Vandose

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

She was safe.

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

Maybe...

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

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

Finally, she made up her mind.

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

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

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

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

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

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

But Jasper had.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evanpool.

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

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

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

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

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

Jasper didn't know how to respond to Wyatt's attitude towards his parents only rule, but it was beyond a rare child who ALWAYS obeyed their parents so there was nothing he could say. "My trade is my family's business. It's all we do and know. I was pretty much free to go where I wanted in the city where I grew up, except when soldiers came. All children went inside when the soldiers marched through the street."

Since he wasn't thinking about the cold, he felt it less as they continued in the darkness. He also managed to nearly catch up with Wyatt until the dark fellow stopped and turned back whispering to move into the woods. "Trouble?" All at once, his fears and suspicions of bandits returned and he tightened his grip on the walking stick. His eyes panned over the ground in front of them, and he turned around to find nothing. Returning to Wyatt he asked also in a whisper, "Is something wrong?"

He may not look tough, but anyone who thought Jasper couldn't hold his own would be surprised if they had a fight on their hands. The innocent-looking walking stick could kill, but Jasper hated death. Knocking someone unconscious was far preferable. They'd have a headache when they woke up but in reality no harm is done. Even broken bones recover, and he could prevent himself from trying to heal someone who attacked him first easily enough.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Both of them gasped.

"Sylvana?"

"Wyatt?"

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

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

"I should say the same of you."

"You betrayed us. You left us."

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

"I want the truth."

"Then we want the same things."

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

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

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

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

"What do we do about them?"

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

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

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

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

"What do we do about them?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Aye, it does."

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

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

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

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

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

"All three of you are witches?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~~~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Keep it down." he replied back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After the first rough night or two, Jasper eventually got used to Wyatt's pace, but he was always dead tired when they stopped. Even though he knew it was wise to set up a watch, he couldn't manage it. It was downright embarrassing that he was probably the weakest in the entire group considering all his fine words when they started. Lucky for him, they didn't run into any bandits or witch hunters. They also carefully avoided the major roads, which could have something to do with it.

Jasper did get a somewhat pleasant surprise through their travels, his dreams of the blond man freezing in the snow were coming less frequently than they used to. At the same time, he had a growing excitement and anxiety as they drew closer to Evanpool. Maybe it meant he was doing whatever this man wanted. He still hadn't told his traveling companions about the dreams or that he was a witch as well. He wanted him to think there were humans at least sympathetic to their cause, even if they were too scared to help. Jasper himself knew at least one, and he loved her for it. His beloved knew he was a witch and loved him despite it. Just reminding himself of her existence pained him.

To distract himself, he turned to taking inventory of the supplies he had left. He was a little surprised at the amounts of some things he hadn't used, but he wasn't going to give them up just yet. While he was doing so, the healer heard Sylvana, Wyatt's glowing friend, ask him a strange question. He looked up in confusion, but saw no reason not to answer the question. "I'm the oldest of four. The only brother I have is 18 and I left him home to look after our sisters. I have no twin. Why do you ask?"

Katherine looked up when Sylvana asked Jasper about his family. Something in her tone made Katherine think there was more to the question than simple curiosity. What Sylvana was actually getting act though, Katherine wasn't sure. She was still new to this world of magic and knew very little of it. Unlike Sylvana and Wyatt it seemed. Whatever reason Sylvanas had for questioning Jasper, it was probably a good one.

Turning away from the conversation, Katherine looked up the road. Evanpool wasn't so far away now. She could feel her stomach tie itself in knots. If she had her way, they would arrive at Evanpool late afternoon and be on their way by early evening. Knowing her luck, she would run into someone she had known in her childhood and there would be questions that she couldn't answer honestly without putting them all in danger. Katherine cleared away some snow with her foot and sat down, waiting for the conversation to continue. Katherine made a small flame in her hand to keep away the worst of the cold. So she had an affinity with fire? She thought back on Wyatt's words. There were other things she could do, but fire was where her true skill lay. And now she knew why.

She looked around the small band that had gathered together. Without speaking, Wyatt seemed to have become the leader of sorts of their little group. She wasn't sure what her role was in the group. Sylvana had proved to be a skilled hunter and Jasper was a healer. Katherine sighed, her breath misting before her, "I'll start a fire." She said. Perhaps that was her role in the group. The fire maker. It was better than being a hanger-on.

Wyatt put a hand on Sylvana's shoulder and squeezed it. His warning not to open her mouth and say what she was really thinking to the man. Did she listen? No. She never listened to him until after the fact when he was cleaning up her messes.

