Darren Hearst's Story

“Well... Miss Talon... You were wondering how I knew your name... There you have it.”

Essence had her eyes on Sean, noting how his expression had shifted from innocent awe, quickly melting to something beyond disgust. Violet eyes brightened and flashed dangerously, something she couldn’t control as the light momentarily bled out from her sockets, appearing as if they held fuses burning to two mini, internal bombs. Tiny, blue veins accentuated the eerie light below her eyelids, her skin actually taking the illusion of a similar delicate and fragile decor of stone cracking under pressure as it spread. Her fingers appeared discreetly along her corset to slowly retrieve a small, purple vile she hid in her hand as she crossed her arms lazily. Blinking a few times, the glow emanating from her orbs dissipated, accompanied by a sly smile through grinding teeth. “Fucking bitch...I guess I was too kind to you when last we chatted...” She snarled, somehow her tone still remaining sweet. “I should have taken both of your haggard eyes...”

Ebony chuckled, staring at Ess whose back was still facing her and her mercenary entourage. “Oh, I’d be willing to forget that minor...transgression, little Birdie...if you give up that dagger of mine and come along quietly. It could be like...” Ebony sighed, pausing as if she were reminiscing about the good ol’ days. “...be like old times. Remember how much fun we had?” The old woman added with a mocking sarcasm. “Well....I remember how much fun I had....” She sneered.

Still holding the small vile, Ess turned slowly to face the group behind her, raising her hand to absently scratch the back of her head, the end of the vile nicked to spill its contents all along the fan like blade that was tight among the braids, nestled in her curls. Lazily she let the vile drop behind her, simultaneously as one of her braids fell loose, the barrette swinging in an almost hypnotizing fashion so that the razor edges were now coated with the sap like ooze.

“Riiight....because standing by and making money while children were raped and tortured was just SO MUCH FUN.... Children Ebony... It wasn’t a secret what kind of Mistress you were...”

“I ran a respectable business!” The woman hissed. “That is, until you tried to have me killed...and not to mention what you did to my brother...”

“At least...when I put a hit on someone..I have the balls to do it MYSELF.......Mistress...” Essence snapped, noting how Tala began to circle the group while staying just out of arm's reach; white foam dripping in bubbling clumps to the floor.

“Oh, we can see what a great job you did, aye Pigeon..” Ebony retorted with a wink from her good eye.

“Lucky for you, I was only a child and -” Ess inhaled sharply, her hands resting along her waist as if she were hugging herself, a chill creeping up her spine as a blond, green eyed man about her age stepped forward.

“Aw, now Beautiful, I seem to remember you had mastered quite a few...talents for one so young..” The man stated in a complementary tone, bowing his head slightly.

“Joffrey...” Essence breathed, nails tracing the outline of her throwing daggers tucked along her curves. “Finally...came out of hiding...”

The man smiled, nodding casually at Ess’ comment. “Well, after the rumors I heard about Vincent..and then recently with the..disappearance of Jasper...could you really blame me?”

“Vincent...Vincent....” Ess tapped her chin thoughtfully and shrugged. “Not sure who you mean..” She lied, not hiding a mischievous sneer crossing her lips. “Oh come now, how many times did you cut your tongue from all that boot licking? Although I think you may have enjoyed it. But, sadly, I can’t take all the credit there...” Essence bit her lip, glancing back at Sean as if to verify he was still there.

Joffrey chuckled, “I doubt you’d forget Vince, Pigeon..besides I saw you...but no worries..” He raised his fingers to his lips as if he was meaning to keep a secret. “You mean...you weren’t responsible for Jasper? How interesting...” Joffrey began. “I may have enjoyed it, but not as much as I enjoyed you. So, since we are admitting things...I also seem to remember how much you liked it...”

“Tsk tsk..” Ess nodded as if she were agreeing with Joffrey’s words, but her attention was directed towards Sean in an unspoken agreement of sorts before turning back to the group. Firmly she stated, “Smart men...know how to treat a Lady... Maybe I’d play nice, if you got on your knees for me...

Ebony thought she was being sneaky, foolishly assuming Ess was distracted as she motioned for three of the men to go for Ess. Tala didn’t even let the first mercenary unsheathed his blade more than an inch before her teeth were piercing through flesh, followed by a girlish scream from the back of the group. The sound of blood gurgling and bones breaking, and the man was down in seconds. Essence’s head was already in full swing, long braids snapping outwards in a whip like motion, the sharp edges of her barrette slicing through empty air and then Joffrey’s cheek twice before the man was able to dodge. Another nearby man-for-hire felt the blade slice below his chin, spilling his blood in messy spurts so that it freckled across Ess’ porcelain skin, yet enough left in the man to not end him. It wasn’t meant to, nor needed once the poison began its work in paralyzing both individuals. Ess needed some leverage, even though she was able to move somewhat easily, the excessive folds of her gown constricting her movements enough to make the oncoming advances a little tricky.

“Ebony!” Essence screamed aloud, not caring that her voice echoed to blend with the chaos that was beginning to spread throughout the room. She was done with this woman and she would be damned if she let this fateful opportunity slip through her fingers. Another figure drew his sword, moving with the others to hold a circle surrounding Ebony. Ess released two of her finger sized daggers into the man whose throat she had cut, aiming for his hands to penetrate through his palms so that he dropped whatever weapons he held. One dagger went clean through, while the other only made it half way so that the man moved to use it to attack despite his anger and fury at the pain. It made it easier to block, Ess’ relic blade pushing back against the larger man for only a few seconds. Tala leapt from the side to rip through the man’s arm, hanging on until he stumbled backwards.

“Get your bloody wolf off me!” The mercenary barked from her feet, attempting to scurry backwards but his movement was slowing between the poison and blood loss which was also noted by the rapid, pale discoloration of his skin.

“She’s not mine....more like I am HERS...” Ess retorted in amusement, yet a look of concern crossed her eyes. It wouldn’t be long now for the poison to work it’s magic. A sudden breeze sent a chill up her legs, making her realize that somewhere along the way she had torn her gown, a clean slit just pausing along her naked thigh. Somewhere around that time it began to dawn on her that there were fewer mercenaries standing and more upon the floor than she could take credit for. Both Ebony and Joffrey had managed to slip away in the hustle but not without Tala already hot on their heels.

Catching Sean out of her peripherals she sighed, staring down at her dress, she slid her dagger along the tear to rip it in a horizontal fashion. Essence looked up to see a familiar dark, curly haired boy rolling to his feet, the image blackening as everything went dark followed by sporadic panic that echoed against the walls. With a sigh, Ess blinked, trying to make her eyes adjust. “Oh, this will not do...not at all..Uh, Sean, you still there? Would you be a gentleman and help a lady out? I can’t run in this thing..” Ess eyes flickered in their familiar glow; a violet beacon that quickly toned down but was enough to give her a glimpse of the man’s expression that sent giggles bouncing down her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~~

Darren snorted, holding back a chuckle when Jake poked at his side, playfully whining still about the shirt. His attention was more distracted so that it appeared he had to put effort into the jest as opposed to his normal, comical self. Quirking a brow he quickly glanced from Jake to the second fallen body, lightly tugging on his goatee in thought. “What the hell did you stick em’ with?” He asked curiously, his attention already wandering through his surroundings in pursuit of where the woman had disappeared into the crowd. “You’re from BlackPond, Jake...The name Ebony sound familiar? We don’t have time to get into it now, but let's just say I discovered she’s an old associate of my father’s...and more of a reason to finish much needed research.” Darren sighed, his expression momentarily blank before shifting to one of loss. He moved in one direction and stopped, turned around glancing in the direction of random shouts of guests as they moved to avoid the staircase. People began to push back; either from choice or by force. If they wanted to be apart of the battle or avoid it all together, Darren knew many wouldn’t be given much of choice as things began to escalate.

Turning abruptly away from the staircase, Darren began pressing through the crowd until he managed to pick out the small group of men encircling Ebony. In all honesty they stood out. It wasn’t hard to spot them as many began to push towards the blocked exits, against every corner and wall within the room. He didn’t need to turn around to know Jake was still within earshot as he spoke, “Hey...think I found who came here with that wolf...that...Redhead with no name..” Darren flashed a curious smile before it slipped away. He quickened his pace, zigzagging his way towards Ebony, determined to finish their conversation. Casually he kept his distance, coincidentally circling the group in the opposite direction of Tala so that they passed each other, only looking at each other long enough to acknowledge each other’s presence.

Only mere seconds went by before he witnessed the wolf take someone down with a graceful ease Darren felt only the female sex, no matter the species, carried alone. She was silent and deadly, and she wouldn’t have been noticed by others if not for the piercing scream of the man whose throat she had clamped down upon, silver fur stained in a sticky crimson. Darren saw a tall, fairly large man wearing a black, large brimmed hat with single red feather hanging off the front, approach Tala from behind. Raising a small ax over the wolf, the man was distracted with the blood feud so he didn’t notice Darren as he approached. “Aye Guy, nice...Hat.” The man hadn’t turned his head even half way when Darren’s fist collided with the side of his cheek. “You’re wearing it all wrong man...” He joked, popping the hat off the man’s head and catching it. “What the hell is this?” Darren laughed, plucking the feather from the hat and stomping it on the ground, his fingers crunching along the flexible brim to create a narrow, slanted point. The hat fit snug just above his ears, curling higher on his left along his temples compared to the right and just dipped low enough to cast a shadow over one eye.

“Thanks, Guy. I know it wasn’t suiting yo-” Darren took the first swing like a champ, barely budging even though his jaw was screaming. Stretching his jaw, he heard a pop, a subtle snort of amusement escaping him. Dropping low he swung his leg to bring the large man down, a smile spreading when the man lept out of the way, sending a series of low and high kicks in a fluid blur. Darren countered with several more kicks, dodging a boot to the face and the man paused to look at him curiously and nodded as if satisfied before attacking again. Forearms crossed before one another’s faces, mirroring each move as if they were dancing and couldn’t decide who would lead. A few moments passed and they shoved each other backwards unable to get in a proper hit and stared into one another’s eyes. Tipping his new hat, Darren winked before leaping forward into the air so his boots used the man’s torso and shoulders as steps to flip backwards while his heel connected with the man’s jaw twice. Hunched over in a small daze, Darren took the opportunity to repeat the move but instead of flipping again he locked his legs around the man’s throat and brought him down to the ground as Darren fell himself, putting pressure along several points at once so that the man’s eyes rolled up in his head and he passed out. He gave an extra squeeze before releasing and pushing the man away and somersaulting back to his feet just as the lights went out and he was encased in darkness. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t be seen, Darren adjusted his new hat in a fashion he thought suited him and stood as still as a statue, listening to the sudden shrieks echo around him.

People were running in all directions, as hypnotizing bursts of flame gave Essence mere glimpses of faces and shadows; Tala was lost trailing what Ess caught as Ebony’s salt and pepper hair disappearing in the strobing reality, almost catching fire. Ess couldn’t help but laugh, tearing jagged rips of her gown to just above her knees. Then, instead of following immediately after Ebony and Joffrey, Ess froze. Her jaw fell in utter awe, staring, at what felt like was slowly dawning on her, the Queen falling lifeless to the floor. Holding her blade at her side, she didn’t look away but acknowledged Sean’s departure with a nod. “What....the hell..just happened..?” She breathed, moving to leave because her mind was screaming to pursue Ebony while at the same time her eyes locked upon Mageria and she couldn’t move. Essence wouldn’t just walk away now, yet her gaze strayed past the Captain and found herself being stared at by the boy who had introduced himself as Darren except now he was wearing a hat. Tipping his hat he signaled a silent departure, quicking looking from where he last saw the wolf run off to and back at Essence. It was as if the boy knew what Ess was thinking, “I’m on it..” Darren grunted, before running off after Tala, Ess still wearing a dumbfounded look on her face.

"Valcrest will burn.......And there is nothing we can do to stop it."

Essence kneeled down beside the Captain, lightly resting a hand upon her shoulder a bit hesitantly. “I don’t understand..” She whispered to Mageria. “...There has to be something we can do...I mean you saw what happened, right?” Ess cleared her throat, standing once again, her blade hovering at her hip in a subtle defensive stance. “Captain...we need to find a way out of this room...but not before I lose that haggard bitch...not again..” Still Ess didn’t move, as if waiting for permission to leave the Captain’s side while at the same time she most definitely didn’t trust to leave. Everything was chaotic but things were going to crumble and cascade into insanity in the next few seconds.

Darren had been weaving in and out of the crowd, ducking random bursts of flame which made it fairly difficult to keep track of the silver wolf and the prey it was pursuing. The strobing light paused out of sorts and it was dark for the better part of a minute before a violet, blinding array of light suddenly came into a view in what Darren could only recognize as the sun flying towards him. To avoid the ball of fire, Darren dove towards the floor, unintentionally taking down a figure in white, who had been beside him unexpectedly. Not to say there wasn’t people all around, but most were either engaged in some sort of conflict or making their way towards the walls and blocked exits in vain. The dark haired boy opened his baby blue eyes, straining through muttered apologies as he unshielded the form from himself, rolling to his side. The first thing Daren saw was an attractive, young lady with jet black hair and adoring brown eyes, and for a moment he forgot the chaos around him and simply stared at her as if there was nothing else in room. His eyes flashed an indigo, purple, several images flashed quickly through his mind that he was ignoring mostly in an attempt to clear his thoughts. “I’m sorry-” Darren gasped, feeling something or someone grip him by the collar and hoist him into the air before he could finish his sentence, an angry glare penetrating his own confused stare. Darren held up his hands defensively, as he rushed to catch his breath. “Whoa...least let me catch...my breath before the beautiful lady takes it away again...Guy...wait..you don’t understand..” He tried to explain, one eye still on the woman in white, feeling a bit ashamed to have not even helped her off the floor. “Ah..is this your boyfriend, Miss?”

“You’re from BlackPond, Jake...The name Ebony sound familiar?”

Jake twitched slightly as the name reached his ears; he hadn’t heard it in so long, but yet he couldn’t possibly forget what it stood for. “I thought that bitch was dead...” He muttered under his breath, not exactly replying to Darren’s words and simply following after the boy. Jake’s mind was racing with memories he hadn’t thought about in a very long time; about things he would hear but was too much of a child to understand properly at the time. As far as he knew both Ebony and her brother were history; long dead... He had been very sure of it. Maybe it wasn’t the same Ebony, for a moment he allowed himself to wish it wasn’t, but something in Darren’s eyes when he mentioned the woman led him to think his wish would not be met. He wondered in silence what kind of business Darren’s father would have with the woman exactly, feeling this wasn’t the proper time to ask the boy questions; even less the right place to do so. Whatever discussion there was to be had, would have to take place much later.

“Hey...think I found who came here with that wolf...that...Redhead with no name..”

That sentence caused Jake to halt immediately. It wasn’t too long before his eyes caught the aforementioned redhead and he cowered for a moment before pressing on, his enlightenment having already activated by itself in the moment it took him to think about it, his eyes seeking the woman he had spotted walking away from Darren earlier; it wasn’t long until he spotted her, moving closer so that he could get a good look at her face and the one of the blond man standing beside her. Jake moved as they conversed, and circling the group consisting on the two, Ess, the woman’s mercenaries, and Sean for some reason, pacing after Darren in the opposite direction of the wolf, stopping a half step behind Sean knowing without a doubt that things were about to escalate. So he waited, and not before too long the first move was made to start a fight. Jake didn’t waste much time, quickly making his way through two mercenaries and pushing through the mess to reach Ebony, but immediately halting as the lights suddenly went out. He couldn’t see anything and at first he hesitated to move, but then he felt something soft go past his leg and as the lights flickered back on he saw it was a wolf. “Tala.” He muttered under his breath, thinking it was probably his safest bet to follow the wolf. The poor lighting and constantly moving crowds made it somewhat of a difficult task to keep up with Tala in her pursuit of Ebony, but Jake was managing to do a decent job of it until someone caught his eye; Rick had just rushed his way right past him with a very determined, not to say manic, look in his eyes. In the moment it took Jake to let his eyes wander from the wolf to follow the King’s intended path he lost track of the animal completely. That was suddenly not his greatest concern however and he snorted angrily as he forced himself to change his course and follow Rick; he had a feeling of what the man was searching for.

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Crys was just a slight bit confused. In moments like this she couldn’t help some form of annoyance from rising at how easily some people panicked. It made it hard to tell if whatever was going down was actually as bad as the panicked party guests made it sound. While she had a blade or two hidden on her person, Crys didn’t feel compelled to reach for them, eyes closed to conceal a dim green light emanating from her irises. After a few moments she managed to focus enough to catch words from some of the frightened guests trying to reach the exits; the lights had been cut off and fights had broken out, but that wasn’t as bad as it could get.

A familiar call of her name pulled Crys out of her little stupor and she couldn’t help but laugh at Evin’s statement that he was having a good time. “Evin Bana enjoying a party... I’m pretty sure there’s a prophecy somewhere listing that as a sign the world is ending.” She played, heaving a slightly weary sigh. “I’m personally rather disappointed so far, I mean... No one died, nothing exploded, things are actually kind of bor-...” Crys stopped talking abruptly her smile slowly shutting down as she felt a man’s approach. She didn’t know this person and she wasn’t sure what was it about him exactly that just made her feel very uneasy, not quite yet. As the man reached them Crys caught herself instinctively grabbing Evin’s arm as if to make sure he was still standing there, releasing him only a second later as if nothing had occurred. “..boring.” She finished her sentence, smirking as the man demanded that Evin leave them alone. “Perhaps I spoke too soon... Hey!” She rose her voice to draw the stranger’s attention from Evin to her. “Who... Do you think you are?”

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Luckas wasn’t sure what Sammy’s idea was exactly, but it seemed as though she had one because she had dragged him along a very specific path, and stopped in a very specific spot... to wait. Most party guests were running towards the exits, but they were not; they stopped underneath one of the balconies. “Sammy, wh-...” Luckas started, but stopped at one gesture of her hand, falling into silence. The woman seemed to be focusing on the crowd so Luckas waited until she turned to face him. “Sorry, was trying to spot Amber in the middle of this mess. Wonder where that kid ran off to...” She muttered. “What were you going to say, love?”
“Wyatt, remember? Luke pointed out with a snicker. “Stupid name... I was going to ask what are we waiting for?”
“We’re waiting for Adam.” Sam replied simply, turning to face the crowd again, trying to spot the red haired boy amongst the startled partygoers. “Where... is that kid?”
“Who?” A voice called out to them in the dark and Luke recognized it as being that of Amber’s chosen persona.
“There you are!” Sam exclaimed, finding the boy and grabbing him by the shoulder. “There is this annoying little assassin man trying to track down Lukey, I assume with the intention of murdering him, would you mind taking care of that for me?”
“Your wish, is my command... Mistress.” The boy replied, momentarily following Sam’s gaze to a man amongst the crowd then smirking and abruptly ruffling up Luke’s hair playfully while walking past him. “Goddess forbid our little Lukey gets stabbed again.” Amber added with a giggle.
Luckas frowned watching the redhead boy wander off. “Are you sure Sammy? Simon is a pretty decent telepath.”
“Then wish him luck. Personally, if I had the gift... That girl’s mind is the last place I’d want to venture.”
“Good point.” Luckas muttered under his breath. “Very good point.”
“If I didn’t know you so well, I’d think you’re concerned for her safety.” Sam pointed out with an amused chuckle.
“Funny, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were too.” He retorted.
“You don’t think I care for her safety?” Sam questioned, her tone changing slightly from its previous calm.
“I think the concept of caring, the way normal people would experience it, is lost on us both. As well as the concept of safety.”
“Hm, fair enough.” Sam mumbled, falling silent and going back to watching the crowd.

Amber walked away from Luke and Sam humming as she made her way through the crowd of people, some involved in fights others frozen in confusion, but most of them panicking like idiots. It wasn’t long until she spotted the man Sam had pointed out to her amongst those idiots. Smiling softly she let her appearance change from the redhead boy to that of a brown haired girl of about the same age, practically hopping her way to to the man and clearly standing in his way. “Hello there Mister.” She greeted. “A little birdie tells me you’ve been looking to kill a friend of mine, and I’m not sure I agree with that. See... I’m not much into letting strangers hurt the people around me; that’s my job. So would you be so kind as to go back the way you came? I’d hate it if I had to stop you...” She snickered. “Well, no, that’s a lie... I’d actually enjoy that quite a bit, but you probably wouldn’t.”

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Annie had lost track of Alistair in the commotion that took place once the light went out and then started to flicker on and off again. Every time the flames lit up the room people had moved in different directions, nothing was where it had been a moment ago. In her confusion Annie failed to notice a ball of flame flying in her general direction, and even less a dark haired boy who suddenly tackled her to the ground. Next thing she knew Alistair was pulling the guy off of her as he mumbled apologies. The healer chuckled pushing herself to stand. “Alistair, there you are!” She smiled, patting Alistair’s arm so that he released the boy. “There’s no need for that now.” She told him calmly, turning to face her ‘attacker’. “Boyfriend? Twins, no. Al is... Like a brother of sorts to me. Thanks for helping me find him, by the way; he wanders off and I worry about him getting into trouble.” She told him in an amused tone, patting Alistair’s arm playfully.

Alistair was still glaring some at the boy, but he relaxed some at Annie’s teasing knowing that the girl wouldn’t be acting this casual if she thought this guy’s intentions weren’t honest. “Riiight....” He mumbled. “Because I’m the one prone to causing trouble.”
Annie snickered. “I don’t know what you’re implying Alistair, but would you be so kind as to go find Allison for me? I have a feeling all these flames flying about are not doing her any good.”
Alistair snorted a trace of a laugh, but didn’t say anything and simply gave the young man one final glare before moving along through the partygoers. Annie watched over her friend as he walked away for a little while before turning to her new acquaintance. “I apologize for my friend he’s a tad bit overprotective. Not as much as my cousin, but gladly for you, I don’t see him around.” Smiling gently at the boy she offered her hand and introduced herself with a tiny bow of her head. “Annie Turner... And who might you be?”

“Annie Turner... And who might you be?”

The noise around Darren dissipated briefly, his mind focusing on the woman’s voice, baby blues flashing curiously as he noted the way her shoulders bounced when she giggled. A small smile took over his trance, bowing low in return while removing his hat and holding it tight against his chest. His eyes never left her as he spoke, his free hand gently taking her’s and turning it so that his lips lightly grazed the top of her knuckles. “..Darren. Darren, Hearst..Miss Annie.” He whispered, his deep blues reflecting a purple hue that faded just as quickly as it appeared when he squinted, pushing back against a dull pain between his eyes. Instead of releasing her hand immediately when he felt his enlightenment take hold and mere flashes clouded his vision, he gave a slight squeeze, his fingertips lightly massaging the palm of her hand. “Turner?” Darren chuckled, politely releasing the woman’s hand. “Why do I have the feeling I’ve already met one of your relatives..” He stated matter of factly, more so than as a question.

Darren’s amusement faded, taking on a somewhat sympathetic expression as Annie dark locs faded into view. Tilting his head forward he raised his hat, letting his longer strands hide away beneath the leather interior, slowly standing up straight once again. “...I’m so sorry...” He began, adjusting his hat. “..She was a very lovely woman...You look like her..” Darren cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, quirking a brow as something crossed his mind suddenly. “..So...you’re into puzzles?” He muttered, hinting more at the images that had just flooded his mind. It wasn’t enough to make a lot of sense out of but he saw images of an older, similar version of the young lady who was now in focus before him. He had heard her name whispered within the camp and upon hearing the girl’s name he made the simple connection. Then, there was the flutter of pages covered in odd groupings of numbers that seemed to go on forever. It reminded Darren somewhat of his father’s journal but at the same time it couldn’t have been more different. Needless to say, it was intriguing and it moved him to ask something else but he didn’t even get to open his mouth when he heard a sharp echo of a wounded animal, causing chills to shake down his spine. Darren stepped back, sighing some as his distraction left him and was brought back to his original purpose. “Apologies, I had a prior...engagement...” He winked, tipping his hat and without another word he trotted off in pursuit of the grey-haired hag and the wolf that followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Go," she whispered. "If it's that important, just.... go while you can."

Essence froze, staring at Mageria in silence, lips parting to speak but words never finding life through her dizzy array of thoughts. Nodding absently to Sham as if she heard her words, Ess yet remained kneeled as she watched the woman pick up what was now only a shell of the Queen. It wasn’t the personal pain of loss that gripped hold of her insides, but of the ideals and reminders of what the Captain must now be feeling; it was in her eyes. An icy breath of death which mocked those left untouched, yet again and helpless to prevent what happened in mere seconds before their eyes. In that moment, Essence felt torn. It was something she normally would not be so conflicted with; the pursuit and killing of Ebony. That, was something she long desired ever since it was realized that woman still drew breath and she had never let anything hold her back to any similar desires before, but now things were changing.

‘There’s nothing to be done now..’ Essence told herself, trying to ease the guilt she felt as the Captain moved away in a grievance, hypnotizing state. She knew there wasn’t much to be said, at least not now. Yet, she felt like there had to be SOMETHING she could do, and perhaps continuing her pursuit of Ebony was all she was able to do at the moment. It wasn’t just about her own personal vengeance and her self righteous feeling of justice. Ebony had wronged many, many people all in the name of money and her illusion of power. Essence had spent a good portion of her young life, fueling that illusion, like a dog begging for scraps but too afraid to reach out for them. That had been part of her control over Ess which she had believed to have been shattered long ago, yet remanence of past pains still thrived through her veins. That anger, as if only just discovered in that exact second, began to trickle down in discreet, reddish streaks across her face as she pushed herself to her feet and slipped fluid and wispful like, as a wraith, her features shifting in a confusing blur of those she passed so that her ghost-like form was faceless for a moment. Essence knew she had no control over the life that was lost right before her eyes, but she knew she would have control over the life that still mocked her from across the room.

Taking advantage of the shrill screams of confusion and fear amidst the teasing of light, Ess slipped through the occasional darkness, straining to hear the distant growls and barks of her furry friend who had not hesitated to corner Ebony and Joffrey, pinning them against what use to be a window, now a melted barricade that slightly resembled a tombstone. ‘How fitting.’ Joffrey was growing weak, his movements stiffening as the paralysis began to take hold but not quick enough it seemed. Ess came upon the two, Tala in mid lunge for the man’s throat; Ebony too scared to move. Essence wasn’t even able to shout out for the wolf to be still when a blade sliced through the air and cut the animal along where her shoulder connected with the scruff of her neck, silver fur spotted with crimson. The wounded yelp of the creature was drowned out by an angry scream which Ess didn’t realize was coming from herself, until Joffrey looked upon her in surprise, that pause long enough for Tala to rip off his bladed hand.

Holding out her own blade, not taking her eyes off of Ebony, Ess’ free hand inspected the wound upon her wolf as Tala turned to drop the emaciated limb at her feet as if it were a gift. The gesture caused her to smile, barely noticing how Joffrey screamed like an infant longing for milk. He wasn’t going anywhere now, Tala able enough to stand guard as Ess reached down for the hand and playfully smacked the man hard across the face with it before whirling it in Ebony’s direction, the woman barely dodging the hand. Ess’ features were still once again, a manic glow flickering in her eyes accompanied by a series of giggles.She hit the woman with the hilt of her dagger again and again, causing her to fall upon her knees so that she was now at blade level, staring up at Ess in a wild panic.

“You can’t kill me, Pigeon! If you do, you’ll never know about your son...or your brother...I know where he is, you know..You NEED me...” Ebony stumbled over her own words with a hint of desperation mixed with that illusion of power that still hung about her. It would have been somewhat amusing if not for the Bitch’s words that simply caused Ess to press the blade harder against her throat. It baffled her to see how delusional the woman was up to her very end. As if considering what the woman had to say, Ess loosened her grip and took a step backwards.

“Your words, are poison....I ‘NEED’ you...like I need a hole in the head...” Ess snarled, her leg snapping outward to kick the woman onto her back, falling forward to pin her upon the ground.

“You’ll never be anything more than a toy..a plaything! It’s all you know! But if you list-” Ebony’s words were suddenly cut short by a chorus of angry screams as Essence was overtaken by a blood frenzy, her dagger stabbing the woman in the chest, neck, and empty eye socket over and over until it painted her white skin in the woman’s blood.

“I BELONG TO NO ONE!” She bellowed, screaming insults and curses, refusing to acknowledge anything further that wretched woman had to say. “I AM NO ONE’S TOY!” Essence didn’t even hear the voice behind her that had actually yelled out an objection to the act, disappointment at not hearing what the pile of flesh beneath her knees, had to say. “Lies...lies...all you ever said were lies...I can find out the truth WITHOUT YOU! Stupid bitch...there...is no...coming back....from this...” She continued to rant, thrusting the dagger into flesh each time she spoke. Her anger wasn’t relenting. There was no comforting release as she witnessed the body go limp, her blood spilling across the floor, quickly thickening against the chill. Her pain and scars would never leave her but there was a certain amount of satisfaction knowing there was one less child abusing, witch in Valcrest. Still, it wasn’t enough to calm her rage and even in the woman’s death, Ess wouldn’t stop. She couldn’t. It was as if she were temporarily possessed by one of her inner demons from her drawings; never sating the hunger that was fueling her need for blood.

Darren could have cared less for the blond who had passed out upon the floor from a gruesome injury, leaving him with a ragged stump where his hand should have been. His attention upon the wolf who was now sitting on her haunches, appearing as if she were trying not to lie down in the small puddle of blood slowly forming at her side. He immediately noticed the wound and after a few seconds decided it wasn’t life threatening but it didn’t look like it felt too good at all. Tala rumbled with a defensive growl, eyeing Darren, suspiciously sniffing in his direction. Very carefully in slow, calculated movements, he kneeled down a few feet away from Tala, causing the wolf to snarl and spit. Darren froze, “...It’s okay, girl...” He whispered, hesitating before he inched and stretched his fingers outwards. Again, she showed her teeth but no noise accompanied the gesture this time. Both the wolf and Darren’s attention were drawn away from one another when Essence screamed and began brutally stabbing at Ebony a few feet away. If Darren had given himself time to think on it, he wouldn’t of objected as much as he did as he found himself yelling for the woman to stop. A look of defeat slowly turned into a mix of shock and awe when he saw how the woman pressed on, noting she must have pierced Ebony more than a couple dozen times now and soon he lost track. For the first time ever, he hesitated to speak to a woman, somewhat afraid of the crazed look in her eye as she kept pace, not growing tired in the slightest as the blood splattered and dripped along her face.

Evin looked down at the blade that the King was holding in his hand. His reflection fell back at him with the grimace of truth that only the visual echo from a blade could tell. The mourning the dead were usually viewed as a time to reflect on one’s self. The blade was the perfect foreshadow to this as it held a physical mirror to the person it killed much like the people who mourned would use the killed as their own mirror. In a way, it made the dead a perfect mirror. The dead can’t alter the image that they left behind.
For some reason, this made Evin a little less ambitious to move in on Rick before he made his move on Crys. Rick wasn’t going to just jump Crystal right away, however; not with Evin in the way. This much he knew. If Evin didn’t want to make the move, all he could do was sit and attempt to anticipate what the stressor would be. He ignored the man as best he could and looked back at Crys.
Despite the fact that Crys was trying to speak with Rick, Evin tried to catch her attention again. “I guess you haven’t been too busy yet. I’ve always been happiest when I’m at work. I’ve been working since I got here.” He quickly glanced at Rick, who had veins begin to show in his neck and forehead. “I think it’s about time I take a few moments and actually try to enjoy a party.”
Evin grabbed Crystal by the hand gently and walked towards the dancing floor where the fighting was taking place. He didn’t expect her to come, he didn’t even force her. He was hoping that she would come just for the thrill. “Don’t think that you can dance with Sean without dancing with me too.” He smirked as he turned around to face her, ignoring the battle that went around her. Placing his second hand on her shoulder, he started to sway.

-----

With the battle now on the floor, things were going a little better than before. Alexander couldn’t help but admit that he enjoyed fighting in this exact type of situation. Outnumbered by many with no way other than skill to gain an advantage over the opponent. It was the most terrifying feeling in the world, but he never thought of fighting to lose. It was a strange feeling. He couldn’t explain it to anyone who wasn’t truly versed in the art of sword combat. It was almost as if he was invincible when faced in the situation, like the Twins themselves had divinely intervened and had taken his side.
“Ah hell, I need a drink!” He yelled as he looked around him.
Nothing too much was centered on him in terms of the fighting. It was all focused on the hired swords for some reason. They must have known who he was. They must have known he was in charge of it all, but all he would get was the occasional attack by sword or maybe a gentle push of wind. It didn’t make sense…

-----

She watched it all unfold; People panicking, fighting between guests and then the real blood battle that was going on right below her. She looked on all of this from the balcony where she could get a good bird’s eye view without needing to use her enlightenment. It made matters simpler if Rita was forced into battle at a moment’s notice. Unlike the regular battlefield, there was no safe place to run off to keep safe while her body was exposed. It was unsettling to her that she shouldn’t rely on her enlightenment.
“You know that you’ve got to do it. It’s your duty.” An ever familiar woman’s voice said.
“And if I don’t?” She turned around to look Lamya in the eyes with her own, stern gaze.
“You are free to do so. You are also given the freedom to keep on living. The real question seems to be why you would choose to do one and not the other.”
Rita wasn’t going to have any of this. She actually was thinking of joining the rebel forces and maybe off Lamya herself. Before she made a rash decision, she started to walk away. “The choices seem to me to be two and the same, wouldn’t you agree?”
Lamya smirked and started to follow. “No. To some, there is a difference. If Hastings could tell you something right now, he’d probably tell you that one of them would involve not being a bitch.”
“He’d probably also tell me to kill this bitch while I have the chance.” Looking over her shoulder and pointing her thumb at Lamya.
“Good point.” Lamya laughed in an almost human-like way for once as she continued to follow Rita down the stairs.
Rita moved in towards the battle, getting about ten paces away before she stopped with one foot slightly in front of the other. In a single flash of fire, Rita pivoted on the balls of her feet and drew her sword, pressing it beneath Lamya’s breast where her wicked heart rested. “It’s the one with the eye patch, right?”
Lamya smiled her blackened smile. “Exactly.”
Rita turned around and faced her sword directly at the man with the eye patch. For being the person that they wanted to have dead, it was a surprise to her that he wasn’t already in the grave and wrapped up in a poorly built coffin. This made her think about Lamya’s smile. Why did she smile this time? Was it because Rita had given in once again to Lamya’s demands or was there something more sinister about it. Was this all a scam to off the only person capable of properly commanding Blackpond’s shattered army, much like what they had done to Hastings? She quickly used her enlightenment, only for a quarter of a second. Just long enough for Rita to see what Lamya was doing behind her and jump back into her body before it fell limp on the battlefield. Lamya wasn’t doing anything behind her, so she decided that she’d best just get this all over with.
“Man with the eye patch! Surrender to the crown of Blackpond or otherwise face me and meet Death.” The words sounded almost cheesy coming out of her mouth. It made her slightly sick.
The man with the eye patch lifted his weapon up and stood in a stance to match Rita’s. He then grabbed something from his pocket—a book—and threw it on the ground beside him.
Rita was just about to go into a full charge on the man. She took the first step, but was quickly halted. An older man accompanied by a younger woman walked directly in between the two soon-to-be combatants and began a dance. It was too dark to really make out who either of them were and she wasn’t too concerned with it. It was just a minor hesitation from her actual goal. Again, Rita ran towards the eye patched man, sword raised.

-----

As the two danced, Evin felt a quick breeze flow past him. Soon he realized from the sound of clashing swords just paces away that it was likely someone running past him. The fighting was very close to the two of them.

Crys couldn't help but laugh as Evin led her to the dance floor, partly because the situation was somewhat amusing on its own considering most of the party guests were running around or pushing for the exits in a panic and there was not even any music playing anymore, but partly because she knew very well that Jake was somewhere in that mess keeping an eye on her. While not too long ago that would have been a comforting thought, right now she took far more comfort in the thought of making him squirm, even if for a childish reason such as this.

As she and Evin danced, Crys could hear steps and clashing metal not too far from them, and she vaguely asked herself if she could make it through the night without drawing her blades. Heaving a small sigh she poked Evin's shoulder playfully. "So... Weren't you supposed to dance with your date? Or your, whatever you call the woman you've been sort of stalking most of the night?" She asked in an innocently curious tone; her attention never distracting from what was going on around them.

Evin placed both his hands against the small of Crys’ back and pulled her closer to him. He rested his head just above her right shoulder. This allowed him to look behind her and keep an eye on anything that seemed suspicious, especially Rick, who didn’t look too happy.
“The woman I’ve been stalking is…” Evin stopped mid-sentence when he noticed something happening around Sean. All he saw was Ella move towards Sean and Ella drop down to the floor, blood pooling out of her stomach moments later. “Twins have mercy.” He said under his breath, forgetting Crystal could hear it all. “Ella’s dead. Sean did it and he’s trying to disappear now. Mageria’s taking care of the body. Let’s worry about this all later.” He tried to let it escape his mind. Although Ella was close to him, he wasn’t going to mourn over it until he actually had time to. He took a moment and continued talking. “Jen is the woman I’m stalking. You know the story already…” He paused again, just for a moment…

-----

Lamya laughed it all off and watched as the fight began. Surprisingly to her, there was a couple dancing between Rita and Alex. It surprised her because she didn’t think anyone would have the balls to get in the way of all the fighting. It also surprised her that she hadn’t thought of the idea first. She looked around to find someone she could dance with. Quickly, screams caught her attention. A young woman, passionately killing an older woman. By the end of the brutal murder, the younger woman was covered in blood and very irate in appearance.
Lamya only let the woman have a moment to reflect on what she just did before she grabbed the bloody girl and pulled herself right beside the other couple. He grabbed the girl in a proper dancing position and looked over at the other couple.

-----

“… You know Jen had a baby, seventeen years past. His name is Kurt. Last time I’d seen Jen was ten years ago... I really love that woman.” Evin realized what he was saying when the woman who had welcomed everyone to the ball came with her own partner to dance with—a bloody woman—and said, “Good night for a dance.”

Essence didn't have barely enough time to breathe, more or less think straight when she felt herself lifted off of her feet by another redheaded woman. Staring back over her shoulder at the brutality on the floor it slowly sunk in what she had accomplished. Between her dress and all the blood she was a beacon of reds flourishing amidst the crowd and stood out more than normal against the chaos. She finally dragged her gaze from the body, noting her wolf was still where she left her, and focused upon a curious individual before her. The fuzziness in her mind began to leave her as she noticed she was dancing with the woman while still firmly gripping her dagger in one hand, letting her other hand rest upon the woman's hip. The angry and crazed look in her eyes calmed, her shoulders bouncing in amusement as what started as muffled giggles erupted into manic laughter. Ess had done it. The hellion was gone and now she seemed to be celebrating by dancing with some strange woman who didn't seem fazed or disgusted that her partner was practically soaked in blood. "Hmm, guess this is the closest I'll get to dancing on that Bitch's grave..." She snickered, turning towards the couple beside her, quirking a brow. "Crys? Wait..." Ess took in a deep breath, trying to speak clearer through her laughing fit and turned back towards her partner. "Who the hell are you?”

Crys really didn't need Evin to tell her what was going on with Ella, she could very much tell for herself, although she wasn't so sure about Sean, however... To her, if anything, the man seemed shocked and frightened in a way as if the worst possible thing he could imagine was happening before his eyes. If one thing she knew well was that Sean wasn't one to regret a kill, so that just didn't make sense in her mind. She didn't argue with what Evin said he was seeing, there would be time for that later, right now she just simply settled for listening to what he was saying and trying to keep her mind where it should when she could feel very clearly the pain and rage of loss coming from the former Black Knight captain as she carried the Queen. It made her wonder honestly just how much more that woman could still bear. Not missing Evin's words despite of that, Crys didn't really get the chance to offer him a reply, at least not one she would be willing to give in the presence of a strange woman, whose voice Crys had recognized from the greeting she had given them earlier; aside from that she honestly didn't know what to make of this person, considering that in the situation they were in, she seemed absolutely unaffected by the chaos, if anything she seemed constantly cheerful. Her dance partner on the other hand was all too familiar, and Crys wasn't sure if she could allow herself to be surprised by this, something about Essence gave her the impression that this was probably not the oddest scenario where their paths would cross. Taking a small step back from Evin she turned towards the dancing pair and let out a snicker. "Ess... I have a feeling Ali's doing a terrible job of keeping an eye on you."

Evin was more confused than anything by the whole situation. Crystal seemed to actually know one of them and the way that the other one was looking at Crystal, it seemed like she knew Crystal as well. His suspicions were correct when she spoke.
“I know you. I’m Lamya. You probably remember me as the person who nearly killed you in the woods about three years ago. Small world.” Lamya said.
Evin ruffled his eyebrows. Knowing the person who actually took the hit that Sean called on for Crystal was standing right by him was bothersome. It was only a mild irritation though. As an assassin, he understood why another assassin would take a hit on Crystal.
Ignoring the comment he looked at Ess and said, “My name is Evin Bana. I don’t think I’ll have to explain who I am. My name has seemed to get around over the past couple of year. What’s with all the… blood?”

Essence quirked a brow, looking from Lamya, back to Crys and then the man who introduced himself as Evin. Feeling a bit confused as she didn't think she had addressed him yet, she simply shrugged at Crys' observation of Ali not keeping an eye on her. "We both got preoccupied, it seems." Stepping back she spun before returning to her partner and smiled. "Lamya...I apologize. Think I got some blood on you." Glancing down at herself, her brows furrowed at the sight of herself; now blood and rags of her once beautiful gown. Releasing a sigh her smile broadened. "Well, Evin, officially I am Essence but Ess is just fine...and the blood..well.." She motioned behind her, still keeping an eye on her wolf out of the corner of her eye as her and Lamya danced circles around Crys and Evin. "Well, I didn't arrive this way.." Ess joked, her expression falling a bit more serious as she continued. "I ran into someone I thought was dead, who I actually found out tried to contract my death through the Wolf Pack. Ironic since my original attempt on Ebony's life was a failure, it only makes sense she'd want revenge I guess. Gotta tell you though...was definitely more satisfying this time around than poisoning the Hag the first time." Essence rolled her eyes at herself, shaking her head as she thought back on that time. "I was a child, guess can't expect too much from a child..."Turning back towards Lamya, she stared at her curiously, violet eyes glowing softly. "What about you? Good ol' fashion stabbing or poison?"

Crys arched in eyebrow at the woman who called herself Lamya and her casual mention of stabbing her almost to death. "Small world indeed. I'm sorry though, I don't remember you, or much of anything from that night. Blood loss and all..." She trailed off with a small shrug. "Nice to meet you... As long you don't decide to try again, that is." She smiled pleasantly at the woman, even though she didn't think she liked her very much, and funny enough that had very little to do with the attempt on her life and much more to do with her simply giving her chills. Crys remained silent as Evin and Ess exchanged names and the woman explained the blood that Crys assumed was on her clothing. Ess' story and the name of the woman she killed sounded like something Crys had heard before somewhere and she felt a passing urge to laugh shooting Evin a glance. "Huh..." She snickered under her breath. "...Small, small world..."

Lamya laughed at Crystal’s comment in a way that would make people assume that she knew Crystal very well. “Blood loss will do that to you.” Suddenly, her attention was flipped to Ess who had mentioned getting blood on her. The dress she was wearing made the blood almost blend. “Goes well with the dress. In fact…” She grabbed a clot that had formed in Ess’ locks, just below the ear and placed it over top of the gem that was encrusted on the broach she was wearing. “Now it all looks intentional… of course, for you it was so you’ll have no problem.”

Evin watched the woman in bewildered amusement as she played around with blood clots and spoke to Essence. Not soon after, the attention went back to Evin. “I think I’ll call you Essence.” He said in a tone he never intended to sound rude, but surely sounded so. She went on to explain the blood. He didn’t laugh at her poor attempt at a joke either. It was something that Evin would have said in his youth when he was first an assassin. It would have been funny to him then. I think I’m becoming a cynic. He thought. Probably. She continued talking and mentioned that reached name. Evin’s eyes went wide and he squeezed Crystal’s waist extremely tight.
Then he heard Crys whisper in her ear, probably unintentionally. It was small indeed. What made it even smaller was what she said after about when she was a child.
“Lust.” Lamya said, answering Ess’ question. “Lust can kill any man and some women. Seal the deal with a kiss and it is all but over for them. You’re an attractive woman you are Ess. I’m sure you’d understand.”
“I tried to poison her.” Evin interrupted. “I tried poisoning her 17 years ago. Thought she was dead. Prylithosade was the name of it. I don’t know why it didn’t work when I heard she was still alive. It all makes sense to me now. If you used any poison from the root of a flower on her, our poisons would have counteracted each other… that is what the poisons master said to me. I can’t believe this!”
Evin let go of Crystal and placed both of his hands on her cheeks tightly. Without thought, he leaned into kiss her. He meant to do it on the cheek, but completely missed in his excitement. In mid kiss, Evin pushed Crys into a dip to avoid the swing of a blade. When he came back up to look at Crys, he realized what he just did. He already knew that Jen would have been looking towards the two of them. She was probably already unimpressed with the whole dance show he was putting on. He could only imagine what she was thinking now. “Uhh… sorry about that.” Evin said. He grabbed onto her waist again and tried to pretend it didn’t happen.
“Aren’t you a little old for her Evin?” Lamya said, again, like she was old pals.
“Aren’t you a little too much of a woman for her?” He retorted and began to keep watch for Rick and anyone else who he might think to be important.
“Fair enough.”

Whatever tune they had been swaying to, real or hidden inside her mind, Essence didn't take notice but they had paused. She didn't know if she was appalled or enticed. Reaching slowly towards the broach she stopped, just hovering over the piece as if admiring it, before retracting slender fingers to rest along her own waist. Ess stared as if forgetting to blink before nodding politely towards Evin, a genuine smile breaking through. It was as simple as that and her perspective had changed. Turning her gaze downwards, her attention was everywhere. One ear open to her furry friend's direction and the other shifting back and forth between those addressing her and for a moment her mind went blank. Her head snapped at attention to Lamya's familiar words. "I agree...for most it is their weakest point. But not all. Can't say it's my favorite though but more like survival. At least, how it was for a time."

