《Fated : Tales of Two》


 Chapter one.

    Bjorn


    "Oi! Get out of here you little bastard!" I was chasing around a large fat rat with an axe after I caught it trying to steal my morning meal from me when my back was turned. My name is Bjorn. I was born to a mother that died shortly after my birth and raised by my village, Dechrau. When I say raised in Dechrau I mean, the mothers of other children my age would bring me in, clean me, feed me, and give me a place to sleep, then pass me around like a warming stone to the next family that was able to feed me for that week. While the men of the village looked down on me, they occasionally taught me a thing or two or gave me work. I stand six foot seven, long black hair, green eyes, and a scar or two from the wilds of life. People say my mother may have birthed me but that I was the child of a mountain because of my size. I was muscular, and stronger then other men my age. When I was around ten years old I met Gallion. He took me in, brought me on as an apprentice in crafting metals and more, and eventually became like a father to me. He has taught me as much as he could in the last seven years and I have much to repay him for in my life, I am forever grateful for bringing me into his home and giving me a chance in life.


    When I turned the age of eleven, I started to dream of a woman I believe to be my mother. She is standing on a cliffs edge dressed in a plain white gown, he hair is black like mine and long, he eyes green matching my own. She is pointing out to sea, wind blowing against her and water crashing against the rocks behind her in the distance. She is saying something but I can''t hear what it is. Every time I yell at her telling her I can''t hear her, she gets more scared and more urgent, pointing to the sea silently yelling at me. I always wake up at that point. Nothing else ever happens. The dreams are often enough I can smell the sea during the time I am awake. Gallion says it probably means nothing. That they come often because they bothered me enough that I made them happen. The only thing is, I feel like I know the cliff''s edge, like I have been there before.


    "Are you in there, Bjorn? Why haven''t you cleaned up this work area?" Gallion called from the shop that was behind our home. "Sorry, I''ll get to it now, I was... busy." I lied. I wasn''t busy, I was just daydreaming. "Come on then, stop thinking of things that are out of your reach." He said to me. "Oh? And what''s out of my reach?" I asked him, "Bah, anything unless its a hammer and anvil." He huffed at me in his usual grumpy tone. Gallion wasn''t grumpy, but he sure liked to sound like it. He likes people to think of him as if he was a big scary Viking man who goes on raids across the ocean on great galleys, but he''s not. He''s just a blacksmith who prefers to stay on land, work metal and eat good food. Something I understood. Boys who grow into men my size are expected to become great warriors and join the Morwyn y Duwiau, and sup with the old gods. Gallion trained me plenty in sword art, and protection skills. He insisted that working the metal was only half the job. If I didn''t understand how to use the weapons and shields I was creating, they were useless. Gallion provided plenty of time and training for both work, and battle training.


    "Gallion, what do you want done with this sword? Hang the damn thing up." I complained to him. "Lets trade it. I''m sure someone with little coin would be willing to pay something for its scrap." Or maybe a shovel, I though to my self. The blade of course was waste. It was old, broken nearly in half just above the hilt, and chipped along the tips edge. It looked like it may have been a grand broadsword in its days of glory, but finally met its end when the blade was cracked. Gallion told me once he was going to restore it and tell me the story of its forging, but I figured it was one of the stories that started with, "once when I was a young lad.". He hasn''t restored it yet, and I still haven''t heard the story. "Why don''t you restore this thing like you said you were going to, eh? Then you can do something with it. Or at least tell me the story you keep claiming you know about it." I yelled at him. "And what do you know about restoring that blade? That blade''s story is important to some people in the world." Gallion asked me as he stepped into the shop door. "Well, I may not know about what''s needed to restore your mythical blade, Gallion, but that''s only due to your own neglect." I held it out to him by the hilt. "Might as well just melt it down and use the metal for something useful." I said. "Another day, boy. Another day." He said to me as he took the sword and placed it back on the shelf it had lived on for the whole seven years I have been here, and longer then that probably.


    Gallion left the shop and headed back into the house, crossing the stone path between the two. I could hear the sounds of men and horses riding up, probably here to have their tools repaired, or weapons sharpened. We don''t usually have to much action around here, so I was leaning towards the tool repair being the likely cause of their visit.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "What can I do you for?" I could hear Gallion asking the riders outside. "Ahh, Gallion, I was wondering if you could make me something." A man said from outside.


    At this point I lost interest in listening as I knew whatever it was that needed making I would be assisting Gallion later with. Hammering and molding metal was something that was satisfying to me, in the end when the blade that you worked hard crafting, and sharping become something to be proud of. Maybe Gallion would teach me to restore the old broken blade and that would give us something to work on together.


    Just as I was thinking this, Gallion stepped through the door. "Let me guess, He wants a new aged tool that is going to change the world." I laughed, turning towards Gallion. He was standing with a serious expression on his face, arms crossed over his chest. "Want to make a delivery for me?" Gallion asked me. "Where?" I ask cautiously. Gallion only ever sent me on deliveries if he wasn''t very keen on the receiver. "Tavis''s house, I hate that old bear. He is always grumpy." He said. I knew it, Tavis was always grumpy, his wife died years ago, and his sons were either dead or moved on. Going to Tavis gave me the opportunity to go to go by the river however. "I want to stop[ at the river on my way back. We could use a stock up of fish anyways." I told him. The river was somewhere I enjoyed going for myself. One of my earliest memories was of the river where I was playing with the other children my age in the shallows. It was just a happy, simple time where I felt like I was apart of something. That didn''t last long for me of course. As much as the families of the village took me in, there were still nights that I was cold, hungry, and scared. Those were the times I would go to the river, and watch or try and interact with others. "Just watch your back, there''s been strange talk about of a group of men in these woods." He informed me. "What do they mean strange?" I wondered. "Oh, I don''t know. Taking lone people in the night, only for those people not to be seen again. Strange stuff." He shrugged. "Sounds like it''s made up." I laughed. "Men stealing people in their sleep? Were you at the alehouse when you heard this talk?" I asked. "Shut up. Give me a hard time for worrying about you, I should let the door hit you on the way out!" He shoved my shoulder laughing. "Nah, Who would make the deliveries to Tavis''s for you then, old man?" I smiled. "Really though, it sounds absurd. I will be careful, and I''ll camp out of sight." I promised him. "Good." He turned and walked away.