"Because you look like someone we know. His name is Jacob -"

"Sylvana enough." The man seethed out through gritted teeth as the hand squeezed her shoulder tighter. The woman winced but didn't say anything more. She knew Wyatt would use his magic to keep her silent if it came to it.

"Never mind..." She muttered under her breath.

I told you the first time not to open your damned mouth. Why can't you ever listen?

Sorry... I just...

Didn't think. His reply was blunt, but he let the mind connection fall back when she didn't reply.

Sylvana readjusted herself so she wasn't depending on the black magic user for warmth as much. Her way of saying she was upset at him for putting his foot down. She'd get over it - eventually. She glanced over towards Katherine as she made her announcement before angling her head up to look at Wyatt.

"Is a fire safe?"

The man nodded back in reply. "With us being this close to Evanpool it would look odd if we didn't have one going. We'll have to be extremely careful once we leave though. It'll be even colder than this and if anyone sees the fire they will come to kill us without thought. Anyone who goes past Evanpool is automatically deemed as a witch and put to death on spot."

He looked around the group as the other woman began the fire creating warmth for all of them to share. Truthfully it felt great, but it made him long for a hot meal and a nice long bath. Maybe they should visit the hot springs before they left. It would allow them to blend in more with the general population if they did. Just tourists here for the baths.

"If that happens while we're out there, don't anyone hesitate to put them down," he gave a pointed stare in Jasper's direction knowing the man's profession wouldn't allow him to kill with intent. "If you don't, they will kill you."

He'd seen it happen in other parts of the world before. He had no need to see it happen again. He detested fighting, violence, but he'd been bred for it. Bred for the Shadow Sage to be their greatest asset. Instead he was out in the woods with a witch they'd cast out, another witch he knew nothing about, and a man he knew had to be hiding something. Why else would he agree to travel with three witches to the fortress?

Sylvana wasn't the only one who was bothered by the likeness of Jacob and Jasper. He wouldn't have put it past the parents to know something was wrong with one of the babies. Jacob tended to be like that and not even open his mouth. They'd done their family a favor, but he'd had to grow up with the boy and train along side of him. People like Jacob needed to have been killed in the cradle, something his parents probably thought had happened. However, he'd been found in one of Shadow Sage's many hideouts and brought to the main core to train his powers.

Life sucked sometimes. Their group would be fine so long as they didn't run into any other Shadow Sage members.

He looked like someone named Jacob? Perhaps even another witch? Another feeling joined him, fear. Why would he fear meeting this Jacob? Darn it! Now his curiosity was piqued, and apparently there was tension over who this person was. He didn't know what went on between Wyatt and Sylvana, but over the last few days, he noticed they were usually pretty cozy with each other. So Sylvana mumbling something the blond didn't catch and pulling away was unusual. Before any more was said, the subject changed.

The fourth member of their group offered to start a fire, and Jasper smiled gently with a nod in her direction. "Thank you. Perhaps I could even make some tea for everyone." He soon turned to his inventory taking again, but now with a genuine purpose. The healer pulled out a small kettle, only large enough to wrap his two hands around. It couldn't hold a lot, but so far it's been enough for his purposes. Out of the kettle, he removed a scented pouch, and then started scooping snow into the pot.

He paused when he heard Wyatt's warning. The healer met those eyes and sent back, "Death is not always the best way to remove a threat. I know other ways and will use them. I do not understand how one can truly be at peace with themselves, knowing they have blood on their hands." Then he dropped his eyes and resumed busying himself with the kettle.

Wyatt scoffed at Jasper's comment and shook his head. But before he could open his mouth, Sylvana looked over at him a small, sad smile on her face.

"I knew someone like you once... They uh... choose other methods over killing someone. Once when we were running, we were coming back from a supply run and people were following us. So Emil used his powers to knock them out... We didn't make it very far before one of them had woken up. We'd stopped to rest and the man caught up with us," The woman chewed on the bottom of her lip as she stared down at her lap. "The man butchered Emil where he stood," she turned and looked Jasper straight in the eye. "Damned witch, damned witch. Death to you all, that's what he said covered in the Emil's blood. He laughed. Emil choose to spare the humans' lives and in the end it took his own. No, I would rather live with someone else's blood on my hands than to see a friend murdered for something they were born with."

Silent tears fell down the woman cheeks and she wiped them away quickly. Wyatt squeezed her hand as he shifted his attention over to the other male.

"Don't think we are this way because we want to be. We kill to protect ourselves. It's the cold brutal truth. That until witches aren't seen as evil, we will have to kill before they kill us. And remember I was going to take your memories of me before I killed you. Unless you come at me with death in your eyes, I won't kill you. I defend not attack."