Ess' body tensed, whispering back a particular word of Evins: " Prylithosade." The woman's fingers began tapping in light frustration along one of the tiny daggers along her side. "I wouldn't have known then. I was quite nieve to it all but neither of us..." She laughed. "Guess I can't be surprised more than one person wanted that woman dead. I don't think I'd even classify her as human, much less a woman...Wait a second..." Ess pointed at Lamya, "She's too much woman for me?..Interesting.."

~~~

Darren was trying to make some sort of progress with the Wolf, to get her to let him help her but she was not trusting. Couldn't blame her. Even before he got close enough, the silvery form pushed herself to her feet and limped directly towards Essence but at the last minute making a sudden turn for Crys. Tala nuzzled the woman's hand and whined up at her curiously. Darren followed, hanging back a bit when he got closer to Lamya, having a feeling he may be recognized. Stepping on the opposite side with Ess between then she leaned in close, whispering concern. "You're playing with fire, you know. Are you trying to get burned?"

Crys was confused with what Evin was doing, to say the very least, but her tension and awkwardness were barely noticeable at all. She didn’t react as she would if it had been anyone else randomly kissing her, which would probably be with a dagger to the throat, she simply fell into a confused daze too busy with trying to make sense of the what and why to even wonder if she should maybe be weirded out or offended. It was only when Evin mumbled an apology that she snapped out of her minor shock and shook her head, snorting a trace of a laugh and patting the man on the arm in a reassuring gesture. “I’ve had worse.” She retorted playfully; genuine amusement beginning to break through her expression as she realized what Jake had just witnessed. Maybe it was bit cruel of her to be glad about the fact he was currently pissed, but she couldn’t help it nonetheless. Her amusement slipped past her lips in a small series of chuckles at Ess questioning Evin’s comment of Lamya being ‘too much woman for her’, but she made no comment, her attention snatched away by the slow approach of a familiar creature. Crys lowered her hand to reach for Tala as the wolf stopped by her. “Hey, Tala...” She whispered, pulling away from Evin some and turning her attention to the animal, tracing her fingertips along the wolf’s snout. “Are you alright, hm? You sound a bit tired...”

Evin chuckled at Ess taking offence to the comment that Evin made. It was a good icebreaker to a rather awkward couple of minutes. As much as he believed that he'd probably come to like this Essence girl, there were things about her that Evin didn't like. This was how he felt when he met every new person though. It probably didn't help that she was the one that killed Ebony and not him. He imagined that Ess would have probably felt the same way if it was the other way around though. Holding any sort of tension over who got to be the vehicle which sent Ebony to Death herself was such a silly little trifle. Only seconds before, he had practically thanked her for what he did in his silly display, but he'd rather forget that.
Evin saw a wolf approaching. Alongside the wolf was a large man big enough to take on someone like Grim in a fair fight without enlightenment. Evin wasn't even sure if this wolf was the same Wolf that had turned into a bird earlier in the evening and if it was, who was the big guy following her? He moved his foot within his boot to adjust the knife that was sitting under its sole. Very quickly, blade was protruding from the front of his boot. That knife was for the wolf. He wasn't quite sure what he'd do with the large man. He'd let the man's reaction to the attack on the wolf dictate his next move. When the Wolf got close enough, it started to give affection towards Crys and the large man started to speak to Essence about one of the other three people who were dancing. Evin didn't bother to move the blade from its placement in his boot however as he noticed Rick again, who seemed like he was going to crack at any moment.

Ess wasn’t paying much mind to how Evin was acting around Crys, feeling it not her business or concern. Although, it brought back to her the memory of the woman stabbing her Sai through that bartenders hand, the idea seeming appropriate for that kind of closeness. Then again, it wasn’t towards herself and they probably knew one another she assumed. Still, this fellow didn’t seem as though he deserved a stabbing but that was still left remaining to be seen. It wasn’t right to discriminate but Essence would never change the fact she kept her guard up always longer around strange men compared to women.

Ess twirled the dagger between her fingers, pausing to wipe the blade clean, if that was even possible, along what remained of her dress. She simply grinned at Darren’s comment before kneeling down beside her furry companion when she stopped beside Crys for affection and carefully inspected the still bleeding wound. “I’m going to have to stitch this somehow...but not now..” Ess whispered, not hesitating to tear off another piece of her gown, leaving almost her entire left leg exposed. In all honesty, it left her more cold than modest, not really thinking too much of the minimal clothing. Gently she tied the rag around the wound, giving one yank to secure it, causing Tala to growl softly. “I know...Waaait..” Ess stood up looking around as if something just dawned on her. She had momentarily forgotten about Joffrey and now discovered he was not where she had left him; only the severed hand remained. “Where...did?....DAMN.”

Darren shrugged as if he was the one being asked the question directly. “Your wolf had a snack and then you went all Wild Animal on Ebony...I mean..really did you have to kill her now? I had some things I wanted to interrogate that woman on but now...” Darren sighed, snapping his fingers as if he had lost a bet. He suddenly noticed Ms. Rivers and politely tipped his hat in her direction. “Looking lovely today, Crys.” He commented. It didn’t matter that it was kind of a pointless gesture to make in front of a blind woman as he did it more as part of his new obsession with his hat.

“I was done with her speaking. The very sound of her breathing made my ears bleed.” Ess groaned. “There’s another way..” She shivered, standing back on her feet. “Where did I leave my jacket?” She muttered to herself. “I dropped it around the time...just before the Queen...” The woman’s eyes hardened. “I don’t even know what I think I saw...some party this turned out to be.”

Crys stood, idly petting Tala as she listened to the exchange of words between Ess and Darren, not at all surprised at this point that they seemed to know each other, there had been too many of those 'coincidences' for her to actually make much of them anymore. As Darren addressed her she smiled at him in a far more sincere way than she had Lamya not holding back a slight shrug at the boy's compliment, but still responding nonetheless. "Why, thank you, Darren. Always a gentleman, I see. Did you find what you needed in Newhaven by the way?" She asked him, her eyes lowering slightly towards Tala for a moment as she silently let some thoughts cross her mind before turning to Ess with a questioning look. "You were with Ella, when... When she...?" Crys heaved a sigh not quite finishing the sentence properly. "Something is off about this... Again..." She muttered, not being able to keep the memories of what happened last time from flooding her mind. Only the last time the Wolves and Newhaven had a falling out, her mother had been there... Mageria had been there... Who was there to hold things back now?

Lamya's eyes darted back and forth and people continued to speak to one another about their fruitless pursuits and selfish endeavours. It was almost enough to make her realize why she didn’t have the idea of dancing with random people before Evin and Crystal did. It was interesting to her. There were people who really wanted to change the world, like the White Shadows that never got anywhere. Then there were people, like everyone else who mattered in Valcrest who did things for themselves and it changed the world for worse or for better. Of course, it was all subjective. There was not enough chance in Valcrest anymore. No one could appreciate the chaotic nature of reality.
“Why can’t anyone of you be like Lena? A bitch, but a damn near real person with realistic expectations about every facet of life.” Lamya noticed the blood on her hands and wiped it on the clean parts of Ess’ dress. “Now most people would like to think that I’m the antithesis of Lena. Why else would I be holding a party following her death? We are nothing but the same person raised into different circumstances which made our random acts different from one another. I think she only ever realized what she was like when she got away from those White Shadows. No, this party isn’t because I dislike her. It’s a party to celebrate the death one of the only true people left in Valcrest. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
Lamya walked away, as she did, she passed Rick, who was approaching the group slowly. As she passed him, she balled her fist and punched him directly in the face and continued on walking.

Evin didn’t care much about anything that Lamya was saying. She was a person who believed that she had the world all figured out. In that way and that way only, were the two alike. Maybe they were both a little delusional as well, but Lamya was a little more delusional than Lena was… just a little.
He did, however, watch her as she walked away, which brought Evin to the startling discovery. Evin had forgotten about Rick completely and it wasn’t until he saw Lamya punch him in the face, knocking the twisted man onto the floor. Evin let go of Crys completely; he knew that she was far less interested in dancing now. He did, however lean in to warn Crys of Rick coming back. “Be ready for a fight. If I did anything right, you won’t have to fight, but just be ready.

Darren smiled down at Crys, "It's hard to be anything but a gentleman in your company, Crys. Even if there weren't...'watchful eyes', I have to be given a reason to withhold respect if those in turn are lacking such themselves. Thank you again, by the way, for letting me have use of your name." The young man chuckled. "It came in quite handy...at least I think. Blackwell is...well, quite an interesting fellow." Darren took the opportunity, while Tala was a bit more relaxed beside Crystal, to reach out towards the wolf and lightly scratch behind her ears. She looked tired indeed, barely turning her head to look up at him. It made him wonder if she even cared or if she was falling weaker by the moment to even bother with precaution.

Ess watched Darren with a curious, and yet unbelieving look in her eyes. It was automatic for her to assume anyone male who acted so polite was anything but and even if it were true, she still held onto that defensive barrier just in case. She didn't really respond to Crys' words with that of her own but instead turned away from the woman, inhaling a sharp whisp of air through her teeth. Ess didn't feel comfortable saying much more about the situation, out in the open. That itchy and bothersome feeling of being trapped that had ignored earlier was gradually making its way back, starting with her fingers, causing them to twitch incessantly until she cracked her knuckles. In her internal thinking, she almost missed Lamya leaving and her apparent praise of Lena. Wasn't the party to celebrate her death? Essence wasn't sure if she should laugh at the woman and her statement suggesting this was in some sort of memory or honor of the deceased woman. She just wasn't buying it. At the same time, she did agree that there were so few 'real' people that existed in Valcrest. A part of her became annoyed with Lamya but as Ess watched the woman randomly punch the King of Blackpond in the face, she wasn't sure if she kind of liked her. "Hmm..unpredictable and perhaps a little crazy...just like this party. I'm liking this." Motioning for Tala to follow, Essence turned back to Crys. "I believe I would like to find Ali and the Captain. We shouldn't be all separated..."

"Right." Darren chimed in, smiling wide so white teeth were showing. "Your wolf doesn't seem like she will be on her feet much longer...I could help.." He offerred as he continued to pet the animal. Tala snorted and started to walk away from the group a bit defiantly, yet coincidently in Mageria's direction. "Ok..I stand corrected.."

Lamya’s little speech about Lena seemed to be the first thing to actually annoy Crys to the point of it showing clear on her expression, even if only for a moment. She didn’t answer the woman however; she didn’t feel that it was worth a response and if anything she wanted Lamya to just go away and the farther away the better. It did annoy her though how Lamya spoke of Lena as though they were the same person just separated by random acts and circumstances. If the woman was alive to speak her mind Crys was sure she would have strongly disagreed, but she wasn’t and it wasn’t Crys’ place to speak for her now.

Catching Evin’s words on the possibility of there being a fight she nodded her acknowledgement, not really minding to give him a verbal answer and just waiting for things to happen as they would. A small chuckle escaped her at Darren’s words on Blackwell. “Yes, he’s quite the character that man, but he’s surely worth the trouble, you’ll see.” She gave Ess a nod, giving Tala one final pat as the woman excused herself. “Of course. Ess, send Mageria my best wishes... In case we don’t get the chance to speak...” She told the woman in soft near-whisper smiling momentarily as if the words held some hidden meaning; maybe they did.

-----

Alexander looked dead as he looked into Rita’s eyes. He knew that this moment was going to come. If Lamya had anything to say about it, this moment was bound to occur. Lamya always seemed to revel in those ideas.
The dead eyes were the look of someone who seemed to already accept his defeat. He wasn’t going to be happy with the results no matter what happened. The defeat flushed over him like a bruise, but he had little time to think about it as Rita started her attack. It was a typical first move. She quickly moved forward towards him to make a downward motion across her torso. She was left handed so her attack came in from left to right on his side. It wasn’t something that Alexander was used to, but he had faced off against enough left handed people in his times at battle that he knew enough to know the slight differences that a left handed fighter had.
Alexander used a right shoulder guard to make contact. Rita’s sword flexed as it contacted the long edge of Alexander’s sword. He pressed sword against hers and gently finessed the pressure on his thumb against the ferrule to give him the leverage to allow him to push Rita’s sword in the way he wanted. Rita’s sword moved across the long edge of Alexander’s blade until it abruptly stopped at the finger guard and ultimately at the quillon. Alexander was hoping to end this right away. He swooped his sword down with Rita’s caught in the guard. If she was gripping her sword improperly, it would fall out of her hand. That didn’t happen. This battle was going to be a little more complicated.

-----

Evin smiled when he could see that Rick was picking himself up off the ground. He readied himself, while still keeping close enough to Crys to hide the fact that he was readying himself. Slowly Rick approached. He wasn’t in any hurry to reach them, but the intent in his hands told a different sort of story. It was the slow motion of his fingertips flexing and contracting against the handle of his blade. He wasn’t thinking of the kill, that much was for sure.
Rick reached them and stopped. He lifted the hand that didn’t have the blade in it, finger up and he struggled to spit out some words. He wasn’t in a good mental state, which was for sure. Evin didn’t want to wait. He calmly moved Crystal aside and then moved in. With his foot-blade, he kicked at Rick’s shin. This came to Rick as a surprise as he didn’t even flinch at the attack. He looked down at his bloodied shin and then back up at Evin and hesitated in a quick moment of shock. Evin kicked him again, this time in the other shin. This time, Rick yelled out in pain and grabbed at his shin. Evin wasn’t going to kill Rick. That wouldn’t be fair to do so. Not only had Evin made the first attack, but Rick didn’t even seem to react to him. The only reason he would kill someone who was so vulnerable was if he had a contract out on them. To him, Death was not judgement. Death was just death and that is all.
“I’ve softened him up for you. He won’t be an issue anymore.” He said to Crys. “Now I have someone else to take care of.” Evin scanned around looking for the only person in the room that he had wanted dead more than Ebony. The fact that Ella was now dead too was just incentive for Evin to pursue him just that much more.

Annie parted ways with Darren and was immediately grabbed by the hand and pulled into a somewhat quiet corner, as if someone was just waiting for her to be alone. She would have worried if everything hadn’t happened faster than her thought process had been; by the time it took her to actually worry, the person who grabbed her spoke and she recognized the man’s voice, despite of how panicked it sounded. “Listen, I need to ask you something... I don’t think I have much time.”
“Sean... What...”
“Just... Listen...” Sean asked. “Ella is dead and there’s a great chance I’ll be accused of killing her, if not by Newhaven by Evin or someone else who already has reason enough to hate me... doesn’t matter... I didn’t do it, but that doesn’t matter either... If something happens to me, Annie... I need you to convince Katie to go stay with you in the plains... If something happens to me... Things will get ugly in ways she can’t really understand and... No matter what she says; she can’t stay in camp, it won’t be safe... It’s probably not even safe anymore as we speak. Promise you’ll do this for me.”
“Sean, I don’t...” Annie mumbled, not really having much time to process what Sean was saying had happened or what she was being asked to do. He was scared, for himself, but mostly for Katelyn and she understood his request, but she knew it would be near impossible to convince that girl to ever leave the Pack. Annie sighed, for some reason she was finding it difficult to say no to this promise she wasn’t sure she could ever really keep. “I promise... I’ll do everything I can... Alright?”
Sean nodded, for a moment he seemed like just another frightened man trying to make sense of something he couldn’t control, but then he shook his head as if pushing every ounce of fear out of his system. “Alright, that’s all I needed to hear.” He smirked. “Time worry about something else.”

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

Sam let her mind wander off slightly as she watched the movement and activities in the ballroom, watching the people in that room was almost as if staring through a window into the very core of human society and its flaws. It was an odd and pathetic thing, how fragile people’s sense of security really is. Enough so that it shatters immediately the moment something goes wrong. Panic sets in. People run in circles. Flames rise. Blood is spilled... Humanity at its finest, represented by idealistic fools fighting battles they can’t win and panicked bystanders caught in the crossfire... The graphic representation of the world’s evolution; perpetually hindered by fear and foolish notions of justice. People loved to talk of faith, but it was clear that they lacked the necessary level of faith and trust in the Gods to simply let nature run its course. If it was Blackpond’s time to fall, why fight it? If Valcrest was fated to burn, why not just let it? Humanity’s fear of change was still the world’s greatest curse, it seemed.

A sudden movement beside her caught Sam’s attention and she reached out to grab Luckas by the arm, not speaking a word, but simply following the man’s gaze towards a commotion, not at all surprised to see the woman she has spoken with earlier to be right in the center of it. “Hush, Lukey.” She muttered simply, releasing his arm as he seemed to relax, leaning back against the wall behind them.

Luckas had honestly managed to get his mind off of things for a bit, his eyes half closed as he allowed himself a quiet moment, or as quiet as a moment could be in that chaotic place. It was only when he heard a canine yelp that he took notice of what was happening not too far from where he and Sam were standing, only realizing he had started to move away when Sam grabbed his arm, mumbling something to keep him still. Luckas snorted, holding back the urge to push the woman’s hand away from him and caving, leaning back against the stone behind him. Eyes watching intently as soon blood began to soak the floor. The whole scene seeming to him, oddly enough, like a waking dream, even though he felt close enough to smell the blood, he was at the same time too distant to hear the even make out the shouts and insults being cast onto the air, screams and curses sounding faintly in his ears, the exact words unclear, but then they really didn’t matter.

Luckas was unmoving staring at the whole thing with an excitement in his eyes that didn’t match the rest of his expression; an emotionless, almost stoic, expression on his face as though he wasn’t even seeing the scene of violence playing out before his eyes. The overall seriousness in his expression drawing Sam’s attention to a point she really didn’t bother to watch the scene all she really cared to know was displayed clearly in Luckas’ face, in his eyes, just as though they told a story. It was only a slight change in the man’s eyes, one not everyone would see, but it was there nonetheless... A spark of life inside a bottomless pit. The look in Luckas’ eyes wasn’t just the look of a killer enjoying the sight of fresh blood; there was something else hiding underneath, something she couldn’t exactly identify... Something undeniably frightening. “Luckas.”
Luckas breathed in an out as if he had been holding his breath all along, his voice a bit void as he spoke. “How much longer? I really don’t feel like being here anymore.”
“Not too long, I hope. Everything alright?”
Luke shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest tightly as if trying to hold himself still. “I’m fine, just a bit cold.”
“Cold?”

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

Irvin was about to reach one of the frozen doors in an attempt to see what if it was possible to use his enlightenment to melt the ice. He thought that it was very likely that even if the ice melted away the doors would be stuck. The boy barely had the time to reach the nearest exit however and the lights gave out on him. There was almost immediate panic as the ballroom went dark, people started to rush for the blocked exits and Irvin got himself caught in a mess of people desperate to escape. Untangling himself from the commotion Irv felt someone grab him by the shoulder and drag him to a corner, he didn’t get the chance to see who it was until another flash of light flooded the room and reached the woman’s face. “Allison?”
“What are you doing in the middle of this mess, kid? Trying to get stomped on?
“How does one try to get stomped on?” Irvin asked, raising an eyebrow in fake confusion. “I’m trying to reach the doors.”
“The doors are blocked, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Unlike most people trying to reach the doors though, I might actually be useful.”
Ali held back a snicker, disguising an involuntary flinch as the room suddenly lit up in random flames once again, taking the time to breathe deeply and forcing her mind back into the conversation she was having. It had been a considerable amount of time since fire had affected Ali in any way that was truly debilitating, but the knowledge that the room was sealed caused her little waves of panic every the flames burst into life around the ballroom. “Feeling important now, are we?” She played, ignoring the uneasy feeling making its way up her spine, however persistent it was. There would be plenty of time to freak out after they got out of that place.
Irvin snickered softly. “I wouldn’t put it in those terms.”

The lights went off again, and Ali could feel herself tense, knowing what would be coming next. She breathed deeply, holding back a groan as she felt a sharp pain spread from her right hand and up her arm, stopping at her elbow and disappearing as suddenly as it came, instinctively closing her eyes as another burst of flames crossed the room. “This is most certainly not my night.” She muttered under her breath, a familiar voice screaming its way across the room to reach her ears. “Irvin... We need to open those doors soon... This thing is about to get really ugly soon.”
“No kidding.” The boy replied with an annoyed snort, seeming a bit wary of the panicking crowds, but quickly spotting a opening he could go through to reach one of the exits. “Let’s see what I can do about that then... Meet you on the outside.” The boy smirked, rushing his way into the mess of people, disappearing not soon after.

Ali didn’t have time to think of whether it was a good a idea to let that boy wander off alone in that mess of people; he was already gone and her attention was already focusing elsewhere as she moved in the opposite direction towards the scream she’d heard.

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

Dastan was less than pleased when the lights went out, he didn’t care for why that happened, and even less for how many people were immediately going to try and stab each other in the dark, he barely cared about getting out as long as there was still booze he could reach for and drink down, but the darkness in itself was disturbing to him. When children are afraid of the dark, they are told there is nothing in the darkness that isn’t also there in the light, but Dastan knew that to him that wasn’t entirely true. To him, there were things hiding in shadows that he’d prefer would never see the light of day. Drinking helped though... So did a good distraction and that’s why when he spotted a familiar face the mercenary stumbled his way straight to her, shouting over the sounds of frightened partygoers and clashing blades. “Blondie!”

Ali didn’t go too far before she felt someone grab for her shoulder and pull her close, if it wasn’t for Dastan’s excited greeting she would have pulled a blade and severed some fingers, but the man’s presence, as loud and drunk as he was, actually provided some comfort. “Dastan.” She sighed. “You’re wasted.”
“Aren’t we all in a way?” The man replied with a chuckle. “A party’s... Still a party.” He stated, pointing at the center of the confusion where a couple was making it way to what used to be the dance floor.. “See? There’s still some people having fun.”
Ali chuckled, shaking her head in amusement at the thought of some people still being in a party mood after everything that happened. Her expressions shifted from amusement to curiosity when she realized the pair on the dance floor were in fact Crys and Evin. “...For two people who don’t like to party...” She mumbled shaking her head. Suddenly the pain returned, causing her to grasp Dastan’s arm to keep herself steady; it came with much more intensity this time, although it didn’t last as long as it had the previous time.
“You alright, Allison?” Dastan asked, a slight frown marking his features as he pushed a half-empty bottle of something he’d been dragging around. “Drink, it’ll help.”
Ali accepted the bottle and took a drink from it before pushing it back to the mercenary, coughing at the burning feeling of alcohol in her throat. “Thanks, friend, but I have a feeling this won’t help me.” She said, forcing a smile at Dastan.
“Your hand, still? I thought you were getting better.” He inquired.
“So did I.” Ali responded shaking her head, a bit concerned with how the pain was manifesting, and spreading; it didn’t feel normal. “Have you seen Annie anywhere? I tried to find her, but it’s just too messy in this place.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen her, but I did see Alistair a while ago, so she must be here somewhere.”
Ali nodded. “Suppose we should think of getting out of here first... No matter how much it hurts it’s not going to kill me now, right?”
Dastan chuckled, but not seeming all too amused at the comment, his expression changing slightly as he watched the dance floor, Ali could make out the expression on the mercenary’s face exactly, but it was strangely serious. “Well, what doesn’t kill you...” He mumbled, his eyes seemed to darken for a moment, but Ali shrugged it off, taking it as being just an impression, as she turned to follow his gaze she saw five people on the dance floor; Crys, Evin, Ess and Tala stood out to he immediately, one redhead she didn’t know was already walking away and Ali watched with amusement as she walked up to a man she could recognize as the king from the speech the man had given earlier, and punched right in the face knocking him down. The woman simply punched the king and kept on walking, and Ali couldn’t deny that was the most hilarious thing she’d seen in a long time. Shaking her head she pulled Dastan by his arm, the man nearly leaning into her now in a bit of a drunken haze. “Come on you silly drunk... I came with a friend, and it’s about time I find her again.”
“Ookay... That’s her right there, no?” Dastan asked pointed out a blood covered Ess.
“Yes, you two met then?” Ali asked curiously.
“Aye... Crys introduced us... Interesting lady.” Dastan stated, pushing himself away to stand up straight. “You think I have a shot there, Blondie?”
“No.” Ali chuckled, giving the man a playful shove. “...But who knows? You’ve proved me wrong before.”
The man laughed out, shaking his head in amusement. “Fair enough... Fair enough...”
As they walked towards Essence they walked past Crys, Ali simply letting her fingers graze the woman’s hand in silent greeting, not wanting to stop and talk, as she didn’t feel the things she had to say were safe ones to mention in this place. Dastan on the other hand stopped and leaned into Crys to whisper something to her, not waiting for a reply and simply moving on, looking back at her friend Ali thought Crys seemed a little bit confused. “What did you say to her, Dastan?”
“Nothing important.” The man replied with a shrug walking a bit ahead of her and catching up to Ess before she did. “Miss Essence... We meet again!” He called playfully. “I’m not sure if I’m more drunk than usual or if you really got less clothes on you than I remember...” The man mumbled giving Ess a second glance rubbing his eyes as if genuinely doubting them, but not hesitating to offer the woman his cape; the crimson red fabric poorly stitched from Dastan’s fight with Veronica in the plains. The man then looked at the boy that was with Ess, and chuckled. “Don’t tell me you ditched me for this guy here? He looks a bit young no?” He played.
Ali chuckled. “Hush Dastan... And I’m sure you’ve been far more drunk than this, don’t worry.” She told him, patting the man in the arm and turning to Ess. “I see that Tala was right to not trust me with keeping an eye on you. Did I miss all the excitement?” She asked curiously, nodding towards Ess’ company; she remembered seeing the guy in the Raven’s camp so she simply assumed Ess knew him from there. “Hey, I’m Ali. ” She greeted.

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

Jacob had been standing still, eyes darting from where Crys was dancing with Evin, to a blood covered Ess dancing with Lamya of all people, and to two figures battling whom he could recognize as being Alex and Rita... Darren and Tala joining the dancing couples not long after. Rick wasn’t too far away watching just as he was and looking almost as bothered as he was... although in a far more manic way. The whole scene seemed to have been designed with the sole intent to test his patience... And for one moment, one particular moment, he really had to hold back not to give himself away and do something unbelievably foolish, even for his standards. Instead; he stood, watching from the outside as Lamya wandered off, knocking Rick down with a punch to the face, the man recovering only to be attacked by Evin next. Jake remained where he stood until people started to part ways. He watched as Ali passed him by with Dastan, his eyes momentarily following the pair as they caught up with Ess and Darren. Eventually, the only person left in the group still standing in the ‘dance floor’ was Crys. Rick was still there as well, grabbing at his bleeding shin where Evin had left him. Jake wanted to talk to Crys, but at the same time he didn’t; he was mad for things that didn’t matter, and he had not right to be angry for if he was honest with himself, talking to her would probably just make it worse... So he focused on Rick... Manic and vulnerable Rick... It was an opportunity he couldn’t really throw away. Making his way towards the King as fast as he could, still concealed by his enlightenment, Jake didn’t hit the man as much as full on collided with Rick with a force that was clearly unnecessary to knock down a distracted man with two injured shins, but Jake couldn’t really bring himself to care for fairness at this point anymore, he didn’t just want Rick on the floor, he wanted him to hurt; if not now, the next morning. Once the man was down Jake, stepped on the wrist of his weapon wielding hand and made himself visible and knelt down, holding a blade of his own to the man’s throat. “Where... Is that dagger of yours...” He muttered out pressing the blade to Rick hard enough for it to nick his skin. “...Your Highness?”

Crys was about to walk away from Rick, not really caring anymore for what the man wanted with her... If he insisted she’d deal with him, but he wasn’t anywhere on her list of priorities at this point. Before she had the chance to take a step however, Jake charged at the man, knocking him to the ground in a very audible collision, causing her to turn and face the scene; Jake wanted to kill the guy right there, she could tell as much and she couldn’t begin to imagine what would happen if he went through with it. “Jacob... Don’t!” She protested. “You don’t want to do this here.”
“I do. You know I do.” Jake muttered, his eyes not leaving Rick’s face. “And I’m not the only one... This guy isn’t quite as popular as the last impostor we killed.”
“If someone needs to do it, it doesn’t have to be you... Jakey...” Crys sighed softly. “Newhaven already lost its queen... Don’t kill him tonight.”
Jake growled under his breath, flinching as though he wanted to look at Crys, but not letting Rick out of his sight as he felt his anger subside just a bit at Crys’ request. “You... Will not... Touch her.” He whispered, softly enough so that Crys wouldn’t hear it as he stood up straight and stepped away, standing between the fallen man and Crys as he turned to face her and put one arm around her protectively; leading her into the crowd as fast as possible away from Rick.

Essence had set her sights on the Captain, all noise drowning in and out around her as she passed nonchalantly by chaotic expressions and screams. Her focus was locked on Mageria as she laid the Queen down upon a table, taking note how stiff the Captain appeared, the woman’s eyes hardening. Ess didn’t know exactly what was hidden behind the darkness shaping the details, lining Mageria’s face, but it still caused her to hesitate from taking another step.

“Miss Essence....We meet again!”

Ess’ view was cut off and blocked by a familiar figure who appeared to sway slightly as he came to a stop. She smiled, giving a playful curtsy and exaggerating the flare of her arms as she did so, still obviously on a high from the excitement only minutes earlier. “Good Evening again to you, Handsome.” Glancing down at her attire she shrugged at the comment of less clothing. “I suspect this wouldn’t be the best weather to run around like this.” When Dastan draped his cloak across her shoulders, her fingers reached for the seams to pull tight around her neck, brushing warmly across the man’s arm. She relaxed her stance a moment, not expecting the gesture and looked back over her shoulder to acknowledge Darren was still with her. “Oh, the Kid? Common enemies tend to bring strangers together, it seems..” Ess smirked at Ali’s comment on Tala ‘not trusting Ali to keep an eye on Ess’ and sighed. “I think she had an agenda all her own. I actually feel like I am the one having to keep an eye on her...” Bending down the woman inspected the animals wound again, noting how the blood was already soaking through the rag and decided that being on her feet was only going to agitate the wound further. Quietly she slipped her arms beneath the wolf, careful to cradle her and not put pressure along her slightly swollen belly, the cloak encasing both of them as she lifted the wolf to her and stood back on her feet. Tala whined in protest but was silenced as Ess shot her a glare.

“Name is Darren....” The boy said matter of factly, facing Ali in his response but also speaking towards Ess. He bowed his head politely. “Not “Kid.” Nice to meet you Ali finally. Wandering around in camp, surprisingly we hadn’t run into one another yet..”

Ess quirked a brow at Darren. “You’re from camp?”

“Uh...well I kind of arrived recently with friends...speaking of Irvin..” He muttered, glancing around the room searching for his friend, yet his focus was still on the company before him. “So, Miss Essence is it? I could give you a hand...with Tala there...”

Ess was already in motion, back on the path towards the Captain, “It’s fine. She may be a bit more bitey with the wound and all...It’s best I carry her. Besides, I feel it’s time to say our farewells and thank our Host for such an extravagant event..” Her tone was light and airy, contradicting to the malicious grin spreading from ear to ear. Essence quieted as she approached the Captain, pausing a few feet away to not crowd the woman and waited until she was sure Mageria took notice of her presence. For a moment she thought she caught a flicker of light behind the Captain’s dark eyes. Ess let her smile fade and stood tall, still holding Tala in her arms.

“Your orders, Captain?”

Ess would have acted beyond her mere confusion and trance when the Captain and the ‘Queen’ engaged in their confrontation of sorts, if it wasn’t for the Wolf. Even in the animals injured state, she wiggled and squirmed, growling and spitting at the entity who, in all appearances, was the Queen. It took everything Essence had in her to hold Tala back, afraid she would do fatal harm to herself. She was shocked at what followed and when the Captain quickly explained it all, it actually made sense; in a crazy, impossible kind of way. Essence knew it wasn’t possible for someone to just come back to life like that; at least she didn’t believe it so with no outside help.

“The Queen is dead. That person, was a necromancer wearing her skin. We will stop her before she gets back to Newhaven.”

The term Necromancer sent chills down her back. Someone who could control the dead was something from nightmares and twisted nursery rhymes that the other children in her village would stir up to make Ess cry but now it was real and it was getting away. The shock faded and the porcelain features smoothed out to an emotionless puppet, simply falling into line behind the Captain and the others. Readjusting Tala in her arms she carefully tucked her neck beneath the wolf’s mid section and rested her friend across her shoulders. Ess’ pace didn’t slow, however she did look to see if Ali or Dastan were still nearby, a subtle smile gracing her lips when she saw that they were but that the Kid, Darren, had suddenly made himself scarce. She turned to see a figure clad in armour purposely place himself in her path but she only caught a few words, not really paying attention. Tala snapped as the man reached out and tried to grab the hilt of her dagger at her back in an attempt to disarm her. Essence didn’t even have time to react when she heard a scream and multiple, small explosions, sending the remainder of guests either to the floor or into the Guard before her. The redhead kneeled, a bit off balanced with the Wolf still across her shoulders, whining some as if she were afraid she were about to fall.

Darren saw everyone making their way towards the exits and instead of following he meandered past overturned tables, charred furniture, and pools of blood, pausing here and there aimlessly. Or so it appeared. One couldn’t quite see what he was doing, except that he was grabbing some random objects off the floor including a spilt bucket of black goo that still contained singed morning stars from Ess’ earlier display of fire spinning. With a sigh, he adjusted his hat, stopping to watch a familiar figure it white disappear into the crowd before he pulled out a pouch and paper, walking and taking the time to roll himself a cigarette. Patting his pockets, he realized they were empty of matches and leaned in towards a burning tapestry to light his cigarette.

“Bad habit, you know..” A woman mumbled in annoyance at him as she passed.

Darren quirked a brow, inhaling deeply before releasing a laugh and a cloud of smoke. “Huh, I guess you are right...” A deviously handsome smile spread from ear to ear as he flicked the cigarette over his shoulder, doubling his pace with one hand holding his hat firmly to his skull and weaving through the crowd. Just when he was about to catch up with Ess that was when the explosions began. There could have been half a dozen going off, with no pattern except that it caused people to fall to the floor, jump back up and then fall again in an amusing dance of sorts. Darren adjusted his hat and kept walking as if nothing had happened, bits of debris flying past. Glancing at his new acquaintances, he nodded, his gaze trailing over the individual who was trying to confiscate people’s weapons. As he stumbled to his feet, Darren balled up a fist and popped the man in the nose, sending him back down towards the ground, an amused grunt escaping the boy as he continued forward.

When Darren was far enough away from the crowd he came upon Irvin who appeared to be watching the man’s approach. The man halted and put on an innocent face, tossing an arm around Irv’s shoulder, “What? I’m not allowed to leave a gift for our host?”

Essence felt someone grab her arm and help her to her feet, ushering her onward with the disarray. Finding Shockwave, she hoisted Tala across the horse’s shoulders and climbed aboard just behind the Wolf, adjusting the borrowed cloak to protect her from an icey wind. It wasn’t a question of what was to be done next exactly except she needed to get Tala back to the Nest so she wouldn’t follow in her state and continue after the rest of her companions. It was looking like a long night ahead of them.

[The Manor - 3 days after Castle Ball]

Sam sighed softly as she opened the door to the holding cell, not really caring to look and simply walking away from the open door. She was angry still with Ezekiel, but the amount of punishment he had been dealt for what he had done seemed like enough to her, as long as he refrained from annoying her any further. As she walked she purposely ignored the man’s pursuing footsteps; through the hallways, up the stairs and into her chambers he followed, his steps heavy and filled with purpose. Sam knew where this was going, she wasn’t stupid despite what some might say. Wordlessly she granted the man access into the room, heaving a sigh as she sat by her lit fireplace and motioned for Ezekiel to sit across from her. “Just say whatever you feel you need to say, Zeke. Go on, get it over with so I can put my attention to better use than listening to your whining.” Sam muttered, staring up at the man with a clearly fake expression of interest.

Ezekiel refused the offer to sit with a nod, choosing to stand tall before his Mistress, arms crossed over his chest and a severe, if not angered, expression in his eyes as he looked down on her as though she was a particularly stupid and misbehaved child. The man seemed physically unharmed, if a bit disheveled, but upon closer inspection it was noticeable how he was doing his best to hide some level of discomfort. “I assume you didn’t punish the boy.” He muttered simply.
“No, I haven’t punished Luckas for Gavin’s suicide, Zeke. Mostly because I find that a rather ridiculous thing to do. Even if he did do what you accused him of and fabricated those memories, he had no control over Gavin’s actions. He killed himself because he chose to and Luckas’ use of his imprint, while probably a factor, was non-lethal.”
“Technicalities.” Zeke muttered in response. “Had it been anyone else...”
“Had it been anyone else they wouldn’t have pulled it off so well. Ezekiel, we know better than anyone that by creating monsters and putting them together under the same roof some things like this are to be expected. That’s why our rules are so easy to break, because if they weren’t everyone here would have to be put down for one thing or another. You and me included, or have you forgotten dear old Dad?” Sam shook her head. “Don’t pretend this has to do with the rules of the Order, Zeke. Amber has broken them in far worse ways and you never threw any hissy fits about that. Stop wasting my time, and just say what you really mean, old man.”
“You are a fool, girl. This boy is making a fool out of you, and if it was just my opinion it wouldn’t be such a problem, but this... Is becoming a laughing matter amongst the Branded. They have bets going on how far that little piece of shit can go before you dare set him straight. Not to mention the speculation of what it would take for them to be granted the same level of leniency as Luckas.”
Sam stared at Ezekiel in silence for a few moments, honestly wondering if he was really serious, before breaking down into uncontrollable giggles. “That’s precious!” She exclaimed amongst chuckles. “Hah... You can’t be serious...” She chuckled for a few moments more before being able to put on a straight face. “Seriously now, what do you expect me to do, huh? Punish Luckas to silence the whines and the gossip? No, no, silly Zeke... What message would I be sending with that? That those idiots can manipulate me with rumours and childish tactics? If they think I’m weak let them come and try me. If they want my attention, my praise, let them do their best to earn it. If anyone in this house, or any of the other houses we own, has the balls to question me to my face then I’ll show them the consequences. Otherwise, I’m not worried, and you shouldn’t be either. If they want to talk, then let them. Who really gives a shit?”
“I still think you’re making a mistake by trusting this boy.” Zeke muttered.
“Yes, I know. Thank you. Anything else?” Sam retorted, her tone making it perfectly clear she was done with discussing this matter.
“I never reported back on my affairs in Blackpond.” Zeke stated, calming his tone slightly and sitting down on the chair across from her.
“You were able to get in touch with our associate then, I assume.” Sam noted, leaning back in her seat and relaxing some. “I still don’t see why we shouldn’t just get rid of him.”
“Because, we need the supplies, and he’s given us no reason to do so.” Zeke replied simply, with a shrug. “He knows very well not to.”
“He knows way more than I’m comfortable with... That and I just never liked the man.”
“You never liked any of your father’s associates, kid. I don’t blame you, but you just have to remember that this guy is the best at what he does, it would take years to find a fitting replacement. Besides he can’t compromise us with what he knows, and if he could why would he?”
“What about his kid?” Sam inquired. “What does he know?”
“The guy says he can handle the kid on his own. That he won’t be a problem.” Zeke snorted a trace of a laugh. “I assume you won’t take his word for it.”
“Do I seem like the kind of person to trust a criminal’s ability to control his child? We’re keeping an eye on the kid, but... We’ll let him be for the moment.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Zeke replied, seeming to have finally cooled his temper.
“You’re excused, Ezekiel, go get some rest. I’m sure you could use some after what you endured.”
“I’ve had worse.” The man mumbled, holding back a groan as he stood, bowing his head slightly as he turned to leave.

As soon as the door closed behind Zeke, Amber jumped out from behind the drapes that concealed Sam’s bed, skipping her way towards the fireplace and jumping onto the comfy chair Zeke had left vacant. “Ugh, I thought he’d never leave.” She whined playfully, curling up on the large chair. “He has a point though... Everyone’s been saying stuff.”
“By everyone you mean you, right? You have been saying stuff.” Sam chuckled.
“Hmmm... Maybe.” Amber smirked. “That’s not the point though.”
“Uh-huh.” Sam responded, amusement clear in her eyes as she stared at the random face the younger girl had taken on for the day. “Tell me about the Lesser girl.” She asked, her tone becoming more serious suddenly. “Luckas was in his room all night as he said, so if the girl was smuggled out of the property, it had to have been you.”
“Hypothetically, if I had done that as payment for a lost bet, I would be incredibly stupid to admit it.” Amber stated with a shrug. “I am many things, but I’m not stupid.”
“True, very true.” Sam nodded in agreement, sitting up straight. “However, if you had done such a thing, I would be forced to go hunt this girl down and then deal with you for the transgression. I mean, keeping her alive would be a risk with what she has seen.”
“Well, of course if I had done that, I would make sure; probably with the aid of a certain telepath that would remain anonymous for the sake of any conversation I may have about it, that she would be unable to remember anything about the Brotherhood, or this place.” Amber replied, grinning as she stared at Sam, enjoying the little game they were playing. “If I were you, and someone had done something like this I would probably hunt the girl down and make the one responsible for her escape personally in charge of her execution, buuut... If I were me and you were you in this fictional scenario, I would say that seeking out this kid is not worth the time and resources especially when there are greater things at work. Especially after Zeke threw such a fit about it, doing what he wants would just encourage this type of behavior, and then you know I’d have to slit his thr-... You know what... Never mind, you go ahead and do exactly what he wants. That’s a great idea.”
Sam shook her head, amused laughter escaping her once again. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask.” Amber nodded simply.
“Is he back yet?” Sam asked, staring into the fire and absently scratching behind Seth’s ears as the cat leapt onto her lap, purring and rubbing against her hand.
“Mhm, about an hour ago. He didn’t go far this time. Think he just went for a hunt.” Amber stated simply. “Didn’t even go as far as the city this time.”
“Hmph... He’s trying not to, but he’ll go back there again. He can’t help it.” Sam mumbled. “Just stay close and while you’re at it... Try to find out who that guy who bumped into us at the ball was.”
“The cutey with blue eyes? He’s Lena Turner’s nephew... He’s with the Ravens, sort of... Comes and goes. He and Lukey don’t get along very well, I think in part because of the whole... Him killing Lena thing.” Amber informed. “Some people are just so sensitive about having their family members killed... I honestly can’t understand why.... Hmmm... Anyway, he was the one responsible for Lukey coming back all battered after he offed the White Rose, but for some reason they just won’t go through with killing each other.... It’s pretty hilarious.”
“You were watching?” Sam asked, a bit surprised at the information.
“Well, you told me to watch him... You never told me to protect him.” Amber rolled her eyes. “He walked it off. Besides, if I didn’t run back I’d miss my chance to mess with Zeke before he found out Lukey survived.” She giggled. “He was so freaked out, poor bastard.”
Sam laughed at the girl’s expression of joy as she remembered Zeke’s torment. “You... Scare me sometimes, Amber. Did you know that?”
Amber smiled cheerfully at Sam’s words. “Good.”

======================

[Raven’s Nest - 3 days after Castle Ball]

Irvin was trying to keep busy and be helpful around camp as much as possible, like he promised he would, while Jake was still away from camp, but the truth was that the news of his sister’s ‘kidnapping’ had affected him and not in a positive way. It was with much difficulty that he had slept the past couple of nights and unless his help was needed somewhere he avoided being around people for too long. It was bothering him how long it was taking Jake to come back, he hadn’t seen him since their run-in with Allan at the castle and he was worried the guy would get distracted by some random trouble and forget about his problem. Suppose he had no reason to doubt Jake’s word that he would find out all he could, but he couldn’t help but be anxious about it even so. He couldn’t help but wonder where his sister was and what she was going through; and even though he didn’t want to admit it, he couldn’t help but think that Allan had a point when he accused him of bailing. He did leave his sister behind. “Just goes to show you can’t really trust anyone.” He muttered to himself, dipping his hand into the water of the river and watching as a thin layer of ice began to form around his closed fist.

No one would really tell Darren what Mageria was up to exactly or where she was. It could have been they didn’t exactly know, or perhaps he just was the ‘outsider’ and he didn’t qualify to know. Jake was away and could even give him an encrypted explanation that he was so famous for when explaining things he didn’t want to or shouldn’t. All Darren could think about was that old woman he met at the ball. Was anything she said to him actually true? He’d met begrudging individuals who had it in for his father before, but never did they last very long, so this one intrigued him; even if she did as well meet her own demise shortly after their meeting. Perhaps things had a way of working out without the kid getting his hands dirty, but still, he wanted to know things and now unless he tracked down his father he would have to finish decoding that blasted journal in order to make sense out of what his visions were. He needed to hold it again in his hands and not worry about the side effects. The rumors and mention of children disappearing and the unspeakable happenings to those innocent souls didn’t even hit him that hard until he realized he had siblings he’d never met; if it were true. There was also the situation of Irvin’s sister. He had to know if it was connected in some way. The irking need to know haunted his dreams when he did sleep, visions of the dark skinned man and little girls sent indescribable shivers down his spine when he woke up in cold sweats. He needed to know and he needed to know why.

After a long day of doing chores to the point where there wasn’t anything left for him to do, he went looking for Irvin. Someone had pointed him in his friend’s general direction and it wasn’t long before he came up behind him where he just stood not knowing if he should leave the guy alone or say something. Finally he decided, with a smile, to try to lighten the ominous mood that seemed to hang in the air.

“So, have you met Jake’s friend Aiden? Apparently I’m not allowed to help anymore because I do everything better than him.” He joked in an unusual, overly, cocky manner. “But seriously, the guy can’t take competition it seems..He sent me away and said there’s nothing for me to do...so I said fine...and let the tree drop as he was cutting to fit some branches in that new lookout post they are building. Almost hit him.” Darren chuckled, giving an innocent expression, naturally not meaning to actually hit the guy. “Well, not really, I had that shit aimed perfectly.” He shrugged. “I was just trying to help..and have some fun. Even put some money on who could cut down more trees...too bad he’s broke.”

Irvin chuckled at Darren’s story, his eyes still fixating on the freezing waters as his friend spoke, watching as the ice thickened around his fist making it so he could barely feel his fingertips, slowly he rose his hand from the water with a block of ice frozen solid around it and watched as it gradually melted and vaporized. “You should do what I do, and just be lazy.” He responded, turning to face Darren with a smirk. “If you reach the point of nearly dropping trees on people, that might mean you’re overworked. Or, you know, psycho. Just saying. Next thing you know you’ll be collecting eyeballs in jars or... Singing to stuffed animals.... Or some other creepy thing like that.” He played, his smile shutting down into a contemplative expression. “You know... I’ve been wondering if I can do something... Hmm...” He mumbled under his breath, removing his boots and rolling the legs of his pants up to his knees. “I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m an idiot... I mean, I always knew my brother was a shitty person, but for some reason I believed that giving our little sister away to strangers to pay off a debt was something too fucking atrocious even for him.” Irvin blurted out as though he just couldn’t help himself any longer, slowly taking one step beyond the margin of the river and letting the sole of his foot touch the cold water, waiting for it to freeze just enough so that it could, maybe, support his weight. “So, yeah, I’m an idiot. I know that guy. I’ve seen how far down he was willing to go, but for some reason I didn’t think he’d be capable of something like this... I should have known better.” He scoffed, calmly shifting his weight so it rested on the frozen platform, lifting his other foot from the ground momentarily as if to assure himself the ice wouldn’t shatter, planting his step firmly on the ground again, flinching as if in doubt before taking a step forward into the water. “I just hope that when Jake comes back he has news... My promise of not doing anything stupid is starting to become too difficult to keep.”

Darren snickered, crossing his arms lightly as he tilted his head curiously at his friend when he spoke of sanity and singing to stuffed animals. “Hmm, maybe I’ll take up the singing. I’ll have you know I can lull a babe to sleep with my voice.” Darren laughed. “Least I know I’m in the correct company if my sanity should wander.” His amusement dwindled as Irvin spoke, his lips tightening in a thin line, pondering the boy’s words. It seemed his mind was tormented and Darren could hear the distaste and resentment as Irvin continued; towards himself and towards his brother. “..You can’t blame yourself Irv for not seeing what was right in front of you, especially when you speak of someone who was family. When it’s that close...unconsciously, I’ve found, we as humans, are blind.” Darren grunted, unfolding his arms as he paced closer to the river. “I need that journal…” He muttered half to himself, his thoughts overlapping. “..I understand the need to take action and how it can eat at us when we are searching in the darkness for clues and are still empty handed..I mean..What do you propose you can honestly do at this moment? Perhaps once Jake returns. We don’t know where to start looking for your sister and what about that brother of yours? We could hang him by his toes and leave him to piss all over himself...only fitting since he pissed all over your sister’s life. Not sure if that will make any difference at this point though. Perhaps something short of a miracle, like walking on water..” Darren sighed, bending down to pick up a small stone and skipped is across the river bend, whispering, “It does feel like that sometimes...that nothing except a miracle can make a difference in life especially when our lives are not just our own.”

Irvin sighed softly, there was nothing to do at the moment and he knew it, but that didn’t soothe him in one bit, if anything it only made everything worse. He hated the thought of his little sister alone and terrified when all he could do was sit and wait. He couldn’t keep thinking about it though, or he’d be the one to go insane. “You know, when I was little and my mom was still alive, I remember her telling me that a person’s blood contains a part of everyone born in their family before them. That no matter what you do or where you go in life you can never truly leave your family. My sister had no one to tell her that... She probably thinks she’s alone.” The boy mumbled under his breath, taking a few more steps across the waters of the river, the water freezing under his bare feet and causing a very soft chill to crawl its way up his spine, his footprints were forming a small bridge from the margin to his feet, but the ice he left behind was already starting to melt and crack. Jake had advised Irvin to try and focus his enlightenment and maybe he could manipulate water without being in direct contact with it, but he hadn’t made much progress in that department quite yet and there was only a small radius of the water surrounding his feet that he could control without feeling faint.

Going into a small moment of silence Irvin slowly let the ice melt away underneath his feet until it cracked under his weight. He sunk quickly into the water, emerging mere seconds later and making his way out of the river. “Well, that was refreshing.” He stated simply, playfully shaking himself dry as the water evaporated from his clothes. “You said you need the old man’s journal? We should go get that copy I made then.”

There wasn’t much Darren could say and he knew it. That in itself annoyed him especially when normally in his silence he could come up with some clever or humorous remark to break the tension. In that moment, however, he simply found himself staring curiously at Irvin when he came back to shore, placing a firm grip upon the kid’s shoulder. “Your Mom sounds like she knew more than she was letting on..” Darren began. “She’s right, in a way. Blood is said to be thicker than water but do you know where that saying came from, Irv? It’s used nowadays in terms of family and the bonds from those ties, but that’s not what it really means. I first read the term in some sort of history book I found when I was a boy. The pages were torn, wearing at the corners, but it talked about a war that began long ago where many soldiers, brothers in arms, died protecting those they loved from a dark enemy. It’s never named who that was per se, but the point is, those brothers in arms were not family in blood by birth but in blood they shed and how that was stronger than those bonds from birth. Promises made in blood carried a heavier weight on the soul as well. Or at least, that’s what I read..”

Darren released Irvin’s shoulder and shook his head. “I’m getting off track a bit...But I was going somewhere with this, I promise..” He snickered. “I learned at a young age the power of literal blood. The first time my enlightenment kicked in, it involved that sticky substance. It’s like reading the hidden pages of a person’s life and tapping into a history that needs to be deciphered. Yet…” He paused, scratching the back of his head in a slightly awkward motion. “...To see EVERYONE that would be connected to a drop a blood would take great skill and a ridiculous amount of patience. Even then I honestly don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever tried it intentionally because it’s exhausting enough as it is.” Darren trailed off mumbling something to himself in deep thought, “...can’t see my own blood...but yea much can be learned from the blood…Your Mom was a smart Lady..”

Those last words hung in the air causing Darren to shift uncomfortably in his stance. Glancing at Irvin a couple times he simply nodded. “I almost forgot you made a copy of that journal. I was waiting for the Captain, mostly because she was working on the section I was having trouble with, but I can certainly finish the bit I understood. I believe it may even be a record of the days my Father wanted to remember; dated like a journal. There’s also this same symbol I keep finding all throughout the ledger that I can’t seem to figure out what it stands for. I’m hoping the Captain has gotten farther than me in that respect. A half-read book is a half-finished love affair. Does that make any sense?” Darren smirked, quirking a brow at Irvin.

Irvin nodded silently all the while Darren spoke, picking his boots and putting them on before starting to walk into the forest. “What kind of books have you been reading, I wonder.” He mumbled, an amused expression crossing him momentarily, followed by a shrug. “And honestly, all I really know is that my blood has brought me nothing but headaches and I’m not sure I’m okay with believing any children I may have are automatically bound to that history from the moment they are born, but then... Since having children depends greatly on being able to not act like a complete moron around women, I’d say that’s one concern I won’t have anytime soon.” As he spoke Irvin walked a straight path amongst the trees, his eyes scanning his surrounding carefully in search of a mark that would lead him in the direction of his belongings. “Probably better this way anyway.” He muttered under his breath, spotting the mark he had made on a tree and pacing east from it, stopping at a rock and crouching down to push it aside, brushing a small layer of dirt from a leather bag that was hiding underneath it. There wasn’t much hidden there aside from the copied journal, and nothing of actual value; only a couple of trinkets he’d pickpocketed more recently and some loose change. Still, after pulling the journal out of the bag he carefully stashed it back in its hiding spot as if it were made of gold. “There you go.” He stated, handing Darren the book. “I’d like to help you with it, but codes are really not my thing. I’m more of a doer than a thinker.”

“...I’m not sure I’m okay with believing any children I may have are automatically bound to that history from the moment they are born…”

Darren tapped his chin thoughtfully, a child like pout appearing on his face. “...There’s nothing wrong with sharing a history, Irv. That way we won’t end up repeating it and we can teach others from it as well.” He held back a laugh, “Aw Irvin, don’t sell yourself out yet. You’re not doomed with women, I promise. I wasn’t...always so suave with the ladies either you know. I do believe there is someone for everyone...more than one for some perhaps…” He chuckled, absently gripping the book that was handed to him. He winced, anticipating the flashes he’d normally receive from his father’s ledger; a habit, even though he knew the visions wouldn’t flood his mind this time.

Darren made his way back to the river and sat along it’s shaded banks, seemingly entranced in continuing the tedious chore of deciphering the journal’s hidden secrets. However, he kept talking as if his mind was not even focused on the task before him. “Do you think Jake will mind if I...go visit that pretty cousin of his? I’m feeling a little...under the weather…” He smirked faking a small cough. Darren continued outlining the bits he remembered, the basics of the coding coming back to him without much effort. There wasn’t much point to read as he went until he finished a good portion to be able to make some sort of sense out of the pages. Besides, so far the bits he could understand so far were just his father giving himself an ego boost about being some goddamn gift to humanity. “Pfft...what a joke…” He mumbled.

“Eh, it’s not like getting a girlfriend is my main concern right now...” Irvin shrugged awkwardly before adding with a little smirk: “Although I won’t deny it’d be a lot easier to deal with all this waiting if I had one.” The boy shook his head, feeling amused but at the same time honestly wonder how Jake would react to Darren’s question if he was there to hear it; he was honestly not so sure about that guy sometimes. “Well, I’m sure he would mind, I guess the question is more along the lines of how much he would mind it. In the very least I think he’d make it a point to remind you that there are perfectly decent medics available in camp. Worse case scenario you’d end up actually needing a healer.” He chuckled softly. “Well, maybe not; I can’t be sure of it, but if I were to bet... I’ve seen him pissed off once...” Irvin trailed off with a shrug, saying any more beyond that would be going into a subject he and Jake had both made sure to not discuss again after their first conversation in the dungeons. It was better this way. “Nothing interesting yet?” He asked, glancing towards the copied journal in Darren’s hands as he heard the guy mumble to himself.

Darren snickered, shaking head to Irvin’s comment about needing a healer. “Fate..is fate...no?” He smiled, his eyes never leaving the pages before him, yet he paused thinking on his own words a moment and shrugged. Darren’s amusement faded some, accompanied by a long sigh. “Well..the bits I remember that I’m currently re-writing, he starts with talking about the moment he first laid eyes on this girl. He makes it sound….’Romantic’ and then he writes about some memory I think and it basically talks about how he was screwing around with another girl when he began his infatuation with this other girl. Normally confidence is reassuring..well suppose to be...but it just comes off as eerie.” Darren cleared his throat. “Guess you’d have to know him to think otherwise..” He went silent a few moments, staring up at Irvin as if he could see through him before blinking and breaking himself out of his own trance. “...Remember what I told you about what I see when holding that journal? There’s also…’This’... He cracked his neck, stretching some as he pointed to a symbol on the page and began flipping through the pages, revealing the same symbol almost on every page in a section here in the back..Have you seen it before? Not sure if it stands for something...or someone…”

Several minutes went by in silence before Darren abruptly blurted, “It’s strange. I had what I needed. Clothes on my back, an education. He never hit me. But I always hated him. When he found out I was…”Enlightened”, he wasn’t scared or worried. He went out and found me the best tutor he could who was more of a father, ideally, than this guy was.” A bitter tone creeped into in his voice. It was somewhat unlike him until he shrugged it off, cracking his knuckles before jotting down another sentence or two. “..Maybe I shouldn’t complain. I mean, others have had it a lot harder than myself, if I really think about it.” Again he fell silent, his blue eyes floating furiously over the page as he worked to catch up with what he already knew. His fingers automatically penning those familiar bits, his mind wandering back to the first time he remembered resenting his Father. Darren actually withdrew into himself a bit, zoning out all other noises while thinking on that night long ago when he was still a small child.

Irvin stood quietly watching the waters of the river as Darren spoke, only looking away when his attention was drawn to the symbol on the journal. He remembered finding it somewhat familiar while making the copy, not like something he had seen before exactly, but as if it reminded him of something else he had seen. He still couldn’t remember what was so familiar about it though. For a while he zoned out, trying to find a connection somewhere, his eyes closing for a moment in concentration, but he failed to find an answer as to why the symbol seemed so familiar to him. Prior to his arrest he had been nearly everywhere in Blackpond, and while he had met some rather questionable people in some places, some of which wore sigils to identify them as part of a group, and none of those were anything like this. In the end, his only conclusion was that he didn’t really know if he had seen the symbol somewhere before or not and he said nothing on the subject, only responding to what Darren spoke next about his father, heaving a small sigh as he absently started to pace around. “My father was a really good dad, a shit of a human being as we came to find out, but he was a really good dad while he was around. I’m not sure Ems would remember it, but I do. After my mom died, and things got a bit too difficult... He ran off, like all good cowards eventually do... When we were informed he had died, we refused to give him a funeral... My brother and I... We told the healers to just shove him underground anywhere; I don’t even know where. That was awhile ago, I haven’t hated him for some time now, and I think, maybe, he didn’t deserve that.” Irvin stopped walking and shook his head. “I don’t really know much about family as it’s supposed to be, is the point I’m trying to make... What I’ve learned from mine is that even when I hate them, in some level I still love them. In some point in the past, maybe. I don’t think I’ll care where my brother’s buried when his bullshit catches up with him, but I’m sure, I’ll still feel something. If you think about it, and you can’t say the same of your father, maybe he’s just never really been family to you.”

Darren heaved a sigh and was silent for quite some time as he mulled over Irvin’s words, unveiling another couple pages beneath his fingers before he spoke. “I think I know what you mean...and can’t really blame you for how you feel with all that. With me..” He dropped the pen into the book and closed it in a bit of frustration. “I feel guilty to give a shit about someone who can be a shit of human being. But therein lies the problem. Do we judge a person only by how they treat you personally? Do we judge only based on their actions in the world? I can’t help but feel sick around him…” Darren growled, ruffling up his curls before opening up the journal once again. “What the hell...does this mean?!” He muttered in frustration, flipping through the pages to another section he could tell was a log of sorts, probably for transactions. It was the bit the Captain had been making progress on but he had no clue where to start. Pointing at a few different entries in the pages he began explaining some of what was plaguing his mind, to Irv.

“Here..he talks about how he got into his business and how he became so successful. But again..he doesn’t quite give all the details or write exactly what he means. There’s mention of him and a group of men struggling to trade merchandise but it not making enough money so they wanted to go bigger. Here…” He paused to point at another entry. “..He talks about the deal of a lifetime to secure his business and refers to the merchandise as cattle. This is all dated years and years before I was even born. Asher even admits to stealing and taking opportunity at others misfortunes. He has a colorful way of talking about it. Listen to this.. ...The Great Dragon purged the Stone of it’s infestation. I don’t deny even though I wasn’t the one to unleash the Beast, I did partake in it’s spoils. The one who held the Beast’s leash whispered death into my ear and told me if I gathered the Cattle before they scattered, the riches would be endless. And so, I became another asset to a trade that had always hovered just beneath the surface. Except, it wasn’t too long until I was the best at it. Who would have dreamed it would lead me to ‘HER’. I had to save the one with eyes that glowed, like a lightning storm at sea. I didn’t care if she was ‘Tainted’. Her home was doomed. I knew the Great Dragon would take her soul either way so I felt I was her only hope.”

Darren stood abruptly, shoving the journal into his jacket as he began storming off back towards camp. He feared he knew what ‘Cattle’ stood for but he needed to know for sure. He needed to know what dwelled in the other pages. Darren didn’t care if he had to travel all over Valcrest to find the answers, but first he was going to find the Captain. He couldn’t wait with Irvin for Jake to return. It was eating at him to know and he needed to know, NOW.

============================

[The Plains - 4 days after Castle Ball]

”Just let go of yourself, love... And don’t fear...” A whisper echoed in the depths of a weary mind; calm, persistent, painful... “Don’t let go... I’m not ready...” The past had the most cruel ways to remind us that it will never truly die. “...I’m right here... Trust me...” No matter how hard you try to keep it buried, it always finds it way through to the surface; all it takes is one word, one scent, a familiar melody someone whistle to themselves as they pass... The simplest things can carry a lot of power. The most insignificant things can open wounds within a person’s soul they may never be able to fully heal.

“What are you thinking about?”

Alistair’s voice sounded in Ali’s ears, pulling her into the present moment rather abruptly. She opened her eyes to face the man with a slightly apologetic smile; she had been ignoring him for a considerable amount of time now. Slowly the present scenario and situation all came back to Ali; the familiar crumbled walls of what was once someone’s home, shattered much like hers had been, the sun flooding the mossy stone ground of the wrecked house through where there used to be a roof. She had been sitting there quite a while with Alistair, the man trying technique after technique to ease the pain that still lingered in her right arm. After the ball was over Ali only took the time to retrieve some of her things and change into her normal clothing before going straight to the healers. There was something about how the pain was manifesting that felt odd to her; odd and a bit frightening, and she suddenly remembered what Jake had told her about Isaac. It had been a few days since she arrived, the pain fits becoming increasingly frequent in that short period of time, which was concerning even if their intensity was not yet debilitating. Annie had been more and more busy since the ball, and when she wasn’t tending to someone or something, she was in the archives. So Ali had been spending most of her time with Alistair in the ruins, trying to find something that would effectively relieve her pain.

“I was thinking... I can almost smell Spring.” Ali finally responded, taking in a long deep breath.

Alistair chuckled. “Oh? There’s still some time until Spring though.” He stated simply. “How do you feel?” He questioned.
“Not the Spring to come, Al, no... I can almost smell the Spring when my dad taught me to swim in the river... I was so terrified... So afraid that the current would take me away...” Ali paused her speech to wince slightly, her eyes glancing at the needles poking through the skin of her hand. “It doesn’t feel as bad as it looks.” She responded.
“Mhmm.” Alistair responded. “And how did the swimming lesson go?” He asked, encouraging her to keep her attention away from what he was doing.
“Dad talked me into the river, I remember him telling me that he was going to let go of my hand, and reminding me not to be afraid... To let myself go and not struggle. He’d say the easiest way to truly control fate is to first surrender to it. I was rather reluctant, to say the least.” Ali sighed wearily. “We’ve known each other for years and I always wanted to ask you... You know... About those scars of yours.”
Alistair flinched slightly, staring at Allison in silence for almost a full minute as if trying to decide whether or not he should answer her. Eventually though he shrugged. “Let’s just say that my father’s way of teaching us life lessons was not the same as yours.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Ali mumbled.
“I’m over it.” Alistair stated simply. “It’s in the past, so it can no longer hurt me.”
Ali chuckled softly at the man’s response. “You make it sound so simple when you say it like that, but it’s really not, is it?”
“No. No it isn’t.” Alistair replied, beginning to remove the needles from Ali’s hand and dropping them inside a glass jar. “For some people, most people I suppose... Parts of their history will always hurt them, will always burn, and usually it’s not because they are too weak to move on, but because there is something to be learned still from the past. It’s like being afraid of the dark for years and then finally realizing that darkness doesn’t change the world around it, it simply takes away your perception. Pain is darkness; it twists our perception, but it changes nothing.”
“Are you saying that there is no amount of pain that can change a person, Al?” Ali questioned, a skeptical look in her eyes as she stared at him.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying exactly. I’m saying that when you learn something about your past, it doesn’t change the events, but it changes your way of seeing the past. Sometimes pain keeps us from truly seeing things as they are, or were. Facts are facts, Allison, and we as emotional beings tend to overlook that.”
“Facts can be manipulated, Al... Go to Newhaven and ask anyone in the streets what happened to their King and you’ll see what I mean.” Ali muttered, slowly opening and closing her fist. The pain had subsided, some, for the moment, but she wasn’t feeling confident.
“Yes, facts can be manipulated, but so can emotions. Your childhood friend, what was his name, do you think those people used facts to manipulate him? Do you think there’s anything logical about this War? We are being manipulated, Heart and Mind, from birth. All we can really do for ourselves is move on and hope we’re not screwing things up any further than necessary.”
“Wow, you’re so optimistic.” Ali stated in a friendly tone of sarcasm. She understood that Alistair made a good point and everything he had said just made a great deal of sense to her. “Is this why you left the Shadows? You’ve gotten too skeptic for them?”
“Why are you so interested in me today, hm?” Alistair chuckled softly. “Let’s just say I left to spare Annie the trouble of kicking me out. I violated the rules in a way that would be impossible for anyone to ignore. I endangered a patient’s health and what I did could have caused serious repercussions.” He shrugged. “It worked, so I suppose it was worth it.”
“You did something even Annie would consider too much to save a person’s life?”
“It’s not what I did, it’s how I did it. There are some substances that are banned from use by the Shadows for being too dangerous to the patient’s well-being, they are considered not to be worth it for the side effects they bring... I don’t disagree with that, but... In that situation I felt I needed to try harder.”
“Must’ve been someone really special.” Ali smiled, patting him on the shoulder as she stood from her seat, feeling the need to stretch her legs. She knew she should have gone back to the Raven’s camp by now; that’s where she told Crys she would be, but for some reason she felt more at ease in the plains right now. More and more she was finding it difficult to leave the healer’s camp. “Hmm...” Ali mumbled, an amused smile crossing her features as she caught sight of a young girl watching them from behind the remains of a crumbled wall. “...Don’t look now, but I think we’re being watched.”
Alistair chuckled. “Yes, that’s a new arrival... We don’t know much about her, she hasn’t talked to anyone since she got here. she lurks though as you’ve already noticed.”
“She’s afraid of something, or someone.” Ali mumbled. “Her heart is racing and her eyes... Are searching for something... Like she’s waiting for it to jump out of the shadows and take her away.”
“That’s... Pretty specific.” Alistair pointed out, sounding both amused and impressed at her assessment. “It seems like she is really here running or hiding from someone, but I can’t be sure of anything. Annie is the only one who knows anything about where she came from or how she got here, and she’s not answering any questions about it. She says the less we know the better for the kid.” Alistair shrugged as though that was more than enough of an explanation for him. “She’s not the first to come here in fear of something, or someone; as you put it. And these are rather dark times we are living, I’m afraid.”
“Mhm.” Ali mumbled in agreement, standing from the bit of debris she’d been sitting on and retrieving her bag from where it was laying on the floor at her feet. “Do you mind walking back to camp by yourself, Al? I’ll be right behind you.”
“Sure.” The man chuckled. “I’ll tell Annie to come find you when she has a free moment.”
“That’d be great, we haven’t had much time to talk since I came over.” Ali agreed, waving at the girl and causing her to hide behind the fallen wall. “Run along now, Al... If you don’t mind.”
Alistair snickered, shaking his head and simply starting to wander off in the direction of the White Shadows’ camp, leaving Ali behind.

Ali stood for a moment or two watching her friend walk away, a part of her mind still wondering about the things he had said. Alistair had always been a bit of a mysterious character, he didn’t like to talk about himself much and had the annoying habit of dodging questions all assassins knew too well, it was surprising that she had actually managed to get something out of him. After a moment or two Ali smirked and turned to catch the girl watching her again, the kid immediately winced and hid again at being spotted. Ali snickered under her breath as she calmly paced around the opposite end of the wall from where the girl was peeking, pretty much sneaking up on her from behind. “Hello. Fine day today, huh?” She greeted. It was indeed a lovely sunny day; not too cold, but not yet warm, just a glimpse of the upcoming spring on the horizon. The girl didn’t answer, seeming to cower a bit at Ali’s presence, her expression showing clearly that she’d like to run away, but didn’t have the courage to move. Ali sighed softly and sat on the ground with her back against the wall, not staring directly at the girl, but watching her movements with the corner of her eyes as she continued to talk. “I used to hang around here a lot when I was a kid, especially in the spring, you know... I liked to chase butterflies and try to catch them with my bare hands... Sometimes I’d waste a day on it and not catch a single one, but it was fun.” As she spoke, she pulled her sketchbook from her bag and a small piece of charcoal and started to sketch, calmly humming to herself every now and then. This went on for a while, as though Ali was waiting to see if the girl would try to leave, and when she was sure the kid wasn’t going anywhere Ali resumed her talking. “I’m not much of an artist, really...I have a friend, and she can really draw, I’m not really that talented, but every time I come here, I look at these ruins and I try to picture what Blackhurst was like, the villages with the homes still standing, with people inside, children playing in the streets... I really want to try and sketch it, but I never feel like I would be able to get it just right. My dad used to say that if you sketch something and then build a model of it, using the right measurements, you can actually know how to build it for real. He was a really skilled guy, my dad... He built a lot of houses when he was younger... He built our house with his bare hands... That sounds really nice, right? To actually build something instead of tearing it down...” The words were followed by a few more moments of silent sketching, a mumble escaping Ali here and there amongst her humming. Even though she appeared quite focused in what she was doing, and in fact she was, she still glanced away from the sketchbook in the direction of the younger girl here and there; the teenager quickly looking the other way in those occasions, but clearly quite interested in peeking at what Ali was drawing.

“Hmmm...” Ali mumbled, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she stared at the page, sighing softly as she dropped the sketchbook on the ground beside her and slowly turned it around so it was facing the girl. “What do you think? It’s a very rough sketch, and mostly from memory, but this is where I used to live when I was kid.”

“Where is it?” The girl finally spoke, reaching for the sketchbook to get a closer look at the drawing.
“Not far from here, a few miles east.” Ali replied simply, not seeming too surprised that the girl was suddenly speaking to her.
“Can we go there?” The girl asked, pushing the sketchbook back towards Ali.
“Not right now, I have to go back to the camp, but tomorrow I can walk you there, if you’d like.”
“Okay.” She agreed staring at Ali for a long while in silence before starting to voice some of her curiosity. “You’re not a healer, are you?”
“No. I’m an assassin.” Ali replied simply, retrieving the sketchbook and tucking it away inside her bag.
“You don’t look like an assassin.” The girl pointed out.
“I’d be a terrible assassin if I looked like an assassin.” Ali retorted. “Out of curiosity though, what do I look like to you?”
“A teacher, maybe.”
Ali laughed out at the girl’s response, seriously amused to hear it. “Oh? That’s funny... That’s really funny.” She sighed. “So, do you have a name?”
The girl stared at Ali in silence at the question, simply shaking her head and not answering.
“No? Should I give you one then? How about Fluffy? Or... Hm... Cookie...?”
“Emily.” The girl muttered. “My name is Emily.”

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

[Blackpond, 5 days after the Castle Ball - Afternoon]

Jake couldn’t help but snicker under his breath as he entered the old building. On the outside it seemed just as abandoned as it had been the past few months, but on the inside the place was starting to come back to life. Dim lighting flickered on the corners of the room as to not draw outside attention to the movement of about seven or eight assassins cleaning and organizing the space back into something resembling a bar. Crys was away at the moment, he’d made sure to miss her at first; he’d come back later to speak with her, and maybe she’d share with him some of her intentions in reclaiming the old Blackpond Inn. At the moment however, Jake was there to speak with someone else.

“Well, look who it is! How have you been, my friend!?” A smiling man exclaimed, rushing over and pulling Jake into an over-friendly and outrageously tight hug. “If you’re looking for Crys she just went out a couple of minutes ago. Don’t ask me where to or what for... She hasn’t exactly given us the details of why we’re setting up shop here.”
“I’m alright, Nicholas, as much as anyone can be in times like these.” Jake replied with an amused chuckle. “And while I’m very interested in what Crys may be up to, my curiosity is not the only thing that brought me here... I need a favor.”
“Oh? Do tell.” Nicholas smiled curiously, pulling a chair that was perched upside down on the countertop and placing it by one of the few clean tables, motioning for Jake to sit. Jake wasn’t planning on staying very long, but he took the seat that was offered to him, watching as Nicholas pulled a chair for himself to sit across from him. “Unfortunately we don’t have any booze to sell or offer yet, but Crys has been negotiating supplies, for what I hear... I don’t know how she does it, but the merchants seem to always be willing to deal with her, even the ones who are refusing to trade in the city.”
“Crys would have been a wonderful diplomat if she hadn’t been born a Wolf.” Jake agreed with a little smirk. “I plan on running this by her later, by the way, but I wanted to speak with you as well since you’re pretty much acting as a second in command here, for what I can see.”
“I wouldn’t put it in those terms; I’ve been put in charge of the Inn, yes, but mostly because there’s no one else to do it. Evin is off doing his own thing as usual, Ali is still hanging around your Raven people in the woods, Travis is running a small group in Newhaven, so yeah... I’m the only responsible adult left.”
“Responsible? Oh come on, man.” Jake teased, pulling a flask from his pack and taking a swig before offering the man some. “This person I... Chatted with... After the Castle Ball told me about these guys... They seem to be enforcers of some sort, they dress in different shades of Red... Others have seen them roaming the city, I’d much like to find out who they work for.”
“I see...” Nicholas mumbled, taking a drink and returning the flask to him. “We haven’t seen anyone like that around here, but if they’ve been ‘enforcing’ around the city I’m pretty sure we’ll run into one of them soon enough.”
“I’d appreciate it if you send me notice when that happens... I have a friend in need of answers, not to mention I have a question or two myself.”
“Oh, what about? If we overhear anything, once the bar is open, I can let you know.” Nicholas offered.
“I don’t think they’d be that careless, for what I understand they’ve been at it for way too long for that, but... If you hear anything, anything at all, about child disappearances or abductions, let me know right away.”
“Children, Jake?” Nicholas asked, his smile fading fast, green eyes examining Jake as if searching for whatever information he was leaving out. “Alright... Whatever you need as long as Crys agrees.” He said, in a tone of warning.
“Don’t worry. Nothing will be done without the Alpha’s approval... Twins forbid we invoke her wrath.” Jake answered with a little smirk. “Now, if you’ll excuse me... I have someone I need to see and I’m afraid if I don’t hurry I will lose him.”
“Another ‘chat’? Aren’t you the social butterfly, eh?” Nicholas joked, nodding his agreement to Jake’s departure. “You’re stopping by afterwards to see Crys?”
“She left me a note at the stables when I went to drop Shadow off asking to meet later tonight. I’ll be heading straight there as soon as I’m finished with this guy, I can’t say for sure when it’ll be though.” He shrugged. “If it gets too late and she decides not to wait I’ll try to stop by in the morning instead, but... Ideally I’ll be going back to the forest by then.”
“Why leave us so soon, man? I’m starting to think you like those Ravens better than us.” Nicholas chuckled, patting Jake on the arm as he stood up.
