, but hadn’t much in her today, so she continued with, “So...Show me what you have been learning. Maybe you can teach me some things...”

Essence watched Jake for quite a while in her silence. Deep in thought, she came to her conclusion that age meant nothing. That even one so young could grasp the difference between good and bad. She began to pity those adults who were trapped within their own personal torment, only to lash out on the weak...those unable to protect themselves.

Ess’s tears dried, enjoying the time she spent with her friend. Softly, she began to sing to herself, not paying attention or caring that her voice carried into Jake’s hearing. Her voice was soft, sweet and quite soothing to hear. Although she didn’t realize it, it was a comfort to hear as her voice could rise and fall into many different notes, and one could hear the passion behind her words.

There’s a little bird, somebody sent...
Down to the Earth, to live on the wind...
Blowing on the wind, she sleeps on the wind..
This little bird...somebody sent...

Light and fragile, she’s feathered sky blue...
Thin ...and graceful, the sun shining through...
She flies so high....up in the sky...way out of reach.... of ...human eyes
Light and fragile, ..she’s feathered sky blue...
Thin...and graceful...the sun shining through...

And...the only time....she touches....ground...
Is when ..that little bird...little bird....
Is when that little bird....little bird....
Dies....

Remembering the sad words, gave Ess an uplifting feeling. It was something her father use to sing to her...that her mother used to sing to him. It gave her the hope, as long she kept going, nothing could push her down, until the very end. She wanted Jake to understand those words, something she needed to pass along, something he needed to hear.

Jake hugged Ess tight, sighing softly unable to make out the words she had mumbled, but understanding that whatever happened to her this time had been truly awful. He didn't say anything anymore, simply nodding as she asked him to show her what he learned. Jake spent a good amount of time absently trying to recreate the moves Nate had taught him in the past month, he was still a little clumsy with the sword, but he was learning quickly for a boy as young as he was, and disregarding his lack of technique he was almost the image of a little knight.

Jake stopped what he was doing though, the moment the song reached him, first his friend's voice, next the words, soon after the feelings behind the words. The boy went very quiet and then sat on the ground, resting the sword in his lap and watching Ess with interest as she sang. He had never heard that song before, it was unlike any other, and as much as he would like to ask his friend where it had come from, he didn't have the courage to make a sound of his own until it was over. At which point he simply mumbled. "That... That was really, very pretty. Where did you hear it?"

Storm-Lifehouse

Ess stared softly at her friend for some time before answering, proud of what he remembered from his lessons, the silence making her nervous.
“Well, Jakey...My father use to sing it to me when I was little...before he died...”
She smiled surprisingly at such a discussion, and continued.
“I never knew my mother..but I was named Essence, because my daddy use to say that I was the spitting image of her. That I was the life essence that was passed from her. See, she died while I was born. He use to tell me over and over how she use to sing this to him....he would cry every time. You see, he missed my mom very, very much. Maybe that’s where I got my purple eyes from...I don’t know. I don’t have a painting or anything to go by...”

Ess stood and went to Jake, hugging him tight again before continuing... “It’s about...never giving up before the very end. Fighting til the end, Jake...No matter what others think, keeping true to yourself.” Ess continued again, the blur of her words colliding into each other in the speed she spoke, almost like he did.

“You help remind myself of this....I never have sang in front of anyone before....So I want you to know...That I trust you with every fiber of my being, that it will never change, no matter what. In this life or the next. I hope you always remember me Jake because I want you to carry on no matter what, and never give up.”

It may of sounded like a goodbye, but it was meant to be a promise. Something he could carry with him when she wasn’t around, just like her bear would always remind her of Jake when he wasn’t there.

“No matter what Jake, I’m always with you.”

Jake’s eyes had closed instinctively at the memory, his empty hand shutting into a tight fist, his body shivering for a moment with tension before relaxing. He folded the portrait neatly and tucked into the inner pocket of his jacket, opening his eyes as a long shivering breath escaped him. He was silent and his eyes were still filled with contempt for the man named Hector; he had pitied Joffrey, pitied him for what his life had been, this man on the other hand... Jake shook his head, trying to calm his temper by taking another drink from his flask. His eyes only softening again when Ess showed him the picture of her father, he chuckled softly as he stared at the portrait, taking in all the details; she had clearly put a lot of time and work into it. “You know I never really considered I’d still be alive in fifteen years, but... It’s nice to know I’ll still be a handsome man if I do live that long.” He stated with a smile, falling into a contemplative silence for a few moments, before standing up, running one hand through his hair absently. “You know, I remember very clearly, even after all this time, when I saw you again, how hurt you were, it was the first time I ever wished someone dead. And I... I’m going to find this guy.” It was a simple statement, but it was clear in Jake’s voice what it truly meant. “I think you should get some sleep, I can see you’re tired.” He agreed, putting away his flask and stifling a yawn of his own. Jake was tired as well, but he didn’t even try to fool himself into thinking he would be able to sleep if he tried. He stood for a little while, seeming unable to decide whether or not to speak, or which way to move, his indecision showing in the form of a slight twitch as if whatever was going through his mind was causing him the urge to run away and he had to fight to stay in place. It lasted for a few moments before he took in a deep breath. “You know, right before I went hunting for Jesse’s attackers, for the last time, Dani Rivers came up to me and she said that when she was a child her mother had told her that inside every human soul there are two wolves; one of them is kind, selfless and forgiving, while the other is violent, selfish and cruel, and these two wolves are constantly at war with one another and one day, in a critical moment, the strongest of the two would slay the weakest. When I asked, she told me that the strongest wolf is the one we choose to feed. That every choice we make in life tips the scale one way or another and all we have to hope for is that in the end the good outweighs the bad. I didn’t make much of it at the time, but... Now and then, it comes back to me and I wonder... What my score is like by now.”

Essence slowly stood, resting her hand along Jake’s forearm. “..I know you’ll find him. I don’t doubt you, nor will I ever.” She smiled, moving to put her things away, propping the opening of her tent to let in a warm breeze. Ess made herself comfortable but facing outwards from her tent so that she could stare at her friend, watching him intently as she pondered over his words. Gradually her fingers found the little wolf figurine that Ali had given her. She shifted her gaze to once again take in the detail, her fingertips gently obsessing over the smoothness of the piece. For a while she pondered Jake’s words on the human soul. It made sense, yet she felt it may not always be just the two fighting inside, but if there were, hers did not take on the form of wolves. It was a rather appropriate analogy though. Resting her chin along her arms she continued to stare at the figurine.

“I’m pretty sure...your score is better than mine, Jakey. If I were to put myself into that context, then I would have to say that no matter which side ends up proving itself victorious, apart of me will disappear either way. You know what it’s like to want to disappear, right Jacob? I’ve practiced that skill for many years.. to avoid many things. Funny how at the same time, I fear it. If who I am vanishes and is replaced by something else. That would still be something though. What if after there’s no trace?” Ess snorted, tucking the wolf carving back at her side. “I am afraid and yet I crave at times to not care. But my stubborn, over emotional temper seems to still keep me in check. Still…” Essence trailed off, turning slightly so that Tala could get by and snuggle beside her. After some time she began to hum softly, running her fingers through the toughs of Tala’s fur in a soothing manner. As her voice grew louder it seemed to soften even more somehow, in a meaning so that only those in her proximity could hear her and thus would have to strain to catch her words as they cascaded off her lips. Ess closed her eyes, continuing to sing from one song to the next, until she finally began to drift off during her Mother’s lullaby.

And so she slept, but little did she realize it would probably be the last time she would get a solid nights sleep for some time.

Nineteen Days After the Ball

Darren arrived into the Raven’s Nest just after sunset, a bit later than he meant to due to his frequent breaks and the encounter with the dark haired stranger. He didn’t want to admit it but he was experiencing dizzy spells, however slight. They were enough to caution him but not enough to hold him to the White Shadows. He had stayed longer than he should of and yet, not nearly as long as he wanted to. His thoughts dwelled on his stay, causing him to walk a bit blindly into the Nest.

Darren couldn’t remember the last time he slept so much and he probably would have slept through an entire day if he didn’t awaken to voices in the tent beside his. Glancing around to gather his things he realized his weapons were no where to be found. He figured it would just be another excuse to speak with Annie as he was sure they were being kept someone for the safety of the camp.

Early morning rays of light temporarily blinded Darren as he stepped out of the tent and quietly crept to peek into the tent next door. His eyes softened when he saw an elderly man reaching for a pitcher of water he had accidentally knocked over, about ready to fall off his cot. Darren quietly stepped in and gently placed a hand upon the man’s shoulder, helping him to steady himself upon the cot. “I’ll get that. Did you need more water? I can find you some more, just don’t tip over while i’m gone, ok?” The man responded with a smile, leaning back to wait patiently for Darren to return. The boy only had to ask once where to find water, not knowing if there was a well or another source to search for. On his way back he peeked into a few open tents, his mind memorizing who looked like they needed blankets, water, or other simple accommodations that someone like Darren would have no problem assisting them with.

He returned to the old man reaching for a tattered book from a bedside table causing Darren to sigh. “I wasn’t gone that long Guy, was I?” He chuckled, refilling the pitcher and a glass, handing it to the man before reaching for the book and placing it on the cot beside him. Darren’s eyes flashed with an image, but he pushed it aside, focusing on controlling his enlightenment.

“Sydney..” The white haired man whispered. “..Are you one of the apprentices?” He coughed, spitting up some water before catching his breath and resting his hand upon the book. “I swore I knew all of them..”

“No, Sydney.” Darren smiled and bowed his head respectively. “..I’m Darren..I’m a patient, same as you but I’ll be heading out soon.”

“Oh...in that case son, you mind reading to an old man? I can’t see the words so good anymore, even if I know them by heart.” Sydney chuckled, his breath raspy and burdened.

“Sure. Give me a bit, I got some particulars to take care of and I’ll make this my last stop before I leave, ok?”

Most of the patients were well attended to and Darren found that besides food and water and the occasional extra blanket that was desired, something as simple as a friendly smile was the most helpful in his bed side manners. People didn’t like being treated as if they were sick or looked
upon with pity and Darren didn’t feel pity. He was empathetic to their situation and knew that encouraging them to rest and eat would give them that strength they needed to heal and go home. Even if they were terminal, Darren didn’t know that. He treated every one of them the same.

Darren snickered at the curious glances he received from a couple healers in passing as they entered a tent Darren had just left. They had helped him, no questions asked, so he figured he could at least do the same in return. His smile faded when he heard a scream only paces ahead coming from Sydney’s tent but it was not from the old man but of a woman. Darren picked up his pace only to discover what he had thought to be a frail, shaky, old man was now standing wide-eyed with an empty and lost stare, his hands firmly squeezing around a woman’s throat.

“A little help here…” Darren called over his shoulder in urgency as he stepped towards the man. “Sydney...what are you doing? What happened here old timer?”

“Get away from me! She deserves it! She tried to poison me!” The man yelled hysterically.

“Sydney...no one is trying to poison you...let her go..” Darren calmly whispered, his eyes darting from the man to the woman who was now turning purple, her frantic fingers that were clawing at her neck to be released, growing limp. “I came back to read to you..remember?”

Sydney looked away from the woman and stared at Darren in confusion. “..Who...are you? I’ve never seen you before in my life! This one though..” He turned back to the woman, his expression saddening, “She has been slowly poisoning me...making me weaker…”

Darren used the man’s minimal distraction to inch closer, swinging him forearm hard in a downward fashion, colliding into Sydney’s arm to break his hold slightly, twisting behind the man and intertwining his arms up and around the man’s as he pried him off the woman. She instantly fell to the floor, gasping and coughing through a groan. “Don’t…”

Darren clamped down, locking his hands behind the man’s head to hold him steady as he thrashed and yelled in defiance. “Come on Sydney, calm down..”

“Don’t...hurt my Father...he doesn’t know..” She whispered.

Darren froze, staring blankly at the girl upon the ground as two more healers rushed in to sedate Sydney. He hadn’t realized it before. How could he have known though? The man’s mind was gone. Sydney didn’t even recognize his own daughter and had just tried to kill her, convinced in his paranoia that she was trying to hurt him.

The daughter was carried away to recover from the ordeal while Sydney was placed back in his bed, the sedative working quickly to calm him.

“..It’s some sort of dementia...another symptom from whatever is afflicting enlightened..” One of the healers stated, his tone void of emotion as if he was reading directly from a textbook.

“..Let me guess...his enlightenment is increased strength? Maybe you should think about added security for this guy for when he relapses..” Darren grunted, catching his breath. The two men nodded before leaving Darren with Sydney to go about their duties for the morning. Darren sighed, noticing the tattered book open upon the floor and slowly picked it off the ground. He scanned over the pages for a bit before settling down in a chair, resting the book in his lap to read aloud to the man as he had promised. Sydney’s eyes had closed but a subtle smile curled his lips as he occasionally mouthed the words of the story Darren read, reciting them before Darren even spoke them. He did know the book by heart, but not because he had read it so many times. It was because, as Darren gradually discovered, it wasn’t just any story. It was a journal of the man’s life. He was trying to remember; trying to hold onto those distant moments.

Darren’s eyes glistened at the realization, a single tear falling which he quickly wiped away. That was when he noticed Annie standing outside the tent, watching him. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Darren closed the book and looked over the sleeping man for a moment to confirm he wouldn’t wake. He stood, replacing the book on the chair where he had sat. “Guess it’s that time…” He stretched his arms and neck, thinking he sat in that position for too long. “I’m glad I got to see you before I left. I wanted to thank you and ask you something. Would it be alright if I write you? I’m just not sure when I’ll be back and I hope when I do return it is not as a patient. May I visit again?”


Darren broke from his thoughts, distracted by the familiar sound of someone sparring except he only heard one person; a woman. Deterring from the path, he veered in that direction, putting off his initial goal of reporting immediately to the Captain once he was inside camp. Quietly, Darren approached a small and secluded campfire at the base of a rock wall, walking past two of the Captain’s men who were chuckling in disbelief.

“What is she pounding on now? You said she shredded that thing.” One of the men laughed, pulling the hood to his cloak further forward to cover his face.

“Aiden asked me to fix it..but there was no fixing it so I made her another one. Better than the guy’s face, right?” The other man snickered, glancing up at Darren and shaking his head in a warning fashion, disapproving of where Darren was headed. “It’s best to wait til it quiets, buddie. She’s not as scary after about an hour and she’s only just started. She’s riled up, that one.”

Darren paused, quirking a brow. “...Who...oh, you mean the redhead? Uh..Essence. Jake’s friend.” The man winked and smiled brightly. “I’ve never been hit by a woman in my life. I’m not about to break that streak. Besides..” He paused listening a moment before continuing. “It sounds like she’s putting too much effort to get the same result..” Darren nodded and continued walking towards Ess’ camp, spotting the giant Oak first at the treeline, breaking his silent steps by purposely stepping on twigs and the such to let her know of his approach. She only slowed her pace a moment as if to listen but she never stopped her fists from thrashing the sandbag that hung from a branch of the Oak. Once in view, Darren’s smile faded and his expression was replaced by pure confusion. It wasn’t a woman he saw tearing apart that sandbag, but an older, redheaded, freckled faced man. The grunts and muffled screams of aggravation were still of a woman’s which intensified Darren’s confusion.

“..Waait. I’m a bit confused. I was expecting Miss Talon.” Darren smirked as the figure stopped and looked at him in pure annoyance, throwing up his/her hands in defeat.

“Really...it happened again? Bloody Twins…” Essence growled, bending down to dunk her face into a bucket of water, the jolt of the cold shaking her from her illusion and calming her slightly.

Darren laughed, trying to hide his amusement at the same time. “Are you really a man pretending to be a woman, or is that your real form? Does Jake know his redhead is a man?” Darren teased, attempting to make light of the woman’s annoyance.

Ess’ eyes darkened in anger but she paused a moment before chuckling coldly. “Are people still betting on that? I told them I can only promise I am a woman, the rest is up to them.” She teased with a shrug.

“Was that who you were trying to punish there? Is that why you went from those good punches to what I saw as wimpy, half assed punches?” Darren partially teased, taking a cautionary step back.

Still catching her breath some, Ess reached for a glass, dunking it into the bucket and gulping down some water before answering Darren. “Half assed? Well..yea maybe...It’s been a long day. You would know though, right kid? Jake said you use to fight and people would bet on you, yes? So does that make you a professional punching bag?” A devilish smile spread across her lips. “Mind if I have a go?”

Darren took another step back and laughed, leaning against the backside of the Oak. Does she just want to punch every guy in the face or something? The boy thought and shook his head. “You forget, I have seen your handy work. Blade or no blade, I think i’m fine all the same in one piece, thank you. Not like what you did to Ebony. Which by the way is why I wanted to actually speak with you for a little while now. You mutilated her before I got any information out of her.”

Ess laughed, her eyes scanning over Darren slowly, inspecting like an insect before settling down beside the fire to dry off. “You’re better off kid. That ..creature..had nothing but poison and lies to give you. You shouldn’t be complaining that she is no more. What do you want to know except the kind of business she ran. Either you were for it..or against it. Plain and simple.” Ess stretched her neck, a distinctive popping sound echoing from her bones. “She only played games...plays people and life as if she was a puppeteer and even faced with that ultimate death, she would never release those secrets she hangs over our heads.” Essence fell quiet, attempting to take in the details of the boy before her that she overlooked in prior encounters. Then again, there were pressing matters of distraction that fogged her mind.

A heavy breath rushed to escape Darren, “That’s what I was just discovering. I never met her before, but she knew who I was. Apparently she was a business partner of my father’s at one point in time, come to find out and my father wasn’t an upstanding guy but to find out he was involved in her line of work.. is kind of..sickening.” Darren stepped around the Oak and kneeled beside the campfire across from Ess. “It’s personal to ask, I know, but I wanted to know how you knew Ebony. What answers are you still searching for? Or has that woman’s death brought you enough satisfaction to quiet that longing to know?”

Ess’ eyes widened, a dangerous glow, brightening as she snapped, “How..dare you..How da-”

Darren snorted, interrupting the woman, “How dare I? I simply asked a question and do not mean offense.”

“..I have killed that woman, twice now!! Yet I still see her snake-like head, slithering out of the ground to crawl into my bed. That, her bite will finally end me instead of slowly draining me. Yes, it has brought some satisfaction...such as you will not understand, but I always want to KNOW. That never stops. That is the never ending problem you will learn one day.” Essence took in a soothing breath to steady herself. “At least she can’t hurt anyone else now..”

“I’m pretty sure she’s dead this time..” Darren snickered, remember how Ess had covered herself in Ebony’s blood from the homicidal rage. “But it appears, even in death she continues to cause harm.” Darren whispered, his stare entranced on Ess’ eyes and how the violet light strobed in unison with her escalated emotions; slowing when she focused on her breathing. It was familiar and haunting at the same time. Essence had been subjected to horrors unimaginable because of that woman, that much was clear. He was trying to be as delicate as possible with the subject to find out if perhaps anything had to do with his own situation. If he had family she knew about. It was time to give a little, just like he had done with Annie.

“Essence...I found out that I may or may not still having living siblings..all from different mothers that were not my own. From the puzzle pieces I’ve been given, I can see some of the picture, but there’s still gaps. My father would pay Ebony to impregnate women, trying to have a son and apparently there were many..failures. I don’t know if there are any still living because it seems they were either killed or Ebony was allowed to absorb the failures into her..business or they were sold.” Darren’s face turn slightly pale as he spoke, searching the woman’s face for answers as she took in the information. “My understanding is that this..activity..stopped after I was born.” Darren scoffed in disgust and irritation. “He finally got his son..”

“..Sold? Absorbed? You mean they were made to be prostitutes or something else..” Ess breathed almost inaudibly, her eyes no longer glowing, so drained of color those purple irises looked, almost a dark grey. “If you want to know if I may have possibly known anyone that could have potentially been a sister of yours...that I can’t answer. You’re...how old? I escaped that life about fifteen or so years ago. It’s possible, but I’m sorry..I have no way of knowing..maybe if you had more to go on with names or what they looked like..” Ess stood to add a few logs to the fire, the motions on autopilot as she wasn’t even paying attention to the task. She didn’t even notice how she was now standing beside Darren, as if she was drawn subconsciously to him for an important reason.


“...Unless...Darren....who is your father?” Essence whispered, almost afraid to even ask the question. She could no longer deny the familiar eyes, black curly locs, and warm smile. The similarities were uncanny to Dirk, her own father. The idea made her heart stop, lips parted as she leaned in to listen intently for an answer.

Darren stood so that he was now the one towering over Ess, a curious anxiousness clouding his expression. “Just turned seventeen...I never did tell you my last name, did I? Most know it, which is quite unflattering to be even linked to that man...but it’s not the name that makes the man, right?” With a shrug he answered. “Asher.....Hearst....”

Ess’ eyes narrowed at the name, holding back an instinctive gag like shudder that snuck up on her. She wasn’t sure she believed the boy. It wasn’t just basic denial, or disbelief, but the fact she didn’t see the similarity between the two. ‘Maybe the chin...or nose...’ She thought to herself.

Darren noticed how Ess seemed to pull away, a curious anger crossing her features. Nodding a bit, a frown darkened his face, a mirrored violet of his eyes clouding over the deep blue. “I take it you had the unfortunate luck of knowing the man...Were...you one of the women..?” He bravely asked, his voice losing strength. Tiny beads of sweat appeared along his forehead as he reached out towards Essence, wanting to grasp her hand or brush her cheek. He wanted desperately to know, to confirm the pieces that were fading into view. Darren’s baby blues flickered with a violet glow of their own as he inched forward.

Essence mimicked Darren’s steps, as if they had begun a waltz, eyes soaking in the young man before her like a sponge, her eyes sharing in his violet glow. “....What.....did your father....tell you about your mother, Darren...?” She blurted out, not knowing how to go about this. How would she know for sure? Could it be truly more than a coincidence?

Darren ran his fingers up along the back of his neck and through his curls, looking a bit uneasy, yet he didn’t hesitate to answer, which he did delicately. “...That...she ‘left’ me after I was born, because working as an entertainer...was no place for a child....or something like that....” Darren paused remembering his father’s journal and the twisted way he had described his ‘relationship’ with Darren’s mother. “..I read in this journal of his...that he believed for a time he was actually in love with her...” Darren scoffed, rolling his eyes. “...I saw it as slavery and abuse ...if you ask me...” He paused for a moment, eyes widening as the pieces slowly fell into place. “She had....red curly hair....like yours...I assume.” Darren cleared his throat and took a deep breath again, as if searching for strength. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you know my father?”


“You just turned seventeen?” Ess breathed, delaying her answer. Darren only nodded, quirking a brow. With a sigh, Ess cradled her neck as if it pained her to hold her head up high any longer, both hands curled along her neck, fingers tracing along where her spine met her skull. Closing her eyes she relived how she was stolen into that life and finally when she spoke, she recalled the days of Darren’s father.

“Come on out, Essence. Let me get a good look at you before your next visitor.” Ebony commanded, banging obnoxiously against the bedroom door. Slowly the door creaked open, out stepping a painted, live porcelain doll. Standing at about four foot five, the twelve year old girl’s eyes burned a fiery glare into the older woman’s eyes. Short, burgundy curls were tied back loosely from out her eyes where she stood silently, her form clad in hunter green silks that dragged along the floor. It was clear her appearance did not come cheap, yet the trinkets she wore defined her growing girlish features, adding several years to the facade. “Turn around now, Essence...” Ebony didn’t smile, instead a scowl grew in a quiet jealousy of the young girl and her youthful beauty. “...Not bad..” She lied, roughly tugging out the clips in Ess’ hair so that her curls fell along her slender neck. “What did I tell you? Hair down always gives a more alluring look.” Absently she was smoothing out the silks Ess wore, spinning her around again in another inspection. “This one will be different, Essence. Yes you will be his, but not just for a night. He has paid quite handsomely for you to be ‘only’ his and thus it will be until his money runs out, he decides you’re used up, or I kill you.” Ebony shrugged, pulling a strand of her salt n pepper hair from out her eyes, exposing several tired lines against the dark circles. “You will remember what I’ve taught you, yes?” She waited expectantly, tapping her nails against each other.

Ess nodded, letting her gaze fall to her feet. “My feelings don’t matter. What I want doesn’t matter. Only what ‘they’ need or want matters and I will feel only for them and what is expected of me. The eyes are the doorway to the soul and because I have no soul, I fill it with their fantasies and make them believe in the dream...” Her tone was soft, yet void of emotion except her eyes when she looked back up at her Mistress, a hateful fury dissipating to a doll’s stare; empty and cold. Ebony coughed out a raspy laugh, lightly smacking the girl across her cheeks to add some color. “Good litta whore....now just don’t forget to smile.” With a shove, Ebony ended her inspection, pushing Ess back inside her room, where she was to wait for her next patron.

~~~

Ess didn’t understand what to make of the brown-eyed man, as he simply sat and stared at her curiously. His smile was gentle and he had made no attempt to touch her except when he lightly kissed her hand. Granted, not all the men she encountered were cruel or without dignity, but it was like he was going out of his way to make her comfortable. That first night, he only talked with her; mostly about himself, hinting at his power and influence through money and his business, that which he never went into too much detail. She had never seen him before, yet he spoke on how he had been watching her for some years now, like a distant admirer. He was old enough to be her father, his tone attentive and sweet, his goatee and black hair short and clean with a strange scent that clung to his clothes; a mix of an irony, sugary sweet, earthy aroma with a hint of something burning that she couldn’t put her finger on. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, mostly because it was subtle, but the smell made a permanent impression in her mind that she would not forget.

~~~

Again, he visited the next night, only this time he told her she was to accompany him to a dinner of much importance to him. She was too young to really understand what the business dinner was really about, but it wasn’t her job to either, only to look pretty on his arm. Still she didn’t know his name, but she didn’t speak unless addressed directly, as Ebony had instructed. Her mistress did not like the idea of Ess wandering the city without further supervision, but the man promised Ebony it would not be an issue and to fully compensate if need be. Essence wanted to run, wanted to hit the man in the head and escape, but she simply clung to his side like she belonged, like she had been there all along.

Nobody spoke to Ess while she ate beside her patron, which actually added to her comfort since the stares she received were either of distaste or of a lustful nature. She was apparently safe in the man’s presence, given a great amount of respect and stature compared to the others. As before, he barely laid a finger on her. Even when the night was at a close and she expected to be subjected to the normal degrading acts of her lifestyle, he simply leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You were a breath of fresh air tonight, Ess. If I may make a request of you, perhaps tomorrow you’d wear something in a lavender..? To match those eyes of yours..”

Ess performed as expected, shying away from the compliment and nodded with a slight curtsy. “Anything you desire, it shall be yours..” Tilting her head curiously she spoke up again, out of turn. “Sire...may I ask a question?” Ess knew speaking before given permission was risky but her question was small, and stood with an appealing smile that seemed to weaken the man’s knees. He gestured for her to continue. “What shall I call you?”

For a moment, the man’s eyes darkened and his smile faded but still his tone was gentle as it had been the entire night. “I will allow you to speak to me commonly, it is Asher, my dear.”

~~~~

Days passed before he finally took her into his bed, mostly because he wanted her to make the move, to request his touch. This was a game Ess was taught early on and so she played the shy innocent girl full of ignorance when she was anything but. She didn’t have much of an opinion of Asher, except that he appeared to be a gentleman and that he liked the illusion of courting her in a dream like love affair. Deep down, a sickening feeling lingered inside of Essence. She smiled, flirted, and moved like a woman. Asher handled her like a woman, and yet she was still a child, forced to grow up too soon.

Ess knew this was different when Asher cradled her against his chest, caressing her silky soft skin, again he kissed her and paused to look at her with something hidden behind his eyes that Ess feared. Still, he was gentle, sweet, caring and even muttered something in her ear about falling for her and that was why he would not allow any other man to touch her. Instinct told her this was wrong, that this was only the calm before the storm but even Ebony bothered her less and less. Ess figured it was because she was making her a small fortune and staying out of trouble, but Asher even protected her against Jasper, and that’s the moment she began to care.
The months that followed, she started to believe the compliments, the way he looked at her like she was the most important thing and nothing else mattered. For the first time she felt like she did matter, and she wasn’t even sure she was acting anymore. Something was changing, a hope was growing inside that maybe her life could be different. Ebony saw this too, only smiling a deceitful grin whenever Ess passed her by, not reacting when Ess spoke out of turn, talked back or was disobedient. She wanted to believe she was growing stronger and that with Asher’s help, that was the influence to keeping Ebony’s abuse at bay, when in reality the woman had something planned; something that would shatter the girl, taking the fight out of her.

~~~

Essence didn’t know what was happening. One moment she was chatting away and the next she was huddled in the far corner, between the wall and her bed, protecting her head as she was hit repeatedly. “Please! I swear there is no one else! I swear Asher! She lies, she lies!” Ess screamed, sobbing between punches before she was dragged clear across the floor by her hair, her hands trying to grip her curls, pulling back in order to counter the pain as she felt her scalp begin to bleed.

“I despise other people...touching my things....” Asher spoke coldly, a manic jealousy wild within his eyes. “Haven’t I treated you well? Haven’t I protected you, Ess?”

Blocking another assault she continued to scream defiantly in Asher’s face, spitting blood in his eye. “You still treat me like a whore....like a possession....” Again she was hit in the face, blood trickling from her nose.

“You are a Whore, Ess....you’re MY whore....” Asher stated matter of factly.
Gradually her voice softened when another wave of sobs over took her. “What are you protecting me from?! She wants you to kill the baby Asher! Don’t you see!”

In mid swing, the man came to a sudden halt, fingers uncurling from tightened fists, crouching down beside Ess on the floor. “What did you say?” He whispered, a threatening venom in his voice as he waited for her to answer.

“She knows...your child grows within me....she wants it dead like the others...” Ess whispered, hiding her face in her hands.

Asher stared wide-eyed, silent in his shock for several minutes before a smile broke his icy gaze. Leaning into Ess, he gently wrapped his arms around her, causing her to flinch and shrink back but unable to avoid his embrace. “Shh shh...now dear....” He lifted her chin to look into his eyes, her own vacant of color, bloodshot from her tears, still trying to pull away. Gripping her face in his hand he stared. “I swear Asher...it’s yours....there’s no-”

“Shh, there Essence..” His hand rested lightly upon her belly, lost in momentary thought before he spoke again. “Don’t you worry..I’ve always wanted a child..”


As Darren listened attentively to Essence’s story, he was hypnotized by her pain, feeling as if he were there to witness it all as she went on in vivid detail,not sugarcoating any of it. By the time she had opened her eyes, still in tiny slits causing the glow to stream out in an unnatural bright hue, he had his arms around her, resting his chin gently upon her head. “....They told me he had died...” She muttered sadly, still keeping her composure, strangely not pulling away from the sudden contact of the stranger. But then again, was he really? The contact was enough to validate his suspicions, confirming her story as they clung to each other in silence. He knew in that moment, Ess was the little girl with short red curls, pale doll-like skin, but now her eyes were not hidden. “...I should have known they were purple....the way Asher described their intensity, how they shifted with emotion.....’.I only saw the ocean once, when I was a child....and whenever I looked into that girl’s eyes, I was reminded of the hidden depths and unseen shadows below....how the farther one dove...the more they suffocated. It was frightening...intriguing, and utterly beautiful. As the sun set across the ocean, a purple glow darkened those waters...a mirrored image each time her tears fell.’” Darren smiled in that moment, a chuckle escaping when Ess answered, “...Huh....never thought Asher had a poetic shred of thoughtfulness in him...makes me want to cut out his eyes...”

“How...old were you....Ess....?” Darren spoke, his voice cracking surprisingly, his smile fading once again keeping his composure as he held the woman who was revealed to be his birth Mother. Bits and pieces of visions were escaping into his view as he pressed against that flow, afraid of the overwhelming sensations and information that was trying to push through his barrier.

“....Twelve....I think....I can’t....believe...” Essence pulled back slightly, enough to look up at Darren, who looked sick from Ess’ answer. Darren’s heart sank into the pit of his stomach, his blood slowing as if it was suddenly chilled and thickened to a slush when he focused on the vision he took from Ess of his father. Seeing him through her eyes sent shivers straight through to the bone, penetrating his very soul. Darren was never his father’s number one fan...but in that moment something changed in him forever. This time when Darren went to speak, his voice was low in a growl, raspy and eerie that which was so unlike him, he startled himself. “...There’s something you should know about Asher....” He began.

Ess raised two elegant fingers to Darren’s lips and smiled. “Shh..not now...can we just...share a ‘moment’ before we have to dwell on business or the devastatingly depressed? I want to know...ALL about you. I have so much to learn...there’s so much you need to know....like how if I only knew you were alive...” Her voice lost its’ courage and faded to a whisper, “I don’t know how to be a Mom...but I sure as hell am gonna try.”

Darren nodded, tilting his cheek so Ess’ hand brushed along his goatee. “Well, look at it this way, Mom,” He chuckled. “You don’t have to change diapers or listen to wailing screams of an infant.”

Playfully Ess tapped Darren’s cheek and stepped back, snickering as she wiped aside a few tears. “Yea, I hope you’re...house broken....no way am I doing any of that now.” Ess leaned up on the balls of her feet and wrapped her arms tight around Darren’s neck, hugging him something fierce, as if afraid he would disappear.

Darren smiled, muttering playfully, “I can’t..believe you were gonna name me Aldwin...really? That’s a good name for a horse...but...really?”
Essence laughed abruptly, squeezing a bit harder. “Hey...I had other ideas too...I probably would have changed it later..”

“You can’t just change my name because you get tired of it?!” Darren protested, trying to sound offended.

“Sure I can...but honestly..I think Darren is a good name..so no worries..” She winked. “So...do you have a girlfriend?”

“Ma!” Darren groaned. “Essence, do you have a boyfriend?” He teased back, leaning back into the hug, gasping for breath as Ess squeezed him. “Heey....alright...I can’t....breathe..” When she let go he dramatically stumbled back, pretending to suck in large draughts of air. “And noo, I don’t..”

Ess sighed, smiling as she noticed the same tiny dimples along the corners of her son’s mouth, almost hidden by his mustache. “Me neither...” She laughed. “And why not? You are a very good looking boy...come from good stock!” Ess didn’t even realize she had begun to fuss with her son’s curly hair, absently picking hairs and fuzzies off his shirt. It wasn’t until he began to squirm and dance around her they both stopped and laughed.

Hours went by as Essence let Darren talk and explain all about himself; his past, his luck with girls, what he was aspiring for in life, and so forth. Finally when it was Ess’ turn, they discussed her past and the connection with Asher having much to do with how she ended up in that brothel hell. It wasn’t a coincidence that he knew about her, instead, he had been one of the men involved with Ian directly in the ‘business deal’. Asher had practically handpicked her for himself. Ess found herself the one comforting Darren as he sobbed in her lap, her fingers gently massaging around his temples. She was the one who stood strong, not letting a single tear fall but instead humming sweetly into his ear, trying to calm him. A large part of her was trying to ignore the stain of the information she had learned about Asher. If she hadn’t hated him enough already, as it was. Yet, she still hadn’t put in a lot of effort to find him or to exact her revenge. Ess had not brought him up to Jake or Luckas. Not once. She had actually spent much of her strength in..not really forgiving him, but forgetting him. It still confused her sometimes; that old life. Essence still didn’t know if it was disgust, resentment, or a broken heart that she suffered from. Maybe, all of the above. It angered her and that fury swelled inside her, so much that she was delighted. Anything to not admit...

“I wasn’t..even born from love.....” Darren sighed, wiping at a few tears. Ess hushed Darren, not letting him speak anything further with that sentence, knowing where it was leading. His words distracted her from her thoughts, taken over by concern instead. “It..doesn’t matter how you were conceived, because it was still from love....you know why? Because I had always wanted you...I have always loved you...this tiny boy I never got a chance to meet, now who towers before me. With a much better name than I would have picked, I think.” Essence smiled wide, poking her son in the side, causing him to laugh abruptly. “You are the only blessed thing that came from that wretched man, and if I see him again...I’ll be sure to thank him before I...”

“I know..I know...” Darren interrupted. “...Impale his eyes on a fork...”

“That’s right, and don’t you forget that.” Ess giggled.

“How could I?” He teased. “You’ve only said it like three times in the past two hours!”

“Good to know you’re a good listener then...” Ess winked. “You seem to have grown up rather well...maybe better than I could have given you myself....I’m rather proud.” Ess paused, bouncing a bit at a sudden idea. “Oh...next time you see Jake, call him ‘Uncle Jakey’ for me.” She joked. “And....keep on Irvin to behave around women. We don’t want the boy losing a limb...he seems like good people, maybe a friend, no?”

Darren nodded, thinking how he was one to always, for the most part, have no problem making friends. “I’d say so.” He shuffled, sitting up straight upon the log by the fire, his back cracking as he got comfortable again, Tala suddenly at his feet, her tail wagging happily at him. “What? You hungry?” Tala barked, nuzzling the boy’s hand so that he was scratching the wolf behind her ears.

“Naw, that little piggy just wants attention..” Ess giggled. There the three of them sat, simply enjoying the silence of the evening, and the open sky of stars shining down upon them from above. They made smart ass comments to one another about each other’s tattoos, which was their own little way of commenting and envying the details of one another’s personal art. Ess had poured each of them a glass of something heavy that burned all the way down into their bellies with each sip, causing the same cherry glow upon their cheeks. “Eh, you’re old enough to drink I think if you’re old enough to fight in a war, no?”

“Oh...so does that mean you’ve been drinking since you were a teenager, Ess?” Darren sneered.

“You know what I mean, boy! And it’s MOM to you!” Ess played.

“Yes Essence....er...Maaa...Soooooo” Darren’s voice became suddenly lighter and took on a curious tone. “What’s the deal with you and Luckas?”

“Ah....” Ess was happy her cheeks were already flushed from the liquor, feeling just a bit uncomfortable with the conversation change with a young man who wasn’t just her son, but also only two years younger than her friend. “Well....It’s not polite to talk about people when they are standing behind you, son.”

Darren quirked a brow, turning around slowly as if he was dreading the worst, but denied by the smile upon his lips. “What....are you talking about...? I don’t see...”

Raven's Nest - 19 days after the ball

Darren quirked a brow, turning around slowly as if he was dreading the worst, but denied by the smile upon his lips. “What....are you talking about...? I don’t see...”

Luckas was about to step out from hiding, when he noticed a change in Darren’s posture. It was subtle, but enough to know the kid was alert to his presence, so... He carefully made his way around just as he turned to look, speaking out behind him. “She said... Behind you, Kid.” He snickered. “Haven’t we been through this already?” He asked, turning to Ess with a small frown. “You know, it’s not fun if you warn them... Although, I was expecting that if you had company it’d be Jakey Bear, or Beast Boy... They’re much more fun to sneak up on.”

Ess hopped up, giggling, automatically pouring Luckas a drink. Tala was lying comfortably beside the fire, her thumping tail giving a subtle greeting. It took a few tries, the wolf practically rolling to her feet before taking her normal position, circling Luckas, sniffing at his pant leg to determine where he had gone in his absence.

Darren turned about again, startled taking a step back, yet his smile was still plain on his face. He didn’t think he’d ever get use to this trick, his own chuckles chorusing with Essence. “How did you know he was there?....”

Ess tapped her forehead and nodded knowingly as she handed Luckas the glass. “You just need to remember one thing with Luckas....he’s ALWAYS here....it’s actually very comforting if you ask me, but I digress...” Ess let her eyes flutter along Luckas’ form before turning her gaze back towards Darren with a fake innocent smile. “Whaaat?” Darren just shook his head.

“Alright...I’m not one to be left out, may I have a refill, Ma?”

Ess’ gaze trailed down towards Tala, who was still sniffing persistently in circles, although her tail had slowed and her lips were curling over her teeth in a silent, snarl like fashion. Quirking a brow, Ess tapped her chin to over exaggerate her thought process on the situation, holding back a snicker when Tala began having a strange and abrupt sneezing fit. Ess counted over five times before the wolf began rolling on her side, pawing at her snout as if to rid herself of something irritating that had crawled up there. Yet, there was nothing. Ess then leaned comically forward so that her face was inches away from Luckas’ skin as she sniffed the air around him before pulling back. “Hmm...faint scent of perfume maybe...flowery.” Ess shrugged. “Or maybe that’s just me. Not sure what sent Tala into her fit.”

Darren chuckled at Ess’ comment as he noticed Tala stand, shaking off whatever had temporarily plagued her and return to Luckas to rub her neck and face up and down along his leg. The wolf got so into the task, it was as if she had an itch she couldn’t sooth and even began pawing and clawing at the man’s leg. She only stopped when Luckas complained, whining and laying at the man’s feet.

Luckas watched Tala with curious eyes, not quite understanding what her problem was until the wolf started rubbing up against his pant legs in a much similar manner as Sam’s cat had done in the Manor, Sam’s words momentarily coming to mind: “She’s trying to get rid of it.”. He was wearing the same clothes as then. Luke sighed, fussing a bit and muttering at Tala to knock it off, frowning a bit at Ess as she mentioned flowers. “I was in the plains... The healers love their stupid gardens.” He mumbled, a bit under his breath as to not linger on the subject. He simply nodded, confirming Ess’ statement that he was always around and trying to act as though no one had been sniffing him at all. As he accepted the drink she offered him a slightly curious and intrigued expression appeared on his face and let his gaze wander between the two, feeling he’d walked in on something, but he wasn’t sure what. He was so focused in that thought that he’d only realized the words Darren had spoken a few seconds late, and halfway through his drink, at which point he let out a comical choking sound and dropped his glass coughing violently and feeling an uncomfortable burn of liquor making its way up his nose. The coughing fit went on for yet a few moments, slowly turning into giggles and then into another smaller coughing fit, before he managed to finally catch a breath and let out a word. “Wh...What?” He choked, turning towards Darren, absolute amusement in his face.

Looking upon Essence’s face, Darren thought he saw a few years lift from her previous strained features. Dark circles and fine lines around her eyes seemed to disappear as she happily skipped toward him, refilling his drink. Darren sighed, “Yea....you’ve met my mother already, right?” He played. Ess nodding adding in, “Figured out the riddle, My Dear Luckas...was right under my nose, just as I suspected...I take it you two are a bit more than just acquainted?...Darren...have you been peeking into Luckas’ brain....or...” Ess playfully swayed her hips, purposely bumping into Luckas with another giggle, clearly showing she was beside herself in joy...at least for the moment. “....Did you not know, Luckas? I would have thought you’d have peeked into his mind?” She shrugged. “No matter...” Ess stood as tall as she could, head held high, “Luckas...yes.this is my baby boy...”

“Really....Ess...er...Ma....?” Darren chugged down a few painful swigs. Turning his attention towards Luckas, Darren raised his glass toward the man. “How goes it, Guy?”

Luckas chuckled, still sniffing due to the burn of alcohol. “Waaaiiit...” He paused to laugh some more. “Are you telling me your Kid is a... Uh... Telepath, is he?” Luckas teased. “I’ll be damned!” He exclaimed, choking a bit more in laughter. “We really are everywhere, huh?” After which he managed to stop laughing and finished the second drink all at once. “And no, I did not peek... And that... That should’ve tipped me off.” He shrugged slightly. “Eh, no matter... Least now I don’t have to obsess with why I’ve found yet another stranger so damn familiar.” He heaved an extremely exaggerated sigh. “Now that’s relieving.” He stated, tilting his head to the side and giving Ess a little smirk. “You got another one of these? Or perhaps something a bit stronger?” He asked showing his empty glass. “Aaaand... You didn’t answer the Kid’s question, no?” He turned to Darren and added. “So, basically the deal is... I sneak around here, and sometimes we go around and have some fun, which may or not involve fire being set to people, and we’re basically just waiting to see whether or not I’ll ever actually try and kill her. So far I’ve not been lucky in that area.”

“Actually...” Darren began, finishing off his drink. “I can’t get much information except through direct contact of people or objects...and its...like empathy and telepathy mixed in one...not memories or make people do things, like Ess says grandma did....or grandpa gave...’hidden suggestions’...” The young man grabbed the almost empty bottle from Ess and let the last few drops trickle into his cup. “Anything else, Ess?”

Essence put down her glass upon the ground and smiled a wicked smile, her brows rising in an epiphany. “I know where I can...’borrow’ some....from a friend...ok to leave you boys alone for a few minutes?” She didn’t wait for a response before whistling to Tala to follow as she jogged off towards camp yelling back along her shoulder, “Guess Telepaths run in the family, come to find out.”

Darren nodded to Ess as he spoke towards Luckas, “Wasn’t intentional...the peek into your brain, friend. Touch is all it takes...the smallest contact and it can’t always be controlled. “ Darren wasn’t sure if he should laugh or what in Luckas’ last comment, his smile closing and his eyes focused intently as if trying to read deeper into the man. “Essence told me about my uncle...we already debated on this and got nowhere...but least she had someone to back her...I guess is all I can say...” Darren rolled his shoulders, contemplating to himself what he felt justice really was. His head swam in circles for a moment before he brushed it aside. “Can’t say it wasn’t creative or much deserved...just leave it at that...” Darren sighed, laying down across the log by the fire, staring up into the stars. “...No luck taking out my mom, eh? She seems like a tough lady....so what’s the deal with you two, hmm? Should I be calling you friend, ...or.....” Darren cut himself off in laughter and shook his head not finishing his sentence.

“Well... I would advise against randomly touching me, kiddo... That can end badly... For the both us. Twins help me if I ever put a scratch on you.” Luckas said absently, rolling his eyes a bit. “Not that I would... Willingly...” He snickered, finding himself a seat on the floor and stretching lazily, as usual not minding the dirt. “Couldn’t even look into your thoughts.” He said, a slight tone of annoyance mixed in his amusement. Silence following the statement until he noticed Darren had finished speaking, or had almost finished speaking. Luckas shook his head at the boy’s laughter. “You can call me a ferret if you’d like, it won’t make me one.” He stated simply. “I already told you what the deal is, if you want a different answer than ask what you mean, huh? I’m not a mind read- Oh, wait... Well, I’m just too lazy to read your mind right now.”

“Ah...well I just ask her when you’re not around then...I mean...she talked about you, but didn’t at the same time....guess she’s not one to come off as a gossiper...of sorts. Can’t blame her, but I saw the way she lit up when you arrived...” Darren shrugged again. “The way she did talk about you..she didn’t have to say it, but she trusts you...and based on what she’s explained to me...she doesn’t give that away freely.” Darren sat up at the sound of footsteps and Tala dashing forward, making a beeline for Luckas to nuzzle his hand with a small lick of her tongue. Ess trotted into the firelight, her facade melting back into view. She couldn’t stop laughing, strutting towards the boys, hands outstretched, holding two bottles of liquor. “Now....I won’t say how...but these bottles right here....will set your gullet on fire...trust.” Ess wandered towards Luckas first, smiling softly as she filled his glass, her eyes lingering within his gaze as she meandered towards Darren and refilled his cup. Raising one of the bottles she toasted, “To..the moment...” and guzzled a gulp straight from the bottle.

“Well, kid... All I can say is that your mom is one strange, strange, Lady.” Luckas said, a soft sigh escaping him as he added. “And too damn stubborn too.” He grinned. “That and a lot of other things, but I won’t spoil your fun... You’ll find out soon enough. Although... It’s far less likely she’ll attack you with a chair.” Luckas went silent for a bit after that as he went into thinking, after a moment of that he added. “And how will you ever know whether I’m around or not?” He teased. “You’d have to ask her, right? Or Tala, although she lost the tendency to announce my presence, probably because it’d just take up a lot of her time... Considering I’m always here and all.” He snickered, giving a little playful shrug.