While, he knew Jasper wasn't likely to understand where the two witches were coming from, he knew that during this trip the man's conviction was going to be put to the ultimate test. No one had been to the Witches' Fortress since all the witches had been killed within it. There was no telling what they were going to be walking into.

"What about you? Have you had to kill to escape with your life?" The black magic user asked Katherine.

Katherine listened as Sylvana told the group, mostly herself and Jasper, about what had happened to her friend. It was brutal and made her blood run cold. No one deserved that kind of treatment, whatever they had done. She looked away as Wyatt moved to comfort Sylvana, feeling that she and no business to witness what would otherwise be a private moment.

"What about you? Have you had to kill to escape with your life?" She heard Wyatt ask her. Katherine looked up to him, shaking her head. She had never taken a life.

"I've never had cause to take a life and I don't think I ever would be able to. Injure, yes, but never kill. Blood begets blood, that's what I was taught growing up. If we take a life for whatever reason, there's nothing to stoop their friends or family thinking that we are monsters. Killing never solved anything." Katherine paused for a moment, "I know why people feel they must, but I'm not one who can," she said with a small shrug. Katherine turned her attention back to the fire she had volunteered to build.

The small flames began to flicker and grow into decent sized fire, Katherine moving her hand over the flames, keeping them in check until she was sure that the fire wouldn't burn out. She looked to Jasper, who was filling a small kettle with snow. Katherine pulled a handful of sticks she had been using to cook food during her travels and pushed two of them into the ground either side of the fire, waiting until Jasper had finished filling the kettle so she could hang it over the fire. After days travelling in the wilderness, something as simple as tea sounded divine.

Jasper hid his expression as Sylvana spoke, but one may have noticed a pause in his activity, a slight shaking of hands. May it be perceived as either anger or fear he would not clarify. "I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. I'm sorry that you must bear that grief and pain," Jasper said solemnly, though he did not approach the younger woman. He was still generally a stranger to her, and figured it inappropriate.

Her story did increase Jasper's burden for peace and freedom. Truly when he became an adult and began planning this journey, he only thought of himself; his future, and the future of any children he may have. He only waited until his brother was mature enough for independence before he left. It would be against his honor to his father's house to abandon his siblings, chasing after ghosts in his mind. Since he left home, Jasper's purpose evolved beyond his own little world as he realized how far and deep this senseless war extended.

Mindlessly he continued filling the kettle and then handed it over to hang between the sticks Katherine provided. "Thank you again," he said carefully and tried to smile, but he could not manage it. The blond healer was silent for a time, as he tried to recover from the painful scene Sylvana brought to his mind, and give her a chance to recover as well.

"I guess it's all in the matter of how you grew up and what the world has taught you." Wyatt muttered with a shrug of his shoulders. Growing up in the Shadow Sage, not killing wasn't an option. The humans had come and killed every witch they could find for the deeds of a few. Why shouldn't they be treated the same way? It was a lesson beaten into him at a young age. He might not like taking other people's lives, but when it came to his living or theirs, he always picked his own.

The group seemed to fall into a sort of awkward silence as they waited on the tea to finish. Having something hot in their stomachs would do them some good. They also needed to think about what they were going to be doing once they reached the town and of course the path afterwards.

"Once we hit Evanpool, we need to blend in as much as possible. That means visiting the hot springs as its the only real reason people come up here." The black magic user began.

Sylvana nodded. "We'll also need to restock our supplies. As much as we can carry on ourselves. The last half of this is brutal."

"We also won't know if any of the supplies left in the Fortress are still good or not. We could end up facing running out while we're there and having nothing left to return on."

It could mean the death of all of them. Wyatt kept those thoughts to himself. He didn't need to say them for the others to know the truth. But there was something that kept bugging him, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Something was wrong. He wasn't sure if its because he was now traveling with people he barely knew, having met up with Sylvana, or just the danger of the road ahead.

Something was wrong or would be, but unlike when the white magic user had used magic, he couldn't feel any disturbances to alert him. So with a shrug he simply passed it off as nerves.

Even though he traveled through "forbidden" territory, Jacob showed no fear. He even traveled in daylight, once beyond the reach of his home tower. Ironically perhaps, he thought his greatest threat was other witches. Some, but not all, could sense magic and all would ask him questions he was both unwilling and not allowed to answer. The plan he formed before he left already accounted for encounters with soldiers and witch hunters.

Because few people traveled into the Northern Wastes, and the land itself was generally inhospitable, anyone braving the death of cold was considered suspicious. To Jacob himself though, it was his home and his life. He knew all the land's secrets and used all of them to his own advantage, including the dead bodies fallen to unforgiving elements. He took anything he needed at the time he found them and continued on his way until coming to Evanpool.