“Just don’t make me choose and we’ll be fine.” Jake stated simply, standing up himself. “Have fun with the clean-up.”
“Oh, I always have fun.” Nicholas stated cheerfully. “Hope all goes well... With your chat.”
Jake snickered as he crossed the door to the basement of the Inn to reach the passage to the city sewers; the only way in and out of the building at the moment. “That depends on one’s definition of ‘well’, my friend.”

[Blackpond, 5 days after the Castle Ball, late night]

It was late at night, a lot later than Jake expected it would be, and yet he was surprised to find Crys still waiting where she had asked him to meet her for their talk... An odd choice of location it was, the city graveyard, but it did make sense; at this late hour it was empty and easy to see and hear anyone’s approach at a considerable distance. Being as late as he was, Jake was sure she would have left already, even if he had warned her of the possibility of a delay; Crys hadn’t exactly been the most patient with him as of late. He couldn’t help a hint of a smile from crossing his features as soon as his eyes caught the sight of her; only a cloaked figure in the distance, but a very distinctive one. She was still there, she had waited for him, and he couldn’t help but think that it had to count for something.
Thin rain was pouring silently over the city cemetery, cold chills making their way up Jake’s spine causing him to shiver as the water began to soak through his shirt. He left his cloak behind at his previous meeting, completely forgetting the rain, and now he was starting to regret not going back for it. As he paced his way within hearing distance of Crys he could hear her take in a long deep breath exhaling in a soft sigh. Jake continued to walk until he was standing right beside her, his eyes automatically trying to catch the name on the nearest grave as he whispered a greeting. “Hey. I’m sorry I took so long, didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”
“It’s becoming a habit with us, isn’t it?” She replied calmly, her tone playful and surprisingly showing no trace of the sharp coldness Jake had pretty much come to expect lately. “How are you, Jake?”
“I suppose it is.” Jake replied, a bit confused with the peaceful tone of the conversation in comparison to their previous encounters. “I’m tired, it’s been a long night, but can’t quite complain.”
“Oh? Is that why you smell like you just came out of a cheap brothel?” Crys asked, holding back a little smirk as she turned to face him. “Long night indeed.”
“I was meeting with a contact, Crys... And should I be wondering how you know what a cheap brothel smells like?” Jake replied, an intrigued note to his voice.
Crys chuckled under her breath, purposely ignoring Jake’s question. “Hm, was this ‘contact’ of yours a patron or an employee in this fine establishment you visited? And might I ask what was the nature of your meeting, or was it a private matter?
Jake smiled shaking his head in amusement for a moment but not helping a sigh, his smile fading as he thought back on the events of the night. “He was a patron, and our meeting was of a rather unfriendly nature. I wouldn’t call it private, rather I would say it was a personal matter that led me to this particular individual. It’s not something I’d like to go into details about.”
Crys nodded, her green eyes staring empty at Jake for what seemed like a very long time before she spoke again. “What’s happening? Last time your voice sounded like this... It had to do with Jessica, but... It can’t be about that, now can it? You’ve already finished that years ago.”
Jake groaned under his breath. “You know me way too well, Crys.” He mumbled. “It has nothing to do with Jess... Well... Maybe not nothing, but it’s not about her death. For the first time in a very long time it’s not about that.”
“Hm... Cryptic.” Crys said simply, not going into the subject any further. “Have you killed the man, Jake?”
“Yes, I...” Jake’s sentence was cut short as he suddenly turned away from Crys and sneezed rather loudly, the sound seeming to travel beyond the cemetery grounds and across the dark alleyways of the city. “...Sorry.” He mumbled, sniffing softly before moving on with what he was trying to say. “Yes, I killed him. I didn’t go there with that particular intent, but... It’s just... It’s complicated.”
“Well, Jakey, like you said; I know you. You are the most controlled person in the world until you make something personal. Then you look back once you’ve cooled down and you doubt yourself, and that’s what makes your voice sound like that, you’re thinking: ‘Did I really have to go that far?’.” Not waiting for Jake to answer Crys reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him to walk with her. “Come on, lets go back to the bar, you need to get out of the rain. We can talk on the way. What happened to your cloak, Jake?”
Jake didn’t answer to Crys’ observations and how accurate they were, he knew he didn’t need to tell her she was right, and he was just glad she didn’t question him further, or seemed upset for his reluctance to talk more about what he had done that night. It’s not that he wouldn’t be willing to tell her everything, but he knew that this would raise questions he didn’t want to answer just yet. He smiled gently as she took his arm and they started to walk, it all felt strangely normal. He was wet and cold and he could feel himself shiver, but he couldn’t bring himself to care about it. “I left my cloak behind, I’m afraid. I knew I was already late so I decided not to go back for it.” He replied. “I’m alright... After everything I doubt a little bit of rain will be what kills me.” He played.
“Don’t joke like that, Jakey.” Crys scolded. “You know I care about you, even if you’re an idiot, even when I hate you... So you’ll take care of yourself, or so help me... I’ll break that pretty face of yours.”
Jake laughed out, not because he doubted the threat, but because he was just so happy to hear it. “You can do with me as you wish and I’ll die a happy bastard, Crystal.” He answered amongst chuckles. “You know that well.”
Crys simply shook her head, sighing softly at his words. but not responding. “I want to know what is this Nicholas tells me about child disappearances. Who are these people you’re after, Jake?”
“I don’t know who they are, and exactly what they’re after, but the guy I confronted tonight mentioned them as well, the men in red, and a connection to child slavery... Prostitution... Kids, Crys... Stuff that dates back to when I was little... And I can’t not take this personally. I can’t be reasonable about it... I just want these people destroyed. I want them to burn for this a thousand times.”
“Then they’ll burn; every last one. We’ll see to it.” Crys agreed nodding as if she had agreed to something a lot more ordinary than destroying actual lives. She didn’t question why Jake was taking this so personally, even though it was clear as day he wasn’t telling her everything; she simply gave his arm a comforting squeeze and continued to lead him towards the Inn. “I assume you cleaned up after yourself tonight?”
Jake was taken a bit by surprise at the questioning, but he nodded affirmatively. “Of course, although I don’t think there’s anyone out there who will care for this guy’s death.”
“You can never know, Jake; if these people are as dangerous as you say, they may see you coming after them. What about the cloak, can it be traced to you somehow? Did someone see your face?”
“The cloak, I don’t think so... Unless if someone could trace by scent, or some form of telepathy, like Darren...” Jake mumbled. “The barkeep saw my face and... one of the women was in the room with the guy... I paid her off to leave.”
“You gave her your cloak, didn’t you?” Crys asked, not waiting for a reply. “You should have gone back for it.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t wait.” Jake shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, and if they come after me, well... It may just make things easier.”
“Don’t be arrogant, Jacob.” Crys muttered. “If these people have been doing this as long as you say then they’ll know how to cover their tracks. If you want them to pay, really pay, you need to be smart about this... Or as smart as you can be, anyway.”
“I suppose. Would you rather I go back for the cloak?” Jake asked, smirking slightly as he waited for an answer.
“I’d rather go back for it myself.” Crys replied, a menacing sharpness crossing her tone.
Jake chuckled. “Well, I don’t really know this woman, not even sure I can recognize her face, but if you want to go through the trouble. It’s a long shot that the cloak can be traced to me, and she probably tossed it; why would she keep it?”
“Oh, I don’t know Jake... Women tend to cling to you sometimes...” Crys muttered, shooting him a bit of an annoyed glare. “And I wonder why is it you didn’t pay much attention to her face.”
“Well, I can’t help it if I’m adorable.” Jake replied playfully. “And call me paranoid, but when I’m holding a knife to someone I tend to pay attention to what I’m doing.”

“You paranoid little man!” Crys teased, shaking her head as they reached the old building. The front door was still sealed, Crys led him towards a side entrance that he was pretty sure didn’t originally exist; or maybe it did and no one ever showed him before. The entrance was actually through the basement of a nearby building from which a tunnel extended leading to the Inn’s wine cellar. The cellar had not been cleaned up yet, it smelled moldy and in the dark Jake could hear rats scurrying around the stone floors, it made him a bit uneasy but Crys didn’t seem at all fazed as she walked him to the stairs that led to the empty storage room. The Inn was dead silent, and even before they reached the bar Jake could tell that all of Crys’ people had left the place a while ago, he wondered where they were sleeping. “Where is everyone?”
Crys released Jake’s arm as they reached the bar and nodded towards the stairs that led to the second floor. “Some are scattered across the city, gathering information, making contacts, those who are off duty are camped in the woods just outside the city. This place is still not fit to house many people, but we’re working on it. So far we have most of the bar and a couple of rooms cleared up, and an empty pantry... Far from working conditions.” She smiled leading him towards the last door of the hall; a room more secluded, almost separated from the rest. “I’m the only one staying here... At least for a couple of days.”
“A beautiful woman like you alone in an abandoned building, you know... I can’t allow that.” Jake played, following after her into the room and being immediately struck in the face by a thick blanket.
“Get rid of your wet clothes, Jake.” Crys said simply, hanging her wet cloak by the fireplace and working on lighting the fire.
Jake took off his boots, stripped off his tunic, undershirt, and pants, laying them near the fire, but out of Crys’ way as she stepped away from the rising flames. It took him a few minutes to rid himself of all his weapons and remove all the leather sheaths containing his needles; some of them in need of refilling as Jake hadn’t had time to gather ingredients the past couple of weeks. When Jake was finally wearing nothing but his underpants, he wrapped the blanket around himself, scooting a bit closer to the fire and rubbing his arms to try and warm himself faster. The room was dimly lit by the light of the fireplace, but even with the poor visibility it was noticeable that it was meticulously clean and organized. As Jake examined his surroundings Crys had sat in the lumpy mound that was her bed and was examining the sword that Jake had left carefully by his other weapons. “Do you ever use this one? You’re not much of a swordsman are you?”
Jake snickered slowly pacing his way to the bed and sitting beside her, keeping a respectful distance between them. “I’m a man of many skills, as you know, but you’re right... I haven’t used this one in a while. I assure you though; the blade is very well preserved.”
“I believe you Jakey.” Crys smiled momentarily before setting the sword down. “You’re a sentimental person, that is one trait we share.”
Jake smiled, nodding at her words. “You know, I don’t understand why you’re here, I mean... I don’t get why the sudden interest in Blackpond.”
“You don’t? Really?” Crys asked, seeming a bit confused by his questioning. “I thought that of all people you’d understand, Jake. When I parted with the Wolfpack I told myself that we would remain true to what the clan is meant to stand for and now... It has never been clearer to me that I failed to fulfill my own promises. I failed as a leader for overlooking what has been happening to this city. If our purpose is to maintain balance, to keep this land from falling apart, then this is where I need to be right now. Newhaven still has someone; they have Mageria and her people, they have the White Knights, bound by law as they may be... Who do these people have, Jake? The people in Blackpond... Who fights for them? You did have a point in some of the things you said to me when you left, angry and cruel as they might have been.”
Jake winced at her words, pulling away and nearly turning his back at her as he mumbled. “You know I didn’t mean any of that, Crys...”
“You meant some of it... It’s alright. I may be angry at you for a thousand reasons, but that particular exchange isn’t one of them.” She mumbled in reply, also turning away from him so that they were almost back to back. Silence lingered between the two for what seemed like a long while until Jake attempted to speak, Crys cutting him off by abruptly standing and walking a few steps away from the bed. “You can take the bed, if you want to stay... The ground is probably more comfortable anyway.”
“Crys...” Jake sighed, running his hands over his eyes. “We’re going to have to talk about it eventually.”
“I’m tired Jake, it’s late... It’s a bad idea to start this conversation now. We both know nothing has changed.” Crys replied softly, distracting herself with the task of piling up couple of blankets on the floor to make a bed. “I’ll go to sleep and you’ll be off before I wake up... I’ll be mad at you for it and you’ll feel bad about it, but when we meet again it’ll be almost as though it never happened and for a while we’ll pretend it hasn’t happened... until one of us remembers and we find ourselves in the exact same place again, only a few years later... I’m tired, Jake. I can only run around in circles so far before everything starts to just feel... Meaningless...”
“Meaningless...” Jake whispered under his breath. “Meaningless?” He repeated raising his voice a bit as he turned to stare at her. “You don’t mean that.”
Crys shook her head. “I love you, Jacob... I’ll always love you, I just... I don’t know if I want to keep doing this with you.”
“Oh, and then what? We’ll pretend to just be friends from now on, is that it? Because let’s face it; no matter what, we’ll always be in each other’s lives.”
“I don’t know what. All I know is that we can’t keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results... That’s the very definition of insanity, Jake.” Heaving a weary sigh she shrugged as she kicked off her boots and plopped down on her makeshift bed to stare up at him. “We don’t have to settle this right now... Just go to sleep. I’m sure you’d like to be on the road as soon as the sun rises.”

[Blackpond, 6 days after the Castle Ball, early morning]

Papa Roach - Carry Me (Acoustic)

The sun was yet to rise over the city of Blackpond, the room was dead silent aside from the sound of calm and steady breathing. Jake had already dressed, retrieved all of his weapons, put on his boots, he was all set to leave, but yet he continued to sit on the lumpy bed from where he had watched Crys through most of the night; unable to fall asleep once again. Although this time he couldn’t blame his inability to get a decent rest entirely on his insomnia; Crys wasn’t joking when she said the bed was uncomfortable, if he wasn’t so concerned with what lines he may or not cross by doing so he would have taken the space on the floor beside her, but as it was he decided it was better to not risk it.

The moonlight had already faded, and the room was darker now in the early hours of the morning than it had been through some of the night, but even so Jake could easily make out the sleeping figure curled up on the floor. Crys had her back turned to him stubbornly even in her sleep, but she was absolutely relaxed and peaceful, unmoving except for the slow and constant motion caused by deep breaths. Jake smiled as he watched her, recalling her words to him the night before. “I don’t want to leave.” He whispered. “I really don’t, Crys. I just want to sit here and wait for the Sun. Wait for you to wake up, for that moment; that split second, when you smile because you realize I’m still here. That fraction of a moment just before you shut down and go back to resenting me again. I know you’re still sleeping, probably; if you’re not, you’re going to pretend you are, because you don’t want to talk to me, but either way, I know you can hear me, and I need you to let me say this without reminding me that this isn’t the right time, or that it changes nothing.” Jake sighed softly, hiding his face in his hands as he continued. “I don’t want to leave, but right now I have to go tell a kid that I have no idea where to start looking for his little sister without completely destroying his hopes of ever finding her, I have to do what I can to help the Guard, I need... I need to find some answers for myself before I go completely insane, and I absolutely need to stop hiding from my past; after tonight I know for a fact there’s just no other choice. It has to happen, it should have happened long ago. I really don’t know where all of this will leave us, but... One day, hopefully before it’s too late... One day, Crys, we’re going to sit under the stars somewhere, like we always used to do, and I will tell you everything. I’ll tell you all those things you always wanted to know and everything I still need to say, and when I do, then you’ll understand. I know you will. You’ll understand, because you are the kindest, most beautiful, person I have ever known. Special is a difficult word to use in this place, but trust me... There’s no one else in this world quite as special as you, quite as wonderful as you. I always need you, I always want to see you, and no matter what happens the simple fact that you exist is the one thing that keeps me sane. And I know it doesn’t make sense right now, but one day... One day, I know you’ll understand.”

Jacob fell silent, a muffled groan escaping past his lips as he forced himself to stand up, a lingering sense of defeat following him out of the room like a shadow. More and more he was tired of always finding himself in this position; always leaving and never getting anywhere. It was getting harder and harder for Jake to tell himself something, anything, would ever come of their feeble attempts at serving a greater good. It was as if the little bit of faith he had left was starting to curl up in a dark corner of his mind to agonize, just because he was way too stubborn to just put it out of its misery already. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on it though, right now he just had to go home.

-Before Luckas goes and talks with Ella –

Mageria sat serenely in the Council chamber, smiling at the men who shuffled in. There was more than one who stared at her in disgust and disbelief. There was also more than a hint of rage in her smile. One by one they all sat down.

Adolf, one of the senior Councilmen was the one who sat forward and cleared his throat. “Cap….ahem. Lady Mageria. You have been exiled and stripped of your rank. Why is it that you now see fit to sit here, with us?” He waved one hand at the rest of the Council. Mageria had always liked Adolf, which was why she kept her tone respectful. “With all due respect to the Council. I left because the Queen asked me to, not because I was exiled. The Black Knights cannot be exiled. They may only be executed, and that by one of their own rank. It is in the laws set down long ago. She nodded over to Thomas, who sat across from her. “The White Knights have seen fit to welcome us back, during this time of troubles.” She smiled sweetly at the men, watching as they all shifted slightly in their seats. She had never really managed a sweet smile.

After that, ground rules of a sort were laid out. They had sent a fast messenger to the White Shadows, waiting for a telepath to answer the question of what had happened to the Queen. Mageria knew, as so she made as many plans as she could for when they would be forced to imprison the necromancer for the duration of the pregnancy.

-Later-
Thomas scowled at Mageria. “You could have been slightly more diplomatic with them.”
Mageria shrugged and started polishing a nick out of a practice sword. “Diplomacy is your thing. You smile, people trust you. I smile, they start looking for something to hide behind. I’ve never really understood it.”

Thomas rubbed his forehead, feeling the pulse of a migraine that never seemed to go away anymore. “That’s because you don’t smile. You bare your teeth, like you’re about to rip their throats out.”

“I do not!” Mageria exclaimed in slightly shocked and hurt tones.

“Mageria,” Thomas sighed. “You are a woman, in charge of what is well known to be a bloodthirsty amoral much of killers. You yourself confessed to killing the former Captain of the Black Knights, a man who actually earned the reputation that you now enjoy. And you wonder why people are uneasy?”

Mageria looked up and cocked an eyebrow. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

Thomas sighed. “Yes, actually. Things would be better if you weren’t around for a little bit. I can handle things here, I need you to be out of sight for a little bit. Go talk to your people, get them ready for what’s to come. Because it’s going to be hell.”
---------

Luckas was more careful than what was his usual going into he Raven's Nest that morning. He was aware that what he did in the castle had caused some trouble and so he made sure to not run into absolutely anyone on his way in. Of course he couldn't avoid Mageria, in fact he had gone there with every intention of running into her, but he felt it was best to not talk to anyone else before they spoke. So he found the woman, and lurked around her, patiently waiting until he managed to finally catch her alone. He didn't bother pretending the woman didn't know he was there, if she didn't it would be the first time. "Lovely day isn't it, Captain?" He greeted, stepping out from his hiding spot amongst the trees and looking around as if wondering if there was someone else lurking there besides himself. "Feels like we may be having some sunny days ahead, finally."

Mageria had been sitting next to the stream sharpening her sword when Luckas showed up. She had known he was there, of course. She would have known either way, but here in a place where she knew every sound and animal call, it wasn't even difficult. She didn't glance up, didn't pause; just kept pulling the whetstone along the edge of the blade.

"Luckas."

She didn't know why he had come, but given that he was trying so hard to be causal, it wasn't for any good reason.

"I'm thinking of calling you StormCrow. Every time you show up, things seem to go sideways. Why is that?"

"Oh?" Luckas asked, arching an eyebrow and staring at Mageria with an intrigued look in his eyes for a moment before letting a chuckle escape him. "Well, I wonder what reason you would ever have to call me, Captain. Not to mention that, as you probably know, I'm never too far away... I really wouldn't mind though; It's a neat name. Very ominous-sounding." He mused, chuckling some more under his breath. "As you are probably wondering... I'm here, instead of being in the area of the camp I usually prefer to roam, for a particular reason Captain. Ever since Lena's death I've been experiencing some... Episodes... I have these annoying little visions from time to time, and I suddenly know things I was not supposed to know; that only she knew. It's not conscious, I either have random flashes or I suddenly find myself knowing answers to questions I've never bothered to ask before. It's actually pretty useful, aside from being uncomfortable and confusing. Now, for instance, I know that the 'medicine' Lena's pet gave you with the intent to save your life was nothing more than a very powerful sedative mixed with some well chosen hallucinogenics... Opens doors in secluded areas of your mind so you can go inside. That's all it does; once inside you're on your own. None of the people they tried it on before ever awoke. You shouldn't have either. Considering every test ever performed with both my brother's victims and mine, surviving was an impossibility. So the question, this annoying, persistent, question in the back of my head... Remains... How did you do it?" The question hadn't really changed from the last time they had conversed, but the tone behind it was entirely different from the amused curiosity Luckas had always displayed when wondering about the matter; his tone was serious, almost uncharacteristically serious. If there had been an important motive behind his questioning before, it had suddenly become very apparent. If there hadn't been; then something had changed. "I need to know Captain, and if you can't really tell me, then I need to see."

Mageria's hands never slowed, her posture never changed, but there was a sudden tension in the air around her. Her gaze turned inwards for a moment, remembering.

Almost.... almost she could hear a whisper of a voice again.

"Well, if there was noting but some powerful halucenagens, then what happened in my mind wouldn't make much sense, would it? Just the ravings of a mind trying to turn itself inside out. And if nobody else survivned, why did I? Maybe your brother just didn't have a chance to finish what he started. Maybe he just did a bad job on me. And if not, Luckas, why in the name of the Twins do you think I would let you into my head?" Her voice was trying very hard to be causal, but failed slightly. "Your brother didn't manage to drive me to suicide, but I very much doubt that you would be so sloppy."

"For fucks sake." Luckas muttered under his breath, starting to feel a bit of annoyance. "It seems like even though you shared a one-sided telepathic link with my brother for a few moments before you bashed his head in, you still don't get how this works... Here's a few facts then, just for your benefit... Fact one: It is impossible to do this halfway, there is no way of doing a poor job of it, it's something that either is or isn't and in your case it sure as hell was. Fact two: The mind always tries to repair itself one way or another. Usually our consciousness gets in the way, rational thinking gets in the way... Because all it does is focus of the pain. And the pain screams at us to just give in.. And it screams... And screams... And SCREAMS... Until we finally do what it wants, shutting that off is the mind's best chance to heal; hence the sedatives. And hallucinations are simple projections of the things that dwell inside the very places my brother was oh so famous for attacking within his victims' minds. The hallucinogenics, as I said, open the doors to those dark corners where no one likes to go and exposes the problems. Lena was a lot of things, but she was never stupid; the concept was sound, in theory it should have worked, but it simply couldn't have because it just... never... bloody... did. Something was missing. Whatever it was, you seem to have found it and there is no amount of maybes that will erase that fact. So there: It is what it is, Captain. Your mind holds the key; salvation always comes with a fucking price."

Luckas went silent for a moment, taking his time to take a couple of breaths and maintain his tone as calm as he could. "Remember that last time we spoke of this I said that maybe we could help each other... That was just a friendly offer back then, now things have changed. So believe me, because you know I don't lie: You're going to need my help soon enough. As is though, you can either give me what I want, or you'll eventually be forced to kill me, because I'm not going to stop trying. It's as simple as that and you know it. You know that there's a great possibility that my answers fit some of your questions as well. You know that if my goal was to drive you insane or make you suicidal there are many ways I could do that just as easily by using the people around you instead of standing here and asking for permission. You also know that I may be many things as well, Captain, and insane may just be one of those things, but I'm not stupid either."

"I'll need your help Luckas? With what; the fact that I still have nightmares so real that I'll wake up with a sword in my hand? That I once had to start locking myself in my room because I kept waking up wandering the halls fully armed with no clue how I got there? The fact that I sometimes think I'm wading through rivers of blood while everybody I know or love floats past me and I know, I know deep down in the very core of my soul that it's my fault?" Mageria's hands still hasn't hesitated throughout her questions, but the tension in the air around her had become almost unbearable. She brought her sword up and slowly examined the edge of her blade, looking for nicks. Light shivered along the edge, evidence that her hands had started shaking. "Besides which, we've already established that you can't get in my mind. Some sort of mental scar tissue left behind by your dear brother."

"Or maybe you mean something else. What is it you've been doing, Luckas? What trouble have you been stirring up when you leave here?"

Luckas sighed softly, keeping silent for a long while as though he was thinking of words to say when in fact he was attempting to hold in the fit of laughter that inevitably escaped him so violently his knees gave in causing him to fall over. "Oh, excuse me Captain, I couldn't help myself, it's just..." He choked on his words and coughed for a few moments, waiting until he could breath normally before moving on. "I know what that's like, well, sort of... And yes, it's unpleasant, more so for you sentimental types than for someone like me, but... No, I can't help you with that. Well, in theory maybe I could, but I wouldn't consider that a solution to your problem. No... Forget that, we don't want to do that." He chuckled softly, shaking his thoughts away and moving onto more pressing matters. "That's all I will say; you will need my help. You'll know what for when it's time, unless of course you kill me, then you probably will never know. That'd be a shame, but that's just life."

Slowly Luckas stood up straight, wiping some dirt from his clothes as he mumbled. "Your nightmares seem real because you make it so, Captain. All those little things you believe you're to blame for... Well, you are because in your mind, for some stupid reason, at some point you decided to be. Blaming these things on the dead boy is a rather pathetic attitude the way I see it. If you choose to feed your inner demons you have only yourself to blame when they eventually bite your head off." He smirked. "What I'm saying is... You've always been fucked up in the head... You just didn't know it yet. Now you do; you can do something about it or you can sit in a corner when no one is watching and wallow in self-pity, it's not my business which one you go for and I honestly don't care. I have my own fucked up head to worry about and a list of things I'd like to get done before it eventually explodes, soo... Yes, that's true; I can't go into your mind if I try, but that's because you really, really, don't want me to. If you were to let me, then I could. And we would never have to speak of this again, which, believe me, is something I really look forward to. Probably more than you."

Mageria finally sheathed her sword, standing up and turning around. "You're right Luckas. I'm fucked up in the head, quite possibly more than anybody around here realizes." She smiled bitterly. "But you've got me all figured out, don't you? Too bad that you can't see what's right in front of your face. Because if you could, you'd know why I survived." She strapped her sword to her belt in an absent gesture while she talked. "I hope you enjoyed this little chat, Luckas. Because it's as close as you are ever going to get to the inside of my head, ever again." With that she turned and walked back towards the main body of Raven camp, gliding smoothly through the underbrush.

Luckas shook his head, steadily pacing after Mageria as she walked away. "It was not my intention to even try to figure you out, Captain and I never pretended to give enough of shit to go through the trouble, but fine... If you're through talking about yourself, let me ask you something else then, just out of curiosity; after you killed Matthew, what did they do with his body? Did they bury him somewhere or is he still rotting down there where you left him? Do you even know?"

Mageria glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Normally we bury the bodies of prisoners in a cemetery we had set aside for them. Even the condemned deserve a place of remembrance. But after that fight there were too many bodies to bury while the wounded still had to be tended, so they were cremated on a mass pyre and their names were inscribed on the wall."

"Their names..." Luckas muttered under his breath, a hint of disgust crossing his voice. "Fine." He stated simply. "One other reason I've come was to say that I had a chat with poor Little Ella. She finally understands that she's going to have to die, even if she can overpower the necromancer and regain control. Apparently she couldn't figure that one out on her own; as I suspected intelligence isn't much of a requirement to rule a city. At least she has the chance to make her peace with it now. Isn't it a sad day for Valcrest when the only one thoughtful enough to bother with these little details is the psychopath?"

Mageria sighed softly. "I wasn't sure that she could hear anything I would have said and there was no point in speaking to the necromancer. So, thank you for that. Of course, in order to have talked with her, you would have had to have gotten past my people who were guarding the room she was locked in. Given that you still want something from me, I'm guessing that you didn't do anything permanent to them, because you know what I would do to you in return. So. Was there any reason for your conversation and you telling me about it?"

"Don't think my reluctance to harm your people has something to do with this, Captain, or that it'll stop me if one of them... I'm going to assume you'll know who I mean... Gets on my bad side... But your boys at the castle, they just took a little nap. The other dude who walked in on me wasn't as lucky, but that was self-defense." Luckas shrugged simply at the questioning. "I don't know if there was a reason for our conversation, Captain, depends on what you'd consider a valid reason. I did offer to kill her, permanently, but she didn't take up on the offer; probably because of the kid, but then... What kind of life is it going to have anyway? If mommy, uncle, and grandpa are anything to go by... well... Best of luck to the little bugger. And I just thought you'd like to know... That she's not suffering as much as she could be. That's... comforting... I think? Common courtesy is something that hasn't yet died on me, Captain... You did warn me I was being sought after by someone after all; I appreciated that. I think you probably shouldn't have told her you killed Matt though... Sammy really, really, wanted to find us both alive. And she can be a pretty dangerous person when she doesn't get what she wants. Like me, but with less restraints. She didn't say anything, but when she asked me who did it and I said I didn't know, well... She wasn't happy."

Mageria shrugged. "Well, I thought it was better to tell her the truth than to sit there and smile at her before she found out on her own. I take it she has the family talent of getting into people's heads?" She stopped as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Does she know, what happened between your brother and I? And that you can't get in my head?" She tilted her head to the side. "Is that why you want to know what happened so desperately?"

"Family trait?" Luckas chuckled. "First, Sammy said I'm her brother, and in a way that's true, but we're not blood relatives. Second, do you not remember what I've told you Captain? I wasn't born like this... There's not a drop of enlightened blood in my entire family line as far as any known test can tell. That was why Lena spent so much time poking around my mind instead of tossing me in a dungeon cell and that's a part of the reason I need to know what happened. Sammy is enlightened, yes, but what I am, what my brother was... It's something else entirely. Like I said, she hasn't told me anything, I don't usually like to talk about Matthew and she respects that, but if I were to guess... Sammy knows what happened well enough. There's a lot of things she's not quite ready to tell me yet and if there's one thing I've learned these past weeks, however, is that my memory is an incredibly unreliable source of information. So... Maybe, I'll get back to you when I know more. Maybe, because I've already been twice as helpful to you in thirty seconds than you have been to me in months."

Mageria had turned to say something when she stopped suddenly, lips slightly parted as she reran the conversation in her head.

I wasn't born like this... There's not a drop of enlightened blood in my entire family line as far as any known test can tell.

She actually had forgotten that Luckas had told her that; but in her defense, a lot had been happening recently.

"Yes," she whispered, "they would need a lot of children for that......". She turned abruptly and strode quickly to her cabin, stepping over Puppy as he lay across the threshold and climbing the steps to her workroom. Pulling the journal from a cabinet, she started flipping through the pages, searching for a passage that she half remembered.

Luckas frowned, a look of confusion spreading across his features as he watched Mageria freeze in place and then suddenly wander off. "Wait what?" He mumbled, only catching a couple of words she had whispered. He froze for a second while the woman was already walking off, causing him to have to run for a couple of steps to catch up. Following after Mageria to the door of her cabin, Luke stopped for a moment to briefly scratch Puppy's ears before wandering inside and just hanging around there looking really confused, but deciding that he needed to know what exactly had prompted that reaction. "Captain?"

"Hmmm? Oh, sorry, come on up." Mageria's entire demeanor had changed, now that she had a problem that she could work on. She pulled out a think bundle of notes and started laying them out in chronological order. She looked up as Luckas came up the stairs and reached out to pull him over by one arm.
"Here, look at this." She gestured at a map of Valcrest, small carved stones laid out across it. "Each of these marks the place where a village was raided and destroyed over the years. The weird part was..." She started laying the notes from the journal out next to notes from her own records. "The weird part was that we never found enough bodies. An entire village destroyed and all we would find were the people who died during the fighting." She reached out and touched the journal laying to the side. "According to this, though, they were planned as, cargo raids. With people as the main target." She pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear. "But it almost seemed like children were the main target, once you shift through the ramblings of that idiot. Which didn't make any sense, because children don't make good slaves." She carefully reached out and adjusted the position of a small ring of white unmarked stones. "Except if he wasn't selling them as slaves and instead, experiments? I doubt that this, what ever it was that happened to you and your brother, worked the first time. Which means that they needed lots of children to practice on." She reached out and tapped one finger on the journal. "I hope to meet him, someday."

Luckas stood, looking over the map, his expression seeming to darken for a moment as Mageria spoke. The word 'experiments' causing an involuntary twitch in the corner of his left eye. He couldn't remember everything, but he could remember well enough to know that his 'conditioning' or whatever they liked to call it had been far from pleasant. Throughout his silence Luke's face contorted in an expression of contempt and disgust as he tried to think of how many times they had tried this before it finally worked. Sam's words about her cats crossing his mind abruptly, her casually telling him how her father had made her attempt the imprint on twelve kittens, ten of which didn't survive... He and Matt were like those cats... There had been others before, but what about now?

Luckas heaved a deep sigh, his expression slowly changing to a void as he finally spoke. "I see... Well... There are things I can share and maybe they will help you, Captain. However, I have conditions. First: I've asked this before, but I'll ask again... Don't tell anyone that I'm not enlightened; absolutely no one. What was done or not to me is no one's business but my own. Second: Any information I have to give, believe it or don't believe it... Just don't ever ask me where I got it. These are my terms." Luckas stated simply, looking up from the map to stare Mageria in the eyes. "There is plenty I'm not going to tell you, Captain. I could, but I don't want to. There are many reasons for that, but the main reason is that at this point I don't feel I can trust you to trust me." Luckas paused for a moment, turning his attention to the map once again. "Lady mentioned to me a while back that children were being taken in Blackpond. I know that the person in charge of what was done to me is dead, because I have been searching for him. I've been digging around, I haven't found much about any recent activities, to be honest, but I can tell you some things I've learned about my past and of some places you can look for more information. That is, if my terms are acceptable to you."

"Agreed," Mageria didn't even hesitate before she spoke; if anything, children were her one weak spot. To keep this abomination from happening to any other child, she would make a deal with a demon. She met Luckas's eyes, her own expression as grave as his. She took a deep breath. "Help me make sure this doesn't happen again, Luckas, and I'll do my best to let you see why I survived."

"Alright." Luckas mumbled, not seeming too pleased with having to talk about these things, but suppose it was only fair. "I was born in Blackpond. When Matthew and I were around three or four years old our father was killed and out mother sold us to these people. She was not very good at her job apparently. I'm not sure how or when we were taken from there to Newhaven, I can't remember much of anything useful from that time except for voices. When Lena caught us playing with the Warlord Xypher in the Castle, I had recognized one of those voices in his mind. More recently I discovered the man's name is Bennett. He's a councilman in Newhaven still. He has been threatened very recently to keep his mouth shut about the past and if you do get him to speak no matter what anyone does to prevent it he is going to die or simply disappear. It seems the man in charge of the experiments offered us to Newhaven as an advantage in battle, he intended to raise a small army for sell, but since my brother and I proved to be too... Uncontrollable... The Newhaven people backed out of the deal, technically the whole operation was shut down. Mathew and I were to be killed, but..." Luckas shrugged slightly. "I don't know what happened next. I know they offered Blackpond the same deal, but they were already training their own assassins and good old Rory told them to fuck off... Look how well that ended for him..." Luckas snorted a slightly amused laugh at the irony and continued. "Like I said, the man who ordered this to be done to me is dead. The new leadership... Is something else entirely, something far more dangerous, far more subtle and far more deadly. And if, IF, they are taking children to do with them what was done to me and Mathew... They're not going to sell them out this time."

Luckas stopped talking for a while, crossing his arms over his chest. His tone was completely calm as he spoke, but there was noticeable tension in his posture as if speaking of any of this would immediately cause horrible things to happen to them both. He forced a deep breath before moving on. "In the past, oh, eight years or so, they have infiltrated Newhaven, Blackpond, the Wolfpack, the Crimson, and you can be damn sure that if they haven't infiltrated this camp yet they are at least watching closely. For what I understand, they have associates in powerful positions in several locations outside of Valcrest scattered across the continent. The only place they seem to shy away from is the White Shadows' territory, but with Lena gone the Shadows can't help even if they want to. They've pretty much taken over Blackpond at this point and the King doesn't seem to notice because he doesn't care, hell if he wasn't such a good distraction they would have taken him down and replaced him for someone more controllable by now; those assassins are only alive, basically, because they've been allowed to live. If you're feeling particularly adventurous, one other thing you can do is send a few of your guys into the city and try to get them into the fighting circuit, that's the only thing I've seen them allow outsiders into, and they'd surely see some stuff. The places aren't too hard to find if you go around the more quiet parts of town, the ones even the worse types seem a bit hesitant to wander through. I have to warn you though that those places are brutal and if anyone were to get killed down there you shouldn't expect to see any leftovers. I think it's not necessary to say that enlightened people are not very welcome in these places either." Luckas frowned, watching the leather journal Mageria had showed him, thinking on what she had told him. "This man, whoever he is, must serve some great purpose to them if he's still alive. Now that they're pretty much out in the open they've been eliminating anyone who has deeply involved in their affairs, but not this guy. I take it he must be important somehow."

Mageria laughed softly. "Important. Yes, you could say that." She absently started doodling the symbol she had seen over and over in the journal. "His name is Asher. He is, among other things, a weapons merchant. He sells to anybody with a bit of coin in their pocket, playing the Cities against each other. Till recently, he was living in that underground prison city in Blackpond. His currently location is unknown."

Mageria swallowed hard and held out the scrap of paper to Luckas. "The journal is in code, but this symbol repeats over and over, in reference to "Cattle". I believe that this is when he's selling the children." She waved one hand at the map. "Like I said, I think that I've narrowed down where their base might be. I've got some people out scouting the area now." She shrugged. "But if they happen to see children in trouble there.... I doubt that there will be much left after they get done with it."

"Asher..." Luckas mumbled under his breath as he stared at the symbol Mageria had sketched on a bit of paper. Of course he should have figured it would come up, but the fact that it was on this guy's journal was what surprised him, maybe Sam was wrong about how the symbol became known; if she knew that this guy had doodling it in his personal records it was doubtful that she would have let him get away with it. "I see..." He muttered. "I've seen the symbol before. That's about as much as I have to say on the matter." He replied shortly, clearly not wanting to dwell on the subject. "If I have any information on this Asher person or his whereabouts though I'll have no problem passing it along, or possibly fetching him personally, but then... I assume you'd prefer he'd be alive and sane enough to talk, yes? So maybe I shouldn't fetch him." Luckas opened a devious smile at the thought of hunting this guy, but then it was probably a bad idea to openly go after one of the Brotherhood's associates; Zeke would surely want his head for it. "One more thing Captain... I don't think I really need to tell you this, but just to be safe I will anyway; you shouldn't, under any circumstance, tell me about any plans. Not even if for some weird reason they involve setting my pants on fire; not even to give me fair warning, just don't tell me. Trust me, it wont be good for anyone if you do."

With that final warning Luckas silenced for a moment, wondering if he should or not mention this guy's journal to Sam. On one hand she might tell him something important, on the other... It may not go well in the long run. He needed to give that some thought. "I suppose..." He started. "...That's all the information I have to give at the moment, Captain."

Mageria nodded. “I promised if you helped that I would do my best to let you see what you wanted. Since there are things that you obviously don’t want to be told about…. It should happen before I make too many other plans.” Luckas opened him mouth to say something in return, then shut it with a snap. She was giving him what he wanted, no need to make her angry again. Instead he stepped forward and did his best to smile cheerfully. “I’m glad you finally came around to my way of things, Captain. Now if you could just relax….?” Mageria nodded and let her eyes fall half closed, taking deep, even berathes. Luckas leaned forward, concentrating…. It was like searching for an island in the mist. Every time he though he had a lock on the Captain’s mind, it slipped away again.
His eyes flared black several times before he sat back. “Captain, really. You need to let me in.”
Mageria sat up and glared right back. “I’m trying. I don’t even know how this happened in the first place.”
Luckas sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Just, try not to avoid me. Think of ripples on a pond or something.”

Mageria sighed and bowed her head, focusing on finding a still center in her mind. Her breath slowed and her face grew serene. Luckas leaned forward, cautiously reaching out again. This time he got the sense of walking through a dense fog, following somebody that he could almost see. He followed them for several minutes before what felt like a gust of wind blew away the fog and left him facing Mageria. They stood together in a shadow-drenched courtyard, just a few torches struggling to lift the gloom. Across from him Mageria stood in her Black Knight armor, heavily scared and dented here and there. It might have been a trick of the shadows, but it almost looked as if there were three people standing behind her; which wasn’t possible because he hadn’t invited anybody else along.
“You know Captain, a few plants would really brighten this place up.” Luckas couldn’t suppress the remark. When the woman could choose any sort of inner landscape, this was what you felt most at home in? Mageria shrugged. “You wanted to see what happened. It wasn’t exactly a vacation.” Luckas shrugged. “Whatever. Just show me and we can get this over with.”

Mageria winced, clearly not happy with the idea, but set her jaw and inclined her head. She rippled and vanished, and the scene wavered, before snapping into focus. Twin Mageria’s stood facing each other, one crazed and drenched in blood and one dressed in a simple tunic and leggings, her he=aid pulled back in a long tail. They seemed to be speaking to each other, but the sound was distorted, as if hear from the bottom of a well. Luckas moved closer, trying to get a grasp of what was going on, but the scene wavered and blurred, washing away like watercolors in the rain.

“DAMN IT CAPTAIN!!” he roared. He was so close and the stupid woman kept pulling away what he needed.

“You’re not going to get what you want that way.” A cool and slightly amused voice caused him to turn. The person who stood behind him…. Was not Mageria. Not completely. It was as if they were part of her, but a part that was separate on its own.
“Who the fuck are you?” It was a woman, dressed in an archaic black coat. It had a deep hood that covered her face, with a long white braid flowing down from it. The woman ignored the question. “You said it yourself earlier, this whole thing was about symbolism and hidden meanings. Did you really think you would understand it without a frame of reference?”
“Who. Are. You?” Luckas was rapidly loosing what little patience he had. Again, the woman ignored him.

“You need to know what happened. Are you willing to pay the price?” There was a brief flash of teeth in the darkness of her hood and she held out a hand. “It’s the only way you’ll get what you want.”
“Fine.” Luckas snarled. He reached out and grasped her hand in return. "What's the price?"
Again there was a feral gleam of teeth in the darkness. The hand grasping his clamped down until he could feel his bones creaking.

"Pain."

There was a brief twisting of his vision and then …. Somehow he was inside Mageria’s mind in a way that he had never experienced before. She/he stood across from the her/him that stood drenched in blood. It was as if all of the guilt and rage and evil thoughts they had ever had had been ripped away and stood before them, a personification of corruption. She/he could feel the horror of facing it and at the same was drawn to it. It was terrifying, being so out of balance. Somewhere in their mind there was a scream that went on and on and on……

Their opposite laughed insanely and leapt forwards, trying to strangle them with her/his bare hands. They screamed, feeling evil burning into their skin. They fought, but it was no use, they were too evenly matched. Mageria/Luckas tossed their head wildly. “No,” Luckas could feel his lips shaping the words as well as hers. “No, this is wrong. You are me. We are….balance.” The other froze for a moment and Mageria/Luckas took their chance. Lunging forwards, they wrapped their arms around the other, feeling corruption eating into their skin, into their selves, into their core.

The realization came suddenly. In order for Mathew to force one to face their evil, he had to draw it away from the rest of a person’s mind, making one half again into an innocent, before the burdens of the world descended upon them. When one was innocent, the idea of evil seems overwhelming. The first was always the harshest, staining the soul in a way that never washed clean. After that they became easier, as one became used to the weight of evil. But as he tore away the weight of evil, he also tore away the strength that came from facing the world. Mageria/Luckas realized that, knew that in order to face the world and make any difference for the better, they would have to accept the weight of that evil again.

Mageria/Luckas accepted evil back into their souls, feeling it etch itself into their selves, feeling the weight of a lifetime of harsh choices and sins and evil all burying them under what felt like the weight of a mountain. The evil worked it’s way deeper, forcing itself into every facet of their minds, staining them with blood that would never wash away….. And Mageria/Luckas accepted it, drew it in; because without it they would never have the strength to make the world a better place. And still the weight of that evil burned and burned and burned and she/he screamed………


Darkness descended.


Luckas spun in place, searching vainly for something to hold onto in the maelstrom that Mageria’s mind had become. He reached, looking for anything he could find. The same fog that had kept him out now made it almost impossible to find a way out. A snatch of a child’s laughter drew him in one direction, he followed it and found himself standing in a sunlit glad. A small girl ran past him, red hair flying. She looked over her shoulder and Luckas could see the hint of the woman she would become someday.

“Pappa!” she cried joyfully, running through the trees. “Pappa, come look!” she ran and was swung into the arms of a tall man, who threw her into the air with a laugh. “What is it now, my Ria?” The girl twisted around to point and caught sight of Luckas, gasping in fright. The scene twisted again, Mageria standing before him. She moaned and clutched at her temples, stumbling back a few steps. She bent over, gasping for breath and coughing. She looked up, teeth bared.

“Get. Out.”

In the real world, Mageria collapsed bonelessly to the floor, eyes rolling backwards.

----Later, After Essence collapses----


Darren didn't sleep much for the next few nights, staying up late to decode what he could as he waited for news on the Captain's return. It wasn't that he didn't know Mageria's time in the city was of great importance, he was just extremely antsy to find out as much information as he could to substantiate his theories. It didn’t help that the more time he spent on the journal, the harder it was to concentrate. He began obsessing, only taking breaks to eat, until finally he finished the first section. That was when he put the book down, if one could call it that as he tucked it back into his jacket. He couldn’t part with it, but at least he was trying to focus on something else. Anything else, really. Darren knew it wasn’t good for his sanity to have gone so long without sleep, but every time he closed his eyes he saw the little redheaded girl and felt nauseous.

Darren had heard Jake was back in camp, but only after the commotion the Captain broke up, took place. He had caught Irv leaving the scene prior but didn’t get to question him on the matter. He didn’t really care at the moment why Jake almost got stabbed, chalking it up to the bits he had procured when he shook the man’s hand. ‘Jake must really like his redheads.’ Darren thought to himself, snickering at the bits he overheard as he watched Aiden wait outside the medics cabin only to be turned away by one of the women who was with Essence. He waited another moment before making his way towards the Captain’s quarters, barely containing his haste. Mageria already seemed to have her hands full but he needed to see her and collaborate on what they both were able to discover. As he approached he saw Jake leaving, jokingly bumping his shoulder into the man’s side. “What is with you pissing off redheads, hm?” He half joked, but didn’t stop to wait for an answer. Darren felt his blood pounding in his ears when he revealed the journal from his jacket and went to knock on the door. He wanted to pound his fists against the door until he cracked the wood, but to the contrary the sound he made was soft; a little too quiet perhaps and he wondered if it would be overlooked as he went to knock again.

Mageria growled to herself as she finished pulling off her soaked clothing. The temperature had been hovering around freezing the past couple days and the damn river was cold. And now..... she listened and heard a soft repeat of the noise. Somebody was knocking.

She quickly wrapped herself in an old shirt and worn pants, noticing idly that they fit a bit looser than they used to. She didn't even glance at the mirror, knowing that there was more stark white showing in her hair than there used to be. Instead she grabbed a soft old knee length robe and wrapped it around herself as she went to the door, snagging a towel to try and wring some of the water from her hair.

"Darren," Mageria only raised one eyebrow at the man standing in the doorway. Given the journal in his hands, she could guess at what brought him to her door. "Please, come in." She lead him down the few steps into her sitting area, before kneeling down in front of the fire and throwing a few logs on. She warmed her hands for a moment before sitting down. "So, tell me. What have you learned?"

Where should I start? Darren thought to himself, standing and staring idly at the fire as the Captain tended to the flames. He inhaled a deep, shaky breath as he spoke, stuttering only at first. “We..Well..ok Irv made a copy of Asher’s ledger after Jake and him procured it for me, back in Blackpond and with all that came up at the Ball...I couldn’t wait to see what you had discovered so I worked to finish what I could in your absence. I found out my birth was apart of a business deal and that I apparently have siblings whom I’ve never met. Half sisters...Something that was going on between Ebony and my father. In his journal he talks about them as if they were experiments and that most were disappointments. He..also talks about his joy when he discovered I was a boy...his first son. I ...don’t understand what happened to the others…” Darren coughed, clearing his throat. “I do have my theories though...which leads me to you to ask what you have learned. This bit I can only guess was inventory or were transactions of sorts. He was smart in never placing names to incriminate any of his business partners or his dealings per say. Everything has a bit of poetic flare to it...and instead of inspiring...it sickens me.”

Darren flipped through the pages, pointing out bits and pieces to substantiate his findings as he showed the Captain before continuing. “...There’s much more….there’s a girl...who I can only imagine if she is still alive..is now a woman..but he obsesses over her...and it reads like he ‘saves’ her from the destruction of her village...but he gives her to someone who he dislikes but benefits from...and talks about her as a ‘Crone’. I’d like to think he means Ebony..but again only hints. When she is older...he talks about a love affair of sorts with her...and then again having his only son...which has to be me. There’s pages and pages of Asher talking about a business partner who got him where he is now, and how he hints at the man’s power, is unbelievable. If you knew my father...her fears no one or anything...except this man.” Darren paused and nodded as if motioning towards a particular part on the pages before the Captain. “See anything funny about the entries? Have you noticed a symbol that repeats itself anywhere else in the journal and especially when particular business dealings are mentioned? I don’t know what it means. Then, the Cattle he refers to. I believe...it may be a euphemism for… children.” Darren’s voice disappeared as he spoke the last word, casting his eyes towards the floor as if ashamed.

Lifting his head back up so his eyes met Mageria’s he continued, “Which is why I need to know what you found out. Not to mention I know for a fact what his last entry talks about. A few years ago, my father began my lessons with...explosives, which I’d like to think i’m pretty knowledgeable of at this point. Not to sound cocky but it leads to the point that I understand what these symbols stand for.” Leaning over the ledger he pointed at the bottom of the page. “..These are the components needed to create what is desired and he talks about getting massive amounts...but for what I don’t know. That is also why I need to find out what his dealings were and how often...there may be a pattern to everything. It must have to do with the reason I turned my back on Asher. You see...he was dealing weapons of all kinds to the major cities of Valcrest...and fueling the terror for YEARS...playing each one as a pawn against one another. Makes me think of a chess game..”

Darren trailed off, shaking his black curls roughly as if trying to shake off his disgust; as if there was something on him that was not coming off. He finally fell quiet, pondering if there was anything he failed to mention. "..But that's why I left my father and his business. I refused....to deal with those who are basically war profiteers."

"Darren... There's some things that once you know, they change the way you see the world. Very rarely are they good changes." She looked at his face and sighed. "Come along, there's something you need to see."

She lead the way up the winding staircase to her conference room. A map was laid out, small carved stones marking various locations in Valcrest.

"Assume that your father was moving cargo, whatever it was, that he wasn't getting lawfully. Easy enough to assume that, given that his journal is in code. Assume that he was getting large amounts of whatever it was, which could only get gotten by raiding. Each of these, is a village that was destroyed over the years. Some of the days match up. Enough for me to be sure. The thing is, all of these," she waved her hand again, briefly touching one of the stones. "All of these, indicate somewhere where there weren't enough bodies. It was never put together before now, but it's obvious that they were raided not only for the good but for the people too. And you're right." She pulled out a scrap of paper with the symbol drawn on it. "This most likely stands for children taken.....because this isn't the first time I've seen this. And if it's what I think it is, things are possibly worse than you know."

Darren obediently followed the Captain, quietly staring at the map of Valcrest laid out before him. “This world..will never be what I expected…” He whispered, absorbing the bits the Captain was connecting with the dates that coincided with the destruction of some of the villages destroyed out west. Darren pointed to a few different markings upon the map. “..If I remember my history correctly...those are the villages of Blackhurst, correct? I heard they are mere ruins now. I have never visited out West before. So...whomever my father is working with, you think had something to do with the destruction of those villages. And from what we’ve read, it seems he profited quite handsomely on their demise.” Darren sighed, shaking his head. “Do we know why the villages were destroyed? Were they casualties of war? What would someone want with so many children?”

Darren turned away from the map, flipping through the pages of the copy of his father’s journal, trying to ignore a dull headache that was forming between his eyes. “ I knew the Great Dragon would take her soul…” Darren muttered to himself, reaching to understand what it could mean, exactly. “...I read there were never any survivors….from those villages. Is that true? Not too sure what kind of information one would get from them…” Clearing his throat he changed the subject slightly, “Captain...was there anything recently dated? Maybe supplies to be moved? I know my father’s business has not halted, even away in prison. If only we could intercept...find proof of it all…”

Mageria hesitated and reached out, touching a small circle of stones set apart from the others. These were a plain white, where the others were carved or decorated in some way. "Here. One of the things I've learned as a commander is how to follow troupe and supply movements. From what I can understand from the movements reported in the journal, their base would be somewhere in this area. Darren" Mageria's voice cracked like a whip, halting him before he could move. "You need to consider why there were stealing children. Most of them didn't end up in the slave trade, we would have noticed that. Based on information I've gotten from other sources, I think." she swallowed carefully. "I think they've been experimenting on them. These aren't going to be people who you can go up against alone. We're going to do something about this, but if you try to rush in alone, I will have you restrained. We can't afford any slip ups that would warn them. This is going to have to be perfect." She turned and rested a hip against the table. "I need you to give me your word that you won't do anything stupid."

Darren pondered the Captain’s word carefully and nodded as he thought aloud, “...Not all were found dead...and you say because it would have been noticed...not all were put into slavery of some sorts. So why…” He paused, an exasperated and frustrated sigh escaping him as he looked at the Captain, his expression showing he had the answer and that it had been probably the most obvious. “...Replenishing their ranks….whoever they are..” Darren nodded. “...I understand and agree this is bigger than what we’ve been shown and it would take great numbers...maybe even an army...to take down the heart of it all. So yes, I will not go it alone because it would be foolish. I won’t mention anything to the others, but I should just make it clear that Irvin and Jacob Turner are the only one’s who know what I’ve been up to and have a clear interest in my findings. If you prefer, I will still be silent. Perhaps it would be better if you spoke with them...or at least Jake.”

Darren tucked the journal away in his jacket, taking one last look at the map before him. “..Asher...is not a stupid man, Captain. If he was out in the southwestern area of Valcrest, he most likely will be relocating, if not already moved. He would be splitting up his resources and whatever muscle he carries. Which means..if we search the nonconventional roads...those not normally traveled...we could get lucky.” Darren stood straight, a look of compliant obedience taking hold of his form. “..With your permission, Captain...I’d like to scout the area. Perhaps I can accompany one of your people?”

Mageria took a long look at the man standing in front of her and nodded gently. "Yes, I think you can. They will leave in the morning, so be sure to sleep well tonight. Pack for a scouting trip that will last for at least two weeks. It may be less than that, but better to be prepared." She smiled a bit crookedly. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Darren. And that you still want it, when you do."

Darren pondered the Captain’s word carefully and nodded as he thought aloud, “...Not all were found dead...and you say because it would have been noticed...not all were put into slavery of some sorts. So why…” He paused, an exasperated and frustrated sigh escaping him as he looked at the Captain, his expression showing he had the answer and that it had been probably the most obvious. “...Replenishing their ranks….whoever they are..” Darren nodded. “...I understand and agree this is bigger than what we’ve been shown and it would take great numbers...maybe even an army...to take down the heart of it all. So yes, I will not go it alone because it would be foolish. I won’t mention anything to the others, but I should just make it clear that Irvin and Jacob Turner are the only one’s who know what I’ve been up to and have a clear interest in my findings. If you prefer, I will still be silent. Perhaps it would be better if you spoke with them...or at least Jake.”

Darren tucked the journal away in his jacket, taking one last look at the map before him. “..Asher...is not a stupid man, Captain. If he was out in the southwestern area of Valcrest, he most likely will be relocating, if not already moved. He would be splitting up his resources and whatever muscle he carries. Which means..if we search the non conventional roads...those not normally traveled...we could get lucky.” Darren stood straight, a look of compliant obedience taking hold of his form. “..With your permission, Captain...I’d like to scout the area. Perhaps I can accompany one of your people?”

Mageria took a long look at the man standing in front of her and nodded gently. "Yes, I think you can. They will leave in the morning, so be sure to sleep well tonight. Pack for a scouting trip that will last for at least two weeks. It may be less than that, but better to be prepared." She smiled a bit crookedly. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Darren. And that you still want it, when you do."

[Blackpond - 13 days after Castle Ball]

Luckas went back into the city after watching Ess ride away back to the Nest, making his way to the first establishment they visited... He found Ezekiel there waiting for him at the bar growling a little under his breath as he sat to order himself a drink and the man spoke. “She wants you to go to her the moment you return to the manor, boy.”
“You had to send for her, didn’t you?” Luckas hissed in anger. “You can’t help yourself!”
“You are obviously involved with this... aberration... And I thought it was about time the Mistress saw it with her own eyes... Maybe then she’ll lose some of this blind faith she has in you.” Ezekiel stated, calmly sipping from his glass.
“I am not involved.” Luckas protested. “I am doing what was asked of me and you are twisting the facts, Ezekiel. Seems to me, your problem, is that you want her for yourself.”
“My problem is that I have sworn to protect that girl, from all harm, at any cost... If the harm is you and the cost is her affections then so be it; you keep that in mind... BOY. Her trust can protect you from anyone, but not from me. Nothing will ever protect you from me if you hurt her.” Zeke growled. “And you are clearly involved. I have not twisted anything... I’ve seen the way you look at her, I saw how protective of her you’ve become. So whether you are a liar, or extremely foolish, either way it will end badly. And my Lady will suffer for your foolishness.”
“I would never hurt Sammy.” Luckas mumbled.
“You already have, kid. I suggest you drag that Enlightened whore to the dungeons and get this over with as soon as possible.”
Luckas’ felt his entire body tense immediately as he heard the insult, but he didn’t address it, simply snorting out a snicker. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, old man. Do you really think the dungeons will get us anywhere with her? Even if she did know what we want, which she doesn’t, at least not now... There is no way to simply beat it out of her. Life has done quite a lot to break her, and no luck so far.”
“You’ve come to know her well enough... Perhaps better than anyone, and I’m sure you could find a fitting torture...” Ezekiel smirked. “I suspect you might even enjoy that... If you wanted.”
“Maybe...” Luckas muttered, standing up and walking away without another word; leaving his empty glass on the counter. Once out the man’s hearing range he sighed and mumbled under his breath. “If I wanted.”

After leaving the gambling house, Luckas walked his way slowly back to the manor, worried that Sam was angry with him still. Truth was, he wasn’t sure exactly of what he was doing, or how he expected this to end after all, and Zeke was right: It would probably end very badly one way or another, but then... Thinking about it didn’t seem to make anything any clearer, so he willed himself to stop.

He had barely reached the limits of the property when he felt the all too familiar glare of Sam’s cats and sighed heavily as Seth greeted him with the usual growls and hisses while Pandora insistently got in his way meowing and rubbing up against his legs. “Piss off!” He muttered, as the cat nearly caused him to trip. “Annoying little flea bag!” Luckas pushed Pandora out of the way with his foot, his annoyance growing as the damn thing only allowed him to walk freely for a couple of steps before getting in his way once again. All the way into the house and up the stairs Pandora was persistently in the way of his footsteps while Seth followed behind him growling softly, all the way until he finally made his way down the hall towards Sam’s room, at which point both cats ran ahead of him to her door; sitting and staring up at him as he reached it and knocked. “Sam?”

“Come in, Luckas, it’s open.” Sam’s voice sounded from within the room. Slowly Luckas opened the door, letting both the cats run inside ahead of him, glad to get rid of them for the moment. Once inside the room he looked around for Sam, but didn’t see her at first, so he assumed she was behind the drapes that kept her bed, and a good area surrounding it, concealed from any visitors. As he walked further in with the intent of sitting by the fire to wait, he noticed a sizeable opening amongst the drapes through which he caught the sight of Sam stepping out of a tin bath, aided by two servant girls; her back turned to him. Luckas would have looked away right then, except his eyes were fixated on the image tattooed across the woman’s back; it resembled the Order’s crest somewhat, but it was a far more elaborate symbol. The design marked the entire length of her back and consisted of a sword pointing downwards, its blade fitting in between a pair of tiger eyes, several smaller symbols formed the pommel and several small arrows made the hilt, the mirrored images of two dragons, each seemingly clinging to one side of the hilt, served as the sword’s guard, each of them hovering above one tiger eye. There was a lot to absorb in that image, so much that Luckas seemed to have lost himself in it, only snapping out of his trance as the other women brought a robe over Sam’s shoulders, covering her naked form. At this point one of the servants noticed the fact that Luckas was there, and openly staring, which caused him to startle and promptly look away, wincing at the sound of the curtains being pulled tightly shut.

The maid surely said something because he was almost sure he heard a small laugh, but didn’t turn around again until he heard the curtains being pulled once more; a sound followed closely by Sam’s footsteps walking towards him. “See something you like, Lukey? Hm?” She whispered playfully into his ear, a small giggle escaping her as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him in an unexpectedly gentle embrace.
Luckas inhaled deeply, letting out his breath in a small sigh as he caught the pleasant flowery scent that emanated from her skin. The sudden warmth and the pleasant scent actually caused Luckas’ mind to momentarily shut down on him, and he found himself forcing a cough to clear a knot that seemed to have suddenly gotten caught in his throat. “I didn’t mean to... Look...” He mumbled, his voice still weak as he lowered his head even further, an uneasy and awkward feeling creeping up his spine.
“It’s alright, sweetie... I did ask you to enter, didn’t I?” She replied, giving him a squeeze before pulling away. “Although I will admit you did return awfully fast...” She said, her tone becoming just a hint colder as she walked around him so they were face to face, one warm hand still lingering on his shoulder. “I expected you to... Take your time... As you usually do. Not return until morning and such...” She snickered softly, a slightly bitter note to her sweetness as she added, sliding her hand from his shoulder to his chin, pushing him to lift his head and meet her gaze. “I wouldn’t blame you... She’s quite a looker, that one.”

“That has nothing to do with anything.” Luckas stated quickly, trying with very little success to keep his voice calm. There were too many things going through his mind, and so much clouding his judgement at the moment. Sam did usually have that effect on him, but at this moment he was also angry at Zeke for the way he’d been set up back in the city. Although, he had been foolish not to expect it. “I’m confused, Sam... What... You can’t slap me in the face one moment and then act as if you’re just fine with everything...”
“Sure I can. I didn’t think I needed to explain this to you, Luckas; I cannot be your friend out there in front of the others. Out there I own you, and you don’t question me.” She sighed, stepping away from him to sit in one of the chairs by the lit fire. “Sit. And if you are confused, then explain to me how is it possible that you don’t see why this upsets me.”
Luckas stood for a moment, staring at Sam as she made herself comfortable in the chair and stared up at him as if expecting him to tell her a story; the pure mockery of the gesture not escaping him, although only causing him the urge to laugh at her fake expression of interest. He narrowed his eyes at her as if to say he wasn’t amused, even though he was somewhat, before sitting down across from her and heaving a small exasperated sigh. “Are you changing my orders?”
“Not at this time, no.” She replied, with a small shrug.
“Have I harmed the Brotherhood in some way that I’m not made aware of?”
“No.”
“Then what exactly is the issue here? If there is one, then I don’t see.”
“The problem is just that… Sweetness… You don’t see.” Sam chuckled. “I honestly think you don’t see, even though I recall explaining it to you. I clearly recall this conversation. Perhaps your memory is still a bit defective, is that so?”
“My memory is perfect, Sam.” Luckas muttered, feeling himself beginning to lose his calm. “As I already explained to Zeke after he, so kindly, cornered me: If you want to find out what she knows it’s best to do it this way. If you want me to drag her to the dungeons then say the word, but I warn you it will get you nowhere.”
“I understand that. It’s sound logic Luckas, but what you fail to see is how close you’ve brought her to us today. Do you want those Newhaven pests to catch our trail because of this? If they do, there will be bloodshed, you know. It will be messy, and I hate messes.”
“Well, you were the one to march into their camp and tell them where you live.” Luckas pointed out, a little smirk crossing his features. “I’m just saying.”
“Yes, well... It was a stupid and impulsive thing to do, so you see my point.” She stated simply, glaring at him for bringing it up. “I’m trusting you, but more and more I’m getting the feeling that my trust means nothing to you. Is that a fact, Luckas?”
“Of course not, but you know... For someone who trusts me, you sure question me a lot. I don’t think I give you reason for so much doubt, considering all I’ve done.” Luckas retorted. “Perhaps you’d like me better if I blindly followed orders during the day and curled up at the foot of your bed at night... Even though your stupid cats seem to have more freedom than that.” As soon as Luckas said that he regretted it for two reasons; the first was the angered look on Sam’s face, and the second was one of the stupid cats running up to him and climbing on his lap. “What the hell is your problem, huh?” He muttered, pushing Pandora away from him yet again. The cat simply meowed and jumped onto him again, pacing on top of his lap and rubbing up against his shirt.
“Her problem Luckas... Is that she can smell the whore on you.” Sam said, a sharp cold tone in her voice. “She’s trying to get rid of it.”
Luckas growled softly in annoyance this time grabbing the cat and tossing her onto Sam’s lap. “I’d rather not stink of cat either, thank you. And I’d rather you don’t use that word.”
“I’d rather you don’t call my cats stupid.” Sam replied. “Insult my pets and I’ll insult yours.”
“I thought I was your pet.” Luckas stated, raising an eyebrow in a questioning expression. “I’m hurt.”
“You are not a pet, and no you’re not.”
Luckas grinned at the words. “I’m sorry, I’m not a what?” He asked, leaning forward as if trying to hear her better.
“Shut up. You heard me. Don’t be a smartass.” Sam rolled her eyes, a little amusement breaking through. “Are you going to tell me what happened in the basement, or am I going to have to beat it out of you?”
“Please, you hit like a girl.” Luke chuckled. “Nothing much happened really. The squealer talked about the journal, as I assumed was expected...”
“And you sent him flailing and screaming in a ball of flames.” Sam added.
Luckas giggled. “Yes! That was fun!” He exclaimed. “Oh, and she knows about the mark.” He added, lowering his voice slightly as if meaning for it to go unnoticed.
“What?” Sam growled. “How... How does she know the mark, Luckas?”
“I have no clue... She just did.” Luke shrugged.
Sam rubbed her temples and let out an annoyed growl. “AJ...Oh, I told Zeke this would come back to bite us.”
“What?” Luckas asked. “What... What are you talking about?”
“He was a traitor of his people... much like Ian, only he wasn’t tainted and didn’t quite have a family of his own. We brought him into the Brotherhood and in exchange he gave us the identity of the family that was meant to have the last journal, but it wasn’t there. He died trying to get it back... His body wasn’t found by our people.”
“Where did he die?” Luckas asked, leaning back in his seat, a bit more relaxed now that Sam’s annoyance was directed at something else other than him. “If there’s no body, how do you know...”
“I know.” Sam stated simply. “He died in the desert. He’d tracked down a survivor all the way there, but he insisted to handle it himself. I let him, he was really good at his work... I assume whoever the person was he tracked got the best of him.” She paused running her hand through her hair and looking up at the ceiling. “Whoever it was managed to reach the Raven’s encampment, it seems.”
“People go in and out of that place like it’s a freaking bar. Could be anyone.”
“You being one of those people, isn’t it so?” She added, lowering her gaze back to him.
“Oh, so now you want me to go there?” Luckas mumbled. “Make up your damn mind, will you?”
“Well, if those people are stupid to trust you... Then yes. I need to know who has that book.”
“And if I find it?”
“Then we will go there and get it. Just like in the desert.”
Luckas sighed. “No, not like in the desert, Sam. Know your enemies before you make them. The Crimson were at war, it was expected that they be attacked.”
“Wh...” Sam flinched slightly at the words. “You’ve been reading my father’s notes?”
“You said I could read anything in the library... Were those not meant to be there?”
“I thought I had burned them all... Suppose I missed a couple...”
“Three full journals... Although, they were hidden.” Luckas informed. “Would you like me to get rid of them?”
“Keep them if you like, I don’t care.” She responded, standing from her chair and walking to one of the open windows, quietly leaning against it to watch the sky. “Probably nothing of importance there.”

Luckas sighed staring at the sudden expression of pain in Sam’s face with curiosity. One thing was true; there was no mention of her at any point in those books, overall they were pretty dull except for bits and pieces that had to do with how the Order ‘acquired and trained their soldiers’, in the man’s own words. Never any names were mentioned, or places, but Luckas had recognized the methods he’d experienced himself. After a moment of quietly thinking about what he would do to the man if he was still alive he spoke. “You’re right... There’s no reason to keep them.”
Sam half smiled in response, still looking out the window in silence; resting both arms on the window sill and leaning on them. Pandora had now occupied Sam’s empty seat and was curled up in a ball staring intently at Luckas, her tail slowly moving from side to side in an almost hypnotic motion.
“Are you tired?” Sam asked softly, still staring at the darkness through the window. “If you want to, you can go to bed. Or get something to eat, when was the last time...”
“I eat.” Luckas muttered. “I’m not tired, but I can leave if you want.” He offered, mentally scolding himself for bringing up her father... It had clearly upset her and he was wondering if she actually wanted him to go away now.
“Well, suppose you wouldn’t be willing to curl up at the foot of the bed?” She asked, a small smile forming itself, but her eyes still fixed at some distant place outside her window.
“I thought you said I wasn’t a pet.” Luckas protested.
“I don’t recall that.”She replied simply.
“Would that make you feel better?”

Sam turned to face Luckas with a slightly intrigued look in her eyes. “What?”
“If I did that, would it make you feel better? You look sad, Sammy, I don’t like that.”
“I’m not sad.” Sam stated, wandering back to her chair and scooping up Pandora in her arms rather abruptly, giving the cat a forceful squeeze that caused her to hiss in protest. Sam softened her hold on the cat with a chuckle. “I’m just thinking about some things.”
“What kinds of things?” Luckas asked. “You know... You can tell me... I’m good with things; or at least I try.”
“I know. I know.” She sat back down in the chair, releasing the cat onto her lap. Pandora immediately leapt onto the floor and ran to climb on Luckas’ lap once again, purring and curling upon his legs. “She likes you better than me, I think.” Sam snickered.
Luckas sighed in annoyance, but let the animal have its way for now. “You mean she likes me better than you like me, or that she likes me better than she likes you?”
“She likes you more than she likes me.” Sam replied. “No one likes you better than me, Luckas; no one.” She stated seriously. “Even when you make messes and cause me trouble. I always like you.” Falling into a moment of silence she smiled gently, leaning back in her seat. “You have something you want to ask me, no? I can see there’s a question floating around in your mind, I see it in your eyes, Lukey. So, what is it?”
“Well, there’s one thing, yeah, I... Uhm... I couldn’t help but notice your tattoo. I mean, I caught I glimpse of it at the party, but couldn’t quite make it out until now.”
“Ah.” Sam snickered. “So that’s what you were so fascinated by... And what do you make of it?”
“It’s very detailed... Is there some meaning behind it?”
“A few.” Sam stated, leaning back in her chair and heaving a sigh. “I have some marks... Reminders of my father and his punishments... A couple of years ago I started to cover them up little by little.... Started with the tiger eyes, added the sword afterwards... Now and then I’ll add a detail or two. You know there’s a story, back in Terra, of this tiger that terrorized a few villages many many years ago... No one could ever catch the animal because it would only attack when people had their backs turned to it. The villagers started wearing masks on the back of their heads so they tiger would believe they were facing it at all times.”
“Did it work?”
“It did not. Because of the story though, tiger eyes have become a symbol of betrayal in that region. I thought it was a more than fitting replacement for the one eye in the Order sigil, for me. Killing my father, as deserved as it might have been, was a betrayal to the Brotherhood, much like what we stand for; our beliefs, pursuing them is a betrayal of sorts. A necessary one the way I see it, but a betrayal still.”
“It doesn’t bother you to be a traitor?”
“Someone has to make the sacrifice, Luckas, take the fall... That’s we’re here for. I’m not sure betrayal in itself makes me proud, but it’s a means to an end; if it’s needed then so be it.”
Luckas nodded in agreement for a moment, then stopped as something caught his attention. “Sam... What do you mean ‘take the fall’?”
“I mean that if we are successful, most likely I will die; the last of my line... It’s the end of the Order, Luckas. This new world we fight so hard to create... It has no place for us. That’s the price to pay. My father couldn’t accept that, he was afraid of the outcome, he became an obstacle; and that, for the most part, is what justifies my betrayal. If we don’t go through with our mission then all the lives we took and all the destruction we caused would be for nothing.”
“It’s important for you to honor the people you kill, Sam?” Luckas asked, a bit amused at the idea. “I thought they were ‘tainted’ and ‘freaks’ and whatnot...”
“I don’t blame them for what they are, Luckas... They are innocent in all of this. Victims of the Gods and their recklessness. I don’t hate enlightened, not in general.”
“You hate the White Shadows though, don’t you? I saw you talking to Annie at the party, it didn’t look very friendly.”
“Oh, so you can tell when that kid’s not being friendly?” Sam asked, not hiding the contempt in her tone. “You’re right, Lukey, I do hate the White Shadows for what they represent to this land, but that is a whole other issue.” She stated, falling silent for a moment, before very calmly steering the conversation elsewhere. “How long are you staying around the Manor this times, Luckas?”
“That depends on how soon you need me to go snoop around the Ravens’ camp. Why?”
“I’d really like you to wake up early tomorrow and go to the training arena. Adam will be there waiting for you. You really need to learn to put up a fight. It’s getting annoying to see you beaten up every other day.”
“Huh, sorry for the inconvenience. I think I’m fine though... One thing I’ve learned in life is to take a punch.”
“I’m not asking, Luckas. It’s an order.”
Luckas sighed in annoyance, but simply shrugged instead of protesting. “Fine, if you want it.”
“I want it.” Sam stated sternly.
“Alright, fine, then I suppose I should get something to eat and go to bed.” He stated, standing and stopping to brush the cat hairs from his pants as before walking out of the room with a mumble of “Good night.”

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

[White Shadows encampment - 17 days after Castle Ball]

“...We have an injured man here..”

“Please it is urgent we leave him in the care of the Healers... it is important we get back to the Raven’s nest at once.”

“It was suppose to be just a scouting expedition...I don’t know what happen..”

“He had some sort of fit and hasn’t regained consciousness…”

Darren looked paler than normal except for the blood that stained his skin around his eyes. He had the appearance of someone that was already dead. Lifeless and yet peaceful. His expression was somewhere complacent, as if he were merely faking his sleep and was listening to the clamor of voices around himself in subtle amusement at all the fuss. Tiny, black curls were plastered against his forehead from sweat, yet no trace of perspiration was left to be found.

“Hey, we’ve got another incoming... And I could use some help, if you don’t mind. Everyone has their hands full today.”

Annie had spent most of her day in the archives again. She was starting to feel stupid, and a bit crazy, because she couldn’t figure out where to find the key to the encrypted journal. At this point she kept trying books at random, because her mind was simply out of any logical ideas to approach the situation. When Alistair’s call drew her attention from the book she was currently trying to use, she realized she had no clue what time of day it even was anymore. Maybe it was time to put her attention elsewhere. “Symptoms?” She asked, dropping the book and standing from her spot in the center of small mess of books and papers; tripping over a few things on her way out of the archives. “Hello.” She greeted, finding her friend waiting outside the small cabin where the clan’s files were stored. “So... Symptoms?”