Luckas sat up straight as he spotted first Tala and then Ess coming back towards the fire; his eyes softening only slightly as he quietly greeted the wolf. He couldn’t stop himself from opening a smile if he tried. He hadn’t seen Ess this cheerful before, and if he thought about it, he didn’t think he’d ever seen anyone this cheerful before. It was an interesting sight to say the least. Once his glass was full he nodded simply at her toast and took a drink, smirking slightly as he spoke. “It tickles a bit.” He played. “So... Lady... What friend did you... hmm... ‘Borrow’ this from?” He asked raising an eyebrow at her in an amused tone.

Ess bit back the sour face the drink was twisting beneath her features, sitting back down between the two guys. Darren handed her the empty glass to refill while nursing his own cup slowly, breathing between sips as if his tongue burned and he was trying to cool it by sucking in quick gusts of air. “Well, Aiden said him and a few of the guys were making up their own concoction because we had been short on funds and supplies during the winter...” Ess swallowed the liquid hard, keeping her smile while her eyes watered ever so slightly. “...They couldn’t get it right I guess until this batch which they aged for about a month....I wanted to try it....so Tala distracted them for me..” Ess giggled, remembering how one of the men was scolding Aiden for letting the Wolf steal from them, but was glad she remained unseen since he would have followed and she just wasn’t in the mood for Aiden at that time.

Darren chuckled, eyeing Luckas with a devilish smile. “He’s the one who has a thing for you, right Ma? He seems like an alright guy, no?” The boy shrugged. “Don’t really know him, but if there’s no other...interested parties, then why not?”

Ess laughed, almost dropping her glass, one bottle still in hand, the other had been tucked away across her lap. “He’s...kinda whiny..I think...” Ess joked taking another sip, not answering fully.

“Huh...” Luke mumbled. “It’s really not bad stuff...” He said, absently taking another drink, and doing his best to avoid the subject of Aiden, which unfortunately Darren wasn’t very helpful with. Despite the fact he had a feeling the remark was somewhat meant to get a reaction, and he could usually tell when that was the case, Luckas couldn’t help letting out a discreet, yet very audible, growl. “I’ll give him something to whine about... That guy...” He muttered, finishing off the bit of liquor still left in his glass.

Darren nodded, holding back a laugh. He reached out for the bottle in Essence’s hands to top off his glass before handing it off to Luckas. “I see...” Ess almost choked on her sip, liquid spewing forth in a tiny spray, landing across Darren’s face causing him to release the laugh. “Didn’t think I was due for a bath yet...thanks Ess...” He teased.

Ess held out her now empty glass towards Luckas, moving to change the subject altogether. “So! I think we should play a game...since Darren is getting a bit drunk and I am just feeling relaxed...and Luckas here...well Luckas...” She quirked a brow, “Why is it that you drink if it’s not to get drunk? Does it relax you at all?” Ess bent one leg, hugging it close to her, letting the other draped along the side of the log, kicking a few sticks towards the fire.

Darren beamed with the idea of a game, ignoring the comment that he was getting drunk. He stood, just fine, with a full balance and went over to where Ess had leaned her sword and dagger. “Like...a game that involves us to use our enlightenment in some manner?”

Ess clapped, spilling a bit of her drink once it was refilled. “Good idea! You start then.”

Luckas let out a chuckle at Ess’ question. “Well...” He started, refilling both their glasses. “I suppose I drink for the same reason I do most things... Because I can... And suppose it’s not the same as drinking water... It’d just take more of it to affect me... A LOT of it.” He shrugged slightly. “I’ve been... Uh... Intoxicated once. I was just ten years old at the time though.” He explained absently. “Was quite relaxing, I guess.” He added with a little snicker; a curious and slightly anxious tone in his voice as he looked from Ess to Darren. “Wait, what game?” He asked, a little unsure of what they were doing.

“Don’t worry Luckas..basically no rules...except the obvious: Just don’t piss off the Captain.” Ess winked, turning her attention back towards her son. “You wanna try and see what there is to discover about those weapons, now? You sure that’s wise to do while you’re under the influence sweetie?”

“You said you’ve been researching for years with no luck as to what these symbols mean...” Darren started, kneeling before the blades, casually gripping the hilt of the dagger first, unsheathing it with ease, a metallic tang echoed into the air. “Never..used a wet stone...you said right?”

Ess’ smile faded some, her eyes shifting between Luckas and Darren a bit uneasy. “No...never....and I thought your enlightenment was basically instant....you don’t seem affected...well..”

“Ma...shh...stop talking...” Darren muttered as his eyes began to emanate a distinctive lavender glow, brighter than normal so that the light appeared to erupt from the very pores of his skin beneath his lashes. A single tear formed and dripped off his lashes, his smile completely gone at that point. The glow from his eyes would soften only to burn brighter a moment later, which Ess didn’t think was possible each time they dimmed and brightened again. The silence grew, concerning Ess, taking another sip before placing the glass down and finding her way beside Darren. Her hands hovered above his shoulders, knowing she shouldn’t touch him just yet, but not knowing if this was normal or if something was wrong. She was startled when he gasped and momentarily smiled before it closed once again. “Darren...” She whispered, another few moments passing by before she whispered his name again, answered only with silence and the strobing light of his eyes. With a sigh she slumped away and looked up and over at Luckas, mouthing, What do I do? Her expression one of concern, her own eyes beginning to brighten, not liking her own feeling of helplessness. He didn’t appear to be in any direct danger or pain, but she didn’t like this unresponsive trance.

Luckas chuckled. “Should I take this as permission to piss off someone else?” He asked, a rather devious smile breaking through his expression, but not really expecting an answer as he snickered under his breath. As he watched Darren unsheathe the dagger, however, he went silent... Curiously eyeing the weapon as if he’d seen it for the first time all of a sudden, finding that something about it struck him as odd, but not being able to determine what it was; now sincerely wondering where it’d come from.

It seemed like a highly interesting sight to Luckas what was happening to Darren just then; as he was in somewhat of a small trance of his own, simply watching the subtle changes in the boy’s expression and how the light shifted behind his eyes. “Huh...” He mumbled under his breath, noting Ess had a clear look of concern in her eyes. Slowly he stood up and walked over to Darren, standing right in front of him and leaning forward as if trying to see something there. “I think... I could break him out of it, but... It’s probably best to give it time. Ain’t nothing more frustrating than being interrupted when you’re seeing something. It’s... Uh... Against telepathic etiquette, one could say.”

So many faces, so much anger and pain that was flooding between the blade and Darren. It was like an endless transfer of the ages that he could only pick out from the details of clothing, weaponry, and even the lands he thought he’d recognize. Odd it was the extensive mass of time he couldn’t pin point, because it just never stopped. Focusing, he wouldn’t hear or see anything around him. If some other kind of interaction and contact were to occur while he was in this trance, it would only confuse and blur together; an utter chaos in his mind to sort through. Darren’s breathing got heavier and slower when he was trying to control the flow with no success. Finally, as if he were flipping through pages of a massive book, he came to what he figured out should be considered the beginning, the origin of the piece. He didn’t notice the way his head began to pound, but when his nose began to bleed, his entire body sagged accompanied by an exasperated breath. Darren didn’t just drop the blade, but impaled it into the dirt between his knees where he knelt, the glow fading from his eyes gradually.

Essence looked up at Luckas, her eyes glittering like stars, understanding what he meant by not interrupting. “Like Lena...back in the tower. I get ya. Could it do damage to him if you did? Like would it end up being like some telepathic battle?” Her voice was soft, rising in pitch at the last bit of her question, suddenly leaning back when Darren startled her with movement, seemingly escaping his waking coma. “Oh! Darren...you alright?” Ess extended her arm, stretching to yank the dagger from the earth, starring at it in awe. “What did you see?”

“Woow...” Darren panted, trying to catch his breath. “A woman...”

Ess’ eyes snapped over Darren, narrowing slightly in a mix between amusement and annoyance. “You spent all that time staring at a hot girl? Really?”

“It could do damage... It’s not meant to, but it can if he resists, like I did... Back in the tower...” Luckas muttered the last words an annoyed expression crossing him momentarily at the memory, but fading almost instantly as he noticed Darren’s movement, taking a couple of steps back as he put his attention on the boy. Raising an eyebrow at his answer of what he saw. “Huh... Really? I might just have to peek at his mind now.” He said, a tone of laughter breaking through his voice. “I mean... That was a lot of time for a woman... Must’ve been quite a sight.”

Darren’s eyes narrowed as he looked up between Ess and Luckas, “Noo....” The boy cracked a smile as he continued. “Not the ENTIRE time....I mean...mostly were people dying....by the blade...so many...that thing has got to be ancient as hell itself or something....just so many....” He paused, letting his gaze fall upon the dagger Ess was still holding. “...How old is that thing...” He whispered in utter awe, spacing out for a moment as he contemplated what he saw, trying to make more sense of it. “It may take some time..and some more sessions...” Darren wiped at the trail of blood along his upper lip. “...I don’t know if I can answer any of your questions just yet, but I think it all started over a woman...and not just ANY WOMAN....” Darren chuckled, “I won’t object if you want to see her for yourself, Guy....it’s like...she was THE woman...people died for her...but she kind of looked like someone I met before, strangely enough...except this one was unreal..more like a dream..” He breathed deeply, brows narrowing again. “Kinda disgusting if you ask me, all over this woman....figures she was a redhead..but still...not my type.” He joked, turning towards Essence. “I hope that is not a common trait between redheads....men falling over themselves and dying for them...could be dangerous, no?” His gaze moved towards Luckas, a playfully worried smile was seen in the eyes only as he kept his lips straight, attempting to be serious. “Maybe I should really warn Irvin...”

Luckas frowned slightly, eyes examining the weapon in Ess’ hand... It looked brand new... And it was still very sharp; he’d seen her use it. How could a weapon be that old and remain as new... It was intriguing, in the least. He broke out of his thoughts to catch Darren’s comment on the woman being a redhead and the witty remark that followed after. “Hum...” He mumbled, holding back a snicker. “I wouldn’t be surprised... Not at all... Would in fact explain a thing or two.” He paused as if thinking about said things, before nodding. “Yeah... I’d warn everybody if I were you.” He concluded, a playful grin forming itself as he added. “As for this particular redhead you saw... I do think I’d like to have a look at her... I mean... Out of curiosity and all.” After another moment of thought he added. “Although it’d be fun to show that to Jake... Add another one to his collection.” He snickered, letting his eyes meet Darren’s just long enough to retrieve the image, only a few seconds, after which he blinked a few times. “Huh... Now that’s interesting...” He mumbled, shaking his head and wondering if he was just finding everything familiar lately for no reason.

Essence pushed herself to her feet, resheathing the dagger beside the sword before her hand gave a firm, yet light smack behind Darren’s head at the base of his neck. “Snap out of it you drooling fool.” She laughed, her eyes the only thing showing her minor jealousy. “Glad you two are sharing and all, but do I get to see too or is this a boys club only deal? Poor child.” Ess rested her hands upon her hips, a semi serious narrowing of her brows practically staring a hole through Darren, causing him to shiver slightly. “I don’t think you know how dangerous a woman can be son....redhead or not.”

Darren stood keeping his eyes upon Ess, a mischievous grin painted upon his face. “Oh...You don’t scare me....” He teased, bending forward he grabbed Ess’ arm and hoisted her up and over his shoulder, and began walking off towards the river. Ess couldn’t stop laughing. “You best be if you know what’s good for you kid.....where we going....what are you doing...? Hey! You are forgetting something you know.” Darren laughed, circling around to squat down low enough so Ess could reach the bottle of liquor. “Good kid...now where...” This time Darren took off, motioning for Luckas to follow as he ran full sprint across the bridge of the river. When he paused by the bank, Ess began to squirm and kick. “Darren...don’t you dare....You know you are loved..but..”

Darren smiled, moving as if he was going to put Ess down, grabbing the bottle from her. “Aww....thanks Ma...Love ya too..” Instead he tossed her into the river, laughing hysterically before taking another drink. “See..not afraid.”

Ess squealed from the sudden shock of cold, clawing to crawl out of the river, annoyance in her laughter. “That’s it...YOU’RE GROUNDED.”

Luckas followed after Darren pretty sure of how this situation would unfold a cheerful grin spreading across his face. He’d done a good job out of not breaking into yet another laughing fit, even when he tossed Ess into the river. Not that he was even trying to conceal his amusement at the whole thing; it was very clear by the wide smile plastered on his face, but he had managed some form of restraint... Until he heard the words ‘you’re grounded’, at which point he doubled over in nearly incessant laughter. Drawing one long deep breath before speaking, amongst chuckles. “Ha... You’re in trouble...” He chuckled for a little bit more before he managed to straighten himself up, still clearly holding back a few remaining giggles as he added. “Well, you still scare me Lady... If it helps...”

Ess wrapped her arms around herself, trembling for the chill. “Thanks, Luckas....nice to know.” Shaking her head, Darren shook off his jacket and lightly draped it across Ess’ shoulders. “You can’t ground me...I mean...seriously, how is that going to occur. I am practically an adult.”

“Ah, well tomorrow..Darren...when you go see your Uncle Jake...” She paused, pulling the jacket tight, as she began to warm up, her curly hair now soaked and wavy all the way down her back. “I want you to talk about the dagger with him and such, and well...I expect you two should spend some time together. I’m sure he’ll find something for you to do..teach you a few things.” Ess snickered, knowing Jake would have no issues with putting Darren through some hoops, so to speak. Besides, to her, Jake was her only other family and it made sense.

“Ah, you mean to let Uncle Jakey know about me and all the fun stuff we’ve learned today...I wouldn’t mind a carving lesson or two.” Darren winked, tilting his head back in a long yawn. “Well, my drunk ass is beat and I need some sleep if I’m to wake up nice and early for Jake. G’night you two.”

As Ess stood silently, watching her son wander off into camp for the night, she cursed softly under her breath. “He took..the bottle....” She sighed, beaming in amusement. “Least there’s another back at the fire.” Playfully she bumped her shoulder into Luckas, smiling so wide her teeth peeked out from behind ruby lips. “You know Luckas...tonight was another one of those ‘moments’ to remember. I can now look back whenever I want and revisit this memory...perhaps now I would have to say which is one of my top three favorite memories.” She was quiet as she walked back to camp, suddenly breaking the silence with a random question. “Luckas....if you had to pick a memory...either yours or someone else’s....what would be a favorite? I mean...not everything is horrid and buried where we hope to never think of it again. You must have something that you think back on and smile at?”

Luckas was still chuckling softly as Darren walked away, shaking his head as Ess mentioned he’d taken the bottle away. He was still utterly amused and rather enjoying the silent walk back to the camp. The questioning caused him to stop walking, a slightly confused expression slowly spreading across his features as he thought about an answer... And whether it would be one he was willing to give. “Eh...” He shrugged slightly, resuming his walking with a small sigh. “Honestly, I don’t think I look back at anything that often, good or bad... And there are a lot of things I still don’t remember well enough to know if it was good or bad... Being that the case... It’s hard to say.” He scratched his head absently, trying to remember something worth the mention. He was silent for quite a bit of time before heaving a small sigh and speaking. “You know... This is the kind of stuff Lena used to ask me all the time... Annoying woman...” He muttered under his breath. “I’ll try to answer it though, the best I can... If there was one memory I’d like to relive it’d probably be the day I ran into that demon thing. And no it’s not necessarily a happy memory, but it was...” He chuckled. “A lucky day.”

Ess rocked her heels, balancing on the balls of her feet, her gaze down upon her shoes as she listened. Her smile was minimal, her eyes hinting a bit of guilt. “I’m sorry...” Ess sighed, her head still downwards, as she stared up at Luckas, showing more of the whites of her eyes. “I didn’t mean to bring up Lena or anything...I know I didn’t directly but...” Ess chuckled at herself. “...Hm...that Beast creature, you mean...the one you always carry a scar from...” Turning so Luckas was on her right she began walking again, silent until they reached the fire where she stood practically over the dying flames trying to dry. Tossing a few more logs on the fire and stirring the coals, Ess reached for the bottle she had left by the firepit and topped off her glass, handing the bottle to Luckas. She almost needed another refill before she spoke, her eyes locked into the flames. “Thank you Luckas, for again, being here...” She peered at him a moment before moving to retrieve her dagger and sword, one at a time unsheathing the blade and examining the silver markings. Ess held the dagger at a slant before the fire light, slowly running her finger along the blade, not flinching as the tip of her finger bled. So sharp, she didn’t even feel it. Her eyes widened as she seemed to be hypnotized by how her blood fell, dripping to coat the steel. She wasn’t even aware what this relic was made from, especially if it was as old as Darren suspected.

Luckas raised an eyebrow seeming a bit confused as gave a slight shrug. “I don’t see what is there to apologize for... It doesn’t upset me.” He smiled slightly. “Yes that creature. It’s not something I even think about all that much, but suppose I’d like to go back to it if I could... I dunno... Probably because it was the closest I’ve been to experiencing actual fear... So far.” He smirked. “Besides, scars are sexy, right?”

The rest of the walk back to the fire was silent on Luckas’ end as well, he let his thoughts wander freely a little bothered to see where they were headed, as he found himself thinking about the woman Darren had showed him; well, mostly he caught himself wondering again where he’d seen her face before. He was honestly starting to get annoyed by this. He barely noticed the bottle of liquor in his hand and only snapped out of his minor trance when Ess spoke. He lifted his head, giving her a curious look and absently wondering for how long he’d have to stalk her before she stopped thanking him; he remained silent on the matter though, taking a drink from the bottle and heaving a little sigh. “Do you still want to see...” he made a slightly dramatic pause. “THE woman? Or can I just keep that to myself?” He asked curiously. “And maybe you should avoid slicing yourself with that, you know... just a thought.”

Ess put the dagger aside, gently pressing her finger along her thigh, wrapping it in the bottom hem of her shirt. “It’s just a scratch...” She finally muttered, a thoughtful expression darkening her eyes. “Well...if this woman was so damned beautiful, I can understand wanting to keep her to yourself...but...I was thinking...if she really was such and something men would die for...wouldn’t it be a strategic distraction for me to possibly use one day?...” Essence scoffed, clearing her throat. “For strategic purposes....” She nodded, as if to convince herself it was the only reason she wanted to know. Ess had to admit she had agreed with Darren, that the idea of a chaotic amount of bloodshed sounded pretty pathetic to her, all for one person, but then again she didn’t really know if it sounded more like a story men shared around a fire, slurred in their drunken stupor. Ess’ eyes searched for Luckas’ and she waited, not knowing either way what would happen, yet she kept a smile upon her lips, not letting any stray emotions hinder her good night.

Luckas absently ran his free hand through his hair, scratching at the back of his head as he gave Ess a slightly confused look at her tone. “Huh...” He mumbled, taking yet another drink. “And who do you plan on distracting with that? If you don’t mind me asking?” He took another drink and snickered. “Which reminds me... Our bookie friend sends his ‘hello’, although he’ll only be waving with his left hand from now on.” Taking one more sip of the drink Luckas took a long breath and pulled the image from the woman, that had already been somewhat persistently in his thoughts, and looked into Ess’ eyes to pass the memory onto her. It was nothing more than just the woman’s image and it didn’t last more than the few seconds it had taken him to see it in Darren’s mind. When the image faded, he gave a light shrug. “That’s it. Nothing much. I was curious about the dying people, but thought it’d be pushing it if I made the Kid see it all over again.”

“Well...I know it won’t distract you....” Ess winked slowly. “I honestly don’t have a target...I just like to always have a backup plan and never want to dismiss any bits of useful knowledge....I don’t believe in being wasteful.” She was swallowing another sip of liquor when Luckas’ comment caused her to giggle, coughing a bit. “...I almost forgot about the Bookie...huh...do you plan on taking off limbs of any who lay a hand on me? It’s kinda cute...but it happens when you aren’t around too you know...” Ess lifted her chin upwards, making a small kiss gesture in the air. “I can take care of it too.” Essence nodded as the image faded, “Pretty indeed....reminds me of this noble I knew one time...so pretty..but so stuck up....lustful and greedy. She just seems selfish...” The last word she whispered in a snarl before rolling her eyes. “She does seem familiar though, oddly enough. Huh...Wait...what if next time Darren uses his gift, you ‘tagged’ along? Maybe it would help make sense of things to have another witness. Of course, he describes it as sporadic amounts of energy in visions and emotion, so I’m not sure how that would work for you.”

“Huh, funny... She looks somewhat... Sad, the way I see it.” Luke replied, again scratching the back of his head absent-minded. He tilted his head to the side and half-smiled. “Do you... Do you think you could maybe draw her for me? I have a feeling I’ve seen her face before... Maybe in a book... I can’t place it, but I’m sure it was something like in a picture... Maybe it’d help me remember where.” He closed his eyes a moment mumbling under his breath. “In the healers books maybe... or...” He sighed, opening his eyes again. “I’m not sure.” At the question of whether he could tag along with Darren’s gift Luke frowned slightly. “Huh... I’m not sure if that’d work, or how well, but suppose it can’t hurt to try...” He snickered. “Well, in all honesty, it can, but I’m sure it won’t... Most likely...”

“You know...I can....and I will...give me a few days...anything else you want me to draw, while we are on the subject?” Ess sighed, making her way into her tent to change and finally lay down. Tala nestled herself in her usual spot, curled behind Ess’ legs as she layed on her right side. “I think...you confused me a bit, my Dear Luckas..” Ess whispered, her lips pouting, unsure if Luckas said it would work or not. “Well, either way, If you want to try, then talk to Darren, if not...it was just an idea...” Essence yawned, her fingers fiddling with the embroidered sigil upon her stuffed bears surcoat from where he sat guarding her pillow. She smiled into the inanimate objects’ black eyes and giggled at a fleeting thought.

Luckas raised an eyebrow at the question of whether he wanted Ess to draw anything else, wondering if she was serious or not; he wasn’t sure. “Hm...” He mumbled, following after her; bottle still in his hand. “I’ve got nothing in particular, but if you drew me a pretty picture I’d carry it around with me everywhere.” he answered, opening a rather silly sweet smile, making it difficult to tell if he actually meant his words or if he was joking. He sat himself down in the spot he usually occupied and leaned his hands on his knees as he silently stared for a few moments, a slight frown forming itself and then fading as Ess suddenly giggled. He tilted his head to the side propping his chin in one hand. “Watcha thinking there?”

Ess smiled, looking up from the stuffed bear. “Would you really?” Her smile widened as her eyes narrowed in thought, another giggle escaping. “I’ll keep that in mind...” She didn’t elaborate further on the thought, yet pulled her journal out from under her pillow, flipping towards one of her older drawings she had recently added on to. Backtracking to his question, she answered him while looking down upon the familiar darkness of the page, different colored eyes scattered across now onto another page, surrounding what was a detailed portrait of Luckas. “I was thinking....of....oh..it’s silly...” Ess rested her cheek in her hand, partially hiding the glow that was still clearly upon her face, warming just ever so slightly, which she hoped would go unnoticed. “I’m almost out of journal space...would you ever let me give you a gift? Like...what I mean is...something permanent for you to have forever...no matter what...like a tattoo?” Ess quirked a brow, noting she changed the subject only slightly, yet she stared into Luckas’ eyes, biting her bottom lip in earnest to hear his answer.

“Hmm...” Luckas mumbled, taking a small sip from the liquor bottle as if to buy himself some time. This wasn’t really something he needed to think about too much, truth be told, but he was somewhat delaying his answer on purpose by pretending to think about it. “Hmmm....” he continued, lightly tapping his chin with his fingertips, tilting his head back a bit as he looked up pretending to think about it some more. Finally he lowered his head and opened a wide cheerful grin. “Oh, absolutely.” He stated, nodding in confirmation of his answer. “Sounds like that’d be fun... And it saves paper too.”

Ess held back a giggle or two as she waited for an answer, her eyes widening slightly when he agreed to her idea. Clearing her throat, she kept her tone soft, not releasing the sudden spurt of excitement that was tensing up inside. She almost mirrored Luckas’ wide grin as she casually glanced back down to her journal. “Great. You can think about where you want it to go and I will go over some ideas. You can trust me not to tattoo anything like a kitten or something ridiculous like that....I was thinking something...more poetic....” Her eyes sparkled at the responsibility of working on her first, well second piece of ‘living art’. “Good thing I practiced on myself first. It’ll be a piece of cake.” Ess pushed the journal towards Luckas and gave a nonchalant shrug. “Unless you see something in particular you’d like...or think of something you’d prefer me to draw up for you...”

“Where I want it to go?” Luckas asked absently, now actually thinking about it for a bit. “Hm... Suppose it could go someplace obvious like my arm, or something...” He gave a little shrug. “I’d give more creative suggestions, but something tells me you’d do it...So better not.” He snickered, shaking his head a bit. “And aw... what if I wanted a kitten? I’d talk to it... And call it Squishy...” He joked, letting out a slightly girlish giggle. “But suppose something poetic is just as good.” He added with a chuckle, stretching his arms and legs before scooting just a bit closer to Ess, pulling the journal onto his lap and slowly flipping through it. “I can think of lots I’d like, buuut... If it’s a gift I think it’s fitting that you choose what it’ll be, no? If I told you, that’d be like cheating, wouldn’t it?” He asked with a little smirk. “I do have one little request though...” He looked up from the journal at her. “I’d like it if you signed it... You know, like an actual painting.”

Ess’ smile only widened, so far her face started to ache as she leaned into Luckas. She waited til she was inches away before casually reaching for the bottle, sitting up to take a swig of the warm liquid. Ess felt the burn coat her tongue first, then her throat before sipping it again. “..So...” She absorbed Luckas’ request. “You want to have it where anyone can see...and you want it to be known who created it?” Ess took in a long, cleansing breath, swallowed another gulp before returning the bottle to Luckas. “Every day it would be like you were giving me a gift in return....” Ess quirked a brow as she noticed Tala was now standing, pushing her way between Ess and Luckas, more so to lay beside him, her head almost on his lap. “Why do I get the feeling it’s gonna be hard to say no to you?” She laughed. “Of course my Dear Luckas..” She sighed, her face suddenly scrunching up comically. “Wait....would you really call it squishy?” Essence couldn’t help the different pitched giggles that escaped her then.

Luckas chuckled under his breath. “I might... I take it it’d be fun to ask people if they’d like to see my Squishy.” He stopped for a second in thought and then let out a comical giggle. “That would be priceless I think... I was joking about the kitten thing though... Hate cats, bloody annoying things.” He muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly as if the very thought of cats was offensive to him somehow. It didn’t last long though and he pushed aside whatever thought crossed his mind, the cheerful expression returning to his face as if it had never crossed him in the first place. He was silent for a little bit in thought, glancing down at Tala with an amused expression for a few moments before speaking. “Lady... Do you believe in the Twins? And I mean, not if you believe in them as in what they’re supposed to represent and whatnot... You believe they actually existed, in Valcrest?”

Essence’s smile closed to a smirk, her fingers sifting through Tala’s fur, her gaze trailing to the wolf as she fell into a surprised silence. Her mind retraced her memories as a child; the stories her father would tell her when she would ask about her mother: Why was she gone? Why could she hypnotize people with her voice? Each time he’d answer the same. She could almost hear his voice in her head: “There are only two ways to live your life, Essy: One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

“I was taught to believe, when I was very young...” Ess cleared her throat, keeping her eyes upon her wolf. “...And I did for some years before out of spite and anger, I decided it was a lie...just a story to explain where we came from or what happens when we die.” Tala looked up at Ess, stretching out her snout to nuzzle her arm. As if the creature had spoken to her, Ess nodded and continued. “Same as most, I suppose...but as I got older...it started making more and more sense. The impossible...happens every day, Luckas. People live, people die... There is something in this world, inside every one of us that makes the impossible, conceivable. What we DO, shouldn’t be possible. Why is it that not everyone has the ability, or the mentality to tap into that part of themselves? It goes deeper than you being able to see into someone’s mind and me changing into anyone I so desire.”

Essence paused, her other free hand absently tugging on her curls and tickling her pale skin. “I guess I can keep going with that, but the point being...There are some that believe the Twin’s existence is impossible...so when I think of that, I can’t help myself but to believe. I mean...I never thought dreams could become a reality...” Ess glanced up at Luckas and winked knowingly, “Making the impossible, possible, is simply a mind opening experience and I feel means something different to each and every one of us. Doubt..is a very powerful thing, and I find more harmful than good, because then you close off yourself to the possibilities..” She shook her hand and laughed. “What was I saying again? Did I answer your question?”

Luckas listened to what Ess had to say in absolute silence, nodding a couple of times, but otherwise quiet; a serious expression on his face as he let the words into his mind. “Hmmm... Suppose it does answer my question... In a way.” He said, scratching at his head. “That or it makes me confused... I think, both. Probably both.” He laughed at his own confusion for a moment before shaking his head and settling into a more serious tone. “I asked Lena once, a long tim- eh, I think five years ago is not that much of a long time, but a while back, when I first read the Myths, if she thought that Mother and Father were more concerned that the Twins would interfere too much with the humans, or that the humans would interfere too much with the Gods... Technically, assuming enlightened were actually originated from the Gods, as they became more human and less powerful there were less incidents with... Going crazy and murdering and stuff... Like the first ones did. Like... That demon thing, if legends are to be believed...” Luckas stopped himself from talking further and chuckled. “Point being, I wonder, when the Twins were forbidden to have children with humans, who that rule was protecting in the first place. Us or them?” He shrugged. “She never answered me though...”

“Hmm....I don’t think that question is easy to answer....it’s like what comes first..the chicken or the egg?” Essence poked Luckas in the shoulder, taking back the bottle. “Obviously, that rule that was created wasn’t honored...I don’t see enlightened getting weaker...I see them getting stronger...just like the Beast that is now buried in that cave west of here. But, it’s not just enlightened that are dangerous....it’s Man in general. There are good people and there are bad people....and perhaps a few hundred shades of grey...” Ess snickered taking another gulp from the bottle. “We all make our own choices for ourselves and perhaps for loved ones and for what we feel is ‘right’...but who can really say any one of us has the right or power to make those choices for everyone....part of free will.” Ess’ eyes flickered, almost in unison to the firelight that reflected and drew shadows upon the tent. Her smiled closed, her mind trailing off as if in a trance. “Do you ever wonder Luckas, where it all comes from? I mean...technically....maybe we should stop drinking the water?” She giggled. “Would make sense, right? Water is in everything...our bodies, the blood...we need it to survive. An essential component...or maybe....” Ess trailed off, thinking her mind was just a bit foggy and never finished her thought, only finished off the bottle and tossed it into the fire. “We’re out...”

Luckas chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, a lot of people see it as a mistake... Enlightenment... Ever wondered what would’ve been different in your life without it? Maybe you’d not have lost your father in the first place...” He sighed and mumbled. “Maybe I wouldn’t have either.” He went silent for a little bit before shrugging it off. “It puzzles me I suppose, even though I know speculating won’t really make any difference.” He yawned into his hand and nodded. “We’re out... Which begs the question: Would I like to see you get any drunker than this?” He asked with a little playful grin.

Ess’ tone went softer, almost cold as she took on a serious expression, turning her gaze from Luckas. She wanted to inquire to what he meant when he stated maybe he wouldn’t have either, but she felt it wasn’t her place. “Whatever that is meant to happen, happens Luckas. We have all lost something or someone, for one reason or another. To simply blame it all on the enlightened or the hate surrounding it, is just an excuse. People will always find a reason to hate...for there to be war...Maybe my father would have lived longer...Maybe I could have had a different life....But who is to say I wouldn’t have one day fallen victim to rape..or worse anyways? I do not blame my enlightenment for what has happened, even if there is a connection. If I hadn’t been enlightened, it honestly wouldn’t make much of a difference to me who I am or how I perceive the world...” Ess took in another deep breath and smiled up into Luckas’ black orbs. “We can’t blame the world for a few men’s actions. I mean...should I kill every man alive because of what happened to me? I think not...” She didn’t smile as her tone softened, warm like a summer breeze, relaxing and gentle. “If I get drunk...I will just end up scaring you off, I fear. Brutal honesty, and holding nothing back...to the point of annoyance.” She bit her lip to keep from giggling.

“Maybe... You have a point Lady... Unfortunately not all agree with it though...” Luckas stated, giving yet another small shrug, closing the journal that still lay on his lap and pushing it back to her with a smile. “I’d say though, it’s not as much blaming the world for a few men’s actions as it’s blaming a few men for the world’s actions...” He concluded, finding that description more fitting to the hypothetical. Again he yawned, laying down and resting his head on his folded arms, chuckling as he closed one eye and glanced at Ess with the other. “Out of all the fears I’ve seen, Lady, that might just be the silliest one... But suit yourself.” He chuckled.

“..Of course not everyone agrees....so there we are..circling the drain...” Watching Luckas yawn apparently became contagious, Ess’ jaw extending wide, eyes rolling up in her head as she sighed a fairly loud yawn in return. She paused to giggle and shrugged. “Perhaps it is the silliest to you...but you seem to close up when I am brutally honest, so I prefer to see you smile and hear you talk....Twins help me...” She played, “What is wrong with me?” Snuggling back down against her pillow, bringing her Jacob Bear close, she smiled at how Tala stayed beside Luckas, the wolf giving a deep sigh before her paws began to twitch in an apparent dream. Ess closed her eyes wondering softly to herself what the wolf saw. “Maybe...another night I’ll get drunk and take advantage of you, sweetness....” Ess trailed off, drifting in and out of a dream, trying to fight the oncoming sleep, her heart beginning to race as she honestly feared falling into another nightmare. Bravely, she reached out for Luckas’ hand and gave it a slight squeeze, as she drifted off.

Luckas snickered under his breath. “You call it ‘closing up’ I call it contemplation, Lady. Brutal honesty takes some getting used to, I’ll have you know. Doesn’t mean it’s not appreciated.” He stated, yawning yet again. “You know, I might just hold you to that, Lady.” He chuckled a bit, ending it in yet another yawn, finally shutting both his eyes and heaving a deep sigh. He absently opened one eye when feeling her hand on his, but closed it again already halfway into sleep and too out of it to move or make much of it.

“Why me?” Irvin protested, almost in a whimper as he followed Jake to his tent. “I mean really, ask Darren.”
“She might get suspicious if it’s Darren or me. She’ll definitely know if it’s me. Just make something up and get her out of the camp for a couple of hours. If you can get her to follow you to Newhaven, even better; then you won’t run into anyone coming into camp. Just for a couple of hours Irvin, walking to the city and back is about half the time we need.”
“Oh, come on... What reason would she have to follow me to Newhaven? I’m not that good looking you know?” Irvin muttered. “I honestly don’t even understand why are you throwing her the party if it’s your birthday.”
“Because... Well... Let’s say it’s a family tradition of sorts.” Jake replied simply. “Come on now... Off you go. She should be back from her run any minute and I don’t want her noticing any unusual behavior. Just look at it as training.”
“Training?” Irvin retorted, shaking his head.
“Hey, deception is a very useful skill. Go practice it.” Jake chuckled, playfully nudging Irvin in the direction of Ess’ camp. “Just remember; keep her out of camp all costs... And try to stay out of trouble.”
“It’s either one or the other Killer... I’m no miracle worker.” The boy retorted.
“Make it work Irvin. I don’t want her around for the preparations, but I’d like you both to be back for the party, get it?”
“Aaargh, you’re not making this easier for me, Killer!” Irvin exclaimed, stomping his way towards Ess’ camp. “I’ll figure something out, okay? Just remember you’ll owe me for this!” The boy concluded.
Jake shook his head, laughing as the boy wandered off in the direction of Ess’ camp. It had been a bit of a hassle to plan a party in the camp without letting word of it reach Ess, especially considering how excited people had gotten with the idea. They even made sure not to tell the children about it until the night before to keep them from saying something to her in their excitement. Some would argue that, the way things were going, maybe this wasn’t the best of times to party, but Jake was of the opinion that a party was exactly the kind of thing that was needed in times like these; which was confirmed by how the moods in camp had improved in the past few days of planning.

“Oy, stranger!” A cheerful voice called from the path that led to Jake’s little camp. “I just passed Irv... The kid’s not too pleased, I could be the distraction if you rather... The last trip to Newhaven with Essence was surely entertaining.”
Jake snickered as he shook his head, turning to face Allison as she walked by, carrying a very a long thin package that was unmistakably a bow. “I dread to wonder how entertaining it really was.” He played, his eyes scanning his friend in a quick assessment of her overall well-being. “I want Irvin to do it.” He stated simply. “You know... I’m pretty sure he could learn a thing or two from hanging around Ess for a few hours. There’s only so much I can teach the kid for myself.”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Ali agreed. “Annie won’t be coming around, I’m afraid... I’m sure you were already expecting that though, what with all the... You know, she’s got a lot on her hands.” She mumbled with a small shrug. “She sent a gift though, and... She said she has one for you, BUT... You’ll only get it if you visit.”
“Oh? Well, that’s not very fair now, is it? Not like she ever visits me.” Jake retorted, rolling his eyes playfully. “I’ll think about it.” He concluded stubbornly.
“I’m sure you will, Jacob... Sure you will.” Ali laughed.
“So... You made Ess a bow?” Jake asked, nodding towards the package Ali was carrying. “You’ve taken a liking to crafting for others, maybe you can open a shop.”
“Who knows.” Ali smiled. “I’m afraid the ones I crafted for the guard are not nearly as special as this one, but then... I took my sweet time with it. Maybe now I’ll finally get mine finished one of these days.”
“Can I take a look?” Jake asked excitedly, leaning towards Ali as if hoping to peek inside the package.
“Absolutely not.” Ali scolded. “It’s not for you, you shouldn’t get to be the first to see it.”
“You people are aware that it is my birthday today, right?” Jake muttered.
“Aaaw...” Ali taunted. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you, my friend. I have something for the birthday boy too.” She snickered, ruffling Jake’s hair and pulling from her pack a rectangular item hidden inside a dark velvet sack. “Happy birthday.” She declared cheerfully, handing it over to him.
Jake picked up the present and opened it; it was book. Not an ordinary looking book however; it was without question the nicest looking book Jake had ever seen in his life. For one thing it was brand new; impeccably clean sheets of paper encased in black leather. The front cover was a smooth dark color aside from a simple engraving on the bottom right corner consisting of the silhouette of a wolf howling beneath a crescent moon. The engraving was almost unnoticeable at first glance, the contours of the wolf and moon colored in a dark shade of grey only a few tones lighter than the black surface of the leather cover. Jake spotted it immediately however, as though he just expected it to be there for some odd reason. “It’s a journal.” He mumbled, opening it to find his name written on the center of the first page, in black ink and fancy lettering.
“Observant as always, Jake. Well done. Yes, it’s a journal. Remember that you told me how you burned yours down after that whole... You know... Treason... Situation... Episode?”
“That’s a simple way to describe the whole ordeal...” Jake mumbled, not all too amused, but nodding along to her words nonetheless. “Sure, I remember. I burned it not too long after moving to the desert. Not like I needed any reminders anyway.”
“Well... You are twenty four years old now... That’s about four years since that whole thing happened. Figured it’s about time you think about rewriting your story. Maybe this time you’ll want to remember it, hm?”
“Maybe.” Jake agreed simply, a contemplative smile crossing his features for a moment. “Thanks. It’s a really nice gift.”
“Well, you’re welcome... Now you can stop whining about not getting cool things on your birthday.”
“I wasn’t whining.” Jake protested, frowning at her.
Ali snickered, ruffling up Jake’s hair. “Sure you weren’t.” She teased. “Do you know what time Crys is coming over?”
“Hopefully soon, she’s bringing the liquor. Actually, I haven’t seen Kaya in a little while, so I’m guessing she’ll be here in a bit.” Jake concluded, starting to walk Ali into the camp. “You haven’t spoken to her lately?”
“No, I’ve been with the Newhaven crew for the past few weeks.” Ali explained.
“Then how did you talk to Annie if you’ve been in Newhaven?” Jake questioned, confused.
“I didn’t... I talked to Alistair last week when he was in town visiting his aunt. He brought me Ess’ gift and told me Annie won’t be coming. Seriously though, Jake; you should go see her. Alistair doesn’t think she’s doing as well as she looks.”
“Maybe I’ll go after the party, then.” Jake agreed.

As they reached the center of camp they were greeted by the kids, who immediately surrounded Ali wanting to know if she had brought them any new toys and eventually they just dragged her off with them.

----------------------

“That’s a lot of booze Crys, can we afford to give this away like this?” Nicholas half-protested, glancing at the small wagon Shadow was pulling.
“It’s for a friend and we spare no expense when it comes to friends, Nick. Besides, business is going well... We can afford to let go of some bottles.”
“I suppose.” Nick mumbled, kicking up some dirt as he walked and making a pouty face. “It’s not fair that you all get to party and I have to go back and WORK.” He exclaimed dramatically.
“Aaaaw, you poor little man... Forced to go back to his bar and drink and flirt with the drunken ladies....” Crys snorted. “Give me a break.”
“Heeey...” Nicholas protested. “That’s not all I do! It’s a great part of what I do, but it’s not ALL I do.”
Dastan chuckled at the man. “I’d take that job anytime.”
“You have a job, Shaykh.” Crys scolded. “And we both know it has never gotten in the way of your drinking and flirting before. Right?” She asked, poking the man on his side playfully.
“Aye, Red... When you’re right, you’re right.” He agreed with a snicker.
“Are we there yet?” Nick questioned.
“We’re close, not much longer n-” Crys stopped abruptly, halting the group of men following after her, a wide smile crossing her expression. The group of ten Crimson Shadows, as well as Dastan and Nicholas, seemed confused as to what they were waiting for until there was very audible rustling in the vegetation coming closer and closer, finally visible in the form of a large white wolf jumping out of the bushes, dragging a dark green thick fabric that flowed behind her like a cape as she ran. The Crimson were a bit startled, but Dastan and Nicholas seemed highly amused at the sight, the Crimson leader motioning for his men to stand down as a couple of them were starting to reach for weapons. The wolf circled the group a couple of times dragging around the cloak before dropping it at Crys’ feet and circling the group again, sniffing everyone and seeming to particularly annoy Shadow by bouncing around excitedly around the horse emitting high pitched barks and short howls of greeting.

Crys calmly crouched to retrieve the article of clothing on the ground, feeling the fabric and mumbling a bit to herself before calling out to the animal. “Kaaaya...” She sang softly, chuckling as the wolf immediately halted at her call and dashed in a straight line towards her, nearly sliding past as she halted, but quickly regaining her balance and pouncing on Crys; almost knocking the woman over and covering her in kisses. “There, there, girlie... I know... I missed you too...” Crys spoke soothingly, patting the wolf’s side trying to get her to still a bit. “By the Twins, you’ve gotten bigger since I was last in camp, haven’t you, hm?” She asked, scratching behind Kaya’s ears lovingly, wrapping the cloak around the wolf so that she was wearing it. “There, now you look badass.” She stated, chuckling as she stood up, trying, but failing to brush all the white fur from her clothing.
“Sure... When the wolf does it it’s cute... If I try to pounce on you and lick your face it’s all ‘you’re too drunk, Dastan... Knock it off or I’ll stab you’...” Dastan snorted in a fake offended tone. “Why does your wolf have a cloak? Is she like an honorary assassin or something?”
“It’s not hers, it’s Jake’s... but yes, yes she is.” Crys replied calmly. “And I stand by my previous statement... I WILL stab you.”
“She brought you Jake’s cloak?” Dastan asked in a tone of laughter.
“She always does it. If I stay in camp she leaves his stuff in my tent as well. I don’t know why, I think she just likes his scent so when she wants to hang around me she has to have something of his...” Crys shrugged. “I don’t know. She spends pretty much all her time following him around when I’m Blackpond, so I guess it makes sense.”
“So you two share custody of the wolf?” Nicholas asked, snorting a laugh. “Like... Baby practice?”
Crys simply glared at Nicholas and the man’s laughter silenced immediately, but she shrugged and responded. “She likes him. I can’t exactly blame her.”
“Well, I can’t blame her either... Jakey is adorable... Like a teddy bear.” Nick played.
“Don’t make me smack you, Nicholas.” Crys muttered.
“Whaat? You can’t handle a bit of competition? Geee.” The man chuckled, idly patting Shadow as he walked beside the horse.
“I stabbed one innkeeper and I’ll stab another if I have to.” Crys retorted.
“You stabbed her and then bandaged her up.” Dastan pointed out with a chuckle. “You can’t stop being nice if you try, can you?”
“I don’t like to lose my temper and I felt a bit remorseful, alright? Don’t think I would be that nice a second time. Especially if she were to provoke me after what I’ve already done; I’m not too kind when people are too dumb to learn from their mistakes.”

-------------------------

Jake was on top of a tree tying up one end of a long string to one of the higher branches. From his tree to the one on the opposite end of the string several colored flags hung above the party area, several rows of those flags were being hung up by other members of the guard all over the encampment. The flags had been visibly made by the children, but they did give the place a more cheery and festive look, one couldn’t deny that. Jake was on his way down when he heard a bit of a commotion of excited barks and laughter just below him, he looked down to see Kaya running about dressed in his cloak the hood fallen over her eyes blocking her sight. He dropped down from the lowest branch of the tree and chuckled at the wolf. “Not enough you steal my clothes, you’re wearing them now, too?” He snickered as the wolf halted at the sound of his voice, walking over to the wolf and tugging on the dark green hood. “There you are.” He smiled,
ruffling up Kaya’s fur, not at all surprised to see Crys was not too far behind. “So, you did go back for it, huh?” She questioned as Jake freed Kaya from the cloak and tried a bit hopelessly to get rid of all the white fur that had stuck to the fabric.
“Well, you said I shouldn’t have left it. Besides, I’m rather fond of this cloak.” Jake shrugged. “It wasn’t too much trouble.”
“I bet it wasn’t.” Crys stated simply.
Jake sighed as he looked past Crys to the group of people that were unloading boxes of liquor and some other supplies. They were clearly not assassins and Jake was not too thrilled to see that Dastan was one of them. “Why did you have to bring him?”
“Why not? Besides, the Crimson are good at parties... You said you needed help with the party, who else was I supposed to bring? Don’t worry, they’re not going to break anything... I hope.”
“Fine.” Jake muttered. “I just can’t quite say the same for myself, that’s all.”
Crys chuckled. “Hey... Suit yourself. I’m almost positive you’d get your ass kicked... In front of the guard... On your birthday... Just think about it.”
Jake snorted, walking past Crys to help with the boxes. “I would not get my ass kicked, just try me.” He mumbled under his breath.
“What’d you say there, Jakey?” Crys asked, holding back a bit of laughter as she followed him towards the others.
“I said I’ll help with those boxes.” Jake replied simply.
“Mhm... That’s what I thought I heard.”

-----------------------------

Raven's Nest/Newhaven

Curses and grumblings of minor complaints of pain, halted Ess’ progress for a few moments before she looked at her sketch again and then back up at the Oak. She was hidden beneath the leaves except for the frustrating rustling of her movement here and there. Her patience seemed thin today.

In the past, if she was jealous about something she would never willingly admit such a thing, but when she saw Darren’s cozy tree house he had built, hidden away behind the branches and new leaves, Ess had a childish outburst of sorts.

“Of course I’m bloody jealous!!” Essence had blubbered out, her face contorting into a pout of sorts.

Darren just shook his head and chuckled. “I’m sure Aiden and I could build you one…”

“Forget it. Things between Aiden and I are just weird now. If I let him do something for me, he’ll just think he’s got a chance or something..” Ess snorted through a slightly aggravated sigh.

“Alright. If your stalker is going to throw a fit about it, then I can build it myself..” Darren smiled.

“ No, it’s fine. I’m sure I can handle it. I mean...how hard could it be?”

Several blisters and bruises later, Ess had only managed to clear out the center of the oak in preparation, and as she leaped down from a high branch and rolled to her feet, her fingers were still gripping an axe as if it were apart of her arm. Everything she managed to rearrange, she never put the ax down because truthfully, she had forgotten she was still holding the weapon.