    That evening Gallion and I were eating supper and drinking some ales, talking about things that didn''t really matter much when a knock at the door startled us slightly. Standing I grabbed a sword, late night visitors were not a usual occurrence. Gallion talking of strange folks in the woods had me thinking worrying thoughts as I walked to the front entrance of our cabin house. "Who is it?" I called out ready to lift the board that blocked the door away. "Dara!" A woman called out. Dara and I grew up together, her mother was one of the woman who helped raised me before Gallion. Her family traded ore, fur and whatever else they had from a small shop like ours on the edge of the village. I opened the door to bring Dara inside. She was overwhelmed, and red faced as she breathed heavy as if she had ran here. "Lock it, please." She asked me in a rush turning towards the door to help me board it once again. "What''s going on? Why have you come so late, alone?" I asked her. Even living inside the village had its threats. Plenty of thieves and strangers came through for trading and whatever else they were in search for. "My father has been killed. They found his body along the rivers edge this morning, then my mother and I were eating a late meal when we could hear our pigs screaming, being slaughtered. I thought an animal at first, but it... it was two men." She was looking at Gallion with wide, worried eyes. "My mother grabbed her sword and shield and went out to confront them." She stopped talking. "She''s gone, Bjorn," She shrugged and started to cry. "I am not a maiden of the blade like my mother, I did not know where else to go." She said looking at me. Gallion put his hand on her shoulder and led her over to our table helping her sit on the bench. "What do you mean she''s gone? Killed? Inside the village?" He asked her. "There were no sounds of fighting. No sounds at all. She walked towards the men, I heard her call out to them to leave, and then nothing..." She said again. Dara looked at me and shook her head, " First my father, then my mother. What am I going to do?" She asked through tears. "Stay here tonight, we will figure out the rest in the morning." Gallion said, pouring her a cup of ale from the jug. "We will go back to your home in the morning and look around. There are plenty of places for men to hide in the village, especially in the night."


    I gave Dara my bed to sleep in and set up some hay and furs for myself on the flor near the fire for warmth. I fell asleep thinking about the strange groups of men murdering people at night, only to slip into the same dream of my mother screaming at me from the cliffs edge. Except this time, she called my name, and I heard it. Sitting up, breathing heavy, my body was wet with sweat and I felt... I don''t know, but it wasn''t scared.


    Gallion was sitting at the table drinking a mug full of ale, smoking a pipe of weeds. "You have been having those dreams for as long as I have known you, Bjorn, but never have I heard you call out in your sleep from them." He said to me. I stood up, the cold night air a cool greeting against my hot skin, "The woman, my mother, she called my name." I told him as I sat on the bench across the table from Gallion."She called you Bjorn?" He asked me. I thought about it for a moment. No. No, She didn''t call me Bjorn. Shaking my head, my eyebrows creased with thought, "No, not Bjorn. Aadi." I said as I looked at Gallion. "She called me Aadi."

 Chapter Two

    The morning came in warm as the sun rose in the east over the mountain that watched over the valley our village was in. It was usually a peaceful village for trading as people came through here when they would come past the mountain for travel inland. We had river ways and lakes near out village, but no oceans. For that you had to go west for a few days. The families here were a mix between the the same families that have always been here, and new comers, it was hard to keep track, Plenty of space for trade, there were a trade center in the middle, and then smaller spots throughout the village as it grew. The houses were mostly all the same with fenced in yards full of livestock, the buildings built from stones, wood, and some even built into the landscapes. Those houses were usually handed down over generations. New comers would acquire housing through trade, or build on to the village. Either way, we were always growing and changing as villages and towns do.


    I was feeding our goat when Dara came out of the house towards me carrying a cup of water. "Thank you, Bjorn." She said as rubbed the goats head. "I felt much safer when I got here." She looked at me sadly. "Do you think my mother is dead also?" "We will go to your home, look for your mother once Gallion is awake." I wasn''t going to tell her that, yes I did think her mother was dead, most woman who disappear in the night don''t usually show up alive, let alone at all."


    Gallion didn''t take long before he was stumbling out of the house equipped with a couple of axes, and wearing his old armor that maybe needed to be loosened a bit. He wore it proudly however tight it was, and that is what counted in the moment. I straighten my own gear I had dressed in, and made sure my sword was secure then made my way into the village towards Dara''s family home. It wasn''t far from our own spot of land, and didn''t take long to get there. Their yard was as the edge of the village that rested against the forest edge. We were not completely gated off from the rest of the land, but we did have rangers and groups of paid mercenaries that kept peach and law, but obviously things go a miss.


    The door to her home was open. I walked up pulling my bow tight with an arrow ready for release. I stepped in slowly unsure what to expect. The house was open, like ours''s with two door''s leading to two other private rooms for sleeping. A firepit stood against the southern wall between the room doors. There were a few shelves above the fire pit, holding varies of things like potted herbs, bottles of liquids, stuff that was probably used for cooking. There was a small table in the middle of the room that was empty aside from a cup of freshly picked flowers. The benches were sitting in the right position, nothing looked over turned. Well, at least they didn''t come back to rob her after she had left. I dropped my bow and arrow, keeping them in my hands still ready to nock out my arrow if needed.