“Well, I didn’t have a look at him yet, but for what I was told; some sort of fit followed by loss of consciousness. That’s how his friends described it; they don’t know what might have caused and for what I hear they were pretty startled.”
“Hmm... Sounds like a seizure or something similar, have we ruled out poisoning already?”
“Would I be bothering you if it was poisoning?” Alistair retorted simply.
“Since when do you need reasons to bother me?” Annie chuckled. “I’m serious, did someone actually check?”
“Yes, yes... Everyone knows the procedure, don’t worry.” Alistair assured her, stopping by one of the many tents in the encampment and waiting for Annie to enter ahead of him. The night before, when Annie was last on duty, there were three patients in that one tent, two of them had not made it through the night, the other had his wounds treated and was released to go home; refuseing to wait until morning. Now that tent was empty aside from one patient. “Oh, look Al... It’s my attacker!” Annie teased, nudging Alistair as he entered the tent after her.
“Oh, ha.” Alistair muttered glaring at the girl for a second. “You know, if someone had actually attacked you, you wouldn’t be laughing.”
“And neither would they.” Annie replied with a small chuckle. “I do, of course, always appreciate your protection, Alistair.” She added in a more serious tone, an amused smirk still crossing her features as she examined the unconscious Darren. “Did his companions know for sure if he has any enlightenment?”
“Not for sure. They suspect.” Alistair replied. “Do you think he is being affected?”
“It’s a possibility, but... Who knows... Most symptoms are still too common to tell. If he had a seizure... Well... There are other possible causes for that. You were the one to go around telling people that everyone is sick though, you tell me.” Annie retorted, with a slightly displeased tone hiding underneath her teasing as she leaned over Darren, pressing her ear against his chest for a few seconds, proceeding to check his eyes and his temperature before giving a light shrug. “Well, his breathing sounds fine, heart rate is tad bit higher than normal, but it’s not too uncommon after a fit like this; it should return to normal soon. Whatever happened, he seems alright now... Probably passed out due to the physical stress he suffered.”
“We should just monitor him then.” Alistair concluded with a tired sigh. “Alright.”
“Are his friends still around?” Annie questioned, settling down on a nearby wooden stool.
“We welcomed them to stay, but I’m not sure.” Alistair responded. It had been a while since visitors weren’t allowed in the examination areas of the camp anymore so if the men were still around they would be in another area of the camp entirely.
“You should maybe see if they’re around and let them know he’s not dying... Well, not today anyway.” She raised an eyebrow at him playfully. “Unless you’re afraid the patient will wake up and bite me while you’re away.”
“Shut up, kid.” Alistair half-scolded, laughing a bit in amusement as he started to walk out of the tent.


It seemed like such a slow process; the act of waking up. Darren felt groggy and hazy as if he were dreaming. The voices around him sounded distant and muffled in comparison to the pounding of blood throbbing against his temples. He was trying to focus on the last image he saw before he went under, but he couldn’t remember it. Darren felt trapped as he tried to get his body to react in some manner but instead it was as if he was behind prison bars, banging and screaming, yet there was no one to hear him. It was a mockery of sorts, to hear that he was not alone, yet unable to communicate. Did he hear someone giggle? It was the first sound that was almost as clear as the pain in his head. If only he could get his heart to stop racing, maybe the pain would lesson.

Darren suddenly felt a gentle, warmth against his chest which seemed to drag his attention somewhat from the pain in his mind, becoming quite aware of his own body and that he was lying flat somewhere. An image flashed behind his eyelids and just as quickly as it arrived, it disappeared, like smoke dissipating from an enclosed space only to diffuse into the environment. Sounds became clearer. Smells became stronger. The moment he became entirely self aware, the voices began to make sense, but he only caught the last couple sentences.

“Unless you’re afraid the patient will wake up and bite me while you’re away.”.....“Shut up, kid.”

Darren groaned in an expression of pain but more so to let his company know he was going to be engaging in the conversation at hand. “...Hey...I’ve never...bitten anyone before…” He paused to clear his throat, trying to ignore the scratchy feeling as he spoke, opening one eye and gazing curiously at the girl beside him. “...Maybe if they asked me to..maybe I’d consider..” Opening both eyes now, he slowly turned his head, still pushing his attention somewhere else. Anywhere else. Yet, he couldn’t quite remember why, besides the pain..

“...And don’t listen to him...please. Talk to me..Where am I? How did I get here?” Darren quirked a brow, a slight smirk crossing his lips. “Am I dead?”

“Well, some say you should try everything at least once.” Annie chuckled slightly. “I don’t think biting will be on my list of priorities anytime soon however.” The girl’s playful response was accompanied by a moment of silent staring during which she seemed to examine several little things she couldn’t quite observe on an unconscious person. She remained silent still while Darren questioned her, although standing from her seat and pacing to the entrance of the tent, quietly signaling someone outside before returning to her seat.

“Am I dead?”

“It’s all the white isn’t it?” She asked glancing at the white canvas of the tent walls around them. “I don’t know why, but people assume the afterlife is just... Very... White... Hmmm.... I hope they don’t get that idea from us.” Annie paused for a moment honestly wondering where that notion might have originated from, but then she shook her head briefly and started to address Darren’s questions. “I’m sorry, I’ve been awake way longer than I should... To answer your questions: No, you are not dead yet. You are at the moment in examination tent number six at the White Shadows encampment. You were brought to us unconscious after having an episode of some sort; your friends were not very clear on what exactly happened, but for what I hear they were quite startled. How does your head feel?” She questioned, not even flinching as another healer randomly entered the tent with a pitcher of water and a visibly tattered medicine bag, setting them by Annie wordlessly and leaving in a haste. “Never any time for manners nowadays.” She mumbled to herself in an amused tone as she found a metal cup inside the bag and filled it up with water, adding the contents of a tiny vial to it before setting it down by Darren. “This is pain medication, nothing too strong, but drink it slowly.” She advised. “What is last thing you remember before waking up here?”

“It’s all the white isn’t it?”

Darren moved to sit up, turning onto his side and propping his head upon his hand for support in an attempt to fight against a small dizzy spell. Closing his eyes he listened to the other sounds around him, appearing to be deep in thought. The boy sighed, his head dipping forward so that when he opened his eyes, those cerulean blues darkened beneath a subtle violet glow. Every little movement Annie made, Darren’s eyes followed. They weren’t just glued to her, they were entranced. “Might I say...that anyone who awakens to behold such a lovely woman staring down at them...anyone... could be influenced to wonder if they have passed into heaven. Something too good to be true..usually tends to be…”

Not tearing his eyes from Annie, he sat all the way up, accepting humbly the glass of water. Whispering thanks, he sipped the water, a puzzled look furrowing his brows. “..Well...been on the road for about a week scouting..” Darren paused not sure what he should tell of his travels as of late and shrugged carelessly as if it was just the normal run of the mill expedition. “...We...my companions are the Captain Talsheir’s..well they are. I’m just a guest of your cousin’s...guess you could say. We...stumbled upon something...I believe is groundbreaking and ...I don’t remember….think it happened when I touched the cages…” Shaking his head he groaned, gulping down half of the glass’ contents before continuing. “..Odd….I’ve never...blacked out...like this before..” Placing the glass down at his side, he gestured to Annie to sit at an empty chair across from him, letting his eyes finally pull away from the young lady, not really wanting to discuss himself much more. The more he tried to think on what he last remembered the more his head throbbed. “How about you? How’s your head?”

“Hmm... Well... I like to think all good things are true, one way or another.” Annie smiled, casually brushing past the compliment he paid her. “My mother used to say that our mind functions exactly the same while we are awake and when we’re dreaming, and because of that it’s pretty much impossible to be completely sure anything is real... Or unreal for that matter. So I guess there’s no such thing as something too good to be true; only our unwillingness to accept good things.” She concluded, finding another empty cup and briefly sniffing the insides of it before pouring herself a bit of water. The cup still emanated a strong scent of herbs that would be considered unpleasant to most people; Annie was more than used to everything always smelling of medicine at some point. She watched Darren carefully as she sipped the water listening as he tried to remember what happened before he passed out; her expression turning curious at the bits and pieces of information. “Hm, so... Is your enlightenment triggered by contact, or were those cages you touched just really really dirty?” She mused, his question causing her to flinch only slightly as she was forced to actually stop and think of an answer. “My head is... Well... Alright, I guess. At least at the moment and considering my sleep deprivation. I should really start taking more breaks, but then again... So should everyone else, right?”

Darren’s eyes widened in a bit of surprise as he listened to Annie, nodding here and there, agreeing with the girl’s words on the mind’s willingness to accept good things in life. It intrigued him how she spoke in such a way that seemed years beyond her age. Leaning forward, resting his elbows above his knees, he casually looked around the room as if he had misplaced something of value. “You’re different than most girls our age. You’re smart. You read a lot, don’t you? I do too. In fact, I learn more from holding a book than actually reading it’s contents sometimes. So you are correct….my Enlightenment is triggered by physical contact.” The man sighed, forcing a sad smile before reaching for and finishing off his glass of water. He tried to remember again, what he had seen before he went down, flashes of darkness and fire startling him from the present moment. “...We thought the cages had held livestock at first. The smell...the conditions…”

Shifting in his seated position, Darren’s gaze examined Annie from head to toe in a shy, curiosity. “..It is good to take breaks...focus on something else and then go back to...whatever it is you were doing. Or...sometimes an outside perspective to shine light onto something that may have you stumped. I..” He hesitated a moment before continuing. “..I am not sure of what I am allowed to explain without breaking promises to the Captain. I want to remain cautious but I also wonder...delicate information...would it be safer for one or two people to know or to spread it a little thin? I have a feeling what I know is dangerous for those who have shared in that knowledge but also...it is so important that if those who know.. “disappear” in some way, then would that knowledge disappear with them?” Reaching beneath his shirt he retrieved the journal copy Irv had made him, tapping it thoughtfully along the bind. “Something similar to my sleepless nights has been keeping you up still, yes? When we met...I saw…” The sadness in Darren’s smile touched his eyes as he trailed off, reaching out with the journal to an opened page and pointed to a symbol, changing the subject slightly. “Thing about trust is, I was told, I have to give a little to get it in return...so..Have you seen this before? That one with the sword.”

Annie nodded at Darren’s mention of her being different. “Not always a good thing, being different, but surprisingly it works for me. Not like there’s a way around being different when growing up in a place like this... Surrounded by old people and books. Although I will admit that as of late I’ve become a bit frustrated with books, and the fact we have so many of the bloody things.” She chuckled taking another sip of water, a sympathetic look crossing her. “My enlightenment was triggered by contact for the first three years after my awakening, it was... really bothersome; not to mention bad on my health. It took some effort to control it. You have visions, yes? Must be unpleasant for you at times, I imagine.” The comment was followed by silence as Annie poured herself a bit more water, choosing to let Darren speak. Her silence extended for a bit longer than she originally meant it to, as some of the things he said actually caused her to wonder about some other, unrelated, issues. Eventually the symbol he was showing her brought her mind back to the present moment, to this specific situation and the matter at hand. “Knowledge is a funny thing sometimes... And so is trust. I suppose there are two very important things you should know about me if we are going to trust each other: The first thing is that, since I am here as a healer, anything you tell me dies with me unless you actually give me permission to tell someone else. The second is that... This also means that I will never really be able to tell anyone everything I know about anything. Personally, I believe everyone is entitled to secrets, but at the same time I believe that ignorance only truly protects the ones keeping the secret and never the ones left in the dark. I guess that is slightly hypocritical of me, but... Suppose people are entitled to protect themselves by keeping secrets, but if they believe or try to convince others that they’re doing it for any other reason... Then it’s different. That’s what I think... My opinion of the secrets I keep.” Annie sighed softly, simply moving onto answering his question. “That symbol, I know it. There are things written about it, but I won’t bother showing you because they’re not true. What I know for a fact and can say about it is that about... hmm... Twenty years ago, for a period of four to five years there were several cases of deaths... Of children who had awakened to enlightenment way too early, at ages between four and six years old. The White Shadows were called to investigate possible causes; early awakenings are rare and they don’t usually happen this early. It was too out of ordinary. My mother looked into it, and it was discovered that most children had been reported missing and were in fact not enlightened at all. That was as much as it was ever discovered, the deaths eventually stopped... People forgot, but... There are similar stories that date back to when Blackhurst was still standing that were connected to this symbol and this group that called itself The Order. Before that they were believed to just be stories, but they’re not. I guess that’s all the factual information I can give, unfortunately. Hopefully it helps.”

“..Too many books? Sometimes I fear I’ll run out. I read whenever I can….and actually usually carry an old tattered book on different myths. I’m always reinterpreting them. I don’t believe they are the simple stories of how things came to be or even the meanings behind them. The inspiration or morale...hey even some sort of path...I believe there’s still something I’m not seeing...I can’t explain it.” Darren went to sigh and instead an awkward laugh came out instead. “Well..maybe I like puzzles so much, I see everything as a piece of a larger and much more complicated picture. Or..it’s not so much on what I see, but ‘ Who I see. Experiencing those things..can be unpleasant. For the most part I can control it..except when I sleep or the random flashes I get that I just can’t seem to keep out. Last time I had this intense of a reaction was ...my awakening.”

Darren stared at Annie in silence, his gaze relaxed with a curious expression that was frozen for some time as he dwelled on a few things she had said to him on how well she can keep secrets. A sadness flashed in his eyes and faded into a violet twinkle as he smiled. Darren gently tapped his father’s journal against his knee. “What if I were to tell that I know someone who possibly works with those people associated with that symbol? That there are dates in this ledger that coincide with the dates of the village burnings in Blackhurst and from some of what I’ve learned mention not just many deaths but missing people. What if the records kept are that of a tradesman’s own bookkeeping? I have heard of children taken away to become servants but not until recently did I hear of complete disappearances or worse. At least in those noticeable numbers.” Darren flipped over the ledger to what seemed like a random spot except for the permanent crease that appeared along the binding. “Usually transactions are coded by weight, or color, especially if not by name..but not usually by age. At first I thought it could be cattle..as the records explain...and they don’t go as far back as All the burnings in Blackhurst, but the ages are always around the same three year span. The thing is…” Darren lightly rubbed at his left temple before casually pushing his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing some of his flame like tattoos. “I’m in this book. At first, when I ran into a strange, old woman at that Ball we met at, I thought she was maybe insane or had some vendetta…” Darren paused and looked Annie dead in the eye, “I won’t ask you to promise to not tell anyone what I tell you...I only ask you use judgement when mentioning to anyone the information I share..as you have done with what you have shared with me so far. Reason I say this, is because the information is dangerous and it’s personal. You see, my father is the tradesman I speak of and I think he’s involved in some sort of slave trade. It was brought to my attention that many disappearances couldn’t have been all for slavery because it would have been on a larger scale and until now, with the bit you told me, we didn’t understand the possibility to what those children were taken for. I have siblings possibly still alive, out there. They were not favored by my father, so they were sold...and even maybe killed.”

Abruptly and too quickly, Darren stood, clenching and uncurling his fingers as if he was just stung by something painful. It was clear he was startled but didn’t really mention the vision of a man that had died in the very spot he was sitting, appearing to shake it off and move to lean against a pole of the tent, beside Annie. His mind was everywhere and he scolded himself for not containing his focus, but that was when some of the flashes from the cages returned to him. “..Asher...my father..was in Blackpond with Jake and I..in the prison. I doubt he is still there but wherever he centrally had his people working out of, that we think we found, left in quite a hurry. I...believe they burned some of their cargo..whatever they didn’t have time to move. There were human remains in those cages... I shouldn’t have touched those bars. It was...unnecessary to confirm what was already at our feet…” Nodding towards the cot he had been laying on, Darren shifted the conversation a bit. “..What happened to the lad who slept there before me?” Twitching somewhat, he went to itch a spot his curls were tickling against his ear only to find a warm, sticky substance began to trickle down his neck.

“If you believe there’s no such thing as too many books then I owe you a visit to the White Shadows’ archives... Trust me, there are too many books.” Annie stated simply; an slightly frustrated sigh escaping her. “Puzzles are great.” She agreed with a smile. “They can also be... Way too involving sometimes. Addictive even, if one is not careful. And as far as puzzles go, people seem to be the most intriguing ones of all... Even if mostly unsolvable. Personally I’ve found myself being forced to accept that some answers are simply lost to me... And others will never be what I expected them to be.... As a norm though, I’m not the type of person to admit defeat; hence my sleepless nights; as you’ve pointed out yourself. Stubborn runs strong in my family as you might have already learned from hanging out with Jacob.”

Annie didn’t react with much shock to what Darren had to tell, it was clear that not all of it was new to her, but there was something behind her calm exterior that came very close to revulsion as she listened. It was there and just as quickly as it appeared it vanished as the girl heaved a sigh, lowering her head for a moment and rubbing her eyes as she felt the start of a headache striking at her temples. As tolerant as Annie had learned to be with the world in general, there would always be things in life she just couldn’t understand, or accept, and considering all that she had already seen in her short years, that was a good thing. The ability to still be sickened and outraged by some acts of cruelty was somewhat relieving even if it made the thought of not getting involved all the more frustrating. She kept her head down seeming distracted with trying to stop her tiny headache from exploding, but the moment Darren stood up she jumped to her feet, half reaching for his arm as though expecting him to fall over. “Careful, you’re not supposed to stand up so fast.” She scolded, frowning for a second as she glanced at the cot and moved to sit there, motioning for Darren to take her seat as if to assure no one had died there as far as she knew. “The man who slept here before came in a few days ago terminally ill, he died at some point during the past night. He had no family or friends left so he was buried here.” She explained, lowering her gaze to the ground momentarily before focusing on Darren again. “I can only think of a few people I would actually want to share your information with, Darren, and as is you’re likely to see them before I do. Just tell Mageria when you discuss this with her that if any children are found alive and presenting unusual gifts, I would be personally interested in taking them in and helping them cope. Twins only know what they would have been put through, and what, if anything, they would know of the world.” She sighed again, going silent for a few moments before trying to steer the conversation to a less depressing place, even if momentarily. “So, are those meaningful somehow or they’re just there to make you look tougher?” She asked curiously, indicating the flames upon his arms.

Darren’s eyes lit up at the offer to visit the White Shadow’s archives. For him to think about so many books to be located in one place, it put him in a bit of awe. For a few moments he spaced on if having so much information in one place was a good thing; if it was safe or dangerous. He figured that would depend on the kind of information that dwelled within those pages or lingered on the bind of their skins. The written word was meant as a record so that knowledge could be shared and not forgotten, wasn’t it?

When Annie moved to the cot, Darren sank into the now empty chair, absently wiping at the bit of blood below his earlobe and glanced at his fingertips. “..You’re probably right..I mean...you are a healer..this is what you know..this is what you do..But I can’t take it easy for too long. As much as I’d like to..” He smiled, quirking a brow, alternating that twinkle in his eye to signal something that was edging forward from the back of his mind. “..I will be sure to let the Captain know of your offer. In a short time, both you and her have shown me glimpses of a strength fueled from many things but compassion and duty stands out thus far...to me. That commands respect that seems to fall in effortlessly. I think the decision you’ve made to listen to another’s secrets; their pain and misery; their darkness..is not just a lonely burden but also a life saver. To be that crutch is something everyone needs and not everyone gets.” Darren took in a deep breath, his own words weighing on him curiously as he looked over Annie from head to toe, his expression shifting to one of perplexion. “If I may ask though, do you have someone to be that crutch for you? Who gets to bare your secrets? A dear friend? A lover? Or are you left still wondering, like so many, who can be just as strong as you...or stronger?”

Darren wasn’t sure if he was actually expecting an answer, his meaning he initially went for as subtle, but realized it may have been a bit too forward. He only gave a short moment for pause for the words to be thought on but not yet answered as he pulled back his sleeves more to reveal the black flames upon his skin. “You think these makes me look tough? I was going for...sexy..but I’ll take tough.” Darren chuckled. “Naw, no seriously? I saw it for what it is..for what it was. Fire. People think more on what is consumed by it but I like to think of it differently. I like to think on what pushes people forward...what fuels our goals...our purposes..and for me...there are many things that keeps me burning. I just have to consider the brighter I burn the faster I’ll go out. I’ve seen it happen. Maybe..these are just a reminder.” Darren’s gaze shifted, his smile fading some. It wasn’t a look of discomfort but more of humility. He had been so fixated on the conversation and the lovely girl before him, he hadn’t noticed the pain in his head dissipate.

“The brightest flames burn the quickest... My friend Isaac used to say that often, bless his soul. I used to argue with him that the Sun is the brightest flame there is and it’s been burning for thousands of years, so that statement is very likely to be untrue. Don’t know why he’d always be a little pissy when I said that, but yeah... Fire is an interesting element, the people of Brightvale used to believe that the entire process of Creation was set in motion by one single spark... That the world was born from fire and will eventually end in fire as well. I think to me that’s what fire represents; the power to choose between creation and destruction.” Annie smiled, a hint of sadness crossing her dark eyes, but soon fading away as she chuckled. “And well.... hmmm....” She mumbled, looking over Darren playfully as if inspecting him. “Don’t know about sexy, but for what I can tell it suits you.” She stated simply. “As for bearing my secrets, well, are you offering?” She asked, not exactly leaving room for him to answer and shrugging slightly. “I do have people I confide in, Jake, Alistair; I’m sure you remember him, some other friends, but like I said... I’ll never be able to tell anyone absolutely everything about my life. I suppose, that’s the main reason why not many of us actually go and get married and start a family and stuff... I don’t speak from personal experience, but... I’ve seen it over the years, growing up here, that this work takes its toll on a person’s relationships; not matter the nature of those relationships. I imagine it becomes increasingly difficult to ask another person to share their life with you when you always have a piece of yourself you’re not allowed to share with anyone; because no matter how hard you try, the things you see, the secrets you keep, even if not your own, they become a great part of who you are.” Annie fell silent for a few moments, breaking said silent with an amused chuckle. “Well done, sir... You have managed to properly distract me from my work. That doesn’t actually happen very often, so... It’s been a few minutes now: How does your head feel? Any better? For what I can tell there is nothing wrong with you right this second aside from the after-effects of a seizure, so I see no reason why you can’t be on your way, but I’d advise you to stay here at least for another twelve hours, ideally twenty four, but at least twelve just so I don’t have to worry. That and you should observe yourself from now on; if anything like this happens again or if you have particularly strong reactions when using your gift from now on, you should come to us as soon as possible.”


Darren fell quiet for some time, absently reaching into his shirt pocket for a handkerchief to wipe away the blood below his ear. “Rest….can’t avoid that I guess..” He whispered, fading off with a nod. “I’m feeling better, thank you.” He stood again, but this time slowly, only to slink along the floor with this head pointed towards the corner of the tent and his feet just touching the cot where Annie sat. Gradually he laid down, curling one arm back around, beneath his head as a pillow. His gaze flickered from Annie to the ceiling and back as he thought over what she had said about how the position of keeping secrets had affected relationships in general to those in the camp. Darren thought on how being stuck between a rock and a hard place would affect the person keeping those secrets compared to the one who was left in the dark. “..Hm...I’m no expert..but seems to me some people need to accept what someone will share with them and not dwell on what they can’t share with them. Maybe..those relationships didn’t work out for other reasons..and that was an excuse. It’s not fair of me to speculate I guess.” Darren cleared his throat before speeding through the next few sentences. “..Does doing what you do, harden you to life’s losses? Is it harder for you to shed tears sometimes? Or does it make it easier? I would imagine being exposed to this kind of work, softening someone’s soul but leaving them to shield themselves from certain attachments. Thus, secrets are understandable; undeniable; and apart of life just as much as death.” Staring back up at the ceiling, Darren’s eyes squinted as if he was trying to avoid the sun. “..I don’t think I could ever get use to it...because knowing what is, doesn’t make it any easier.” He chuckled. “Sorry..I think aloud when I get tired or nervous. I’m curious though, what is your gift? I don’t think you mentioned and I wasn’t sure if it would be considered rude to ask. Is it rude?”

Annie nodded along to Darren as he spoke. She could hear the movement in the camp outside, the minor chaos that had been their daily routine for a while now, but somehow at the same time it all felt a bit too quiet. “Hmm... Well... I don’t know... I’m speculating myself, but I believe that some things are simply inevitable to us as human beings. Sometimes knowing and accepting some things when a relationship starts doesn’t really stop people from growing frustrated by them in time. Our perception changes the longer we know people and in any type of relationship while it may be easy to tell yourself that you don’t need to know certain things, or that you don’t need more than what this particular person is able to offer, in five or ten years you may feel different. Then it eventually comes down to trust and whether it does or not exist between two people and more often than not that tends to be a breaking point. A lot of people seem to think that if they’re not confided in they aren’t trusted. My mom used to say to me, often, that if she could always tell me the truth she wouldn’t need me to trust her and at this point in my life when I think of some answers she could have simply given me before she died I still question whether or not she did; regardless of what I know, it’s the truth. Humanity is a beautiful and painful thing like that and it tends to, sometimes, sneak up on us.” Annie fell silent for a few moments as though going over a series of things by herself before she heaved a sigh, a curious smile crossing her features. “Us right now for instance; me telling you these things... does that mean I trust you? Does that mean you know me? Is that even actually relevant?”

Annie silenced again, not really expecting answers to her questions, her expression gradually changing as she contemplated just how her work had affected her. It was a complicated assessment to make, to say the least. “Working in a place like this, living in place like this, it eventually changes you one way or another. For me, when I was younger I thought I didn’t have a choice in being a healer, but in the past couple of years I realized that it has to be a choice. I have to be able to tell myself that this is a choice, because some days, some people, get to you. And here’s the deal; death is not the problem. It’s bad to see people die and losing a patient, it feels like it is... feels like losing someone, but the problem is that the patient is not your someone to lose. So there are time when you have to look someone in the eyes, and say something like ‘we’ve done all we could’ or ‘there’s nothing more we can do’. You say that, look them in the eyes, and you can see all hope die. Sometimes for a moment, sometimes for a very long time. When you lose someone that’s yours, for me at least, it’s.... Well, not better, but it’s a process that you go through and it’s yours, it’s private, and you can allow yourself to stop and feel it... All of it. When it’s someone else’s you don’t get a process, a mourning period, you can’t afford it, because someone else is falling apart and you are the only one there to be strong for them. It never gets easier, but you never show it, and you move on... In a good day by the time you get to stop and think about it you’ve saved more than you have lost. Today is shaping up to be a pretty good day; just a guy with a headache so far.” Annie chuckled momentarily. “I can’t speak for everyone, I think it’s a personal thing, but for me... Seeing the things I’ve seen has taught me that Death in itself is a small moment in Time, and nothing more than that. It doesn’t change how I suffer my losses, just what I consider a loss. I mean, my mom died, but that was one moment in her lifetime... It doesn’t erase the years she was there for me. It doesn’t take away all our moments.” Heaving a small sigh Annie took a suddenly professional attitude as she recited. “Regenerative cellular manipulation by transfer, it’s the fancy name; all enlightenments have one, except mine so I made up this one. The White Shadows call it, officially, spiritual healing and the reason why it doesn’t have an official fancy name is because it is such a rare enlightenment that no one has been born with it for nearly a hundred years before me and no one has actually studied it before me, and even now no one is exactly sure how it works, my guess is that it is a combination of accelerated regeneration and reverse physical empathy; to put it simply I can heal wounds, first by touch and involuntarily, which was an issue since doing so would greatly drain my energies, but now I can channel it, although it still takes some physical proximity, it doesn’t require touch.” She shrugged lightly her tone returning to casual as she added. “I don’t think it’s a rude thing to ask, no. I don’t go around telling everyone if I can help it for obvious reasons, but I don’t hide what I can do. It’s just hard to explain to people that it doesn’t mean I can instantly fix everything.”

It was relaxing for Darren to lay in silence and let Annie speak. Even when she paused, he wasn’t sure if he had anything to add to the conversation at hand or if the healer was waiting for him to answer. A couple times his mind drifted almost to that peaceful place where dreams dwelled, yet even with this eyes closed he was still hanging on Annie’s every word. He snorted through a chuckle. “..By the way you talk, it seems like you do more here than patch up wounds and send people on their way. At least in the physical sense. I don’t come across too many in general who talk like you do. Humanity is a touchy subject and can put some on the defense. But I like how what you say, puts me into deep thought.” Darren stifled a yawn, opening one eye to peer at Annie curiously. “I can understand why you don’t parade around, bragging about your enlightenment. The kind of attention that could draw some people in, is not what you need or want. That’s how my Fa-..eh, Asher would talk when he found out I was enlightened. Except it wasn’t like people would want me to use my gift for their advantage. At least, I don’t see it that way. He always said there would be people out there who would be jealous or who would not understand. He said it would be safer if I kept it to myself. Which brings us back to that bit on trust. I never really trusted Asher and with good reason, I came to find out. He use to try to tell me that I could trust him with my life and that was the only kind of trust I would ever need.” Darren sighed, opening both eyes to glance at Annie a bit awkwardly. “I tried to understand that..and in many ways it makes sense. But then, there are bigger things in this world than just him and I.”

Darren rolled over onto his side so he was now facing Annie, yawning into his arm and muttering an apology for it. The conversation wasn’t by any means, boring him, but the lack of sleep was most definitely catching up to him. “...The things I’m telling you may not necessarily be relevant to trust and it does not mean I indeed do trust someone I barely know. I want to though and you seem like someone worth taking the time to know and to have in my corner.” He yawned through his next sentence a bit comically, slowly letting his eyes droop shut. “Besides you’re related to Jake, so you must be interesting.” He smiled, mumbling a bit to himself, “..Maybe you’d want my in your corner too..”

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

[Forest - 18 days after Castle Ball]

“...Is there a reason you’ve been following me, mate? I mean..sorry to disappoint, you’re not a bad looking guy...just I like brunettes....” Darren chuckled as he retrieved the throwing axe from a Cherry tree, happy to be exercising his new toys. “.......women of course..” He continued, staring off into the shadows, not seeing who exactly was there but knowing and feeling a steady pair of eyes upon him.

“There’s always a reason... I think...” Luckas made absolutely no effort to pretend he wasn’t actually following the guy, he was barely trying to be discrete even; it didn’t really seem necessary. “And I’m flattered, but that’s really not on my list of motives... This time.” He chuckled a bit under his breath. “Just... You are strangely familiar. Strangely familiar people tend to make me nervous. I still haven’t been able to get rid of the last one.”

Darren strained his eyes, a half smirk peeking into view as he stepped forward quirking a brow. “...Your voice doesn’t sound familiar....but then again I’m a visual person....maybe you’re a leprechaun.....so tiny I can’t see you?” With a flick of his wrist, the axe he held at his side was implanted into the snow along the borderline of the shadows. “So...there’s an advantage and disadvantage all in one glance....it makes you nervous aye? How so? Is this other poor soul your stalker instead?”

Luckas withheld a laugh, retrieving the throwing axe from the snow, and absently moving deeper into hiding without another word. When he spoke again he was standing behind Darren, examining him with a curious gaze. “Instead of what?” He asked. “And you know... When someone, who may or not be a tiny creature, is stalking you... It’s not very wise to give them a weapon.” He chuckled. “Assuming that said individual, would actually need one.” He added, with a little shrug. “When someone is familiar, it usually means I’ve seen them before, but can’t remember when, and that... That is rather unnerving. How old are you?”

Darren almost doubled over in chuckles as he turned about to face the figure, clapping his hands slowly in an impressed gesture. “..Niiice....I need to learn that trick...” His smile broadened, blue eyes flickering, tiny lilac colored specs glinting in his gaze. “Hm....I suspect not much younger than you, guy....Name’s Darren..and perhaps...I am just not as paranoid as I should be in the wilderness.” Absorbing the dark haired man before him he added, “Nope....don’t know you....You from Blackpond? Perhaps you have seen me around there before I was tossed into prison and found my way here.” Widening his stance, the young man opened his arms giving the impression he was not a threat, holding out a palm for his weapon. “So...is there something I can help you with, friend?”

“Maybe...” Luckas mumbled under his breath. “I’m from Blackpond at times... Sometimes I’m from around here... It depends. And then, Darren... Just because you don’t know me, doesn’t mean I don’t know you... I am a bit of a stalker after all... just a bit...” He said, looking up at Darren with an increasingly curious gaze; his black eyes narrowing slightly at the strange feeling of familiarity. At this point, Luckas was thinking, maybe he’d seen the guy in someone’s memory, he was sure he hadn’t seen him on the streets, it was when he decided to look into Darren’s mind that he actually flinched; the moment he stared into the guy’s eyes something seemed to stop him in his tracks and he looked away, a slight twitch forming itself in the corner of his right eye as he shook his head, something that sounded in between a choke and a laugh escaping him in one single breath. When he lifted his head again, he smirked as if nothing unusual had happened and simply handed Darren his weapon. “Luckas... That’s my name... and it’s the only one I have so don’t go around sharing it.”

Darren accepted his weapon, the very tips of his middle and pointer finger just grazing Luckas’ thumb before slipping the handle of the axe beneath his belt. His eyebrows raised, bunching together in an almost confused gaze. “Er...something wrong Guy?” Darren absently turned away, the light dimming in his gaze to a normal blue, the quickest flash of an image blinked in and out in his mind. Shuffling a few times to his left he sat himself upon a freshly cut tree stump, shoulders slumped forward in response to an ache from the day’s excursions. He stared upwards towards the treetops before glancing back towards Luckas. “No worries Luckas, I’m not one for gossip....” Trailing off Darren had a sudden thought and smiled, the light twinkling in his eyes. “Hey..maybe you’ve seen me fight? I use to participate in boxing matches for coin back in BlackPond before they shut us down this time last year...how I would pick up mercenary work.” Darren raised his head in a proud gesture, while simultaneously keeping his eyes downward in a modest gaze. “Only been beat once...at most things...guy was built like stone...” The boy rolled his eyes nonchalantly, not honestly trying to show off but still coming off as such.

“Huh...” Luckas mumbled, scratching his head slightly. “No, I doubt you’d fight where I would be watching, and even then, I never cared for watching people slam their fists against each other for sport. Seems rather pointless to me. No offense.” He smiled slightly. “I am of the opinion that one should always take pride in what they’re good at. We all have... Our own personal games... So to speak.” Luke stated, grinning widely at something that momentarily crossed his mind, his eyes fixed upon Darren’s face as if still searching for something in him, even as he shrugged. “I’m not so sure I know you after all, well... Suppose now I do, right?” He snickered. “So, you’re a kid nearly as old as me, huh? And you were fighting for coin about a year ago... No family?”

Darren reached for something in a pouch, his fingers fumbling along a cigarette and patting along his pockets for matches. “Well, maybe there’s more there than is actually witnessed...maybe I wanna sit here with the choice to smoke myself to ashes...” He slid the cigarette between his lips and after a moment of frustration, spat the foul thing to the ground, standing on the balls of his feet. “Maybe I’m more worried for the other families out there....children rumored to be going missing...a lot of bad people out there...” ‘Choices....choices....’ A fleeting thought, quickly tossed aside, his heel crunching upon the cigarette, buried beneath the slush.

Luckas raised an eyebrow, quietly watching Darren’s struggle with his cigarette, catching his words and taking more than the usual time to process what he’d heard, blinking a few times as his gaze suddenly grew a bit distant, staring at some point in the ground as he thought it through. “Worried, are you then?” He asked, turning his eyes back towards the boy’s face. “And how does smoking help with that? I’m missing whatever point you’re trying to make if there is even one, Kid. If there are children missing, and families to worry about, what makes them your concern exactly? Have you been missing yourself? Or perhaps you missed someone else?”

“Well Guy, smoking is an excuse...we all make them.....some more forgivable than others...” Darren shrugged, “Missing myself....I don’t think I understand, sorry...” Darren pulled back his foot and stared down at the crushed cigarette, looking almost torn. “ I believe too many people look the other way until it directly affects themselves, and then usually it’s too late...maybe change is needed.”

“Whose forgiveness are we talking about exactly? Personally, I don’t worry about my actions being unforgivable unless they directly affect someone whose opinion matters. And there aren’t many, that’s for sure. It is somewhat liberating... Not to care... I guess, people crave that sort of freedom in a way, but at the same time they feel the need to justify it... It’s a very silly thing... You can’t not care and worry about what others will think of your lack of care... Stupid, that’s what it is...” He chuckled. “My point being that... Sometimes being good just for being good can be worse than being evil. I’d rather see someone who is honestly evil than someone who is a false do-gooder.” He heaved a small sigh, averting his gaze once more as he added. “By ‘missing yourself’, I mean... Do you lack understanding of your own self? Suppose it’s a silly question, most people do, but then... To some it is far worse than to most.”

“Alright Man,...I do honestly agree that one needs to only worry about affecting those of importance....Yourself. In that reasoning, I don’t see myself as lost. I’ve seen those fake individuals, and sometimes you catch those of us still learning..in process...Sometimes it’s good to be selfish, but I just trust my gut. Life happens, but I don’t just sit and watch it fly by.” A soft sigh left his chest, feeling a bit antsy, his new found purpose in that second was to crack every finger in both hands. By the time he reached his ring finger, he paused for so long that his mind may have appeared to have left him. It wasn’t until his eyes flashed a dull aura of light, that he blinked and came back to the present.

“Life happens...” Luckas repeated, shaking his head slightly. “That’s true, but it’s impossible to move with it. At least it’s impossible to constantly move with it. So at some point, you’re going to sit down and have a smoke, or sleep, or you know... Die... Life’s going to keep happening.” He absently tilted his head back to watch the movement of the branches above as he sighed. “And yes, I know what you meant by that, but it’s an unrealistic statement. Just as unrealistic as expecting people to give a shit about things that can’t hurt them in the future... Or things that haven’t hurt them in the past. I mean, doing something is always a possibility, but to expect change... Is unrealistic.Even if you do change something right now... Ten years in the future things will be as they were before. So what you get is the illusion that something was done, it’ll last long enough for the ugliness to fade from the minds of the general public; that assuming it actually becomes known, and then... like all good illusions... it shatters.” Luckas ended his statement with a little snicker, finding the hypocrisy to be thoroughly amusing, despite how sickening it truly was. “And by that, of course, I’m not saying that doing something, or even seeking this illusion of change is not worth the trouble. It’ll be worth it for a few, but really... That’s as good as it gets.”

Darren’s smile faded for a few moments before a comical grin spread across his lips, infecting his eyes. “If enough people want the change...it’ll happen....if we have nothing to give a shit about....what’s the point? Fleeting the outcome can be, so we give ourselves goals.” The boy stared long and hard at Luckas, his fingers still twitching as he wanted to reach out and stretch his enlightenment, but something told him to keep his hands upon his lap. “Why, we all have felt like someone who has tried and failed but maybe some people just need higher expectations so when they are crushed, it’s not disappointment, I feel, the goals that are met, fleeting or not, should be worth it. But hey, I’m still a pup, I never would pretend to know it all.” Darren snorted, “Maybe I’m just too damned optimistic, but why the hell not.”

“Optimism is like a damn poison, so are high expectations... You can build a resistance, but just enough of it will still get you killed. The higher the goals the harder it’ll be to get people to play along, because no ultimate goal is going to be unanimous. Why do you think the War hasn’t ended when probably every single person in Valcrest is so damn sick of it? Because; everyone wants Peace, but no two people can agree on what the hell it is. You can’t quite blame people for being greedy even in their best intentions, that’s just human nature, but it sure is fucked up. The same goes with things like these; it’s easier to gather 20 people who each has their own personal agenda than to gather a thousand who want a major change.” Luckas shrugged slightly, still watching the trees above as if in a trance. “Suppose I’m too skeptical, or perhaps just not as greedy as I should be. I think that if, in the process of living, I happen to get rid of a few pieces of trash it might not cleanse the land, but it’ll at least clean up someone’s lawn.” He lowered his gaze back to Darren with a smirk. “Like I said, I’d rather be honestly evil, even if some would call it unnecessary evil.”

“Doing nothing I learned young, gets one killed...One of my first memories...had to been around three or so, and hanging around at a friend of my father’s during a raid or some kind of battle outside my window, I noticed a bleeding girl upon the ground, the mother doing nothing but holding her daughter in her arms while she died. I was too young to understand then, but when people like my father feed the carnage and are a large reason the war continues on, doing nothing is why people just circle the whirlpool.” The boy now appeared younger than he was, perhaps he was still clinging to something he was scared to death to lose. He moved as if to leave, the deep tone of his voice softening to just above a whisper. “Speaking of trash always brings up the subject of my father, and ‘trash’ is simply too good of a word to call him especially for what I’m learning he’s done to the people and children of Blackpond, and perhaps more...perhaps I will find out what really happened to my mother.” Darren cleared his throat, taking another few steps towards the treeline. “I should probably stop being lazy. “ He teased, attempting to change the subject. “ I’m sure my companions are starting to wonder about me.. See you around, Luckas?”

Luckas was quiet this time as Darren spoke, none of it actually did a thing to his opinions, but rather it taught him something, in a way. Finally he opened a little smirk. “Alright, so you don’t quite have a family. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just say that in the first place?” He asked, amusement in his tone. “And I do agree that people shouldn’t just do nothing, I just don’t think they will actually do anything, but...” He chuckled softly. “Maybe we should just agree to disagree on this one. Seems like the healthy thing to do in this case.” Luckas nodded as if to confirm his own statement and stretched lazily where he stood, running one hand back and forth through his hair as he sighed. “Far from me to keep you from being useful, I’ll just go back to my hideout.” He joked. “And maybe you’ll see me around... I probably will see you though.”

“Huh, no curses or put downs for another’s beliefs...you are different in some way Luckas, especially for only having, what...a few years or so on me? Not many I’ve met have your attitude.” Darren smiled not really giving in to whether he agreed to disagree, but he felt this conversation was coming to an end for now. “...Although..” Darren added as he kicked at a stone in the snow, “..this place seems to be obsessed with redheads, no? You know Jake? You both seem to have the same woman on the brain...wonder why that is..” Darren winked before walking off. “..Be funny if she was the one you can’t get rid of...just saying...”

“You’re yet to see just how different I am, friend.” Luckas stated simply, a light smile crossing his features. His smile didn’t change at the mention of Jake, despite a momentary clenching of his fists at the comment. He waited quietly until the kid had walked off before turning his back and muttering. “Freaking hilarious... I can pretty much hear the giggling in my head.”

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

[White Shadows encampment - 18 days after Castle Ball, late night]

Annie had finally managed to get some sleep. She was sure it had only been a few minutes though when she felt herself being watched and opened her eyes.
“Hello.” Luckas greeted calmly from where he sat at a corner of her tent. “You know, you really should see about getting some security for this place.”
“What for, Luke? I don’t see anyone but you being stupid enough to just wander into my tent in the middle of the night.” Annie muttered, rubbing her eyes and trying to make out the dark clad figure of Luckas in the darkness of the tent.
“I didn’t want to wait outside... Someone might see me, I’m not anyone’s favorite person around here at the moment.”
“Were you ever, Luckas? Since when are you scared of a bunch of healers?” Annie chuckled, sitting up to face Luckas once she managed to properly spot him in the dark.
“I’m not scared, don’t be stupid. I just didn’t want to start a commotion. I could get into deep trouble for coming here after what I did the other day.”
“What did you do the other day?” Annie questioned.
“Confidentiality?” He asked simply.
“Of course, but... You don’t trust me not to gossip if I’m not bound by my oath?”
“I like to be sure.” Luckas said. “You know why.”
“I understand, but rest assured; nothing you speak in here will ever be repeated.” She confirmed.
“Alright.” Luckas stated, taking a deep breath and taking the time to explain to Annie what he been doing in the past couple of days and what had happened once he returned to the Manor the night after he and Ess had parted ways in the city.

“I see...” Annie mumbled. “So, what is bothering you exactly? You’ve come here because you needed to talk to someone about this, yes?”
“You’re the only one who knows what I’m doing.” Luckas shrugged. “Where else would I go with this? Just.... Don’t flatter yourself, alright?”
“Fair enough. I promise I won’t let it go to my head.” Annie snickered. “So, you two going after her brother and setting fire to him... does that mean you and Essence are friends again now?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we last saw each other at the Ball, remember? And you were pretty much avoiding her then, although you were watching her closely all the same... And again setting fire to people... I honestly wonder what is the deal with that. Is that how psychos flirt or something like that?”
“What, no... I don’t know... That’s... None of your damn business.” Luckas mumbled, shaking his head as if genuinely confused by the question. “Look, I’m not here to talk about my friendships... Or fire... With you.” He muttered.
“Well, I was just curious... I mean, I remember the fireplay seemed to somewhat upset you at that time... And there was that talk about letting go of something and not wanting someone else to have it...”
“Yes, I know... I was there. Thank you.” He cut her off.
Annie held back a giggle forcing herself into a more serious posture. “I’m sorry, Luke... Something was bothering you. What is it you’ve come to talk about exactly?”
“Well, I... Uh... I’m thinking, maybe I can’t do what your mother asked of me. And I... I suppose I can’t quite decide on what to do. My loyalties are... Confusing at the moment. I mean, I know the fastest way to end this... Sam straight up told me how to end it, in fact, but...” He shook his head as if the tought disturbed him greatly. “No, I can’t, but....”
“I see...” Annie sighed. “You know, I’m biased, Luckas... I’d like to see you keep your promise to my mother and I’d like it if those people were stopped before they hurt any more innocents, but I can tell this is personal to you, so I can’t tell you what to do about it. It wouldn’t be fair of me.”
“I want nothing to do with the Order, and I know that, I do... It’s just... As awful as it may be, those people are the only ones who know, who really understand, what happened to me. They’ve been through it all; the pain, the conditioning, the memory loss... They’re not all terrible people and... What happens to them after this is over? What do they deserve really? Death, even though for the most part they barely really have a choice? Freedom? Is that what breaking up the Order amounts to in the end; unleashing who knows really how many other people like me into this land?”
“You can’t take responsibility for all these people, Luckas. I understand that you feel the urge to do so, I really do, but you cannot. They may not have had a choice at some point in the past, but after a certain point it does become a choice. It’s their responsibility and not yours to decide their fate.”
“It’s not a choice for me. Not entirely. My actions, I can take responsibility for that and I do, but what’s behind them, under the surface... In my head... Every waking moment...” Luckas shook his head once again, the sentence left unfinished. “See, you don’t understand. That’s exactly what I mean. I thought I was the only one, but I’m not. Your mother let me believe that.... She let me think that, that all the others like me were dead until she needed me for something. Why should I be any more loyal to her now?”
“That’s not true, Luckas. You know that.” Annie protested calmly. “She was trying to protect you, and she really didn’t want to involve you in this until there was absolutely no other way and for this exact reason. Didn’t you say yourself that you wanted revenge on who made you like this?”
“I wanted revenge, but... Now, it just doesn’t seem to matter. The guy is dead and I know he was the one responsible, I read his journals and all the things he did.”
“It’s still happening though. Did you bring that up with Sam: The child kidnappings? The girl you brought to me? Did you ask her if the Order is imprinting these missing children, Luckas?”
“It didn’t exactly come up when we spoke, no...”
“You didn’t ask, because you know that she’s either going to lie to you or say something you don’t want to hear. That’s called denial, Luke. If you truly don’t want any more people like you in this world then you need to start facing some facts soon.”
“I’m not in denial. I just... Am I supposed to forget that she saved my life? That I would’ve been like Matthew if it weren’t for her?”
“Mom told Alistair, the week she brought you in that if you and your brother have been brought straight to us instead of taken to that orphanage she could have help you both.”
“That’s crap... She said she couldn’t help him!”
“She said she couldn’t help him when she saw him in the dungeons, by then it was too late. I’m not saying that your brother wasn’t significantly more messed up than you, Luckas, but then you have to wonder why that is if you were both in the same situation. Why did she protect you so much and left Matthew to drown?”
“She couldn’t reach out to him... She tried, I was there.”
“Maybe he just wasn’t as trusting as you were... As... Vulnerable. Maybe that’s what she says she saw in you... Because that’s what predators do... Of all people you know that well.”
“It’s not like that!” Luckas protested. “I’m not...”
“A victim?” Annie sighed softly. “I’m sorry, Luke. I warned you, I’m biased, but I won’t try to tell you what you should do. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t let Sam or anyone else for that matter manipulate you into thinking that you’ll have no one if the Order falls apart. Because that’s not true, and you wouldn’t be here and you wouldn’t make such a great deal of effort to return to the Raven’s Nest as well, if you didn’t know that that’s not true. It worries me that only a few days after spending time with someone who has shown clearly to care for you, you come out of that house thinking stuff like that. If this is the kind of hold that woman has on you, then maybe Essence and I need to have a conversation.”
“You can’t tell her anything, you promised me.”
“Mom wanted you to tell her though, didn’t she?”
“How do you know that?”
“I didn’t, Luckas, I assumed. I know now though.” Annie replied, unable to hold back a smirk as she heard Luckas mutter curses under his breath. “I know I can’t tell her what you’ve told me. I promised you and I will always keep my promise, but then... I have a strong feeling that I don’t really have to. Just think about that for a moment.”

"Listen, I know that I can’t keep doing this indefinitely. I’m not that much of an idiot. I know... I’m living two separate lives, and... I’m being two opposite sides of myself and... I know, sooner or later, a part of me will have to die. I also understand that I... If I don’t make the choice, sooner or later it will be made for me.”
“So why not just wait if that’s the case?” Annie asked, filling two cups of water and handing one over to Luckas.
“Because the only thing I’m certain of right now is that... Whatever happens... I want it to be my choice. I want it to be in my hands. That’s how it has to happen.” He said, taking the cup from her and simply holding it in his hands.
“And what is stopping you from making that choice?” Annie asked, sipping her water and staring at him curiously. “You’ve changed, Luckas. And I think your problem is you try to rationalize things the same way you did before, and that’s why nothing ever seems right to you anymore. You are a different person, you see things with different eyes, and you can’t use the same logic now than you did back then.”
“I don’t know... I guess I’m partly still the same person, but... Then there’s this other stupid part of me; the one that actually believes I can have more.” Luckas mumbled, staring down at his cup of water. “And I don’t need this right now... I never wanted it in the first place... I just want to go back. To feel like myself again.”
Annie nodded quietly, sipping from her cup as Luckas spoke. “This... Stupid part of you would be the same part of you who accepted when my mother offered her help, Luke. The same part of you that cared to know the reason you are the way you are in the first place... You always wanted more for yourself. So why is this suddenly so foolish and unattainable that you won’t allow yourself to accept it?”
“It’s not the same as accepting help. Your mother and I, we had a deal which we both benefitted from. It wasn’t like this. This... Is completely different. There’s no...”
“No benefit?” Annie cut in. “Do you honestly see no benefit in caring for another human being?”
Luckas sighed, taking a large gulp of water and setting the cup aside. “There’s no logic... It goes against any self-preservation instinct... And it’s just... STUPID.”
“Luckas...” Annie laughed. “Is that really your best argument right now? It’s stupid?” She smiled at him. “You say against self-preservation instinct... As in you would be willing to give up your life?”
“If I’m not rational about it, then... Yes, sure.”
“Aww... Cute.” She chuckled.
“Shut up.” He snorted, giving her an angry glare. “I don’t want... This kind of responsibility. Do you understand? I want to go back to a place where I don’t care enough to worry for myself and I have no need to worry for others.”
“You don’t want others to care for you because it forces you to care as well, and you think that your life was easier when you could live it without worrying about consequences.”
“Yes.”
“Alright, Luke... I have one question for you, just one. When you first told me about Sam, right after mom died, you told me she was the first thing you remembered on your own, you also told me how exactly you remembered it. Right? So, my question is this: Why do you think the memory came to you in that exact moment, when you were... Sharing memories with another person? I mean, what in that particular moment could have unlocked that bit of your memory?”
“I... Never... Really... Thought about that.”
“Really? You never thought about the fact that the first time you remembered anything about your past was while you were sharing memories with a woman you had previously formed a psychic bond with?”
“No. I really haven’t. You think that’s important?”
“I’m no telepath, but yes, Luckas... It sounds a bit important.”
“Oh...” He scratched his head. “Well... She did... Ask me about my eyes, if they had always been black. I guess I was subconsciously trying to remember... I don’t know.”
“Do you think you wanted her to see?”
“What? Why would I want her to see that?”
“Are you sure you want my opinion on this, Luckas? I know for a fact you won’t like what I have to say.”
“And what else is new?” He snorted. “Go on, spit it out.”
“I think, you wanted her to see. I think, that’s what you wanted from the start; for someone to see you. That’s what you were really searching for in your past all along, and that’s why you were still so conflicted even after you remembered everything. I think that is also what you are searching for in the memory of Sam and that is why you can’t seem to let go of her even though she doesn’t seem to understand you quite as well as you hoped. Most of all Luckas, I think you’ve wanted this for so long, and you were denied and rejected so many times, you simply gave up hope of ever actually having it quite some time ago and now you’re just afraid to allow yourself to hope again. You’re afraid that no matter what happens you’ll end up alone either way, but this way it will just be twice as painful.” Annie paused her speech, simply to take a deep breath and another sip of water, before adding. “And you fear that this might just be how you finally break for good.”

Luckas was silent staring at Annie, even though blankly; as if he could barely see her in front of him in the darkened tent. After a moment or two of simply sitting there in that trance, Luckas cleared his throat and shook his head. “You’re right...” He mumbled, standing from his seat and bowing his head in a parting gesture. “I don’t want your fucking opinion.”

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.”

“Honest opinion, here. Do you think the gift is too much?”

Darren quirked a brow, glancing between both boxes, each brow alternating for each direction he looked. Motioning towards the right he pointed. “I think that would be a bit...much, Aiden..but then again it’s not just from you.”

“You think she won’t like them?” Aiden sighed, looking between the boxes.

“No...that’s not what I meant. She will like them. She likes..pretty things and I know you will get…Quite the reaction from her. I just think you should have stuck with the first one and let it be at that.”

“You think I should give up.” He stated simply, his voice flat.

“I...well…” Darren adjusted his hat, half covering his face before tipping it away from his eyes. “Honestly...I think you come on strong. I think you are just scaring her away.”

Aiden stared at the larger box for some time before shrugging. “She was just really prou-.”

“I know. I know you’re thinking behind it. You are trying to give her something that was lost. I’m just saying..it comes off strong..”

“But Deidre is the one who made it for her...Darren, you really think-?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters.”

“No..it doesn’t…” Darren smirked. “No offense Aiden...but I think I know my mother better than you do..”


Six Months Ago...Raven’s Nest


Darren was rolling several small pieces of parchment together and tying it with twine to a Raven’s leg, whispering words of encouragement to the bird before releasing it. He chuckled at himself, watching the creature circle several times before flying off in the direction of the White Shadows. Now it was off to go wake up his Uncle Jakey.

-Annie-

I haven’t given myself too many moments to sit quietly and think for the past few days since I left. I returned to discover my Mother is still very much alive and here, taken under the Captain’s wing. She was someone I had met at the Ball...someone Jake knew as a child...the same redhead I saw flash behind my eyes when I encountered a dark eyed stranger in the wilderness. Luckas. It was like a fabled creature one would be unsure of if it was mischievous and curious or if it was hell bent on something more sinister. It was just the way he hid in the shadows and I couldn’t be sure if he was following me. Turns out, he is someone very special to my Mother. I’m afraid for her, truthfully. He seems like a complicated fellow but I kind of like the guy.

Words will not express my utter despair and joy that is swirling beneath my feet. She is beautiful, strong, and wise except when she looks inwardly. She tries to so hard to not hide herself, but I guess that is not easy when that was all she ever knew for so long. She almost reminds me...when I look into her eyes, of something fragile that was shattered to pieces more than once and somehow pieced back together. The atrocities she has endured because of those people...because of my Father..I am heartbroken. I have never been one to hate. I have never wanted to kill someone so bad in my life..and It scares me. I don’t want my Mother to have to see my Father ever again. He twisted her mind so far, I don’t know if she could handle the encounter. I want to protect her, to take this burden from her. I told her that every woman deserves a man who makes her forget her heart was ever broken and that if she feels that way around Luckas then she can’t hide from it. She just hugged me and said when she looks into my eyes, I help her forget the pain. Nice dodge Mom. She just deserves so much and yet I see her spiraling down a dark path. Maybe it’s unfair of me. She’s not all dark and dreary. Her smile is contagious and so is her laugh. It’s crazy how much she secretly fears everyone around her, but they are drawn to her like a moth to the flame. It’s true. You meet her and you can’t help but love her and want to protect her.

-D-


Present Time


“Darren?”

The boy blinked. “What? Sorry.”

“Again?” Aiden snickered.

“What? No..well yea...but no I was just thinking about..”

“..Something besides the leader of the White Shadows?”

“Aiden, you said Deidre was apart of the last scouting party that went out. You mentioned her being upset..you were as well about your friend..What happened?” Darren placed a hand on the man’s shoulder for a moment before pulling back respectively.”

“...the place was rigged with traps. It was...an unfortunate lapse of his attention to his surroundings.”

“Aiden..Do I look like the Captain? I didn’t ask for a report..”

“He was ripped in half...ok?” Aiden scowled. “ He just...something exploded..so she said. They of course...no one from the wagon escaped but from what I hear..the Captain only got...a few things, minor useful things..out of them. Well besides the wagon full of explosives. We think they were meant for Newhaven.”

“But nothing..else?” Darren swallowed, remembering the cages and human remains discovered at the abandoned camp.

“...Thankfully...no...but at the same time…”

“Captain believes there are more wagons…and that my Father messed up. He messed up bad. We are hoping…”

“That it will start a cascade effect.” Aiden finished. “..You and I are going out with the next rotation.”

“I hope we find something...soon…But...Aiden…? What did the Captain do with all those explosives?”

Aiden snickered and shook his head. “You know I don’t know that...for sure...just that they are being dispersed...appropriately.”



Six Months Ago...Raven’s Nest

Essence couldn’t have been asleep more than an hour when she stirred, her form slowly rising to a sit up position. Her face was covered by massive amounts of thick curls, her head drooping forward along with her shoulders making her appear she would lay back down along her pile of pillows. Crawling out of her blanket, she rolled to her right onto her knees so that she was positioned quite close to Luckas, her head gradually turning from left to right in a continuous searching motion only to pause and move in the opposite direction. Violet eyes peeked out past her curls in tiny slits, dull and almost faded in color like the green gown she’d always wear for bed. They appeared worn and distant. In one fluid motion she rose to her feet with such ease, someone might as well have picked her up in the effortless way she moved. Yet, when she stood her form swayed slightly as she stepped outside of her tent and began circling both her tent and the Oak it was positioned against. From her side, steady along with each step, Tala heeled, whining softly up at her. The wolf tried several times to use her snout to deter Ess from her path, trying to lead her back into the tent, but Ess always spun as if she were dancing, still lost in her trance like search.

The familiar brown fog rolled in, thicker this time, so much that Ess felt almost suffocated until a warm breeze brushed across her face. Stepping forward, her eyes narrowed as she tried to see through the fog, searching all around her until the distant giggles reached her ears and began to follow blindly ahead. “Jakey, I’m going to find you..I always do. Can’t we play another game?” Ess spoke not even very loud, but her voice echoed and rolled as the fog parted and there before her stood the great oak. She didn’t see the boy standing at her left, but merely felt he was there and turned, unsurprised to see those sweet blue eyes smiling up at her. As before, when he spoke, the voice did not match the visage of the small boy, but mimicked that of the adult version. “Ess, stay back. You can’t stop it. You can’t change what you know will happen.” The boy’s smile faded, his hand finding hers and giving a firm squeeze, he leaned back in an attempt to lead Ess away. Instead, Ess lead the boy forward, tightening her grip on his hand as well, not wanting to let him go. He didn’t struggle, only sighed as he kept in step at her side.

Luckas woke up when he felt movement, mentally protesting a bit as he realized it hadn’t been very long since he’d fallen asleep, only opening his eyes when he noticed that he wasn’t hearing the usual sounds of the woman and wolf breathing in their sleep. He sat up with his sight still a bit blurry and confirmed that he was in fact alone inside the tent. “Lady?” He mumbled, scratching his head a bit in confusion before letting out an annoyed sigh and making his way out of the tent.

The Nest was always just quiet enough at night to be peaceful, it almost created the illusion of vulnerability, when in reality the place was nothing but. In that silence it wasn’t difficult to hear the sounds of a woman walking and the occasional whines of a wolf following her closely. Even if he couldn’t, Ess hadn’t wandered very far, although she seemed to him as if she was wandering around aimlessly. Luckas tilted his head to face her as he stood watching for a moment before following after her as well.

After another lap around the oak, Ess paused, her eyes closing a moment before she knelt down to Tala’s level. Placing her hands upon the wolf’s shoulder blades along her back, she rested her head against Tala’s and smiled slightly before pulling away and standing back on her feet. Again her body swayed, the whites of her eyes appearing as her eyelids parted, turning around to face the tree.

Ess stopped when she saw the Oak, standing with a curious strength, the fog changing to smoke that swarmed and enveloped the mass before her. Protectively she pulled the boy behind her and let go of his hand. “Stay, Jakey...”

“No, Ess. You stay. Just let him burn...” The boy protested.

Ess turned around and knelt before the boy and pulled him into a gentle hug. “I won’t let either of you die, Jake.” She whispered before standing and turning back just as the flames started to spread. The figure wasn’t clear at first, trapped against the tree; a shadow with glowing, grey eyes staring back at her.

Ess was on the move again, this time circling the fire pit in front of her tent, the flames settled and soft which gave the appearance they were dying. This time when she stopped, her eyes widened, still dull and lifeless except for the reflection of light dancing in her pupils.

Luckas was watching Ess at first with a mix of curiosity and amusement. It was somewhat clear that she wasn’t seeing a thing of her surroundings, even though she seemed to be seeing something, once realizing that it wasn’t hard to reach the conclusion that the woman was dreaming; sleepwalking. Luckas had heard before that one should never wake a sleepwalker, and at this point he wish he had bothered to ask a healer if that was actually a fact or not. He wasn’t sure if it was best to try and wake the woman or just let her wander and try to keep her out of trouble. He didn’t have to think much on that fact however; the decision pretty much made itself when Ess started heading towards the lit fire.

“Lady, Lady, Lady...” Luckas started calling after her as he followed, trying to get her attention, but still a bit reluctant to just grab her and shake her awake.

“Ess, Ess, Ess...” The boy called, grabbing her hand once again. “What are you doing?”

Essence shook the hand loose and snarled. “Stop it. My life is not your decision, Jake. Every time I come here, you tell me the same thing over and over: The hardest ones to love, are the ones who need it the most. And now you want me to just turn my back?” The woman pushed at the boy and ran forward towards the Oak, feeling the warmth of the flames around her feet as she worked to free the figure before her. The shadow faded as the fire grew hotter, her eyes focusing on Jake’s blue eyes as the darkness appeared by his side, slowly coming into focus. Ess managed a smile through the fear that crept inside and it wasn’t for the victory in her stubbornness or the fact that she was indeed sacrificing herself for something she cared deeply for; it was for the very aspect of the dream she was able to change, however slight.

Tala growled, leaping forward she bit into Ess’ hand, trying to pull her back. Essence simply growled back as if she were mocking the wolf, and pried the mouth off her hand, revealing minor teeth marks and a bit of blood. Ess wasn’t even fazed, instead stepping up onto the short rock wall that bordered the flames, one foot after another forward into the fire.

Luckas groaned as his attempts to get Ess’ attention failed and even Tala’s efforts didn’t even seem to faze her. He didn’t have much left to do but one thing, and he didn’t waste much more time with thinking about whether it was a smart thing to do; he grabbed Ess by the waist and used all his weight to pull her away from the fire pit. “Come on Lady, this is not how you play with fire... Wake up! Wake up.”

A perfect overlap of illusion and reality; dream and awake melded together as the figure focused in her mind. She awoke staring into those same eyes, the grey darkening to their proverbial black as her own brightened into their traditional, violet glow. Pure bewilderment entranced her gaze, her hands finding Luckas’ arms around her waist and naturally left them resting there. Ess’ thoughts were of her dream and who she had saved from the fire and as she looked away from Luckas to take in her surroundings, an ironic laugh awkwardly resounded at her friend. Who was saving who? As it dawned on her, her lips parted in a luscious smile. This awkwardness was nothing like when Aiden had picked her up into his arms; she didn’t want him that close. Luckas, on the other hand was different entirely. “Why is it, whenever fire is the subject of interest, you are somehow involved?” She whispered faintly.

Luckas sighed somewhat relieved, but not in one bit amused by the whole situation; an annoyed expression on his face as he stared at Ess, still holding onto her as if to make sure she wasn’t wandering off again. “What’s so funny, Lady? If this is your idea of a joke, I’ll have you know I’m not very amused. In fact this is the less amused I’ve been around fire ever.” Raising an eyebrow curiously he added. “And if this is not a joke, then... What was it?” He asked, looking around as if trying to find some explanation lurking around.

Ess’ smile was thoughtful as she spoke, whispering into Luckas’ ear. “Irony...is what I find so amusing, my Dear Luckas. The irony of my nightmare; the irony on how I could almost control the entirety; the irony of how this was another example of how my dreams are coming to a reality.” She paused quirking a brow. “..At least in a way...but I wonder If I still am dreaming, and if I am, I think I’d like to hold onto it for just a little while longer.” Ess carried a certain kind of charm in her words, almost a tantalizing, teasing sweetness as she pushed to avoid exactly what had just occurred. She did all she could to hide her embarrassment, instead shying her gaze away coyly. “Besides, if this is what I need to do to be this close to you, then maybe I should go back to sleep.” Ess giggled, her fingers gingerly squeezing Luckas’ arm.

Luckas winced internally as he became very aware of how he’d been clinging to Ess as if she would vanish otherwise, but outwardly he just nodded his head slightly, pushing his annoyance with himself and the whole situation out of the way the best he could. “Remember that I said it’s not true that you can’t die in your dreams, Lady? That’s certainly not amusing.” He mumbled, pulling her a couple of more steps away from the fire pit before releasing his hold on her waist. “Besides... You are already closer than anyone else. There’s no need to jump into any fires now.” He added; a playful smirk breaking through his seriousness as he spoke. “So what was about this nightmare that you found so ironic exactly?” He asked casually, reaching for her hand; the one Tala had bitten, and raising it to eye level to check on it. “You should wash this bite, you know... Not that it is serious, but enough to break skin...” He pondered, brushing off a bit of blood with his thumb and giving a light shrug.

A shiver traveled from her waist and along her arms when Luckas moved away. Forcing herself to hold onto her sweet smile, it barely faltering, her mind focused on the chill upon her skin from where it was warm a moment ago. “I’m always happy for the reminder that my death would not be very amusing, Luckas. It wasn’t meant to be...”Her tone softened just below a whisper as she listened to Luckas speak. “I always remember what you say..” Still she smiled as her eyes flickered from her friend’s eyes to her hand, unaware until that moment that she was bleeding and that the skin felt slightly itchy; surprisingly she wasn’t in any pain. “Huh...Did you bite me to wake me up, Luckas?” She teased, purposely skipping over his question on her nightmare. Ess instead thinking long and hard if she wanted to answer and how exactly to answer, unsure exactly of what it all meant. The silver lining of her irises flashed as she muttered a bit of her answer. “...Each time I witness the dream, another irony is realized; something comes true; my subconscious forces me to realize what I thought was buried beneath the fear.”

Luckas stared at Ess with an eyebrow raised curiously. “Did I bite you? Of course not, Lady. If I was to bite you I’d make sure you’re awake...” He snickered. “I definitely would not bite your hand.” He added playfully, with a little grin. “No, this was Tala’s doing. She was very concerned for you as well.” He let his gaze wander from the oak tree to the fire pit and then back to Ess as he heaved a small sigh. “The dream with the burning tree again?” He asked; a subtle look of concern in his eyes as he recalled the bits and pieces he’d picked of the dream on previous occasions. “But you have not... Gotten out of bed like this before, have you?” He frowned slightly, going into thought for a moment, opening his mouth as if to speak again, but changing his mind. After a moment of silence he looked at her hand again and gave a half smile. “Do you have clean bandages or am I going to have to go steal from the medics?” He chuckled. “Or I could tear a piece of my shirt for bandages, I’ve seen guys do that and it always looks somewhat heroic... Although, this is my only shirt at the moment.”

Ess lips came together in a comical, pouty pose; the look of disappointment in her eyes was unclear if it was honest and true or a harmless jest. Her eyebrows rose curiously, still holding her pouty look, “Ooh? I wonder what I would have to do to get bitten then..” She pondered, not really expecting an answer. Turning her gaze downward, she retracted her hand from Luckas and let Tala sniff at the minor wounds, her smile returning. “Good girl, as always..” Ess giggled when the wolf began to lap at her hand in a careful, nurturing manner. Nodding to Luckas’ question about the burning oak, she sighed. “What does an Oak tree represent, Luckas?” Glancing back up she continued, “Strength...and what does it mean to me? It reminds me of innocence, as well as strength and how it all began with something so small it almost went unnoticed before one day surprising the world with it’s magnificence.” She looked back down at the wolf, her other hand gently patting the wolf along her snout. “And...in my dream...the tree doesn’t burn. It attracts me, calls to me more and more now and in the beginning the boy was faceless. Now, the boy is revealed to be Jake, as I remember him...with a...” Ess shrugged, “Minor difference....and the figure who I always work to save, has also always been faceless...” Ess trailed off, thinking Until tonight. “Looks like, at the same time I was protecting this shadow of mine, you were protecting me. Another example of the Irony I speak of.” She finished, not quite mentioning the figure had been Luckas, but not denying it either. Ess also kept to herself, the familiar repetitive message that was always spoken in those dreams, afraid of coming off as foolish or maybe seeing things that aren’t really there. Wouldn’t be the first time. “..And no, My Dear Luckas...I’ve not acted out my dreams, per se before...although...” Ess sighed, “I have been sleep walking...ending up in the most random places.”

Tilting her head to the side, Ess held back a laugh, the dimples at her cheeks appearing like tiny pits when her smile broadened. Looking around, as if lost she shrugged, “Medics have the supplies, if you really feel it’s necessary..” Pulling her hand back from the wolf’s nursing, she snickered causing herself to cough in her amusement. “Heroic huh? You secretly want to be my hero now or just a case to case basis?” Essence turned, sending a sly wink in Luckas’ direction.

“Hmm...” Luckas mumbled as he listened to Ess speak of her dream, he could almost swear some words of her story were spoken only inside her mind and he almost wished it was within his abilities to listen in, but he didn’t ask any more questions. “Ironic indeed...” He scratched the back of his head, giving her a curious look as she mentioned having walked in her sleep before, not seeming all too glad to hear that. “I can’t always be here to rescue you, Lady... May I suggest you tie yourself to the oak or something? Just in case?” He played, smiling although his concern was genuine; he really couldn’t be there at all times, although he couldn’t deny that he’d very much like to. “Good girl, Tala.” He whispered under his breath, glancing down at the wolf with an appreciative smile. “I’ll go get those bandages then, Lady... Be back in a minute.” He said, turning to walk away, but stopping to answer her final question. “And it’s not really my intention to be a hero or a Knight-in-shining-armor in any way, Lady. I’m not cut out for that kind of stuff... I’m much more comfortable with just being your shadow. If that’s alright with you.” He smiled over his shoulder as he started to wander off to snatch some supplies.

Essence doubled over in a fit of giggles, “Oooh..first it’s biting..now it’s tying me up?” Smiling she shrugged, standing back up straight so that her curls bounced along her shoulders, cascading down her back. “Not sure if tying me up will actually work..or how i’d do it myself..” She muttered knowingly, rolling her eyes. As Luckas wandered off in search of medical supplies, Ess’ smile widened so far she thought her face would crack, noting the way Luckas mentioned he’d rather be her shadow. “Smarter than you let on...” She breathed quietly to herself. Resting her hand along her chest, beside her heart, she glanced down at her tattoo and then back over at the Oak to the spot Luckas was usually found. Violet eyes burned, sparkling deep in thought, “My...shadow...”

A Few Days later…


“Psst....Aiden...you awake?” She whispered, a bit of urgency and childish excitement in her voice that squeaked when she remembered she was trying not to wake the others. A tired groan suddenly sounded like the loudest thing ever especially when the air was oddly silent; not even the sounds of insects echoing in dawns light.

“Ess..?” Aiden rubbed at his eyes and slowly sat up, quirking a brow at the woman’s wide smile masking a look of worry that laid beneath her eyes. “What’s wrong?...Wha..?”

Ess covered Aiden’s mouth with her hand which brought him to silence. “It’s time...get your stuff..” The redhead stood, turned and walked back out of the cabin without mentioning what she meant exactly but by Aiden’s hurried footsteps it was obvious he knew. Tala had begun a difficult labor early on in the night and something seemed off in the struggle the wolf was having with the first whelp and many still to come. With the wolf’s age, Ess had been afraid for her furry friend and was doing all she could not to think about it so not to add more stress to Tala’s situation.

The kennel Aiden had built was quite large with a separate, dry bedded area of hay, sheltered for weather accompanied by an enclosed grassy area of three or four yards, fenced in with a gated door that was now open. Shaded beneath the foliage, it was almost hidden and made to look like a den, to which Tala seemed to find instant comfort. Puppy was unusually protective of the den and even though was a gentle and patient soul most times, actually bared his teeth when Ess and Aiden approached. The Beast Speaker lowered his head in a submissive gesture, kneeling until he was actually on his side. Puppy nudged Aiden with a sort of approval before the man stood once again, moving to Tala. Others in the camp were stirring now, curious to the sudden excitement during the night, but Puppy wouldn’t let anyone else besides maybe the Captain, get close.

Tala’s belly seized and shivered amidst her heaving panting as more time passed, Aiden working feverishly to ensure Tala’s comfort and attempting to help breech the first welp. It felt like forever but when the first pup escaped it’s confines, Tala was a natural, brushing Aiden aside to cut the umbilical cord and tear the amniotic sac. Furiously she worked to clean the pup off but was soon accompanied by another and then another. Ess and Aiden had no choice but to jump in and assist, desperate to protect each one, cleaning them off enough so that Tala could finish after each one was freed from their tiny prisons.

“One...three...” Ess began counting as she stared at the freckled array of colored pups appearing before her; Tala helping the blind and deaf children to their first meal. Most latched on for milk with no further assistance but there were two who seemed to struggle. One, the last to be born; the runt, was a deep, sheer black. The other was grey with white trim around it’s paws and along it’s belly. At first they fell upon one another trying to find their mother’s milk and as the black one finally latched on, the other slowed and grew quiet.

“Seven....seven pups....My, My Tala you do have your hands full.” Aiden beamed, washing his hands in a basin of water. Tala looked at the immobile pup and began lapping at the tiny body and Aiden grew quiet, a saddened cloudiness taking over his eyes.
“..Six....” Ess whispered softly, slowly reaching for the pup. It wasn’t breathing and even though they tried all they could for the little soul, he was already too far gone. The soft grunts and squeals similar to a pig were drowned out by Tala’s mournful whine. She stared at Ess who was still holding her cub. Something passed between the two in an unspoken understanding, the wolf clearly feeling sorrow for the loss but quickly turning back to tend to her other cubs.

“I’m going to bury him..” Ess sighed, wiping a few tears. It didn’t take long of course to dig a hole big enough for the tiny creature, which she did just beneath her Oak tree. Another silent prayer and the act was done. Six cubs survived, which was better than anyone could expect but something changed in Tala’s eyes. Most didn’t notice it, except those who knew the feeling of losing a child. Some didn’t think the wolf would really notice or remember. She’s just an animal.. They whispered but never did they dare do so around Aiden because he knew different and so did Ess. It did matter and she did remember, but life goes on..