“Deception is a useful skill, Irvin.... Try to stay out of trouble Irvin... Be back in time for the party, Irvin...” The boy mumbled, kicking up dirt as he walked towards the oak, not really paying much attention to his surroundings. Irvin honestly prefered to stick around and help set up for the party than be the one to distract Essence; he didn’t exactly think he’d be able to hide the truth for long if the woman started to suspect something was off. If she started to question he knew he’d get nervous and tell her everything. He just didn’t want to screw up weeks of planning. It would really suck if the surprised got spoiled, not to mention Jake was almost sure Ess would run away if she knew there was something like this being planned for her.

Distracted as he was Irvin approached the oak without noticing any movement, idly pacing towards the tree as if half-expecting Ess to be hiding behind it. He was almost right. As he stopped by the tree, looking around to see if someone was coming by, he was startled by an axe wielding redhead dropping from the tree branches. The boy jumped in place and let out a loud yelp. “What the hell!” He shouted, resisting the urge to reach for his chest as if it was still possible to hide the fact she had scared the hell out of him.

Essence quirked a brow before turning her gaze to meet Irvin’s as she acknowledged his presence. “Good morning Kiddo…” Ess snickered in slight amusement, “Coming by to steal something different today? You can settle on something else besides the bear because he is being babysat by Miss Lily at the moment.” Holding back a chuckle, she rested one hand on her hip, the other holding the axe, absently tapping her leg with the side of the blade.

Irvin let out a rather shaky laugh, still trying to calm his nerves from his little scare. “No, I’m not allowed to touch the bear... Jake said I’m too irresponsible to handle the stuffed animals.” He played, taking a deep breath as he felt his heartbeat finally settle back to normal. “Besides, I think that little stunt already served its purpose... Although not how I expected it... Eh... Plans can’t always run perfect; where’s the fun in that?” The boy stopped talking, his eyes scanning the area as though he was trying to find something interesting around. “Hmm... Well... I wouldn’t mind stealing you for a bit... Unless you have plans to hack someone to bits.”

A devilish, yet teasing giggle escaped her lips, finally noticing she was still gripping the axe. Raising the weapon before her eyes, as if to examine it for the first time, she shrugged, resting the blade upon her shoulder. “Things could have gone much worse. Everyone survived, so all in all it was a productive...day. I did not have any plans, though, on hacking anyone today to pieces...unless you have someone in mind? A favor needed perhaps?” Ess giggled again, slowly dropping the axe beside the oak. “You want to steal ’Me?’ I don’t know if I should be flattered or worried. Maybe both.” Ess crossed her arms, tilting her head in curiosity at the meaning behind Irv’s words. “Where you going?”

“Hmm...” Irvin mumbled under his breath, somewhat considering the offered favor, but shaking his head slightly as if brushing it aside. “Maybe some other time.” He muttered to himself. Sometimes it wasn’t all too easy to keep to his part of the deal he and Jake had made all those months ago, he couldn’t deny. His tone returning to its previous casual manner Irvin shrugged slightly. “All the responsible adults seem to have something better to do, and I haven’t actually been to the city yet. Not really. There must be some fun to be had over there, no?”

Essence glanced over the boy again slowly, thinking on his words, a slightly confused look crossing her face. “I don’t think you need a chaperone, right?” Essence groaned as a possibility crossed her mind. “Is Jake running out of people to assign to keep an eye on me? I am not always a good influence, I think at least. Someplace in particular you want to visit?” Ess didn’t wait for Irv to answer her last question before gathering her things and strapping her sword and dagger to her waist. “Darren’s not in camp? Ugh..where did that boy wander off to..” She mumbled partially to herself. Rummaging through one of her bags, she retrieved a few of her daggers, habitually tucking them away inside her boots. “Tala...Beo...come…” Ess commanded at what appeared to be to herself. None of her wolves were in sight, but once she spoke, both of them came bursting through the foliage, pouncing excitedly around Irvin in play. “Weapons...wolfies...check. Ok I will try to be a responsible adult and keep an eye on you then. Just promise to not tell Jake where I may bring you..” The woman winked playfully, nodding forward. “Lead the way then.”
Irvin flinched slightly at Ess’ questioning. He wondered how often did Jake have someone check up on the woman, she didn’t seem to him like she needed babysitters or anything of that sort. He didn’t make any comments however, he was just glad that she didn’t push him for answers and played along. Hopefully in the city they’d find something entertaining, he wasn’t really sure. “I don’t know any places in particular.” The boy stated, jumping slightly as the wolves suddenly jumped out of the bushes, causing him to chuckle in a mix of amusement and annoyance. “Everyone is trying to give me a heart attack today.” He mumbled playfully. “Like I said... Haven’t actually been to the city, except visiting Jake’s buddies... Apparently they’re keeping an eye out for someone, but he won’t tell me who and why... No luck so far either...” Irvin sighed slightly, not paying much mind to the path as he found the general path towards Newhaven. “No word on the people who took my sister either... You’d think these assassins would be a bit better at finding people, huh?” He mentioned casually, as if finding amusement in the fact, but quickly changing the subject. “I kind of needed to practice some skills, but then... It wouldn’t be too responsible of you to let me... You know, stealing is rather unethical and whatnot... I technically am not supposed to do it... If it becomes a necessity in the future though I’m gonna want to be at the top of my game. Do you know how? You know, picking pockets and stuff?”

“Hmm…” Essence pondered over the idea of her being a bit of a tour guide for Irvin on Newhaven and was trying to settle on where to bring him first. Still thinking it over, she stretched her arm and lightly rested it across the boy’s shoulders and paused in step to lean on him casually. She didn’t know exactly what to say to Irv on the topic of his sister. How could she know if she was indeed alive or not? The whole thing was twisted and made her sick and she feared for her, a few memories of her ordeal creeping to the surface. Darren had mentioned the camp him and the others had found and even after the scouting party had returned, Mageria had sent them back out, with more men. “Soon…” Was all the Captain said, but the look in her eye was a mix of a promise with excitement and a cold clarity that this would only be the start when things went into motion. So, Ess pushed to remain upbeat. “Well, even though we haven’t found her yet, or heard anything, you can’t think the worst. Sometimes, people disappear for their own protection. We’ll find her, Irvin. Trust Jake and trust me. This is personal for me on many levels as well and Darren has your back.” Ess nodded at her own words. “A bloody reckoning is coming...in our favor. I have faith in my new family as well as Jake.”

Tala and Beo were keeping pace with Ess and Irvin but ran off ahead when they paused in their step. Ess whistled a shrill, bird like noise and shortly after both wolves responded in a small howl off in the distance to alert her of their presence. Pulling back from Irvin, Ess ruffled up his hair and smiled warmly, her features flickering to mimic Darren’s and then Irvin’s. “I’m not bad at pickpocketing, but I kind of cheat.” She bowed slightly and spun with an adorable flair in her step. “I am pretty good at disappearing. We could train some, while in the city. How about it? We’d be helping eachother. And Jakey? He doesn’t need to know.” Essence winked and giggled, walking backwards a few paces before turning back on the path. “What else is it that you do Irv? Darren said you can freeze water, or something? Can you manipulate liquids in general? Ooh ooh,..” Ess spun around a few times in excitement, her features fading back to her own. “Can you freeze someone’s blood? Ever make heads explode?”
Irvin nodded along to Ess’ words. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to hope his sister was alive or not, mostly he just tried not to obsess about it... And trust. Jake had said that he didn’t think she would be dead, but that was all he had said. Irvin had let that be the end of their conversation at that time; Jake seemed often indecisive on whether he wanted to protect him or be honest, and Irvin was afraid his head would just explode one day with worry. It was a bit funny to watch, he wouldn’t deny it.

The mere change of subject seemed to have lightened Irvin’s mood and he couldn’t help an impressed look from crossing his eyes as he watched Ess change her appearance to look like him. A playful frown forming itself in the boy’s expression as he mumbled “Wow, didn’t realize I was so pale... hmph...I might need a haircut too.” The boy stated amused, ruffling up his blonde locks and watching Ess as though looking into a mirror. Shaking his head, Irvin chuckled. “I see you and Jake don’t share the same view on these kinds of things then...” The boy pointed out, making a serious face and trying to imitate Jake’s speech as he muttered. “How are you supposed to learn anything this way? You can’t cheat your way through life, Kid.” Irvin rolled his eyes, kicking up a bit of dirt as he walked. “He’s one to talk... Mr. Invisible...Yeah, he doesn’t need to know...” The boy agreed, nodding along to his own words and glancing around momentarily instinctively checking that Jake wasn’t hiding in the bushes, even if he knew that the man was busy elsewhere. “I’ve never tried freezing, but I did kind of boil this dude’s blood once... Not intentionally, and it wasn’t very pleasant for me either... Freezing is harder, I take it that trying to freeze someone’s blood would drain me pretty quickly, I did freeze a guy’s hand solid once and it took me quite a bit to recover. It was cool though, my buddy hit it with a hammer and it smashed to bits... How could I explode someone’s head? I could try... Hmmm... Maybe I could. Yeah.”

Essence held a large smile for quite some time, listening to Irvin but fell silent in thought until they could see the city gates up ahead. Tala and Beo were waiting up ahead for them and as if they had grown bored, they had been engaging in some playful sparring of their own. Tala had Beo pinned to the ground, growling in a challenge. Even though Beo was now larger than Tala he had submitted until she stepped off and then he pounced and pinned his mother down in return. Tala was still, except her tail, thumping in approval and only paused in their play when they heard Ess and Irv. Ess clapped her hands loudly, motioning towards the woods and the wolves barked in understanding before bolting back off into the trees. “They will wait for us outside..can’t train properly with wolves following us, now can we?”

Ess walked over to a guard at the gate and muttered something in his ear and the man simply nodded and motioned for both of them to enter. Entrance to the city could be tricky at certain times of the day as things grew more tense in general in Valcrest. People were definitely more on edge and cautious than they were before the whole fallout with Xypher and the guard but that was nothing in comparison to all the commotion lately. “Irv, Jake and I agree on many things, don’t get me wrong. We just have some different ways of learning I think. His method is not wrong. I hope you don’t think I don’t respect him or his way of thinking and teaching. Just saying. I have two rules. One, if we separate and there’s trouble..go to the Inn on the other side of town and wait for me. I’ll find you. Two, don’t get caught.”
Up ahead Ess could see the market, and quietly she weaved through a small crowd, her eyes darting around hungrily as if searching for something in particular. Or someone. Her eyes began to glow suddenly in excitement, her hand darting outwards to grab Irv’s shoulder as he whispered quickly in his ear. “Let’s play...see that large, balding man over there? Start with him...and then you can pick one for me.” Casually she wandered across the street, acting as if she was interested in some minor trinket of cheap jewelry for sale, watching Irvin from the corner of her eye.

“I don’t necessarily think Jake is wrong either, I just think he needs to loosen up a bit. Seriously, I worry that guy’s head is gonna explode someday.” Irvin mumbled, rolling his eyes impatiently for a moment, but forgetting all about Jake as they joined the crowds of the city, the boy’s eyes instinctively following the flow of people across the market areas. He didn’t know Newhaven as well as Blackpond, he didn’t know the alleyways, the rooftops, the abandoned buildings, none of it. The crowds were the only smart place to hide in circumstances like that. He followed Ess closely until she pointed out to him a man. The boy nodded in agreement his eyes casually following the man as he joined the crowds, disappearing amongst the groups of people. For a while he just circled around, watching the man’s movements and quickly determining what he had of value and what was the best way to reach it. The boy kept hidden in the masses of shoppers, never straying too far from his target, but keeping his distance until there was an opportunity; timing was important and Irvin wanted to make his move when the man was the most distracted. It took a bit of time, but eventually the opportunity presented itself as the man had his attention drawn by one of the nearby merchant stands. At this point Irvin moved, quickly, always following the motions of the crowds his hands reaching calmly to swiftly remove the the knife from the sheath at the man’s belt, using it to cut his coin purse loose, and placing it back before walking away. By the time the man noticed the weight of his gold had been lifted Irvin was already out of his line of sight completely. Irvin waited until the man had given up trying to find his thief in the crowded area before joining Ess. “The lady in a light blue dress, she’s about pass us by in about ten seconds.” Irvin stated, what was undeniably a satisfied grin playing on his lips as he spoke.

Essence grinned, a sly wink her only response before she ‘accidentally’ bumped into a gruff looking blond man. If Ess was to guess he had to have been in his forties but looked even older.

“What you doing Buddie? Watch it!” He snapped at Ess, who features had already melted away, reflecting the same violet eyes encased by dark skin, short goatee, and a perfectly shaven head. Given time to walk the crowd, Ess was able to blend her new masculine features and credit them to some of the passing patrons. She was thankful that she wore only a simple tunic, her belt cinching at the waist, plain, black slacks and boots, all indifferent for whatever form she decided to change to during their little trip. “You’re the one who needs to watch it, Guy.” Ess’ voice was venomous and deep, nothing compared to her normal airy and melodic tone. Just as the woman in blue went to pass, now behind where Ess was facing, she shoved the man before her in challenge, who reciprocated in a mirrored reaction, sending Ess violently backwards. She spun on her feet in a half circle, catching her balance while ironically colliding into the woman, but managing to keep both of them on their feet even if whatever bags where in his arms had fallen into the dirt. Ess was hoping the mild disruption would give Irv the distraction needed to pick any pockets that were left gawking at the small incident. Either way, she was already bent over the mess she had created, quickly working to pick up the bags and give them back to the lady in blue. The girl was young, brown hair, brown eyed and clearly not enjoying the spectacle around her. She wasn’t even looking up at the figure who had slammed into her until her hand reached for the same package, the man’s fingertips tickling her arm as he brought her hand to his lips. “Apologies for the scare...but I’m not sorry for this moment..” Ess flashed a handsome smile. “Anthony...and who I have the honor of…?”

“None..of your…” The girl paused, trying to hold back a shy smile. “..Elexa..” The longer she stared at the smiling man the more nervous she grew. “You should be sorry...acting like a complete animal...for what…”

Anthony stood, his arm firmly gripping the girl’s to assist her to her feet and gently placing the packages back into Elexa’s arms. “..Would you believe me if I said it was so I could meet you?” Anthony chuckled, letting his fingers fall away from her wrist, lifting now a second bracelet from his/her target, happy for the familiarity with the clasps to unsnap said bracelet without damage or notice.

“...Wouldn’t that be a nice thought..” Elexa sighed, shaking her head as she turned to move on her way.

“I guess you’ll never know..” Anthony whispered, bowing slightly before turning back towards Irvin. Turning two or three corners, Ess let her facade fade to match Irvin’s once again, rolling up her sleeve to show two dainty, bracelets adorning her forearm and then letting the sleeve slip over the stolen jewelry. “I was kind of hoping that guy I slammed into wouldn’t lose interest but guess he wasn’t as mindless as I hoped.” She smiled, lightly tapping Irvin’s arm. “So, how’d you make out?”

Irvin had wasted no time in making the best out of the distraction provided, however, half his attention was, much like everyone else’s, drawn by the small commotion Ess had created with curious admiration. Irvin didn’t like, as a general rule, to draw any type of attention to himself, but then again: what does that matter if you can change your face? The boy smiled slightly as Ess joined him, responding to her question with a simple shrug. “So, it’s official; everyone does better with the ladies than me.” He complained, seeming amused. “Have to admit though, that was a pretty effective cheat.”

After a little bit more time spent on the city streets and after properly disposing of whatever stolen property they had gathered during their training, Irvin was pretty excited to accompany Ess to the Inn, if not for any other reason because Jake had made pretty clear he was not to go there. Irv didn’t think it was such a big deal though. The bar was empty as they entered, a small chime sounding above the door as it opened announcing that customers had arrived. Irvin stopped, leaning on the counter, idly humming to himself this song that seemed to permanently linger on the back of his mind as of late, wondering how much longer until nightfall, when they were meant to return to camp for the big surprise party, it was best if they weren’t late for that.

Ess playfully threw one arm over Irv’s shoulder, her features melting back to her own. “It’s only cheating if there are set rules. We should be allowed to have fun if at when all possible, don’t you think?” She winked, “Or have you forgotten how Jakey told me he could go invisible? That was a lesson, believe it or not. I can show you how I did it with the girl as myself or to either of the sexes. Learning to read people, is an entire language all it’s own. I can see you know quite a bit by watching you, watch others. Soo...Watch and learn kid..”

Essence couldn’t deny Irv taught her a few tricks in return, a frozen smirk planted across her face in her delight. The sun was past midday when she had suggested a break. Before she let Irv lead the way into the Inn though, she had made it a purpose to stop at several different stores to pick up three or four packages. Everything had already been paid for, just sitting there waiting for her arrival. Not once did she try to push off any to Irv for him to lighten the burden, instead she passed through the doorway to the Inn with two of the smaller packages balanced perfectly on her head, the other two nestled safely in her arms. She spun just to show up a bit, before placing the packages down upon the counter and looking around for the barkeep. “Helllooooo?”

No answer. Ess just laughed and released several coins on the counter and was highly amused to see Sheila poke her head out from behind a corner. “It’s like a whistle with you...that and..”

“Alright Alright, don’t be spoiling all my secrets in front of the young man here..” Sheila smiled, leaning over the edge of the counter, brushing a stray hair from out Irv’s eyes. “Thirsty? See ...anything you like?”

Ess snickered, glancing at Irvin curiously. “Give the kid an ale and a shot.” Turning towards her current companion she leaned in as if to tell a secret. “Jake doesn’t need to know about this either but I’m sure it’s not a big deal..I think...I dunno..I believe you deserve it so I’ll buy em.”

“I don’t know..” Sheila played, as she began to pour the drinks. “Do you think you can handle it kid?”

“Hey, can I sneak back there and wash up a minute Sheila?” Ess moved around a couple stools and already past the counter as if she knew she didn’t need permission.

“I guess...stay out of the barrels this time..” The woman joked.

“I never did any such thing. It was my wolf..all Tala’s fault..” Ess laughed, disappearing for a few moments.

Irvin looked from Ess to Sheila as they conversed with amusement and curiosity in his blue eyes, not quite understanding exactly some bits of their exchange, but finding it quite entertaining all the same.Wasn’t until Ess excused herself that the boy actually got some words out to Sheila, clearing his throat a bit awkwardly as she served the drinks. “Actually, could you also get me some water?” He asked.
“Already asking for water, kiddo? You sure you want that shot?” The woman teased as she poured the boy a cup of water from a pitcher.
Irvin shrugged, grabbing the shot of liquor first and drinking it down, coughing only slightly at the burn of the liquor, but not seeming too fazed by it overall. “It’s not my first, you know.” He stated simply, taking the water and taking a large gulp, his eyes wandering around the empty bar. “Why is it so empty here?”
“Nice of you to notice. We’re not actually supposed to be open... Orders of the Alpha, but you know... I’m not doing anything, so might as well.”
Irvin emptied the glass of water quickly and pushed the cup towards Sheila for a refill. “So you don’t have to be working, right? Got any plans?”
Sheila chuckled softly. “Aren’t you forward? Well, I can make time, maybe.” She replied, refilling the water. “You have something in mind, sweetie?”
Irvin drank half the water in one large gulp, again, before looking around to make sure Ess wasn’t listening, leaning forward and lowering his voice. “Didn’t Jake tell you about the party?”
“In the Raven’s camp? No, he didn’t.” Sheila replied matching Irv’s tone of voice. “I’m a Wolf, boy, would not be very smart of him to invite me, now would it? Why are we whispering?”
“It’s a surprise.” Irvin mumbled.
“Oooh, I see... Wait, I thought it was his birthday, why...?”
“The hell do I know.” Irvin shrugged, his voice back to it’s normal volume. “Hey, I don’t think it’d be a problem, you’re his friend, why wouldn’t he want you there?”
The woman smirked. “I wouldn’t be so sure if I were you.” She stated simply. “I’ll think about it though. So, how old are you, kid? You seem a bit younger than my regulars.”
“I’m... Hm... I’m eighteen.” Irvin mumbled, drinking the rest of his water.
“Damn...” Sheila snickered. “Jake bet me that’s what you’d say.”
Irvin sighed, scratching the back of his head a bit awkwardly at the woman’s response. “You know who I am, don’t you? He told you about me.”
“Of course he did, you don’t think he expected you to come here behind his back? I honestly thought I’d see you sooner.” Sheila chuckled at Irvin’s expression and playfully ruffled his hair before taking the mug of ale the boy hadn’t touched and drinking from it.
“Does he come here often, the Alpha?” Irvin questioned simply.
“Rarely. Nowadays, I don’t see why he would bother.That’s not why Jake didn’t want you here, kid, it’s just very easy to be noticed in this bar. Assassins always notice a new face, but that won’t be an issue today, I guess.”
“I guess not.” Irvin muttered. “I’m fifteen, well... Sixteen in a month or so.” He admitted.
“Well, then I guess I’ll ask again in a few years, hm?” Sheila smiled, giving Irvin a playful wink.

Essence dropped the boots she had been wearing, onto the counter beside one of the four packages, startling Sheila slightly, as if Ess had appeared from thin air. Reaching for an empty glass from behind the counter, Ess held it in the air before the woman’s face until she took the glass to fill it with Ess’ usual choice of poison. Opening one of the packages, she removed some sort of leather skin shoes which she promptly put on. Ess had not only cleaned up any trace of dirt or grime but also had changed into a red, frilled skirt with a matching, sleeveless shirt. Casually she was unbraiding and rebraiding her curls while staring at the other packages in silence. “Almost ready to go?” She smiled to Irvin, tilting back her glass until every drop was claimed. “..I have to get these to Jake before it gets too late, I think. Did you know..that it is his birthday today?”

“Today? No…” Sheila answered with a smirk.

“I wasn’t talking to you…” Ess shook her head. “Oh ha ha..course you know…” She turned her attention to the door at the sound of a distance howl echoing from the other side of the city. “Think that’s my sign..” Stepping back she twirled playfully in her outfit. “So, whatcha think?”

“It’s Cute...what you expecting company?” The woman smiled knowingly. “Let me guess..that one I see following you around…?”

“I’m..hoping for company..” Ess whispered, closing her eyes a moment as if to listen to her surroundings before opening them with a start. “What do you mean?”

“You know...the one that is always asking about you.”

Ess’ tone grew cold as she honestly tried to think how many times she had visited the Inn with Luckas or when he was around. Even Jake or Darren, but besides them, there should be no other companions as of late. “No..Sheila...I don’t know.. Who has been asking about me?”

“Did you see those guy’s faces?They didn’t know what to do with themselves..” Essence laughed, reminiscing about Irvin’s and her day in utter delight. She had been giggling the entire walk from Newhaven and now as they reached the border of the Nest, a familiar whistle sounded which Ess repeated, signalling the trees, Tala and Beo running at full speed forward to greet Ward past the tree line. As they passed down the path, Ess was still talking about nothing of real importance when she fell silent. It was quiet, the crickets chorusing in rapid cannon instead of in unison. She was use to the dead spots of where there was activity, causing the buzz of life to be silent, their song continued in the quieter areas of the Nest. It dawned on her, pacing through the shadows of purples and reds as the sun descended past the horizon, how quiet it had become. It had startled her so, that she quietly set down her packages beside one of the small houses (if one could call them that) and drew her sword ever so quietly, only a soft ting of metal jingled when the sword left it’s sheath.

As the Sun started to lower in the sky everyone started to prepare for when Ess and Irvin would return from Newhaven. There was a small discussion on whether they would make the camp dark for this or not. Jake wasn’t personally sure whether that would be the smartest thing, he didn’t want Ess to think something bad had happened or something, but eventually it was agreed that they would risk it. She wouldn’t be wondering what was happening for too long. It was at this point that Dastan gave the idea for the fireworks, the Crimson made it so they could set them all off by lighting one single wick. Jake wasn’t too confident, and Ali even less, but it was done. Once everything was set up all there was left to do was wait. People crouched in the dark, hiding behind trees, and the only sounds were of the wolves moving around and occasional whispers from the children. The wolves were the first to arrive, immediately met by the rest of the pack, and then suddenly a voice sounded in Jake’s ear. “Ten seconds.” It was Irvin.
Jake startled a bit as he didn’t hear the kid sneak up on him and it was dead silent, but he managed to not raise his voice at Irvin. “Bloody hell, kid!” He whispered at Irvin, a bit amused though at the fact he had probably just randomly disappeared on Ess without warning. If Jake had counted from Irvin’s warning he would have counted exactly ten seconds before all the wolves shattered the silence of the encampment, the howls sounding on their own for a few long moments before all the people jumped out of hiding with one big shout of “SURPRISE!”, the fireworks lit mere seconds later, shooting off into the sky and exploding in small bursts of sparkles. All except for one, a larger one, that simply exploded on the ground sending some of the nearby people running off to take cover, laughing as two of the mercenaries struggled to contain a few small explosions still coming from the failed device.

Essence didn’t notice Irvin was gone at first, not until she heard the wolves howl in unison which caused her to retrieve her dagger and left to wonder if it was an alarm or something else. “Irv…?” The moment she whispered the kids name, numerous figures leapt out from hiding, shouting in unison, together as one, “SURPRISE!” Ess looked like she was about to kill someone and yet at the same time was too startled by the explosions that followed that she actually screamed and ducked as if she were under attack. Hearing laughter as the bright explosions continued, she opened one eye and glanced upwards curiously. Her eyes widened in pure awe at how the stars seemed to come to life and fall towards the land only to fade away. Ess screamed a bit more as another explosion went off but never left the ground. Once she saw the men struggling to contain more of the colorful delights, she couldn’t help but laugh too. Each of the fireworks, as they went off, lit up the darkness around her so that she noticed one by one, all the familiar faces of her friends and of the Guard. When the fireworks got a bit less consistent, lanterns and torches were lit to reveal every square foot of the camp decorated in colorful flags.

If it wasn’t for the noisy display in the sky to distract Ess from herself, she would have already tried to sneak away. The uneasy and awkward feeling eventually caught up to her, released with a shaky laugh. Half smiling, she placed her sword and dagger in their resting places at her hips and tried to scowl when she saw Irvin. “Scared the living….Tears of the Twins...Ooh I’m going to get you kid...just you wait…” She turned her gaze to eye Jake in a fake sternness. “This is your fault I know it.”

In the short time before the torches started being lit Jake had tried his best to put on a straight face, or at least to stop laughing as much, but that was a difficult thing to do when he could clearly hear Dastan’s men still cursing at the fallen firework that somehow just kept on constantly going off with no signs of completely stopping. Jake was still fighting through a bit of laughter as he finally spoke up. “Happy birthday, sis! Heh... Well, I don’t know if you can tell that the fireworks were a last minute addition, but yeah...” He snickered, glancing at the mercenaries trying to solve the problem, his tone a bit more calm as he walked towards Ess and gave a light shrug. “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but uh... We all took a vote and I was severely outnumbered.” Jake stated, trying to sound innocent, but failing miserably. “I promise you can sneak away in a bit if you want, but you know... Crys brought a lot of booze and if she drinks everything she’s going to start singing and....” Jake was cut off as he was forced to dodge a flying apple aimed perfectly at his head, but continued as if there had been no interruption. “... And you don’t want to miss that.”
“That’s not going to happen, Jacob.” Crys stated simply, not sounding too amused by the provocation. “Not again at least.” She added in an annoyed mumble, as she helped a couple of the Crimson Shadows sort through a few of the boxes she had brought, the mercenaries seeming quite impatient to start with the drinking. A few other mercenaries had brought drums of different shapes and sizes and a couple of them had flutes and violins as well. Random bits and pieces of music escaping amongst the sound of their chatter. Improvised tables were being set up with food and pitchers of water, and a small pile of presents had formed itself at some point, sitting beside the pile of packages there was a wooden crate painted in red letters that warned of its contents being explosive and to keep away from fire.

Ess crossed her arms, chuckling at Jake and Crys’ exchange. Glancing around she slowly took in her surrounding, noticing and quietly appreciating all the work everyone had put in to throw such a party. “Food...booze...fire...I guess you know me pretty well Jacob.” She snorted in amusement, her eyes widening as Beo and Sora came galloping towards her, both had one of the kids saddled onto their backs. “Oh that is low Jake! Bribing me with cuteness?!”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS ESS!” Both Lily and Clayton yelled as the wolves came to a hault.
“...Aren’t we forgetting something, kids?” A woman hinted from behind Ess. It was Jess, one of the women who had taken up bunking with the Captain and the kids, only just recently in the past six months, giving birth to a baby boy. She was cradling the baby in her arms, trying to block out the noise from the fireworks but he didn’t seem to mind it one bit, his brown eyes fixated upon the sky.

“Oh, right. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR JAKE!” The children chimed in and as they mumbled something else Ess couldn’t understand, the wolves decided they were going to visit the food table and began leading the kids, who were still on their back, towards the goodies.

“Uh..maybe you guys should have made those tables a bit higher…” Essence joked, pointing at Ward who already was sniffing dangerously close to the food. Ess approached Jake and smiled. “Guess the party is kind of like for everyone, in a way, huh? I think I may just stick around for a bit..” Wrapping her arms gently around Jake she stood on her tippy toes to hug him, not noticing that she was shaking until that moment as she whispered to him sweetly. “Happy Birthday Brother. You’re lucky you’re loved..”

Pulling away she spotted a bottle Crys was holding and she perked up. “Oh, wait! I call that bottle. It’s mine. It’s my favorite..please..” She mumbled dashing forward to half hug Crys and steal the bottle. “I’m glad you came. Those aren’t for me, are they?” Ess pointed at the present pile and a box of explosives, her eyebrows in a fake look of disagreement.

Jake gave Ess a firm hug, not hesitating to whisper back at her. “Well, so are you, sis.” The moment Ess let go of him however a group of five or six Crimson Shadows collided with him, shouting “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. JAKE!”, lifting him up and carrying him for a fairly good distance before he manage to set himself free. “Knock it off!” He muttered at the men as they dropped him on his ass and wandered off laughing. Jake seemed a bit annoyed for a moment, but at the same time he was also laughing, as if it was just impossible not to do so. As he got on his feet he shouted out to Ali. “See, I told you about the tables.”
“Well, I did the best I could. I didn’t have days to plan, like some people.” She retorted, giving him a fake look of annoyance. “Be happy they haven’t fallen apart yet.”
“I think ‘yet’ seems to be the key word here.” Jake laughed, eyeing the wolves with suspicion, but shrugging it off. Not like that would actually ruin anything.

Crys heard Ess’ call just in time to pull the bottle she was holding out of the reach of one of Dastan’s guys. Not like that was the only one, but she still slapped the guy’s hand away from it all the same, laughing as the mercenary responded by whining at her like a puppy. “Just open the other boxes, I’m not going to be waiting on you people all night.” She stated in the best severe tone she could manage, turning away from the mercenaries as they started to finally pass bottles around to the rest of the group and not just amongst themselves, releasing the bottle of liquor to Ess with a cheery smile. “Well, I had to help Jakey, you can’t let boys plan a party.” She joked, casually taking a bottle from a nearby mercenary for herself. “You mean the presents? Yeah, they are. To be fair though, that part wasn’t exactly Jake’s idea, people just decided for themselves to bring them. Dastan brought you the big box of fireworks, it’s the first sort of successful batch the Crimson have managed in a few years. They’re very excited about them as you might have noticed.” She snickered. “I hear they’re quite impressive, even if a bit unstable at times.”
“Hey, wait, wait....” Ali came running, nearly tripping over herself as she halted beside Ess. “You can’t touch the presents until you open mine.” She stated.
“Where is it, Ali?” Crys asked, in a tone of utter amusement.
“Uhm... Wait, I left it in Jake’s camp... I’ll go get it... Don’t go anywhere!”
Crys snorted a laugh as Ali ran off in a hurry to where she had left her gift. “She seems really happy with it, that’s a good sign.” She pointed out, opening her bottle of liquor and taking a sip. “It’s nice to have nearly all friends in one place for once. Don’t think that’s happened since Blackpond, and that was bit of a... I don’t know what that was, really.”
Not even a minute had passed and Ali was back, a bit short on breath, but not seeming to mind it too much as she silently handed Ess the wrapped bow. Taking a long deep breath she finally managed to blurt out a “Happy birthday.”

Darren had been trying to cross the crowd since they all jumped out and gave Ess practically a heart attack. Between the malfunctioning fireworks to the rush on alcohol, he managed to catch the apple meant for Jake’s head, quietly munching on it and trying not to choke on his food simply absorbing the festivities around him. As Ali handed Ess the bow he poked his head between Crys and Ess, smiling brightly and swallowing his apple bit before speaking, “I see Crys brought the apples. Lovely to see you as always.” He bit into the apple with a crisp crunch, using Ess’ forehead to raise his hat above his eyes. “Hi ..Mother…” He dragged out, kissing her forehead. “Happy Birthday.”

“Darren!” Ess beamed, wrapping her free hand around his goatee and giving a slight tug. “Thank you…..where have you been?”

“Ow..” Darren played, pulling himself free from his mother’s grasp. “Oh, you know me...keeping Uncle Jakey on his toes..” He glanced over his shoulder as if half expecting the man behind him.

Ess looked at Ali, a genuine smile painting her lips but yet she was nervous by the simple gesture. “I missed you girl. I’m so happy you’re here! Is this…” She inhaled quickly, her eyes glowing slightly in excitement. “I was afraid to ask about it...thought maybe if I did I wouldn’t get it.” Essence smiled, slowly unwrapping the paper as if to drag out the moment of anticipation. Apparently it was too much for Darren.

“You are going to throw away the paper anyways...just tear it open already!” Darren complained with an adorable pout peeking out from beneath his favored hat. Without looking Ess swung her hand as if to smack Darren across the mouth but he easily dodged the ‘attack’. Ess froze when she saw just the tip of the bow, her fingers skimming over the belly of the bow as the paper fell to the ground. It was smooth, a similar feeling to a polished stone from the river with no rough edges. The yew was a dark honey and above each nock, a scaled down carving of an Oak tree accented the weapon, stained in golden dye or paint of sorts that caught a soft shimmer from the candlelight. It was what stood out the most and as her eyes grazed down the limb she smiled at the vine carving that was extremely detailed. Every aspect of the weapon screamed patience and sweat put into the creation. Ess finally tore her gaze away from the bow and looked up at Ali, a childlike awe flashing in her violet eyes. “You...made it like yours…” She breathed, her finger lightly tapping a notch like part of the grip. “For the arrow…” Ess held the bow in one and, the other still holding the bottle of liquor as she leaped at the girl in excitement and hugged her with a bit more force than she intended. “It’s PERFECT! I love it!! Thaaank you!”

Darren chuckled, removing his hat to itch the back of his head. “You sure you can string that thing now?”

“Hush! Ali taught me how.” Ess snickered, releasing the girl and turning towards Darren.

“I have a gift for you too...but eh..” Darren dipped his head down to fit his loose strands of hair into the hat before flipping his head back and tugging down the hat behind his ears. “It’s not ready yet...may not be for some time..”

“Oooh. Is it shiny?” Ess asked curiously, her attention suddenly drawn to the sky as another firework went off. She wondered how many of those were to randomly go off during the night and thought about moving her box of explosives somewhere..safer. “Speaking of ambiance...where is Dastan…” Ess mumbled half to herself moving to relocate the bow with her towards the table of gifts. Immediately she found the biggest explosive she could and quietly examined it taking the cap off the bottle of liquor finally.

Ali laughed, stumbling a bit at Ess’ hug but managing to keep her balance. “I’m glad you liked it. I really took a ridiculous amount of time to finish it, but I think it’s my best work yet.” She stated proudly. “Oh, I also got some arrows for you, have to remember to get them later. Twenty should be enough to get you started, right?” She asked, a playful smirk crossing her features. Ali’s eyes skimmed the pile of presents and smiled curiously as Ess inspected the explosives. Two seconds hadn’t passed since Ess had wondered about Dastan and the man just came out of nowhere and jumped Ali. “Am I late for the group hug again?” He asked playfully, laughing as he was forced to let go of Ali once she elbowed him hard on the ribs. “You need to stop doing that to people!” She scolded.
“Friends aren’t people!” Dastan protested in a fake childish tone. “Deal with it!” He added sticking out his tongue at Ali before turning to Ess with a charming smile. “And you, little lady... You... Have something I want.”

Jake had somewhat entertained with the kids and the wolves, patiently listening to Lily’s arguments as to why they should be allowed to stay up at the party all night like everyone else and when he was finding it difficult to reason against the girl’s pleas he said it was up to Jess to decide, which earned him a severe glare from the woman. Just the other day she had given him a bit of a scolding for not showing the kids any discipline and letting them have their way, especially Lily. Jake smiled a bit apologetically at the woman as he began to sneak away towards the others, noticing that Ess was already in possession of the bow Ali had made and he wanted to take a closer look at it. Making his way to the little group that had formed itself near the pile of presents, Jake reached it just in time to hear Dastan’s words, raising an eyebrow at the mercenary as he casually put one arm around Crys, stealing her liquor bottle for one sip and handing it back to her. “And what, if I may ask, could you possibly want from my sister?”
“Are you sure you want to hear my answer to that, mate?” Dastan questioned, seeming quite amused, at least as far he was showing.
“Are you sure you want to answer? I’m sure you remember the last conversation we had on the subject of sisters.” Jake retorted, not quite waiting on an answer from Dastan and turning to Ali with a smile. “Can I look at it now?”
“Yes, but look with your eyes, yes?” She answered, shooting him a rather severe glare for a moment.
“Oh, fine... You know... It’s been at least six years since I broke that bow... You’re never going to get over it, are you?”
“I’m over it, I’m just not going to let you put your hands on anything that took me months to create. I mean, look at it, it’s so pretty.”
Dastan chuckled. “Don’t feel bad, mate. Not everyone is good at caring for pretty things.”
“Dastan...” Crys mumbled in a tone of warning.
“What, I’m just playing. He did wonder how well I remember our conversation, I think that’s a valid answer, isn’t it?”

“And you...little lady...You have something I want.”

Essence quirked a brow, turning to meet Dastan’s smile. She tried to stare at him with a straight face, attempting to act annoyed but found that his smile was contagious. It didn’t help with Jake’s little entrance, adding to the ever growing circle Ess noticed before her. Giggling a bit at his comment, she began playing with a few loose curls that were gradually falling out of her braid. “..I bet I do…” Essence smiled, winking at Dastan coyly. Clinging onto her bottle knowingly she nodded. “I have a few things you want…” She poked Jake’s side, her tone matter of fact yet her expression was amused. “Oh Jake...I still have his cloak. What’s wrong with a woman having possession of a man’s cloak?” Ess glanced at Crys and smirked. “...And I owe him a drink..I’ll go get your stuff in a minute, hun, but first…” Ess paused to take her first swig of liquor passing the bottle towards Dastan to share. “..Share my first drink of the night with me...even if it’s not yours..” She played. When he handed it back to her she teasingly pulled the bow out of arm’s reach from Jake and started towards her camp. “Be right back.”

Essence returned a few moments later with Tala by her side. The wolf had not been with her offspring for the surprise, which was odd but when Ess had arrived to her campsite she was amazed to find Tala waiting patiently for her, surrounded by six or seven rabbit carcasses. All were untouched, except for where she had broken their necks. Ess had been hoping she would unload a few things for safe keeping at her tent but found she had her arms full for the walk back. She had all the rabbits tied to a rope and slung over her shoulder, the bottle of booze Crys had passed to her/stolen, and one large odd shaped package. Casually she greeted Aiden who approached when she returned to the small group and offered Dastan the package. Inside was his cloak he had loaned her from the Ball, clean, free from any of Ebony’s blood (which she had spent days being so uptight about her fingers were raw for a week) and any tears or patches that may or may not have been there, there was practically no trace of wear. “I took it upon myself to clean this and fix the tear and such. And the drink I owe you...there...is a bottle from the year I was born: 2526. I was surprised to find it actually. A very good year, might I say.” Unexpectedly Ess approached Dastan wrapping one arm around his neck with a firm squeeze. She was taken back a bit with how normal and good this was starting to feel, but Ess was still shaking some. For a moment she felt warm...safe. And it wasn’t just because she was a tiny woman hugging a quite noticeably taller man. “Thank you for the fireworks. Fire. You were paying attention.”

Ess stepped away and handed Tala’s kill over to one of the guard who went towards the fire they were building to being the ritual of preparing the rabbits. “Tala brought us food it seem..I am beginning to think..she thinks she has to feed the entire Nest.”

Darren smiled, playfully jabbing at Aiden’s arm as he walked by in a friendly and yet challenging manner. Aiden laughed. “You already want a rematch, huh kid?”

“I was going easy on you, Old Man..” Darren teased. “I still say you didn’t win arm wrestling..”

Ess glanced over at Aiden and her son, a questioning glow sneaking from her smile. Her thoughts weren’t on the conversation between her friend and her kid, but thinking everyone just about was indeed together. Which was nice for a change. Still, there was something missing.

Darren turned to start poking at the box of explosives on the table, casually stirring up conversation with Dastan on which components he favored and why, to create the glittery displays raining down still here and there, over their heads.

Ess hopped over to her table of presents and began picking them up one by one and lightly shaking the boxes. One was particularly heavier than she expected, which was apparently the tie breaker for what she was going to open next. “Darren..turn around….can you see the packages I left over there? Will you please retrieve them for me?”
Darren kept talking as he nodded and obeyed, retrieving said packages and placing them on the table beside the other gifts. “Jakey. Those are for you.” Essence smiled, still staring at the box before her.

What’s wrong with a woman having possession of a man’s cloak?

Jake snorted, but kept silent at Ess’ words as if he had a response but knew exactly what would happen if he spoke up, instead he quietly stole another sip off of Crys’ bottle.
“You know, if you wanted to see me drunk, this is not the way to do it.” She complained, snatching the bottle out of his hands. “Go get your own.”
“Aaw.” Jake whined. “I don’t wanna. The booze is all the way over there.”
“I’ll go get it.” Ali offered. “You guys are being too adorable for my liking right now. I kind of miss it when you were shouting at each other all the time.” She teased, wandering off to where the bottles of liquor were being kept.
“Yeah, well, it’s still early... I’m sure I’ll piss her off sooner or later.” Jake replied with a chuckle watching as Ali calmly dodged a few of the Crimson trying to dance away with her as she walked past them. The group of mercenaries with the instruments seemed to have organized somewhat and music was now flowing freely from the ‘band’ creating a carefree and joyful atmosphere in the encampment. Everyone seemed happy and relaxed like they hadn’t been in a long time.
“Jakey... Hello..” Crys snicker, poking him with her elbow. “Are you listening?”
“Hm?” Jake mumbled, averting his eyes from the rest of the party and turning his attention back to the group. “I’m sorry, did I miss something important?”
“A little bit, yeah. Ess got you gifts.” Crys replied, staring at him curiously. “What were you thinking there?”
“Oooh, gifts!” Jake exclaimed excitedly, immediately spotting the packages that weren’t there just a moment ago. “I... Uhm... Nothing in particular. Just enjoying the moment.” He stated simply, giving Crys a light squeeze before stepping away from her and inspecting the packages, opening the smallest one first and smiling as he spotted a small cluster of familiar black raven feathers tied together with a few silver and golden beads in a simple ornament. It had become somewhat customary amongst the Ravens to wear the black feathers in one manner or another, but it wasn’t something that had really occurred to Jake until just then. He just examined the gift silently until Crys took it out of his hands in a curious excitement. “Come on, what is it?” She asked.
“Hey, hey, careful with the feathers.” Jake complained.
“Well, don’t worry I know how to handle pretty things.” She teased. “Aw, it’s lovely. And you could wear it on your hair, like in a little braid.”
Jake laughed, shaking his head at the provocation. “I was thinking more like in the hilt of my sword, Crys... You know, it’s my favorite weapon; even if I rarely use it... And my hair is not long enough to braid.” He protested.
“Pffft... Sure it is.” Crys replied, returning the gift to him and playfully tugging on a strand of his hair. “I could totally braid it.”
“It’s not too long.” Jake protested, rolling his eyes. “It’s how I like it, okay? Ess agrees with me.”
“Is that so?” She asked calmly. “Okay then.”
“It’s not okay, is it?” Jake sighed.
“No, it isn’t.” She confirmed.
Jake snorted, noting that he wasn’t carrying his sword with him, and carefully attaching the feathers to his belt for the time being. “I like my hair longer.” He muttered.
“You could at least shave.” She insisted, letting her fingers graze the scratchy stubble that had formed itself on his face during the past couple of weeks. “Your face is starting to feel like a porcupine.” She added playfully.
“Well, I’m pretty sure porcupines don’t even have spikes on their faces, Crys.” Jake retorted, picking another one of the packages only to have it yanked out of his hands.
“You should open this one last.” Crys told him. “And fine, so your face feels like a porcupine’s ass. Is that more accurate of a comparison?”
“Why, yes, yes it is. Why can’t I open that now?” He asked curiously.
“Trust me, you want to open this one last.” She repeated with a smirk.
“Fiinee...” Jake chuckled, picking up the other package and starting to work his way through the wrapping, his eyes lighting up as he saw the pair of shiny new boots. “Niiice!” He exclaimed, inspecting the shoes further and mumbling. “Poisoned blades... Yeah...” a devious smile crossing his expression as he noticed the little red vials hidden within and the mechanism for a blade. “I’m going to have some fun with these.” he declared. “Definitely fun.” Putting the vials away in his pocket, Jake carefully placed the boots on the table and took the last package from Crys. “Can I?” He asked her playfully, not waiting for her to give him an answer and tearing at the package. Jake froze for a moment, the smell of cinnamon reaching him before he was even through unwrapping the plate of cookies, the look in his eyes momentarily distant before lighting up with joy as he immediately grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth. “They’re perfect.” He stated.

“I’m not cheating, I’m saying you didn’t win.” Ali exclaimed, returning to the group followed closely by Irvin, seeming quite amused at the boy.
“I guessed it right!” He protested.
“The Ruins is not an acceptable answer, kid. Not to mention they weren’t ruins when I was born. I was born in a village. Not ruins.”
“You asked where, and not when!” Irvin exclaimed. “That’s not fair.”
“Alright, but still... The Ruins, by itself, as an answer is unacceptable. It’s a large territory.”
“And again that’s not fair. No one remembers the name of all the villages.”
Ali frowned, as if that particular fact had never really occurred to her, not quite answering Irvin and simply mumbling something under her breath.
Irv flinched seeing that he seemed to have upset her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He mumbled.
Ali sighed, shaking her head and handing Jake his drink. “It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”
“Still say I win.” The boy mumbled.

While listening to Jake and Crys banter on about Jake’s hair, Ess’ smile faded for a second, staring idly at the box still between her hands as she was reminded of the same argument Jake would have with his sister. It looked like she wasn’t even paying attention to what was going on around her, until Jake finished opening his last gift of cookies. Without blinking she shyly commented on her gifts to her brother. “You are the only one in camp without the feathers...so we all agreed it was long overdue. Then I thought the boots would be practical, so I’m glad you like them both. The cookies...Jessica gave me her recipe a long time ago and even though I didn’t have the real means to bake them here..I had a part in it..” Essence sighed, glancing over as Ali and Irv approached the circle. There was a moment of silence and Ess moved to rest a hand on Ali’s shoulder. “I remember...a few…” Ess began, catching Lily out of the corner of her eye as she crawled from out between two tables.

“Tell the story again, Miss Ess.” Lily smiled up at her, reaching for her hand to give a small squeeze.

Darren perked up at the girl’s words and turned from Dastan to focus on the group, glancing from one person to the next. “What story?”

Twenty Six Years ago...Whirlwind..

“Da?” Ess whined, rubbing at her sleepy eyes and dragging her sheep’s blanket behind her. “Da...” She continued, not finding her father in his room but in the living area before the fireplace.