    "I don''t see any signs they came in here, Dara." I called out to her, she was still standing outside with Gallion worried there was someone inside. "That''s a relief." She said as she came inside. She walked straight the the door on the left of the fire pit and opened it, hoping to find her mother. The room empty Dara immediately checked the opposite room as well. Again the room empty, she turned and shook her head disappointed. "Not here, Oh Bjorn, what am I going to do?" She asked as she started to sob quietly. "Don''t worry, girl. You will be watched over by the village, we always take care of our own." Gallion said as he patted my shoulder as evidence. Nodding in agreement Dara said, " Thank you, Gallion. I have always trusted you the most aside from my own parents." She glanced at me and then looked down to her feet. " Thank you, both." "I''ll check out back." I said as I headed towards the door to swing around to the back of the house and trade shop. The yard faced a thick group of trees, and was only blocked by a short logged fence for the benefit of foliage for livestock. Dechrau was nestled inside of a thick forest with tall trees in a valley resting against a mountain, for someone to come here to specifically make trouble for this family, seemed very unlikely. Up until now, the only unjustified murders I knew of consisted of angry men and unfaithful wife''s, drunk men making bad choices, and my personal favorite, someone stole someone else''s goats. Typical village trouble that didn''t include me.


    Gallion came up beside me as I was crouched examining the tracks I had spotted on either side of the fence. " Just looks like people were standing around, and then left. I don''t see signs of fighting, aside from those torn up pigs there." I looked up to find him looking down at me, holding a large piece of dried meat he found inside, chewing loudly. "Oh, maybe she decided to just leave with them to save trouble." He said between chews, I stood up and walked towards the pig remains. "Look at the way they were torn apart though, Gallion. Like they were ripped apart by a giant beast."  "Yeah, and it stinks. Look there," He bent down and reached into a small pile of bloody remains pulling out a broken tooth. The tip of the tooth, and huge. The length of just half of the tooth the size of a finger and the width of three. "what do you suppose this belonged to?" He asked, then shrugging his shoulders said, "Dara is going to stay here today, and that other girl from across there, she will be here as well." He told me. " What do you want to do with this?" He asked. "Shouldn''t we inform someone else? This is not our problem, Gallion." I said. "Yeah, I''ll tell Dara we will get Adio and return." He said to me turning to go back to the house. He was finished his salted meat and was probably looking to get some more. Taking advantage of the trader''s stash of meat was not beneath Gallion. Adio was our village leader. He will bring the village law bringer, Dox with him as well.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Neither of these men were found of me as I was considered a vermin in the the village, even living with Gallion did not change that opinion. It didn''t bother me as I thought both men were rather stupid and na?ve. They would at least decide to help this girl with the mystery of her missing mother on top of fathers death, or not. Either way, Dara has just inherited a business and a home. It wont be long that a young available man will be interested in her as a wife.


    Standing straight I was scanning the trunk of the trees, not really looking for anything when I spotted a face looking back at me. A face of an older man with a long grey beard, and thick eyebrows reaching over his eyes, they blue like ice that was reflecting the sky back at you. I looked a second time as my eyes only just spotted him as I looked around. He was gone yet I knew he was there. I turned and headed back to the front of the house, pulling a small dagger I kept in a strap on my leather armor in case he came from behind me unexcitingly.


    Stepping inside the door, I found Gallion and Dara talking standing by the fireplace. "What if you stayed here, Gallion, and I will bring Adio and Dox here." I said hinting to Gallion that it was important for him to stay. Without argument, he agreed picking up on the tone of my voice. I left immediately heading towards the village''s hall. That is where Adio was always, working as well as living. Dox was always skulking around Adio, so I wasn''t worried about seeking him out.


    It didn''t take long before I arrived at the hall, Adio was sitting in his chair looking over the village, from the wooden walkway that stretched across the hall''s front. I walked up the short staircase towards the two guards blocking me from getting any closer to Adio. "I need to talk to Adio regarding some trouble." I informed them. Nodding they let me past.


    "Adio, the trader Haford that was killed by the rivers edge, his wife Sara was taken from their home last night after the slaughter of their pigs. Their daughter, Dara is hoping you will visit her, and help her." I informed him respectfully. I knew Adio disliked me, and so because of that I tried a little extra when I needed something from him. It also gave him nothing to hound me over. Dox scoffed from behind  Adio''s chair, where he was leaning again the wall."Haford was a drunk, probably drowned himself in that river and floated to the shore. " He said and then laughed. "I know nothing of Haford''s death. I just know that there is a man who I do not recognize that is in the woods, still there now." I said. Adio stood up and motioned for his men to follow him. "Let''s go find out what he wants then, and where Sara has gone to." He said as he started towards the trader''s home.


    Walking back now with a group of men who were ready to fight if the need came around, I was thinking of the man''s face. His eyes, how they stared into my own even for a short second. As if the man had been there watching me the entire time waiting to be noticed. A scar reached across his right eye from above his brow down to his cheek. A long grey bread that reached passed his neck. The more I thought about his face, the more I felt like I knew the man.