~~~
Two weeks passed so quickly, Essence spending so much of her time with Tala and the pups that she was there when they first opened their eyes.

“They will all have blue eyes at first but most will change as time passes.” Aiden had explained to her one day as Ess sat beside the tiny grave now scattered with budding Irises. As time went on and the pups were able to see and hear, they were quickly becoming harder to keep up with. Thank goodness for the children who never tired of following the pups around as they stumbled and rolled on all fours. They were surprisingly agile and a bit larger than expected by the time a month went by.

When the pups reached two months old, Aiden swore they looked the size of three months. They had also managed to meet everyone in the camp who in turn always kept an eye out to ensure they didn’t leave the perimeter. There was the biggest of the lot, a male, who resembled a tiny brown bear, with golden brown eyes. The largest female was all white with one blue eye and one golden. Then there was the one that most resembled Puppy; a male with pointed ears and a longer snout and reddish, rust, grey-like fur, but with Tala’s sapphire blue eyes. The second female was splattered with whites, browns, and blacks so that her face took on the appearance of wearing a mask; leaving white around the snout and mouth and piercing yellow/golden eyes. The third male with slate grey fur, frosted blackish ends, had the appearance of a thick mane, giving the illusion he was as large as his older brother. There was no ignoring the calculated, golden-amber stare that followed any who would cross it’s path. Finally, there was the smallest but still quite large, male of the pack. The runt. He was black as night and leaner than the others but still just as strong if not quicker. Ess couldn’t help but love the deep browns of his eyes and his annoying, persistent curiosity for all things.