“Essy...it’s late...what’s wrong Sweetness?” Dirk whispered, putting down his pen, kind blue eyes looking over the tiny four year old with concern. “Did you have another bad dream?”

Ess answered only by squirming her way onto her father’s lap and covering both him and herself with her blanket. “I dunno..” She muttered, bouncing her feet that hung off of Dirks knees. “I didn’t know where you were..”

“Aww, sweetie..I’m always Here.”

“What you doing?” Ess asked, staring down at the table where Dirk had left his pen beside a small leather book, torn pages sticking out from beneath the journal.

“Writing stories, Essy.” Her father smiled leaning in and kissing the top of her head.

“What kind of stories? Are you going to read to me?” Ess’ eyes widened in interest as she looked up at her father.

“Maybe when you’re older Essy. Some of them are scary.” Dirk half played, suddenly hugging his daughter tight and pretending to shiver in fright.

Ess giggled, tiny dimples appearing at her cheeks. “Don’t worry Da...I’ll keep the monsters away..” She stated proudly and wrapped her arms around her father’s neck. “I won’t be scared, promise.”

“My brave little girl, so sweet that she would put herself first for her old man.” Dirk winked, absently tugging on Ess’ curls and running his fingers through her hair to loosen a few snarls. “It’s ok to be scared though, Ess. You being brave just shows that there is something more important out there than your fear. But it’s late and you’ll have nightmares, so how about I tell you a story about your Mother, hmm?”

Ess started to protest, glancing down at the journal as she began chewing on her bottom lip.
“Ok, Da...you tell me scary stuff when sun is out..and...” She sighed, snuggling up as close as humanly possible to her father, closing her eyes to listen. “I want to hear about mommy being little...” Ess commanded with a tired nod.

Dirk chuckled at his daughter, leaning back with her close against his chest. “Yes, M’am..”

“Let’s see.....when I was around your brother’s age, I first visited this town with my father. Your mother was born here in Whirlwind but I was born...”

Ess chimed in, “Oakstone!”

Dirk chuckled, patting the girl on the back. “Yes, very good Essy. My father was what we call a peddler but he wasn’t any ordinary tradesman because he acquired rare items for people besides the normal everyday stuff we need to live.”

“Like food and fur, but what are rare items?”

Dirk nodded. “Don’t forget the little wooden figurines my mother would carve.”

“Like the dragon!! But if grandma had never seen one, how did she know what a dragon looks like?”

“Now you are distracting me, Sweetness..patience. Daddy will get to that...”

Ess pulled the blanket up to her neck and closed her eyes as Dirk backtracked a bit. “I was not sure what was meant by ‘Rare items’ as they were always kept a secret from me because my Da said it was dangerous to speak outloud of such beauties. If everyone knew about them then everyone would want them and when that happens people fight and destroy those beauties.”

“Why?...If they break them and make them go away, then no one can have em’.”

Dirk leaned in and kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “You are very right. How did u get so smart?”

Ess peeked through slit eyelids and gave a tired smile and shrugged. “Ok, Da. Was this where you met Mommy? How old was she?”

“Oh, right right...Yes, this was when I met your mother. She had to have been a few years younger, so maybe around ten. I didn’t know it then, but your mom had a very special gift and it had just started to show itself. See, my Da set up shop for the day by the Cherry Blossom trees where your mom was playing in the fallen petals.”

Dirk took a slow breath, closing his eyes a moment as if to get a clearer picture, his smile fading as he fought to remain upbeat. “Symphony was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.” He opened his eyes again and nodded. “That is saying a lot too because my Da and I had been all over Valcrest. She was dressed in white, small pink blossoms embroidered along the sleeves of her gown, the folds of material flowing in the summer breeze. Her hair wasn’t as long as it was when she had you, but it was past her shoulders; straight, dark red hair. Your mom was singing as she danced beneath the blossoms and it looked as if they moved to her voice. It seemed like she was controlling them with her song.”

“Was she?” Essence opened her eyes to look up at her father.

“No, Sweetness. As I got closer I found that I couldn’t take my eyes off of her...and now that I think on it, I can’t remember the words of her song.” Dirk fell silent, quirking a brow as he thought, his handsome smile returning. “It could have to do with what I found out years later from your mother. Symphony believed that everything happens for a reason. Some things are within our control and some are not, but we always have a choice..even if the choice is one we don’t like to think about.”

Ess sighed, shaking her head in a bit of confusion. “Da..I don’t get it..”

“ What I mean Essy, is in my case, I had caught her eye one of the times I visited town but I had never seen her before this day. She chose to invite me into her life, even if in the most not obvious way. Her song was about me..so she said and it..brought me to her.”

Essence’s brows furrowed, a somewhat cranky look in her eye. “You saying, mommy’s song made you love her?”

Dirk chuckled, reaching down to lift his daughter’s chin to look directly into her eyes. “Your mother, only made me notice her. No one made me love her because that isn’t something that can be forced. It just...happens. We can’t control it but...we can control what we do with it.”

“..I still don’t get it..” Ess pouted, causing her father to laugh louder.

“You will..but there you go distracting me again..where was I..?”

“You just met Mommy...”

“Right, right. Your Grandpa, my father had been watching me with your Mother and tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention and passed over to me discreetly a couple small Iris flowers...the color of her eyes...of your eyes, Essy. She allowed me to place them in her hair and that was the moment I really first saw her eyes. It wasn’t just the color, but the way they flashed brightly when she laughed. It brought out an intricate pattern...I mean you know with lots of lines and zig zags...like the veins of that Birch Tree you watched me cut down yesterday.”

Ess nodded, once again closing her eyes as if she were trying to picture her Mom in her head. She listened for some time as she stayed quiet and her Father went off on the fine lines of her smile and the kindness in her touch when he held her hand. It was soothing to listen to the description, making it almost as if her Mother was there with them in that moment.

“Da..You miss Mommy a lot...” She whispered sleepily.

“Yes, Baby girl, I do..She was...the strongest woman I have ever known.” He answered, an obvious tone of sadness in his voice.

“So, what happened next? When did you move to Whirlwind?”

“Aren’t you getting tired yet?” Dirk poked his daughter in the side playfully.

“No..” Ess giggled through a yawn.

“Well..just as my Father was closing up shop and packing away the wagon, a stranger came riding on his horse. He was dressed in black and was carrying a curious package under his arm that he was looking to trade with my Father. Your Mother and I watched as the man revealed a large rock like object, rough to the touch but sparkled as if covered in gems and sapphires. My Da’s eyes lit up instantly, weighing the object in his hands, clearly stressing some under the heaviness before placing upon a table. Without a word he went into the wagon and retrieved what I saw as a dagger. It didn’t seem special but the stranger looked quite excited to trade his object for the dagger. After he left I asked my Da what he had traded the dagger for and he said..it was a Dragon egg.”

“Really? Did it hatch? Was there anything in it? How heavy was it?!” Ess sat up, spewing forth an array of questions.

Dirk leaned in close as if he was about to tell a secret, exaggerating his smile as he continued. “Well...I never found that out. See, I didn’t really believe it was a real Dragon egg, but not that whatever it was, wasn’t valuable. Yet, your Mother looked scared.. She said, ‘Get rid of it..Dragon eggs only bring death..’” Dirk whispered, clutching Ess tight as if he were afraid, but Essence’s eyes widened, jaw dropping in awe.

“So, I tried to get my Father to listen to her but naturally why would he indulge someone’s fears based on stories alone and no real facts. We can’t go by Myth alone..”

“What about the Twins? They are Myth..” Ess objected.

Dirk nodded. “Yes, Baby girl but they are also a guide. I want you to learn from life and make your own decisions and not just fear something because someone tells you to..”

“But, was it really a Dragon egg? Why haven’t I seen it?”

“..That night, after we had returned to our home, my Mother and Father and I were sitting down to dinner when the screams began. Outside, the town was burning in bright flames that seemed to spread from nowhere.”

“Was it a dragon?! Did it come for the egg?”

“That’s what I thought, Essy. My Father and I never saw what was causing the fires but we didn’t stay to find out. We escaped, leaving the egg in fear of taking it with us. My Ma swore the fires came from the sky and she kept telling my Da over and over she saw large shadows that resembled a winged creature but my Da would never admit to believing it.”

“That’s when Grandma made the wooden dragon.” Ess added, Dirk confirming with a nod. “Why did you leave? Why not build a new house?”

Dirk hesitated, finally stretching back and propping his feet upon the table and snuggled Ess closer. “We were all afraid. Many people died Ess and there were rumors. Rumors of what had happened to the town and who had caused the fires. The few who survived, after that, slowly disappeared. Or so I heard.”

Ess’ eyes widened again. “Did someone kill them? Steal them?”

“I don’t know, Sweetness. But that’s why we went to Whirlwind and made it our home. Wasn’t so bad because then I got to be with your Ma all the time.” Dirk sighed, “But now, little Miss, it is off to bed before all this talk of dragons gives you nightmares.” He stated, rising to his feet with his daughter in his arms, carrying her to her bed with little to no effort. Moving to leave after tucking her in and giving her a goodnight kiss, Ess cried out to her father.

“Da..can you stay in my room?” Essence asked sweetly, somewhat half asleep. “I miss you already...”

Dirk was silent in the darkness, an adoring smile crossing over an amused expression. “If that is what you want, Essy. I’m going to get a blanket, ok?” He shuffled out and back in the room in seconds, only taking the time to put away the book and torn pages first. He settled beside her bed, in an upright position upon the floor.


“I like it better when you’re here...” Essence mumbled almost incoherently.


Dirk rested his head next to her hand and watched her for a bit before falling asleep to the sound of Ess’ soft snores. “I will never leave you..

When Essence had finished, she had the biggest grin on her face, thinking that she had told more of the story this time than she had to the kids in the past. Both Lily and Darren spoke at the same time once Ess was silent. “Was it a dragon’s egg?”

Ess laughed. “I do not know. Could have been a metaphor.” Casually she wiped a stray tear aside, moving back to the distraction of her Gifts. “Darren, don’t forget to give Uncle Jakey your gift…” She snickered, her smile fading to a look of awe, once again surprised at what she found. Inside the box two silver chains were coiled, each double her arm length with a couple of her silver daggers nestled at the ends. Aiden approached from behind her and smiled. “I’m going to have to show you how to use those...probably best we practice without your daggers. There’s also a release...here...when enough tension is exerted, the daggers will release from the chain after it meets its target.”

Ess was so excited she didn’t wait to open her other gifts and began tearing the boxes and paper to shreds until almost every gift was open. Some of the guard had pooled their coin into a new punching bag, making snide remarks on how she would probably need one every few months at the rate she was going. In addition they had given her a new set of bone needles and a fresh assortment of dyes for her new found hobby. Deidra had appeared besides Dastan, taking a drink from a bottle she was given by some random mercenary. “I was thinking..maybe you could tattoo that idea I had of the feathers along my temple to ear..”

Aiden nodded along with Deidra’s words. “Also..we have something in the works...for the wolves. Since they are still growing we haven’t started on it yet, but we thought they deserve some sort of armor of their own, no?”

“That’s not true Aiden.” Deidra pipped in. “You had one made for Tala. A prototype of sorts.”

Darren smirked, poking Ali in the side and pointing over by the large fire that was behind the tables. “Look..”

“Puppy needs one too!” Lily whined slightly. Jess shushing the girl quietly and giggling as Beo came over to sniff her baby boy, the child giggling and reaching out towards the wolf.

Tala was sitting quietly, panting by the fire, her form endowed similar to what a Black Knight’s armor would entail. With a few modifications of course. Her tail, legs, ears and snout were free from the thin plating, while along her back, sides and underbelly several layered sheets protected flesh and fur. She even had a tiny helmet of sorts.

“No way…” Essence whispered. “Can she move in all that? Isn’t that heavy?”

Aiden nodded. “Tala..come..” He smiled as Tala stood and meandered her way through the circle to sit proudly in the center. “It is a bit heavier than we’d like, but we are working on it. As you can see, she can move pretty easily. The layers are molded to how she moves and bends.”

Lily was being held by the hand by Jess to give the adults some room, but she pulled away towards Tala and clipped something small and black to the wolf. Three, long, black feathers.
“We made some for all of them. And Puppy!”

Aiden cleared his throat and nudged Ess’ arm, motioning towards the table. “There’s still a few more gifts with your name on them over there.”

“I think it was.” Jake stated casually, taking a drink from the bottle Ali had brought him. “A dragon egg.”
“Sure you do.” Crys nodded. “Can I have one of those cookies?”
“Well, they existed!” Jake retorted, hesitating for a moment before letting Crys take one of the cookies. “I mean really, we’ve seen plenty, just between us here, are dragons that fantastical that they couldn’t have been real?”
“I guess not, but I don’t know.”She replied. “In the context, I believe it’s more likely the dragon egg stands for something else. It’s just the impression I get, but if they did or not exist... that’s a whole different matter Jakey.”
“Well...” Dastan started. “As much as it pains me, I have to side with Jake on this one... I mean... There are accounts of people seeing dragons in ancient times, and there are actually more recent accounts than that if you count those outside of Valcrest. I think it’s possible they existed and maybe still exist somewhere.” He spoke, very matter of fact like as he fiddled with the cloak that he was now wearing. “Don’t think I remember this ever looking so clean.” He mumbled.
“Well, it might if you had a wife.” Crys teased, smirking at him. “I’m just saying, you’re not getting any younger.”
Dastan stared at Crys in silence for a few seconds then shrugged. “You know, Red, maybe you do have a point.” He conceded. At which point he turned towards Deidra with a pleasant smile. “Hello, I’m Dastan.”
“Seriously?” Crys chuckled.
While the whole dragon debate was going on, Ali was taking a closer look on the armor Tala was wearing, seeming quite impressed with it. “Hey, Crys... Come check this out for a moment.” She called.
Crys left Jake’s side to kneel down by Tala, reaching out to feel the material that her protective gear was made of. “Hmm... You know... Blackwell would get a kick out of this. Maybe I should take Kaya to see him when I go home.”
“You’re taking Kaya to Blackwell?” Jake asked. “Oh please let me be there to see it.”
“Hush.” Crys snickered. “It’ll be fine. I think he’d be interested.” She stated, standing up straight and stopping as if trying to hear something beyond the music and chatter of the party around them. “Where is Kaya?”
“Hmmm....” Jake mumbled, looking around. “If she’s not around here, then my best guess is she’s going through my stuff.” He said, still looking around for the wolf even so. “She was with me up until I came over here.”
“I saw her when I went to get your drink, she was poking her nose at the musical instruments, but she’s not there now.” Ali stated. “You’re probably right and she’s at your camp.”
“Probably.” He agreed, taking another drink and suddenly taking notice of the fact he hadn’t seen Stalker anywhere. That wasn’t all too odd, considering that the wolf usually stayed out of sight, but he did have a habit to show himself when Aiden was around almost immediately. If anything Jake had to admit one thing about Luckas; he did a fantastic job of training the wolf.

Luckas’ mood had not improved much on the way to the Nest. He tried his best not to, but he couldn’t really stop thinking of some things Sam had said to him. He was mad at himself for getting the cut on his face healed like she wanted, he didn’t really think about it until it was already taken care of. He annoyed the woman in blue again by storming out of the medic ward without letting her examine him further; which he also regretted because now he was sore, and he still didn’t understand why Stalker was so agitated. It seemed like the wolf was frustrated with Luckas for being slow to reach the camp, even though he thought he was doing good time considering how bloody tired he was. Honestly, the last thing Luckas wanted to come across was a party, but it seemed like he was being dragged right into one. Before he even reached the camp he had already spotted the fireworks, and although they were quite impressive to look at Luckas had to wonder what was the point of hiding a camp so well if you’re going to shoot explosives into the sky right above it for everyone to see. “Seriously, Stalker? This is what was so important?” He muttered under his breath. Luckas’ first instinct was to go sit by the oak and wait there for whatever commotion that was to end, but the wolf kept pushing him whenever he stopped or tried to stray from the path he wanted him to follow. Eventually Luke just gave in and followed Stalker without any more resistance until the wolf led him straight to a group of people. Luckas stood there, just out of sight of the group, quietly for a little bit just trying to make sense of the context of why Ess was opening presents and why Tala was wearing armor, and who some of those people even were, because they weren’t part of the Guard. He recognized everyone from the small group he’d been led to, however. He didn’t know all of them; he didn’t know the man in the red cape or the blonde woman standing next to Crys, but he remembered seeing them at the Ball. He didn’t know why they were all there however and quite honestly the whole thing just made him a bit awkward, as though he had stumbled into something he wasn’t meant to be a part of really. He felt like walking away and if he was completely honest with himself he would admit the the only reason he didn’t was because Aiden was there as well. As if deciding that Luckas was waiting too long to show himself, Stalker took initiative rushing into the little circle of people rather abruptly and casually putting himself between Ess and Aiden.

Luckas chuckled at the wolf’s ‘entrance’ as he stepped out of hiding, one hand awkwardly scratching at the back of his head, the other holding onto two boxes, bound to one another with string. “What... Am I walking into, I wonder...” He mumbled in a half playful half confused tone.

“I’d like to think dragons are real but then again, do we really know if that’s as great of an idea as we dream?” Essence smiled, fiddling with a string that tied this particular package she held. “However..” Her smile faltered some as she pondered her next words. “I don’t think my town was burned down by a dragon...at least in this sense..” Ess turned towards Darren, catching his gaze a moment as they shared a silent understanding. It was subtle, but Deidra noticed it all the same.

“Lets just not talk about that right now, Ess..” She whispered encouragingly to the woman, knowing full well what Ess was thinking. Deidra politely turned to receive Dastan’s greeting, amber eyes looking over him from head to toe. “I know who you are..” She nodded, a half smile appearing. “Not the kind of impression you want to give a woman you just met. Besides.. marriage I think is overrated.” Deidra moved to stand beside Ess as the woman unwrapped her next gift. She turned as if to ignore Dastan, yet her hand gently brushed against his arm, her fingers lingering a moment before she playfully nudged Ess. “Well, what do you think?”

Essence was holding to what appeared to be purple silk, folded perfectly in a square. Her face went blank so it was unclear whether she was so happy for the gift that it took her breath away; rendering her speechless, or, she was trying to think of a polite response so not to offend anyone. Her fingers moved through an opening in the fabric and held it above her head so that it gracefully unravelled to reveal a sleeveless dress, simple and modest with little accents of the ruffles at all the right places to draw attention and leave much to the imagination. “It’s..the color of my eyes…” Finally she opened a smile.

“Who is it from?” Darren played, knowingly.

Essence was silent, glancing from Deidra to Aiden curiously. “This is too much..”

“No it’s not.” Aiden smiled, nodding towards Deidra. “A few of us chipped in and Deidra made it.”

Ess’ eyes widened, glittering with an intrigued sparkle. “You made this?”

“It wasn’t that hard..” Deidra shrugged, trying to play it off as not a big deal. “Aiden said you like pretty things. It was a joint effort...even if he did cover most of the cost.”

“Remember that bet we all had going? You know, on how long you’d last in training and such. I mean, even the Captain was in on it. Well the Captain won. But, so did I. So we split the pot.” Aiden snickered. “Think of this..as your share.”

Essence shivered, feeling slightly awkward, but gave in to Aiden’s reasoning by giving Deidra a long squeeze. “Thank you guys..” As she turned to give Aiden a hug as well, Stalker conveniently appeared between them, causing Aiden to twitch, sighing a bit frustrated at the wolf. Aiden’s brows narrowed, shooting a gaze over at Jake in a silent complaint.

“Aw, Stalker. There you are sweetie..” Ess cooed over the wolf, reaching over to run her fingers through his fur. She squatted down so that the wolf and her were at the same level. Well almost. Ess thought he was a bit taller than her like this. She laughed softly when he started licking her face in greeting, but only for a moment before Beo apparently grew jealous and shoved his brother aside in a sort of greeting as well and yet to block him from Ess.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up, Luckas.” Essence pushed through her chuckles, standing back on her feet. Turning to face him fully she quirked an eyebrow at him and what he was holding in his arms. There was something she caught in the man’s stare that shook her smile. “How are you?” She asked softly unsure of what was beneath the surface of his gaze.

Darren turned to see Luckas behind him and clapped. “Well now everyone just about, is here, huh? How do you do that….How did...eh...whatever you two are just weird.”

Ess just laughed, tossing an empty box at her son. “Weirdness runs in the family too.”

Darren playfully gawked, turning his back on Ess in fake resentment to her comment. “I can’t believe you would suggest such a thing about me.” Ess shook her head, reaching back towards her bottle to guzzle a quarter of the liquor before offering it to Luckas, a sweet and charming smile curling her lips. “Look! We got more fireworks too. You should set some off with me..”

“Not yet!” Darren yelled slightly, nodding towards the last gift on the table. “You have to open that one from Annie. And..where..did...Ugh..Beo. You knocked over a gift you big, bumbling fool.” Darren bent over to pick up a small package, which was unscathed, and placed it back on the table.

“Annie? I haven’t even met her…” Ess glanced over her shoulder, shifting to an awkward stance. “Why would she…” She whispered to herself in slight confusion.

Dastan was honestly taken by surprise at Deidra’s response and he flinched not really saying anything to the woman and simply shaking his head seeming quite amused, if not impressed. It was when he heard Irvin mumble something beside him that he seemed to snap out of his momentary stupor.
“Are women always confusing like this?” The kid questioned.
Dastan snorted a laugh, patting the kid’s shoulder. “Not all of them, no.” Dastan stated simply. “Besides, once you’ve lived a little, you’ll find that even confusing can be pretty simple, if you don’t worry too much about it. Know what I mean?”
“No, I really don’t.” Irvin mumbled, sounding really confused.
Dastan chuckled softly, pulling Irvin a couple of steps away from the bunch. “How old are you, boy? About sixteen?”
“Fifteen.” Irvin replied.
“Fifteen. Alright, Irvin, is it? When you talk to a girl don’t worry about the confusing stuff, don’t even worry about getting a ‘yes’ from her... You probably won’t. Just try to get a smile. If she smiles; even if she walks away, it means you’re allowed to talk to her again. Keep that in mind and it takes away a bit of the fear, a ‘no’ is not necessarily the end.”
“How do you get a smile, then?” Irvin asked, his tone making clear he didn’t think that really made things easier.
“For the first time you talk to a girl, you want to be simple. As an example: In a party, like this one... If a girl catches your eye, and you want to talk to her, it’s for a reason, yes? Walk up to her, say hi, give your name, and tell her the reason. If she smiles, if she gives her name when you give yours without you having to ask for it, if she blushes when you pay her a compliment, these are all good signs.” Dastan explained. “Look her in the eyes, and be respectful of her personal boundaries. If she wants you in her personal space she’ll let you know somehow.”
“Says the guy who just tackled a woman moments ago.” Irvin pointed out.
“I’m not interested in her that way, nor would she ever be interested in me, and if I had truly been inconvenient with her; believe me kid, I would have been stabbed in the gut. Actually I kind of was once, a little bit, a few years ago, so... Yeah, just don’t ever do that if you want to live.” Dastan chuckled.
“Noted.” Irvin snickered. “So, that means you’re going to talk to Dee again, then?”

Jake snorted, trying to contain his usual response to the sight of Luckas, not wanting to spoil the evening with hostilities; he couldn’t say he was surprised to see the guy there even if he had made no effort whatsoever to let him know of the party, after all, when had Luckas ever needed an invitation really? It still bothered him somewhat that he was there and no matter how well he masked that feeling, he could never really hide from one person.
“You didn’t invite Luckas, did you?” Crys whispered to him.
“No. Even if I wanted him here, which I never do, the only way I know to maybe reach him is through Ess... And that would kind of kill the surprise.”
“I saw him a few days ago, I could’ve told him, but I thought he already knew.” She scolded. “He visits Annie regularly; which is about three times as frequently as you, and she could have told him also.”
“Yes, well... You know what I think of that.” Jake muttered. “And I’m going to visit, alright? It’s just that I’m a lot further away than I have been the past couple of years. How do you even know how often he goes there?”
“If you can keep drinking in Newhaven, then Luckas can keep drinking in my bar, yes?” Crys replied simply. “And I know because I asked him instead of immediately punching him in the face, which is what you do.”
“So you’re friends with the psycho now too?”
“He’s given me no reason to dislike him, yet. So I’m neutral in regards to the psycho, Jacob. I am glad he’s here though... The party is for Ess after all, isn’t it?” She snickered, poking him in the ribs and stealing another cookie.
“Heey, that’s enough, those are for me.” He complained, with a chuckle. “My cookies.”
“Fine, your cookies.” Crys agreed, ruffling up his hair. “You big baby.”

Luckas was still a bit confused at what was happening exactly, not answering the question of how he was and silently drinking from the bottle Ess offered him, eyes inspecting his surroundings as if trying to decide on what questions to ask exactly. “Alright...” He mumbled. “So we are having a party, which I suppose explains why Tala is dressed all fancy, but why are we opening presents exactly?” He questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice as he looked over the box of fireworks. “I didn’t bring anything... Well... I did, but...” He pointed at one of the boxes. “This is for the kids, actually, and the other one is mine.” He dropped the packages on the table, starting to fiddle with the fireworks. “These look quite unsafe... Lovely.”

“Just great, give the psycho some unsafe explosives.” Jake noted sarcastically approaching the gifts and curiously glancing at Annie’s package. “Yeah, I invited Annie to come for the party, but she couldn’t leave her camp right now... So she sent a gift instead. And the little one is from me. Just something I wanted you to have.” He mumbled, scratching the back of his head, his attention drawn from the gifts when Kaya showed up dropping something at Crys’ feet that caused him to wince slightly.
Crys crouched down to retrieve the object, seeming quite intrigued. “What the... It’s a plush... Dog... Of some sort?” She mumbled.
“It’s a dragon, alright? Drakey is a dragon.” Jake protested, snatching the toy from Crys’ hands looking a bit upset for a moment.
“Sorry, I was taking a guess.” Crys mumbled, honestly not sure whether or not Jake was genuinely angry at her. “You have a bedtime buddy, Jake?”
“No... Yes... No... It’s... A long story, alright? Shut up!” He muttered as Luckas started to laugh quite loudly.
“Hey, I’m not judging you, Jakey Bear... Admittedly there are more embarrassing things a guy might keep under his pillow then a stuffed... uhm... Dragon...” Luckas snickered.
“Very funny, freak... My sister made him for me, and I... Kaya...” He mumbled, leaving his sentence unfinished and staring blankly for a moment as the wolf sniffed at the plushie excitedly rubbing up against it persistently.
“Crys... I think Jake broke your wolf.” Irvin played.
Jake shook his head slightly, kneeling down to the wolf’s level and scratching behind Kaya’s ears lovingly. “Here, girl, do you want to keep him? Hm?” He asked, setting Drake down on the ground. “Here, take it.”
Kaya took a moment to sniff Jake and lick his face before snatching the toy dragon and running off with it. Jake snickered, getting on his feet and shrugging. “Maybe that’ll keep her from stealing my boots now.”
“Drakey?” Dastan asked.
“Jess named him, alright?” Jake snorted. “Drake was a big black dragon from this story my mom used to tell, but... Jess could never remember the story exactly, she’d change it every time she told it.... So I can’t quite remember it anymore either.”
“That’s interesting.... Another dragon story...” Ali pointed out casually.

Ess began unwrapping the gift Jake pointed out was from Annie, falling silent for a moment as if she was trying to ignore the bit of tension that was coming off of Aiden and Jake. She took a deep breath. “It’s Jake’s birthday.” Ess replied simply, shooting a warning glare in Luckas’ direction before smiling. “..And I still manage to get presents.” She giggled, when a few of the children skipped over to greet Tala and smiled up at Luckas. They got halfway through their greeting before they were distracted by Kaya and her cute display of carrying a stuffed dragon in her mouth like it were her cub. “Aw, you brought something for the kids, Luckas? That’s sweet.” The children instantly turned their attention back towards Luckas when they heard Ess, their faces lighting up.

“This...wait…” Essence mumbled as the gift was revealed as a thick, black book with quite a bit of weight to it. Running her fingers appreciatively over the binding she flipped open it’s pages and fanned through to a random page in the middle and began reading. “It’s so organized..”

“What is? What the bloody hell is in there?” Darren asked impatiently, looking over Ess’ shoulder.

“Rutilas Radix..huh...she knows where to get the root I use for the active ingredient for the red vial. I didn’t think Sowthistle had any healing properties..ooh..it’s like the dictionary of poisons and antidotes!”

Darren chuckled. “She hasn’t even met you and she’s giving you the resources to kill people. That’s kind of scary.” He ducked below Ess’ assault, her hand missing his cheek once again.

“That’s not all that is in here, Darren.” Ess snorted, reading through another page, her eyes hungrily devouring each word. “This is great...Now I really need to meet her.”

Darren picked up Jake’s gift from the table and placed it in between the pages Ess was reading. “Alright, one more and then maybe you’ll come dance with me, Ma.”

It looked as if Darren was tapping his foot in impatience but it was to a distinctive drumbeat. It stood alone, echoing high over her head, beckoning the flute’s forlorn whisper to gain strength. Little by little more flutes joined in, picking up speed as if now to mock the drum. Some of the guard began dancing before the fire, almost tripping others who were carrying more food over to the tables. Ess herself, started bobbing her head to the beat, a pleasant, warm glow gracing her cheeks as the effects of the liquor began to show itself. She immediately, however, became still after opening Jake’s gift to her. A delightful, surprising squeal erupted past her lips as she held up a small, wooden pendant that had been crafted into a necklace with a detailed, oak tree design carved into it’s surface. Ess closed her eyes, letting her fingers trail over the image. Quietly she pulled the necklace over her head, peeking down to look at how it sat just over her heart. Ess took several deep breaths, turning to snatch back her bottle from Luckas, hoping a couple more swigs of the warm liquid would sooth an anxious, itching feeling that was stirring in the pit of her stomach.

“Great! You can wear that while you go and try on the dress I made you.” Deidra commanded with a nod. “I can tweak it if the dress isn’t snug enough for you..er or however you feel most comfortable.”

Luckas nodded simply retrieving one of the boxes he had left on the table after giving Stalker a bit of a nudge away from them as he was already showing signs of wanting to snatch them away. “Stalker... Come on... You already had some at the cake shop... You’re gonna get fat.” He muttered playfully at the wolf. “That box better be there when I come back or I’ll be really mad, you hear me?” He warned, seeming very unconvinced when Stalker obediently laid down at his feet. Carrying the box over to the children, Luckas sat on the ground, setting the box down on his lap and opening it to reveal a small batch of wolf-shaped gingerbread cookies and carefully passing them along to the kids so they each got two of the cookies, noting some were still left in the box. That’s when he felt someone poke him in the shoulder and turned his head to see that Lily was standing behind him, holding something behind her back. “Miss Lily... What did we discuss last time I was here? About you sneaking up on me?” He questioned.
“To never ever do it.” Lily answered.
“Becaaause...?” Luckas insisted.
“It’s unsafe.” The girl recited. “I forgot. I won’t do it anymore, I promise.”
“Good.” Luckas stated, offering the girl her two cookies and whispering to her. “What are you hiding there?”
Lily snickered, taking the cookies and placing a piece of paper in Luke’s hand. “Is for you to give Miss Ess...since you forgot to bring her a birthday present.” She answered in the same whispered tone Luckas had used.
“Oh?” Luckas mumbled, taking the extra cookies in the box and giving them out to Tala, Beo, and Stalker before jumping to his feet and examining the paper. It read ‘good for one hug’ in what was clearly a child’s handwriting, the letters surrounded by drawings of little pink hearts. Luckas shook his head, a thankful smile crossing his features at the girl’s gesture. “Why, thank you, Miss Lily... That’s very nice of you.”
“No problem. I can make another one for Mr. Jake too, if you want.” She offered.
Luckas chuckled. “No, no... I don’t think that’s necessary, thank you.”
“Okay. Thanks for the cookies, Mister Luckas.”
“Don’t mention it.” Luckas replied, smirking at the girl. “Really, don’t mention it... I have a reputation to keep.”
“Silly.” The girl giggled.
“See, you keep calling me things like that... and that’s not good for my reputation, kid.”
“Mister Luckas... When are we having story time again?” One of the boys asked.
“Well, I don’t know... I said it was just one story...”
“It was one story.” Lily argued. “And next time will be just one story too.”
“Hmmm... I’m pretty sure that’s not what...” Luckas mumbled.
“Pleeease Mister Luckas?”
“Well, uh... Fine... Tomorrow, if I’m still around by night time.” Luckas agreed. “Aren’t you kids up past your bedtime or something?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at them.
“Mister Jake said we could stay up late.” Lily said.
“Did he now?” Luckas snickered.
“Sort of... ” The girl shrugged.
“Okay, if he said so, sort of, then who am I to disagree?” Luke agreed. His attention was drawn from the children as he noticed the book Ess had opened and he wandered over to get a closer look at it with a curious expression. He’d obviously seen the book before, but that was a good few years ago. “I sort of stole that book once... It was just a terrible idea...” He mumbled.
Jake laughed. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’re afraid of my little cousin...”
“Aren’t you?” Luckas questioned. “I may be crazy, but I’m not that crazy.”
Jake sighed. “No, yeah, I see what you mean.” He mumbled. “I guess it makes sense she’d pass it along though, not like she needs to look at it.”
“Aren’t you a bit upset she didn’t give it to you?” Luckas questioned.
“Why would she ever think I need it?” Jake retorted with a smirk. His smile faltered a bit however as he saw Ess opening his gift. He had been really unsure, since he retrieved the piece of wood from his house, what to make of it, eventually he settled for following his sister’s advice and making it into something meaningful. “Yeah, Ali made that, but I did sketch the tree from memory and we all know that’s the hard part.” He stated playfully.

“Let me see this thing…” Darren muttered, waving his hand in front of Ess’ eyes before reaching to hold the pendant in his hand which was still attached around Ess’ neck. Essence looked up at her son, quirking a brow, watching as his eyes lit up like hers would, staring almost through the oak design. His eyes flashed violet each time an image fluttered past his vision.

“It’s nice to have a reminder of what is now lost..” Essence whispered, looking back down at the pendant.

Darren finally let it fall from his fingers, his eyes fading back to their baby blues. “...That tree you told me about where you and Uncle Jake would play as kids...you said it’s not there anymore, right? I honestly never paid much attention, living there, but I remember the fire. At least a piece of it remains.” Darren smiled, turning to pat Jake on the back. “That was a smart idea, Guy.”

Ess turned her gaze back to Jake, lips parted as if to speak when she realized what the pendant was made from. She smiled, tears shimming but never falling. “Jake…”

“Alright, now time to go try this on…” Deidra tossed the dress over her shoulder and boldly snatched Ess’ bottle from her hands, her free arm linking around Ess’ as she began to drag her away from the crowd and towards Dee’s bunk. “We’ll be back!”

“Dee...wait...I don’t want to be the center of attention...I’ll be the only one wearing a dress…” Ess complained, putting up some resistance.

“You are so full of it.” Dee chuckled. “But don’t worry...all of us girls decided we will join you..”

As Ess was being pulled away from the group, each hand snapped outwards, one hand gripping Crys by the arm and the other catching Ali’s sleeve. “You two are coming too.”

Aiden snickered at the small spectacle as he removed the armor from Tala, immediately following after Ess once she was free. Sora and Beo followed as well, but Aiden whistled to Beo and commanded him to stay. The wolf didn’t look pleased. “Girl time, pup.” He stated, moving to stand next to Darren. “See, that didn’t go so bad.”

Darren quirked a brow, leaning towards Aiden and laughed right in his face. “All due respect...you need to open your eyes..”

Jake chuckled softly as Crys momentarily held on to his arm to try and keep Ess from dragging her away before giving in and following after the other women. Ali didn’t put up much of an argument, but Jake was pretty sure that if Dee was considering putting her in a dress she’d have a pretty hard time.
“So, this has got to be the most time you two spent together in at least a month, right?” Dastan asked, calmly fiddling with the bottle Ess had given him. “Getting hopeful, are we?”
“None of your business.” Jake retorted, not wanting to get into whatever subject Dastan was trying to approach with him.
“Hmmph...” Dastan sighed. “Listen, kid... When Crys invited me to come along she asked me to be nice, not matter what you said, but... I was thinking... She’s not here right now, so maybe you want to take the opportunity to say whatever you think you need to say to my face instead of muttering shit under you breath like a scolded infant.”
“I don’t see what I could possibly have to say to you, Shaykh.. You’re the one who seems to have something to say.”
“Quite honestly, Jake, I’d like to say a few things, if you’ll allow me... I think it’s important we set matters straight, don’t you?”
“Go on.” Jake agreed, drinking from his bottle and staring at Dastan with a serious look in his eyes.
“I don’t dislike you, I don’t... I just feel that... This is a rather sad situation, Jacob. Crys is an outstanding woman and she deserves a good man... You... Act like a little boy.”
“Do you consider yourself a good man, Dastan?” Jake questioned.
“Maybe not, but I’m a grown man, Jake. A man in your position wouldn’t feel so threatened. I mean, you’ve been wasting a lot of energy keeping an eye on me, but really... What do you think I can do? I understand where you’re coming from, don’t get me wrong, I get that you see how I look at her and I’m afraid sometimes you can’t control how you look at someone, but I’m not stupid. I’ve known Crys for a very long time, it’s very clear to me where I stand with her; it’s very clear to me and pretty much everyone what she wants. I could sit around waiting for her to finally get sick of waiting for you to man up, but I have too much respect for her and myself to be that guy... So for Twins sake, man... Grow up, yes? That girl has been through a lot, she deserves something good in her life... For some stupid reason she’s convinced you’re it; all you have to do is not act like a jackass... It’s not difficult; try it sometime. Okay?”
“Yeah... Okay...” Jake snorted.
“Are we good?” Dastan muttered, opening up the bottle of liquor.
“I guess so.” Jake sighed, scratching the back of his head.
“Good.” Dastan stated, taking a swig from the liquor. “Sooo... What’s the deal with that Dee woman, is she taken?”
Jake snorted a laugh at the question. “Not that I know of. You’re not seriously going to ask her to marry you or something, right?”
“Naah... That’s more of a third date kind of thing, don’t you think?” Dastan played. “Hey, Little Man, was that your cake?” He asked, pointing out the box Stalker had knocked over and was digging into.
“Stalker!” Luckas muttered out. “No, no, no... That was my cake. MY cake!” He scolded, not really hoping there’d be anything left in the box at this point. “Can wolves get drunk on rum cake?” He mumbled.

Darren reached across the table of food and swiped a roll off a plate to munch on while engaged in the exchange between Dastan and Jake. Almost choking on his roll when Stalker was discovered nose deep in cake, Darren collected himself before approaching Dastan with a smile. “Nice to see you again, Guy. I knew I liked you.” Darren extended his hand in greeting and chuckled, glancing between Aiden and Luckas for a moment. “Ever feel like the whole world is blind?” He half heartedly joked.

Aiden shook his head and sighed, motioning to a crate where a few bottles still remained. “Come on, Kid. Come have a drink.”

Darren nodded, happily receiving one of the bottles. “You think by getting me drunk Old Man, you’ll hold your title?”

Aiden laughed. “Kid, I recall we were both sober.” Playfully he patted Darren’s back, tapping his bottle against the kid’s before taking a swig. “Just say when and where if you want a rematch.”

“Fine. But leave the squirrels out of it this time.” Darren snickered, finding Aiden’s facial expression priceless. “Don’t act all innocent. I know they are your spies.” Both men just stared at one another before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

“Girls, I think you’re needed. Miss Ess is calling for you.” Jess whispered to a few of the children, smiling when Lily handed her one of the cookies Luckas gave her.

“Ok, Hold that for later.” Lily commanded before running off with the others, Sora greeting the children when they approached by circling them a few times and barking.

“What was that about?” Darren asked Aiden, honestly expecting some crazy answer and was slightly disappointed and yet still amused when the man just shrugged. “I will wait for the squirrel’s report.”

Darren was about to shoot a smart ass remark back when he saw some of the women coming back towards the group and took off to wait for Ess. “She almost done?” He asked Deidra who had decided to change so that Ess wasn’t the only one dressed up. She had thrown her hair up so it was off her neck, a necklace of tiny black feathers dangling past her collarbone. Dee wore a simple, hunter green gown that dragged along the ground behind her. “Yea, she’s decorating the kids.” When Deidra met back up with the group she looked around as if surprised things were pretty much the same as when she left. “I take it you boys are behaving?”

The kids were the next ones to appear; three little girls, their hair adorned with blue irises in matching blue dresses that flowed around them as they ran over towards the fire and began spinning in circles around the blaze. The music paused and when it started again the pace had picked up again considerably to match the kid’s enthusiasm. Essence kept to the shadows, avoiding her son except for the fact she had Tala, Sora, and Kaya with Drakey still in her mouth, trailing behind her. She stepped out to join the girls, a few other women from the Guard following behind the wolves, also in dresses. Eventually all of them found a place around the fire, hand in hand to lift and swing the kids as they circled, becoming still when the music paused again. The adults would start and the kids would mimic their movements, arms outstretched like birds, alternating in direction as they spun, kicking up dirt towards the flames.

Darren waited patiently for an opening and reached into the moving circle to steal Essence, drawing her close as he changed up the dance and lead her towards the band. “You should wear your hair down more often, Mom. It suits you.” Darren smiled, tugging lightly on one of her shorter curls that hung along her eyebrow.

Essence smiled, shaking her head as she leaned in to whisper to her son “You knew about this?” Darren nodded.

“I finished that other bottle...Dee helped...I think I’m going to need another.” She sighed.

“You’re doing fine. You didn’t run away.”

“I would have if the girls didn’t come with me.” She chuckled.

Dastan simply chuckled at Darren, watching with half interest as Luckas wiped a bit of frosting Stalker couldn’t get off his fur by himself. “And you, Little Man... What’s your story? I remember you at the ball all those months ago. You seemed to be having a better time then.”
“I’d stop calling me that, if I were you.” Luckas stated simply, dodging Stalker’s attempts at licking his face. “Anyone would tell you I’m childish enough to want to make you swallow your words.”
“Well, excuse me, but you are quite little, I mean... You’re almost as little as Irvin over there and... what’re you eighteen?”
“I’m twenty... I think...” Luckas muttered. “Just stop calling me that.”
“Twenty... So you’re not younger than her kid... You kind of look like you are.”
“The kid is... He’s... Seventeen... Eighteen at most... What are you trying to say, pal?”
“Nothing, just... Making conversation...” Dastan snickered.
“Stupid wolf, you better not get sick and puke everywhere like that other time.” Luckas mumbled, ruffling up Stalker’s fur a bit before turning to face Dastan. “You have a strange way of making conversation, pal.”
“I’m a strange guy, I’ve been told.” Dastan agreed.
Luckas nodded, going silent for a bit before speaking again. “I don’t get what she sees in him either... She’s a pretty nice person.”
Dastan laughed. “Jake is not a bad guy... He’s just not very smart either.”
“No, not a bad guy... Not Jakey.” Luckas muttered, rolling his eyes. “Definitely not smart though, if I knew there was going to be a party I would probably not have come... Well, or at least I would’ve waited until later... Crowds are not my thing.” He shrugged. “I’d rather not have to make nice with people... Or Beast Speakers.... On days like today.”
“Is that right?” Dastan asked, holding back a chuckle. Whatever else he was about to say next was completely lost when he noticed Deidra had returned, and he gave Luckas a small pat on the back. “Nice talking to you, little man.”
Luckas snorted in response, muttering under his breath and smirking slightly as Dastan tripped over himself at his next step and hit the ground quite comically. “What did I tell you, about calling me that, mate?” Luckas asked.
Dastan laughed as he slowly got on his feet, shaking his head at Luckas. “Fair enough, suppose I asked for that... So I’ll let you get away with it, this time.” He stated in a tone of warning that was only half playful, calmly brushing the bit of dirt that had stuck to his clothes. He walked over to Deidra and sighed. “So much for trying to be cool.” He stated, glancing at the bottle he was holding and smiling to see the contents hadn’t spilled. “You know, I don’t like admitting it, but you confused me Miss... When you said you know who I am, did you mean you already knew my name or did you mean you know who I am?” He questioned, taking a sip from the liquor. “If it’s the latter, well, whatever it is you heard... It’s probably true, but I can explain.”

Jake was half watching the exchange between Darren and Aiden, frowning slightly as he wondered if Darren was serious about the squirrels or if it was all a joke... He couldn’t really deny that if he could use squirrels as spies he probably would; who would suspect a squirrel? “I think I’ve already had a bit too much.” Jake snickered, emptying his bottle and shaking his head at his thoughts. That was silly.

When the dance started Jake walked a bit closer to watch, but he didn’t see Crys or Ali anywhere and he wondered where they had gone. He distracted himself watching the girls dance, some of the mercenaries starting to clap their hands to the beat of the song as they stopped to watch as well. That was when Jake spotted Ali walking back towards the group in the company of another woman, who wasn’t Crys.
“Hey look, Jake... Sheila’s here.” Ali greeted as she brought the woman into their circle her blue eyes glaring at Jake as if she was mentally shouting at him.
“I see... That...” Jake mumbled, a little confused as to why the woman was there when he hadn’t invited her. “Irvin... Were you and Ess at the Inn today?”
“Uh...” Irvin mumbled. “Was that not okay?” The kid asked.
“Jacob, don’t panic... I’m not staying. I just stopped by to wish you a happy birthday. I’m on my way to camp actually. Sean wants everyone back by tomorrow at sundown. I think it probably has to do with your girlfriend, but we weren’t told, at least not yet.”
“You don’t seem too happy about it, I thought you didn’t like Sean.” Jake replied, fetching another bottle of liquor. “What changed?”
“You don’t want to discuss this on your birthday, Jake, but I think you know what changed. It’s hard to stay on your side after what happened. Everyone loved Katie.” Sheila answered with a shrug. “Can I have one of those, please?”
Jake sighed, handing her his bottle. “We had nothing to do with it, and by ‘we’, I mean not me or Crys, or Evin, or any of their people. Sean himself caught the guys, for what I heard.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, hun.” She replied, opening the bottle and taking a sip. “Hmph... So much better than our stuff...” She noted, shaking her head.
Jake let out a bitter chuckle at Sheila’s comment. “Don’t talk to me about sleep right now, Sheila. I bet Sean slept like a baby after he executed that boy Ali trained.”
The woman shook her head, not losing her smile. “See, I told you... You don’t want to discuss this now...”
“Suppose not.” Jake agreed, looking past Sheila. “Where’s Crys, Ali?”
“She was with me, but... We ran into Sheila and she split up with us... She mumbled something about hearing a squirrel and wandered off...” Ali replied, shrugging at the questioning look Jake shot her. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon.”
“A squirrel?” Jake mumbled a bit confused. “Ah, wait, there she is.” He nodded, spotting Crys as she walked in their direction.
“Did I miss anything?” Crys asked, stopping beside Ali, seeming a bit too calm considering the circumstances.
“Not really, no.” Ali replied. “Just a small discussion about why Katie’s death is our fault and... Sheila said she’s just passing through.”
Crys sighed. “Sean is calling everyone back, is he?” She shook her head. “That’s not necessary.”
“Tell me something about this whole thing that is necessary?” Sheila questioned.
“Give me a better solution.” Crys retorted. “Do you think this is what I want?”
“Hey.” Jake interrupted. “We’re not discussing this right now.”
“How did the hand heal up?” Crys asked in an interested tone, not withholding a satisfied smirk.
“It healed up just fine, thanks.” Sheila muttered. “I think... I should get going. Like I said, just wanted to stop by.” She started, handing the liquor bottle back to Jake and giving him a long hug before turning away and starting to leave the camp.
Jake winced slightly when Sheila hugged him, kind of sensing the reaction the gesture was provoking, but he didn’t say anything and just let the woman be on her way waiting to see if Crys would ask whether or not he invited her. She didn’t. Instead she turned to speak to Luckas.
“Hey, Just Luckas... Do you dance?” She asked.
“Not really.” Luke answered. “Why?
“I was just thinking that maybe you should... I doubt Darren would mind it too much.” She told him casually. “And how about you, Jakey, do you dance?”
“Depends on who’s asking.” Jake smiled.
“Well, you know... Technically, you should ask me, but... That’s one more thing I’ll let you get away with this time... because it’s your birthday.” She snickered, pulling him by the hand towards the music.