    Walking in silence towards Dara''s home, the villagers we passed wondering what the situation was about, by the time we arrived we had gathered a small group of men, chatty woman and curious children. Dara was talking to another woman outside of the door when we walked up. "Greetings, Dara. Bjorn tells us your mother was taken last night? Is this true?" Adio asked her. "Yes, come in." Dara motioned for Adio to join her inside. I joined them along with Gallion, and Dox walking over to the water bucket and leaned against the counter. The other men sitting at Dara''s table, pushing the benched back loudly against the wooden floors .After Dara explained for another time to Adio the details of the two men about her mothers disappearance Adio was reminded that her father was found drowned on the river shore outside of the village as well. "Why would someone target your family, Dara?" Adio asked her. "You are traders." He said shrugging. "Are you sure your mother didn''t recognized them after meeting them at the tree line? Decided to leave?" He asked her. "And not tell me? No. I do not." She sounded annoyed. "I think these two men that torn up my pigs took my mother and now she''s probably dead."


    I walked out of the house to head to my own home, really I had no more business there so I decided to leave. I was not particularly close with anyone, so I was not going to make it my business to become close with someone over a death that didn''t effect me. "Leaving with out me, boy?" Gallion called from behind as he exited the house. "Damnit, wait for me." He said. "Hurry up, I have jobs to finish, and I am assuming Tavis wants his delivery sooner rather then later." I said to him as he walked up to me. "Nah, he can wait, all this hustle and bustle around here, you shouldn''t be going neither." Gallion grumbled. "That''s fine with me, I seen a man in the tree line before I left to the hall. If he is there now, they will see him." I told him. "Why didn''t you mention it to them?" Gallion asked. "Why make their jobs easier for them? They have neve showed me respect, Gallion." I said, rather grumpy about the subject. "Yeah, I know. Never mind that now, lets get back, I got something I wanna do myself anyways." He said.

 Chapter Three

    Damn, this metal is garbage! I should just toss it, Bjorn, go to that metal trader, Frik, and bring me some of that fresh iron he has got. " Gallion called over to me. We were in the shop working on a few jobs that needed to be completely, I had not realized that he had started to mend that old sword he has been hanging onto. "Don''t tell me after all these years, you have finally decided to listen to me about something?" I asked him shocked. "Shut up and go, before I change my mind. There''s more to this blade then just this. Go. Now." he said. I did, in fact I left that shop faster then I even had in the past. I was not going to miss the chance to finally get some answers about why he had it. I wasn''t going to rush to Frik''s shop though, the weather was nice and I was in need of the air. I was nearing one of the trade centers of the village were Frik was usually set up, when I started to hear the raise voices of a group arguing. Coming out the path and row of homes into the center that''s exactly what I found. A large group of people gathered together arguing about something. I decided to stick around for a moment and listen to the news.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

 Chapter Four

    Bodil


    "Get up girl, you have work to do." Helga rudely called to me from my room door. I was dreaming. The same damn dream I have had almost my entire life. I''m standing on the edge of a cliff, and there is something below me. I''m scared and need help. I see a man standing in front of me and I''m yelling at him to help me before it''s to late. I know his name is Aadi, I don''t know how, but in my heart, deep in my very soul, I know. I sat up and rubbed my face as I awoke shaking the dream off. I have had this dream for as long as I can remember. Really, the man in my dream was the only person that I actually had in my life. My name is Bodil, I am roughly seventeen years into my life, I''m tall and well built, I have long black hair and green eyes. My parents were murdered by men who wanted their land roughly eleven years ago. One of the men found me hiding as he and took me to his farm and made me a slave, I have been here ever since. I work for Uri when he is working metal as I am stronger then the other woman here, and he doesn''t like having men around, as well I work with Helga in the kitchens. Uri is the man who took me, and lately he has been talking about marrying me off for a price to a farmer who needs to find his fustilogs son a wife. That wasn''t going to happen for me. I was leaving. Even if that meant my life. I was not going to become some morons wife and be forced to bear his children.


    "I swear, Bodil if I have to come back in here again, instead of selling you off you will spend the rest of your day cleaning the schitten houses instead of helping Uri make those damned sword and axes of his." Helga called out to me. Getting out of my bed and dressing in my usual blue dress, apron and boots I left for my daily chores.


    "Finally, Uri will be wanting his morning meal soon enough, get to it." Helga said to me tossing a loaf of bread to me.


    Catching it, I walked over and placed it on a tray. "What do you want done first, Helga?" I asked her.


    "Get those eggs done, and make some fresh porridge. That should do the old bastard well enough." Helga huffed at me grumpily. Helga was Uri''s wife and ran the house hold, assisted her husband with farm details and of course, sold slaves. There was only five of us that Uri kept. The rest of the girls brought her are sold off to whoever pays the highest price.


    "And Bodil, that farmer, what''s his name?" She paused for a minute thinking, "Yeah, Tosh, he will be bringing his son by here to see if he likes you well enough, you best impress them. Get to the river and clean yourself when you are done here." She ordered me.


    "Why would you sell me, when I am already trained so well to work for you Helga?" I asked her hoping she would also think the same thing.


    "Shut up, plenty of girls can be trained to serve a man his food, and smash metal with a hammer. Do as your told." She scoffed, "Imagine keeping a slave just because she asked." She complained to herself as she left the house stomping off to torcher someone else.


    "Old crone." I said under my breath as she left.


    I hated Helga more then I hated Uri. Even if Uri was nicer towards me, it was only because I work without asking questions. When I first got here I tried to leave almost every night. Helga would beat me until I couldn''t walk. The minute I healed, I tried again. I was forced to stay here when Helga broke my leg and I was unable to walk for months. During that time was when I was forced to cook for them I thought plenty about poisoning them, but was never left alone when cooking, and Helga was impossible to make happy so she was always looking over my shoulder telling me what to do even if I had done it a hundred times before. I guess you can say I was defeated for a long time, until this waste talk of me marrying that boy. Now I have to leave, no matter the cost, even if its my life.