Both the black and bear-like cubs were probably her favorites, if one could get her to admit to such. They were also the best of pals as they were always wrestling and sleeping together. It was poetic to Ess because it appeared that the strongest and the weakest of the pack were equals and ignored all ranks and thus were stronger together. They tended to sneak up on the others and pounce the females but the white one would always get the best of them in the end. She was stubborn and a force to be reckoned with when ticked off. One day she chased her pesky brothers into their den where they refused to leave until next sunrise. The masked female was more carefree and she didn’t bother with her brothers most days but spent more time tackling their mother with a determined need for attention. The other two males; the rust colored and the dark grey one, were mostly fascinated with the company of the Guard and it’s Captain. If they weren’t constantly trying to partake in the training spars, there were sideline, barking and howling mockeries at the losers. Most times if Ess needed to find them, they were either hanging out with the children or wrestling with Puppy. Some days it was a wonder who was babysitting who.

With the pack eating solid foods already and their ever budding curiosities, Ess felt it wasn’t too early to start training the little fluffballs. Besides, they were already making it quite obvious who was who in hierarchy within their ranks, even if only in ‘title’ as they all played together as equals. Not to mention how they were already accompanying Tala and Ess on hunts, even if they were still too young to hunt themselves. The intelligence was awe inspiring and the possibilities were endless of what kind of wolves these cubs would become.

“Why does Luckas get a furry friend? Can I have one too?” Darren had playfully complained to Ess one morning while rolling around with a few of the pups, letting one attach to his ear and tug on it hard. “Ow! No you can’t drag me..” He laughed.

Essence chuckled. “It doesn’t work like that, exactly. If one chooses you and you are ready to take on the responsibility, then yes. You have my blessing.” Quietly she stared at the small spectacle and smiled at the little wolf cub, thinking the mischievous girl drew a bit of blood on Darren. “Maybe you’ve already been claimed by our little masked crusader right there.” She partially joked, laughing again when the cub stared between them and began barking in this high pitched noise, as if she were chirping like a bird. Spinning a circles a few times she dashed over to the Oak, bounced off the trunk and leapt on top of Darren to land clumsily against his chest. Darren groaned, taking a sharp breath. She had taken the wind right out of him.

“She does that a lot.” Darren mumbled sitting up.

“What, kick your ass?” Ess laughed hard.

Darren scowled trying to hold back a laugh. “No...well yes...but no that’s not what I meant. She seems to sing or talk quite a bit I’ve noticed. Reminds me of a songbird..which I guess is weird because she’s not a bird..she’s a wolf. Aren’t you fluffball?”

The pup adjusted herself when Darren sat up, placing her paws on his shoulders, her cold nose pressed against his in silent understanding before covering his face in kisses.

“Oh, now you’re quiet.” He complained, ruffling up the pups fur. “You need a name besides masked crusader. Mom apparently can’t figure out what to name all of you..”

“What’s wrong with my name for her?” Ess teased, the pup turning to bark up at her in protest. “Ok ok..So give her a name then. You can take her with you when you go to sleep. Bond with her some more and maybe she’ll follow you around like Stalker does Luckas.”

“..Stalker….really?” Darren quirked a brow at the choice of name. “Guess it makes sense…” He paused, scooping up the pup into his arms and nuzzled the furry face. “How..about Sora..” He looked back up at his Mother. “It means songbird.”

Essence leaned over her son and kissed the top of his head. “I think it’s perfect..”

Darren smiled, staring thoughtfully at Sora for a moment before turning back to Essence. “Mom...when do they start to howl?”

Ess kneeled beside Darren, several of the pups rolling around in play still. “Well...Sora here already does howl. We were doing it together yesterday. Watch..” Ess whispered, leaning into the pup as she began to howl softly at her. Sora sat back on her haunches, tilting her head curiously, her ears flopping a bit in her curiosity, front paws tap dancing in the dirt in excitement.

Darren laughed, joining in with Essence and Sora responded by tilting back her little head and letting out the tiniest, squeakiest howl that went on for almost a minute. Darren and Ess stopped their chorus to chuckle, a couple of the other wolves pausing in their play to stare curiously at them. Tala stood up, wagging her tail a moment at Ess expectantly and the woman nodded. “Sound the alarm Tala…”
Tala began her beautiful, mournful howl soon followed by Sora which lasted a few moments before the other pups attempted themselves. Ess and Darren sat for the longest time in silence, as if hypnotized and didn’t even notice Aiden and a few others from the camp that had hurried over in haste at Tala’s call. Once they saw the pack ‘singing’ together, they also sat and stared until their chorus ended. All except two of the females: A white puffball and Sora, who continued to sing an enchanting tale known only to them. Well and maybe Aiden.

~~~~~
About A Month Later..

“Jemma...I’m so sorry...” She whispered, wandering in the direction of the river, further from Luckas but closer to camp. Keeping her head low, she kept her eyes towards the ground as she passed a few people, happy that they barely paused to notice her presence. At first, that is. Ess was so focused on the memory of her friend she didn’t pay much attention to where she was going and actually looped through and around the heart of the camp twice before she was noticed and someone spoke up.

“..Uh, Sweetie...you alright?” A man’s voice asked. Ess ignored the question, oblivious it was even directed at her. ‘Sweetie’ was definitely not a nickname she carried in the camp, so it had passed in one ear and out the other.

“...Hey...are you lost? You seem, lost..” Another voice rang, causing Ess to look up to search for perhaps someone that didn’t belong in camp, but recognized her fellow brothers and sisters of the Guard only. A look of confusion crossed her features but she pressed on, not giving it much thought otherwise. She felt tired, as was expected and she feared if she sat down she would indeed fall asleep. Since that was against sound advice, Ess kept on her feet, absently overhearing mumbles behind her.

“Who....where....Does the Captain know? Shouldn’t someone find out? You do it if you’re so concerned.” That was when she felt a hand rest upon her shoulder, instantly shrugging it off. Don’t touch me..” She muttered, turning to face Deidre, a concerning and sad smile crossing her lips.

“Hey there...something I can help you with, Darlin’?” The woman kindly asked. Gradually her eyes widened and her smile faded to a slacked jaw in a surprised shock when she locked eyes with Ess as she responded. “What is it Dee? Do I look like I need your help? What is everyone’s issue...” She groaned glancing around to notice a few others were standing around her, staring. “What do I have to do to be left alone!?” Essence snarled, turning to push between a couple guys so she could ‘escape’.

“Was that...?”

“I don’t know...”

“Should we get the Captain?”

“Captain is away right now...may not be that extreme...”

“Should I get Aid-”

“No...I wouldn’t....”
~~

“There’s no fish.” Irvin mumbled, an annoyed tone in his voice. “You want me to sit here like an idiot holding a stick, and there is no fish. You’re just messing with my head aren’t you?”
Jake chuckled in response and gave the boy a careless shrug. “Maybe. I already told you, you need to learn to be more patient... Whether you accomplish that by catching a fish or holding a stick like an idiot is actually pretty irrelevant. Pick one and make your peace with the task instead of whining about it.”

Irvin snorted in annoyance, but didn’t complain again, staring intently at the waters of the river as if wanting to see for himself. Jake watched him almost just as intently, but his behavior was much more relaxed than Irvin’s as he sat by the water. He had thought anyone would very much enjoy sitting by the river holding a stick after several days of just sparring, but it seemed the kid wasn’t convinced this was all there was to it. That was probably a good thing, some level of paranoia always proves useful in the end. When Irvin finally stopped huffing and muttering under his breath, Jake thought he heard sounds coming from the center of the camp, and he let his attention be caught by them. It wasn’t exactly a commotion, but more like a growing sense of confusion. “I’ll be right back... Stay here.” He told Irvin as he jumped to his feet and started to walk towards the camp. Upon reaching the center he caught bits and pieces of conversations here and there, attentions focused on this little blond girl who Jake had never seen around camp. The girl didn’t seem to be older than eight years old and at first Jake was, much like everyone else, wondering how she’d gotten there and if she was lost or in need of assistance, it was only after a few moments that he noticed how she seemed confused by people’s reactions, asking to be left alone, then he noticed her eyes and the scene immediately made sense to him... To a point at least. He did understand that Ess had changed and was unaware of it, but he didn’t understand why.

Jake remained standing where he was until he caught the attention of the woman who had been hanging around the blond child despite her annoyed protests and signaled her with a nod of his head, after which she proceeded to slowly push the rest of the Guard members back to their normal duties. As she did so, Jake made his way towards Ess and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, just firm enough to make clear he wasn’t going to let her brush him off, starting to walk her towards his camp as he spoke. “They’re confused because you don’t look like yourself right now, Ess.” He explained simply. “Why are you wandering around as a little girl? Is something wrong?” He didn’t ask who the girl was just yet, even if he was almost certain she was someone; the only times he’d seen Ess change without noticing, she changed into people she knew. For now he just planned to lead her somewhere quiet.

Instinctually Ess tried to shrug off the hand that was lightly gripping her shoulder, but only attempted it once, immediately recognizing her friend by auditory and visual confirmation. She lifted a brow at him, her curious look of confusion fading to one of disbelief, staring for a moment as if Jake was clearly joking. Ess let a minute or so pass before she responded, letting the words sink in. “I didn’t though...What?”

All around the camp there were buckets of water that hung from hooks outside of each cabin for the men and women during their work day and even a few scattered upon the ground for Puppy, Tala and their offspring as they roamed. Ess hadn’t been paying attention to where she was going, the tip of her foot colliding with a wooden bucket of water causing ripples to multiply and disappear below. Leaning towards the reflection her expression was not one of shock like someone may expect, instead her eyes softened and she kneeled down, gripping the edges of the bucket firmly as she focused on the image of her departed friend, Jemma; straight blond hair, sun kissed skin, a tiny button nose and even a few freckles along her cheeks. Slender fingers reached out towards the mirror image, skimming the surface of the water as she tried to grasp what was only an illusion and clearly not there. Ess forced a sad smile, reddish tears streaming down silently before she covered her face in her hands and standing to continue along with Jake. “I’m so sorry...” She whispered. “I let you die....over and over..again.....I let you die...So pretty...such a waste...” It wasn’t clear exactly if her words were directed at just the memory or the failed exercise as well but as she walked, all other sounds went silent and all she could hear was Jemma calling out her name. Ess’ hands snapped away from her face and over her ears, snarling in frustration, knowing she wasn’t really hearing her friend; at least she didn’t believe she was. It was almost like an echo.

“I called for him... .over and over....It didn’t matter that I knew he wouldn’t come...It didn’t matter that he was dead...I still called to him when Jasper....” Ess’ voice cracked through a heavy sob, fighting to catch a breath. “Da.....Daaa....” Ess whispered to herself, shaking a bit when she realized she was no longer in the center of camp near all those people. She turned away from Jake absently noting a rustle in the bushes a little ways off but fell back into her silence.

Jake was silent as he watched Ess as they walked, catching bits and pieces of her words, but not exactly making much sense of anything. He understood that girl was dead and he caught a mention of Jasper, which meant that this wasn’t something recent, but the man’s involvement was not in any way a good sign. Upon reaching his camp Jake went over to a bucket of water by his tent and got some into a metal cup. Ever since the days had started to get warmer Irvin had gotten into the habit of freezing the water solid in the morning, even though the ice melted quite quickly the water kept cool for a few hours still. He couldn’t deny it was a smart idea, but he had warned the kid that if word got around camp of what he could do he’d never be left alone, especially when summer came around. The still partially frosty water made the metal cup cold enough in Jake’s hands to make his fingers ache slightly, but he didn’t quite mind it and brought the water to Ess, pushing the cup onto her hands. “Here, drink.” He stated, watching his friend with concern in his eyes and wondering if it would be a good idea to try and get her to talk about whatever was troubling her. Words escaped him though, and before he could finish his thinking he was already asking questions. “Who are you? I mean, you know, who was she?” He paused for a moment as if trying to keep himself from speaking further, his next words coming out in a whisper, although they seemed somehow more audible. “Why are you sorry?”

Ess stared off, spacing out into the trees, not noticing the cup in her hand until the cold tingles began to spread along her fingertips. A subtle groan echoed from her, her free hand falling to her stomach as it twisted in another wave of nausea. Slowly she took a sip and then placed the cup down atop a rock, still not wanting to sit. “I didn’t forget what I was told...just don’t think I can keep anything down..right now...ok?” Ess muttered in defeat, resting her cooled fingers along the back of her neck, her eyes closing in response as it sent a pleasant feeling down her back. When Jake began his mini array of questions her eyes snapped back open, her gaze falling back to her feet. “Her name...was Jemma, Jacob. She was my best friend....my only friend...and she died because of me...” Ess quickly turned, hiding her face as a quick fit of dry heaves passed over her, more painful than the last but only because nothing came up. When she thought it was over she stood back up straight and sighed. “What happened to her...what happened to me...” She turned to face Jake, looking up at him warily. “I’d rather suffer through that a thousand times...if I knew it wouldn’t have been for ‘Nothing’.”

Jake sighed softly, holding back not to push Ess to continue sipping the water, she didn’t seem well to him at all, and he was starting to form suspicions in his head as to why that was... Why were these memories coming back to trouble her now all of a sudden? A small frown crossed his features but he willed it away as he nodded at her answers. “Look, I don’t have all the information here, but then I don’t I really need it to know that what happened to her, to you, was in no way your fault. It was their fault, you know that. No matter what anybody says, you were innocent, Ess.” Jake went silent for a moment or two before he started again with the questions, taking a seat on a log near his fire pit, eyes always fixed on his friend. “Why is this troubling you now? I mean, it’s been a long time, something must have happened to bring it up.” He didn’t ask what he really wanted to ask, he didn’t think he could do that in a non-confrontational way when he could see that Ess was clearly physically ill, instead he just waited to see what she would choose to tell him.

Again, Ess cradled her face in her hands, silent sobs shaking her. “It was my idea to escape..how could we escape? Stupid...Didn’t pay to have friends...” Gently she massaged both her temples, opening and closing her eyes to focus more on the water sitting idle before her than the memories still running rampant through her mind. Ess felt like she was still on repeat so she reached for the glass once again and forced down a few more sips of water. Heaving a sigh, she wiped at her tears accumulating along her jaw, simply nodding up at Jake as he spoke. “I know...I know...I feel like...I’m facing certain things..for the first time, Jacob...Do you understand? It’s because I failed and maybe I’ll get to try again..” She muttered, trying to explain to a point but her mind was still fuzzy so it didn’t come out quite clear. It was as if more than one thought was jumbled together when she spoke. That, and she felt like she shouldn’t tell Jake what she had been up to and that apprehension showed as she shyly looked away from her friend. Technically she really wasn’t suppose to talk about it. “You know...you remind me...of my father a bit, Jakey.” A sad smile appeared again as she thought how it wasn’t just similarities in appearance but also the mentality of her father and it was quite fitting if she was honest with herself; Jake being family and all, in a way. Ess was afraid slightly of hearing Jake’s disapproval and probably more. She didn’t think he’d listen. “I’ll be ok, Jakey....it’ll pass...Like most things tend to.”

Jake ran a hand through his hair, still watching Ess with concern although relieved to see her drink more of the water. He noticed how she didn’t really answer his questioning as to what had happened, but the hints were there, subtle but there. Jake frowned only slightly when she mentioned trying again, but his expression softened when she mentioned her father, the remark catching him a bit off guard. Jake stood, quietly making his way to Ess and wrapping one arm around her in a gentle embrace. “Alright now, brace yourself... I’m going to tell you a couple more things you probably already know...” He stated firmly. “Your friend, well, we don’t know how long she would have lived if you hadn’t befriended her, or suggested you try to escape, but we do know that in the time the two of you were friends, that girl had someone in her life who cared about her, someone to remind her that she mattered. If there’s something I’ve learned is that sometimes just not being alone is everything. Maybe having a longer life, without any support, in that place, would have been worse. I don’t know, but you shouldn’t blame yourself because it was simply an impossible situation.” He paused for a moment and then added with a small sigh. “Look, I know you’re up to something you’re not exactly telling me. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but just ask yourself if you really think it’s the best idea to let your overprotective little brother draw conclusions on his own... Especially if you plan on doing this again... You know me, whether I like it or not, I’ll always have your back.”

Ess sighed, leaning her head against Jake’s chest as he spoke. Closing her eyes she was so silent she could hear her friend’s heart beating. A familiar, sweet scent of burning pine mingled with smoked game, fresh herbs, and wild moss clung to Jake’s shirt and gradually anointed her curls. It was a gentle reminder of her own father, minus the herbs. Those who dabbled in poisons tend to smell of herbs, even more so than those who cook with them.

A subtle breeze awakened her eyes when she felt hair tickle her skin. Smiling up at Jake she noticed the deep reds had returned, and the more she relaxed (as much as she could in that moment), the more Jemma’s features melted away back into her own. “I wish...he could have met you, Jake. You would have liked him, I think...I know he’d have loved you.” She pulled away, still smiling through the occasional streak of reddish tears giving a small shrug. “I am doing better than I thought I’d do, considering the mental strain. No bleeds, right?” Quirking a brow she added, “So..You think I did for Jemma, what you’ve done for me? Could you imagine...who I would have been...if I’d never met you?” Her smile faded but she shook the idea from her mind. “It was my idea, sorta...well...it’s just...all this...is a part of my training you see. I mean, Luke did have a point....if I can deter his mind tricks, then technically I may be able to keep anyone out. Apparently, I have an advantage...” Ess trailed off noting the look she was receiving as she spoke yet she lifted her head high as if she were a bit proud of herself but fell quiet again. She knew there was no avoiding it and technically she may have been talking about it but it was Jake. He was her only family left, in a sense, besides Darren. Her problem had always been bottling up her fears when it came to Jake and no matter what she continued to think of herself she knew she needed to remember to give him a chance to be her family even if there were those moments where she knew he’d not be too happy with her decisions. She had to remember to accept his concern and that he did love her. “Jake...”

Jacob tried the best he could, but it was impossible to keep an angered spark from crossing his eyes at the mention of Luckas. He didn’t say what he was thinking though. He did understand how this could be helpful to Ess in the future, he just couldn’t bring himself to accept the idea of Luckas messing with her head for any reason. Much like everything else though, it was not his decision to make. “Alright... I see...” He mumbled softly, forcing a small cough to try and clear his voice. “And... Where, if I may ask, is Luckas right now?” He asked, noting his tone came out a bit more upset than it should and he shook his head. “Never mind... That doesn’t matter... Now at least.” He sighed scratching his chin idly as he looked over his friend. “How’re you feeling? Does your stomach hurt? Are you sleepy? Have you eaten anything today?” The small wave of questions was cut short as Jake abruptly turned his head towards the source of some noises coming from the bushes, an intrigued look crossing his eyes as he caught traces of movement.

Ess went back to nursing her glass of water, positioning herself against the rock so that she was leaning for support. “He’ll be back...I just couldn’t stand to have him around after everything that he saw...embarrassing and shameful don’t even cut it, Jake. Only reason I can stand to have you around is because you didn’t see...you don’t know. Maybe, I thought I’d do a little better than I did.” She shrugged at his array of questions. “..Everything hurts...course I’m sleepy, but Luke told me to not go to sleep for a while...and yes I ate...but that was kind of pointless since it all came back up. Ugh..and no I don’t want anything to eat...” Ess covered her mouth as if in fear she would get sick again, even though there wasn’t much in her belly. “This training thing with Luke is proving more of a challenge than I thought. I mean...I can’t even get him to attack me. I tried teasing, mocking, joking, and I even turned into Aiden. He won’t raise a finger against me...I need to find...a way to really piss him off.” Ess’ eyes glowed, a mischievous smile curling her lips as she looked back over at Jake. “And..before you tell me once again how you don’t approve of my methods...Jaakey....how can I tick off Luckas? Who is someone that gets under his skin?”

Jacob half smiled as he thought he caught a glimpse of dark fur moving amongst the bushes, but his expression turned serious again as he listened to the answers to his questions. “I don’t understand, I thought... Luckas had gone through your memories before... Hasn’t he already seen... Everything?”Heaving a small sigh, he opened up his tent only to catch a glimpse of a white blur running past dragging one of his boots. “No, damn it, bloody wolf...” He muttered out, already losing sight of the pup in the tall grass. “Third time this week.” He sighed in annoyance, going through his things for something. “So you want me to give you advice on how to piss off a psycho so that he’ll want to attack you? Why wouldn’t I approve something like that?” He asked in a sarcastic tone, resurfacing from his mess of things with a small teapot which he proceeded to fill with water and hang over the fire. “I’m making you some tea, should help with your upset stomach.” He informed, sitting at a log by the fire. “You can sit if you’re tired, I’ll keep you awake, don’t worry. An hour or so and it should be safe to get some sleep.” Jake went silent for a moment, fiddling with random locks of dark hair in the back of his head as his thought. “Hmmph... I probably shouldn’t tell you this, because I don’t like it... Not at all, buuut... I will, because I know I can’t change your mind about it anyway. Besides, I’d much like to see his face, heh...” Jake chuckled to himself for a moment, a devious look crossing his blue eyes. “You should take Lena’s appearance, and just... Be as condescending as you possibly can. That’ll push him right over, trust me.”

Ess finished off the water and set the cup down beside her. “Jake....He hasn’t seen everything....no...not everything...but plenty still.” She whispered, her voice fading away as she drifted into thought. Clearing her throat she added, “Not to mention all he saw in Jasper’s head...I just..don’t think about it...but maybe that’s my problem.” Essence was momentarily distracted by Jake’s sudden cursing and only just caught the end of Kaya’s white tail disappear in the grass. Kaya.. A small chuckle escaped, quickly cut off by a cough and minor choking fit. “Meaning Wise Child or Forgiveness” “Pretty mischievous if you ask me.” She whispered to herself remembering how the pup had been drawn to Crys during one of her visits, by the sweet melody of her flute. Still the wolf spent most of her time in camp, keeping Jake on his toes.

When she quieted, Ess thought she heard a yip and a flustered yowl echo from behind her and as she turned, she caught a brown fluff ball somersaulting out of the bushes to land beside her. The wolf pup shook his confusion off and let out a small warning howl and leapt back into the bushes with a whine as he collided into something. The foliage came alive with chaos, shifting and swirling wildly as if by some strong wind until moments later a black wolf pup rolled out of the bushes, its brother trotting proudly behind him. “Aww...look, it’s my mini Stalker...and the little bear looking pup. Probably should give him a name..”
Lifting her gaze upwards and back towards Jacob, her smile faded, a puzzled look crossing her face. A bit unsure of what Jake just said to her, she wondered if she heard right.

“Uh...Jakey...you’d be ok with me looking like Lena? Acting like Lena? Honestly..I don’t want to disrespect you by taking her form, so you sure? I...only met her twice...you’d have to help me with...some details...” Ess paused to look back down at the wolf pup, muttering over names in her head. ‘Bear...Little Bear...hmmm won’t be little for long...’ Stalker sat up on his haunches and barked at his brother, tilting his head curiously as if waiting for a response of some sort to whatever question he was asking. The pup began hopping around Stalker playfully growling as he teased his brother by always remaining just out of reach. Stalker yawned, looking bored and turned around so his back end was facing his brother and laid down. ‘BearWolf...WolfBear...’ Ess sighed, trying to remember if there were any other terms that may sound better but carry the meaning ‘Bear’, her thoughts drifting back to a story her father use to tell her when she was small, her favorite character’s name meaning bear: Beowulf. She repeated it to the pup who seemed satisfied enough with the name, barking in agreement. “Hm...Beo for short?” Her eyes softened as she watched the pup prance over to Stalker and lazily drape his large body across his brother’s back and closed his eyes.

Jake watched the pups curl up together to sleep with amusement, seemed like the little furballs were just everywhere now. It would be more than interesting to watch when they all grew to full size. Hopefully the white one would stop stealing his things though, because that was surely bothersome. And awkward when Crys had return them later. Jake couldn’t for the life of him understand why that wolf kept doing that... And he figured he just might have to talk to Aiden about it if it kept happening. Shaking his head as he took the teapot out of the fire and found two cups to pour it into he snickered. “I’m pretty sure Lena would be amused. So personally I don’t mind. You’re family just as much as she was, more so than her in a way.” He gave a small shrug, automatically adding a spoonful of honey to each cup before handing one of them out to Ess. “It’ll help your stomach settle... What kind of details do you need?”
~~~
A couple days later…

She did it for the wolf’s own good. Locking him up wouldn’t hold the small pup for long, but long enough to make her point. There was no denial. It couldn’t be helped to enjoy it, just a little bit and there couldn’t be distractions. It would be like hitting two birds with one stone.

A swift kick to Luckas’ side and it began, a plain looking but still sharp sword with freshly sharpened edges, pointed just above the man’s skull. While he was in mid response, she sent another foot into his lower back this time. The act was powerful as if she fueled by some mighty purpose and yet her smile and mocking gaze hid her eyes from view, her tone relaxed and nonchalant . “Boy. Pick it up..” She commanded, pushing with the point of her boot another sword within Luke’s reach and took a step back outside of the tent, swinging the blade so that it tore the flap of the tent clean off, morning rays of light piercing through. “Are you too weak? Or are you afraid? Do you speak Boy or are you going to stare like an idiot?” Jamming the sword into the dirt she quickly tied back her long, jet black hair before retrieving the weapon. Casually she rested it upon her shoulder, swinging it lazily as if she were growing bored.

The look on the woman’s face was a mix of amusement and annoyance, a hint of weariness in minor lines beneath her eyes. Those details were the hardest to get down because they were so subtle as well as finding clothes that the healer would have worn. Jake had helped with that, finding white robe like pants and shirt that were extremely comfortable and easy to move in. The way Lena had stood when she spoke and held herself was another thing she had help with, fooling even Jake for a bit this morning, when she showed off the finishing touches. Now the real challenge would be going on minimal experience, practice, and knowledge of how the woman fought. This was going to be fun.

“..Be as condescending as you possibly can. That’ll push him right over, trust me.”

Hopefully this would work. Enough taking it easy, even if she was anything but. No more childish toys or letting him storm off in frustration. She wasn’t sure how much of a natural instinct to protect one’s self from injury would kick in with Luckas. Sometimes it seemed he liked the pain so much more than putting in an effort. It was apparent on both sides if they were to really help one another, they were going to have to hurt one another.

Luckas woke with a sharp pain, a groan escaping him as he tried to open his eyes and make sense of what was going on exactly. “wha-...” Before he even got the chance to finish his
mumble he felt pain again; this time recognizing it as being a kick to his back.

“Boy. Pick it up..”

Luckas growled as the second hit brought him back to consciousness abruptly, his eyes flashing red momentarily at the words that reached his ears. It couldn’t be... Real... It couldn’t be... Her. Luckas pushed himself up to his hands and knees, his fingers reaching out to feel the metal of a blade lying on the floor by him. Luke felt his eyes sting as the sunlight reached them, raising his head to stare up at his attacker snorting in anger as Lena’s ghost mocked him, his hand finding the hilt of the weapon and closing a tight fist around it still on his knees inside the tent. “Go back to hell, witch... Leave me alone.” He muttered out, still unsure of whether he was actually awake or stuck in a vivid dream. He felt awake, his body hurt from the blows, but his disoriented mind had trouble comprehending what he was seeing before his eyes.

The Lena clone chuckled, “Hell? So you believe in Hell?” Nodding a bit, she spun dragging her sword through the dirt to kick it into a brown fog that encased Luckas in a passing sand like storm. She advanced, moving to kick out his knees, lazily holding the blade at the ready. “Is that where we are now? Perhaps I am just another ghost here to haunt you or maybe the problem doesn’t lie with me, but with your own mind.” Using the momentary cover of the dirt cloud, she sidestepped and leapt so she could be behind Luckas. Her voice echoed and seemed to come from all angles with this approach and so she continued. “You acknowledged me, so either way, now you’ve made the illusion of me, quite real. So, what do you do now, Kid?”

Luckas jumped to his feet when a brownish cloud of dirt rose from the ground and pretty much blinded him; even if only momentarily, he disliked the idea of losing sight of that woman.He wasn’t standing for long however, as he soon felt another blow hit him in the knees and throw off his balance. Luke stumbled forward not completely steadying himself as he pushed to make his way out of the tent, rushing as if he meant to run away, but stopping after just a couple of steps; his grip on the sword so tight his entire body was shaking from the tension. If he took the time to think, really think, of what was going on right there and then, it wouldn’t be so difficult to understand, but thinking in itself was difficult now. He couldn’t get his mind to settle long enough to tell himself this made no sense and so he continued to treat this ghost as a reality. “What I do, depends... You’re in my head... Are you in my head...? If you’re in my head then I am you, if not then maybe I’m dead... And this is hell... Where else would we be, you and I? Or you’ve come back from the dead just for the sake of tormenting me some more... So which way are you pushing me now? Huh? You want to make me kill you again, or just return the favor? WHAT do you want?”

The woman didn’t respond with words but with steel, purposely striking at Luckas’ sword and dragging her blade along his to straighten in a defensive stance. Taking a deep breath, sparks flew as she swung right for Luckas’ head, expecting him to duck the attack but she was already slicing downwards in a vertical maneuver that added to a flurry of merciless advances. “Stupid Boy...” She spat. “If I’m in your head and I am you...or even if I am a ghost, why are you seeing me? It isn’t a matter of what I want. THINK. Do you even have a brain in there? Maybe the only way to rid each other of this Hell, is for you to face it. Defend yourself!” Taking a leap backwards she spun, sword outstretched horizontally, moving as a windmill caught in a storm. “What’s left if you couldn’t use your ‘Talents’? Strike me down, if you can...” She snorted in playful mockery.

Luckas’ eyes widened at the woman’s actions, holding the sword in the stance he had been pushed into and awkwardly trying to keep the blade between the woman’s sword and his flesh as she struck at him. Luckas retreated some at the advances, the look in his eyes unusually frightened for a split second before his expression shut down completely. “What the hell does that matter? We’ll never know now and whose fault is that!? On my experience so far, facing hell only helps you burn faster.” He scoffed.

Lena kept Essence at bay the more and more she felt herself drifting into character. It didn’t matter how much she knew exactly about the woman for what she did know was that she was starting to get under Luckas’ skin. For a moment, she forgot herself so that she would believe she was actually Lena. The focus in keeping the glow of her violet eyes hidden was starting to dwindle so she kept up with the advances, drawing the attention to her slashing at Luckas’ shins, forcefully bringing the hilt of the sword abruptly towards his face in an attempt to knock him down. She was daring in attempting to bombard attacks she would never have been able to pull off a few months ago, pushing herself to deliver more than a few cuts and bruises upon her friend. Before there was hesitation in causing serious harm to her friend, but now she knew if he wouldn’t defend himself and let it happen, it was his own fault.

“So, whose fault is it? Mine? Yoooours?” She snickered through tight lips. “Sometimes, you have to burn to ash in order to come back as something stronger, no? I mean, look around you Luckas. You haven’t even noticed how empty the camp is.” Lena scoffed, stepping back a few paces to extend her arms as if about to present a show. It was true, the area was quiet and there was nothing around. Ess had made sure to clear the area in order to prevent any interruption, no matter what anyone heard coming from her camp; they were to stay away. It was almost eerie. Lena shrugged, “Didn’t even notice how she’s gone, did we? What would you say to her being taken, right under your nose because you were too much of a coward to raise a sword!? Where is that wolf of yours? The Captain? My Nephew? Oh, maybe I’ve overstepped and forgotten myself...don’t you only care about yourself? What a waste of time...”

Luckas’ time with Adam had paid off; and right then and there was when it was apparent just how much. Sure, he still hadn’t tried to make an advance, not yet, but he had done a decent job of not getting slashed open by the woman’s sword. His balance was thrown off here and there by trying to keep up with her attacks, but he managed to stay unharmed and standing. If he wasn’t way too angered to even realize what he was doing he might have been proud of himself. That wasn’t the case though. Even if in some level, in some part of his mind, Luckas felt that something was off even for a hallucination he couldn’t bring himself to care or question. The mere sight of Lena standing there and demanding things of him made him ill, her words were poison pushing fire through his veins and everything else simply melt away in its flames.

“You have no... Right...” The words were barely strong enough to completely break the silence, Luckas stood still as the woman stepped back from her advances his entire body shaking from head to toe at her words. He didn’t look around as she told him to, his head remained lowered so that his eyes were hidden underneath strands of sweaty hair. Inside his mind Luckas was screaming, he was shouting so many obscenities at once he could barely make out his own thoughts, he was screaming so loud his ears were ringing, his head was filled by a sharp agonizing ache, but still as he spoke his voice was so soft it would’ve gone unheard hadn’t their surroundings been so silent. “And who are you to talk, Witch? Who the fuck do you think you are? Don’t pretend you ever cared how this would end, don’t pretend you ever really wanted to help me, you... You only kept me around because I was useful... You only gave a shit while you needed me for something... Just like everyone else... Just like everyone else... Well, you know what... In the end, I’m always the coward and the monster and the fool, because, guess what; you can’t fix me, you never could... No one can... This... THIS... Is who I am. No amount of hell can change the facts.” Luke’s voice sounded soft still, but he was far from calm; he felt as though he was drowning and burning all at once, the fire spreading painfully to every part of his body, the pain so intense he barely felt himself move, raising the sword and rushing towards the woman standing before him, slashing blindly without as much as caring if the blade hit steel or flesh. All he wanted was for this to end, he didn’t care how. “Is this what you wanted!? IS IT!? THIS IS THE LAST TIME I DO ANYTHING YOU SAY! I’M DONE... LISTENING TO YOU... I’M DONE... I DON’T OWE YOU ANYTHING ANYMORE!”


