For the next two days the trio travelled towards Mova at as quick of pace as they could make without straining the horses too much. Bayrn knew that it would be fast enough to stay ahead of the soldiers but not fast enough to stay ahead of scouts, so he kept himself on high alert and always camped in places that were not the regular camping spots along the road, covering the wagon and horse tracks after they set up camp. He always set up the early warning bells, concealing them with skills he had not used in years.


    Every night after they set up camp and tended to the horses, he would go through training exercises with both Gia and Renno. On the first day after an hour of practice, he had to change the weapons he allocated for each of them. He knew from his experience how to judge weapons more aligned with a person’s movement, and he could tell that Gia would be much more capable with two weapons. She had amazing natural dexterity with the weighted practice weapons he had them use and showed an ambidextrous grace. Renno, however, did not attune well to the sword. He was very clumsy with it and seemed to want to always reinforce it with his other hand, which would have been okay if it was not for his clumsiness with the weighting of the weapon. Bayrn quickly had Renno on the right path after he went out and found a long straight stick and started teaching him how to use a staff.


    Once the two were using the right weapons, they picked the basics up quickly. Renno was much better using the staff and turned out to be very swift with it. Gia was just as capable with sword and dagger as she was with two swords, but she had a preference for a matched pair, so that was how he taught her. He made sure they trained for at least three hours each night. They were clearly sore and tired before bed both nights, and that made him chuckle as he remembered how that felt so long ago.


    They started the third day before the sun because Bayrn awoke to the feeling of being watched. He did not know if anyone really was watching him but he had learned to always trust that instinct. After waking the girl and the boy, he disarmed his alarms and had all three of them on the wagon within a half an hour. He still felt eyes on him after they were on the path, but the feeling soon faded.


    Because of the quick breaking of camp, no one had eaten so he passed around dry rations. Renno was fully awake quickly, but Gia was sluggish. He attributed that to their apparent different previous lives. Renno was raised on a farm and was probably used to waking before dawn to take care of animals and get a good start on the heat of the day. Gia had lived a rather posh existence up until now, but while he could see that her mind and body were not used to this, he admired that she didn’t complain and trudged ahead. He smiled thinking about the potential she had as a fighter and that he would get to train her, at least for a while. It was always nice to have a good student with natural ability.


    Mova nestled on the mountainside was visible as they topped a rise, but still far enough out he did not reason that they would make it before mid to late afternoon.


    Kenton had pushed his horse the first two days of following, but the reward was worth it. He had seen them ahead of him and stayed back far enough to not be seen, keeping at the tree line. When they broke for camp, he hobbled his horse far enough back so as not to be heard during the night and snuck up to their camp. It was easy with his night vision, but he had to admire how well the old man had covered their tracks. If he didn’t know where they were, he might not have found them.


    He watched as the old man trained them with weapons, which sparked his curiosity even more. Why was this old man dedicating so much time and effort to seasoning these kids to life on the road and in the world? He wondered if someone payed the old man, which might make sense but did not quite seem to fit. With the quick departure after the kids and not with them, it would have either been the old man getting paid to care after them, or something the old man chose to do for personal reasons. Kenton favored the latter very strongly, though he had no idea what that personal reason may be. The old man was very good at training, which Kenton took mental note of. He had experience training in weapons and experience hiding tracks and setting camp so as not to be ambushed. This old man had field war experience in Kenton’s reckoning. That experience could have come from time with the Ministry of Science as a soldier, but Kenton felt that was unlikely as someone with this man’s skills would be known and have a reputation. This meant he was not from this area, and probably Ministry of War. He would probably be too talented for an up close fight, so if Kenton did need to dispose of him, he would have to be tricky.


    He watched them bed down and fall asleep and everything was quiet for a time, but after they had been asleep for a couple hours he heard the rustle of men walking through the forest whispering among each other. They did not seem to know about him or the three in the camp he was watching, but they were on a course for walking right by the camp. That would be another distraction he did not need, and might alert the campers because of the alarms the old man had set. He pulled out his dagger that never reflected light and headed to the group he could hear.


    As he neared he could tell it was three men, and if he had to guess, they were surely bandits. If they found the camp, they would for sure attack and rob the old man and the kids. That would slow him down on finding Kestrin. Since he could see in the darkness, it was quite easy to get a good path behind them. He was very quiet and managed to get right behind the one in the rear of the trio. He cupped his mouth, slid his dagger through the side of the neck through both blood lines and the wind pipe, pulling the super sharp blade forward and quietly set the momentarily dead man on the ground. One of the others turned to check on his partner and took the dagger through the eye. Kenton left it in his eye as he fell to the ground, quickly fending off a wild swing from the front man and pulling himself around to apply a choke hold. The man fought but quickly passed out. He retrieved his dagger from the second man’s eye socket, wiping it on the dead man’s clothes. He picked up the unconscious man and carried him far enough away that a brief interrogation would not alert the campers.