Deidra did her best not to laugh at Dastan when he so gracefully met the ground. The act had softened her gaze, an amused smile forming itself as she turned respectively towards the man as he addressed her. “To answer your question, a bit of both. I wonder though, exactly, what you feel you would need to explain about yourself? People are who they are and will act the way they will act, so unless you are not proud of your actions, one shouldn’t feel the need to explain.” Dee shrugged as if she didn’t expect the conversation to go much further, glancing around to retrieve a bottle from one of the crates and immediately opening it taking a deep draught. She laughed at herself when a bit of the contents trickled down her chin. “To be fair, I can’t honestly say that I know you. I’ve never met you before, so my knowledge would be naturally left with some holes.”

Darren and Ess continued their dance, both laughing when Ess’ eyes widened in surprise when her son would dip and then spin Ess with an unusual amount of speed. He was purposely working to make her laugh as much as possible, still aware of her tension by the way her fingers would occasionally dig into his arm. “You’re doing it again..” He whispered into her curls.

“I am not.” Ess turned her gaze away from her friends across the way and back up to Darren’s.

“Are to. You are staring at him.” Darren snickered. “..And don’t look now, but Aiden is staring at you again.”

Ess snorted, responding by leaning her head against Darren’s arm to look back over in Luckas’ direction. “...How much longer do you have to enjoy the party?” She muttered, changing the subject.

“Couple hours, then it’s the changing of the Guard. I’m probably going to visit Annie sometime in the next couple days too..if you want to tag along.”

Ess nodded. “Maybe. If I go out that way, if I have the availability..Ali said she’d take me out that way...to the Ruins..”

Darren sighed. “To what end? Do you expect to find something?”

“I don’t expect anything, Darren. Have you ever been out that way?”

“No. I am not sure if that would be a good idea for me.” He whispered, an uneasy look crossing his eyes. “I have been thinking of wearing gloves..It’s just not as predictable as it was before.”

“Oh? You feeling alright? You seem to be doing alright now.”

“Better than you are as of late. I found you sleep walking again last night.” Darren noted matter of factly, pulling back to look down at his mother. A concerned frown straining his face. “Essence...you’re bleeding..”

Ess released Darren, standing out in her statue like form as she wiped at her nose. Darren reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and held it above her lip, cleaning off the blood. “You sure this training thing you and Luckas…”

“It’s fine. If you are worried because of the side effects...I can tell you this is normal.” Ess began to argue, Darren interrupting her.

“You aren’t worried about the stress of it..and how it affects your enlightenment?”

“No.” Ess sighed. “I’m finding out there’s more to it than I originally thought..” Ess turned, taking the handkerchief from Darren and putting pressure to her nose, moving back towards the crates of alcohol. “I just need another drink..”

Dastan nodded, an amused smile crossing his features. “I’m not sure about you ladies, but I’m sure no man is proud of all his actions. Unless said man is a fool, that is.” He replied with a slight shrug. “I’m personally very aware of my reputation, and while it is very much accurate, it is not all there is... Still, I’m in a bit of a disadvantage here seeing as you haven’t even told me your name yet, Miss. And you know all these things about me too... That can make a guy feel a bit... vulnerable... know what I mean?” He asked playfully.

After Sheila had left and Crys had dragged Jake away to dance, Ali had gone get some food and water, as she returned to where their group had gathered she spotted Irvin in conversation with the quiet guy Ess had called Luckas. Ali hadn’t paid much attention to him until then, but then she remembered where she heard the name before. As she approached them Ali sighed as she realized Irvin was still going on about their bet, Luckas not seeming to agree with him either.
“It’s not an acceptable answer.” Luckas mumbled.
“It’s not a fair bet either though.” Irvin argued.
“Listen, kid; pick up a book sometime... If you did then you’d know the answer.” Luckas retorted, idly running his fingers through Stalker’s fur. “It’s not an impossible question, and it doesn’t matter if it is an unfair bet because you agreed to it.”
“Still, Irvin?” Ali asked the boy. “You really don’t like to lose, do you?”
“I couldn’t possibly know this, alright?”
Luckas snorted. “Rosefeld.”
“Oh, come on, you cheated!” Irvin mumbled.
Luckas glared at the kid, seeming insulted by his accusation. “I didn’t cheat. Like I said, pick up a book.”
Ali shook her head, patting Irvin in the head playfully. “There, there.” She chuckled. “Mind elaborating on that answer then? Luckas, is it?”
“It was the last village to burn and you don’t look much older than me. You were twitching at the fireworks, so you clearly remember the fire. It wasn’t too difficult really.”
“You know what... Screw you.” Irvin muttered, glaring at Luckas and wandering off.
“Pffft... Seriously... what the hell is Jake teaching that kid?” Luckas muttered.
“Oh, I don’t know... Are you sure you didn’t cheat a bit? Alistair told me a little about you, Luckas... All that time in the Shadows camp and Lena didn’t tell you about her village?”
“Alistair... Alistair... Hmmm... The name sounds a bit familiar... Tall, empath, a bit of a jerk, obvious mommy issues?” Luckas asked raising an eyebrow. “Whatever he told you, probably not good things, is likely true. I’m glad to say that Lena and I didn’t spend much time discussing her past... Who are you, exactly?”
“Call me Ali, Luckas... I’m with the assassins.” Ali replied with a small shrug. “So you read about the villages, then? Can you name them all?”
Luckas gave Ali a suspicious look. “What was the bet you had with the kid?”
“A kiss.”
“No wonder he was pissed... No thanks.”
Ali chuckled. “Does it have to be a bet?”
“I’m not giving it up for free.” Luke snickered. “How about the chess piece you have in your pocket?”
“How do you know what I have in my pocket?”
“I cheated.” Luckas stated simply. “Yes or no?”
“Okay.”
“Rosefeld, Ashdrift, Ironedge, Narrow Brook, Blissfalls, Oakstone, and Whirlwind.” Luckas listed casually.
“Very good.” Ali stated, fetching a small black pawn from her pocket and handing it over. “A pawn, huh?”
“Aren’t we all?” Luckas mumbled, taking the chess piece with a half smile, examining it for a few moments before putting it in his pocket. “Excuse me.” He said, moving past Ali as he spotted Ess moving towards the liquor boxes, catching up with her and raising an eyebrow at her bloody nose. “Since when has dancing become a violent sport?” He asked playfully. “Now, that’s a pretty dress Lady.” He pointed out, circling Ess a couple of times as if to see it from all sides. “I’d say you should wear it to our next date, but the way they tend to go it might end up torn... or scorched... and that’d be such a pity.”

“..And you know all these things about me too... That can make a guy feel a bit... vulnerable... know what I mean?”

Deidra tilted her head, a full smile spreading from ear to ear. “..It is at our most vulnerable...It is when we show a bit of humility, that we learn the most about ourselves, no? It is there, where those of us who pay attention, can see what is hidden beneath.” Nodding a bit at her words she raised her bottle before taking another sip. “I’m sorry, that is rude of me. Deidra...Reid...Deidra or Dee is fine. If I know apparently all these things about you...why not tell me something I don’t know? I’ll go first.” Dee took a moment to think, reflecting on the bit of conversation she had taken part with the man, before chuckling at herself. “I don’t believe in first impressions..”

Essence opening a smile when she heard Luckas beside her, her eyes darting between two kinds of liquor, unsure of which she’d rather try. “If I agreed dancing was a violent sport would that mean you’d dance with me?” Ess laughed, crinkling up the blood stained cloth in the palm of her hand. A noticeable pink hue heated her pale cheeks when Luckas commented on the dress. Finally she looked up at Luckas, after deciding on a bottle and winked at him. “Oh to think you’d be so heartbroken if my dress found itself in shambles. I shudder to think of how many eyes you’d poke out…” She trailed off still giggling. “So are we going on this date sometime soon? Suppose to be your party, your rules this time.”

Dastan smiled, nodding his agreement as he drank from his bottle. “I suppose you’re right, Dee, it’s just not something I’m used to, I guess; being vulnerable. I like to think I know exactly where I stand at all times.” Taking a few more swigs, the man took his time thinking on what to say to what seemed like such a simple question. “Well, it’s hard to think of something you’d definitely not know, and I’m not sure exactly what you do know... but...” He took another drink, pointing at the scar on his neck. “I have never told anyone, not even my sister, how I actually got this scar.”

“Well, Lady...” Luckas chuckled, taking one of the bottles for himself. “I’m not one to agree that people should be violent for sport... There are so many better uses for violence, don’t you think?” He opened the bottle and took a drink from it. “But maybe... On a less crowded occasion.” He answered, giving a small shrug and drinking some more, choking in a small fit of laughter at the mention of poking out eyes. “As much as I enjoy making you shudder, Lady, I’d honestly not want to see all of Deidra’s hard work go to waste, because... Honestly, she’s a little bit scary, but who knows... We could give it a little ‘scar’, maybe. Nothing fatal.” He played, smirking as he glanced down at his liquor bottle, going into a moment of thought. “Hmm... Well... Soon-ish... I suppose I should find us something special, no? I heard third dates are meant to be a big deal... We should save some of those fireworks.”

Deidra’s eyes scanned over where Dastan pointed along his neck, giving a respectful pause before she spoke. She was slightly caught off guard and honestly was not expecting his words. Dee was curious to know more, but was not the type of person to ask such a personal question. “We all have scars…” Dee whispered, smiling and pointing to the one on the left side of her face. “It’s no secret Essence and I share a similar history on how we acquired ours.” Dee took a sip from her bottle before motioning to Aiden and the others of the Guard who were meandering through the party. “My scar, as my brothers and sisters here will contest to, was caused by my...well some would call him my benefactor...others would say legally he was my husband...but yes was something I acquired from him. It’s the only reminder of him now. What I’ve never told anyone..is what the real story is around his...sudden disappearance.” Dee shrugged as if the truth of it didn’t matter. “Honestly, I tell people I refuse to explain what happened because it’s funnier to see the looks on people’s faces when it comes up. I just don’t usually talk about it because it’s intimidating to find out about someone...especially when…” Dee snickered shaking her head. “..But if one were to think on it...why do people keep secrets if not to protect someone. I really...had nothing to do with it..directly..but no one would believe that.” She nodded behind Dastan, speaking as forward as possible, “If you want to take this opportunity to walk away, there would be your opening without worry of offense.”

Essence was half watching Deidra while listening to Luckas. “I get the crowd thing...I am feeling a bit whelmed, but not so much now that you’re here.” Ess couldn’t help but giggle at Luckas’ words on Dee and not wanting to damage her dress. “Deidra? Scary? That’s a riot. She has to be the biggest sweetheart I have ever met, but I agree to not wanting to destroy her hard work.” Her gaze lifted from Luckas, swiftly veering back towards Deidra, listening in a bit on her conversation. Dee had to have been one of the most direct women that she had ever met; at times as if she were fearless.

“Luckas…” She whispered. “You know...I almost wish it was going to rain...then I’d be left to dance in it...while everyone else ran.” Ess released a shaky breath which sounded almost like a shiver as she recalled the memory. “Maybe there we could take that moment to dance in the storm..”

About A Week Ago..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH_PKQMUyiI

“Luckas...” Ess breathed, opening a solemn stare, her orbs focused intently upon the flames before her. Tilting her head she rested her chin upon her hand, propping herself up from where she laid upon the grass, her free hand absently sifting through the soft blades basking in their gentle touch.

“Luuuuckaaas....” She whispered softly, Tala lifting her head to glance at Ess curiously, the only other movement around her perimeter. A sudden chill crept up Ess’ spine, sending warm shivers along every inch of her skin. Her eyes flickered in their violet incandescence, catching the light from the fire before blinking as a drop of water fell from the sky and hit her lashes. A powerful silence fell upon the wind; she couldn’t even hear the panting of Tala or her pups anymore. All of it seemed...distant. Even the crickets.

Ess let her stare travel towards the dark clouds above, a sudden rumble of the heavens deafening her ears causing an excited smile to curl her lips. Slowly she sat up, leaning back against the log beside the fire, several more specks of rain gaining in speed to disperse sparingly across her bare arms. Running her fingers through her loose curls, the air grew cooler in the stickiness of humidity, the smell of wet soil filling her nostrils seconds before the sky opened up and cried down upon her in an unrelenting force.

Essence giggled, slightly startled by a loud crackling and snapping of thunder, the air lighting up in a white haze. Her eyes darted side to side, another clap of thunder and a collision of clouds came together in sheer blackness, and an invisible fog seemed to lift off the ground. All she could hear were the rumbles above and a river roaring in her ears; her body soaked in seconds.

Again came the shivers, her eyes slowly rolling up in her head as they closed and the biggest smile opened her lips. An unmistakable fit of laughter shook her shoulders, adding a weight to cause her to almost double over. A blink of an eye was all it took for her to be squinting through the downpour, sloppily pushing her sagging curls off her forehead. A surge of energy ached in her belly and into every vein, jumping to her feet and staring up into the sky. The darkness irradiated to a soft tone, the clouds swirling like wisps of smoke. Essence stretched out her fingers, twirling gradually in place and leaping left and right to kick and splash in the massive puddles; a flicker of innocence that commanded everything else to static. A moment of peace.

Then, just as quickly it came, the rain slowed to the clouds breaking and a hint of crimson light from the setting sun teased her eyes from beneath those shadows. For a moment, she forgot she was alone and when she looked around, the crickets crept their way back around her. Ess sighed contently, her focus on the fading thunder as it rolled west towards BlackPond. Her eyes found their way back to the fire, smoke trailing upwards from scorched coals drowning from nature’s tears. Tala had not budged herself, several layers of fur dripping water in slow motion to the ponds below. Life should be about dancing in the rain and not waiting for the storm to pass...” Ess whispered, the gentle breeze coming to a standstill as the rain drained off the leaves, which led her to notice a few patches of blue lilacs scattered beneath the Oak. Ess stepped before the massive tree, kneeling down in front of the spot Luckas usually occupied, fingers gently tracing the bark. Lost in thought she sighed, leaning against the Oak, hugging her knees to her chest as she let herself drift off into that place between dreams and reality.

Present

Darren was momentarily stolen by the children, a few of the girls dragging him into the circle around the fire. He indulged the kids in the dance, finding the opportune time to sneak away when Jess announced they would be heading to bed soon, thus beginning the chorus of complaints and objections once more. He watched as Aiden’s face contorted in pure annoyance as Luckas commented on Ess’ dress, walking to join a few of his buddies who were busy arm wrestling near the band. Darren felt bad for the guy and as any good friend would, he proposed a plan for distraction. It didn’t take much convincing.


“Come on, Old …MAN….” Darren teased, his adorable and innocent smile taunting Aiden as they circled one another. Casually he took off his hat and threw it like a saucer towards Jake to hold onto for him.

“I think this might be considered child abuse..” Aiden shot back, both men sharing in a chuckle before fists started swinging. The men were having too much fun, lazily blocking one another’s advances. It looked as if they were just horsing around; having a bit of fun as they shouted mocking yet harmless insults.

“I think you gave Sora fleas, Aiden.” Darren snickered, ducking beneath Aiden’s arm. “You keep giving me openings, Guy.” He muttered, finally letting his fist meet its target with a challenging force, knocking the wind out of Aiden. His free hand caught Darren’s when he alternated his punches, and for a moment the two stared at each other, veins bulging along their necks or foreheads as they fought to out muscle the other. Darren countered Aiden’s other fist, throwing him off balance, giving him the opening to headbutt him hard. Aiden stumbled backwards, his amusement gone, as Darren stretched his fingers and cracked his knuckles while awaiting Aiden to recover from the momentary disorientation.

“Ready to give up, Aiden?” Darren’s eyes strobed in unison each time he blinked, trading off shades of purples and blues.

“And spoil the fun? Thought we were just getting started, Kid.”

Essence didn’t like this. To be truthful, it was awkward to give a crap about both opponents, even though, naturally she wanted Darren to win. She was biased, but no one could question her point of view on this. Ess was quite entertained with watching Luckas, watch the fight; not to mention Irvin who was taking bets. After Darren hit Aiden twice with more than just friendly force, something changed in both of the men’s eyes and the competition got a bit serious.

Ess just kept sipping from her bottle until it was almost empty, her eyes dull, cold; emotionless and empty, a complete contradiction to the chaos that was going on inside her mind. The moment Aiden reciprocated Darren’s assault, his knuckles cutting open Darren’s lip as it connected with the left side of his jaw, Essence began to sweat. She took a couple steps towards Aiden, whose back was now to her, before she stopped herself and stepped back, not wanting to get in between whatever was going on with the men. Still, she wanted to grab Tala’s helmet and beat Aiden’s face to a bloody pulp for hitting her son.

Dastan listened quietly to what Deidra was saying, his expression had little trace of his usual playful nature as he drank from his bottle, his gaze fixed upon the woman’s eyes. Once she was done talking Dastan calmly looked over his shoulder as if weighing his options, the playful smile returning when he turned back to face Dee. “I see how that can be intimidating.” He agreed, with a nod of his head. “You know... A lot of city folk think that my clan is... uhm... They like to say old-fashioned instead of what we know they mean... in regards to how we treat our women. I see where they get that impression, we don’t have many women in our ranks, most of them are civilian. My little sister was the first female commander our clan has ever seen and she had a lot to prove before she was taken serious, and our guys are... quite rough around the edges... That to say the least. I think that’s a part of my reputation as well, and it’s not untrue in itself; we are very old-fashioned guys, we’re not polite by most standards, I get how that may lead people to draw conclusions, but... Where I’m from, a man who puts a mark on a woman like this, doesn’t suddenly disappear; he is very publicly punished regardless of what anyone would call him.” Dastan spoke softly. “I’m not sure if that counts as something you didn’t know, but considering the topic of conversation I thought it was fitting to mention.” He smirked. “And if that doesn’t count then I have plenty more scars we can discuss.” He offered, winking at the woman as he took another drink.

Luke snorted, a bit amused at Ess’ comment of Deidra being a sweetheart. “I don’t disagree with that. We just have different definitions of scary, Lady.” He stated simply. Luckas smiled softly at Ess’ mention of dancing in the rain, it wasn’t in the best moment that she had called for him on the day of the storm and it had caused him a little bit of trouble, if not a good share of mockery from Amber due to how much his mood had improved in the few days that followed, but it was worth it for the experience, for the moment. If he could make it rain right then, he probably would, if not for anything else; just to try and lose the crowd. As he was about to answer her though his eyes caught Darren and Aiden going into a fist fight, a frown momentarily crossing his features mixed with amusement. He very much wanted to see the Kid give the Beast Speaker a good beating, he was betting on it; internally, not literally like some of the other party guests. At the same time, he caught Ess’ reaction with the corner of his eye and she didn’t seem too pleased. “I can break it up if you want, Lady.” He offered, not taking his eyes off the two men. “Or preferably, I can help the Kid.” He grinned.

Deidra opened a warm smile, the amber tone of her eyes brightening from the firelight. Placing the bottle on the table, Dee slid along the top, her legs dangling off the edge as she leaned forward, her palms gripping the sides for support. “Tradition and respect..two things that many lack now a days. I don’t think I could keep my sanity if I didn’t contribute and fight...Not to say those who don’t take up arms can’t contribute in other ways..not to say they don’t carry any honor..” Dee paused, an awkward giggle drawing attention to the fact she was distracted for a second as the boys began rough housing. Her eyes quickly found Dastan’s again, a bit apologetic perhaps for more reasons than she was letting on in that moment. “I’m just set on actions speak louder than words and If I say I believe in something I..can’t be a hypocrite.” Dee glanced down at her feet, still swinging her legs much similar to a child. “No..I take that back...tradition is everywhere. The problem is when it’s twisted to put down a minority...either it be women, less fortunate..” She shrugged. “So I did learn something..you know besides the fact you are taller than I would have imagined.” Deidra leaned back, repositioning her palms behind her so she now appeared more relaxed. “I guess I can understand what they would see in you.” She smiled, letting her eyes wander as if she was still unsure of some of things she may or may not have heard about the man. It was clear by how her smile remained that she was teasing. “You want to show me your scars?” Dee tilted her head to the side, a few loose strands falling out of her loose braid. “I’m sure they are more interesting than most of mine..” She played, pulling her dress up to her knee to show a thick, white scar across her shin. “That was from jumping off the rocks into a swimming hole and missing the deep end.”

“No, Luckas. Don’t interfere..” Ess still managed to breathe, just as Darren was kicked in his side, his loss of balance working in his favor as he barely avoided a black eye. Even so Ess knew it would upset her son if she interfered. He needed to stand on his own two feet. Darren blocked Aiden. Aiden blocked darren. It went like that until Ess chuckled at the men’s speed, a few of the spectators whistling, a minor uproar of laughter when Darren smacked Aiden not once, not twice, but three times across the face as a counter each time Aiden tried to hit him. The next Ess knew, her eyes actually began trailing behind the men’s assault. She couldn’t keep up with how fluid they moved. It reminded her of the only time she remembered moving so gracefully and perfect was when she was fire wielding. Almost as hypnotizing.

Darren used Aiden’s weight against him, twisting his outstretched arm sideways, putting stress against the elbow, threatening it into an unnatural position, his other palm open, flat practically cutting into his tricep. There was no pause when he pushed himself towards the ground to dip and slide under Aiden’s extended arm, knocking on his stomach, Darren’s knees crushing his left shoulder down upon his left hand. Darren brought the man’s arm into a lock behind his own knee and sat on Aiden’s wrist.

Aiden didn’t even realize what had happened until he was on the ground, his attempts to break out of the hold futile but he still fought against the pain. A little more pressure would be all it took for Darren to break his wrist and the man’s arm in two places. Darren’s stare eased up, gently placing his left hand on the back of Aiden’s head in a belittling gesture of comfort.

“Ready to give up now?” He chuckled.

Aiden grunted and remembered this was suppose to be in good fun. When did it escalate? So finally, he conceded and Darren let him go, helping the man to his feet. It took a few moments for the feeling to come back into Aiden’s arm but once it did, they acted as if nothing had happened.

Ess grabbed Darren’s arm as he walked past and looked up at him curiously. “What was that about?” She asked, her brows narrowing in inspection as she waited for his answer.

Darren shook his head and laughed. “But Mom, what ever do you mean? Just a couple guys having a bit of fun..” He pulled away from Ess’ grasp as he went over to the mercenaries who were still playing instruments. Ess didn’t believe Darren for one second that display was all innocent fun. It actually kind of scared her how much in that moment, Darren reminded her of herself.

“I think people don’t understand tradition... Most people see it as something set in stone, never to be messed with, I think it should be about what you’d like your kids to learn, and their kids. If the world changes then these lessons need to change with it as well. Otherwise you’ll be holding back your own kind while everyone else moves forward.” Dastan stated, his eyes wandering from the conversation for a moment, a look of amusement crossing them as he watched some of his guys taking part on the bets. “And you’re right; tradition is everywhere, no wonder Valcrest has changed so little in four thousand years. In part, maybe I’ve been contributing to that... We could have gotten involved a lot sooner than we have, and for better reasons than we have... Some traditions are difficult to break, I suppose.” Dastan shook his head, his gaze falling back on the woman as he drank in silence for a moment, noting that his bottle was just about empty, his dark eyes seeming to register the change in Dee’s posture, an eyebrow arching at the woman’s teasing as if he was wondering what exactly she meant by it, but wasn’t going to ask. He casually let his gaze trail down to the scar on Deidra’s shin. “Well that is a lovely... Scar...” He spoke, his eyes lingering for a moment before meeting hers once again as he shrugged. “Most of my scars were acquired in training... You know... Miscalculated moves... arrogant mistakes... All reminders of what not to do.” He smiled, seeming to remember his training quite fondly for a moment before lifting up his shirt up to his shoulder and turning to show a scar that extended from his left shoulder blade down to his waist. “Shadow...Crys’... Jake’s... Horse. I don’t know, they have this weird ‘shared custody’ thing going with their animals...” Dastan started, lowering his shirt and turning to face Dee. “I stole him from a Blackpond officer... The man stopped to answer a call of nature and I rode off on his steed... The bloody thing knocked me over and dragged me for a good few miles before I managed to get him to stop. Along the way a nice sharp piece of stone sliced me up.” He snickered. “Suppose letting him go would have been the smartest thing to do, but I can be foolishly stubborn when I feel something is worth it.”

Aiden and Darren’s fighting had drawn Jake and Crys’ attention away from the the music and they joined the others who had stopped to watch them, Irvin wasting no time in taking bets from the boys of the guard and some of the Crimson Shadows. Crys snickered as the boy asked if she wanted in on the action. “That wouldn’t be fair.” She told the boy with a smirk.
“What does that mean?’ Irvin asked, raising an eyebrow, leaning forward and whispering excitedly. “Can you tell who’s going to win?”
Crys laughed softly. “No, of course not, Irv... Well, not exactly...”
“Well... If you were to take a guess...” Irvin insisted.
“She’s messing with you, Irvin.” Jake pointed out, shaking his head at the boy.
“Oh... Haha, very funny.” The boy mumbled. “You guys suck.”
“Oh, come on Irvin, don’t be so sensitive.” Crys chuckled, putting one arm around the boy’s shoulders. “I was just playing with you a bit. No, I can’t tell who’s going to win. I can’t even tell what is going on right now unless someone tells me. I’m good, but not that good.”
“Well... I think Darren’s winning... Yeah... Yeah... He’s got him.” Irvin confirmed. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some bets to collect.”

“Luckas is probably happy to see that.” Jake stated casually, giving Crys’ hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ll be right back, I still have Darren’s hat.” He told her, watching Darren as he parted ways with his mother. Placing the hat on his head he walked after the boy. “Hey, is this my birthday present, kid? It does look better on me, doesn’t it?” He teased.

Crys nodded as Jake told her he was going to go return Darren’s hat, smiling as Kaya joined her, scratching behind the wolf’s ears. “You’re going to carry that thing everywhere, aren’t you?” She mumbled in amusement. “Jakey broke my wolf.” She chuckled, wandering off from where Jake had left her and approaching Aiden. “Hey, Aiden, right? I see you’re enjoying the party.” She greeted. “Now I feel kind of bad for telling Dastan’s guys not to pick fights. Although they do tend to hit pretty much everything but their targets with this amount of liquor in them.” She smiled, running her fingers along Kaya’s snout. “That armor you built for Tala, you were saying it’d have to be lighter still?”

The fight had ended, but Luckas was still somewhat glaring after Aiden with an annoyed expression. “The Kid won... Can I... Interfere now, Lady?” Luckas asked, glancing at Ess with a somewhat pleading look in his eyes. “Just a little bit?”

Deidra breathed an airy laugh, staring off at her knees before pushing herself to her feet and raising her hands palm up to examine. She looked up at Dastan, raised her hands up, palms out for him to see and then returned to them to their previous position. Dee approached Dastan, still staring at her open palms, to stand a few steps away. “So you have managed to not turn your mistakes into tradition?” She whispered, presenting her palms in front of Dastan and flexing her fingers so that one could notice mirrored scar tissue that extended across her palms just below her fingers. “Not all scars need to be a consequence of pain in order to grow. Not all are reminders of a regret or even a lesson learned. As you pointed out, it can be a reminder of..a more pleasant nature. These..” Dee’s eyes flickered between her hands and the man before her, a shy smile peeking past her lips. “..barely stopped the blade..one of many that were astray. I still don’t know how, but I did..and I can. It happened so fast, I was only aware of the aftermath of bloody palms and a six inch blade between them.” Deidra’s lips parted as she inhaled slowly, holding her breath a moment before releasing. “And then I had to do it again...and again...until it became an art. That was the day I realized what I wanted to do with my life.” Deidra cleared her throat, leaning backwards to stretch her fingers to retrieve her liquor, quickly swallowing down a few shots worth. Playfully, she tilted her head back as if to get a better look at Dastan when a particular question came to mind. “...What to you...deems something worthy? Are we talking, worthy to give your time? Worthy of the world’s? Or..” Dee winked, “..Worth dying for?”

“Hey, is this my birthday present, kid? It does look better on me, doesn’t it?”

“Ha! Don’t you wish..Uncle Jaaakey.” Darren snorted, a mischievous smile forming. “If I knew you wanted a hat, I would have bought you one...and not these little ol’ things..” A fake look of disappointment crossed his eyes as he reached towards his belt, untucking his shirt to reveal a thin wooden case, not longer than the length of his hand. “Maybe I should just give them away…” He played before smiling and handing Jake the small package. “Happy Birthday Jake.” He paused a moment, watching silently, choosing to speak again at the moment Jake snuck past the paper to his present. “Mom...told me about this little dagger she gave you long ago...so I thought to get something that matched..aaannnd Mom and I figured out her...poison that she gave you, reacts quicker when it interacts with other elements...in particular….Gold. I personally don’t get why, but she was rather excited by it.” Darren chuckled in amusement.

Essence couldn’t help but giggle when Luckas looked at her for permission to mess with Aiden. She glanced at her bottle, a brief thought of clocking Aiden over the head with it caused her to frown. “Alcohol abuse…” She snickered. Ess almost answered Luckas if it wasn’t for the fact that because she was feeling just a bit intoxicated and not paying attention to where she was going, causing her to trip and fall over some invisible inconvenience and start laughing until she rolled onto her back in hysterics, she may have agreed to be carefree to what Luckas would do to Aiden. Truth be told, she was feeling a bit of pity for the man and actually cared not to be cruel to him as entertaining as it would be. She couldn’t deny that part of her. “You’re not my pet to command, Luckas….I would prefer you hold off for another day..but I can’t tell you what to do.” Essence moved to stand but fell to her knees and just laughed again. “Ok ok..slower this time…” She muttered to herself as she was successful to stand on her feet once again. Her eyes lit up as they once again found the crate of fireworks, Essence shuffling over to it with a devious smirk.
Aiden quirked a brow at Crys when she approached, and shrugged. “It’s not a bad party at all, truthfully..especially considering the guest list.” He grinned. “I’ve seen you around before...Crystal right? Er..Crys...that’s what Jake calls you. His spirits are always up when you’re around...that is something I think we all notice.” Aiden felt something nudge his hand and looked down to see Ward who had sat beside him to stare at Kaya and what she had in her mouth: Drakey. Ward was cautiously sniffing in the stuffed dragon’s direction while still keeping out of reach. It looked almost like he wanted to steal his sister’s toy, but was scared to. “I think, since the wolves have become a part of so much and can be a weapon in itself, that it made sense for the armor, no? Lighter is better.. enables them to move at their natural speed..faster, and protect against the point of a sword. Plus…” He chuckled. “It makes them scarier...or cuter...depending whose opinion you favor. You have something in mind to use instead?”

“Funny.” Dastan stated. “I never realized, or decided, what I wanted to do with my life. My life sort of became what it is... That must be an interesting feeling.” He smiled going into a moment of thought, before seemingly changing the subject. “I stole Shadow for my sister, she loves horses and I saw him, standing there waiting for this guy to finish his business, and I thought... Such a waste. In the end it didn’t work exactly as I planned, because that horse just wouldn’t have any of it.” While he spoke he reached for Deidra’s hand, very slowly as if to give her plenty of time to stop him if the gesture was unwelcome. “You can’t quite see this one.” He explained, leaning forward a bit as he raised her hand to reach the back of his head, where it was possible to feel a small raised line just above the base of the skull. “This one... This one was by a woman.” He stated, releasing her hand and lowering his. “This... really great girl... I met her while she was traveling with her family and they crossed our encampment. We talked and we drank for a very long while, we were laughing loudly and I could very much tell she liked me and then... Amongst our laughing; and having had quite a few drinks... I call her by another woman’s name. So she was obviously quite insulted and chose to express her feelings by smashing a bottle on my head.” He chuckled, head still lowered as he stared at his feet. “That was a quite a while ago, it was when I realized how the loss of someone can sneak up on you without warning; in one moment you’re laughing and the next thing you know you’re saying their name as if they’re the one sitting beside you. Then you realize that they’re not, you just wish that they were.” Taking a deep breath, Dastan lifted his head and gave a small shrug. “As far as living beings go... You can tell they are worthy, special, when they humble you by simply being themselves, when they find a way to sneak up on you even when they’re not actually around, when you meet them and you immediately know that if you walk away you’ll never meet someone quite like that again in your lifetime. When someone like that comes into your life they are definitely worth the time it takes to know them, and it’s sure worth fighting to keep them, or dying to protect them... Like I would, for any of these drunken fools roaming your camp tonight.”

Jake laughed as he accepted Darren’s gift, opening it up and examining the small blades for a long moment. “Hmmm....” He mumbled under his breath in fake indecision. “Yeah, alright, these are pretty cool, you can have this back.” He played, taking off the hat and placing it on Darren’s head. “I’m pretty sure Crys wouldn’t let me keep it anyway.” He concluded with an amused chuckle. “She’d either tell me to get rid of it, or steal it from me.” He joked, glancing at where she was speaking to Aiden. “You know, this is my third birthday party since I was a kid... It’s going pretty well... In spite of malfunctioning explosives and uninvited guests.”

“You’re not my pet to command, Luckas…”

Luke had been laughing quite amused until he heard that very familiar word, his smile shut and he twitched slightly before forcing it back on, keeping close to Ess as she tried to steady herself in a manner comically similar to someone watching a child that was just learning to walk. “Another day it is, then, Lady.” He mumbled simply, relaxing as the woman finally got on her feet, but still keeping close enough that he could keep her from falling over again. “How much have you had already?” He asked her, raising a brow. “I’m just wondering if I’m at risk of being taken advantage of yet.” He teased, glancing at the box of fireworks and honestly wondering what would happen if he lit one of those and shoved it into someone’s pants.

“Crys is what most people call me, at least to my face.” Crys said, smiling at Aiden. “And that’s very nice of you to say that, Aiden. Although, I’ve been able to not worry so much about Jake this past year; he’s got some good people to knock sense into him when I’m not around.” She snickered. “And now Kaya too, of course.” She added, ruffling the wolf’s fur playfully. “And I think the armor is a great idea. I’m not exactly sure how to improve on it myself, but I do know a person... uhm... If I can get him to take interest. The guy is a bit of a... Well, he’s crazy, but he’s the best. He works with some metals that not many know too, so maybe he’ll know of some material that would work better for this. Something maybe lighter and more resistant. Do you guys have the armor sketched? Maybe I can go to him with the design, I know he won’t leave his shop, making him move to Blackpond was a hassle.”

“Interesting, hmm? I guess so. I look at it as I had a choice. I had the choice to continue as I was..with what I was given..knowing I’d die...or I could choose to live.” Dee smiled, watching Dastan carefully as he gently took her hand to place it behind his head. She wiggled her fingers beneath his hair, finding the scar and when he pulled his hand away, hers remained. As she listened to Dastan’s story, her smile disappeared. “What a waste of alcohol..” She joked through a sigh. “...I could understand someone being offended if the wrong name was called during a more..intimate moment...but besides that..” Dee trailed off in thought, moving her fingers in a soothing massage motion on the back of Dastan’s head as if the man’s head still hurt. After a moment her fingertips lifted, trailing out of Dastan’s hair slowly as if to grab his attention, placing her hand over where her heart would be. A sad smile formed as she tilted her head, moving closer to the man so that she was in his line of vision as he stared at his shoes. “I know what that is like...that wanting. Those scars that are here...people say they can’t be seen. I don’t think that is entirely true. I still think this woman went a bit overboard.”

“Deidra! Matthew wants to see you..” A voice yelled across the way, that person never approaching.

Dee turned and yelled back, a clear look of impatience crossing her eyes. “Tell him to give me five minutes, please!” She signed, turning her gaze back to meet Dastan’s. “Duty calls…” Dee shrugged. “If I knew I was going to meet you, I may not have volunteered for this job..but..” She paused, smiling softly at the man, her gaze trailing over towards Ess for a moment. Her eyes shifted, troubled thoughts barking at the back of her mind. Tonight she would leave for Blackpond and nobody knew what for, except the Captain and Matthew. The first thing Matt had said was, “...There’s a likely chance you won’t come back from this. You may encounter situations where you will not be allowed to act...for yourself or another. We will not be able to come for you if you run into trouble. Do you understand the importance and severity of your role?”

Dee didn’t hear Dastan when her mind faded from the present moment and when she remembered where she was, glossy eyes focused up towards the night sky. “..People worth dying for...and many of them I will never even know.”

Essence fell into a small hiccup fit and shrugged. “I imagine...I have had enough…” She smiled, leaning over the table comically to reach for Deidra’s bottle while she wasn’t looking, turning her back towards the woman while she casually sipped the bottle even though she still had a bit left of her own. “Hmm..” She muttered sipping one bottle to the next and alternating once more. “Are these suppose to taste different? I don’t get it.” Ess stared down at the bottles as if they were annoying her, her brows furrowing in puzzlement before she pushed the nearly empty one onto the table and leaned into Luckas to whisper. “I have a secret to tell you..” She paused to smile, turning away, and grabbing him by the arm to drag him away with her as she moved in the direction of her camp.

Darren laughed, adjusting the hat which Jake had returned to his head. “Crys would look good in a hat..I think better than you.” He played, politely tipping the brim of the hat towards Jake. “I’m glad you’re having fun. This was a good idea…” Darren paused, yelling a bit above the music. “It’s a wonder how you kept it from Mom..”

“I knew all along! What you talking about , boy?” Ess chimed in, her back towards her son.”
Darren shook his head. “Is it really smart to be giving that woman explosives? I mean, I could give her some pointers..but I doubt she really knows what she is doing...You do see the one she’s trying to hide right?” He said, nodding towards his mother who was trying to conceal a large firework beneath her arm.

“One more! Then we go to bed.” Clayton crossed his arms, Lily nodding in agreement through slitted eyes.

“What did we say about bedtime, kids? When it’s time it’s time..” Jess sighed, shooting a glare at Jake. “Hey Mister Jake..why don’t you go put the kids to bed?” She teased, the kids looking over at Jacob with a hopeful smile.

Aiden laughed at Jess and glanced over at Jake, while still talking to Crys. “He lets those kids walk all over him..that Lily has him wrapped around her finger. But right, Blackwell...I heard of him. I can get you a sketch before you leave camp and I’m sure we can pull together something to pay the man with. I’m happy to have caught your interest. Many here thought it was impractical and honestly, the way it is now..it’s just doable. They can get by but I can tell Tala wasn’t thrilled. The way it is now...also not very quiet. We don’t all need to be Ali to hear them coming.”

Dastan closed his eyes for a moment as Deidra massaged the back of his head as if the gesture automatically made him sleepy, opening them again as she pulled her hand away. “Well, that girl had had a lot to drink...” He elaborated. “She apologized the next day, but... I had made it clear to us both it was just too soon for me. We became good friends after that. I was at her wedding a few years later and everything.”

“Deidra! Matthew wants to see you..”

“Don’t you people know parties are sacred?” Dastan snorted slightly, playfully looking past Deidra as if trying to scold whoever was calling for her, but not really speaking loudly enough to be heard. “Kids these days...All about duty and responsibilities... They respect nothing...” He playfully mumbled, his expression shifting from amusement to slight concern at the look on Deidra’s eyes, as well as the tone of her words. “Sounds really serious this job you took...” He pointed out. “Which makes the thought of you turning it down on my behalf quite a flattering one, but I take it it also means I won’t be seeing you again so soon.” He spoke in a tone that was only half questioning. The idea seeming to bother him a bit more than he’d like to admit, he was really enjoying the company of this woman. Finally he smiled and leaned into her to whisper playfully. “I won’t forget your name, I promise.”

Jake laughed at Darren’s comment, nodding in agreement. “Crys would definitely look good in a hat.” He smiled softly. “Definitely.” He mumbled, shaking his head and laughing a bit more at Darren and Ess’ exchange, frowning a bit as he actually wondered if Ess should be trusted with a bunch of unstable fireworks. “I don’t know if it’s smart, but... You know... I’m not going to be the one to try and confiscate her toys.” He snickered. “With a bit of luck most of those won’t actually go off anyway.” Taking a look around the party, Jake nodded. “Yeah, I’m enjoying myself... And I think it wasn’t too much of a traumatic experience for Ess either. Guess we all needed this, right? Lighten the mood for a night at least. I’m just sorry Annie couldn’t make it... I think maybe if I had gone to the plains to pick her up I could have convinced her, but... I’m not sure, the kid is stubborn.” Jake sighed, looking genuinely concerned for a moment. “She could use some time with family and friends right now.”

When Jake was called to put the kids to bed he winced, sighing as the kids looked at him with hopeful smiles. “That’s so not fair, Jess.” He whined under his breath. “Come on now, kiddies off to bed you go.” He commanded, running over to the kids and carrying off Clayton and Lily under his arms, receiving a mix of giggles and protest in return. “Why can’t we stay just five more little minutes?” Lily whined.
“Becaaause, I told you it was Jess’ decision whether or not you could stay up and she said it’s bedtime.” He stated firmly, walking in the direction of the Captains cabin, the other children reluctantly following.
“But... but...” Lily protested. “Do we at least get a story?” She complained.
“Miss Ess already told you guys a story, didn’t she?” Jake asked. “Hmmm...” He mumbled, pretending to think about it.
“Okay, okay... Can you sing then instead?” Lily asked.
Jake halted in his step, putting the children down and lowering himself to Lily’s eye level. “If you all go to bed, this instant, without any more protesting, then okay. I get to pick the song though.”
“Deal.” The girl agreed with a smile, running off into the cabin.

“Yes, Blackwell...” Crys chuckled softly. “The man is an artist, but he has quite the temper, gladly he was quite fond of my father so he tends to tolerate me a bit more. I’m sure payment won’t be much of an issue if he thinks the project is worth his time. I’m going to be leaving tomorrow... I’d like to say morning, but I think it will depend on how long it will take a bunch of hungover mercenaries to move their asses, I agreed to stop by their encampment before tending to my own affairs so I will be riding with them.” Crys sighed softly, a sweet smile crossing her features for a moment as Kaya affectionately rubbed up against her hand before wandering off to follow Jake and the children. “You know, Aiden...” She started, turning her attention back to the man. “You’re a really nice guy, I can feel it, and as much as I don’t like to meddle in people’s affairs if I can help it, this is a rather difficult one for me, because Ess is a sister to Jake, which means she is in a way, family to me as well... So I’m going to share with you a piece of advice I also gave Jake, and I hope you don’t resent me for my intrusion: It’s unfair to expect someone to change what is in their heart. It’s like asking them to cut off a part of themselves and no matter how good your intentions or feelings may be; eventually they will resent you for it.”

Luckas was without a doubt a bit confused at what Ess was going on about and stumbled a little bit as she pulled him by the arm. “What kind of secret?” He asked curiously. “Okay, I’m starting to worry... Last time someone dragged me by the arm like this I ended up in a tea party.” He complained.

“I won’t forget your name, I promise.”

Deidra smiled, turning to catch Dastan’s gaze and nodded. “I believe you.” She whispered, motioning him to lean in closer, her voice getting softer. “I hope to see you again…” Dee breathed, a flicker of fear flashing in her eyes which melted away with her smile. For a moment she wished she didn’t volunteer just so she could forget the world for a while; forget the pains and sorrows of others and just be selfish. She was afraid of failing and not coming back, but she refused to believe it would turn out that way. Deidra’s role was too important. The risk was there, but Dee believed she was strong enough. She had to be. After all, life in itself was a risk. At that thought, Deidra slid her fingers beneath a few locs of Dastan’s hair and wrapped them firmly to give a noticeable tug, pulling his face close to hers to let her lips brush his cheek. “In case I don’t see you.. for a while, there’s something for me to remember. I would have regretted otherwise…”Dee pulled away, turning to walk towards the other end of the Nest. “Be safe, Dastan..”

Darren chuckled, playfully hitting Jake in the arm. “Yea...if we want to keep our fingers..we don’t mess with Mom.” Darren sighed, thinking of Annie and agreeing it was a shame she couldn’t make it tonight. “I haven’t been by there for a few weeks..at least..she didn’t say much in her last message so I was planning on going tomorrow or maybe the next day. You want to tag along, Jake? I was thinking maybe to bring her something..but I’m not sure what. Wish I could give her the answers she is searching for..you know what I mean?”

Darren didn’t expect an answer to his last question, especially since the children had managed to use their puppy dog eyes to sway Jake, bending him to their will. Master manipulators, those kids were. They didn’t complain about not having their moms and dads around, even though he was sure they were missed. Every single member of this camp watched over and cared for those kids as if they were their own, thus never leaving the children wanting in most matters. Jason though, the eldest of the pack of children, had more to worry about than the smaller ones. He paid attention to the adults and their evasion on certain matters and with the Captain in Newhaven most of the time, many thought it was best to protect them at all costs. They weren’t being lied to, just some truths were held back, especially from the brutality of their contents. Jason, however, could see the holes in what he was being told. Darren found that he liked the kid, impressed with his understanding and problem solving smarts. He could be almost completely honest in his answers to whatever questions Jason threw at him. Jason, was the only one of the children that didn’t follow Jake to bed, instead he sat next to the bonfire, staring off in deep thought and didn’t even blink when Darren sat beside him in silence.

Aiden’s smile disappeared, a bit of surprise and resentment clouding his eyes when Crystal spoke to him about Ess, yet he remained silent until she was finished. A frustrated sigh mixed with a groan was his only answer at first and when he spoke, his tone carried a bit of sadness to it. “I feel like one day I have a chance and then the next I don’t...I feel confused and I’m not sure if she means what she says because...her actions speak differently. I honestly...was ok with how things were but then there was just something about the way she looked at me and ...all those...everything I thought was pushed aside...came flooding back.” Aiden ruffled up his hair, shaking his head. “You probably think I’m pretty pathetic…” He mumbled softly.

Essence scoffed in amusement at Luckas’ comment on being dragged to a tea party. “Well, if Miss Lily was throwing it, then those can’t be missed. Event of the year by all social and acceptable standards.” She giggled, pausing to look around inspecting her surroundings. As if she was satisfied she revealed the large explosive of sorts from her side and under her arm and stabbed a place for it, into the ground. Ess circled it a couple times before sprinting over to a tree where a lantern hung and returned with it in hand, offering it to Luckas. “Apparently this is my party but I think you should be the first to light our fireworks. Don’t worry, there’s plenty left over.” Essence swayed a bit from where stood behind Luckas, giggling at herself again when she hiccuped once again. Her brows furrowed when Beo approached to sniff at what Ess stuck into the ground, the woman whistling and snapping her fingers for the wolf to back away. “No no, it’s not a stick or something..you are not a doggie…” Ess sunk to her knees, smiling when she found that Tala had snuck up on her and was waiting by her side. She wrapped her arms around the wolf’s neck and buried her face in Tala’s soft fur, the act seeming to steady her.
“Luckas, I’ve always wanted to see the ocean” She whispered finally, her words not appearing to be very significant but it was clear by the look in her eye, it was quite important to her. “Have you ever been to the ocean?”

”Be safe, Dastan.”

Dastan smiled as he watched Deidra walk away, a slight frown marking his expression with concern. Dee seemed worried about what she was about to face and because of that, he was also worried for her. Dastan liked Dee, she was interesting and easy to talk to... A bit easier to talk to than he expected as he had told her things he didn’t usually tell women he had just met, it was an interesting change.

“Hey, Shaykh!”