To say that Essence was surprised, was an understatement. She hid it well, responding with a wide sneer and heckling laughter, her mind racing to understand the bits she was absorbing. Not knowing too much on Luckas’ and Lena’s arrangement, she had looked upon it as a mutual agreement, even if the terms were not completely known to her. Luckas’ words slowly began to sink into her and in some ways cutting deeper than expected. It didn’t matter if it was or not directly targeted at her. It didn’t matter if she herself had or had not treated Luckas as such because in that moment she began to understand a bit more that lurked inside her friend. It was something she was quite familiar with herself. Ess had actually paused, momentarily distracted on Luckas’ words when he attacked. ’Stupid.’ Essence thought to herself as she just avoided a sword to the face, yet it sliced through a few inches of her ponytail; the black loc falling into the grass, changing back to a burgundy curl. It was in the next few moments that would prove to her just how much Luckas was absorbing in their training realizing even some things she was sure she had never taught him.

Ess was trying to focus on the wonderful progress that was unraveling before her, starting to actually struggle against some of her friend’s advances. At one point their swords locked, each of them pushing against the other, trying to throw one another off balance. “Spare me, Boy...like your only reason for sticking around me was to get something out of it...even if the choice wasn’t all yours. Who says I am trying to fix you?” Shaking a few strands of hair from her eyes, Ess purposely locked hers with Luckas’, a sudden brilliant flash of violet enveloping her stare, giving herself away but her features of Lena remaining. The mini stand off was shattered, when she moved to stand down first, Luckas’ sword grinding down along her blade and slicing her forearm. Ess simply smiled, her gaze darkening. “For the record.” The woman muttered in her own tone. “I thought I was doing you a favor by not going easy on you, no?” Again she moved as if to back off but instead lept forward, knocking Luckas’ sword so it was parallel with his body, and headbutted him square between the eyes. Fluid and easy her next steps were as she brought down his wrist still holding his weapon, against her raised knee, quickly knocking it to the ground and raising her own up to his throat as if she meant to run it clear across his flesh. Ess spoke with hints of anger in her voice, as if she were giving a warning, “For the record...I am not EVERYONE else...and-”

Without warning Ess was brought to her knees as something knocked out her footing. Amusement crossed her features as they melted back to hers when she let go of the illusion, finding a black furball tightly latched to her ankle, growling dangerously up at her. To Ess’ delight, Stalker had finally managed to break or dig out of his personal prison to join the session. The wolf looked slightly confused when her features changed and relaxed his jaw a bit, sniffing at her curiously. “Good boy..” Essence whispered, releasing the sword and uttering a command in unison: “Disarm.” Stalker released Ess’ foot and cocked his head in a confused daze, his growl fading to a soft whine. It was going to take some time for him to understand but Ess was still very proud of the wolf. Gently pressing her wrist against his snout she forced his mouth to open and placed her wrist inside and repeated the command again before pulling back her arm. “Good boy.”

Luckas didn’t seem to mind the fact he had lost his sword so much, as soon as it slipped out of his hand he simply stood, only barely feeling the ache where he’d been struck in the forehead, his expression was blank for the most part as he stared at Ess, watching as Stalker growled biting at her ankle. Some amusement momentarily crossed his features as the scene reminded him vaguely of the time Tala bit him; a mix of honest surprise and gratitude momentarily breaking through his rage, his eyes softening only a bit as he looked at the pup, before his expression shut down to a completely vacant and emotionless one. Slowly Luckas started to move, picking the fallen sword from the ground and turning to walk away without another word, stopping a few steps away and sinking the blade into the dirt before resuming his walk.

Essence remained where she knelt, watching Luckas curiously in his silence before he turned to walk away. Her first reaction was annoyance but she held back, fists clenching slightly as she thought about it some more, her gaze softening finally. As Stalker moved to follow Luckas as he left, Ess reached for her forearm, making sure to put pressure on the wound. It didn’t hit a vein but it was deep enough and worth more of her attention actually than the wolf bite on her ankle. “Luckas...You did very well...Luckas...” She called after him. When he was almost out of sight she yelled after him, “I’m really getting use to watching you walk away! I bet I could pick you out of a crowd from your backside only!” Ess grunted, letting Luke disappear and went about tending to her wounds mumbling a bit to herself. “Can dish it out but can’t take it...pffft..”

Luckas wasn’t sure how long he had walked for exactly, only that he didn’t stop until it felt like hours had passed. In reality it might have only been a few minutes, he couldn’t really tell. He was aware that it was probably not fair of him to be this angry, all things considered, but he couldn’t really help it and it was just better to walk away and sit someplace quiet until it passed than to stick around and risk shouting out all of the unpleasant things going through his mind. Finding a quiet spot not too far from one of the main paths of the camp, Luckas sat by a tree, not seeming at all surprised to see Stalker jump out from one of the nearby bushes and run to pounce onto his lap with a tiny growl, biting down and persistently tugging on the cuff of his shirt in an invitation to play, eventually letting out a disappointed whine when Luckas didn’t react to his advances, nudging at his hands with his nose as if saying he’d settle for some pats and scritches instead. Luckas ignored the pup’s advances for a few more moments, lost in his thoughts, before finally giving in and idly running his fingers along the back of the wolf’s neck in a soothing manner. “Bad... Wolf...” He mumbled under his breath, amusement crossing his eyes as Stalker began to settle down, stretching across his legs and letting out a long yawn as if ready to take a nap.

“Not so fun on the other side, is it?” A voice called from the trees just beyond Luckas’ line of sight; not that he needed to see in order to know it was Jake.
“You speak as if this was my first time on the ‘other side’... Or my worst... Maybe that seems terrifying to someone like you, but me... That’s where I go to unwind... Jakey-Bear.”
“Oh, so that was you unwinding? My bad, I seemed to have mistaken it for a rage fit.” Jake chuckled, stepping out of his hiding and leaning casually against a tree opposite Luckas. “I still think she was a tad bit soft on you, Lukey, but then that’s also why my involvement in these little games of yours needs to be somewhat... Limited, right?”
“You were a lousy consultant, Jakey... Lena would have never uttered the words ‘my nephew’ to me, she would have mentioned you by name. You left that detail out, because that’s one of the many, many, things you hated about that woman... But she’s dead now, so you can’t admit to that.”
Jake snickered. “Oh, no... I forgave her... Didn’t even occur to me to mention, really. That is one unresolved issue I don’t have, pal. I hated Lena, a lot, and for some things I was right to hate her, but I did truly let it all go when she died. See, I don’t have the emotional range of a potted plant, so I was able to understand and accept some things.” He shrugged dismissively, letting his gaze wander around the tree branches over his head as if he was bored. “...But hey, shouting like a maniac and storming off are good substitutes for facing your demons and accepting them... Keep up the good work.”

“Fuck you.” Luckas muttered out, the aggressiveness in his words seeming to bring Stalker to attention as the pup lifted his head and barked in Jake’s direction in a perfect imitation of Luke’s gesture.
“Did I hit a nerve, Lukey?” Jake chuckled. “Are you going to try and stab me now too? Because that would be fantastic.”
“Don’t...” Luckas stopped himself to take a moment to breathe before he continued. “Don’t call me that.”
Jake arched an eyebrow, his expression filled with amusement as he stared down at Luckas in visibly fake confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you correctly.”
“You fucking heard me... DON’T call me that.” Luckas repeated, nudging Stalker from his lap and standing up. “Twins help you if I have to say it again.”
Jake blinked a couple of times as if trying to process what he was hearing, and then broke into a fit of mocking laughter. “Oh, my... The irony!” He exclaimed, choking in his laughter.
“Piss off.” Luckas muttered. “I mean it...”
“I don’t know, Luckas... You don’t sound like you mean it...”
“Don’t you have some Wolves to annoy, hm? A redhead to chase? Whatever else you do in your spare time? I’m really not in the mood for your crap right now. So yeah, I mean it; Piss. The hell. Off.”

Jake opened his mouth to answer but whatever he was going to say was completely lost to him the moment he felt something warm soaking his pants causing him to wince and look down to see that Stalker was casually taking care of his business at his feet. “Oh, come on!” He muttered. “Really!?”

Stalker huffed in Jake’s direction as he finished before casually trotting his way to sit next to Luckas, looking up at him as if expecting praise. Luckas held back his laughter and gave the pup a visibly forced scowl and mumbled amongst escaping chuckles. “Stalker... No... Bad... Bad puppy...”

Jake shook his head seeming unsure of whether to laugh or be angry so he walked away in silence in the direction of his tent mumbling about his ruined pants. As soon as the man was out of hearing range Luckas fell into a small giggle fit, kneeling down to pet the wolf. “Served him right for being an asshole, right?” He chuckled.

“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.”

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.”

-Annie-

Take a moment for you. Remember to rest your eyes...even if you don’t sleep. Search carefully and see something beautiful within the darkness. Is it strange you are what I see when I close my eyes? See you soon.

-D-

Darren had left the Nest before the sun had even threatened the horizon. He knew his letter would have been received by now, and Annie would be expecting him later that day but he wanted to reach the White Shadows as soon as possible. Aiden had loaned him a horse so the journey would be much easier than if he were to go on foot again. Darren had gotten into the habit of writing to Annie two to three times a week between visits and he didn’t get to visit as much as he really wanted. He was lucky he’d seen her maybe half a dozen times since they met, which was still a clear sign he was going out of his way to make it possible but he was starting to think of the White Shadows’ camp as a second home too. Darren enjoyed Annie’s company, yes, and he was learning he had a new found joy in helping people in the way the healers would, but it went deeper than that. Darren felt like a piece of himself was missing when he was away and could only be returned once he beheld her dark brown gaze. She didn’t smile much now a days, it was true, but he made it a point each time he visited to get at least one smile from her, no matter how small or brief; even if he could only notice it within her eyes. Everything could be seen within those eyes, so that it was beautifully heartbreaking. Annie’s compassion, strength, knowledge and resourcefulness, integrity, and unconditional honor. It was never a question why the poor girl wasn’t sleeping much in times like these. How could anyone with a decent heart?

It was habit for Darren to wear gloves when he was in camp, especially when he was around Annie. His enlightenment couldn’t be completely trusted for him to keep in total control at all times of interaction and it was exhausting to spend much of his energy and concentration on that instead of what was really important. Then, there was the fact that he didn’t want to make Annie uncomfortable at all or to worry herself about compromising her oath and honor of keeping secrets that were told in pure confidence to her. Not that Darren would search things out, but bits and pieces could accidentally bleed into him, even if they didn’t make much sense and didn’t have to do with whatever secrets the women held. It just made things easier if the subject didn’t need to be broached at all.

When Darren had finally arrived just outside of the White Shadows’ camp, he spent some time gathering a large assortment of flowers from the fields. He literally filled two medium satchels. One he stored white Daisies, Sunflowers, Cosmos, Poppies, Larkspur, and some other blue petaled flower that sort of reminded him of his own eyes. They had six to eight petals, light blue and were pointed upwards, the seeds in the center were purplish like subtle flecks that detailed his own orbs. The next satchel he gathered the petals only, enough so that he could pick up handfuls of the scented colors. Once he was satisfied, he bundled up small bouquets and bound them with some twine with some excess at the ends so that they could be hung from wherever instead of put in some sort of traditional vase, which he wasn’t even sure he’d find enough for what he was planning. One by one, Darren made his rounds to the patients of the camp. To the old and the new, he would tie the tiny bouquets from one of the supports of the many tents he visited so that they would hang just where the patient could see and smell them. This way too, once they dried out, they would be preserved almost like freezing a moment in time. At least that is what he would say to those who asked. There was one tent, sadly, that Darren came upon, where the family of a patient had gathered to mourn the passing of their Mother. It was someone he hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting but none the less, Darren quietly stepped inside the tent to pay his respects and whispering consoling words to the children who were at least in their early teens. Instead of hanging one of the bouquets, Darren reached into the satchel of petals and gently sprinkled a handful across the woman’s body, leaving larger piles over her heart and stomach. Darren smiled and leaned in towards the youngest daughter to whisper. He wasn’t sure what their beliefs were or how they would mourn the passing of their loved one, but he found no matter the belief, a simple gesture was enough to help someone along in their pain and grief. “..When you are ready to say goodbye..” He pointed towards the petals. “..Release them into the wind..I like to think...we instinctively cling to pretty things...and I believe the soul does the same..so when we pass on, what greater beauty is there to return to than the earth? Then, you can find her everywhere you look and hear her voice in the wind. That is how you know you love someone, when you see the world in their eyes and their eyes everywhere in the world.”

Darren didn’t wait for any response, but quietly showed himself out as he moved to search for Annie. His friendly greeting was only met with silence when he checked for her at her tent
causing him to pointedly risk his neck, literally, and stick his head inside the tent to see if the girl was around. Darren’s eyes were squeezed shut at first, and when there was no response still, he opened one eye to discover indeed she was not inside. “Works..for me…” He snickered, stepping inside, and setting the satchel of remaining flowers down at his feet and began to work.

“You could have gone to the party.” Alistair questioned. “I can take care of things.”
“It’s not about that. I didn’t want to go. I’m more useful here anyway.” She shrugged. “I’d probably just end up giving Jakey one more thing to worry obsessively about, and we both know that’s not what he needs.”
“It’s not about being useful or not. It’s about you going somewhere other than the Wolves’ cemetery and having conversations with actual live humans, instead of...”
“I’m not going back there anymore, Al, don’t worry. The dead need their rest as much as the living. It must be tiring for them to hear our whining, don’t you think?” Annie’s tone attempted playfulness, but failed miserably; her voice failing halfway through a forced chuckle.
“It’s alright to grieve for them... You father especially, you have nothing of him to remember....” The man pointed out to her, his eyes scanning hers severely as they walked from the archive to the center of the camp.
“Don’t tell me how to grieve, Alistair. That’s our number one rule, we don’t tell people how to mourn their losses.” She scolded.
“I’m not a healer, I’m your friend... I worry. You are sinking and you won’t let anyone...”
“I’m stressed, Al. I’m stressed and I’m tired, just like everyone else. I’ve dealt with losses these past months, like everyone else... I’m not sinking. I’m not in denial. I am grieving in my own way, but going to the Wolves camp and visiting her grave is not helping me. It won’t help Sean or Donovan either to see me there... I need to keep my distance. It’s better this way. It’s important they heal, the Wolfpack can’t fall into anarchy.”
“What does it matter now? Crys is probably on her way to Sean, we know how this will end.” Alistair argued. “Sean can’t beat Crys in a fair fight.”
“Who said this is a fair fight?” Annie questioned, halting and turning to face Alistair with a slightly defiant look in her eyes, both now standing a few steps from the center of the encampment. “It’s not a fair fight.” She concluded.
Alistair opened his mouth to answer, but was distracted by the sight of a few of the apprentice girls peeking into Annie’s tent and whispering excitedly amongst themselves. “What’s going on over there?”
Annie looked at Alistair with an intrigued expression, looking over her shoulder for a moment then fully turning to watch the movement, curiosity crossing her expression. “What are they plotting, I wonder.” She mumbled, amused, as she slowly approached the girls. Emily was the first to notice her, elbowing the other girls to warn them and the three of them turned to face Annie, visibly trying to contain giggle fits. “What’s going on with you girls?” Annie questioned. “Did you put something in my tent?”
“No, we didn’t put anything there.” Emily replied immediately, the other girls laughing in the background.

Annie chuckled, shaking her head at the girls; they were clearly waiting for her to go inside and see whatever it was that got them in such a giddy mood, so she obliged, making her way past them and into the tent, its interior was filled with the pleasant scent of the flowers and herbs that had been used to decorate the place. Annie took a moment to examine her surroundings, the soft laughter that escaped her lips was nearly drowned out by the silly giggles still erupting from the other girls at random moments, but it was more than anyone had heard from her in the past few days. “Seems as though I have a visitor.” She spoke, casually picking a single flower from the floor and turning to face the three girls who had entered the tent right after her. “Didn’t I give you all errands to run? If you are done with them, there’s plenty more you can occupy yourselves with around camp. None of which involves giggling around me like idiots.” She half-scolded, pushing the girls out of the tent and following them.
“He’s adorable.” Emily blurted out, snickering as Annie continued to shoo her and the others away into the camp, responding by shaking her head in utter amusement. “Yeah, yeah... Move along, now.... Damn kids...” She muttered playfully.

Once she was sure the girls had really gone Annie returned to Alistair, who had been watching the whole scene with a confused expression on his face. “Your mood seems to have improved.” He noted.
“Does it?” She asked, calmly examining the little blue flower she had picked up. It was not the same type, but it was a similar flower to the ones she usually placed on her mother’s grave. “I know we were having a conversation, Al, but we’ll continue it later, okay? I think I’ll go see my mom.” She told him, patting her friend in the arm as she passed him in the direction of the burial grounds.

Darren was pleased to have finished his surprise of petals and herbs for Annie before she had found him, specifically shaping the letter D as if to sign for his gift. Afterwards he slipped off quietly towards the burial grounds with the rest of field flowers. He knew by some of the looks he caught in passing, that some thought it was strange of him to visit the resting place of the dead where any of the departed buried there the boy had never even known. It still didn’t matter to him because since he started visiting the White Shadows, he made it a point to spend a few quiet moments there, the only place he could seem to gather his thoughts. He absently scattered the rest of the flowers as he passed by several graves and knelt beside a large, stone grave, casually leaning against it. Smiling down upon the site, he dusted off the stone, tending to it while meticulously placing several white petals in a basic design that mirrored a rose. “..Hello again Helena...it’s Darren...I went with the flowers idea for Annie that we discussed the last time I was here..hopefully that gets a smile or two.” Darren cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head a bit awkwardly. “I hear you liked to be called Lena..so I guess maybe I should address you as such.” Darren snorted. “..Even though I heard also you were known as the White Rose? Sounds...dangerous.”

Leaning his head back, Darren removed his hat and placed it in his lap, closing his eyes with a deep sigh. “I’ve heard lots of things about you..yet...at the same time...not many can say much...I mean..in that...I hear you were a private person so there’s only so much to tell. That’s understandable. I honestly wouldn’t want all of Valcrest knowing my business; not to mention the fact if that were the case I’m sure that would have made your old assassin days not so effective, right? I do hate the idea of having to ask others about you in order to ’Know’ an inkling of who you were when it would have been my preference to have met you.” Darren grunted in slight annoyance. “Mom..said she only met you briefly..and even though she wasn’t happy that you knew about her connection to Uncle Jake and that he was alive when she believed he was dead..she seems to understand...and she seems to hold a certain kind of respect for you. You should know she had a blast impersonating you just for the sheer torment...eh well she says it was for training purposes with Luckas, but anything that was probably Jakey’s idea was rooted on the sole purpose of torment I bet. Jake said it was rather..entertaining. Mom says Luckas is getting better..even stronger..and so is she..with whatever it is they do involving that link of theirs. I still don’t quite understand it all.” He paused to chuckle his smile fading some as he sat in silent thought for a few moments before continuing his one sided conversation.

“...Finding out with who my father is..and what he’s involved in..I am wondering if I should just take on my mother’s name. Do you think a name makes the man or the man makes the name? Just...think it’s such a dangerous name to possess now..Hearst..” Opening one eye he turned slightly towards the stone as if he were listening to the woman responding to his question and he nodded. “Eh..you’re probably right…” He half whispered to himself.

Opening his other eye he glanced up towards the sky, taking in what a clear, refreshing day it had become. Inhaling deeply through his nostrils he held in the scent of spring around him, savoring it before releasing the stale remnants back into the air. “....Beautiful calm...before the storm…” Darren smiled, shaking his head half amused with himself. “Of course..if one can actually call the past few months ‘Calm’, but Ess...er...Mom...that was something she said to me when she told me about the night her Dad died...the night the town burned. I think...that’s what this is...the time last night..given to celebrate her and Jake’s birthday...a moment of peace. Everyone deserves that kind of moment once in a while to at least clear the head, no? Just...that peace doesn’t last forever…and I heard something about how some of you guys here feel peace is a hard word to define or if it can even exist? But...that’s why I am here...well one of the reasons…” Darren opened a warm smile, his blue eyes flickering a darker indigo, a violet tone outlining his pupils as they slowly closed. “..I find some peace being around her...and...Dragons…was wondering what you guys had to read up on folklore and such on the subject...The journal my father had...he mentions his business partner..describes him as if he were a dragon...make me wonder if it means something more...and not just for secrecy’s sake.”

Annie walked towards the cemetery in a steady pace, somewhat glad to be walking away from Alistair and his concerns. She knew that he meant well, but having him constantly checking up on her at every opportunity wasn’t exactly helping matters much. It just added to her stress and made her want to be on her own and the cemetery was the best place there was for that in camp. Not many went there anymore, and it was without a doubt the quietest place to be.

As it turned out, she hadn’t been the only one to have that idea and as she spotted Darren by her mother’s grave she slowed her pace a bit as if to sneak up on him, but at the same time making absolutely no effort to be silent. She caught a good deal of what Darren was saying, and found the whole situation quite amusing. “You know, your visits are proving to be quite the distraction for some of the apprentices.” She spoke up, holding back a chuckle. “All their swooning might actually get someone killed one of these days and then I’ll get into some serious trouble.” Annie teased, stopping by the grave and resting one hand against the stone, briefly whispering something under her breath before sitting on the grass beside it. “And I’d be careful if I were you, my mom was never the best at giving advice even when was still alive, but... for what it’s worth, I like your name.” She stated, nodding at her own words. “It suits you.”

Darren’s eyes crinkled when he squeezed them tight at the sound of footsteps, his cheeks flushing momentarily with a subtle, reddish hue. He waited a moment before opening his eyes, a slight look of embarrassment crossing his expression for being walked in upon talking to himself which quickly dissipated, no worse for wear since it didn’t appear Annie was annoyed at his presence beside her mother’s grave. Casually he stood, fiddling with his hat, picking at non existent fuzzies or blades of grass and smiled. “Well, I was hoping to be more of a distraction for you...but if my mere presence puts a smile on someone’s face, then I must be doing something right, no?” When Darren was satisfied with the upkeep of his hat, he leaned over towards Annie and brushed aside a few strands of her hair with a gloved hand before lightly dropping the hat on a slight angle upon her head. Taking a few exaggerated steps back he squinted in the sunlight, tilting his head awkwardly as if he were deciding if he liked how it looked upon the woman. “Not bad at all...may be a tad big, no? Big enough gust of wind could take that right off.” He snickered. “My Mother...seems to be quite good at giving advice..but never at taking some..or listening to her own words...speaking of which...she was very happy with the gift..and sends her thanks. I think she plans on coming to meet you soon and was sad you didn’t come by.” Darren cleared his throat, the whites of his teeth peeking out as his smile widened, his tone softening to almost a whisper. “We...all...missed you. For the most part though..the party was...drama free...mostly..”

Annie chuckled softly, Darren’s hat was really a bit big for her head, after a moment she picked the hat off her head and examined it carefully in her hands. “It’s a lovely hat, I’d like it better with a little flower on it, or a feather maybe.” She played, putting it back on and letting it fall slightly over her eyes. “Lots of those lying around the Ravens’ camp for what I hear. So... Drama free mostly? Sounds like I missed some excitement. Was it Luckas? I’m pretty sure no one told him there was going to be a party... Crowds can make him pissy sometimes.” Annie sighed softly and slowly got on her feet. “I originally planned on going, to be honest, but... My headaches have been getting worse these past couple of days, and I thought that the noisy environment wouldn’t do me a lot of good. I didn’t want Jake to spend his birthday worried about me either... It’s been quite a while since he’s even acknowledged the date, I shouldn’t be giving him excuses not to have fun.” She opened up a smile, fiddling with the flower she was still holding. “I look forward to meeting your mother... I sure heard a lot about her.” A somewhat amused snort escaped the girl at her own words, but she didn’t elaborate. “Where’s Sora, she didn’t come with you?” She questioned, casually reaching out and passing the stem of the flower behind Darren’s ear. Taking a few steps back, she lifted the hat from her eyes to give him an inspecting glance. “See, that’s a good look for you, the blue brings out your eyes.” She chuckled.

“Pfft...a feather?” Darren playfully rolled his eyes, bending down slightly so he could see beneath the brim of his hat to look into Annie’s eyes. “The first thing I did was stomp to pieces that feather that once embellished that hat..thank you. But...I bet some flowers would be ok...for you…” He smiled, standing with his hands on his hips in a ridiculously, silly pose. His eyes were squinted from the sun’s blinding flare and yet his chin was lifted towards the sky in a fake, snobbish arrogance. “Wish Irvin could see me now. He said I was pretty...the flowers really don’t help my case.” He didn’t try to remove the blue flower behind his ear, instead he picked up a small handful of the same flowers he had scattered along Lena’s grave. “And..that’s a beautiful look for you...that smile suits you. Even more so like music to my ears when you laugh.” Darren’s smile faded as he looked over Annie with certain amount of seriousness and genuine admiration. When he realized he was staring he winked, breaking out of his own lapse of thought.

“The kids keep themselves occupied with gathering up the Raven’s feathers for the Guard. When you see Jake, you’ll see what I mean. And Luckas? He was actually ‘behaving’, if one can dare use that term to describe that guy. Jake got annoyed with him, as always and tried to hurt him...I think. He was pretty drunk. No one was hurt or anything. Course..you seriously should be kicking yourself in the ass for missing Dastan’s impressive display of fireworks..when they decided to work, that is.” Darren chuckled, turning his attention away from Annie as if distracted and threw a handful of small, blue flowers so that they showered around her. For a moment they seemed to float in a vortex of wind that swirled the petals around her before clinging to her hair and borrowed hat. Darren smiled innocently, a devilish twinkle glistening in his left eye as he watched Annie. “Oh, I’m sure Sora’s off hunting or..bugging some of my ‘swooning’ fans, no? Keep them on their toes.” He went quiet, still watching Annie in some sort of half trance so that he didn’t even notice when his wolf companion appeared behind Annie with something furry and red in her mouth.

“I’ll have a lot more reasons to smile when this is over, but I try.” Annie spoke, a serious expression crossing her eyes momentarily, but slowly fading. The girl snickered, playfully trying to dodge the flower petals as they rained down on her head, but not avoiding a single one. “And Irvin said you were pretty?” She asked, holding back a bit of laughter. “I have to say, I’m not sure whether or not that worries me....”Calmly she took off the hat, now sprinkled in blue petals, and placed it back on Darren’s head. “There you go... Here’s what you should wear to the next party, it’s a very festive look, don’t you think? And not too girly because it’s blue.” She added with a little smirk. “Eh, Jake and Luckas... They have their issues. Maybe that’s why I haven’t seen much of Jake since my mom died. I think he’s a bit mad at me for not being mad at Luckas... Or something like that. I love him, he’s my favorite cousin, but he knows how to be an ass when he wants to be.” Annie shrugged, glancing at the gravestone beside her. That was when she noticed Sora. The wolf was carrying something small fluffy and red, which she recognized as a baby fox. “Look... I think Sora caught something.” She pointed out, smiling at the wolf. “And trust me... I’ve seen the fireworks... I almost had to go to the desert and personally smack Dastan on the head during the ‘testing phase’.”

Darren smirked, readjusting his hat so that his eyes could be seen beneath the brim, not brushing off the flowers that still lingered. After listening a few moments, his attention was gradually pulled towards Sora while absently he rested a reassuring hand upon Annie’s arm. In his mind, his thoughts were lingering on the woman’s words on how she would smile more when ‘this’ was all over, referring to the sickness and other plaguing dilemmas to date and wondered if it would really ever be over. The terrible things his own father had been involved with had gone further back and involved more people than just Asher and if something like that had survived for this long, was it something that could truly be rooted out and destroyed? “..That’s right..when this is over...we can’t give up right? To every beginning there will be an end...but in the meantime, I’ll stick around if it’s ok with you and help remind you that there are still plenty of reasons to smile.”

He pulled away and slowly knelt in front of Sora who had gently dropped the kit fox and was cleaning the top of it’s head with curious amount of affection and care. It was still alive and apparently unharmed. Darren slowly reached out towards the kit and Sora thumped her tail happily while voicing a concerning, low growl as if to give Darren a simple warning. “Shh..Sora..what do we have here? Is this your baby?” Darren’s eyes softened in a bewildered understanding that this creature had not become the wolf’s next meal. Sora, was not like her brothers and was kindly reminded of a time a few months ago when he accompanied Essence, Aiden, and the much younger pups on a hunting trip. Ward had alerted the pack to a burrow occupied by a family of rabbits and his brothers and sisters wasted no time in claiming their kills, leaving nothing alive. Well, almost nothing. Ess had found two baby bunnies cowering in a bush and as Beo moved to snatch them right out of her hand, she scolded her furry companion and smacked him lightly on the snout. It was the only time Darren had seen his mother get so upset with the wolves and he remembered how ashamed and confused Beo had appeared. After all, he was just following instinct and he wasn’t killing needlessly but for a purpose of his own survival. Still, all the wolves had watched the scene with a surprising amount of intelligent understanding and as Ess ignored Aiden’s explanation and rationalization on the situation, she had brought the rabbits back to camp and gave them to the kids to raise until they were old enough to take their chances in the wild on their own.

“A predator, knowing...when life is to be spared. That’s...kind of poetic.” Darren sighed, glancing up at Annie as he pulled off one of his gloves and revealed a few fresh cuts and bruised knuckles just so he could pet the pup fox. “Annie...do you think..it takes more courage to spare a life..than to take one?” He asked quietly, his voice strained some as if it were failing him, a mix of guilt and defiance hidden beneath his tone as he thought of his argument with his mother.

Annie watched with a soft smile as Sora cared for the little baby fox, Darren’s words reaching her with a bit of delay, causing her to turn her attention back to him. “I think that the act of taking or sparing a life in itself has little to do with courage. It think it has to do with what is right for someone in the moment. Has to do either with what is moral or instinctive to a person. The part that takes courage, as with most choices, is dealing with the consequences. Even doing the right thing for the best of reasons can be much more painful than we expect it to be.” She sighed softly, calmly crouching down to observe the baby fox. “It’s fascinating how animals don’t need to rationalize these things. Sora can save a baby fox, and still hunt for food when she needs to. One thing doesn’t influence the other. Nothing will ever be this simple for us. What we do one day stays with us forever.” She silenced for a few seconds before letting out a small chuckle. “I’m pretty sure that’s not a helpful answer, but to be fair; that was an unfairly complex question you asked. Does it have to do with whoever it is you’ve been punching lately?” She asked, indicating the state of his knuckles.

Darren was mulling over Annie’s words for some time, his bare hand still caressing the fox’s fur so the that simple distraction almost blocked out the woman’s observation on his knuckles. Darren opened a curious smile that didn’t touch his eyes and he shrugged. “Just..a bit of friendly competition that may or not have gotten a bit out of hand.” Darren cleared his throat, his voice taking on a slightly awkward tone as he continued in more of a mumble. “Still, I think Aiden and I are better pals for it now..this…” He motioned to his knuckles, flexing his hand to show he wasn’t in any pain, at least worth mentioning. “..No..that doesn’t have to do with my question.” Darren’s smile faded and he just stared at Sora as he attempted to collect his thoughts and instead of answering Annie’s question directly, he asked another question. “How important is it to honor and obey our elders? I mean, I’ve always been one to give respect..but Ess...er..Mom..she is trying to forbid me to go after Asher..and we kind of got into a bit of an argument last night. I feel bad...I said some things, however true, I could see were painful for her to hear. She believes she can take care of it and part of me says I should let her..but that other part of me..says I need to take care of her.” Darren paused, letting out a long sigh, before shifting his stare back over towards Annie with what could only be described as a wounded look in his eye. “I wonder..if she thinks..it takes a monster..to rip the world of one..and I think she’s afraid I will go down a dark path like she did. She knows...she knows Annie, I’ve never taken a life intentionally before..I just..feel I have to do this...and whatever consequences I am faced with, I believe more greater outcomes will prevail from his death and it will be worth it.”

“Aiden... Aiden... Beast Boy, right? I see.” Annie smirked slightly remembering a few of Luckas endless rants regarding the man, but the amusement didn’t last too long. Annie sighed at Darren’s questioning, frowning slightly as she thought it over, sitting down where she had kneeled beside Sora as though she predicted it would take longer than usual to reach a coherent answer; so might as well get comfortable. “What would your mom say if she heard you refer to her as an elder, I wonder.” She questioned, a bit of amusement crossing her expression briefly and fading as she went silent once again, idly petting Sora as she considered what Darren had said. “Well... I obviously can’t tell you what to do, Darren, but I will give my most honest opinion on this whole situation. First of all: respect, honor and obedience are separate things in my book. You do owe your mother respect and you should honor her always, sure. For everyone comes a time in life though when they begin to disagree with their parents and once you reach that point it’s much more important to follow your own convictions, trust me; I’ve reached that phase a bit early for my sake. You found your mother just recently, but it’s clearly a bit too late in your life for her to be able to forbid you of anything. Even if in a moment of desperation she tries to act as such, she knows this. That said, I think that in all the ways you’re rationalizing this and in all the questions you seem to be asking yourself you’re trying to avoid the real issue and it’s important, no matter what you decide, that you understand that you are talking about murdering your father. That’s what you need to tell yourself. Forget the monster he is, forget the lives he has and may yet ruin, it doesn’t matter if he deserves to die or if the world would be a better place. What you’re really talking about is murdering your father.”

Annie paused for a moment, her eyes fixed on the animals for a few long moments before she looked at Darren again. “You want to think that all of the good reasons why this needs to be done will make this easier, but chances are they won’t. He’ll be dead and, because you’re not like him, you’ll be left standing asking yourself what this makes of you. You may ask yourself that for a very long time, if not for the rest of your life. Even if you never hurt another living thing, a part of you will always question. Like I said; I can’t tell you what to do, but personally I wouldn’t want that. No one who cares about you would. Sometimes it can’t be helped, but there’s a lot of people after your father aside from your mother and you; is this really a sacrifice that you need to make?”

Darren snorted at the reference of Aiden as Beast Boy and shook his head, not commenting on the subject much further. He thought more on the idea of what his mother would say if she did hear him refer to her as an elder and chuckled. “You know...she just seems like someone who would laugh that off..not take it seriously. Probably curse the Twins for making her feel suddenly so old.” Darren sighed, slipping off the second glove and lifting his hat to smooth back his hair. “...Some would say..it’s carrying out justice...an execution of sorts...but all in all, you’re right; it’s murder. Does it really make a difference who carries it out? Aiden thinks it doesn’t...just that Asher is stopped. Why should I put that kind of responsibility on someone else? Mom felt it was hers to put down her own brother, Ian. Her and I crack jokes about it, to ease the tension...but she did some horrible things to him and she didn’t...lie about it to me. She said she wanted me to know who she is and she explained her feelings on the matter as she didn’t want me to travel the same path she did. I..” Darren cleared his throat, his voice failing him a moment as he turned his gaze away from Annie. “I don’t think I would be like her..drag it out...enjoy the suffering..I don’t see myself as someone who could like murder. I know it’s not an easy thing and if it were I guess I wouldn’t have even brought it up to you. I’m not sure how else..to look at it. It’s not something I want to do, but I need to protect her. Ebony tried coming for her again..what if Asher does the same thing? Sooner or later..sacrifices will be made for those we love..”

“You are talking about murdering your father” Annie repeated calmly, putting extra emphasis on her words this time so that they wouldn’t be brushed aside again. “You can call the man ‘Asher’ and you can renounce his name, but trust me; if and when you kill him it will be very, very, clear to you what you’ve done.” She went silent for a few moments, quietly looking around the burial grounds. “I don’t usually do this, but I’m have no practical knowledge in killing so I’m going to try and say this the way my mom would, okay? Alistair says I do pretty good impersonation, so let’s see...” Annie took a deep breath, forcing a small cough to clear her throat, speaking in a almost perfect imitation of her mother’s severe tone. “Don’t make this about responsibility, boy. Don’t make it about justice, don’t tell yourself that you need to do it; you don’t need to do this. If you go through with it, it should be a choice that you make and should be yours to live with. Only cowards blame their actions on their circumstances.” Annie finished her scolding and fell into a small laughing fit, shaking her head at herself. “I’m sorry... Heh... I don’t think she would be too pleased with me for doing this. ”

Annie stopped her laughter and sighed, reaching for Darren’s arm giving it a gentle squeeze. “That’s what she told Jake, in similar circumstances, but maybe it doesn’t apply exactly as she was trying to talk him out of something. I’m not going to say you shouldn’t go after your father, because you do have all the reasons to go after him, just as much as everyone else, and because this is personal to you it’s not an option to not get involved... So, who knows, maybe you should do just that. I just think that if this is what you’re going to do, then you should look at it for what it is. Because the truth is, if you’re brutally honest, Darren, you don’t need to kill. You don’t need to be the one to protect your mother. It’s a parent’s job to protect their child and not the opposite. Your father’s actions are not on you. If you go into this telling yourself you’re doing it for her safety not only are you lying to yourself, but you’ll be putting the weight of your actions on her shoulders. If you go into it trying to right his wrongs you’ll be putting the weight of your actions on him, which is exactly the same thing he’s been doing his whole life to his victims. You’ll be murdering your father, and you’ll be doing it because you, alone, decided it was the right thing to do. It will be on your shoulders, all of it. It’s important that you understand this now instead of letting it hit you out of nowhere later. It might not hurt less, but you’ll be able to tell your mother that it wasn’t all about her, and you’ll be able to tell yourself that this was a decision you chose to live with.”

If Darren was about to say something it was probably forgotten at the realization that the sky was starting to darken. Annie’s eyes instinctively raising to the sky in search of the Sun. “Have you heard that kings of Newhaven originally believed the Sun and Moon in the sky were the light through which the Gods gaze upon the world of men?” She asked Darren, seeming perfectly calm as if this was a sudden change in weather. “The one and only eclipse known to Valcrest history occurred when Sun returned to the Afterlife... If someone had any doubts this is the end of days, surely they are gone by now.” She sighed, gripping Darren’s arm. “Come, I could surely use some of that charming personality of yours to help soothe the patients."

=====================================================

[Wolfpack’s Camp - About 5 months ago]

“Sean... Come on... You can’t go on like this. Open the door.”
Donovan’s pleas went unanswered and the boy simply shook his head, walking away from his brother’s door. Sean had been that way for a couple of weeks now; isolated, non-responsive, uncaring. It had been a considerably slow decline for the man, and Donovan could tell that he had really tried his best to hold on, but it was clear the he was reaching a breaking point. Doni didn’t know what if anything he could do to help his brother, if he couldn’t even get Sean to open his door and let him in.
“Franklin would know what to do.” Ryan mumbled at him, following Donovan towards the dining hall.
“Franklin would break the door down and kick his ass. Want to try that? Be my guest.” Donovan retorted, an angered snort escaping him as he endured the stares of the assassins who froze halfway through their meals as if expecting him to announce something had changed in the Alpha’s condition. He ignored them the best he could and took a seat, keeping his head low and gazing at the wooden table before him as if trying to stare a hole right through it. “He’s sitting there, waiting for her, waiting to die... I don’t know what else to say to reach him. I’ve tried everything. Indrani was here the other day, but he wouldn’t open the door for her either. He talked to Annie, but of course she wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“He can’t keep doing this, isolating himself... The clan is starting to grow impatient.”
“I think she’s doing it on purpose; stalling just to mess with his head... Torturing him... It’s what it looks like.” Donovan muttered, nodding in acknowledgement as one of the cooks brought him and Ryan bowls of stew and a large loaf of bread, which Ryan promptly snatched and parted in half. Donovan stared at his meal with a momentary look of disgust upon his features. “She is, you know, torturing him... And he’s letting her.”
“The Actives are starting to talk, Doni, they’re going to break down that door and throw him into the lake or some other drastic thing like that. If that doesn’t fix the problem, they’ll overthrow him.”
“I doubt he actually cares at this point.” Donovan muttered. “I want to help him, I do, but I don’t know how. Maybe... Should just admit defeat and let it all run its course.”
“When she gets here, finally, if he goes on like this; in this mindset... He’ll not stand a chance.” Ryan argued. “You’re his only family now, Doni... Try harder. If you don’t fight for him now, then who will?”
“It all means shit if he doesn’t want to fight himself. I can’t do it for him.” Donovan concluded, standing from his seat and leaving his food on the table untouched.

[3 years ago]

“Seeaan... Are you awake? Sean!”
Sean snorted slightly as he startled out of sleep, blinking continuously until the image of his little sister became clear in the moonlit room, standing by the side of his bed. “Katelyn? What’s the matter?”
“I can’t sleep. It’s too quiet.” She mumbled. “Can I stay here with you for a bit?”
“Sure, Katie.” Sean mumbled sleepily, sitting up and making room for the girl to sit on the bed beside him, as it was the norm whenever she had trouble falling asleep. “What is that thing you’re fiddling with there?”
“It’s a charm bracelet. Ali gave it to me, look.” Katie smiled handing to Sean a small bracelet made of string from which hung a couple of tiny wooden tokens of different shapes he couldn’t quite make out in the dark. “She told me that whenever something significant and good happens that I want to remember forever I should make a little token and add it to the bracelet, so then I can look at it and remember it always.”
“That’s really, really, thoughtful of her.” Sean stated simply, examining each of the little tokens with his fingertips trying to make out the shapes in the dark. “So, what do these stand for?”
“Well... There’s a flower shaped one for when we planted that cherry tree for mom on her birthday last year; it’s not that much of a happy memory, but it’s how I remember her and I obviously always want to remember her. Hmm... There’s a little hammer for that time Blackwell let me help him in the forge; that was a disaster, but it was fun... Hmm... There’s a little arrowhead for the first archery lesson you gave me, and the little wolfie shaped one is for mine and Doni’s birthday last year when you and Lionel convinced the ladies in the kitchen to make that giant wolf shaped gingerbread. And Doni ate most of it... And got sick...”
“I probably should not have let him do that... Dad was so mad.” Sean snickered, placing the bracelet back on his sister’s hands. “That’s pretty nice, Kate. I’m sure you’ll have a ton more of these pretty soon.”
“Hopefully.” The girl replied, stifling a yawn and leaning into Sean. “I miss dad, Sean.”
“Is that why you can’t sleep?” He questioned, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a light squeeze.
“Maybe.” The girl mumbled. “I don’t know. I’m worried about Lionel, I mean... He’s just so angry.”
“I know what that’s like.” Sean sighed. “Listen, Katie... It’ll get better, I promise. We’re going to be fine. Just trust me, okay?”
“Okay, Sean, I trust you.”
“Do you want to plant a tree for dad tomorrow? We could do that.”
“Can we? I’d like that.”
“Yeah? What kind of three do you want?”
“I’m not sure....” She sighed, stifling a yawn. “We’ll think about it in the morning.

[5 months ago]

“You know, I remember so very clearly... When you had just arrived... And you used to say that the good memories were the worse and talk about how sickening it felt to just hope to forget everything; to wish to erase yourself just to stop the pain. I understand that now.” Sean muttered. His eyes, previously fixated on his sister’s name; etched upon a pale grey stone, rising towards the shadows of the trees surrounding the cemetery grounds.
“You brought this on yourself. Don’t think I’m going to feel sorry for you. She would still be alive if you hadn’t... I mean... WHY, Sean? I’ll never truly understand why... All those things you did and what they were even for.”
“Why are you here? What do you want with me, Ali? After everything I wouldn’t doubt it, but I have a feeling you haven’t come this far just to watch me suffer.”
“You never liked me much. I never understood that really, but then I never cared to. I heard stories upon stories about your reaction when Evin mentioned he picked me for second command before you... You killed my recruit... Nearly succeeded to inutilize my drawing arm... I don’t know why you hate me, Sean; not even after all this time, but now it doesn’t really matter, because you managed to make me hate you in ways I’ve never truly hated anyone before and I have to say... That’s not an easy thing to do. Your sister, however... I’m pretty sure there’s a special place set aside for her in Heaven, because for some reason she never stopped believing in you, she would never leave your side, she fought like hell for whatever was still left of your soul. Now... She gave me something for safekeeping the last we spoke: ‘if you manage to give this back to me when all of this is over... that will truly be a moment to remember’, she said; laughing because she probably knew it wouldn’t happen...” As Allison spoke she dropped something upon the earth in front of Katelyn’s grave. “You don’t deserve it, but I know that she would want you to have it nonetheless, and if knowing that hurts you, if it burns, if it sickens you... Then I want you to have it too. Because after all those times you vowed to take everything from me, Sean...” Ali silenced, leaving the sentence unfinished as she began to walk away into the heart of the forest. “She deserved a better end to her story than this.” She muttered at him, before disappearing into the shadows completely.

[Wolfpack Camp - A Couple of Weeks Ago]

It was late night, Sean assumed. The sun had set some time ago; he wasn’t sure exactly how long, all he knew was that the golden rays of light slipping in through the walls and ceiling had darkened and then faded, replaced by the dim silver glow of moonlight. That was usually how he knew his days were passing, although he completely lost time of how many exactly had passed. It had been quite a few since Donovan had given up trying to open his door. His brother would still stop by, twice a day, to leave him a meal. He’d knock on the door, leave the food and walk away. Sometimes Sean would open and take the food, other days he would be just too numb to even move from his bed. After a while Doni had started leaving notes in his food tray, Sean had read them, but hadn’t answered. He wanted to, he really did, but whenever he tried he found that he had no words in him. So the silence that had suddenly taken over his days and night lingered on, seemingly endlessly, for weeks, months.

Ali’s visit had been what pushed Sean into this state of... He wasn’t even sure what his state of mind was anymore. He wouldn’t admit it, not even now, but if the intention was to make sure he was properly miserable, it had certainly worked. The charm bracelet that Katelyn held so dear had been picked up from the fresh patch of dirt before her grave, and Sean had not let go of it since. He had promised Katie that they would be alright, he knew it was an empty promise even then, how could he think he could protect her? That was such a ridiculous assumption to make after everything that happened. He should have known better. He should have known...

Sean was startled out of his thoughts by a sound. It wasn’t loud, but in the silence it echoed as though it was something infinitely heavier than it actually was. A quick glance around the room and then down at his feet and Sean realized he had dropped Katie’s bracelet on the floor. It had just slipped out of his hand. Slipped right through his fingers. When had that happened? His first thought was to pick it up, but half way through the act he found himself grabbing a chair and throwing it with all his force against the cabin wall, screaming at the top of his lungs. Shouting and breaking things didn’t stop the pain, it hardly made a difference, but Sean seemed unable to stop himself now. Despite the fact he knew everyone in camp could hear him, despite the physical pain that eventually struck him from the effort, he went on to shatter everything he owned. His voice giving out from the strain, the man finally gave in to exhaustion, reduced to a sobbing mess, lying on the floor, once again clinging to his sister’s bracelet. A pathetic, defeated, broken man.

. . . . .

It was late night again. Sean wasn’t sure if he was wrong before or if it he had been lying on his cabin floor for a full day, but it was the middle of the night now. The camp was silent and there was a cool breeze brushing past the tree branches, the fresh air felt pleasant and the Alpha slowly breathed, a bit shaky at first, but eventually steadying. He had avoided the lake ever since his conversation with Evin. The waters were still as always and even though the weather had warmed they gave the impression of being very cold.
“Hey... You’re outside.” Donovan’s voice called from a few steps behind him.
“I needed air.” Sean mumbled.
“It speaks!” Donovan exclaimed playfully, letting out an awkward cough when Sean didn’t react much to his teasing. “It doesn’t laugh though, it seems.”
“It will, maybe, someday.” Sean replied simply.
“Are you feeling any better? I mean...” Doni sighed, falling silent, seeming to not know what to say.
“No.” Sean shrugged, sitting be the edge of the lake and removing his boots. “You don’t have to ask me about my feelings, Doni. It’s alright.”
“It’s not alright.” Donovan protested. “It’s not alright. Do you know how I feel? Have you considered? Katie was my twin... She was there for me the moment we were born... I never knew a world where she didn’t exist... She was my favorite person, my best friend...”
“And it’s my fault she died.” Sean stated dryly. “So you don’t have to ask me about my feelings. It’s alright.”
“It’s not your fault. You spent weeks securing this camp, Sean. You did everything right.”
“Bana infiltrated us... Those mercenaries got in... I didn’t do enough. I didn’t protect her and I couldn’t save her. This is on me. Just like it would be if anyone else had died instead of her. I’m the Alpha, Donovan; it’s on me. It’s always on me.”
“Look, sure you’re responsible, I’m not arguing that you’re not, but... You know, it’s easy for everyone to pin this on you. If you think about it though, does anything you’ve done excuse Bana for trying to poison her that one time, or for infiltrating our camp and murdering Franklin? If he wasn’t here, he could have gotten to her in time to help her. If Indrani had believed you like friends are supposed to then you wouldn’t be so far from camp when it happened. Does anything you’ve done excuse them? Why should her death be entirely on you?”
“Donovan...” Sean shook his head and sighed heavily. “Sit.” He mumbled, waiting patiently for his brother to take a seat beside him before turning to face the boy. “Look, Doni, you’re a good kid. I understand that you want what’s fair, but the world isn’t fair and... Sometimes... Sometimes, there’s no justice. Not everyone pays, at least... Not as much as they should.”
“You can’t possibly think that’s okay. It’s not okay. It’s not fair...”
“Don. I know. I know its not okay. I know it’s not fair, but it doesn’t matter. You need to learn now that it doesn’t matter. You need to accept that. I was a good kid too, just like you. I know I was. I just couldn’t accept. And this... This you’re doing now; casting blame... This is how it starts. One day you’ll wake up decided to take matters into your own hands... thinking that it’s okay to do the wrong thing for a good cause... two, three, years later you realize that when you do enough wrong things eventually the cause no longer matters. Those things you do become who you are. Everyone pays one way or another, but it’s never fair. Accept that. If you want to do anything for me, you’ll be a better man ten years from now than I am today. Do you understand me?”

[Forest - 5 months ago]

Sean was pacing slowly, small clouds of dust forming under his boots as he walked. There was this philosophy, he’d heard, that stated that a person’s journey in life runs in a circle and that eventually everything ends exactly where it began. That place, that clearing, was the place where it all began. Only fitting that it all ended there as well. The clearing was empty, silent, lifeless; only fitting.

“So, you’ve come. I was sure I would have to hunt you down.” Indrani’s voice shattered the silence as she stepped out of hiding.
“I’m not that much of a coward Princess.” Sean muttered out, turning to face the woman. “Not that I’m even afraid of you.”
“Well, you were never the smartest puppy of the litter, were you?” Indrani snickered.
“Yes, well... People can say what they like, I’m still standing so I must be doing something right, Commander.”
Indrani nodded simply as she let the cloak she wore over her clothes fall to the ground, proceeding to remove the sheaths that held her daggers, keeping a close eye on Sean as he did the same thing on the opposite side of the clearing. “We’ll see for how much longer you’ll still stand, Alpha.” She muttered.