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    The man, once awake and properly enticed revealed that they were indeed bandits and were looking for campers. They weren’t part of a bigger group; just the three of them. Once Kenton was satisfied all he learned was truth, he cut the man’s throat and left him for the animals.


    Kenton returned to watching his intended prey but as he got closer the old man popped up from his sleep. He could swear the old man looked right at him. He knew he made no noise and could not be seen. He would have to remember the old man’s instinct in the future. The old man roused the kids and packed them all up in short order. Once he was sure they were leaving he went back to his hobbled horse and worked his way back up to being just out of range of the wagon riders vision and followed once more.


    Cerna sat in the barn whittling on a piece of wood. This always relaxed her. This is what she would do when watching the sheep at home. Not home anymore, she supposed. A good memory to keep, but she was always so bored at the farm. She took up many hobbies and practiced many things those days out with the sheep, but she could not be content just being there with the sheep and her thoughts like most of the other shepherds. Whittling on wood slowed her down when she had nothing else to do, like now.


    She had been meeting Kestrin over the past couple weeks and was supposed to meet him again tonight, but he had sent a message to her to meet him at mid-day. He was an odd sort but he knew so much. She had come to him expecting to find clues and direction and he gave her so much more than that. He knew she was coming, he said. He knew all about her, which more than made her curious. Over the next few meetings, he filled her head with many answers and many more questions. She could not wait to get back to Jaq and tell him everything she had learned.


    The barn door opened, pulling her out of her own thoughts and stopping her whittling. “Hello, Cerna!” Kestrin greeted.


    “Hello, Kestrin. Is everything okay? You know I am better suited to night.” Cerna replied, standing.


    “Everything is wonderful! I have new visitors coming. I need you to meet them and take them with you to your temple. I have an army to distract and shall be rather busy.” Kestrin smiled his mischievous smile where only one side appeared a smile and the other side was stone cold solemn.


    Cerna stared at him. She was not really interested in being a guide, but she knew Kestrin would not request this of her unless it fit the pattern. Kestrin knew all of the things about her because he was a seer, he had told her. He did seem to know a lot, and he told her that she was here for a reason. She had been so distracted by the history lessons that she forgot to ask that purpose, though she thought her purpose would be to find dragons and he would be the one to tell her where to go. “Are they prepared to make the months-long journey? It will not be an easy trip.”


    Kestrin laughed. “Oh, no, they are far from prepared. They are also being followed and you are to let him think he is following unnoticed. He is also a part of the pattern.”


    Cerna sighed. “Well, tell me about them.”


    “Of course! There is a boy, and a girl, both in their high teens. There is also an old man. Behind them is a man in the middle where age is concerned. Dangerous, all four, though two not yet. You are to watch over the boy and the girl, which the old man also does. They are essential. The shadowy tail they have is infused with dragon’s blood, though he does not know it. He has so much more capability than he knows. He is a Shadow, like you.” Kestrin smiled at her surprise.


    “Another Shadow!? I thought that Jaq and I were the only two who had been infused, and he is not a Shadow.” Cerna was a little disappointed to not be the only Shadow, but also excited that there was another.


    “When you meet him, which will be in the Woods of Arahk, call him Kenton. That is his name and doing so will put him off balance enough to listen. He is smart, but he is also very cruel. Keep that in mind. There are two more surprises in store for you!” With that he pulled a package from behind his back, wrapped in leather and twine. “Number one! Five vials of dragon’s blood!” He did a flourish as he presented them to her ever widening eyes.


    “But, where did you...” She took the vials from her and he motioned for her to back up. She did a little and he gave her that half grin and motioned again, this time more dramatically, and so she backed to the wall. To her surprise his skin started to turn purple and blue, his eyes grew more round, swirled with deep blue light, and he started to enlarge, grow wings, and transform. Before her gaping mouth, he stood before her as a twenty-foot-long ten-foot-tall dragon, barely fitting into the barn.


    “And, number two!” He growled out in a deeper voice and smiled. “I am what you sought, but not the end of the searching. I am a Seer dragon. Those vials are of my blood. You will use them to help you and Jaq find more of my kind. I would help further, but I have another task.” With that, he transformed back into his human form. “Now, go and find Renno, Gia, and Bayrn. They will be coming in from the East entrance to town. Gather supplies first and keep them from coming in to town.”


    Cerna was still staring with her mouth open. She shook her head to try and knock away some of her surprise. “I saw a dragon...” She shook her head again and then kneeled to Kestrin. “I honor the bloodbond.”


    “We are united in blood and purpose.” Kestrin gave the ceremonial response. “Ta for now,” he said as he opened the door. Once out, he poked his head back in and said, “Oh, right! Remember, it is the blue one.” Then he closed the door.


    Cerna went from her kneeling pose to sitting on the floor. This was a lot to take in.