Jacob approached the northern gate, the smallest one, in the early evening. The guards looked bored until he showed himself, and then they attempted to deny him entrance. He avoided using his magic by pulling out a letter with the king's seal on it. Royal hatred for witches was well-known, so with the king's seal, he could not be a witch in the guards' eyes. Keeping the king's seal visible, no one got in his way and he acquired a very nice room with a balcony overlooking the famous hot springs. "Later." he whispered and retreated inside to review his plan.

Even without using his scrying tools, by now Jacob could feel his quarry. They were very, very, close. Now his patience and cleverness would clearly be tested. He could afford no missteps this close to success. He needed to force back his native tendency to impatience. How many times had he been punished for mistakes made at the last minute? Jacob's face burned at those memories. He would not fail! To calm himself down, he left the room to explore his temporary territory. He covered his head and avoided using magic, but saw no one he recognized by the time he returned to have his supper and retire for the night. They weren't there yet, but he could still feel them under his skin. By morning, his prey would be within reach. One more night...

Katherine looked up towards the path to Evanpool, a growing sense of trepidation gnawing at her gut as she thought of returning to the place of her birth. Had her old friends remained at Evanpool? What questions would they ask of her and would she be able to answer them honestly? Probably not. The thought of lying to her childhood friends didn't sit well with her, but how many of them could be trusted with the truth? Very few if any. But she needed to pass through Evanpool to get to the fortress, where she belonged, with others like her.

Katherine listened to Wyatt and Sylvana hatch a rough plan of their time in Evanpool. She was grateful that Sylvana hadn't mentioned that she was from Evanpool. Whether or not the abscense of information was intentional, Katherine didn't know, nor did she care. She was just grateful that neither Wyatt or Jasper knew they were close to her first home. Katherine turned her attention to the fire, making the flames a little hotter so the water would boil quicker. Heavens only knew how long it would be before she got another decent drink on the way to the fortress.

"I imagine we'll need an early start in the morning," Katherine said, pulling her cloak tighter around herself, "Give us more time to see to our business." She really wasn't looking forward to the morning, but it had to be done. Time to grin and bear it, as her mother would say.

Sylvana had watched everyone from the corner of her eyes as the rest of the night went by. She knew they should have been resting, saving their strength for the weeks to come, but it seemed they were all wide awake. She knew why she was. It was purely excitement. She was so close to the Witches' Fortress she could nearly taste the old tomes within the walls and all the knowledge they held. Though it would likely only be dust she was touching. The others, she didn't know what kept them up, nor did she really care. Evanpool was the last stop before the only thing that stood in their way was the wilderness.

Wyatt glanced to his companion knowing she wasn't going to be sleeping. Resting her body maybe, but never sleeping. He could nearly feel her bouncing up and down with excitement. He just shook his head. Typically Sylvana. It was nice to see she hadn't changed much. He, himself, wouldn't be sleeping either, but it was merely a precaution to keep watch. Not to mention the fact that his magic kept him from needing a whole lot of sleep to begin with. Resting his eyes was enough to keep him going for a few days and even when he did sleep it was only for a few hours at a time.

But all too soon, the sun started to rise on the horizon. The black magic user got to his feet and kicked dirt over the embers of their fire as he grabbed his stuff and make sure everyone was ready to go. They could get a hot meal in the town. Plus a room or two if they could afford it. If not simply a visit to the hot springs and supplies, which is how he preferred they did this, but he wasn't the only one he had to account for now.

How much coins you have on you? He projected into the white magic user's mind. She didn't reply right away, but shrugged her shoulders.

Not much at all. I'd only had a small stash before...

Wyatt nodded his head not needing her to continue. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He had enough to cover the two of them for the bath and probably a bit of supplies. The other two would be on their own. He hated that fact feeling like he had to be the one to take care of the whole group, but it really wasn't his job. Neither was Sylvana, but no one was stopping him from making sure she would make it to the Witches' Fortress alive.

"All right. Let's go." The woman said with a smile on her face as she grabbed her gear and lead them towards Evanpool. Because they were so far north, there were no guards, no questions to answer at least at this time of day. Any earlier and the nightly guards would have been present.

As the small group entered, the woman's face lit up. She loved small towns compared to places like Whitemouth. But it was also her falling into the character that kept others from finding out she was a witch. She'd always been sent on missions into cities for supplies because she was the least likely to get caught out of all of them.

"Hot spring first?" She asked looking to Wyatt, who simply nodded his head, his mouth set in a grim line. He hated being around so many unpredictable variables.