All other weapons to the ground, Indrani found her scythe leaned against a tree behind her, Sean already held an axe in each hand. For a very long while they stood there in silence, eyes locked on each other, the sounds of breaths and heartbeats becoming nearly unbearably loud in the secluded patch of forest. They both stood motionless, as if trying to make the best out of the last few moments when turning back was still an option, knowing that the silence would build up to a point where one of them would have to make a move, or walk away. Sean was waiting for that moment; for that move. He knew Indrani well enough to know she would never simply walk away, but he wasn’t going to make this easier on her either. Why should he? If whatever bond they had shared could be severed without pain, without struggle, then it truly had meant nothing. If this didn’t hurt, then it was just all for nothing. Sean lifted his weapons and took a defensive stance, stating clearly that he expected Indrani to initiate combat. The woman hesitated for a moment, her eyes examining the man standing before her and observing the change from the boy she had met in that same clearing so long ago. Her golden eyes sparkled for a moment as her gaze softened for only a split second at the familiar image of her friend. All warmth leaving her expression as she advanced, slashing at his midsection with one of the blades of her weapon, spinning in a semicircle and halting as the weapon collided with the metal of Sean’s axe. That was it; the beginning of the end.

[Wolfpack Camp - Early that morning]

“Who won? You never told me.”
Donovan’s question sounded in the clearing, disrupting the silence that Sean had been enjoying quite a bit up until then. “Won what?” He replied, not turning to face his brother.
“You were with Indrani when Katie was attacked, you said that was why you couldn’t get to her; you two were fighting. So, who won?”
“Katelyn died, nobody won.” Sean muttered simply, making very clear in his tone that he didn’t like where the conversation was going.
“What if she hadn’t, who would have won?” Doni insisted.
“I had disarmed her when I heard Franklin’s call. It distracted me, I lost my advantage, and she knocked me off my feet. Of course by then I was more concerned with getting to Katelyn so I tried to make Indrani understand what was happening, but she only did when Katie sounded the alarm. We ran back but it was too late by then.”
“If you had won, would you have killed her?”
Sean turned around to face his brother with a confused expression and shook his head. “Why are you asking me this Donovan?”
“I’m curious.” Donovan shrugged. “I mean, she wanted to kill you, but then... After Katie died she didn’t seem so concerned with that. I think, she wouldn’t have done it.”
“Maybe, or maybe she just felt sorry for me.” Sean sighed, turning back towards the lake and watching the still waters. “It doesn’t matter.”
“How does it not matter? She’s your friend.” Donovan argued. “I don’t understand why you won’t talk to her now.”
“There’s nothing to say, Doni. Things haven’t changed as far as I know. If she’s trying to reach out to me now, because Katie died, then that’s pity... I don’t want anyone’s pity, even less hers.”
“Aren’t you being a little too hard on her, Sean? I mean...”
“No. No I’m not. Listen, I may not be the best person in the world, Donovan, and most people wouldn’t believe me when I say this, but I value loyalty. I don’t betray my friends, my family, never.”
“What about Lionel?” Donovan asked, watching Sean’s reaction as if expecting him to end the conversation there.
“That was not a betrayal, Doni, it was... A mistake.” Sean answered, shaking his head. “Listen, you are too much of a kid still to understand some things, but... I wanted to have Lionel speak up in front of everyone and put pressure on Crys... I wanted her to fall apart like everyone expected she would. I never considered he would just... And even when he did, I didn’t think she would kill him. Lionel resented Crys plenty, but deep down he... liked her, you know?”
“Oh? Really? Huh.” Doni mumbled. “Well, guess that makes sense. I mean, even you have admit Crys is pretty.”
“Little brother... Valcrest is filled with pretty girls. And great part of them are not worth getting yourself killed.” Sean stated knowingly. “Hopefully you’ll learn that before following some random woman around instead of doing what you’re supposed to.” He scolded.
“Yeah, I know, I know... That was dumb.” Donovan muttered. “I know.”
“If it wasn’t for Ryan they would have killed you at the Ball Doni, so I reserve myself the right to doubt you.”
“Fair enough.” Donovan agreed.”
“Now, if you don’t mind... I’d like some time to myself before I go on to meet Crys.”
“About that, Sean...” Donovan started, hesitating for a moment, not wanting to push the issue too much. “... Have you at least chosen a second? What if you... don’t come back?”
“If I don’t come back, you’ll find all you need in my room, but you better be damn sure I’m gone before you go rummaging through my stuff, got it?”

===============================================
[Wolfpack’s Camp - Afternoon]

Crys stopped as soon as Ryan led her into the borders of the Wolves’ camp; something didn’t feel quite right. “Where’s Sean, Ryan?” She asked.
Ryan sighed. “Can’t you tell by now, Crys?” He asked, stopping for a moment before pressing on. “He’s at the lake, just come with me.”
Crys flinched for a moment as she finally understood what Ryan was saying, letting the man walk a considerable distance before continuing to follow after him to the lake. She didn’t have to pay attention to Ryan, she knew exactly how many steps away that clearing was, she still knew every inch of that encampment as if she had never left it. She stopped next to Ryan as she reached him, the ground beneath her feet felt soft as if it had just rained, the smell of damp clothes clinging to the air and giving her chills.
“You wanted to know where he was; he’s right in front of you.” Ryan stated simply, moving away as if to give Crys space. The words didn’t fully break through the shock as Crys slowly crouched down, her fingers trailing the cold wet earth until she felt her fingertip brush past skin and she stopped, jumping to her feet and turning her back. Crys couldn’t honestly be sure of her feeling at that particular moment, but whatever it was she was feeling only made her want to scream until her voice gave out. She didn’t, and if she had tried she would have discovered it to already be gone, when she tried to speak it came out weak and she had to force a cough to manage some sound. “How... Did this happen?”
“We’re not sure exactly. Donovan was the last to see him in the morning, right here. During the eclipse the camp fell into a slightly chaotic situation and Sean was nowhere to be found. After the sun came back Donovan came here to see if Sean had stayed put during the commotion and... found him... He was floating in the lake face down, but other than that... It seems like he just drowned.”
“Just drowned?” Crys repeated in disbelief. “Sean has been swimming in that lake since he was barely old enough to walk... He couldn’t have just drowned in there Ryan.”
“Yes, well... You see, Sean hasn’t quite been himself these past months. He locked himself in the leaders’ cabin for months on end and when he finally came out nearly everything inside the house was smashed to bits... That was... A couple of weeks ago. He’d been locked up in there since the funeral. He seemed a bit better since he came out, but... Maybe...”
“My brother did NOT kill himself.” Donovan interrupted. “Someone did this. Someone has to have done this, do you understand me? Sean wouldn’t just kill himself.”
Crys sighed, not speaking her mind as to what might have happened. It was definitely not an accident and she didn't think Sean would have killed himself, but she didn’t really know that. “You haven't told the others yet, have you? That’s why you wouldn’t talk about it until you got me here.” She asked Ryan, not waiting for his confirmation. “You have to go out there and tell them.”
“Tell them what?” Donovan muttered. “The Alpha is dead, he appointed no one for second command in the past six months, we don’t know who did it or why... So what exactly do we tell the others? Sean wasn’t the best leader, and in the past months he’d been less than useless, but he was there and that was enough. Now...” The boy silenced his voice fading into a weary sigh. “He said I should find all I needed in his room should he... If he didn’t come back... I went into his room and there was only one thing there, right on top of his bed; a book with a note, for you. The note said he’d found it two years ago and read it... It... Uh... It’s your father’s. His journal. It’s still there.”
“My father’s journal... Why would Sean even keep that?” Crys shook her head, a bit confused with the information, but brushing it aside for the moment.
“Look, Crys... You know why I brought you down here. You told Avius when he was Second that this clan needed a better leader than Sean... That you planned on seeing to it...” Ryan started firmly. “We need your help.”
“That may be why you brought me Ryan, but have you wondered why I came?” Crys replied coldly.
“You were fighting Sean for it... Pretend you killed him and take it, simple as that.” The man insisted.
Crys responded to Ryan’s words by slapping the man hard across the face. “The Alpha is dead, at your feet, his body is barely cold and listen to what you’re saying!” She scolded. “You’re a Wolf, have some respect for heavens sake! So what if I hadn’t agreed to come with you? You two would have sat here trying to avoid responsibility while he rots in front of you?” Crys removed her cloak and used it to cover the body, anger still in her voice. “Go out there now and let them know the Alpha is dead. See that his body is prepared for burial so that his brothers and sisters can mourn his death and pay their respects. Now. Before I decide to smack you further.”
Ryan groaned at being struck in the face, but he accepted the blow and walked away without another word to do as he was told.
“Ryan is a friend, he didn’t really mean it that way.” Donovan explained. “Still, I appreciate it.”
“Doni... People are going to know what happened and soon you won’t have a moment of peace, so... Let’s take a walk before that starts. I want to discuss some things with you.”
“With me? Alone?” Donovan asked, a bit suspicious, but following after Crys all the same. “Is it true Lionel had a crush on you?”
“What?” Crys snickered. “Who the hell told you that?”
“It’s not true?”
“Oh, no, it’s true... It was very uncomfortable sometimes, I won’t lie. Lionel was a good guy though... Forgetting that he tried to kill me and all that.”
Donovan snickered. “Well, I guess we all tried to kill you at one point or another... Sean was just better at it, I think.”
“Well, that’s debatable, he did hire other people to do it after all.” Crys pointed out. “Pretty sure that constitutes cheating.”
Donovan heaved a sigh and stopped walking. “This is far enough from camp, I think. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“Yes, this is far enough.” Crys agreed, leaning against a tree as she fiddled with something in her pocket.
“You’re not coming back, are you?” Donovan asked simply.
“No, I’m not, Doni.” Crys confirmed. “It was never an option.”
“Why not? They would accept you more easily than anyone else, Crys. You’re still the Alpha to them.”
“That’s not true. Sean was the clan leader, despite what my friends and allies would argue. He became Alpha when the clan accepted him. I may still be the Alpha, but this is not my pack; those people who followed me into exile, who accepted my leadership in Blackpond, in Newhaven, I owe my loyalty to them now.”
“You can bring them back too.” Donovan argued. “That’d be nice.”
Crys chuckled. “Would it?” She sighed. “Donovan, those people followed me into exile and they have stuck by me for the past three years no matter what. They’ve been my family whether I wanted it or not. How do you suggest I go back and tell them that those three years didn’t matter? How do I go back and say ‘oh it’s fine you can all just go back to fighting beside those guys who have outcasted you, called you traitors and hunted you down mercilessly for the past three years. All is forgotten!’? That would be like rewarding their trust, their loyalty, their sacrifice; because there has been a great deal of losses, with a slap in the face. They deserve better, and my job now is to see to it that they have it. Peace between us, cooperation maybe, I can see that in a near future, but what Sean and I have shattered will never be made whole again. Do you understand?”
“I suppose.” Donovan mumbled. “So what happens now?”
“I’ve been carrying around something that your brother really, really, wanted. Do you know what it is?”
“No, not really.” Donovan shrugged.
Crys sighed, pulling a ring from her pocket and offering it to the boy.
“Uh... Look, you’re nice and all, but I’m not going to marry you.” Donovan answered, his tone only half playful as if not entirely sure that wasn’t in fact the situation.
“Don’t be stupid, boy.” Crys scolded. “It’s my mother’s ring, see the little ‘alpha’ symbol on it?” She explained, pushing the ring into Doni’s hand. “Take it.”
“Wh-.... No... No, I can’t... The clan needs to vote!” Donovan protested.
“They don’t want to vote and if you step up they won’t have to.” Crys smiled, closing the boy’s fist around the silver ring. “You can do this, Doni.”
“No, no... I’m just a kid, Crys... That’s insane. They won’t follow me!”
“My mother was just a kid, so was I, and your brother. We all had to earn respect and so will you, but I believe you’ll do a good job. Who has been running things while Sean was being ‘less than useless’? Don’t say Ryan, because I know it wasn’t Ryan, not really. Sean’s absence puts the burden on your shoulders, but other than that, it’s just the same. Plus I’ll help you out.”
“But you said...”
“Cooperation, is what I said. That’s what this will be; nothing more than that, but that offer extends to you and only you. Just think about it, but don’t take too long to decide or else this camp will be the next place in Valcrest to lose itself to chaos.” Crys gave Donovan’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before starting to walk away. “I’ll be in the desert for a couple of days should you need to talk, about this or anything else. I’m really sorry it ended this way.”

[Raven's Nest]

Luckas wasn’t sure what had happened, but he knew that, whatever the cause, when all light vanishes from the world that can’t possibly be a good sign. The darkness spread quickly, bringing forth a moment of stunned silence followed by noise and confusion. Luke himself was standing very still in the same spot, not wanting to get in the way of anything or anyone in the pitch black encampment. After a few moments though he simply started to move, seemingly without direction until he spotted sudden flashes of light and began to follow. He could hear Stalker walking a few steps ahead of him and continued to calmly walk after the wolf, stopping only when he heard the voices of Jason and Lily discussing prayer. He stood quietly listening to their whispers until suddenly the Sun came back to life once again. Luckas closed his eyes initially as if the light stung them a sudden memory whispering in the back of his mind causing and his eyes to snap open as if he forgot for a second where he was. “ If you spend enough time in the dark, it doesn’t matter whether or not you find the light, because in the end all the light will do is blind you.” When he seemed sure enough that he was in fact still in the Nest and not elsewhere Luckas mumbled a response to Ess’ questioning on Jake’s whereabouts. “J-Bear went out early in the morning with the Whiny Kid. He stopped by while you were out running, but he didn’t stick around.” He half smiled scratching behind Stalker’s ears. “Good job with the whole praying thing by the way. Looks like it worked.”

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

[Healer's Camp]

Minutes had gone by since the sun returned to Valcrest, however its appearance had done nothing to ease people’s fears. Throughout the White Shadows encampment frightened whispers and hushed prayers were still being uttered from patients and healers alike, but on the surface at least there was still some form of order. Annie didn’t quite believe the wrath of the Gods was causing all the problems, but something wasn’t right; that much she knew for sure. Lena had taught Annie to respect the myths for what they represented and not dwell unnecessarily on any notion of truths or lies. It was unhealthy and foolish, she would say, to claim yourself certain of things that were uncertain by nature. So Annie didn’t fear uncertainty, nor did she fear the Gods; or even nature, which left her with considerably little to fear in Life. What she did fear in that particular moment was something that felt as certain as it felt unnatural: Something was killing otherwise perfectly healthy people. That was infinitely more frightening to her than all the land falling into a dark abyss for a few minutes. This was her reality. So she didn’t care what God they prayed to, she needed the Healers to at least hold themselves together while this happened.

She had somewhat commanded Darren to go check on the younger patients while Alistair calmed their parents, something she kind of felt bad for; the guy was not one of her people and she shouldn’t be bossing him around, but she knew she had little time if she wanted to stop any form of panic before it even started, so she made sure to seek out the more impressionable of her healers and calm them down the best she could and they in turn helped in calming the apprentices and the majority of the patients. Anyone watching her handle the situation would be impressed at her leadership skills, but Annie knew well that it was pride that kept most of those healers; great majority of which were at least five years older than her, from falling apart when Annie herself seemed so collected. She didn’t mind; their pride served her purpose.

When things seemed finally quiet again Annie took a long deep breath, finding Alistair still conversing with some upset parents who wanted access to their children right away. It would be way too much people in the sick ward if all the youngsters were allowed their parents, so Alistair was trying. as a compromise, to make arrangements to move the minors someplace more isolated where the parents wouldn’t be a disruption to other patients, but that would take some time to accomplish and that caused some level of unrest. As she waited for her friend to finish trying to appease the angered men and women, Annie was suddenly approached by a Crimson Shadow who had somehow made his way into camp in a hurry and barely noticed, making his way straight to her and stopping to catch his breath so that he could speak. “Miss Annie... I need you to come with me to the desert... There’s a... Situation...” He managed to blurt out.
“A situation?” Annie questioned, finding a flask of water and offering it to the distressed mercenary. “What sort of situation would require my presence this urgently?”
“Dastan.” The man stated, accepting the water and taking a long drink.
“What about Dastan?” Annie asked, seeming a bit confused. “Is he injured?”

The Crimson Shadow didn’t speak his answer, he simply averted his gaze to the sky above their heads and then back down to meet the girl’s eyes, the expression on his face was mournful and pained and it told a story more tragic than any words would ever express. Annie sighed heavily, grasping the man’s shoulder in a gesture of support. “How many injured?” She asked.
“There are... A few... Some gravely injured, Indrani was stabbed clean through the abdomen, Ali was tending to her the best she could, but she won’t survive much longer without further care. I was asked to bring you specifically, though, because of him.”
“I see.” Annie mumbled. “I don’t know what I can do for Dastan, but I’ll go.”
“Good, that’s good...” The man replied. “I’ll run ahead and let them know you’re coming, that should calm people down some.” The mercenary half smiled, returning the empty water flask to Annie. “Much appreciated, Miss.”

As the Crimson Shadow wandered off a healer approached Annie, the woman taking a moment of pause to glance at the mercenary as he walked away before addressing Annie. “Someone’s asking for you, he says he has urgent news from the Wolves for you, regarding their Alpha. The man doesn’t look very well, perhaps something bad happened there.”
Annie frowned slightly, she didn’t know why someone would come bring her news regarding the Wolfpack. She looked questioningly at the healer and the woman pointed out the person in question. Annie recognized Evin and was a bit more confused at why the man would be coming to her with this. “Do me a favor, Elora. Go fetch my medicine pack in my tent and bring it to Darren, tell him to please meet me in the southern exit of camp. I’ll be there in a minute.” Annie didn’t wait around for the woman to respond and began walking towards Evin where he stood waiting, waving at the man in a silent greeting as she approached as if to skip the conversational pleasantries. “You’ve chosen a terrible moment to stop by for a chat, Evin.” She stated, gesturing for the man to walk with her as she paced towards the exit. “Something has happened in the Crimson camp that requires my immediate attention, so... If this is something that might take us more than a few minutes I suggest you travel with me. If not then I ask that you speak quickly. Now, what urgent news do you have to give me?”

Evin stood around for a few minutes while waiting for Annie to arrive. He hadn't been to the White Shadows' camp in a long time and judging by the number of people there, things were worse than he expected. Besides the several people who were still panicking over the momentary loss of light, there were several people who looked severely ill all around him. Every single one of them looked similar to what Lena had looked like the last time her and Evin had ever spoken.
Evin was completely caught off guard when Annie spoke to him. He'd been looking away and spun around to meet her gaze. It might have been stress, but even she had seen better days.
“Yes. The urgent news.” Evin stopped. He hadn't actually said it aloud yet. He'd thought about it the entire trip but it hadn't quite sunk in until that moment. “Sean is dead. Drowned in the lake.” He paused again. Let the moment sink in for both of them. “I may have hated the man, but if there are any respects you've to pay, I thought you might want to know... sorry for the timing.”
Evin looked around again. He saw all the death around him. People suffering far worse than he was. “That isn't the real reason I came here though. Your mother knew things. The last time I spoke to her, I knew that she knew more than she would ever tell me. She might not have been an assassin anymore, but she told me through her evasiveness that there was far more to Valcrest than there is to be seen. I just need some answers. Let's walk and talk.”

Annie faltered in her step once, stopping for a split second at news of Sean’s death and then continuing to walk. She flinched once again at Evin’s questioning of what her mother had been doing; at least she wasn’t the only one wondering about that. She walked in silence for a few seconds after that before finally responding. “If the Wolves wish me to give the Alpha a blessing before the burial I’m sure they’ll send for me.” She stated simply, not making any further comments on the matter of Sean. “As for answers, my mother left me with none. I mean, she left me with something, but it has yet to answer any questions. It’s a journal, but it is encrypted and I have been trying to figure it out, but I haven’t had much success with it. The fact the she left this for me leads me to think that the key is in something personal of hers, but I can’t figure out what. I thought it might be a book, but I’m starting to doubt that assumption.” The girl shrugged slightly. “Other than that, I don’t know how I could help you. She didn’t even tell me where she was going when she left and she evaded any questions asked about her time away. Alistair spoke with her a few months before she came back, she sought him out in the farm where he’d been living just outside of Valcrest borders. She told him nothing then either, just encouraged him to come back.”

The world was casted into darkness, interrupting with a creepy sense of poetic timing, on the conversation Darren and Annie were having on the topic of murdering his father and what that would mean for him. He just couldn’t relate Asher to that title of ‘Father’ any longer; it was more like a worn out analogy that created a numbing feeling in his gut. The ominous stripping of light was, strangely, a pleasant distraction to his thoughts, and while others seemed frightened by the sudden turn of event, Darren was intrigued and only somewhat uneasy. It was different, unlike the others who were cursing the Gods or fearful for the end of all things; Darren didn’t even wonder or doubt that the light wouldn’t return. What made him uneasy about the whole thing was the possibility that this wasn’t some twisted cycle in nature. Over the course of the past few months, he had met more incredible individuals than he could have possibly ever imagined; as if the stories from those pages he sucked in like a sponge were now coming to life. It would be a marvel if indeed there were those out there cable of such powerful gifts, when combined, could shatter the reality they all thought they knew.


Darren had subconsciously reached out and squeezed Annie’s hand before leaving her side. “Whatever You need, Annie...of course.” Was Darren’s only response when he was advised where he would be best made of some use. He would have rather stayed by her side, but there was no time to dwell or argue, as the state of unrest among the Shadows needed to be kept under control.

Remembering where the baby fox was lying, Darren scooped down, enveloping his arms around the kit before calling Sora to his side. Those two would come in handy, he knew, especially with the children. He proved himself correct, when some of the younger children couldn’t or wouldn’t focus on a story or song Darren was attempting to use in distraction, so he would take turns with the baby fox, placing him sweetly on their laps to pet as it slept.

Even in the torchlight, Sora was hard to spot, but she remained ever so watchful at the entrance as if to block any admittance without her approval. When the light had returned, a few of the children sat up in bed in delight, calling out to the wolf, who happily complied by nuzzling and licking the faces of the weaker ones and curling up in the cots of some of the older kids. Before long Darren and Sora had made their rounds, Sora the ever so popular one as always; watchful and nurturing like those kids were her own pups. Darren’s masked companion; the children’s vengeful protector.

Darren smiled leaving both Sora and the kit fox with the kids, happy that not a single one of them feared the wild animal. He remembered how some of the parents were rather uncomfortable at first with the presence of such a wild beast, not believing it could be so tamed. In many ways there were right, but they only saw what was upon the surface until Sora alerted some of the healers one night. She just wouldn’t stop barking and howling, dancing circles around the men and women until they followed, only to find one of the children was having a seizure. It was then they discovered, not only did Sora understand the kids were sick, but she somehow could sense when they would have a fit. That in itself, because of Darren’s history with seizures, made him feel even safer around his furry friend.

Darren quietly went to exit, leaving Sora to lull the rest of the children to sleep, accidentally bumping into one of the healers. “Pardon..” He whispered, flashing a familiar charming smile at the woman he remembered as Elora.

Elora smiled, holding out a rather large medicine bag which Darren recognized as Annie’s, receiving it with a quirk of an eyebrow. “What is it, Elora?”

“Annie says you are to meet her at the southern exit, now. Take this to her.” The woman whispered back, draping the leather strap along his shoulder. “Don’t keep her waiting.” She sighed, letting Darren pass by her only to replace his presence with her own. Darren didn’t even think to question why he was requested, only too happy to help, but he knew if they were leaving the camp, he would need to gather some supplies for wherever they were heading.

After acquiring some rations and water flasks, he waited patiently by the exit, fidgeting with his hat. “No Sora, you are suppose to stay.” He muttered under his breath when the wolf came trotting after him to lay at his feet. “Stubborn wolf..”

Evin knew it already. Annie wasn't going to be an enormous amount of help, but any piece of information that she could provide was more useful than none. What was useful information was determined by how much a single person knew. All Evin wanted to do is be the person who knew the most. “Okay. Is there anything else? Small details of any sorts that could be useful? Did Lena ever mention anything that may be useful?”

Annie rubbed her temples as she walked, taking the time to think carefully on a possible answer she might have to give. "Well, I don't know what you might consider useful, Evin. Are you looking for something specific? The last week or so my mother was alive she spent in the archives, I saw her maybe once or twice then. The month prior to that she was away from camp. She met with a few people, but I'm not sure I know them all. The Captain of the White Knights was one, Mageria... She was going to Blackpond, but she turned around for some reason, that drew my attention. She never got along with any Blackpond officials, even less with their old King, but she never avoided the city before. More than that, I really can't say."

As they drew closer to the exit Annie fastened her pace just a bit until they reached Darren, not wanting to keep him waiting longer than needed and greeting him with an apologetic smile. “I take it the children weren’t too much of a challenge for the two of you.” She played, leaning down to pet Sora briefly before taking her pack off Darrens hands and continuing to walk towards the desert with visible urgency in her step, trusting that the two men would follow. “Darren, if you don’t mind me bossing you just a bit more, the Crimson have asked for my help and I might need some assistance. I didn’t want to bring another healer with me because... Of what just happened here.” She paused for a moment before elaborating a bit more. “Things are tense enough as it is and I don’t want any rumors before I see for myself what happened. I’m not sure what the two of you know about Dastan and his enlightenment, so I don’t know what I’m allowed to say... For what I understand though, he lost control of it and there was a considerable number of casualties.” She informed, now addressing Evin as well. “The man who came to call me didn’t say it, but I know that they called for me directly because they want me to examine Dastan and tell them whether he’s still dangerous before they... Decide his fate.” She mumbled the last words with a bit of annoyance at being asked to determine whether or not a friend should be put down like a wounded animal, it wasn’t alright with her, but as a healer she was forced to give an honest answer and not interfere with the Crimson and their laws. She shook her head after a few moments of silent contemplation, and chuckled. “I’m sorry, I have terrible manners... Evin, Darren... Darren, Evin... Have you two met already? I mean, you have plenty of common acquaintances after all.”

Darren gave Annie a playful wink. “Oh, you flatter. You know full well those kids could care less if I’m there. It’s always, ‘Where’s Sora?’..or ‘When’s Sora coming back?’..or ‘..Mr. Darren..can I have Sora? I promise to take good care of her.’.” Darren chuckled. “I’m happy she brings them some sort of comfort. Kind of like a drug, but without the loopy and disconnected feeling.”

Darren fell into step just behind Annie and their traveling companion, nodding along to the woman's words on coming along. “Whatever you need, Annie.” His smile fell, listening to the bits Annie explained in their destination and burning purpose he felt when he had to take longer strides to keep in even pace with her. Tipping his hat, he politely nodded towards Evin. “Yea...I believe we sorta met back in Blackpond at that Ball...brief as that was.” Darren quirked a brow, squinting in the sunlight as his eyes examined the man curiously, noting how worn Evin appeared, thinking that he looked like Darren sometimes felt. “Guy...you don’t look too good..no offense. You need anything?” He asked, unhooking a flask from his side and offering the water to Evin.

“So..this might be a really stupid question...but I need to ask it. Do we know what happened? I understand we don’t want wild rumors running rampant and superstition taking hold if there is a rational explanation to all of this..but..” Darren cleared his throat, tilting his hat back so that he could look between his company clearly, without obstruction. “...Are we under attack? I mean...is it possible someone or someones are responsible? I’m not one to believe the Gods had anything to do with it..”

It was interesting. What deterred a tough as nails woman like Lena from visiting Blackpond. It was something that was worth keeping close to the forefront of his mind. Another thing worth keeping in his mind was the fact that Lena had been going through the archives in the last few weeks of her life. In terms of the wealth of knowledge, the White Shadows archives held so much, that forgotten gems still hadn't been found. Even Lena herself wouldn't have been able to read through the entirety of the archives. However, whatever she needed to know were in those archives. Lena wouldn't have wasted so much time otherwise.
As they reached the exit, a familiar face. He didn't remember the face or even where they had met, but Evin knew they'd seen each other before. Annie continued to talk, not to him this time, so he didn't really pay attention. When she mentioned Dastan, Evin perked up. A skip in his step that he didn't have before. He hadn't seen the man in such a long time. Not since the Ball, but it had been even longer since they'd had a proper conversation. Annie's way of speech was much like her mothers, very evasive. Evin understood what must have happened and the Sun going out added up to something disastrous.
When Annie looked at Evin and expressed how the Crimsons wanted to know what to do with him, it felt like he had been hit. He'd missed a step and stumbled. When he caught himself he wondered: was Annie giving him an invitation to do what she knew she couldn't do? The thought hurt Evin. Dastan had taken him and the other abandoned Wolves.
Then reality sunk in. It wasn't her place to ask of that of someone who wasn't a member of the Crimsons. If Annie was asking for anything, it would have been protection.
Then finally, a name. Darren tipped his hat to him and then went on. Speaking of the illness, but what Evin held onto was the offer of help that was directed at him.
“I need answers... kid” he said in a jabbing tone as to notate the fact that the young guy could not even take the time to use the name that he had just been told by Annie. “Unless you have any of them, I'm afraid there's nothing you can give me. What we have here is not normal. Lena was the first one to get it and it didn't spread on until long after her death. It isn't being spread like any other illness like your everyday cold. In fact, I'd almost say that it doesn't spread at all, but that it is attacking us all at once.” He turned to Annie. “I'm going to say that it is safe to assume that you don't know what it was that kept Lena away from Blackpond. The books that she liked to read, however, I imagine you could give me a general idea of what those were. More importantly, the stuff she read just before leaving for the South and the books she read right before her death.”

Annie was silent through most of the talking, but she had listened to Darren and Evin and was carefully considering both lines of questioning. “You knew my mother Evin.” She spoke up finally. “She had the infuriating habit of never giving straight answers. She believed, I think, that she did us a disservice by giving us answers when we wanted them instead of letting us discover them when we truly needed them... She never left people with nothing, however. I don’t see why death would change that about her. I’m convinced that in some way she told everyone what she was thinking, and that it’s simple. If you want access to the archives, you have it. She had been reading everything and anything regarding the Myths, the Twins, and enlightenment and so have I in the past six months. As for Blackpond...” Annie paused, stopping for a split second and resuming her walk. “I could speculate, but I don’t know. The King and his assassins didn’t scare her, however, it was around that time that Jake discovered that the Shadow’s dagger was in the city, it might have had to do with that... Or maybe something else entirely. There’s plenty happening in Blackpond. Jake would know some of it. Have you two not spoken at all since he left the desert?” She questioned curiously.

Falling into a second moment of silence the girl walked with her head down, as if awaiting the moment when the grassy soil of the plains would begin to change into the bare wasteland of Valcrest desert, she eventually shook her head and spoke up rather abruptly, addressing Darren’s questioning. “A powerful enough enlightened could cause an eclipse, if that’s what you mean, either someone with the gift of Illusion or... Someone with the gift of shadow manipulation.” She fell silent again, finally heaving a sigh. “I think the Crimson Shadows suspect Dastan of doing this, but I’m not sure if he could have. If this wasn’t a natural phenomenon, and Dastan wasn’t the cause, I would consider the possibility that this was in some way an attack directed at the Crimson Shadows. It would be something clever, no? To wipe out a clan and successfully frame their own leader.” She shrugged calmly. “I won’t know until I see the damage.”

“Hmm..” Darren pondered how Evin described how the illness was spreading like wildfire but it wasn’t as if it were contagious. The plaguing questions of how and why the sickness was affecting enlightened seemed as if they would never be answered. “..Would be so much easier if we knew the source...the trigger..” Darren muttered to himself, thinking out loud and not paying attention to the fact his thoughts were now in the open as he rambled a bit incoherently All those times he watched Annie reread the same myths over and over again, trying to sort out some kind of clue, he was in awe that there seemed to be no real lead to what could be causing it all. “..It’s like there’s something in the food..” He snorted at himself. “..So much easier to understand if I had something tangible to put my hands on…” Darren sighed, kicking a stray rock from his path, glancing over to Annie once again.

“Do..you think there’s a way for me..to help? To see? Or does that cross some boundaries? I know it’s risky...it takes a lot out of me...but maybe something of your Mom’s?” Darren removed his hat to ruffle up his hair before placing it back on his head. He was beginning to frustrate himself, grasping for straws, so to speak, with no real direction. “I did decide...that when Mom goes to the ruins...to whatever is left of her town..I’m going with her. Maybe it will be like..” Darren grunted and shrugged, thinking of Ess’ dagger and the array of images that flooded his mind that seemed to stretch back across centuries. It still didn’t make a lot of sense to him.

“I don’t get it. Why would Dastan’s own people blame him for causing the eclipse? Why would Dastan…” Darren fell silent shaking his head, knowing not to finish that sentence. If Dastan was even responsible, it was something he wouldn’t do on purpose. He was a leader and Darren had seen bits here and there in his brief encounters, how important his friends and Crimson alike, appeared to him. “..If there is the possibility that a person could be strong enough to manipulate the eclipse and cause that amount of damage...who is to say someone..in theory..couldn’t be responsible for the sickness? I dunno...seems like something of that magnitude...would kill someone. Nevermind...that doesn’t make sense…” Darren brushed off his own thoughts feeling a bit silly for voicing his mind so freely.

Evin didn't care too much about how the eclipse happened. He kept out of the conversation regarding that. What Darren had said—how he could help—did make Evin perk up, however. Although Darren didn't make much sense as his mind was jumbled it seemed. What he seemed to grasp was that he had some sort of enlightenment that might be useful for Evin, but he was afraid that it may be against the rules to do so. It seemed that Darren might be able to invade the privacy of the dead somehow.
“Darren, Annie; you two are young so I don't expect you to understand this just yet, but I've learned something in my time. There comes a point in your life where you are given a choice to give up something worth a million times more than an order or rule. I did it for a woman. You could do it for the lives of tens of thousands.” He let that sit in Darren's mind and he walked a little faster to walk at level with Annie. He spoke in a hushed tone. “Now Lena's Journal, really think about it. Is there anything special that she ever said to you or maybe even Jake while you were around? Did she maybe leave the key with Alistair or possibly leave some secret on her old ring? Is it some sort of reference to a myth or medical term?” And then, he said aloud. “And being a White Shadow, what do you know about this illness that I may not know?”

Once again Annie was silent for quite a while, giving a pause long enough to lead one to believe she had nothing left to say, her eyes already searching the path ahead for the red flags that marked the entrance of the Crimson Shadows’ camp. She didn’t know if it was worse to think of what may lie ahead or to keep her mind in the topic of conversation. Nothing was particularly pleasant. “Tens of thousands, ourselves, and pretty much everyone we care about.” She stated simply, not turning to face Evin, but clearly addressing the man with a tone of annoyance in her voice. “Everyone here is old enough to understand that much, so I’d consider any reminders to be... Unnecessary, don’t you think? Regardless, how my mother’s belongings or memories are handled, and by whom, is not something I’m willing to allow you to have any say in.” She glanced at the man briefly, her annoyance turning into a discreet tone of warning.

The girl heaved a sigh and her tone softened as she answered his question of what she could tell of the illness. “What we know is that whatever this is it only affects enlightened, we’ve ruled out any form of poisoning and we don’t believe it is contagious, or even spreading; as you said so yourself. We believe every enlightened in Valcrest is already afflicted and it’s a matter of time until symptoms start to manifest in those not experiencing them yet. We have no clue why some people develop symptoms sooner than others, the casualties were... diverse...” Annie shook her head. “You know, my mother always made sure I studied, made sure I knew as much if not more than the other healers did; even though most of the senior healers thought it unnecessary due to my enlightenment. She’d say that there is no way to properly fix something that’s broken if you have no understanding of how it works. If this afflicts enlightened and it is connected to the magic itself, as most already assume it does, no medicine will fix it... Because in thousands of years of study, dating back to the first scholars of Blackhurst, we still have no clue how enlightenment works. The myths offer so many inconsistencies that they probably outnumber the stars in the sky. I believe that my mother’s incessant digging at the mythology books has to do with that. I believe she did not find an answer herself, but there may be something incredibly valuable in her research... In that bloody journal... And I’m certain that she believed someone is, if not responsible; if that would even be possible, at least attempting to insure that this will kill us all. I see no reason why she would encrypt something that would, in theory, never be seen by anyone else other than myself unless she was worried someone would succeed in taking it from me. That is everything I know and some of my assumptions... And as you can see it’s not much.”

Walking a few more steps in silence Annie allowed herself to consider Darren’s offer of help, it was valid, but at this moment it was indeed risky to try it. She turned her head to watch him as if trying to visually assess his well-being before addressing it. “I’d rather you not take any risks, wouldn’t want to lose my favorite helper after all, but... If you want to, I will find something I know my mother had with her in her time away from Valcrest and maybe you can see some of what she was doing then. I think that might be helpful.”

Darren quirked a brow at Evin, slightly confused at his words, but not responding. Evin, like many, was trying to get a grip on what was happening, Darren sense a bit of a cocky attitude he both admired and disliked at the same time. To be fair, the man didn’t know all the facts and Darren wasn’t sure he even made much sense to him, but that hadn’t been the point. He wasn’t completely wrong either. Turning his attention back to listen to Annie, he was a bit surprised to catch some annoyance in her voice but couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t for the fact she was upset, but the idea of the woman being severely pissed off, stole his thoughts as he wondered if he could actually picture such a thing. Could be interesting or frightening, depending.

Darren hadn’t heard all that Evin was saying, but he caught most of what Annie responded with, unsure why the man thought it best to whisper some things around him. It was clear by Annie’s response, she didn’t feel her words were something to hide from Darren. The particular topic at hand was already something Darren was aware of, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he was suppose to hang back.

“... I see no reason why she would encrypt something that would, in theory, never be seen by anyone else other than myself unless she was worried someone would succeed in taking it from me”

“...Just like my Grandmother’s Journal...stolen when her town was burned to ashes..” Darren muttered, nodding to himself, agreeing that one couldn’t be too careful; after all he did steal his own father’s journal, encrypted but that wasn’t exactly the same thing.

Darren smiled slightly at Annie when she considered his offer to help. “..Whatever..you need...I promise to be careful..” He suddenly signaled to Sora to scout ahead, sweeping his hands in a clapping motion forward, the wolf taking off until she was out of sight.

Annie seemed bitter towards Evin. No matter. He didn't need Annie to like him. All he needed was for her to cooperate with him. If the leverage Evin had wasn't so big, he'd might have been worried, but in the end, Annie and Evin wanted the same thing and that was what made the whole thing worth it.

[The Desert]

They began to approach the Crimson's camp. There was no greeting. Instead, there was blank stares and shaking citizens about. People crying and people consoling those who could not be consoled. Evin looked at one group of people. They surrounded a dead man. Some of the Crimson Shadows tried to get the citizens to move away from the bod so that they could move it, but the citizens refused.
Evin only noticed that he was holding his breath when he felt faint. He swallowed a large quantity of air and composed his tattered body. “These are people who party when they're hungover. I can't believe it. Annie, tell me what you need and I'll get it for you. It's the least I could do after annoying you for the past few hours.”

Annie didn’t seem as affected by the desolate state of the desert inhabitants as one should be, she had seen enough of hopeless stares in the past months and she had expected to see it all again now. The girl took a long deep breath, her brown eyes scanning the encampment as if trying to decide where help was needed most. She heard Evin’s comment and nodded as though she acknowledged the fact he had addressed her, but wasn’t paying attention to his words. As they walked further into the encampment, she took notice that several dead were still scattered around the encampment, most surrounded by distraught loved ones, and as Annie walked past a group of such civilians, she gently grasped the wrist of a mercenary who was trying, as gently as possible, to physically remove a woman who was knelt down and clinging to a deceased man’s arm. The gesture causing the man to immediately stop what he was doing. “Don’t force this.” She whispered. “Just start building the funeral pyre and they will come to you when they are ready.” The man seemed reluctant, but silently agreed and moved away, calling his few remaining brethren to start the pyre. Annie counted, by the red sashes or capes she could spot amongst the people, less than ten Crimson Shadows in the encampment. Even assuming a few of them were in the temple or inside some of the tents that remained intact, that was in no way a good sign.

The sudden change in the mercenaries’ attitude from aimless and confused to somewhat organized caught the man’s attention and Jackson eventually appeared to greet the new arrivals, even if only with simple nod of head. “The injure are all inside the temple.” He informed Annie. “So is Dastan; we locked him up in his room for the time being. Not that he seems to care about leaving.”
“How great are your losses?” Annie questioned.
“There are about twelve Crimson Shadows left alive, counting Dastan, Indrani and myself; so that number may decrease soon. Not to mention that three of those twelve are merely pups barely fit to swing a sword properly. Indrani had only recently assigned them trainers... Which... Are now all dead, so...” The man fell into a devastated silence, unable to find anything else to say.
Annie heaved a long sigh, sadness spreading across her dark eyes as she reached for Jackson’s arm in a sympathetic gesture. “I’m so sorry, Jackson. I have no words.”
“Dastan made me promise, right when he started to feel the sickness, that if something of this sort were to happen I would make sure he wouldn’t live long enough to see it. I already broke my promise and he may not... Forgive me, but... I don’t want to do this. I just need you to tell me that this is not what it seems, and that I don’t need to do this. Do you understand?”
Annie nodded that she understood, but she made Jackson no promises. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see Indrani first, I was told she was gravely injured?”
“Yes, that’s true. Ali is tending to her, but she’s no healer and Indrani lost a considerable amount of blood. There are other injured of course, but nothing else nearly as life threatening.” he informed, starting to lead the small group towards the temple.
Once again Annie nodded her understanding as she followed Jackson. “If it’s not to much to ask, Jackson, could you tell me what exactly happened?”

Jackson shook his head as though he refused to answer, but he eventually did. “The Sun died, the skies darkened, shadows rose from the ground and just began to tear people apart. There was a lot of crying and a lot of screaming, we were rushing to get people into the temple hoping it would protect them, but not knowing even that much for sure. I wasn’t near Dastan when it happened, I didn’t see it happen, but Ali said he started to act strangely, slurring his words; and I know what you’re thinking, but he had been perfectly fine during the trip from forest... He walked about halfway towards the temple and his knees gave out... Last anyone saw him before it all started he was kneeling in the sand clutching his head as though it hurt. He was out cold when the shadows faded, pale as though life had been drained from him, but he was still breathing. I carried him into the temple by myself and eventually one of Crys’ assassins helped me, none of our own would go near him, even if he was helpless.” Jackson stopped as they reached the door of the temple, running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair and trying to hide a guilty expression. “I should go... Help prepare the funerals... It will take time to burn all those bodies.” He snorted. “I can’t see that kid like this...” He muttered a bit under his breath.

Annie suppressed a frustrated groan as Jackson walked away. The Crimson Shadows were nice folk, they had taken in her people when the Blackpond army forced them out of the desert, they had taken Crys and the other exiled Wolves into their camp... They were simple, friendly, people, and still for some reason this had to happen to them. “I have brought everything I need.” She answered Evin as though time hadn’t passed since his offer of help. “Assuming that you can handle stitches and bandages though, an extra set of hands would be more than welcome. It sounds like Indrani will need my full attention.”

Blood -spatter soaked into the dirt and sand, clumping in many areas, few pools remaining. Luck would have it that Darren, distracted with the despair and wails drowning all of his attention, stepped in one of the puddles, momentarily losing balance as his foot slid out from him, but quickly recovered. Two men pass not far from him, carrying a fallen Crimson, the face Darren barely recognizing as one of the men he shared a drink with only just last night. His heart sank at the sight while he reached down to his wrists, tightening the fit of his gloves to make sure they were in no danger from slipping off as his palms began to sweat. The man’s eyes glistened, momentarily losing focus on what he should be doing, never actually seeing the aftermath of a battlefield, except in his visions or his dreams.

A flash of fur, blurring past his left peripheral and a shout of protest, alerted Darren to Sora’s presence. The wolf was trying to get past a woman who was blocking her path to the temple, shouting and flailing her arms trying to scare the beast back. “Scavenger! Back! Smell of blood draws them near..You can not have them!”

Darren groaned, muttering under his breath to Annie that he would catch up in a minute as he carefully approached, noticing how Sora was dodging the woman’s attempts at striking her, the wolf’s teeth baring in defense. “Miss? My apologies..the wolf means no harm...she’s only following..”

“The scent! Well she can’t have our wounded or dead.” The woman spat in annoyance.

Darren held up his hands to show there was nothing in them as he approached, moving between the wolf and the woman. “..She’s with me. I promise..she is well fed and is not here for any of you…” Darren half smiled. “I tried to leave her behind..but you see..she’s not a pet I can't make her do anything she doesn’t wish to. She’s quite the free spirit. Please..we are only here to help. Look, she’s friendly.” Darren knelt down beside Sora, gently petting her side, the wolf sitting on her haunches, wagging her tail slowly. He heard a voice from behind him, another familiar face from the night before. He turned to see it had been one of the musicians, although now he was missing most of his left arm. Makeshift bandages were tightly binding his wounds but they were dripping with blood. Darren was in awe the man wasn’t in shock, still managing to stand on his feet. “Whoa now, Buddie. Sit down...we need to cauterize that wound now. You, Miss.What is your name?” He asked the woman who was still eyeing Sora distrustingly.

“Kenya..” She muttered,

“Perfect. I’m Darren..and the wolf is Sora. Now Kenya...I’m going to need your help for a second…”

Sora moved to Darren’s side as they eased the one armed man to the ground, put a hunk of kindling in his mouth to bite down on while Darren prepared the wound. He had handed one of his weapons: an Ax, to Kenya who held the metal in a near by fire for a few moments until it was hot and ready. Sora laid on top of the wounded man while Darren pinned back his shoulders, Kenya pushing the hot metal against flesh for what seemed like forever, the man screaming between gritted teeth and wood. After the seared flesh was cleaned and properly dressed, Sora took off after the others into the temple, Darren following close after and reaching Annie not long after she arrived to Indrani. Opening his pack, he began ripping and tearing strips of cloth to create more bandages.

“I'll be glad to help.” Evin said as Darren wandered off.
Evin looked for a way to take his mind off of what was around him. Death, despite being his job, was the Twin that made the least sense to Evin. Why he had to kill and why exactly Death was considered a gift to us when even the Twins themselves, when facing their own finality, rebelled. It was an odd thing to imagine, that the Twins couldn't even live to face mortality.
But that was enough thought of death. There had been too much of it too close to home in his life lately. It was time to put his mind at ease for just a moment. “So you and Darren are good friends it seems? You care a lot for him, I can tell and you seem very trusting of him. How long have you known him.”

Annie entered the temple and immediately spotted Indrani, the woman was unconscious and sweating profusely due to what Annie could identify as dangerously high fever. Ali was sitting by Indrani, holding a wet washcloth to the woman’s forehead in a somewhat feeble attempt to lower her temperature. She looked at up at Annie with a bit of annoyance in her eyes that was not exactly directed at her. “Took you long enough.” She mumbled.
“Oh, well, you know... Distractions along the way. My apologies.” Annie half smiled as she knelt by Indrani. “How long has she been feverish?”
“Hours, I think. She was in and out of consciousness, but she hasn't opened her eyes for a while now.” Ali informed. “I assume that’s not good.”
“None of this is good, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing either. If her temperature comes down again she should eventually wake up, unless it’s too late.” She explained, taking a thorough look at Allison as she spoke and frowning slightly; she looked pale and shaky herself. “You’re in pain again, aren't you? Go rest, I got this.”
“Rest won’t make the pain go away, Annie; you know this. I’m not going anywhere.” Ali argued.
“It might not make the pain go away, but you still need it.” Annie stated severely. “When was the last time you even had a drink of water?”
“I’m fine.” Ali muttered, not very convincingly, but moving away to sit closer to the walls, leaning against the stone and closing her eyes for a bit.
Annie shook her head, but didn’t argue any more knowing it was probably no use, turning her attention to Indrani, checking the woman’s wound and pulling supplies out of her kit as she answered Evin’s questions on Darren, giving the boy an amused glance before casually answering the questions as though he wasn’t standing right there. “I met Darren for the first time during the ball, briefly. So I suppose it’s been, what, six months or so. I trust him quite a bit, yes. He’s not yet tried to murder me, nor asked me any questions I wasn’t willing to answer, and he’s been a dear friend. Sora too.” She smiled, calmly changing Indrani’s bandages for ones that seemed to have been soaked in some herbal extract. The medicine would hopefully be enough to keep any infection under control.

Darren was accumulating new rags for bandages, draping them along his shoulder, only half listening as Annie spoke. His eyes were fluctuating between Indrani, Annie, Ali, Evin, and the other wounded scattered within the temple, taking in every detail he would in a matter of a few moments. The place needed more light, one of the first things he noticed, and after giving a sly wink in Annie’s direction he gathered a couple torches and several candles.

“..Should I start the tea? I’m sure while I make my rounds, I may find others fevering..” Darren asked Annie gently. “..Strip the root and seep before adding the honey and cinnamon.” He recited to himself, remembering that those ingredients were not just to take away the bitter taste, but also aided in healing headaches.

Darren relieved himself of his hat and rested it on the back of a nearby chair, along with some of the fresh bandages he’d torn, in case more were needed. He also positioned a clean basin of water beside Annie’s medicine bag before excusing himself once again to quickly assess the other wounded. Some were very lucky, alive with a few broken bones and minor cuts and abrasions; many were missing limbs, appendages and had lost a lot of blood but it did appear they would live, with the Twins' blessing. Darren had paused beside a young man, just old enough to carry a sword, the swelling around his neck and shoulder catching his eye.

“Brave, young man...how you feeling? I want you to squeeze my hand as hard as you can...good...now the other..” Darren kept a friendly smile, as the boy advised him that his name was Andrew and that his head was throbbing because he was tossed like a rag doll into stone. There was little blood, the area tender and also with the strange swelling along the kid’s shoulder, Darren had a feeling it was something inside of Andrew that was hurt or damaged that he could not see. Raising a candle before the boy’s eye, just as he had seen Annie do many times before, he instructed Andrew to look into the light and follow it. Both the boy’s eyes were bloodshot, his left pupil blown out to indicate internal trauma.

Darren kept his smile, giving Andrew some water before wandering back over to Annie to whisper the status of the other injured; importantly the young boy, awaiting instructions. Meanwhile, Sora had wandered off somewhere out of sight but from her occasional whines and frustrated barks it wasn’t hard to tell she waiting at the base of the wall that lead to where Dastan was currently being kept. If only the wolf had thumbs, maybe she would climb the wall. Or maybe not.

Annie snickered while she watched Evin drag Ali away. The young woman didn’t fight the man’s hold and simply allowed him to drag her away with annoyed expression on her face. Her smiled faltered slightly as she turned her attention to the boy Darren had informed her of, knowing that his condition was more serious than she would like. “That sounds serious.” She muttered, taking a few moments to organize her thoughts before making a decision. “Indrani shouldn’t need anymore care unless she wakes up; which probably won't be so soon, so I’m going upstairs to take a look at Dastan. I’d like you to keep monitoring that boy, keep him calm and talking, and warn me if his situation changes while I’m up there; if his pain worsens or he starts to show signs of confusion, or lose consciousness, I need to know right away.”