    "Oh come now Helga, it''s only a few weeks. And when I get back I''ll have plenty of gifts!" Uri was calling to Helga as she came storming back into the house, Uri on her tail like a dog in heat.


    "Damn you, Uri. I don''t care if you leave, I care that you want to bring this dreadful girl with you every time you need to travel." She motioned towards me.


    "Oh, and where am I going now?" I asked them.


    "With me to the temple in Theramill. For the seasonal sacrifice, and trading." Uri told me.


    "You have no choice, so don''t look at me like that, unless you want me to sell you early to Tosh." He shrugged, "Up to you, Bodil." He knew damn well I would never chose to be married, so I didn''t bother responding to him.


    I left the house towards the horse yard. The last thing I wanted to do was hear Helga''s jealous complaints about me to Uri. I had a small hoard that I kept hidden in the barn that I had acquired over time, a few trinkets that reminded me of my family. I had nothing from my old life, thanks Uri, I had my memories however, and that was something.


    I pulled a smaller hay wagon away from the wall it rested against, and then slipped between the wagon and the wall of the barn. Lifting the lose board on the flooring I pulled out my sack of treasures. A few Years ago, Uri brought home an axe in need of repair. He forgot about it, but I did not. It was captivating. Unfortunately I was not going to be able to finish here. The Axe was long, and had a slot in the axe head and a spot above the hilt where, what I assumed, a dagger or sword would fit into as a second weapon attachment. It was truly a sight. I was going to forge a sword to fit inside of it, but I got caught hording iron and other minerals and Uri took my stash of materials.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Having the skills of metal working will be with me where ever I am, so for now, I will wait to finish my project. I stuffed the Axe back into the sack, and pulled out a leather pouch pulled tightly and closed. I pulled open the knot and lifted out two small idols. My parents. My father was a warrior and farmer when he was alive. He was loyal to our lands King, and our gods. I can remember having great fires with many offerings to the Ota, Gorn, Thatus, many more. Solstice celebrations with our nearest friends, and neighbors. I missed them. My mother especially, she was kind, and beautiful. And when she sang to me it filled my heart. I kissed both the idols and put the back in the pouch and pulled it tight again. Placing my hand on the bag I whispered to Ota, "Keep their souls close to you." I tucked the pouch back into the sack and started to move out of my hiding spot.


    "Where is that dreadful girl? Damnit, Bodil! Where are you?" Helga came into the barn looking for me.


    I froze, if she saw me coming out behind the wagon with a sack she would take everything and probably whip me daily until I was gone.


    "You better answer me, I saw you come in here, I know you are here." She said angrily. I held my breath and stayed put. I did not want to lose what I could call my own. Helga started to leave the barn giving up on finding me, mumbling to herself about how much she hated me. I waited a minute or two before I continued out from behind the wagon.


    "That woman is nightmare, isn''t she?" The stable man, Din was standing against the wall watching me creep out.


    "Please don''t tell her I was in here, Din." I asked him.


    "Oh? And what do I get for keeping my mouth shut, eh?" He teased me. Din wasn''t vicious, he worked for Uri for payment, not as a slave. Being a free person has its perks.


    "Din?" I asked looking for reassurance he was going to be quiet.


    "Yeah, yeah. How''s that axe of yours going?" He asked me, I was a little surprised as I hadn''t mentioned it to anyone and only ever working on his when Uri let me work in the shop to better my skill so I could assist him better.


    "And how do you know about that? Been going through my stuff?" I tested him.


    Shrugging he just smiled, "So what if I did?" He stood straight and started to walk over to me, " I hear you are to be sold." He said to me.


    "Thanks for reminding me." I huffed.


    "What if I bought you, Bodil?" He asked me.


    "What? Are you crazy? You would ask Uri to buy me for yourself? Why would you do that anyways, Din? There are plenty of free woman you could have in your life." I laughed slightly, shaking my head in disbelief. "I am no wife, Din. You wouldn''t get what you wanted from me." I told him.


    "What if I said, it was just to get you out of here. There is more to you, Bodil than just being a slave girl to a man who would rape you, on top of beating you, if Helga wasn''t so damn scary." He said to me. I laughed slightly,


    "Please don''t Din, We can always be friend without you having to be in Uri''s debt. Okay?" I asked him as I reached for his hand. He put his in mine and I hugged him.


    "Thank you." I whispered. I couldn''t tell him, but in another life, I would have married him would out a second thought and have one of those tales of life rescued by love. That just wasn''t for me. Not anymore.


    I walked out of the barn with my sack on my shoulder, I was going to fill it the rest of the way with the provisions and clothing I was able to take to Theramill. I was headed to the stables where Uri was loading his wagons, or rather, shouting orders to load the wagon.


    "Uri? Do you want my to ride on the wagon, or on my own horse?" I asked him.


    "Your own horse, the wagon will be to full. Go pack and be ready to leave soon." He ordered to me. I nodded and walked to the horse I usually rode, I dropped my sack into its stall, took out the axe and buried it in the hay. If someone found the sack, they wouldn''t find that anyways. I started to clean my horse, and put riding furs down when Uri came up behind me.


    "Bodil. When we get to Theramill I need you to do something for me." He said to me in a hushed voice.


    "What?" I asked.


    "I need you to go visit a man about an item I don''t want others to know about. Got it?" I nodded and left it at that. It didn''t matter to me what it was he needed, I was going to have to do it anyways. "I mean it, Bodil. Not a word." He threatened.


    "Yeah, I understand, Uri. What''s the man''s name?" I said annoyed.