Dastan turned to the small group of mercenaries that had been calling for him, the men looked as though they were plotting something and that immediately caused Dastan to laugh as he walked to join them.

“You’re not pathetic.” Crys smiled. “Well, maybe a little, but... Everyone is pathetic in moments like this. There’s no way around it.” She spoke, reaching for the man’s arm in a comforting gesture. “I just think you need to be careful for your own heart’s sake, Aiden. If she’s really confusing you she probably doesn’t know it. Ess is not cruel like that, she wouldn’t just toy with you, right? In my opinion though... When you love someone, you know. If she loved you the way you’d like her to, she would know.” Crys sighed softly. “I guess I’d just like you to keep in mind that you deserve someone who loves you and knows it, not someone who may or not give you a chance if her stalker goes away.”

Luckas mumbled something under his breath at Ess’ comment on the tea party. “At least I got to wear a cool cape... And not the princess hat.” He added with a snort watching with amusement as Ess set up the firework and handed him the lantern. “I have to say Lady, you do know what I like.” He said playfully, inspecting the explosive with a delighted look in his eyes. “I don’t get... why is this your party though? I mean... Lily said it’s your birthday... but you were born in the winter...” He mumbled, calmly lighting the explosive and standing back a few steps, watching with a confused frown as smoke escaped the device, but it didn’t go off. “Hmmm...” He mumbled, giving a light shrug and turning to face Ess. “No, I’ve never seen the ocean... Never been outside Valcrest... Never had a reason to go that far.”

Deidra walked off the main path, just stopping along the exit of camp where she found Matthew sitting on a boulder waiting for her, two other fairly large men standing impatiently with their arms crossed just beside the man. Kyle and Keith; brothers who had served with Mageria even before she became Captain. Both stood over six feet tall, black hair, blue eyed and could almost be mistaken for twins except that Kyle was older, bits of silver peeking out in his beard. Kyle was enlightened, a telepath of sorts while Keith was not.

“I don’t like this Dee. Even if it is my brother who is going to be keeping tabs on you..” Keith muttered. “I don’t think I can be apart of this.”

“No one is saying you have to.” Matthew stated firmly, pushing away from where he sat and approach Deidra, towering over her as he inspected her carefully. “Having second thoughts?”

“No sir.” She answered without thinking, even if it wasn’t completely truthful. “I am aware of what is asked of me...I am also aware...Keith...none of us would be forced into this kind of mission, especially with the odds..”

“Which is why you have me tagging along..” Kyle’s gruff voice interrupted Deidra. “How are you feeling?” He asked, a bit of concern crossing his eyes as he approached, fingers firmly lifting her chin so he could stare into her eyes, his own glowing momentarily, smiling when Dee’s mimicked the same flash of blue.

“That’s not going to happen every time…?” Matthew questioned, a certain doubting tone just beneath his words.

“No. It only happens when I activate the link. She’ll hear me without it. This is just so we can track her more easily.” Kyle shot Matt a slight glare, as if the man was insinuating he hadn’t thought of every angle.

Dee nodded towards Kyle, agreeing with his words as she untangled her braid, letting her hair fall messy around her face. She kneeled down to pick up a couple handfuls of dirt, rubbing the filth between her hands before running her fingers through her hair, leaving tiny bits of earth and rock. “Are we almost ready, then?” She asked curiously.

“..Everything Kyle needs is awaiting a few miles west of here...you both will have to travel on foot so not to draw attention back to camp.” Matthew sighed, “Are ’You’ ready, Deidra?”

“...Almost..” She smiled sadly, standing with her feet apart, arms hanging by her sides in a defenseless stance. “One of you is going to have to hit me. I can’t do it myself..”

Matthew nodded knowingly, remembering it was a necessary evil in order for her part in this to be believeable. Kyle turned away, clearly not the one who would comply to Dee’s request, the very idea of the act turning his stomach. Keith snarled at her words. “Has everyone gone mad? I won’t let you do this Dee...this is sick..and if you think I will just stand by..for one second...and watch you…”

“Reynalds! Enough. That is an order..” Matthew glared at the man, stepping between him and Deidra. “The only reason you know about any of this, is because Deidra requested it to not be kept from you. Back to your post...and you are not to speak a word of any of this to anyone…”

Keith spat at Matthew’s feet and snorted. “No. You will not touch her..”

“Keith…” Dee began but didn’t get to finish her words as Matthew whistled for another Guard, two actually dropping down from the trees just behind Keith, each placing a firm grip on the man’s shoulders to lead him away. Keith pulled free, his fist colliding into Matt’s jaw, the only hit the man would get as both men behind him restrained his outburst.

“Let him go..” Kyle whispered, his blue eyes glowing with a strange aura that seemed to lift from his sockets like vapor.

“Kyle...don’t..” Keith pleaded and then as the men released him to his knees, Keith hunched over when a sudden wave of pain caused him to grit his teeth, his hands covering both ears as if he could block out a sound that only he apparently could hear.

“Enough.” Matthew growled, kneeling beside Keith. “You attacked your superior...disobeyed a direct order. You would have never done that to the Captain...I will however...let you leave here unscathed..but for the next twenty eight days, it will be your sole purpose in life to make sure the latrines are spotless and clear. Are we understood?”

Deidra sighed, kneeling on the other side of Matthew and Keith, and wrapped her arms lightly around his neck in a gentle hug. “Yes..Sir..” Dee answered for him, the man wrapping his arms around his friend in response. “...I know you are just trying to keep your promise...Eric was your best friend...but don’t forget..he respected my decisions..as should you.”

Keith pulled away and looked into Dee’s eyes, “Eric would not have let you do this...if he was still alive..”

Dee stood up, turning her back on her friend. “...But he’s not alive...is he? No. I don’t need you to act on what you think is on his behalf.”

“Dee Dee..” Keith pleaded as he was helped to his feet, the other Guard members pushing him away from the others as he was lead back towards camp, away from the party. Deidra turned back to face both Kyle and Matthew and nodded. “Ok...now make it look convincing…” She whispered, “..but make sure I can still see.” Matthew nodded, regretful and apologetic eyes squeezing shut as if he couldn’t watch what he was about to do, his fist instantly cracking a rib when it met her side, dropping the woman back to her knees. When it was over, the woman was still conscious and able to stand on her own two feet, her gown spotted with bits of blood, dirt, and torn at the appropriate places. “Twins forgive us..” Matt whispered, nodding towards Kyle who locked a thin set of irons around the woman’s wrists before picking her up in his arms. “You rest now...I’ll carry you all the way to Blackpond if I have to.” Kyle whispered as he turned and left the camp.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“I guess I’d just like you to keep in mind that you deserve someone who loves you and knows it, not someone who may or not give you a chance if her stalker goes away.”

Aiden couldn’t help but smile at Crys, even though his chest weighed heavy with her words. “Not all of us are lucky enough to come across someone who actually knows what they want. It’s confusing..you know? But I understand your meaning, and yet I don’t know if I know how to turn it off. I don’t know if I want to.” Aiden quirked a brow, turning his attention off in the distance as if he heard something over the music, catching a couple of the Guard leading a fellow brother away from the party, hanging his head much like a scolded child. “I must say though, I do hold your words in high regard...Jake’s lucky to have someone like you in his life.” He smiled, finally turning his attention back towards Crys. “I worry about her though...all personal feelings aside. Ess…” He snorted. “I am sure you’ve heard plenty of the arguments from Jake, so I won’t bore you by repeating those fears or concerns. I do hope tonight opens her eyes that she has a new and ever growing family who cares about her. I hope she knows we all have her back..”

“I don’t get... why is this your party though? I mean... Lily said it’s your birthday... but you were born in the winter...”

Essence quirked a brow, staring curiously at the explosive that seemed to smoke and go out. She shook her head in disappointment, but kept her eyes upon it, unsure if it was a dud or not. “It’s Jake birthday..it’s his party too..but I guess he wanted to do something nice for me. Ever since we were kids, the little time we spent together, when it was his birthday, he would celebrate mine as well. I don’t remember what day I was born on…” She signed, sitting up and ruffling her fingers along Tala’s neck. “It didn’t matter to me for a long time so I guess I forgot. How do you know when I was born?” Ess asked casually, having an idea to the answer but was honestly curious all the same to hear it. “Hmm...I haven’t met anyone who has been to the ocean….well except…” Ess trailed off, leaning her forehead against her arms as she rested them on her knees and closed her eyes. “I use to imagine it would be a place of peace, with pleasant smells and a lulling sound of waves that could put me to sleep. I use to make believe I was there, to get away from everything...when I lived with Ebony. I always came up with a reason to not go...once I was on my own...but I think maybe one day I will. I heard the sky over the ocean has the most intense colors. I’m not sure if there really is a difference from here to there...but I like pretty things.” Lifting her head she opened her eyes and smiled up at Luckas. “Hasn’t there ever been anywhere in particular you’ve wanted to travel to? Or is there something you’ve always wanted to do?”

Crys snorted a bit of laughter at Aiden as he mentioned Jake’s concerns, knowing very well what he was referring to, but she managed to recompose and nodded at the man. “I think Ess knows, even if she finds it difficult to accept sometimes, that she is now a part of something. That she is cared for.” She stated, heaving a sigh and smiling a slightly amused smile at Aiden. “You’re right, I’ve heard plenty from Jake, and his concerns, and like I’ve told him; I don’t think they are fair. Jake is biased for his reasons, you are biased for your own, Aiden. I don’t think Ess is in any danger... Not in this case.” Crys chuckled. “Poor Ess, all these stubborn boys trying to protect her, that has to be exhausting... I think she needs more girl time, don’t you?” She played.

Luckas kept watching the the smoking firework with a suspicious look in his eyes as if he expected it to go off the moment he distracted from it. With his eyes still glancing at the device he sat by Ess, leaning against his knees, nodding along as she explained about the party, and shrugging as she questioned how he knew when she was born. “Squealer.” He mumbled. “I don’t know the exact day, but I’m sure it was winter.” Luckas spoke softly, ruffling up his own hair in an impatient motion as he kept one eye on the faulty explosive. “I never wanted to go anywhere, really. I never thought it would matter... Life wouldn’t change with the scenery.” He sighed, snickering as Stalker came by, the wolf lying down on his side and emitting a soft whine mixed with a growl. “You got a tummy ache, doofus?” Luckas questioned the wolf. “What’d I tell you about stealing all the cake?” He snorted, reaching out to rub Stalker’s belly. “Giant baby.” He muttered, carrying on with answering the question Ess had asked him. “As for something I wanted to do... I don’t know... I don’t think there’s anything I’ve always wanted to do... It’s all... Recent ideas in the back of my head.”

Aiden shifted off balance a bit, chuckling at Crys. “More girl time...I’m sure you’re right, but I can’t help but personally feel a little bit terrified.” He joked. “You women around here are all dangerous. Miss Lily gives Ess the most devious ideas and also Dee. There’s this...how should I say...ongoing battle which Ess has taken upon herself to join ranks with Deidra.” Aiden shook his head, attempting to control his laughter. “We play..jokes on each other. I’d like to think Kaya is in on it too the way she acts by always stealing Jake’s stuff. Tala is. The girls...raided our liquor for the sixth or seventh time in the past few months alone. We, leave random critters in their bunks or tents.” Aiden snorted, “I’m sure you get the idea. One day, the boys and I moved their camps to a completely different side of the Nest. They were not too happy. We are waiting for their retaliation. I’m sure Dee has something up her sleeve..”

“I never wanted to go anywhere, really. I never thought it would matter... Life wouldn’t change with the scenery.”

Essence smirked, gently reaching over towards Stalker to brush her fingers along his snout. “..Not everything may change with the scenery, but some things may. What if I never left Blackpond?” She whispered, clearing her throat and speaking louder this time. “You know...I’ve been experimenting with different roots and the wolves’ reaction to them. If Stalker ever eats something poisonous, Sweetness, ginger root..and milk..from a cow or a goat I’ve tried only...it will make them foam and vomit. I found that out with Tala when she was a pup. They will eat ANYTHING.” Ess’ smile broaden, pouting her lips as her tone was soft and sympathetic, causing the wolf’s tail to thump happily. “Yes..you love your cake...you probably won’t learn though” She teased, watching Tala shift in her spot and lay down so that her nose was almost touching Stalker’s.

“Luckas..” Ess sighed, her shoulders slouching some. “I want you to have fun at my party...so...as long as no one is hurt..I give you permission and my approval to royally mess with the guard. Here’s a catch. Just so you know, in doing so you may be on the girl’s team. Just saying.” She giggled. “Miss Lily comes up with some funny things...She asked me one day, out of the blue. “Miss Ess, what can I use to dye someone’s tea black?” So you can imagine my curiosity and after asking why she would dye someone’s tea black, I was lead to the women of the Guard.” Ess leaned over Tala, giggling a bit as she continued. “Lily caught Deidra putting something in the tea kettle over the fire and the women never touched it. Every man who drank from it...after about six of the men drank from the kettle, all their teeth were now a deep black. Which, by the way, did not fade for almost three days. Truthfully, she wasn’t suppose to catch Dee doing that.” Taking a deep breath she seemed to calm. “Or..you can be on the boy’s team. Just so you know..most of the wolves who are apart of it...are on our team..right Stalker?” Ess leaned farther over Tala to rub Stalker’s side. She was startled when something flopped down lazily next to her, knocking her a bit against Luckas. Ess glanced over to see Beo yawning some, resting his head sweetly in Ess’ lap and staring up at her. “Always so jealous...aren’t we?” She whispered down at the wolf.

Not everything may change with the scenery, but some things may.

“I don’t see myself feeling any better on the beach than I would anywhere else.” Luckas shrugged dismissively, idly running his fingers through Stalker’s fur. “Pretty things are best left for those who may enjoy them.” He whispered, raising his voice as he groaned, glaring at the explosive. “Come on! Come on, you stupid thing... Go off!”

Luckas sighed laying himself down so that his head was just beside Stalker’s, calmly nudging the wolf’s snout away as he tried licking his nose, staring up at the sky instead of watching the firework, as though expecting something to happen. “I thought I didn’t need your permission, Lady... I’m not your pet.” He mumbled, somewhat bitterly, closing his eyes for a second and opening them as he changed his tone. “The ‘as long as no one gets hurt’ part is a bit of a turn off, I gotta say, but I’ll think of something, maybe... And even though I’m pretty sure they’d need my help the most... I don’t see myself being welcomed into the boys team... Besides, you all scare me, so I’d rather be on your side... Especially miss Lily. Which reminds me.” Luckas sighed, squirming a bit to reach something in his pocket, pulling out the little note Lily had given him earlier and handing it to Ess. “She seemed worried I didn’t have a present, so yeah... Here... Use it wisely, Lady. I’ll make sure to think of something better next year.”

Crys smiled as she listened to Aiden’s description of the little game the boys and girls had been playing against one another in their camp. “That... Is surely interesting...” She chuckled. “I’ll be sure to share some ideas with the girls before I leave, it’s a pity I have places I need to go... I won’t be here to witness them being put into practice.” As she spoke she turned away from Aiden, to face the group of three Crimson Shadows that were coming up behind her. “So?” She asked them, as if continuing a previous conversation.
“We’re good to go.” One of them confirmed. “All we’re missing is the birthday boy.”
“Are you sure, lads? You need to be careful, you’ll only get one shot at this, if he gets away you won’t get to try again.”
“Don’t worry about it, Red... We’re good to go. Where is the guy?” The mercenary questioned.
“I think he’s still indoors with the kids.” Crys inform them. “Just make sure that Ess is around to see this too... I think she’ll appreciate seeing Jakey be surprised for once.”
“Right then, just give us the go ahead, yes?” The boys wandered off, laughing amongst themselves at what they were about to do.
“While we’re on the subject of people with something up their sleeve...” Crys started, turning back towards Aiden. “You might wanna keep a close watch on what’s going to happen in a bit.”

Essence turned her gaze from Luckas, a wounded look in her eyes, yet she wasn’t sure why his words carried such weight as they did. She felt like something was behind them. Ess could feel something was on his mind and she had not meant anything by her own words; at least in a sense to annoy her friend. “I didn’t mean…” Ess mumbled. “I only meant..” She trailed off, her words replaced by a soft sigh. “Why do I scare you, Luckas?” She whispered almost inaudibly. Essence didn’t get much time to think on that further, when Luckas handed her a piece of paper that clearly Lily herself had drawn; an I owe you for one hug. This somewhat confused Ess. Did he feel he had to give her something because some of the others did? Her lips parted in a delicate smile, carefully folding the paper and tucking it away beneath a ruffle in the neckline of her dress. The gesture was sweet, and the fact that Luckas had agreed to give her this gift Lily had thought of, still confused her a bit. It was quite clear to Ess from the beginning that that kind of gesture made Luckas uncomfortable, so she had restrained herself on several occasions, not wanting it to be unpleasant. She understood it came natural to her, where to him it was still foreign. “Next year? Thinking that far ahead, hmm?” Ess’ eyes glittered as they caught the light from the fire. “This is a powerful gift, Luckas. I just hope you know, you didn’t have to give me anything, but thank you. I’ll save this for when and if I believe you ever need it. We don’t always need a reason to give someone a gift now, do we?” She glanced down at Luckas’ arm, as if she could see beneath the sleeve, she felt the eye of his tattoo staring back at her. “I don’t know when your birthday is either, but that’s ok because I don’t need a day set in stone to appreciate those important to me.” Ess hiccuped, moving to stand on her feet, her brows furrowing in perplexion as she took a few steps towards the firework still smoking in the ground. “Damn thing..I’ll make it work..” Ess cursed a few times, picking up the lantern and readying to toss it at the explosive, while still remaining at an acceptable distance.

Aiden chuckled at Crys, keeping an eye on the group of mercenaries who obviously were up to something. All in all the night was turning out rather well. Good food, good liquor, good people; for the most part. He couldn’t really complain though as everyone was in good spirits. He looked around a moment, his dark browns searching for Ess only to widen when he caught her, what he felt, was too close to an explosive that was yet to go off. He excused himself, shaking his head in slight amusement as he wandered in her direction. “Talon, trying out the new toys?” That was when a loud crack sounded accompanied by a flash of light, the object shooting off at an angle towards the sky and right for Aiden. He barely ducked, the fiery projectile whistling just over his head, exploding in a cascade of colors that seemed to rain down over the Nest. Aiden looked up cautiously as if awaiting another ‘attack’ only to see Ess hunched over in a fit of laughter, stumbling backwards a bit. Aiden’s shock dissipated into a slight annoyance, until more laughter joined Ess and he couldn’t deny it was all rather amusing, smiling himself despite the fact he knew Luckas was hoping the firework had actually hit him.

Luckas half smiled when Ess said he didn’t have to give her anything. “I know I didn’t have to, but you give me stuff all the time... And it is your... non-birthday party, after all.” He spoke calmly. “The gift is... It’s yours, Lady... It’s for you. Just keep that in mind. If you somehow make it mine, that’s cheating.” He warned, following her gaze to where his sleeve was covering the tattoo on his forearm. He couldn’t help but flinch slightly as he remembered Sam’s reaction to it. If he didn’t know her he’d think she was hurt and that was just the issue with Sam... She had a way of always making Luckas feel he was wrong, even when he knew very well that he wasn’t. She could get him to do what she wanted one way or another and in a way, in some part of him, he believed that was fair. A part of him believed she had that right. He shook his head, pulling his sleeve up to his elbow to stare at the design drawn into his skin. It was upside down from his point of view, but he rather liked it that way.

About 4 months ago

Essence found Luckas in his usual spot beneath the Oak, at first acting like she didn’t notice him; which of course it was obvious to the contrary by the huge grin plastered across her face. As expected, Tala was by her side, along with a clumsy line of pups working hard to keep up. She didn’t say a word as she added to the fire and began to chop up fine hunks of raw meat for the pups from Tala’s hunt earlier. The wolves’ teeth were strong but still seemed to struggle with the hides so Ess would dissect the meat for them for the time being. Over a cast iron pan she threw in a few pieces and let them sizzle over the open flames. She remained silent, still not sure if Luckas was annoyed from their spar earlier. Her friend had taken off in a huff after she had pinned him down by the shoulders, practically sitting on him to stare quietly in a sweet yet mocking fashion.

“Maybe you should get angry...you know a reason to fight. Having a reason...a strength... would be enough to make all the difference..” Ess had whispered, still pinning her friend to the ground. With a sigh she leaned in close so that her curls could tickle Luckas’ lashes and placed a tiny kiss upon his nose before rolling off. “Would it help if I looked like someone else?...Again, Luckas...” She commanded, letting her features melt away to be replaced by a larger more defined figure of Aiden. “Attack me...”

Luke jumped to his feet the moment Ess rolled away from him, hands balled up into fists at his sides, his expression shut in a poor attempt to hide his annoyance; his eyes wide in a mix of an angry glare and stunned confusion as she changed into the image of Aiden. At the command to attack he simply twitched, taking a half step forward as if he wanted to attack, but something was physically holding him back. He stood there for a little while, twitching a couple of more times in place as if trying to force himself to move, but eventually letting out an angered growl and turning away. “Pointless... Just freaking pointless....Screw this...” He muttered out, storming off, stomping his feet like a fussy child.

Ess had done her best to not laugh when Luckas walked away, trying to keep quiet and understand his frustration but at the same time she wasn’t understanding why he was so reluctant on the offensive. In all honesty, his defense wasn’t too bad and she knew the only way to get better was trial and error. It was the best way to absorb those skills and learn from one’s mistakes. Tomorrow would be her turn to be aggravated and annoyed because the challenges she was promised to face were to prepare her for a whole new line of defense: Her mind.

When Ess was finished with preparing some sort of meal, she silently walked over to luckas with a plate and placed it next to him, leaning back against the Oak so she couldn’t see him and quietly began to eat her food. Instead of bringing up her questions or what had happened that day earlier in the field she decided on another tactic. “So...I was thinking about something you and I discussed a little while back...and I think I made a decision.”

Luckas had spent great part of his time in that very same spot ever since he walked out on training; one could say he was sulking, but that was not what he would call it, and not something he would really admit to. Truth be told, even though he had somewhat of an idea of why he had reacted that way, he wasn’t sure and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it. It didn’t seem like something he could fix, and that made him angry at himself. He glanced here and there as he heard movement and noticed Ess’ presence, but kept to himself as much as possible as if to discourage any questioning, not really wanting the added trouble of trying to convert his thoughts into something coherent. He didn’t look or as much as flinch when Ess walked over, only breaking out of his thinking as she spoke to him, still keeping silent for a couple of moments before moving so that he was somewhat facing her and picking up the plate of food he was being offered. “Huh... And what is that?” He asked curiously, starting to eat.

Ess opened a warm smile from ear to ear, swallowing a piece of her food before she went on. “You said a few times, all we have are our ‘moments’; either short term or eternal they can be. I’ve been thinking a lot about how even those short moments can be remembered and constitute becoming eternal. So, I was thinking about my gift to you and trying to think of a way to capture several different ‘moments’ we’ve shared into a symbol that can be remembered always.” Ess took a deep breath, letting her smile fade, quirking an eyebrow. “That is...if you still want the tattoo. It is rather permanent and unless you plan on cutting off your own arm, you’ll be stuck with it.” She played, her expression now curious, her voice taking on a serious tone.

Luckas’ eyes widened momentarily, lighting up in child-like excitement at Ess’ words. He lowered the plate he’d been holding up and let it rest on his lap, forgetting food completely; a cheerful smile spreading across his features. “Lovely!” He exclaimed, snickering softly. “Of course I still want it, although with this talk of amputating limbs I’m glad I decided for the arm and not where I originally thought of getting it... Oh, well...” He played, suddenly remembering food and taking a few moments to chew on some before speaking more. “I’m curious now though... About what it’s going to be... Hmm...” He mumbled, eating some more, a smirk plastered across his face. “Do I get to see it before you start poking me with needles or you’re going to torture me with this?” He asked, a playfully suspicious look in his eyes.

Essence was more than pleased with Luckas’ excitement at her offer, holding back the urge to immediately jump up and go for her kit of needles and dyes. Luckas would be the first for her to tattoo besides herself. Holding her smile she quirked a brow, finally glancing at Luckas with a playful look of disbelief at his words about his choice of location for his tattoo, a small fit of giggles causing her to almost choke on her food. Falling silent she waited until she had finished eating her meal, as if she were contemplating on showing Luckas or not what she had planned. “Well...my drawing is very detailed and I know the tattoo will be too, but not to the same extent; there are some restrictions with what I am able to duplicate here. You’ll see it when it’s done...I just don’t want to disappoint or give you any expectations.” Ess smiled at Luckas, giving a flirtatious wink. “ Also...it will most likely take more than one session because from what I read and experienced, even if pain is nothing to you, the body will automatically start rejecting the dye after so many hours...and the tattoo won’t take. Then there’s the fact it can take two to three weeks for it to heal, so there would be down time between sessions.” Once Ess was sure the pups were finished she made her rounds, picking up the area around the fire before retrieving her tools and coming back to Luckas beneath the Oak. “Right arm, correct?” She whispered, kneeling in front of him.

Luckas nodded his agreement to Ess’ explanation of why she wouldn’t show him the drawing, focusing on his meal quietly until it was finished, at which point he set his plate down on the ground beside him and smiled. “You could still just give me a general idea you know... Even if you’d rather not show me...” He said, acting casual although it was perfectly clear he was very curious to know. “Hm... Well... I think maybe I could... Cut that healing time down to a couple of days... Maybe less if I can borrow a horse.” He mumbled, going silent for a few moments as if calculating something in his head. “That sounds about right, yeah.” He finally declared, nodding at his own words. “I don’t mind doing it in parts, but I’d rather it not take weeks between sessions, I don’t know... I’d rather it’d be ready before I have to go back to Blackpond... For whatever reason.” He spoke, his voice fading to a whisper as he mentioned the city not really wanting to get into the subject of leaving. “Right arm is correct.” He stated, rolling up his sleeve to expose his forearm. “Hmm... Well... I guess this is the only way I’m ever gonna catch some color on my skin.” He played.

Ess kept a teasing smirk on her face as she nodded, reaching out for Luckas’ arm and running her fingers across his forearm. “Hmm...” She sighed, pulling out one of her tiny daggers, continuing to talk but not mention what she was doing as she began to lightly skim off the peach fuzz hairs from his skin. “..You plan on leaving soon? Or, we going to continue training?” She asked simply. Ess stood, moving in a slightly unorganized pacing, back and forth between Luckas and the fire, bringing hot water, rags, and anything she thought she may need. Again she took his arm in her hands, examining to make sure she was satisfied before she stuck a blanket underneath to prop it into a stable and comfortable position. “How do you plan on speeding up the healing process, Luckas? I mean, mine only took a week or so, not too bad. I still have things to add to mine as well.” Ess started by outlining her design with some of the dye and a raven feather, using the quill like pen to make sure she didn’t mess up. “Well...you’ll get the idea as I go along...but I can give you a hint. Let’s just say...it involves Fire...and if afterwards, when all is said and done, you don’t understand it...I’ll explain what I can.” Ess positioned herself cross-legged in front of Luckas, finding that more comfortable, her eyes momentarily glancing up to meet his before she continued sketching lightly in the ink from the base of his wrist and up to his elbow. “Tattoos....I feel, have a power and magic all their own. They don’t just decorate the body, but they...” Ess paused as if she were searching for the word to describe what she was feeling, but didn’t stop sketching on Luke’s arm. “...they...enhance the soul...a projection of sorts of the person it belongs to and perhaps those who have great meaning in the owner’s life.”

“I don’t plan on leaving soon.” Luckas replied simply, keeping constant watch on what Ess was doing with a look of curiosity as she paced back and forth. “Who knows though, things happen and I wouldn’t want to be walking around with half a Squishy until I manage to get back here again.” He stated, unable to contain a slight snicker at the word squishy, remembering the conversation where he had ‘named’ the tattoo. He grinned playfully at her question of how he planned on speeding the healing process. “Well, if I said it’s a secret, would that be an acceptable answer?” He asked, holding back a wince as the quill actually tickled slightly, but even so he made sure to keep his arm absolutely still. “It’s not exactly a secret though, so... To make it short... It would require a visit to the White Shadows. That’s about a day or so on foot, if I hurry. The healing in itself would take a matter of... Well... Seconds... Not counting the bit of convincing I’d have to do. Hmm.... I may have to do some pleading, or preferably some annoying.” He nodded, deciding to annoy first and plead as a last resort. “And fire huh? Great!” He exclaimed. “Fiery Squishy!” He added, laughing for a few moments, but falling to silence soon after as he listened to Ess speak. “So... you’re drawing on my soul?” He asked, a slightly amazed look momentarily crossing his eyes. “I did not see that coming. Huh...” He mumbled, going silent for a moment or so before breaking out of his thoughts. “What are you adding to your tattoo then? Do I get to see it when you’re done?”

The outline didn’t look like much at the moment, but to Ess it was everything she needed to begin. Next to her she unrolled a leather bundle that contained several sized bone needles for her task, choosing the smallest cluster she saw to dip in a black, oily dye. She took a moment to laugh at Luckas’ comment of a ‘fiery squishy’, making sure she was quite done with the giggles before she began piercing the flesh along his wrist first, darkening the outline. There was silence as she continued up his arm, pausing here and there to gather more dye and occasionally wiping at speckled blood with a damp rag. “I suppose a faster heal would be beneficial...” She whispered as if mulling over his words with a bit of a delay. “I didn’t say I was drawing on your soul...I am not covering or replacing anything that is already there..simply..” Ess stopped to look up at Luckas and winked. “To any who know where to look, and to those who may understand...essentially it’s like peeking into your soul. I get to expose that which is already there.”

Little by little the outline came together in the shape of a wrist and into a hand, fingers partially curled about halfway to Luke’s elbow as if it was going to be holding something. “Outline is the easy part...it’s when I get to the details and I go over the same spot twenty times that you will start to feel it...almost like a burn.” Ess explained, adding more details to the outline and began working within the confines of the fingers to show there were flames within and around the shapes while still leaving a void in the center of the palm.”Yes...you can see it when it’s done..” Ess smiled, answering only part of Luckas’ questions on what she planned for her own tattoo. “And before you even ask...yes it’s going to look upside down to you. For one, it would be quite interesting to tattoo the image upside down from my point of view. Not an easy thing...and two...you did say you wanted it where others could see, so I assume then it should be displayed so it can be understood. I’m sure you wouldn’t be comfortable with people looking over your shoulder at it. I personally would find that not only awkward but annoying.”

“Ah...” Luckas mumbled not quite seeming to understand the explanation on how the tattoo related to his soul. “... I have a feeling you will have to explain it to me later then.” He said, a slight look of confusion crossing his expression as he watched her work. “I’m pretty sure it’ll look great, but I still want to understand it.” He chuckled. “And yes, I understand why it’s upside down from my point of view... Not that I plan on showing the world, but yes... I’d rather people can see it without annoying me. I appreciate that.” He chuckled, lifting his gaze from his arm to give Ess a suspicious look. “I can see when it’s done, but you’re not going to tell me what it is, are you? Sneaky Lady... Fine though, I’ll just have to wait and see then.” He said, rolling his eyes in exaggerated annoyance for having to wait. Luke went silent after that for a few moments, his expression showing only that he was going through a long thought process, his eyes fixed once again on what Ess was doing, although it was unsure if he was watching or simply staring blankly. After a while, he sighed, his whole thinking breaking out in a question. “Lady... If you could, back when you discovered your enlightenment, if you could always look like someone else without any side effects... Would you have done that? If you could technically become anyone.”

Ess dabbed at the tattoo, smiling and nodding absently at her art before working on what the hand was holding within its grasp: An Eye. “I think...this will have many meanings; many reminders and the list could continue to grow for you through the years.” She sighed, falling silent at Luckas’ question on using her enlightenment permanently if she could; to become anyone else if it was without consequence. Ess didn’t answer for some time, matter of factly; not until the outline was complete in its entirety to show a hand enveloped around an eye engulfed in flames. It was when Ess took a moment to crack her knuckles and stretch out her fingers that she shrugged and answered her friend. “I don’t know what I would have done for sure back then, Luckas. I know now, the answer would be no. For the most part, the illusion was for survival and it wasn’t often I took on a mirrored image of another besides for that purpose or for kicks. Usually, I took bits and pieces to make someone new.” Ess began to clean her tool and switch it for a slightly larger set of needles as she began to shade and add more details to the hand. “There were times I didn’t want to be who I was, yes. I just never wanted someone else’s life. Maybe I wanted their circumstances in comparison to mine, but everything looks better on the other side.” She stopped speaking, not sure if she had anything else to say, quickly glancing between Luckas’ eyes and his arm. “What about you? Would you want to be someone else?”

“Hmm...” Luckas mumbled under his breath, scratching his head with his free hand, careful not to move around too much. “I don’t think I honestly gave any thought into being someone else, I never really liked other people, why would I want to be like them? I might have wished some things were different here and there, but no... I never looked at another person and thought ‘hey that’s someone I’d like to be’. Not in the sense of becoming someone, and not even in the sense of looking up to another person... At least not at a time when such a thing would have made a greater difference.” He stated, smiling appreciatively at how the tattoo was turning out. “How about you? You had someone you looked up to?” He asked absently, idly fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he kept on talking. “Anyway... I know this person... And she never, well rarely ever, looks the same... She says she’s not sure if she remembers her real face anymore... Must be odd to not be able to recognize your own face...” Falling silent for a second as he looked down to a small tear that had appeared where he pulled on a piece of thread, he nodded. “Doesn’t seem right, does it?”

Essence frowned when asked if there was anyone she had looked up to before in her life, several sad memories coming to mind. She stared at Luckas’ arm as if something was wrong with the task at hand, gently pressing the rag against his flesh as the bleeding increased some. “I...wouldn’t call it so much as I looked up to someone, but admired. There’s been a few...I would say...for the different strengths they all carried at one point that I maybe envied somewhat.” She whispered, staring at the fine wrinkles she designed in Luke’s flesh to look like knuckles upon the tattooed fingers. “My father, most definitely. Much of what I believe in came from him and what he would tell me of my mother. I ...use to admire my brother...but yea we know how that ended up.” Clearing her throat, she spoke up a bit. “When I first met Jake, I honestly envied his kindness and innocence, and then of course his sister...MY sister. I saw things in her i wanted for myself and in a way I achieved.” Ess shrugged, slowly shading over the same areas of skin. “Some things I’m sure I’m still lacking...eh...which is why I can understand this friend of yours..or whoever you are talking about.” Snickering she shook her head. “Hiding and being unknown is, I think, a very tempting road and I can understand how this girl could be addicted to the mirage and even forget her true face. Course, I believe if she simply [i]Let Go, it would come back to her. Like muscle memory. Subconsciously it would still be there. I don’t think it so much as wrong, but sad. But, if someone dislikes themselves that much, then they should change what it is they don’t like.” Mumbling a bit to herself she added, “Course, not everything is in our control..”

Ess took another mini break with Luckas’ tattoo, rinsing out the rag that was turning a pinkish red, carefully laying the warm compress across the design as she began mixing some of the dyes to create a lighter tone. “With all those faces I’ve taken on through the years, I still always wished I could look like anything I wanted. You know, like to change to look like Tala...like that Ari girl we met that time...but that’s more than a simple illusion. She acted like that was kind of painful and such.” Ess smiled, continuing around the hand, the artwork seeming to pop outwards as if it were going to tear through Luckas’ skin. “I’m rambling now, I think...but have you ever wondered Luckas..I mean through the years..how many times you could have seen me and never have known it?” Shaking her head at herself she fell silent, watching how Luckas’ bleeding was increasing in consistency. “You ok still? Do you need me to stop?”

“Hmm...” Luckas mumbled, a part of his mind quietly trying to figure out if he would consider Amber a friend, not quite reaching a conclusion. Perhaps friend was a strong word to define that particular relationship, but then, in some ways... He did trust Amber a lot more than any of the others. “Not sure I’d say ‘friend’, and maybe you’ve met her... It’s difficult to tell with that one, really. Never the same face... And a damn good deceiver... You’d probably like her.” He snickered, shaking his head at the thought and mumbling under his breath. “...Twins help me though...” Whatever thought crossed Luckas’ mind then caught his attention for a few moments through which he remained silent, his eyes examining the details of the image being drawn upon his skin, noticing but not minding the sting of the needles and the bleeding. He kept his silence until it had been a little while since Ess had finished talking to him; at first seeming as if he hadn’t heard a word, but when he spoke it was clear he had been paying attention. “That Ari girl... Is a shifter... that tends to be quite painful, yes. Not to mention there is danger of being trapped in an animal form, in some cases. The girl I know also shifts, but only within a human form, and that is less painful and less complicated. Although, she can’t just change parts of her appearance to anything she likes... She can only copy other people’s exact appearance. An identity thief, is what she is, I suppose.” He sighed softly thinking on the possibility that she and Ess had crossed paths before the castle. “Hmmm.... Well... Funny as it may be... Our first meeting was one of the last things I did in Newhaven before Lena ‘caught me’... And our second meeting was one of the first things to happen when I returned. I lingered around between Blackpond and the plains most of the time in between those two meetings. It’s possible, but unlikely... Not to mention I’d like to think I’d know, on some level, like I knew in the castle...” He gave a half shrug, careful not to move his right arm at all. “I feel fine. Up to you when to stop, really.”

Ess smiled, glancing up at Luckas thoughtfully. “This...person you think I may get along with...was she at the Ball? Anything is possible it seems.” Clearing her throat, her brows narrowed at a thought as she began to add some shadows to the flames, her needlework retracing the same areas over and over again so that she had to keep wiping the excess dye as well as blood from the area to make sure she was filling in the areas desired. “You know...I still don’t understand my enlightenment completely..I don’t feel physical pain when I use it except in the side effects but not during the process. I always thought it was just an illusion of sorts but the Captain helped me realize I can do little changes in my size...like wrists and such to slip out of holds..” She laughed at herself, pausing to lean back away from Luckas, her eyes glowing brightly in amusement. “I wonder...if my illusion affects the senses: Sight, hearing, touch...ooh no...” She exclaimed, covering her face in playful aggravation, falling silent as she mumbled, “Freakin’ Telepaths!” When she looked up her smile was gone and a genuine look of annoyance plague her face, not wanting to believe her own conclusions. “No...don’t you dare say it Luckas..”

“Hm... Yeah... She was there alright.” Luckas replied, unable to hold back an impatient sigh. “If you haven’t met her, trust me, you will.” He stated, his tone somewhat giving away the fact he wouldn’t be exactly pleased by that. His annoyance quickly cast aside as he listened to Ess talk about her enlightenment; a satisfied grin spreading across his features as he watched her reaction, barely able to contain an incoming fit of laughter; a strange choking sound escaping him instead as he masked his grin as an innocent smile “Say what? I didn’t say anything...” He spoke, averting his gaze as if that was the only thing that allowed to keep a straight face. “...I am surely thinking it though...” He added, chuckling softly. “I am thinking it quite loudly.” Finally he turned his eyes back to his friend’s face and inevitably started to giggle. “Aw, Lady... It’s not that bad, now is it? Some of the best people you know are telepaths!”

Essence glared at Luckas’ comment, holding the needles quietly in front of him with a mischievous smile. “I know what you’re thinking, hello...least you don’t tease the girl with the needles....you may receive something unpleasant permanently tattooed into your flesh...” She joked, letting her smile reappear as she went back to work with a sigh. “Darren....my father...Crys is a form..right...empathic counts?” Ess shrugged as if she was forgetting someone, giving a knowing wink at Luckas, not voicing what her mind was adding to the list. “Do you think my mother was too?” She asked with sincere curiosity in her tone. Ess paused once again, sitting back to admire her own work and reached for a small vile of a solvent to spread across Luckas’ fresh, shaded wounds. “All that’s left...is the eye....and color...and of course the signature...” She whispered softly, quietly wrapping up his arm in clean bandages. “If you leave tomorrow...does that mean I don’t get my turn to train? At least before you go....” Ess trailed off, keeping her eyes averted from Luckas’.

Luckas chuckled shaking his head. “Naw... You wouldn’t.... Tattoo a kitten on me... Or would you?” He asked, faking a look of concern over the possibility, however not losing his smile. “No, Lady... Empathy doesn’t count. Invisibility, however, is a form of illusion so it counts as a telepathic ability... So you left out Jakey... Aaaw, poor Jakey...” He played, a satisfied smirk crossing his features, as he went on speaking. “Did you know, Lady, the White Shadows, well... Originally the Blackhurst scholars, separated every known enlightenment into categories... The healers literally have books and books of that stuff... Empathic and Telepathic abilities are separate categories... Although, from what you tell me, your enlightenment is something in between a telepathic and a shifting ability, and that’s actually unusual... If I recall. Glad Lena didn’t live to know this or she would be sticking needles in you right now.” He mumbled, releasing a choked laughter. “Ironic.”

Not a even a full minute passed since Ess was done bandaging his arm and Luckas was already fiddling with the bandages as he thought on whether they’d have the time to train before he left or not. “Hmm... I think we could do it before I go... It will depend, and this is important... It will depend on how you sleep. Especially the first couple of times, it’s important that you are rested.”

Ess hid her amusement, putting on her best serious face as she looked Luckas dead in the eye. “No...not a KITTEN....” Turning away casually she quirked a brow, listening intently to Luckas’ point on Jake. She had never truly thought about him or herself as a telepath of sorts and the topic was bringing up all kinds of thoughts; new and buried. “I wouldn’t have let Lena poke at me...” Ess sighed, knowing she probably wouldn’t have much of a choice if the woman had wanted it. It wasn’t even the fact that she remembered the glimpses of Lena’s enlightenment but the fact she just seemed to have a way about her in getting what she wanted. “So, I’m unique? I kind of like that.” She stated with a smile, absently cleaning up the tools and standing on her feet to stretch. Noting how Luckas was starting to fiddle with his bandages she lightly kicked him in the leg. When he didn’t seem to notice or simply ignored her she glared down at him, unmoving. “If you want that finished you WILL NOT fuck that up, or so help me Luckas...” She hissed, her glowing gaze almost piercing like as she stared before letting her smile shine through again. Making her way towards the tent in compliance with the notion of getting rest if they were to train the following day, she didn’t mention or ask about what to expect, instead thinking more on her enlightenment. “Do you think it’s possible there’s more to my gifts than I even know? I mean...I don’t even know where I’d start or how to go about finding out. I only have ever practiced with what I discovered..I wonder what would be the point of having a bit of both...the shifting and telepathic...” Nestling down in her bed, she let out a long yawn, closing her eyes. “I mean it Luckas...you keep touching that bandage, you’ll ruin my gift.”

Luckas snickered softly. “I wouldn’t have let her either Lady.” He agreed, nodding along to Ess’ words on being poked by Lena. “Well Lady... Being unique is undeniably a characteristic of being human... At least I’ve been told as much.” He stated, wincing as she scolded him for messing with the bandages, immediately stopping himself and carefully pulling the sleeve of his shirt down over the bandage. “Okay. I’ll be good.” He mumbled, standing up to follow after her. “I think it’s possible that there is more to your gift... Link seems to indicate it. Who knows, once we’ve gone through some basics, training-wise, we can experiment.” He smiled, sitting by her bed and tugging at his sleeve in a slightly twitchy manner, but not touching the bandaged area. “Alright, I won’t play with the Squishy.” He sighed. “I hear you.”

Luckas interrupted his own thoughts at the sound of the firework finally going off. He tore his gaze from the tattoo just in time to watch as the firework flew past Aiden’s head, laughter exploding from everyone who had caught the scene, except Luckas. Luke pushed himself up and stood casually watching the colorful explosion resulting from the device as he paced towards Aiden, followed closely by Stalker. Stopping at a good distance from the man he glanced from him to Ess with a little smirk. “You missed, Lady.” He complained, faking a frown at her and then smiling at Aiden. “Great party, huh, Beast Boy? Good thing Stalker came to get me, or I would’ve missed all the excitement. Right, champ?” He snickered ruffling the wolf’s fur appreciatively. “I almost excuse him for stealing my cake. Almost.” He played, momentarily looking down at the wolf with a hint of severity in his eyes. “See, that sort of solves that little problem we had that one time... About me being away. That doesn’t happen anymore. Ain’t it great? Now you never, ever, have to worry again.” He spoke in an overly sweet and mockingly reassuring tone, knowing very well that Aiden really wanted nothing more than to see him gone. Calmly Luckas rose the sleeve on his left arm so it matched his right, and glanced around with a bit of amusement, noting the suspicious movement of some of the mercenaries around the camp. “Lady, do you know why the desert boys are trying to be all sneaky? They’re not very good at it, not at all...” He chuckled.

Jacob had spent a bit more time inside with the children than it was needed, he sat there for a little while even after they had already fallen asleep, Kaya asleep herself among the kids’ beds, snuggling her ‘new’ plushie. Jake had sat there calmly petting the wolf and enjoying the silence. The party had turned out great, and he was having fun, he was glad to see all his friends together in one place, but the moment of peace was also more than welcome. It was the kind of peace that only happened now and then, and shouldn’t be taken for granted. So Jake sat with the sleeping children, and wolf, and Puppy, for a few quiet moments. He almost wanted to close his eyes, but at the same time he didn’t and when the silence started to become more and more a reminder of how exhausted he really had been, he forced himself to leave.

The noise of the party invaded Jake’s ears the moment he left Mageria’s cabin the colorful flashes of the fireworks, the chatter, and the music... It was all less than peaceful, it was even a bit chaotic overall, but the chaos was worth the smiles on people’s faces. It didn’t take him long to find Crys, she wasn’t standing too far from where he’d left her and he walked straight to her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “I wants kids.” He mumbled.
“You’re drunker than I anticipated, Jakey.” Crys stated with a snicker.
“No... Well, yes... probably... but I mean it. Not now, obviously, but... One day, in the future; when we buy that farm, with the pond and the apple orchard...” He sighed. “We could, you know. I want to... I want kids...”
Crys smiled softly leaning into Jake for a few moments before pushing him away a bit so that they were face to face. “Yes, we could, Jakey.... In the future.” She agreed, reaching out and brushing hair away from his eyes. “If you’ll just trim that mane a bit.” She teased.
“You know what, Crys... I promise I will cut my hair, and I will shave clean, and I’ll wear my cleanest, fanciest, clothes... And anything else you like... On our wedding day.”
“We agreed; no more promises, remember?” Crys scolded lightly, frowning at him for a moment. “But yes, if and when we have a wedding you’ll cut it, because if you don’t I will; and you don’t want to lose any more ear bits, do you?” She added with a smirk, poking him on the side of his head.
“Ha ha, funny, you are soo funny...” Jake snickered, pulling her close again and rubbing the scratchy stubble on his face against her cheek.
“Aaah, that’s... itchy...” She complained, pushing against his chest, but laughing softly as she did so. “Get your porcupine butt away from me, silly.”
Jake kept his hold on Crys, but stopped scratching her face with his beard. “I want kids... In the future...” he repeated. “Ten years ago, there was no future... Ten years ago I expected to be dead by now, and I was okay with that. There was no future.”
“You want kids.” Crys repeated with a tone of understanding in her voice. “I’m really proud of you, Jakey... And I’m also a little bit sorry for this.” She laughed, giving him a brief kiss on the cheek and stepping a few steps back.
“Sorry for what...?” Jake started, seeming a bit confused. That until he noticed he was surrounded. “Oh, no... No, no, no, no....” He muttered. “You didn’t... That’s not fair...” He complained, turning from her and running off to try and escape the Crimson Shadows who very quickly and efficiently had him cornered. Soon enough Jake was being lifted off his feet and carried towards the river. “Crap, no, stop it, put me down... DASTAN, I will kick your ass!”
“Yeah, good luck with that boy.” Dastan replied with a chuckle watching with amusement as his men tossed Jake into the river with a loud splash. Laughter and applause erupting from the mercenaries and the guard.

“The gift is... It’s yours, Lady... It’s for you. Just keep that in mind. If you somehow make it mine, that’s cheating.”

Essence was still laughing, holding her stomach as if she were in pain, calming herself simultaneously as the colors overhead began to fade away. Tiny bits of ash rained down over the camp while she kept a close eye on Luckas and Stalker approaching Aiden, her thoughts still on her friend’s gift. Ess understood the gesture behind the gift and she was appreciative of it; she was. Part of her, she couldn’t deny, still felt sick. She had been fighting her nerves since she returned to the Nest and her un-welcomed feelings were mocking those appreciative ones. Essence wondered if she would indeed ever use Luckas’ gift and it was because of a very logical morale that she would never betray. She would never expect or force an affectionate gesture from anyone, even more so than Luckas. That part of her, who remembered what that felt like, even if it was in a more extreme and unrelated example, knew that wasn’t who she was. Still, maybe it was something she would just keep close to her heart. Ess let out a long sigh, listening to bits and pieces of the exchange that was taking place between Luckas and Aiden, her gaze floating over towards Jacob when he returned to Crys side. Her stare sharpened to the movement around the Nest, a small snicker escaping her when she saw the mercenaries closing in behind Jake. He didn’t even seem to notice as he was snuck up on, Jake’s focus completely on Crystal as if no one else seemed to exist. At least for the moment. The devotion Ess caught passing between them both was simply beautiful to her. She was happy and envious all at the same time but more importantly she knew her little brother deserved it. As Jake came to realize what was occurring around him, it was already too late and he was hoisted above the men’s shoulders and carried towards the river. Essence decided she wanted to see the next few moments up close, her fingers clinging to her dress to lift the ruffles just around her knees as she sprinted after the crowd while still keeping a mindful distance from Darren in case he got any bright ideas like last time. She caught her son’s smiling gaze and shook her head and playfully glared at him distrustingly. Darren laughed, mouthing the words, Not in that dress, to Ess, causing her glare to fade into a mirrored smile of her son’s. It seemed, Deidra had indirectly saved Ess from a possibly similar fate to Jake’s which reminded herself that she hadn’t seen the woman for a bit of time now but she shrugged it off.

When Ess reached the riverbend, she waved happily over at Jake, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she giggled. “Happy Birthday Brother.” She paused, her eyes rolling upwards as if she were ponder over an idea. “You know, Jakey, If you could have floated away from the men carrying you, then you would still be dry. But no, you have that other really awesome thing you do, like disappearing.” She teased, sticking her tongue out at Jake playfully and backing away a bit from the riverbend, shooting him a mistrusting and amused glare.

“You missed, Lady.”

Aiden snorted, pushing himself back on his feet, casually dusting himself off. “Always keeping us on our toes, Talon..” He smiled, letting his gaze float between Essence and to where the majority of the guests were occupying. Aiden mentally tracked where everyone was in position to himself, his body facing away from Luckas, as if he were ignoring him, yet he could still see him out of the corner of his eye, half listening to the boy. “...A little squirrel told me you won’t want to miss this, Talon..” Aiden’s smile widened as he watched Ess run off after the spectacle of tossing Jacob into the river and he couldn’t help but chuckle, despite his current company. Calmly he turned his head in Luckas’ directly and shrugged. “All things aside, you know that’s not true. The part where you say I don’t have to worry. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that it takes more than you, Jake, the wolves or I to keep a concerned eye on Essence. Darren told me she’s been sleepwalking again...but I’m sure you already knew that, right?” Aiden scoffed, squeezing out a bitter sigh. He shook his head a bit in amusement at himself before moving to join up with the rest of the group, calmly walking away from Luckas. Aiden knew if he was going to behave and not cause any type of scene, he had to walk away. It wouldn’t be far to Essence, and he felt that was his limit for conversation with a vindictive child for one evening. He was trying to remember even though Ess trusted the kid, Aiden didn’t have to and it was probably good that Jake wasn’t alone in being suspicious.

Luckas snorted at Aiden as he replied, an amused smirk forming across his expression at the man’s choice of words. At first he didn’t answer, he let himself be distracted by the commotion, a chuckle escaping him as he watched Jake being thrown into the river. Casually he followed after Aiden and sighed at the man as though he was trying to explain something extremely simple to a very intellectually challenged individual. “I’m sure you are aware that I was being sarcastic, which makes it kind of funny that you’d even answer me and... You speak as though she needs constant supervision... Which is definitely funny, considering she already has more people ‘watching’ her than the children do on a regular basis. Let’s face it though Beast Boy; between Jake, the wolves, Darren, myself, and you... Your concerned eyes will not be the ones watching over her dreams at night... But I’m sure you already knew that, right?” He spoke, his voice calm and matter of fact like. “Stop acting as if she actually needs you, Beast Boy... It just makes you look desperate.” He advised, walking away from the man to get a better look of what was happening in the water, but keeping a good distance from the riverbed. Jake was already pulling himself out of the water, seeming quite amused and content despite being soaking wet; so much that no one else seemed to notice the change in his posture, not until he hurried past everyone and simply charged at Luckas, without giving him even a chance to think of a provocation.

Because Jake had had quite a bit to drink it wasn’t difficult for Luckas to avoid the first punch aimed at his head, or the second for that matter, but that wasn’t enough for Jake to stop and think about what he was doing and why, the man kept hitting blindly. Luckas turned away from Jake as he heard a low growl coming from Stalker, trying to keep the wolf calm so this; whatever the hell it was, didn’t escalate further than necessary. In his distraction he suffered his first blow, which was no help in keeping Stalker at bay; the wolf clearly ready to pounce on Jake and only backing away when Luckas managed to shout to him while trying to protect himself from Jake. “Stalker: Pride!” Stalker laid down on the ground and relaxed some at the command, dark eyes still glaring at Jake, consistent and loud growling still escaped the wolf, but he remained motionless even so. Luckas was covering his head with his arms and taking the assault, mostly because Jake had been barely making a serious attempt at hurting him, but when the man kicked him in the leg and knocked his balance he felt the last of his patience slip away and he retaliated by punching him hard in the gut, hard enough so that he stumbled back. “What the hell is your problem!?” He shouted at Jake, watching as he tried to advance at him again, but was held back by Crys, the woman whispering something to Jake that Luckas couldn’t hear, whatever it was managed to calm him and he backed away finally. Luckas realized he was fighting against someone’s hold as well and he stopped himself, shoving the Crimson Shadow who had been trying to contain him aside. “Don’t fucking touch me!! GET THE FUCK AWAY!”

“Luckas!” Crys called, one hand still pushing against Jake’s chest. “This is not about you. Walk away.”
Luckas snorted. “Next time, I won’t keep Stalker from biting his stupid head off, are we understood?” He muttered at Crys.
“Walk away, please.” She repeated calmly, trying to lead Jake away towards his camp and meeting a bit of resistance on his part.
“Pathetic.” Luckas muttered out, turning away and going to get a drink, Stalker following him closely.
After a few more moments Crys managed to get Jake to go with her, pulling him by the arm away from the commotion.

Aiden had plenty he wanted to say back at Luckas. What made this shit stain think he knew what Essence needed? Wasn’t it hypocritical for a ‘stalker’ to challenge that the woman didn’t need constant supervision? That was far from what Aiden had meant in the first place. The fact is she was apart of a family where if she felt she needed it or not, she would be cared for. Aiden wasn’t just annoyed because he did want to be more than just friends with Ess and Luckas was mocking his status, but for every attempt he had made to keep him away from her. The kid had no more of a right than Aiden to decide who could be apart of Ess’ life, in any position. Before Aiden could even fully turn to face Luckas to say any of what was on his mind, Jake was already on him. How ironic. He couldn’t help feeling a bit of satisfaction at the sight, however he was more concerned for the little freak’s reaction and Jake’s safety than his own sense of amusement.

Essence didn’t have much time to process what was going on. One moment she was laughing and joking around and the next Jake was at Luckas’ throat, practically. She may have managed to yell both of the men’s names in protest or snap at the foolish mercenary who was trying to restrain Luckas, but she didn’t have much of an opportunity for anything else; which she was internally grateful for. “Jaakey…?” She whispered, a deep concern furrowing her brows. Did she say something to set Jake off? Ess caught Crys’ words that this wasn’t about Luckas and that made her worry even more. It wasn’t that she didn’t expect some sort confrontational spectacle to occur, she just thought it would have happened a lot sooner and the fact that Jake lasted as long as he did, showed that he was trying. Ess took a few steps towards her brother but stopped when she looked at Crys and she knew he was in good hands. For a moment, she wasn’t needed and she didn’t want to add to any stress Jake was feeling at the moment, doubting her presence to be one of comfort. Lightly massaging her right temple she brushed off her onset headache as the result of having too much liquor even though she half expected the pain, finding that she had them almost daily as of late. Her thoughts were confusing and depressing as they unrealistically dwelled on the idea of Jake not needing her. It didn’t matter that it was wrong or unfair to think because it didn’t change the fact her mind was clinging to that thought. ‘You need him more than he needs you… She cursed at herself trying to remember how not too long ago she didn’t ‘need’ anyone. Which of course was not true, but now that her walls were down and she let herself rely on others for help and support, she was, at this moment, thinking of herself as a burden. How could she think this way, especially after everything everyone had done to show she was appreciated? Ess knew she was thinking stupid, especially when she began comparing herself to Aiden. As quickly as that thought entered her mind, it left, switching to a memory not completely unrelated but quite darker, in a place of her mind she had promised herself she would not go.

“Mom? Mom…” Darren whispered, appearing at her side and trying to get Ess to look up at him, his thumbs brushing reddish tears from her porcelain cheeks. “Mom..look at me...what is going on in your head?” Essence didn’t seem to hear Darren or even realize that she had picked up some random bottle of liquor that clearly belonged to one of the mercenaries but she took a few swigs none the less before it was ‘stolen’ back. Darren half expected Ess to bite the man’s head off but instead she just stared, unblinking as if she wasn’t even aware of her surroundings. Finally she acknowledged her son, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck, clinging to him. Darren held Ess close, gently stroking her curls in a comforting manner. He could feel her fighting against sobs as he quietly encouraged her to concentrate on her breathing. “It’s ok, Mom. Remember where you are...you’re here with people who love you. Your friends...family…” He whispered into her curls, hugging her tighter when she heaved a sigh.

“I’m sorry your mother is such a disaster..” Ess finally muttered, trying to make it sound like she was joking.

Darren snorted. “..You’re thinking about Asher again...aren’t you?” He pulled back, his concerned stare slightly twisted into one of resentment towards the very act of having to mention his father’s name.

“I don’t want to talk about him..” Ess retorted.

“Then stop thinking about that asshole. Why not enjoy the rest of the night?” Darren smiled, turning Ess a bit so he could reach her braid and untwisted her hair so it fell loose past her shoulders. “You are so wound up...you just need to relax, ok?”

“Breathe, Jakey... Just, breathe.” Crys whispered to Jake as they stopped by his tent, she sat him down by his unlit fire pit, sitting down beside him in silence.
“He did this. He has to have done this... It can’t... I don’t...” Jake started to ramble, rocking back and forth where he sat, hiding his face in his hands. “This can’t be...” He cut himself off with a choked sob.
Crys sighed, calmly rubbing his back in a soothing manner for a few moments before getting up and starting to light the fire. “What did he do?” She asked. “Because he seemed to not know why you were trying to crack his skull open with your fists, Jacob.”
Jake shook his head, he didn’t want to say it, saying it would make it all real, somehow, but he didn’t know how to keep something like this from Crys so he answered. “I heard her voice... In my head... It had to have been in my head because she’s... She’s dead, but I heard it... I heard her voice.”
“Luckas can’t make you hear your sister’s voice.” Crys stated simply, sitting beside him again.
“He did it.” Jake muttered.
“Jacob...” Crys started.
“No! He did it!” Jake insisted. “Stop defending him, just... Stop... Taking his side.”
“I’m on your side.” Crys protested. “You’re acting like a maniac, but I’m on your side, so do whatever you have to do to get through this, Jakey, but don’t even think about lashing out at me. I will kick your ass, I swear. I am on your side.”
“He has to have done it. Because if he didn’t then... What... I’m going crazy? I’m never going to get over it? It’s all for nothing? If he didn’t do it... Then I’m doing it to myself and I can’t... Be this guy anymore... I don’t want to be... I’m so sick of him... I’m so... Tired.”
“Jakey...” Crys turned so that she was facing Jake, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair soothingly. “You are tired. You haven’t been sleeping and you had a pretty emotional evening. You miss your sister, you wanted her here. There’s nothing wrong with that.” She reassured him. “It doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to miss her, Jake... Moving on doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to miss her. You will always, always, miss her. And that’s okay.”
Jake nodded along to what Crys was saying. Everything made sense to him, and even though sense didn’t exactly matter to him now, he knew that soon enough it would. He rubbed his eyes and finally lifted his head, turning to look at Crys, staring at her for a long while in silence, the act itself seeming to soothe him more than any amount of conversation ever would. He leaned into her and heaved a very long sigh. “I beat up my sister’s stalker on her birthday party... I’m such an unbelievable ass right now.” He concluded.
“See, I bet ten years ago you weren’t expecting to ever say something like that, am I right?” Crys chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. “You’re not that guy anymore, Jakey. I can see that. You just need to let your mind rest.”
Jake laughed softly at her teasing wrapping one arm around Crys’ waist and pulling her close to him. “I miss you.”
“That’s stupid of you... Because I’m right here, even when I’m not. You know that.” She retorted.
“That’s my line.” Jake snickered.
“It’s my favorite line.” She answered, resting her head on his shoulder. “Do you want to go back to the party? If you don’t, we can just go to bed. I bet I can get you to sleep some.”
“That sounds good, but... I want to talk to Ess first, can you... Can you bring her here? I don’t... I can’t run the risk of seeing Luckas again... I still want to snap his neck... I always want to snap his neck... Just this time I might actually try it.”
“Alright, Jakey. I’ll go and tell her to come find you here.” Crys agreed, giving him a kiss on the cheek and pulling away from the hug. “But you are going to sleep tonight, okay?”
“Okay.” Jake sighed. “I can’t promise anything, but... I’ll do my best for you.”

Luckas got himself a bottle, watching with the corner of his eye as Crys led Jake away from the crowd, drinking down the alcohol as if it were nothing more than water; one hand scratching behind Stalker’s ears appreciatively. He and Jake had gone into a silent understanding a little while back when both Stalker and Kaya had gotten involved in one of their altercations, the wolves snapping at each other in defense of their respective humans. Nothing too bad happened in that occasion, but ever since they had been careful to not show any aggression in front of the animals. It was strange to Luckas that the guy would just attack him in front of Stalker without any provocation on his part. Jake didn’t lose control like that for no reason, Luckas knew that; pissing him off usually took a bit of work. He didn’t like the guy, but he had to admit it wasn’t normal. “Did you do something to him?”
Luckas turned around to face the person who asked the question raising an eyebrow at the woman. “Allison, was it? No, I didn’t. Something’s probably wrong with your friend. I don’t know what and I don’t care, but whatever the problem, it’s his. Take it up with him and leave me alone.” He muttered at her, emptying the bottle and grabbing another one.
“Alright, okay. I was just wondering” Ali chuckled. “I know very well Jake’s messed up in the head, you don’t have to sell that notion to me. You should take it easy with that stuff, it’s pretty strong.”
“Not to me.” Luckas shrugged. “I just like the taste of the stuff, doesn’t ever even give me a buzz.”
“I don’t... Like the taste... I don’t drink much.” Ali retorted, glancing curiously at Luckas’ forearm, her blue eyes examining the image drawn upon his skin with interest. The tattoo was of a fist holding an eye engulfed in flames, the eye color a curious mix of violet and a dark smoky grey color. “Interesting.” She mumbled. “Very interesting.”
“What?” Luckas sighed following her gaze. “It’s my squishy.”
Ali snorted a laugh. “It’s your what?”
“You heard me.” He replied, with a completely serious expression on his face.
“Okay... That’s... A really nice looking squishy you got.” Ali replied, looking incredibly confused as if she couldn’t quite believe the words she had just uttered. “Did Ess tattoo this on you? It’s awesome.”
Luckas replied to her question by pointing out the signature on the tattoo. “Yes, it’s awesome.” He agreed. “I honestly didn’t care much about this arm before, but now it’s pretty much my favorite arm.” Luke nodded.
“Are you sure, you’re not drunk?” Ali asked, a bit amused at Luckas. “Not even a little?”
“Nope.” He answered.
“You’re a strange little man.” Ali snickered, shaking her head.
“Do you only make bows?” Luckas questioned. “I wanted a crossbow, I like them, but they’re a bit heavy and clumsy for me. I’d need something more... portable.”
“Pffft... Crossbows are terrible for combat. They’re for hunters.”
“I’m a hunter, I’m not a warrior.” Luckas argued. “I just... Hunt different stuff from time to time.”
“It’s a terrible choice for human targets.” Ali stated simply.
“No... It’s far more potent and more accurate than a regular bow.”
“More accurate than a regular bow if you’re a terrible shot; otherwise, that’s not true. Besides it’s ridiculously slow to reload.”
“Alright, it’s slow to reload, but it’s still more potent. The odds of making a fatal shot with a regular bow...”
“Are pretty damn good if you’re a decent shot and know your anatomy.” Ali interrupted. “What you’re saying basically is that you’re too lazy to try your hand at a real bow and you’re looking for an easy fix.”
“I’m not denying that. I’m just thinking that the design can be improved to be made more efficient, and was wondering if you’d be of any help with that. You did make some helpful statements, even if they were a bit unnecessarily unfair.”
“I make pretty things out of wood. What you need is someone who is skilled with mechanisms to help with a design like that. Some of the Crimson are good with things like that. And maybe you could ask Crys to pitch the idea to Blackwell when she goes see him. If he takes an interest I’m sure he can build whatever you want, but you’re not going to like dealing with the guy, I can tell you that much.”
“That helps.” Luckas agreed.
“Crossbows suck.” Ali muttered.
“Shut up, they’re awesome.” Luckas retorted, emptying his bottle once again and tossing it aside before walking over to Essence and Darren. “I’d like it to be noted that I... Lady and Kid... Was on my very best behavior through this whole thing. Because we all know I’ll probably never get to say this again.” He played, his expression turning a bit concerned as he looked over at Ess. “I controlled myself and Stalker was good.. No one was hurt really.” He pointed out. “He just needs sleep and next time he punches me it’ll be for a good reason.” He smiled playfully.

Ess ran her fingers through her curls to loosen those strands from their previous binds. She stared at her fingers as they sifted and wrapped around a few curls that cradled her waist. There was a momentary smile breaking her cold, statue like exterior, but her eyes were still wild, clear they were very deep into whatever thoughts she was trying to avoid. “It’s not about that….You don’t even have to explain anything Luckas. I’m not mad at either of you. I’m glad you both are ok...and I’m a bit worried about my brother..and curious...that you trained Stalker to respond to our...safe word.” Finally she looked up at Luckas, listening for an answer but at the same time her mind wasn’t all in the present moment. “When did you do that? That’s...well it’s impressive. I’m proud of how well you’ve cared for him.” She whispered, her eyes softening for a second as she leaned back into Darren, her sons hands rubbing up and down her arm, trying to soothe her. “I don’t..feel very good…” Ess mumbled, Darren lifting her head to examine her face with his eyes.

“You had too much to drink..” He smirked, trying to make Ess smile.

“Did not..my tolerance has grown..I could handle ..another.” She pouted sticking her tongue out at her son.

Darren snorted, shaking his head slowly. “Always have to prove how strong you are, hmm? You know you have nothing to prove to me..”

“I know that..” Ess muttered. “And I’m not trying to prove anything..was just a fact..”

“...Sometimes...asking for help, demonstrates someone’s strength..”

“I know that!” Ess snorted. “I have asked for help plenty...but..”

“But you won’t ask for it now, will you? Why not..just let me take care of this one thing for you?” Darren cleared his throat, twitching some when Ess stepped back from him, the look in her eyes clear she understood what he was talking about.

“My Da...told me plenty of how strong my mother was...and I was always told how much I was like her. Jake and Jessica..both would look at me as if I was this amazing woman that could get through anything..and I don’t plan on letting any of them down. I can handle this..myself.”

“You shouldn’t do this alone, Mom..” Darren started to protest.

“I’m not. I have the Captain for starters. This is way bigger than my personal revenge, Darren. You act like you know where to find him, when he’s bloody disappeared off the map completely.” She paused, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. After composing herself so that her tone remained calm, she opened her eyes and stared Darren down. “No. I don’t want this for you.”

“I have some ideas where to look..I should be the one to do it..not you..not Jake…” Darren protested.

“Absolutely NOT!!” Ess turned and spat in a growl, trying not to yell, but obviously this option wasn’t that much less intimidating. Her eyes darted from side to side, noticing how she was attracting attention from some of the others but she didn’t back down. “I forbid you to go!” Darren cringed slightly, but forced himself to take a step forward.

“Yes Mom. I am going. Be glad I told you. I’ve seen what happens when people keep things from you. So I am telling you.” Darren spoke gently, his tone a bit bitter as he tried to keep Essence calm. “I am going after Asher. After everything he’s done to just you alone. What about the rest of Valcrest? What if it’s disease has gone further? Would you rather I don’t confide in you?”

Ess’ eyes rolled up in her head, her fingers reaching to gently massage the bridge between her eyes. “Of course not. I always want you to be able to tell me things..” She whispered, hoping that by keeping her voice down it would force her emotion to soften as well. It only irritated her more.

“You can’t stop me, Mom.” Darren challenged her gently, casting his gaze towards his feet before finding the familiar violet glow again. His voice was so low, as if he almost regretted his own words, yet he stood by them. “You would have to have Luckas hold me and you know..I don’t think he would disagree with me for wanting to end Asher once and for all. The world would be a better place WITHOUT him.”

“I could stop you..” Ess’ voice cracked, her face contorted in a mild expression of pain from the sickening mix of emotion flooding into her. It made her want to sleep. She still looked angry, even when she casually wiped a couple stray tears that skimmed down her left cheek, lingering along her scar.

“So stop me…” Darren bit his lip, looking away from Essence before her anguish could make him crumble. He wasn’t trying to sound condescending, nor was he trying to escalate this any further. He was making a point. “I’m your child. Don’t you believe for one second I’m not just as stubborn or MORE than you.”

Ess flinched, taking a deep breath and standing a bit straighter. “Darren. I love you. You are my son. I ..just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again. Murder changes a person...I couldn’t protect my little brother but I will protect you. You don’t want this for yourself..please, you will let me handle it…”

“YOU CAN’T HANDLE HIM!” Darren snapped, his furiousity startling himself. He couldn’t even look at Essence as he stumbled a bit, awkwardly finding a tree stump to sit on. “You would hesitate..”

Ess was momentarily struck dumb. Speechless. She was at such a loss for words that instead of exploding in anger, she slowly turned, throwing her arms up in an expression of defeat as she walked away. “I’m not ..we are not having this conversation..” Ess whispered, making sure Darren heard her next words, speaking over her shoulder, “I just don’t want you to live the same life I chose…” She paused a moment to look at him once more. “Is that so wrong me to want for my son?”

Luckas stood in confusion watching an argument break out between Darren and Essence and while he knew what the discussion was about, he didn’t... Technically. He knew who Asher was and his role in the things being investigated by the guard; Captain had explained that to him. He’d learned that he was Darren’s father, and he knew what that meant, but the questions that had been brought forth by that fact hadn’t been asked. Ess had told him in one occasion that she would tell him anything if he asked, and that made him hesitate when it came down to voicing his questions. He was somewhat wary that she might tell him things she didn’t really want to talk about. So he stood there silently watching and listening until Ess ended the conversation. Despite the fact Darren had mentioned his name Luckas didn’t think he should say anything, or ask any questions just yet. He kept to himself for the time being, giving Stalker a small pat and moving away from the scene to sit in his spot under the oak. His expression thoughtful as he scratched behind Stalker’s ears, the wolf resting its head upon his legs. “Look at what you dragged me into...” He whispered. “Couldn’t have waited until tomorrow? Hm? Doofus.” He played, poking the wolf on the nose, causing Stalker to lift his head and snort at him. “Yeah, yeah... I know.” Luke chuckled. “Don’t give me that look.” Luckas sighed, leaning back against the tree and looking up at the branches. “Lady’s been redecorating it seems.” He mumbled to himself, raising an eyebrow as he noticed some differences in the tree branches above. “Not bad.”

Crys returned to the party in time to catch the last few words exchanged between Essence and her son, a concerned frown crossing the empath’s expression for a moment, but fading as she approached Ess. “Everything alright?” She asked, reaching for Ess’ arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Jakey doesn’t want to come back to the party... You know... I think he is a bit ashamed of himself and everything, but he wants to talk to you.”

As Ess moved further from the party, her attention was split between remembering which direction Luckas wandered off in and in observing Aiden, Ward, and Sora disappearing into the treeline to relieve a few Guards of their post. Darren wasn’t too far behind them, that same, stubborn expression furrowed within his brows that Ess would wear herself after any argument. It didn’t matter who was right or wrong because she knew he was going to try to do what he wanted anyways. He was her son and the fact of the matter was, she wasn’t willing to physically restrain him for any reason. Ess didn’t want to be that kind of parent but she wasn’t willing to sit by and watch him turn out just like her.

Ess rested her hand over Crys’ when the woman squeezed her arm, a half smile causing one dimple to peek out past her doll like features. “Jakey wants to talk to me?” Her smile opened a bit more. “Is he ok? I’m just glad no one was really hurt.” Ess nodded at what seemed like nothing in particular, except that Tala and Beo both darted off after Darren and the others and it was hard to honestly tell whether it was of their own decision or that of Ess’. “..I’ll be fine...think..we just had our first tiff, Darren and I. He was being honest with me and I with him.” She sighed. “Crys...I can assume you know some about Asher..Darren’s father, right? I’m sure Jake’s mentioned something at least besides the ‘official word’ on the man. He thinks...Darren thinks..that he can find him and take him out all by himself. Well..maybe he’s not as headstrong as his mother..I’m sure he’d find someone to go with him..but I can’t really be that mad at him for not listening. I am not the greatest influence on the kid..” She shook her head in slight amusement, a serious and almost nervous tone in her voice as she continued. “This isn’t like Jasper...or Joffrey...or any other vermin that has been taken care of on my behalf. I don’t want Jake to have more on his plate to worry about and I don’t want it to seem like I keep Luckas around to take care of what I couldn’t. This is all too personal and I know now I shouldn’t have had to be the one to take Ian out. Even if I don’t regret it. But that’s the problem.”

Ess paused to lean against a tree, crossing her arms lightly as if she were trying to get a bearing on her thoughts. “Darren is seventeen years old...and he still has never taken a life. That...in these times..is amazing. I was still a child when I first took a life..and I know I can’t protect him forever and that life happens….sooner or later it will probably happen for him. It just can’t be his own father. Does that make sense? So...I need to know how much it would cost to take a hit out on the man. Darren was right about one thing...I would hesitate. I would hesitate for reasons that are wild and unknown. I can’t face him even if I could find him. Maybe I’m a coward..”

“Jakey is... Hm, well, he will be okay.” Crys answered Ess, a bit of amusement crossing her smile. “And of course he wants to talk to you. You don’t think he’d just walk out like that and leave you to worry, do you? No, no... He’s only allowed to do that with me.” She concluded playfully.
As Ess went on to explain her argument with Darren, Crys listened silently, nodding along to the woman’s words and simply letting her speak until the end without interruptions. “I understand, Ess, and you’re not a coward, you’re just human. No one is unaffected by their past.” Crys sighed, going into a moment of thought. “You don’t actually think you need to pay me for a contract, do you? We’re practically family, so don’t worry about that. As your friend Ess I want to be able to guarantee that I’ll get this guy before it’s too late, but as a professional I have to be honest with you and say that the odds of finding a man like this, when he doesn’t want to be found, before his own son does are not the best. I know you don’t want this to happen to Darren, but, you know... Be prepared.” Crys advised, not wanting to make any promises to Essence in a situation like this. She would do her very best, but she knew well that finding someone who was hiding like this could be complicated and Darren had the advantage.
“When Jake told us about Asher he asked that if we located him we were to inform his whereabouts to Mageria or Matthew directly and not tell him anything, that it might be preferable to take him in alive for information, so he shouldn’t get involved. He said he wanted to stay out of it. For as long I’ve known him, Jake has never wanted to stay out of anything, but my guess is that he doesn’t want to make things harder for you. He knows that you worry.” Crys chuckled. “You know, the two of you are very much alike in one thing... Jake often complains that I’m always taking care of him, and he honestly doesn’t see how much he’s taken care of me. He doesn’t see the things he does and is willing to do for the people in his life as anything important. Right now he’s upset that he spoiled the party, that I had to take care of him again...” She trailed off, shaking her head. “And he’s being such an idiot.”

Ess unfolded her arms, pushing away from the tree, absently smoothing out her dress. “..I guess technically there was already a contract out on him, no? I do know for a fact that the Captain will not let me in on specifics until they are ready to move, which is understandable. I think things are going to get pretty chaotic, soon. Least that’s the impression Mageria gave me the last time we spoke. Just..Soon.” She snorted, her fingers popping and cracking along the knuckles as she stretched and flexed her hands. “I do appreciate the help, Crys and words can not...express…” Ess inhaled slowly, her tone hushed and almost inaudible. “It’s nice..to have a sister again. You...you would have loved Jessica. Some of my quirks...are definitely...they come from her. Little things too...you know, like how I always take honey in my tea or the fact there is almost nothing better in this world than listening to the pitter patter of rain. I use to hate thunderstorms and now you can’t keep me out of the puddles.” She chuckled. “Not to mention on several occasions I tried to out stubborn that girl. I think the only time I won..was when I left Blackpond. She was a proud young woman and that is something I always kind of envied from her. She always wanted the best for Jake and I know for me too and...I think of her almost every time I look at Darren. I want the best for him. I want to protect him even if I know I truly can’t.” Ess’ tone darkened as she continued as if her next words were final and written in stone. “I won’t...lost him again. I can’t. I wouldn’t survive, Crys. Children...are suppose to outlive their parents..right? He’s sick too, you know. Darren’s like me and Jake, we downplay everything so no one worries.” Ess groaned, shaking her head some only smiling when she hiccuped. “Sorry...I’m rambling..I’m drunk and rambling..Guess I should go talk to Mr Jake.”
As Essence moved in the direction of Jake’s camp she turned so that she was walking backwards, facing Crys. “He’s not allowed to do that to you either, you know. Leave without word...or you know...make you think he’s dead. I won’t let him. It’s simply not allowed.”

After another few moments of lingering, Ess paced in Jake’s direction, immediately going for the kettle and checking for water. “Jaaakey..I don’t know about you..but I think I’m done drinking for the night...Tea?” She smiled, distracting herself with searching for the fixings while the kettle hung over the fire. Ess mumbled something to herself about honey but quickly found a small jar of the desired sweetener and settled beside the fire. “Wanna know something silly? I thought you might be mad at me. I’m not even sure why exactly...my brain is kind of fuzzy right now.” She giggled, glancing over at Jacob, trying to keep her concern for her brother hidden behind her smile.

Jacob had his head lowered, his forehead almost touching his knees and he was so distracted that every sound around him was like a distant buzz in his ears. As if everything was just too far away from him to actually matter. Amongst the distant ringing in his ears came the sound of footsteps and soon enough Ess’ voice reached him, causing him to lift his head and look at her, squinting a bit as he readjusted his eye to the firelight. He watched silently as Ess started to make tea and smiled at her when she sat by the fire as well. “You know, I thought you’d be mad at me too. I know you’re always a bit mad when I hit the idiot, even if he deserves it... And he didn’t exactly deserve it this time... So yeah... I’m not apologizing to him though.” Jake sighed softly, scratching the side of his face for a while, mumbling under his breath about porcupines, staring at his feet for a few good moments before turning to Ess and speaking again. “I need to ask you a question and... I need you to be honest with me and I also need you to promise me we won’t ever talk about it again after tonight, okay? Never again.” He took a long pause, watching the fire, but not because he was expecting an answer, but because he was pushing himself forward. “Jess... Do you think she... Do you think it was better that she died? I mean, you know... You know what happened to her what they did... And... You know what she was like, right? You know... She believed the world was beautiful, she believed the world was good, she believed in Gods, and heroes, and magic; not the ‘I can turn invisible’ kind of magic, the ‘miracle’ kind of magic... So did I. And now I can’t anymore. I mean, there are people and moments, and they are special and beautiful, and they make me want to believe again, but I can’t. All of that died with her. And that’s fine, I guess... It took a long time, but I’ve accepted that. I just... I just wonder sometimes if she would have suffered more, if she had to live with what she went through... Maybe it’s better that she died.”

Essence let out a long, frustrated sigh. Her first reaction to Jacob’s question was resentment and anger. Twice she opened her mouth to speak but instead she scowled. For a moment she avoided her brother’s eyes. ‘Maybe it’s better that she died’. His words echoed in her mind but when she finally found his eyes again, the stress and fine lines on her face smoothed out. “I think...we are going to need another bottle for this...Where did you move your stash..” Ess stood, mumbling to herself as she looked around where Jake slept and then snorted as she went behind the tent and reached under a low berry bush to pull out a bottle. Settling back down at Jake’s side she took the first swig before passing it to him. “..Let me start out by saying...No. It’s not better that she died. Would I be better off dead, truthfully? Granted the things I went through are similar but yet they...I’m not saying she didn’t have terrible things happen to her...I just think her views on what she believed would not have changed. Even after both your parents were taken from her, she still believed. She would have had me there...she would have had you...you would still have her and to think of how different life may have been for you and yet the same. Jess would not have blamed the world for a few men’s actions. She would have been the one, even after going through what happened to her, to comfort you still.” Tears swelled up in her eyes as she choked a bit on her words. After a few shaky breaths she casually leaned against Jake and rested her head on his shoulder. “She would have taken it to a better place than I did. Jess would have been the better person still.” Ess tilted her head so she could look at Jake and sighed. “What happened Jacob? Why are you thinking this way? You don’t look so good. Are you feeling ok? Is there something I can do to help?” She muttered in one breath, unable to hold back a smirk as she wiped at a few tears. “..I don’t think it would be better if you were dead...I don’t think it’s better Jess is gone...and I don’t care if I sound like a drunken idiot..but you sir, are not allowed to die on me again. Ok? My poor little heart couldn’t handle it.” An awkward giggle escaped her as she sniffled and whispered. “I can’t handle losing any of you. I love you Jake. I would die for you in a heartbeat but I would also live for you too. And I have.”

Jake listened to Ess in silence, staring at the bottle she handed him, but not drinking from it. He waited until she was done speaking, quietly sniffling here and there as she talked about what she believed would have happened if Jess had survived. It all sounded very much like his sister, and he wanted to believe it all wouldn’t have changed her, but he wasn’t sure he did. He’d seen people break with less. A lot less. Finally he took a long swig from the bottle, passing it back to Ess as he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and leaned against her. “I love you too, sis. I do. And I think you underestimate how strong you are. I mean... Don’t compare yourself to me. I would’ve broken with a lot less. People break with a lot less than what Jess went through... Irvin’s mother killed herself... For a lot less. I don’t want to think of Jess as someone who would give up like that, but she was human. She was always strong for me but she cried when she thought I wasn’t looking. She cried for a long time after dad died...” Jake stopped talking and shook his head. “I’m sorry... I shouldn’t argue with you about this. I know I’m being an idiot. I’m drunk and I’m an idiot... None of that matters really, the past is what it is, I’m just... An idiot who can’t handle a little hallucination without throwing a fit.” He muttered, snorting a laugh. “I heard her voice, when I was in the water and... Crys left to go find you and I was sitting here trying not to think about it, but at the same time I wanted to hear her again. So I was telling myself how pathetic that is, that she’s dead, and that she’s fine... And... I don’t know, my mind just went places it shouldn’t go, I guess.”

Jake fell silent for a little while, heaving a long deep breath and changing the subject slightly. “Remember the day you left, that I was hiding? I had a fight with Jess so I sneaked out and went to sleep in the hideout... Do you remember? Jess and I had a fight the night before, because she told me that she had accepted to marry Nate’s son when he graduated from the military academy, and I was pissed as hell, because I had decided that you know... I was going to grow up and take care of her, and he was taking that away from me. She was going to have someone else to take care of her and she wasn’t going to need me. Stupid, childish thinking, I know, and I made my peace with it eventually. Artie was one month away from graduating when she died. He was killed last year when he deserted. I helped get his family out of Blackpond, his little boy and his pregnant wife. They got to him though and by the time I got back he was gone. I had to tell his wife and kid...” He sighed. “He tried to talk to me about her, but I wouldn’t let him. Maybe I should have. You’re the only person in my life who knew her now. It’s like she’s fading, in a way. I guess that’s normal though, right? It’s been fourteen years after all.”

“Jake...we did break. We were broken and now...I just think there will always be that something missing, but you never faded from memory. You know, when I thought you were dead. To be honest, there were times I was hurting so bad I wanted to give up; I wanted to die. I just knew it would be an insult to their memory..ya know? My father...my mother...Jess.” Ess paused, shifting slightly to tuck in a few curls behind her ear when a warm breeze tickled her skin. “When I found out about Ian...I almost gave up. I did. Me, Miss Stubborn. It hurts...so much to be betrayed like that; to find out someone you loved..never loved you and was responsible..” She cleared her throat and sighed. Her mind reverted, yet again, back to Asher and for a moment she froze. Ess’ frame became tense and rigid, holding her breath as she recalled the things she had read from the man’s journal. She had never asked for it directly, nor did Darren ever offer it to her. Instead, one night, before he left for one of his visits to the White Shadows’ Camp, Ess had stolen it. Of course she had returned it to him before he ever knew it was missing, but there she learned of things that even her son had been keeping from her. It was eating at her but she had refused to talk to anyone about it. What would it change now? Nothing. Slowly she exhaled, finally bringing her thoughts back to the present moment. “Jess may have broke, but she wouldn’t have stayed broken. I don’t just believe it...I know it. She was my support and I would have been hers. Jess was just...not an angry person. It wasn’t her way.”

Ess lifted the bottle of liquor to her lips but didn’t take a sip instead quirking a brow at Jake when he mentioned hallucinating. Instead of telling him he was stressed or overtired, Ess just hugged him tighter. “What did Jess say to you? That’s why you attacked Luckas?” Ess put the bottle down and sat up so that she was facing Jake, resting her arms across his knees and sweetly rested her head upon them. “Do you ever look back on a memory and now because you’re older and wiser, you see or understand something differently than you may have when the memory originated? It’s..been happening to me a lot lately. And I’m not sure if i’m going crazy or if it’s a result..indirectly..like a side effect from training with Luckas. Just like the story I told earlier. Before, I told the kids about the dragon egg, yes but this time I remembered the book my father was writing in and you know..I wonder if that was the journal my...er..Ian stole from my father. I remember pages torn from it too. Hmm..” Ess smiled, “Reason I bring it up..all of it, is because you mentioned the man Jess was going to marry, that he was a deserter? I think...so was my father. But I’m not sure, you know? Little things like strangers coming by the home but never more than once. My father always talking about protecting me and Ian and that he would never leave us, no matter what anyone tried. I...remember how scared he was when he couldn’t find me or any time there was a knock on the door. He said...He said he would always hear me if I called to him and was always able to find me, wherever I wandered.” Ess’ eyes darted in different directions as if she were contemplating several different ideas at once, straightening so that she was no longer leaning against Jake. “..I never got why someone should be punished for just wanting to defend their family, ya know? Like so what if this man deserted. It be different if maybe he was a traitor..I guess..It’s just not so easy to cast judgement on someone who only wanted to be there for their family, especially if there was no one else.” Ess shook her head a bit amused at herself. “My brain..is overworked I think...trying to think of too many things at once. I’m sorry. Probably why I don’t sleep well.” She shrugged as if her words were unimportant, purposely not expanding on them.

“What did Jess say to you?”

Jake sighed, opening his mouth as if he was going to speak, but stopping himself, instead turning around as he heard rustling in the bushes and spotted Kaya as she came around, the wolf calmly settling down at Jake’s feet with Drakey. “Hey, girlie...” Jake greeted, running his fingers through the wolf’s snow-white fur. “Did you have a good nap with the kiddies? Hm?” He whispered to Kaya gently, chuckling as Kaya let out a high pitched yawn in response. Jake kept his attention on the wolf as he listened to Ess talk about her memories and her father, but he caught every word of it. “That’s odd. What would your father desert from, I thought the villages had no army? I mean, Ali told me her village had an Archer’s Guild and they protected the people, but that wasn’t an official thing, they were civilians... What would your father desert from?” Jake scratched his head thinking on it for a bit, but shrugging off the question for the time being. “I think it’s possible that the training is helping you remember things, you were really young at the time and young children tend to process things differently than adults do... Twins help me, I sound like my aunt.” He muttered, snorting a bit of laughter as he moved to take the kettle out of the fire preparing two cups of tea and giving one to Ess. “When Luckas and I first met, Lena and I were having an argument and... the little bastard decided I was a little too rude to her, so he cornered me, got inside my head, found the memory of Jess’ death and made me listen to her last words over and over... Until Lena caught him and made him stop. I had nightmares for months. He never did it again, he never mentioned Jess again, and I’m sure it’s just because of how furious Lena was, but...” Jake groaned a bit under his breath. “For a moment I wanted to believe he was the one messing with my head, and I acted accordingly.” He sighed, taking a sip from his tea. “I’m proud, Jakey... That’s what Jess said.” He mumbled, going silent for a little bit. “Do you sleep better when he’s here? Luckas. Do you know where he goes? Do you know who was the woman he was with at the Castle Ball? I saw her and Annie talking, but when I questioned her she said she didn’t know the woman, that she had asked her about mythology. Which makes sense, except Annie was acting a bit... hostile towards her and Annie is not usually hostile with anyone. Made me wonder... Luckas does visit the plains quite often, I’ve been told, but you know... Healers can’t repeat anything they’re told. So I can’t ask her anything... and sure as hell not asking him... It’s just... She stared at me, like she knew who I was, but I’m sure I don’t know her.”

“Jake...I’m sorry...I can understand why you hate Luckas. I don’t blame you..not one bit.” She mumbled in a hushed whisper, almost as if she felt bad for being Luckas’ friend. Yet, Ess didn’t regret being Luke’s friend. In fact, that was something she felt she had little control over because to her, she was drawn to him and even when he angered her or hurt her like before when they fought, she couldn’t stop caring. Maybe that’s why Luckas felt he had no choice himself. For a few moments she fell deep into that idea because to her one always had a choice and that was the mind. The heart...doesn’t seem to have that freedom apparently. Essence smiled when Jake explained to her what ‘Jess’ had said to him. “ That sounds like her. Why do you have that look? You think it’s your mind mocking you? I wonder if it’s your mind subconsciously trying to heal or move on. Who is to say it wasn’t her voice you really heard? Whatever it is, I know what it’s like. I use to think I saw you, as you were when you were a child, running through the streets of Newhaven. It upset me at first and made me question my sanity, but now...I’d like to think it was my mind letting me know it was ok to miss you. Maybe deep down I couldn’t let go because I knew you were still around. Who knows, really..” Ess sighed, taking a sip of her tea, breathing in the steam through her nostrils in a calming manner, trying to keep her thoughts as together as possible.

“I do sleep better when Luckas is here but sometimes I still have...nightmares if he’s there or not. I always feel safer, I think, when I have someone I trust beside me and when it comes down to it...I know you don’t want to hear it Jake, but I do trust him with my life. Even if he doesn’t. Trust..which brings me to Samantha, the woman you speak of...Sam..I...don’t trust her...or like her..Tala doesn’t either. She reminds me of Asher.” Ess cleared her throat, trying to steer the conversation back away from the topic of the man and more so to Sam. “She was fake from the second I laid eyes on her. So when I had the ...opportunity..to speak to her...I played right back. She seemed to know things...and I don’t think all from Luckas directly. The woman spoke as if she had been searching for him..like she was stalking him. She went around saying she was his long lost sister of sorts..but she’s not. That woman is a pretty, pretty lie. For example..she acted like she didn’t know who I was..my name..but made snide comments about the nickname Luckas calls me or passive aggressive remarks as if she were testing me. Sam mentioned knowing when Luckas and I first met which honestly, no one should have known about. She was in our camp early on, the day Lena..passed. The Captain spoke with her and so did Aiden. From my understanding he really left..an...unpleasant impression.” Ess giggled, amused by that image. “She has some attachment to Luckas and apparently to his brother. I don’t know if I like how the Captain openly admitted she was the cause of Matt’s death but as I’m sure you’re starting to gather, she is someone from Luckas’ past. I know her game..acting sweet and polite with condescending remarks. It was as if she were being protective and possessive of him...but the feeling she gave me..The woman asked what my intentions were..basically with Luckas and what I See in him.” Essence snorted, mumbling something under her breath about how if the woman knew or cared for him like she claimed, she should already know. Shaking her head, Ess leaned back staring up at the night sky as the bits of coals would spark into the night and rain ash back down upon her hair. “I don’t know much but I do know Lena and Luckas had some sort of deal and I know because they argued a bit about it in front of me. Luckas says he still has promises to keep..he’s got his..own past he’s trying to sort out..” Ess sighed, purposely leaving out some details about Luckas because she didn’t feel it was her place to be telling all his business, but the one thing that still bothered her that she hadn’t really discussed with Luke was Sam’s mention of her distaste for Lena. “Jake, did you know what was going on with Luckas and Lena? Sam..acted like she knew...she said..’The one who used his faulty memories as an excuse to run experiments on him...’To which I responded with: ‘Fake memories.....and since you are here before me, does that happen to include the one of your death?’ And then she seemed to forget her own words and didn’t know how I knew of ‘fake memories’ when she was the one who told me in the first place. I think she did something to Luckas but he acts like she’s his friend..which leads us to where he goes when he’s not here. I. Don’t. Like. It. Guess that makes me jealous?”

Ess paused, a sly smile breaking her vacant stare. “Annie didn’t like her you say? I wonder what she said to get under her skin. Speaking of which..you know what got under my skin? The fact that...in the same place, meeting people all within an hour, some complete strangers, saying that I must be ‘special’ in some way...you know..to be worth the attention. I don’t know. I found it..unsettling even if not meant to be as such.”

Jake held back a bit of laughter, snorting softly and sipping his tea. “Jealous, you? Naaah.” He teased playfully. “I don’t know much about what Lena and Luckas actually did. She said she was working with him, that he could be helped, but I never asked what that meant. I just didn’t like that she kept him around. He’s not so much that way now, I guess, and I’ll admit that’s probably because of Lena, but Luckas was a bomb waiting to go off back then... Any little thing would do. He hurt a lot of people on a whim those first few months and Lena was ridiculously tolerant with him; so much it angered people, not just me. He was always calling her names, one way or another, and then acted out when he decided someone was being rude to her, like he was entitled to make that judgement... I just assumed she trained him, I know she taught him to read and she made him study and other things like that, but I don’t know about them having any deals or her running any experiments on him. You ever asked him about it? It’s far more likely he’d tell you.”

Jake sighed, drinking a bit more of his tea in silence as he thought on Ess’ words. He wasn’t going to lie, he didn’t like what he’d heard in one bit. The woman did seem strangely interested in him when he passed her, and that didn’t give him a very good impression. “In all seriousness, though, Essy... You say this woman reminds you of Asher... You think she’s done something to him... And he keeps going back to her... You think she’s done something to him, like what? I passed them too quickly at the Ball, couldn’t really take notice of how he was acting with her. I usually notice these things, but I... Was in the middle of something.” Jake smirked slightly. “Anyway... What I was saying is that if you believe all these things about her, and Luckas seems oblivious or in denial of all of that, then you’re legitimately concerned, you’re not just jealous. Luckas is jealous of Aiden, he’s not concerned, he just doesn’t want him around you... You... are concerned. For the little bit I’ve seen, I don’t think you’re wrong. I don’t particularly care for Luckas, as you know, but that woman seemed dangerous to me. I don’t usually get these things wrong either.”