    "Ivar. Now get ready, I''ll you the rest later."


    "Yes." I walked quickly to the house, where I stayed with Helga and Uri, only because I had to cook and Helga hated waiting for me when I lived in the slave hut in the yard. Helga was yelling at some poor girl who had just be brought in from who knows where,


    "Oh, great. Another smart mouthed thrall. I''ll teach you, you can count on that." The girl was young, probably only thirteen years in age, and looked frightened. She was tall and had long blond hair, brown sad eyes.


    I sighed to myself remembering when I stood in that very spot being told how stupid I was while I was dealing with the death of my parents and trying to gain my freedom. Shaking my head I walked past the two into my closet sized room, and started to gather what little I had for the travel. I had a single shelf on the wall that had a lone hair brush sitting on top. I grabbed that stuffing it into my bag when I heard something fall behind me. It was a small gem of some sort. Very small, and a bright yellow. It seemed familiar to me, but I was unsure why. I had never laid hands on this before. It was shiny and clean, so it wasn''t old. I stood up after picking it up off the ground.


    "Bodil, Where were you when I was calling?" Helga walked into without warning. Gasping as she startled me, she stared at me harder.


    "What are you doing now?" I managed to shove the fingernail sized gem into my aprons side pocket, "Packing as Uri told me." I pointed to my small pile of belongings. "Hurry up then." She left suspicious of me, but didn''t argue otherwise.


    I wasn''t going to stick around and give Helga another reason to come after me, so I immediately went back to the stable to stuff whatever I could into my sack and load it.   "Bodil, wait! Hey!" Freya was running towards me from the barn, she was carrying a squealing piglet with her. Out of breath as she ran up to me she huffed,


    "You''re leaving with Uri?"  "yeah, I am going to Theramill for the thing." I told her. "Oh, are you coming back?" She asked me boldly. Freya has only been here the last two years and came to depend on me as a friend. It was not intended on my part, I never planned to make relationships because I meant to leave some day, somehow. Nodding I said, "Yeah, why wouldn''t I be?" I lied. I couldn''t risk her making a mistake though and giving away any information. I don''t have a plan how I was leaving, but I knew this was my chance..."I''ll come back, Freya." I turned and walked into the stable.


    I successfully hid the axe back into my sack covering it with the shirts and other clothing I had brought. Then piled other small items around it. the Sack was fairly large so the axe was well hidden inside. I would put food and provisions around it and that would do well enough. I hoped.

 Chapter Five

    Uri led us towards Theramill, we were a large band consisting of Uri''s men, wagons of slaves to be sold, furs, and of course the weapons Uri collected during his raids. There was even a small group of people who paid Uri to get them through to Theramill safely. It was a good thing. I hated traveling with Uri and his men alone, I felt like my life was in constant danger. SOmething about this trip seemed different. Not only because I had planned to try and leave, but something else. Like I was going towards something I needed. I have never been as far as Theramill before. Uri has told me about the celebrations they have there before. Every few years, for something or other. People always had a reason to get together, I was surprised that Uri, being the bastard he was, was interested in attending these things, it probably had a lot more to do with escaping Helga than anything. I made myself chuckle thinking about that. A girl sitting in the wagon of thrall glared at me. "What''s your name?" I asked her, nodding my head towards her. She scoffed and turned her head away from me. "No one." She said to me flatly. "No one, huh? I''m Bodil. Also a slave." I pointed out. No one rolled her eyes at me. "I don''t care." She was bent on not being friendly. "Count yourself lucky to be leaving, no one. Things could be worse for you." I urged my horse forwards, away from the wagon. I gave up on trying to help other girls a long time ago.


    "We will stop here for the night, get my tent set up and make me some food." Uri ordered his men. I jumped down my horse, clipped my skirt to my belt and then brought my horse over to one of the men. He took my horse from me knowing I needed to get Uri his food. Generally his men were used to seeing me around and treated me with respect. Mostly out of fear of mistreating one of their bosses slaves without permission, and losing their own position. Whatever. I headed over to where Uri was, where two men were unloading a cart filled with tents, food, and other things Uri liked to have. You would probably think Uri was someone of importance in the world before you thought he was a slave trading murderous thief. Sad how well he did for himself, and no one seemed to mind in the village we were near, as long as they had Uri''s protection and spoils. "Uri?" I asked, waiting for his attention. "Would you like me to prepare you fresh meat? I will need one of your men to take me into the woods to catch you some." Uri stared at me. "No. Just bring out some of that salted meat and bread Helga sent. I am tired." He said to me grumpily. I nodded and started to look for his requested items.


    "Bodil, take this." Tora handed me a small sack with the salted meat. Tora was another slave, she was older, probably in the last stretch of her workable days. Uri will release her soon and she will finally be free. Probably his plan in Theramill. An easy place to dump her off without the worry she will be around looking for work and food from him. "Thank you, Tora. Do you need to rest? I saw you sleeping on that wagon." I said to her, "No. And don''t talk like that." She whispered to me. "You will get to Theramill, Tora." I assured her. "Better take these to Uri before he has a tantrum like a spoiled child." She pushed a loaf of bread she dug out into my hands with the sack of meat. I nodded and did what I was told.