“It’s far more likely he’d tell you.”

“ Perhaps.” Ess smiled, not elaborating on what more she did know. “...Some things I don’t think he’s ready to tell. Some things I don’t think he even sees yet. And then there are some things he can’t tell me yet. Maybe I’m not ready to hear them….I get it. I do. I just don’t have to like it. I know what it’s like trying to learn how to be apart of the world to a degree. To function. It gets frustrating when you don’t understand and want something so...bad, that when you fail you just get angry. You lash out. In a way, we all go through this..It’s called childhood.” Ess shook her head, chuckling at herself. “I’m getting off track...Hmm..was thinking though..you, telling me how ..unhinged Luckas was back then. Even so and even though he says he would have hurt me that night in the alley if he wasn’t so tired and worn...I don’t believe it for one second. He didn’t erase my memory completely and that was when the link was formed, ok but there are still things I can’t remember and I know...I saw..” Ess’ eyes sparkled like the stars above as she held back a wave of tears. “And then..there were times..” She trailed off, catching herself before she said something that she knew would have upset Jake. There were times she had wished Luckas had killed her. But that was then. She would have missed out on so much.

Blinking a few times she seemed to regain a bit of composure and sipped at her tea. “We are suppose to trust our gut feeling, right Jakey? I would never doubt yours. It’s good to know I’m not making things up in my head. I just don’t have all the answers yet. I don’t know..I can only guess or speculate. I agree, thank you, Sam does seem dangerous but I guess that’s why he is around her. I think she had something to do with his memory issue. I think she had something to do with..somehow...what happened to him before... Something must have, I mean, Jake things changed for you when your family died...things changed when my Da died...Everyone has a story.” Ess’ brows furrowed with a hint of concern as she stared at her tea. “You didn’t see his reaction when I told him Sam was looking for him. I had my back to him, but I could hear it in his voice. Even from a distance. You want it to be a lie but you want it to be true. Agony, anger and fear tainting a comforting feeling. I am worried. There was something in the way she said Luckas was impressionable and was so curious about me. Was ...something…..Asher did to any who talked to me. Little things...remind me...and make me wonder how strongly she has him wrapped around her finger. How strong..their bond is. Asher didn’t like anyone else’s influence around me..just his but he would beat around the bush about it. Information was key. There was a moment Ebony couldn’t lay a hand on me without feeling the repercussions. But that manipulation was on both their parts. Work to break me down and then build me back up within their rules only to tear me apart again. No matter what I know...in my mind...my heart still is unable to follow.”

Ess sighed, resting her chin in her hand, elbow propped against her knee. “Do you think I manipulate Luckas?” She asked suddenly. “I don’t think I do..I just think he cares what I think even when I don’t get why with some things.…” Ess looked up at Jake a hint of regret in her voice yet her gaze was filled with confidence which clouded the feeling Ess was experiencing behind her next words.. “I’ve hurt a lot of people too..not all deserving. It became habit to lie and pretend especially in my chosen line of work.” Ess perked up in a bit of excitement as if she just remembered where something lost was hidden. “And why does someone lie or pretend? Why do people forget?” Ess smiled, not expecting an answer to her questions. She bit into her bottom lip, as if coming to some sort of conclusion, her smile growing from ear to ear. “No...It was Luckas’ idea for me to tattoo my name on him. He says I’m closer than anyone and I honestly like that and I hope it’s true. I hope it means something because I sometimes, deep down, feel like this is all a game and I’m just so tired. I feel like I’m..still being manipulated..and it’s not by anyone here..I ...don’t know how else to explain it..this feeling.” Essence sighed, drinking more of her tea, her eyes scanning over Jake slowly, flickering with light as she looked into her brother’s eyes.

Jake sighed softly listening to Ess talk about Luckas and Sam as he drank his tea, a bit amused at her ramblings, but listening intently to what she was saying. “You don’t manipulate Luckas, you’re a wonderful friend, and he doesn’t deserve you.” He mumbled simply, emptying his cup of tea and setting it down. “You know, Luke drinks at the Inn, when he’s in Blackpond... And, the Innkeeper told me he once mentioned he goes there because it’s the only place in the city where he can be alone. So I take it he knows someone is watching him. He goes there every two or three days when he’s around those parts, sits there for ten to fifteen minutes and drinks. If Crys is there they talk, if not he just sits... and then he leaves.” He informed. “Don’t tell Crys I know this. She probably knows I keep tabs, but if she officially knows then she can tell me to knock it off, so don’t tell her, okay?” He smirked.

“Don’t tell who what, Jacob?” Crys’ voice sounded just behind Jake in a tone of curious amusement.
“Nothing...” Jake replied calmly. “Want some tea?”
“No thanks...” She replied. “... Seriously, what was that about?”
“Brother-Sister confidentiality.” Jake stated firmly.
Crys laughed softly. “Oh? Really? Okay, fair enough, Jakey... I’ll let you have this. Don’t get used to it.” She chuckled, crouching down to pet Kaya. “Am I interrupting, Ess, or can I steal your little brother for the night? We had agreed that he would give the whole sleep thing a try. Besides, people are starting to disperse, or pass out drunk, and there’s a homeless guy sleeping under your tree.”

Essence finished off her tea, laughing softly at Jake as Crys appeared. She smiled at how they interacted and just whispered to herself something about how cute they were as she stood. “Naw, never an interruption, hun. Sleep is a welcomed concept and I should probably try that as well.” Ess snickered, leaning over and hugging Jake tight, pausing to kiss the top of his head. “Brother-Sister confidentiality.” She agreed happily. “Thank you Jakey..for everything. You helped remind my heart to listen to my mind and thanks..for making today special. Despite what you may think, I had fun.” Pulling away she moved towards Crys to give her a hug goodnight as well, her next words purposely teasing towards Jake. “Sister confidentiality.” Ess giggled some more as she wandered off back towards a dying fire which was comically surrounded by three or four passed out mercenaries which she carefully stepped over and around so she could collect her gifts by the tables. It was awkward and not exactly easy, but Ess managed to stack and decorate herself with the mixed array of gifts she had received and carry them with her back to her tent. Luckas was in his usual spot by the Oak, which was where Ess playfully set down her gifts and the crate of explosives, making sure they were far enough away from her own fire. “You awake, Sweetness? There’s no food left...I looked and of course now I realized I’m kind of hungry.” Ess shrugged, kneeling down beside the crate as she unpacked it, quirking a brow when she found a bottle of liquor stuffed beneath one of the larger explosives. “Huh...eh..I think I’ll save this…” She concluded aloud, moving towards the Oak and leaning the bow Ali made for her, against it.

Luckas had been motionless sitting under the oak, head lowered, eyes closed, he could have been sound asleep; except he wasn’t. He could hear the sounds of the party starting to slowly fade to a comfortable silence, people starting to wander off, finally. Without looking at his surroundings Luckas could barely remember there was a party going on just moments ago.

“You awake, Sweetness?”

Both Luckas and Stalker lifted their heads at the same time at the sound of Ess’ voice, the wolf immediately starting to poke his nose around the gifts curiously. “I’m awake.” Luke replied, stretching his arms and legs with a small groan. “Yeah, I haven’t eaten anything myself... I would’ve shared my cake with you, but that’s no longer an option.”
“Hmm...I may still have some jerky and an apple from this morning..if the wolves didn’t find it...I should say..” Ess snickered, pushing herself to her feet, her arms reaching around her back to fiddle with the lace of her gown. As she walked inside her tent she appeared to pause, as if she were struggling with a knot and perhaps changing her mind, she slipped on a pair of black slacks beneath her dress and appeared back outside the tent. With her back towards Luckas, one hand holding a clump of curls so they exposed the knotted lace, Essence groaned. A coy smile was painted across her face when she quietly spoke. “My Dear Luckas, can you give a girl a hand here? Don’t want to get Dee’s dress dirty..” Glancing over her shoulder she stared at Luckas quietly. “Can I ask you, Luckas, have you been in Newhaven lately? I ask because I’m pretty sure I would know if you were around when I was there this past week, but was just wondering if you had heard anything mentioned about me as of late? I think I might have a few unwanted...stalkers..asking about me..which reminds me..damnit..I forgot to ask Jake..eh..” Ess shrugged as if that didn’t really matter at the moment. “Darren...I don’t want to ask him...the kid has enough to consume himself with these days...like apparently tracking down and murdering his father.” She snorted mumbling next words with bit of annoyance in her voice, “Thinks I don’t know where to look...thinks he can outsmart me. Pfft how did I surround myself with stubborn men?”

“I’m not particularly hungry, to be honest.” Luckas shrugged. “Had a big breakfast.” He remained silent while Ess was inside the tent, his mind nearly drifting off again until he heard her ask for help with the dress. He calmly stood up snickering softly as he examined the knot on the lace. “Then are you sure you’d like my filthy hands on it?” He asked playfully, a smirk crossing his features and slowly fading as he realized he was referencing a conversation that took place such a long time ago, now silently working to untie the knot of the dress, which took considerably longer than he expected, but then he couldn’t say he had that much experience getting women out of their clothing. Once he finally managed he quietly sat back at his spot and heaved a long sigh. “I haven’t been in Newhaven since we last been in Newhaven... Where are these people looking for you exactly? I can go have a look tomorrow... Unless you prefer I go murder Darren’s father for him. I don’t mind if he gets mad at me for it... I’d much welcome the opportunity to be face to face with the man himself. I’ve heard quite a bit about him.” Luckas muttered, trying to force the contempt away from his eyes as quickly as possible.

Ess’ gaze softened, playfully winking at Luckas when he commented on placing his filthy hands upon her dress. “They look clean to me...and I wouldn’t ask anyone else..” She whispered, shrugging the dress so the material began to sag past her shoulders as she went back into the tent to slip on an oversized shirt two sizes too big but it was more comfortable that way to her. When she appeared again, she had rolled up her sleeves so her hands were visible, free to rummage through her box of gifts until she found the rope like chain decorated at the ends with a couple of her daggers. She unraveled one chain and as if she were testing out an idea, carefully and gently began wrapping the chain around her neck but leaving it loose enough to pose no threat to herself. “Hmm...three times..good to know..wonder if I’m strong enough to choke someone out with this..” Ess chuckled to herself, slowly unraveling the chain from around her neck and sighing. “..Apparently the barkeep from the Inn, Sheila said whenever I come by she seems to see the same men either entering just before or just after me. She says they are the same guys who have occasionally asked about me..er maybe I should say Talena..so I think I have a pretty good idea who they are. I just wanted to rule out other possibilities so I’m asking around. If it’s who I think...I’m not worried, honestly and it wouldn’t be hard for them, if they had half a brain, to figure out I’m Talena.” She shrugged, her eyes narrowing a bit when Luckas offered to take care of Asher before Darren could. “What..exactly have you heard about Asher, Luckas? With his involvement...with the kids disappearing...and...just...his involvement goes back quite a bit...I was hoping he didn’t have any connection to what happened to you when you were young..and the reason it crossed my mind...well...I think it’s obvious..” Ess’ grip on the chain tightened, meticulously wrapping it around her fist and pulling on the metal as if she were testing it’s strength. “...Did you know...he planned it all? What happened to me...I mean...I read his journal..he actually believes...he was protecting me...he’d been watching me ..he scouted out my town before…” Ess’ tone darkened, her voice raspy and low like a whisper, as if she had needed a drink of water. “His plan was to keep me for himself...but something happened between him and Ebony..that..changed the deal..” Ess shivered slightly even though the night was warmer than it had been during the day, which struck her as odd. A heavy, weighted feeling clouded her senses and even though she was breathing normally, she felt like her breaths were burdened, the air thick and stale around her. “I do...like...a lot...how much you care, Luckas, I just don’t want you to think all my problems are your problems, ok? I know you have things to attend to on your end. You’re...always helping me..which is ...there’s nothing wrong with that...it’s just..I want to be able to help you too.”

“Hmmm.” Luckas mumbled as Ess explained about the Newhaven people, not insisting on the matter and simply trusting that if Ess wasn’t worried, he shouldn’t be, at least not yet. Luke snorted, silently listening to Ess’ questions on Asher, his dark eyes watching her intently as she spoke. Something in her voice sounded familiar to him in a way, but he couldn’t quite remember seeing her like this before. “I didn’t hear that much, Captain asked me some questions a while back, before I even knew about the Kid... She had his journal, showed it to me, but it was in code, at the time I wasn’t particularly interested in him, in him personally, things have changed though, haven’t they?” He sighed, not addressing the things Ess had told him about herself in regards to Asher just yet. He stood up, calmly scratching behind Stalker’s ears as he approached her, at first simply staring at Ess in silence as if suddenly forgetting what he was about to say, but then calmly taking her hand and leading it to his neck, pressing her thumb and index finger against his throat at a particular spot. “If you wrap the chain around this spot and pull it upwards, it doesn’t take too much pressure to cut a person’s air supply. I can do it with one hand.” He explained, releasing her hand. “It’s best done from behind though, as it takes a bit for the victim to fall unconscious and it’s likely they struggle, if you’re standing behind them, they can’t reach you easily. As long as the chain is strong enough to not break though, it should require minimal effort from you.”

Falling silent for a little while longer, Luckas turned his gaze down to his boots, observing a little dent on one of them where Amber had actually tried to stab him in the toes the other day for no reason at all, and he half smiled, looking back at Ess. “Do you remember when I said I don’t want to hurt you, even if I would enjoy it? I don’t want to help you because I believe that I have to. I just don’t like seeing you hurt. I don’t want to hurt you, and it’s not because hurting you would feel any different; it probably wouldn’t, it’s because if I did then you would be hurt. I don’t want that. I don’t like that. If someone hurts you I want them to suffer. That’s what I want.” Luckas shook his head and cut off his train of thought; wherever it was heading. “You help me.” He concluded simply.

“Hm...which is it, Luckas? You heard quite a bit or not that much?” Ess asked with a honest and nonthreatening tone of curiosity. She watched in silence as Luckas demonstrated the proper place to apply pressure along the neck in a debilitating manner. The glow in her eyes darkened, the light fading in and out almost like a firefly caught beneath the waters surface. If it weren’t for the woman’s tears threatening to fall; always threatening to fall, the light could escape never to return. Instead it spilled beneath flesh, cracking below her eyes with the utmost subtlety that could only be seen up close. When Luckas’ hand fell away, Ess cocked her head, eyes directed to her fingertips which she slowly retracted while stepping so close to her friend and circling, so that she was practically breathing down his neck. She let her curls brush his skin, slowly raising the chain between both hands to loosely bind the metal three times around Luckas’ neck, a teasing amount of pressure along the spot he had instructed her. “Here..and up?” Ess whispered into Luckas’ ear while remaining ever so still. For a moment she didn’t see Luckas as she focused on his words of not ‘wanting’ to hurt her and wanting to make anyone who did cause her to suffer, to experience pain themselves. Essence had heard those words before and although they were the same...they were different. Taking a deep breath through her nose she could smell the lavender scent upon her curls. Focusing on the scent, it relaxed her a bit so that she released the chain’s ‘hold’ around Luckas’ neck and tossed the weapon back into the box.

Ess stood with her back to Luckas, her voice faint and weak when she next spoke. “..I met...him..and it was as if he were going to save me. Save me from Ebony...from that life..and for a time, I was. To know now he was the reason I was there, makes sense why it was so hard to trust when it was so..appealing at the same time. To be cared for….to be loved...and just when I thought..maybe…Because...if I believed it enough, it was comforting...but it did matter if it was true or not..” Ess lost her voice, her lips moving a moment more before she stopped trying to speak. A heavy pressure was building along her chest and she felt like she couldn’t breath. She wrapped her arms around her own waist and began coaching herself internally to not break down...not now. Essence managed to fight through a sob and push aside any stray tears, but she still held on to her stomach, afraid she would split and spill upon the dirt. “He would tell me...he loved me...and didn’t want to hurt me..and then he’d beat me. He’d beat me until it all went dark and I’d wake up to HIM crying..saying how sorry he was. That’s when I knew, but my heart didn’t want to listen to my mind. Instead...like all abused children...we blame ourselves. What am I doing wrong? What should I have done better? I had thought he had saved me and when Darren was born and they told me..that he was...I-I knew I was alone.”

Ess finally looked up and turned to face Luckas, a tainted smile pressed upon her lips, spotted with reddish tears that cascaded past her chin. And then, it stopped. “I’m reminded again..of my father...I hear his voice inside my head..”

“...Her song was about me..and it brought me to her..”
“You saying Mommy’s song made you love her?”

Dirk chuckled, reaching down to lift his daughter’s chin to look directly into her eyes. “Your mother, only made me notice her. No one made me love her because that isn’t something that can be forced. It just...happens. We can’t control it but...we can control what we do with it.”

Instead of more tears, there again came that low, venomous, tone of her voice as she let the anger boil inside her. Ess’ mind was overflowing and she felt so overwhelmed that she couldn’t contain it. It didn’t matter if what she said was awkward or may not make a lot of sense, she just had to stop the sickening feeling inside her. “It can’t be forced...but what if it was a lie? What if they trick you? Does it still count? Can I still consider myself as someone who was in love? Or because it was a lie..because in forms of manipulations, it was forced..does that mean my feelings were a lie? And then lets not forget, do I hate myself for being tricked? Or do I hate myself for loving such a monster? Knowingly manipulating. That is my definition of a real monster...and you Luckas, are not one. I can spot them a mile away..male or female.” She paused, eyeing Luckas with a bit of purpose. Her eyes flashed a couple times as she wondered if he’d understand anything she was saying. “It was a twisted time for me and I know that psychological warfare leaves deeper scars than the physical ones. I understand what it’s like to be manipulated and I understand what it’s like to not know the signs...I even understand what it’s like to see the signs and ignore them because that part of you just… ‘Hopes’ it could be true. And after everything..and all that knowledge...I also get it...that it doesn’t make things any easier. It’s still shit. It hurts. It pisses us off. They say time heals all wounds but time doesn’t heal all wounds...it dulls them, maybe. The scars leave a very loud reminder of the pain that still lingers.”


Ess crossed her arms across her chest, the gesture tugging lightly against the neckline of her shirt exposing her oak tree burning at the base of her throat and disappearing beneath the material. “Everyone keeps telling me that I am strong. If I am it is not because I’ve gotten through my trials...but because I carry the burden of them. I carry it for family, for friends, for myself, and perhaps those I have yet to meet. I’ve had to learn to respect the burden and fear it. But above all never deny it. One more thing no one can ever take away from us. I convinced myself I was weak, despite what many told me and yet when I was chastised for being as such, I fought to prove them wrong. Funny how stubbornness works. No one can tell us who we are and no one can tell us how we are suppose to feel. Even though I knew this, I still denied what was right there in front of me when it came to looking in the mirror.”

“Hm...which is it, Luckas? You heard quite a bit or not that much?”

Luckas was silent, still, calm, as he felt the chain wrap around his neck. It didn’t bother him, but at the same time it did. He wasn’t worried, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he should be. The act, playful as it was; if it even was at this point, was something Sam would do. Although he knew Sam would’ve taken his air, just a bit, just for a moment, just to show him that she could and she knew he would let her. He wasn’t worried, but was it out of trust or just compliance? “Enough.” He mumbled. “I heard enough.” He added, answering the question on Asher, although it seemed irrelevant. Other than that he didn’t say anything, he didn’t turn to face Ess, he didn’t look; he closed his eyes and just listened, crossing his arms over his chest and lowering his head as though he was trying to concentrate on a logic problem... Just another hypothetical.

After Ess finished speaking Luckas remained silent for a few moments still before speaking, his tone was soft on the surface, but something underneath it was undeniably heavy. “The Kid is right, isn’t he? You can’t handle him. You’ll hesitate, you’ll choke, you’ll fail. It doesn’t matter what you want, it doesn’t matter what he deserves, it doesn’t matter how much you hate him, or yourself for it... It doesn’t matter that you thought about it, that you lost sleep over it... That it feels like the logical thing to do... Nothing matters. Nothing changes. It is what it is.” Luckas stopped for a moment and heaved a sigh. “That’s alright. I understand. You still don’t want me to go after the man though, if you did I would have heard about him sooner... And yet you’re telling me this...” He shook his head. “It’s okay, if that’s what you need; just tell me these things and I won’t hunt him down. Is that what you want? You want me to stay out of it? Do it on your terms, somehow... I can understand that.” Finally, he turned to face Ess, opening his eyes; a red flicker of light fading into the abyss, almost too fast to notice. “I have a question for you, though, Lady... And think about it before you answer... Think of all the things we’ve done these past few months... Are you sure I was never a monster to you? Not for a moment? Not even once?”

“I’m only...human…” Ess whispered, remembering her talk with Crystal. “..I don’t know if Darren is completely correct. There’s just...so much I would want to know...to understand. If I would to go after Asher alone...yes it is possible I’d hesitate, I’d choke, I’d fail.” Admitting those words aloud only made her feel even worse and the bitterness for admitting it, accented a dark meaning to her words. “..Let me make something very clear here. I never said you can’t go after him, IF you could find him. I am also not saying to go after him either. This is...like when you tried to advise me not to go after Ian, in a way. For me...he was always impossible to get close enough to; to locate. When I heard he was in some prison, the details unclear, I just hoped he’d fall at the hands of another prisoner. Either way...his life or death..to me...makes no difference. It will not change how I feel or make me feel better..even for a moment. With the revelation of who he was...who he is...is why I was comfortable with the Captain looking into it. Do you even understand how embarrassing this whole thing with Asher is...for me? For me to admit and tell you things and hope you don’t look at me in disgust..to lose a very..dear friend. So ok, fine, yes I need to talk about it even though I didn’t want to. I haven’t talked about any of it...to anyone..not that deep.”

Ess finally took a moment to just breathe, her fingers wrapping absently around several curls that hung off her arms like wild vines. “It’s not wise..for anyone to go after that man, alone. I can’t let Darren just murder him. He’s not that person but I get it. I do. He feels he has to take care of me and he thinks that will help end it. It won’t. That man is not allowed to die without exposing every little secret that sick fuck carries. It’s hard..for me..ok? Everything about that man and I was forced. I was a child for Twin’s sake! I guess it may just take longer for my heart to accept what my mind already knows.”

“Are you sure I was never a monster to you? Not for a moment? Not even once?”

Ess’ face contorted with immediate resentment and even a bit of pain for the simple fact of the matter that he asked her such a question. She almost reacted but understood why he did ask and she complied with silence as she stared back into those raven, black, orbs. Ess thought over exactly what he was pointing out in his words; their training. She had asked it of him and the experience was not at all pleasant. Most times, after their sessions, she would go to be alone. She couldn’t look at him because she always felt ashamed and resented herself. Ess was always left to question who she was and instead of trying to make sense out of most things, especially that which she couldn’t control or understand, she was trying to let it go. Trying, was the key word there. Finally she blinked, the dryness in her sockets a clue that she had been fixated the entire time to Luckas eyes, as if she were expecting to ‘Go under’. It was what she was calling it whenever she let Luckas inside her head, for whatever reason.

“No one can promise that they will never hurt you,” Ess began, her gaze softening as she searched Luckas’ eyes. “... because at one time or another they will. The real promise is, if the time you spent together will be worth the pain in the end. Worth. Nothing about that man was worth a damn...worth spit. With that said, I fully expected and understand our need to hurt each other in some ways in order for us to better ourselves in our training. When you talk about enjoying it, that becomes business. You think I don’t enjoy knocking you around? Yet I also recall, myself, not liking to see you hurt either, which is why I am attentive to the damage I can cause. I know things..” Essence sighed, nodding along to her words. “I know much of what you have done and what you are capable of. If you crossed certain lines...like Asher.then yes..it is possible to look at you as if you were a monster. But I don’t see you that way. If you didn’t care...if you were a lie.” She shook her head, a small smirk touching her face. “You are my friend..until I get bored of you or see you like everyone else does, right?” Ess stated with a gentle grace, playing on a conversation they had many months ago. “I never said I agree or like everything you’ve done or do. But then again, many things I do. Being a good or bad person obviously is tainted in life. It’s not as simple as those two categories, but I believe you can be a good man, contrary to the common belief of many. There are a few ways you show it, maybe without knowing it yourself. It’s your instinct to be by my side when I need you; to steady me when I’m shaky; to challenge me when I stutter. You’re a better friend than you think. It’s …” Ess took a step forward, her smile widening as she casually looked over Luckas as if she were examining him. “It’s the way you find comfort and solitude when you are with your Wolf. It’s the way you are gentle and kind to that creature and it’s brethren. Any person who could be outwardly cruel to an animal, is not a good person. You may be far from perfect in the eyes of Valcrest, but so am I.”

Ess smile faded and that feeling of shame crept back up her spine and her eyes fell, casted downward at her feet. “Are you still confused, why I favor you? I get it. I don’t really understand why you favor me, especially after everything you’ve Seen. How could you not be disgusted with me? I’m...ruined..and maybe that’s why…” Ess choked on her own voice, afraid to say aloud what she was thinking and instead finally fell silent.

“Oh, I can find him. I can find anyone if I really put in an effort.” Luckas stated a bit coldly, his tone softening considerably as he continued. “That’s not an issue... I’m not asking if I have your permission. I’m asking what you need from me as a friend, because it’s not clear to me. I don’t understand. How many stupid questions do I still have to ask before you understand that about me, Lady? I ask because I don’t understand.” He snorted an amused laugh and shook his head. “I’d like it if I didn’t have to ask, but trust me, it’s better if I do. It’s better for the both of us, if you just tell me what you want sometimes, even if you think it doesn’t matter, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Because I always want to know, and I’m just terrible at figuring it out. Seriously... It hurts my brain a little.”

Heaving a long sigh, Luckas walked past Ess and sat down again under the oak, staring at the branches above in silence for a moment as if entrance by them, not turning his eyes from the leaves as he spoke again. “What do you mean by ruined?” He questioned. “Yes, I’m still confused. I’m always confused, Lady. You’ve done nothing to warrant my disgust, and I can’t say the same of myself... So, yes... That confuses me. I’ve lived in the plains remember, I saw ruins everyday, I use to walk with Lena and ask her what the buildings used to be... She couldn’t remember some of them anymore, but it didn’t matter... They are beautiful now. You look at them and they tell you stories... They have souls... They’re alive... They’re perfect. You may be flawed, Lady, and you may be broken, but you have a soul, you are alive... You are more human than I would ever hope to be... That’s what I’ve seen. It’s what I see. I know you don’t, and that’s okay, but... By now I thought you knew enough about the things that disgust me to know you stand no chance of making that list.” He frowned slightly, looking from the tree back to Essence with a questioning expression. “Have you been cutting the tree, Lady?”

Essence groaned, letting her legs give way so that she was now sitting crosslegged where she had stood, elbows propped on her knees. Literally she began pulling and tugging at her curls as if she were going to yank her hair out. Her head started pounding causing Luckas’ words to sound louder than they actually were. “Stop...yelling at me..” She whined, releasing her curls and massaging her forehead. “Now..who is asking the same questions when I have given you answers already. I’ve told you what I want, but right now, right THIS second, you are already doing what is needed. Sometimes that is enough. I honestly don’t know how else to answer you. You are listening to me, you care, you want to help, and you want to protect me. What else can I possibly ask from a friend? I’m sorry if I feel that Asher’s death will not make ME feel any better either way. I don’t want my son to go on this quest of his but I don’t want anyone to force him to do anything that isn’t...HIM. Just have to get to the fucker before my Kid does and I’m already working on that. I asked for help and I am getting it. If you want to help too, then fine, but I won’t ask it of you because I ask so much of you as it is already!” Ess sighed, taking a moment to breathe, the pain in her head causing her eyes to squeeze shut as if she was trying to hide from it.. “Ugh...I want there to not be pain after I drink too much liquor. I want my kid to be happy and be a better person than I am. I want Jake to sleep. I want Irvin to find his sister and I’d like to make some sort of damn, bloody difference in this mess that is the world. I want my father back if only so I can ask him questions. I want to find this journal of my mother’s. I want to know things that you still can’t tell me, which you have explained to me already why you can’t. I get it, but I don’t like it. Twins help me..I want the wisdom to know what must be done and the courage to do it. I want to not cry anymore. I want to leave Valcrest..I want more moments of peace..and maybe even a good distraction..” Ess looked up, opening her bloodshot eyes. “Is that a good enough start? We already know we can’t always have what we want, right?”

Ess started giggling at herself, whimpering some when her amusement agitated her headache. She startled some when she felt two cold noses breaking through her curls to sniff and lick at her face in concern. Without looking both her arms reached out; one gripping Tala’s fur and the other Beo’s, just behind their necks and pulled them in close to bury her face against them. Tala turned a couple times before laying her head comfortably on Ess’ lap, Beo remaining in Ess’ face to absorb as much attention as he could before she shooed him away. “It’s shitty to feel helpless, isn’t it Sweetness? Wanting to help but there’s nothing to really be done to help. At least in the moment, as my friend.” She glanced over at the Oak, playfully glaring at the tree when Luckas asked if she had been cutting it. “Well that one branch died and fell off months ago, you know that, but yes. I’m making a tree fort.” Ess snickered. “Did you know that Darren has a treehouse? Unbelievable. I want one, so I’m going to build myself one.” She nodded, a proud smile appearing. “Maybe Ali will help me..but I’m not asking any boys. Pfft. Jake would just break something probably, Darren’s a show off and Twins forbid I ask Aiden.”


Looking back over at Luckas she sighed, moving to change the subject somewhat. Her tone was gentle and sweet but by the way her words rushed out, it was obvious she was nervous to speak them. “Alright ..Luckas, you said..before I ...er…. we went after the ‘Squealer’, that you remembered everything? So does that mean you remember the truth of your past or just the fake memories surrounding Sam’s death?” Casually she looked away as if the sudden question was no big deal, and leaned back against the dirt to stare up at the night sky. “She didn’t seem too happy about the idea of Lena poking around in your head...which I assume is what she meant when Sam mentioned to me..Lena experimented on you? Was Lena trying to help you remember? Was that what it was? Why...would someone put a fake memory in your head that Sam was dead when she clearly isn’t? Was it by those people who had you in the basement? Was she even really there? You know I could have assumed the memory was lacking especially if apparently what you remembered was her dying and then, if you were separated from the body, then anything could have happened at that point. You didn’t tell me the memories were fake, but Sam did...I think without realizing it until I called her out on it.”

Luckas sighed softly, standing and wandering off without word, returning a few moments later with a canteen of water, dropping it by Ess and then sitting down. “Water, Lady.” He mumbled simply. “Stop apologizing for your feelings all the time; I’m pretty much the only person who has absolutely no reason to judge you on them. Stop overreacting to my questions as if they mean something beyond what they are, because every time you do it just makes me think three or four times more next time I need to ask another question. THAT, is what I want.” He mumbled, making sure to keep his voice just loud enough to be heard without effort. “There’s nothing more I can do... For you... That’s all I needed to know. It may be a bit mean of me to say this, Lady, but I’m not interested in helping your Kid. He’s your Kid. And honestly, if he kills the fucker it might mess him up a bit at first, but he’ll recover... He’s not like you and me... He’s not alone... It won’t change him as much as you think it might. It’s not the same.”

Luckas seemed amused by the tree house idea, staring up at the tree branches curiously. “You’d need an elevator of sorts... For the wolves... Right?” He asked, patting Stalker’s side as the wolf settled beside him. “And you need to cut back on the cake mister...” He scolded playfully. Luke’s amusement faded quickly however as Ess started to question him on Sam, on what he remembered, on Lena. He sighed heavily, leaning forwards and resting his elbows over his knees. “I don’t remember everything. That was a stupid thing to say. Because the more I remember the more I find things I can’t remember... I don’t remember my father, the house I was born in, I don’t remember my mother, and I don’t remember my brother before he became... What he was... I don’t remember my real name, Luckas is not my real name... It doesn’t matter though, because I like; it suits me doesn’t it?” He shrugged. “Of course I was very young when I was taken so... It may never come back to me, but after the basement.... Yeah, I remember everything. It happened more or less like what you saw, only Sam didn’t die. She was still punished a bit further for her transgressions, but left very much alive. The man beating her was her father, I don’t remember his face, because I never had the courage to look up at him, he was responsible for me and Matthew being in that basement, he couldn’t handle us though and decided we weren’t worth the risk... We were to be killed but Sam intervened somehow. I didn’t tell you the memory was fake because I don’t like to talk about it. She knows I don’t like to talk about it, and she probably wanted to know if I had talked to you.” Luckas shook his head impatiently. “She said, she didn’t want me to look for her once I was in the orphanage, because he’d be looking for us. That it was safer that way. That’s what she told me, and we haven’t talked about it since. Lena did experiment on me... Originally our deal was that I help her find a cure for Matt’s victims, and she’d help me remember... Then it turned out none of that seemed possible. She said she’d find a way to help, and then she left for three years, promised she’d keep trying. Our new deal was that I stay out of trouble. That failed, as you know... We made a new deal right before she died. She kept her end... I promised I’d keep trying. Sam doesn’t like healers. She has her reasons. I don’t think she and Lena ever met though.”

Essence rolled over onto her side when receiving the canteen of water from Luckas, taking a couple deep swigs. “Butterflies…” Ess said simply, her eyes brightening with a bit of delayed understanding. Nodding a bit more at herself she smiled. “Butterflies don’t know the color of their wings... but human eyes know how beautiful it is. Likewise, you don’t know how good you are, but others can see that you are special…Course your explanation was more poetic...think I like the comparison with the ruins better. But, if you ask me again if I think you’re a monster after tonight I’m only going to answer with ‘Butterflies.’ ” She capped the canteen and propped her head with her hand, giving a slight nod to Luckas’ words on her not overreacting and to stop apologizing so much. She didn’t realize how much she was overthinking things but then again the alcohol probably wasn’t helping matters either. “Ok. Ok, I can do that...I’m sor-..um..ok.” Ess snickered, somewhat amused with herself. “Darren...I’m just trying to figure out the Mother thing..I have no clue except what I think I should be doing...it’s not easy...being a Mom. It makes me more of an emotional nut case.I just want to make sure I don’t screw up my kid. You do have a point, with him...but I’m still going to try to save him from that. It’s what I need to do to cope and for Darren.”

“You’d need an elevator of sorts... For the wolves... Right?”

Ess sat up a bit too quickly, instantly grabbing her head in pain but she still couldn’t help but laugh. “Ow...ha...no that’s good..some kind of pulley system or maybe a removable ramp. I want it to blend and not be super obvious..but I guess in Winter I won’t have much of a choice there. I was thinking...like a fireplace chimney style inside and it would be a hell of alot warmer than the tent. Who knows though if I’ll still be in the woods come Winter though. Maybe I’ll go back to my house eventually..especially since all that money I saved for a better house is mostly gone now.” Ess tapped her chin thoughtfully for a minute, contemplating her depleted funds. “Maybe..could find some place in the wilderness...isolated and hard to find but..pretty..like in the mountains or on like a mini island or even by a waterfall. The city kind of depresses me. I’ve always liked the rustics better anyhow.”

Essence took a few moments to try to sort through her thoughts which were still scattered and cloudy somewhat as she tried to make sense out of what Luckas was telling her about the man responsible for his time in the basement. “I like your name too..I can’t see you as ‘someone else’.” Her smile came and went with the comment, disappearing completely as she pieced some of the things Luckas had told her right then and over the past six months. “You said the man that was responsible for everything was dead...so you are saying that was Sam’s dad? So she was protecting you? From what exactly? I mean...if...the woman who gave birth to you sold you in exchange for the man’s life who killed your father..who was her father? What could he possibly want with you and your brother?” Ess’ eyes went dark and cold as she recalled the memory she witnessed of Luckas as a child. It didn’t matter if part of it was false, he was still held captive in some dark basement and abused in some manner. The way the voice screamed at him and how he was thrown across the room was still so vivid in her mind. “Stay behind the line..” She whispered, shaking her head. “What did they do to you….I mean..why hold you there only to try to kill you? How does someone think of trading their children for anything…? Her Father...her Father…” Ess kept muttering to herself and thinking of Irvin’s sister. “Irvin’s brother used their sister to pay off a debt he owed. I had told Jake to look at that place we went to in Blackpond and about the ledger..since you had said anyone who gambles..their life would be in that book. Their habits and debt...now just wondering if…” Ess trailed off trying to figure out if any of it was connected, the woman genuinely confused as her mind wandered again.

“My focus is off lately and yet I’m remembering stuff...details..and Jake seems to agree with me that it could be an actual good side effect from our..sessions...so it got me thinking, since the first time we did the memory thing, it seemed to trigger something in your mind. Even though it wasn’t all..true...I mean...is it because of our link that it happened? I could try to help you..you know when I’m not suffering from a hangover, and somewhat still inebriated; I could try...I could help..Maybe if we did more of that, something would give? If you want to still remember, that is.”

“Butterflies?” Luckas repeated, raising an eyebrow. “I’m fine if you don’t think I’m a monster Lady, but are you sure you need to express that with the mention of colorful flower-loving insects? If I combine that with being on the girl’s team, I might actually need that princess hat.” He mused, shaking his head. Luckas nodded in agreement at Ess’ explanation about Darren and how she was trying to be a good mom. “You’re a good mom, Lady. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Luckas sighed, thinking over some of the questions Ess was asking him about his past. He had pushed a few of those things aside, trying not to think too much about them, but he couldn’t quite ignore them now that she was bringing them up. “You know, I don’t think my mother actually gave us up in exchange for anything. I think she gave us up because she needed to get rid of us and start over. I do... Remember one thing... Sort of... It’s a nightmare I have sometimes of my father getting killed... I don’t really see anything, my eyes were closed, and I was covering my ears, but... I could still hear it...” Luckas snorted softly. “Do you know what sound you expect to hear from a woman who comes home to find her husband dead? The only plausible sound for a moment like that? She didn’t as much as flinch, even less scream at what she saw... She dragged us from the house in such a hurry like she was seeing the open door of a jail cell... Ironic, to say the least. It’s bits and pieces only; the memory, and maybe my mind is filling in blanks to make things easier. Demonizing her sure makes everything easier, I’ll admit that much.” Luckas paused for a very long moment and he shook his head. “I don’t know... I don’t know if I should have... She’ll be mad if she finds out I told you this. Sam hates her father, I think she killed him, or had him killed, in some way... She told me when I first saw her again that she had someone else kill him, but in other occasions she hinted otherwise. She doesn’t like to talk about him really... She avoids the subject of him if she can help it... It takes... It takes one split second, one thought of him, and it’s like all light fades from her eyes. Even the ghost of him terrifies her. So I try not to bring him up anymore...” Luckas ruffled up his hair a bit as he went into thinking. “He wanted to sell us to Newhaven, as weapons of sorts, train us to follow orders blindly... With what we could do, you know...” He shrugged dismissively. “It didn’t work out, the city people involved thought we were too dangerous and called off the deal. So we were left... Without use... That’s why he wanted to kill us, I suppose...” He mumbled, absent--mindedly petting Stalker, trying to distract himself from his own thoughts by focusing on the wolf. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Lady... It’s not just the fact that I was very young; a part of me doesn’t want to remember... My mind put walls around some of those memories. Maybe it’s best to just wait and see if some of them will come back on their own over time.” He concluded, with a half smile. “I appreciate you wanting to help though Lady. The ledgers, only keep records of the people who owe money, if the guy in question paid off his debt his name wouldn’t be on it. What’s the girl’s name? The one that’s missing?”

Ess fidgeted beneath Tala’s weight, mumbling a complaint on how her leg was falling asleep and quietly pushed the half dreaming wolf from her lap, sitting up to fully face Luckas. “...If Sam was worried about her father finding you..she could have made sure you were somewhere less obvious so not to end up at the orphanage...don’t you think? If I want to find a child with no parents..that’s the first place I’d look. Common sense. Why not come find you after his death? Why stalk you through the years? Why wait til after your brother’s death..wait til a half a year ago to find you?…..I saw the look in her eyes when she mentioned the Captain admitting to her about his death. That father of hers...tried to make children..a weapon...HOW? What is her role then? I’m confused...was it some sort of conditioning, the abuse, before your awakening? Wait...how old were you again, Luckas? It doesn’t make sense. You said you think your mother just wanted to get rid of you? Why give you and your brother to these people unless she..knew something..somehow? Why not just leave? Why not bring you to the orphanage instead? Why make innocent children..suffer? It doesn’t make sense.. if this happened to you...would be safe to say it may have happened to others, no?” Ess covered her face, trying to ignore the pain in her head when a small dizzy spell passed over her. While her face was hidden behind thick curls, she reached for the canteen of water again and drank deeply until she had drained that resource. “I am thinking way too much and I’m still intoxicated… I think..I just want to take care of you..”

Ess closed her eyes, her head sagging some so that her chin was almost touching her tattoo upon her chest. “...If someone were in the ledger then there’s a history even if they don’t owe anything anymore..would be safe to say...like even crossed out..but it was just an idea.” She snorted, turning her head to stare quietly at Luckas for what felt like a long time. Ess starred with a comforting concern so when he finally looked at her, she hoped her smile would become contagious. Even if her mind was far from quiet or peaceful, her eyes gave off a tranquil appearance, hiding her discontent. It was almost as if she were studying Luckas. Carefully she stood, swaying some before moving to lay inside her tent, Beo and Tala following to lay on either side of the tent opening like wolf gargoyles. “You met Irvin I’m sure more than once.” She muttered as she got comfortable on top of her blankets, happy it was warm enough to sleep without them. “His sister’s name is Emily. She can’t be more than..eleven or twelve I think and she’s blonde and blue eyed like Irv..maybe...I think... Why do you ask?”

“Sam didn’t leave me at the orphanage... The City Guard found the basement; they sent us to the orphanage, the memory manipulation was done in the hospital at some point. She didn’t decide to put us there... It wasn’t her fault, okay? She did the best she could.” Luckas muttered. “I didn’t actually want to be found after we left the orphanage and she didn’t want to contact me while I was under Lena’s watch... I told you she doesn’t like healers. It wasn’t her fault.” He repeated defensively. “Jake didn’t look for you once in thirteen years, did he? At least she bothered to keep track of me somehow. She bothered to know I was alive somewhere even if she didn’t...” He shook his head, cutting himself off and turning away from Ess and the wolves for a few moments. “I don’t know... About any of that... I’ll question her asshole father when I meet him in hell... And my bitch of a mother before I send her there. Right now, I just don’t know.”

Luckas sat with his back to where Essence had been for a few moments still after he heard her move into the tent, eventually heaving a sigh and following her in. “Emily...” Luke mumbled, a bit under his breath. “Okay...I’ll see if I can help somehow.” He sighed, settling down at his spot. “Lady, when you say you want to leave Valcrest... You mean like on a trip... To see the ocean... Or do you mean... Leave?” He asked, glancing towards Ess with just the corner of his eye.

Ess kept her voice calm, knowing if she didn’t the conversation could turn into another fight and she was just so tired. It felt like she was causing problems when she didn’t mean to at all. All she was trying to do was understand. There were too many holes and Luckas wasn’t understanding or maybe she wasn’t explaining it right. All she could focus on was how much her head hurt. “Luckas...just to be clear, Sweetness, I never said she left you at the orphanage..my point was if she was trying to protect you then that was a stupid place to let you be if apparently her father would be looking for you from what you told me she told you and yet..he didn’t find you. I think that’s odd. I think there are holes in what was explained to me and I think there are still things I remember you saying you can’t tell me...at least not yet. So ok then. I was asking questions because my head is swimming and for you to lash out as if I’m attacking you and throwing Jake in my face is uncalled for and I don’t deserve that. I’m not trying to corner you. I’ll drop it. This is exactly why I keep things to myself and didn’t ask what has been on my mind for a while now.” She sighed, her last words coming out a bit bitter beneath her sweet demeanor. “I won’t bring her up ever again.”

To be truthful, Ess wanted to do nothing more than punch Luckas in the face; shout at him and make him leave. He angered her but she was trying not to only communicate with her irrational emotions. To be truthful it was terribly difficult for her but it wouldn’t be fair of her to act that way to him. He was still there, wasn’t he? If he was really angry he could have left but instead he followed her inside the tent. When he asked her about whether or not she wanted to just visit the ocean or if she wanted to leave as if possibly not to return, Ess just draped her arm across her face and snorted. “I don’t know, honestly. I’d like to at least visit the ocean before I die. I can’t just leave Valcrest...it seems I don’t have that option really, anymore. There are too many obligations and responsibilities to keep in order. Luckas..” She breathed, peeking out from under her arm to look over at her friend. “..When I die...if you’re around...can you make sure Jake or Darren don’t bury me in the dirt? The idea of being trapped in a box like space, isn’t very appealing...I think you’d agree, right? When I die...I want the biggest and brightest fire to carry me to the afterlife. Would you make sure?”

Luckas sighed softly, feeling a little bit of guilt strike him for his behavior, he did lash out and he had been unfair. Ess was trying to make sense of things. She wanted to take care of him... He knew that... It was just a bit more than he could take after everything else that had happened in the day, it was a bit too much to try and make sense of his mother’s motives at this point, or draw attention to all the little inconsistencies. Honestly he couldn’t really be sure that the story he was telling was the same Sam had told him; he was in a bad state of mind the night he discovered she was still alive and they never discussed it again since. He couldn’t trust himself with this and it was just frustrating.

Luke remained silent, lost in thought, Ess’ words reaching his ears and lingering in the back of his mind, as if waiting to be focused on. After a very long silence he answered her. “Lady, when you die I’ll either be around or I’ll be waiting.” He mumbled. “You better let them know what you want... I have a feeling I’ll be in a really bad mood that day... Last thing anyone needs is me having to deal with Jake in a bad mood.” He replied, trying to sound playful, but failing for the most part, his tone somewhat dry and his eyes fixed upon the ceiling. “It’s not about the questions... It’s not about her... Lady... It’s my past. All of it.” He stated simply. “There’s only so much I can look into at a time before everything starts to... I didn’t mean to...” He snorted. “I don’t want you to not bring things up, okay? I’m not angry at you. I’m just... Angry. I know you want to help. I shouldn’t have reacted that way. It’s just not... That simple.”

Essence turned on her side so that she was facing Luckas, tucking her arm beneath her head to use as a pillow. Again, she just stared at him, a sad smile parting her lips. “.Just seems like you tend to be in a mood or angry when you visit...least at first..wherever it is you travel from. You seemed...less angry when you were here all those weeks..just saying..It’s never a good time to discuss anything..it’s either you don’t want to talk about it..or you’re pissed off..so I don’t get to ask..so it builds...and I can’t control my mouth when i’ve been drinking. I revert to a childlike curiosity and the questions pour out of me. You just make it seem like something is wrong and you don’t talk about her or you get upset or uncomfortable when she comes up and it makes me wonder if you..are safe...and I think i’m actually worried...seriously worried about you. I can’t help it. It’s ok though, we don’t have to talk about any of it anymore..right now... I know it’s not simple. Sometimes I wish it was. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have this terrible gut feeling all the time.”

Ess closed her eyes again, and for a moment she looked peaceful. Her skin was smooth, free of any dark circles or worry lines and her breathing was quiet almost as if she were asleep. Maybe she was but then she spoke, her voice soft and sweet, clearly fading some as sleep clouded over her like a warm blanket. “I remember Lukey I had a terrible tummy ache, the night my father died. I think..it started then..that gut feeling. I’ve had it since I got back into camp and…” Ess yawned, cutting herself off for a second. “...and I thought it was the uneasiness of the party..but..it’s still there…”