    "Good, now fetch me some water." Uri ordered me as I passed him the bread and meat for his supper. His men made their own meals, stews from what it smelled like. I kneeled down beside Uri after returning with his water. He held out a chunk of bread to me and then a strip of meat. I took it and ate it without hesitation, I was starving and my stomach welcomed the food. Handing me a second strip of salted meat, Uri said to me, "I will leave Tora in Theramill. I do not wish to deal with her old age problems." I nodded as he confirmed my suspicions, but did not say anything. " You will take over her duties until she is replaced." He ordered me. Again I nodded without a word. "Uri?" I was about to ask him for something for the first time, hoping he would be generous enough to give it to me. "Could I have my own tent to sleep in?" I tested. He looked at me with surprise. Then laughed, "Why do I care? Make yourself a tent, Bodil." I was shocked. I thought he would deny this. I nodded trying to hide my own surprise. Then stood up and walked over to the men who were laying furs out.


    "I need a small tent." I told one of the younger men working on setting up the camp for the night. He handed me what I needed without a word and I headed back over towards Uri. I would set up close to him to avoid any suspicion. I threw the materials on the ground in front of me and started to tie the poles together. There were only a few as it was fairly small, enough to be covered. After the tent was built I laid the furs on the ground, just as I was tossing a fur down, I noticed a light shining into a single spot, like when the sun reflects off a sword''s blade. I turned to see where it was coming from but was unable to find the spot. I turned back to the light and started to wave my hand around to spot the sun beam. Nothing, the light was steady and kept glinting. I kneeled down to get closer and inspect the shiny spot, I reached my handout and touched the spot with a single finger.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A flash of light filled my tiny tent like the sun had just burst into the same spot I was standing in. I gasped as I covered my eyes with my arms. "What the hell is happening?" I called out, my stomach felt as if I was grabbed around the waist with a rope and pulled backwards. When it stopped, the light was no longer there. I lowered my arms slowly, unsure what I was going to find. I was still on my knees, but not in my tiny tent. Instead, I was in a room that was grander than anything I had ever seen. The room stretched far behind me, with walls of white stone. There were braziers lining the walls, cold and filled with old ashes and coals. Plants, and vines surrounding the room, except not all of them were dried and dead. In front of me was a platform that was two steps high, the floors were white stone matching the walls. A Large throne placed with two other thrones on either side, then four more thrones behind them. All were equal size and matched perfectly, except for the first one. It was larger, with a crown of branches weaved together, never ending and gold that was hanging off the top right post. It was beautiful and made me feel like I had seen it before. The thrones and the crown were all covered in a thick dust that told me no one has been here in a long time. I started to stand, but as I put the pressure onto my foot the room changed. As if I blinked, I was in my tent once again.


    I stood there for a moment, blinking a few times. I kneeled back down and touched the spot where the light used to be again. Nothing happened. I stood up and huffed out a breath in frustration. I was finally going crazy. I thought I would have been older when it happened, but here I am, having visions. Visions. Is that what that could have been? I have heard stories of people of old using magic, and getting visions from the gods to guide their ways. These people disappeared many, many years ago along with elves and other so-called magical types that lived in our world. These were stories we mostly told children as myths of another time. I shook my head, I''m going crazy. I laid down and tried to sleep, I would take advantage of having some extra sleep. Maybe that was it, the lack of sleep was causing me to see things. The morning will be better.


    The morning did not get better. I was woken earlier than the birds had raised, by a scream that filled the night air and pulled everyone from their tents. Rushing out of my tent, I found everyone else looking around for the screamer. Another scream filled the air, this time it was coming from the trees that were behind my own tent. "What the hell is that?" I could hear a man near me ask out loud. Uri was walking towards me, towards the scream in the woods. "Who is missing?" Uri asked. I shook my head, "I don''t know, I''ll start a check now." I started to walk away when he grabbed my arm and held me tight, "No, look." He pointed to the woods, just a few trees in there was a black figure crouching at the base of a tree truck, staring at us. Staring at me. I could feel its eyes looking into my own, the hair on my neck standing up, "Pull your swords." I said softly to Uri. "Your swords!" I yelled. Uri looked at me as if I was crazy then back at the figure in the woods. It was gone. I grabbed Uri''s arm and whispered. "Please Uri, have them ready," I begged, my breath getting heavy. "You heard her, your swords!" Uri yelled at the men around us. They surrounded Uri and I with their swords out, waiting for the figure to show itself again. Another scream filled the air behind us. "There!" I heard a man yell out and then, the sounds I heard next were not what I was prepared for. The scream filled the air again, so close to us I could feel it inside my soul, then the sound of flesh being torn followed by a man gurgling as he screamed. I turned to find the man lying in two behind me, the other two men holding their throats, silently screaming as they were raised in the air. "Uri!" I yelled, Uri turning around in a rush, taken back by the sight of the two men in the air. "Heks!" a man beside me yelled. "No, that''s no heks." Uri said, "That''s something else." The two men in the air dropped dead to the ground, their neck purple and red and looked as if they were hung. I reached out and pulled a dagger from one of the last four men around me and Uri, I could hear the other men running towards us. As a dozen or so men joined us, we could hear a scream in the distance in the trees. "How?" Uri asked out loud. I looked at him, "How did you know it was going to attack us?" He asked me, grabbing my shoulders hard. I shook my head, "A feeling." "A feeling?" Uri asked me. "I don''t know." I said confused and scared.

 Chapter Six

    Uri''s band of men and woman packed the camp fairly quickly after that and we towards Theramill once again. The trip would take us east for a week, and then we would finally arrive in Theramill. I thought I would go straight to the ancient city with Uri and his men, now that the situation has changed. I didn''t want to be alone in the deep woods with whatever that thing was out there. And how was no one able to explain how the two men were choked to death in the air? I was determined not to die, so I would travel as far as the city, and then I would leave. Somehow.

 Chapter Seven

    Bjorn


    Gallion and I were having a fresh meal in an ale house in some village we came across, unsure of what it was called, we just needed to stop for the night and refresh. Gallion told me the night we left Dechrau we were going to try for a city called Theramill. One of the oldest cities in the world, but not the most famous anyways. Gallion and I plan to open a new metal shop, and offer our skills to the people. ''A good way to start a new life'', is how Gallion said it exacatly. "Gallion, Will we stay here for tonight only?" I ask as he mulled over a large chunk of grilled beef. "Tonight, I want to get to Theramill in good time. I am already sick of traveling." He muttered at me. Gallion always hated traveling, I knew that so I chuckled watching him in his miserable moment. "Laugh it up, boy. You will be old one day, and then it wont be so funny." He tossed a bone at me over the table. Swiping it onto the floor towards some tavern mutts shaking my head. "Maybe, but I plan on having many children one day who can take care of me, for now all you have is me so be nicer." I laughed.


    After arranging for Gallion and I to have a room above the ale house for the night, complete with two beds, a wooden table with chairs, and a large window that faced the main road that led to the pub. I stood looking out of the window watching the village folk go about their business in the night, most of them drunk and some of them drunk and passed out. The village was larger then Dechrau, it was nice to see something new. I had only explored so much before I decided to join Gallion in the pub for some supper and drink, but there was not much I was interested in.


    "Sleep, Bjorn. We will have a long journey tomorrow. If we can, we can stay the night at the dock and find a boat that will ferry us across to Theramill." Gallion told me as he slumped into his chosen bed for the night. I nodded, it was late and I was tired anyways. I was thinking of my mother. "Gallion. My mother. What did she look like?" I asked.Gallion breathed out heavily in thought, "She was pretty anyways, Yellow hair, blue eyes." He sat up and looked at me his eyebrows creased in thought. "Why would you not tell me this before? Gallion, if you knew my mother why hide it for so long?" I was not angry, I was simply curious. "I figured you would ask me when you needed to know, if that time ever came. I am sorry, Bjorn."I shook my head, "It''s fine. I am not upset, just curious." I assured him. "Sleep." I said as I laid across the other bed. It didn''t take long before I drifted into sleep myself wondering if Gallion was wrong, the woman in my dreams has long black hair and green eyes. She looked so much like me that I thought that it was my mother. Who was she then if not my mother?


    "Aadi! Get up, Aadi! Get up! It''s coming! Run!" The woman''s voice screamed at me in my sleep. I sat up my entire body sweaty and hot. My breath rushing out of my like I was trying to survive. I couldn''t remember why my mother was screaming at me. I stood up out of the bed and looked out the window again. It was early dawn with fog still crawling across the village ground. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath calming my nerves.


    I shook Gallion awake so we could leave. "Come on then, Gallion. Time to leave." I walked out of the room leaving Gallion to wake himself from this point and get on his way. The pub quiet and mostly empty, my footsteps echoing as I thumped down the stairs to the main level. I was about to walk out of the main door when the ale wife called out to me, "Leaving early aren''t you, love?" "You know what they say about the early bird." I said to her. She chuckled a little and then went to return to the kitchen then stopped and looked back at me. "Careful out there, strange talk as of late of things happening in the woods." She nodded at me and then continued on her way into he kitchen. "Yeah," was all I said as I turned and left the ale house. I could hear clunking on the stairway as I exited so I knew Gallion was coming up behind me.


    I gave the wagon a look over to make sure it wasn''t tampered with over night, mounted the horses and then paid the stable boy some silver for his services of guarding the wagon. Gallion came into the small stable and climbed onto the wagon without a word, I followed him up and he gave the horses a flick sending them forward into the early morning air. "Good morning, this." I said pointing to the sky. Gallion looked at me and laughed. "Oh yes. Got something you want to say, Bjorn?" He asked me. "Well, how do I know that my mother was really a heks? Did you see her use magic?" I questioned him. "Maybe I did. Maybe I just trust in the old gods, and that many things that people have forgotten, that shouldn''t have been." Gallion said as he guided our horses to the edge of the village and back onto the road to the east. "How do I know I don''t possess the same magic if I have never tried to use it?" I asked, I felt stupid immediately. Gallion laughed at me. He shrugged at me and said nothing. I figured that meant he didn''t know and didn''t want to say anything. "What''s in Theramill? Have you been there before?" I asked him. "Lived there once. Might even have friends still in that area." He told me. "Friends? That''s a strong word for you, Gallion." I said. He shot me a look from the side and gave me a shove, "Shut up, boy" he said laughing.


    After a few hours of travel, Gallion decided he needed to relieve himself. As he did his business by a tree, I filled out water skins from the stream, "Plenty of fish coming down this stream, I''m going to get a few for a meal while we are here." I said to him. The stream was shallow and thin enough that I tossed my dagger into the water a few times and brought up enough fish for now and later. I was please with my catch. Gallion by this time was already preparing a fire. I was scanning the tree line, taking in the sights when I thought I spotted something in the deeper trees away from the stream. Must have been an animal I thought to myself because it was gone immediately, I tossed a couple of fish onto the hot coals, "Sleeping?" I said as I kicked Gallions foot. He grunted at me, he had laid down waiting for the coals to heat up and fish to cook. "Mmm, let me rest and we will leave after we eat." He grumbled out.


    I did, I turned the fish as needed and ate one while I cooked the others. I was listening to the stream dribble over the rocks and the occasional fish jumping when I heard the sound of horses and wagons coming down the road. I wasn''t surprised by this as the road we were traveling is stretched between two villages. At first there was a few men and horses, then there a couple of wagons followed by a large amount of people walking, larger then I thought it was going to be. They all passed without incident however, which was good. I was curious why such a large group would be around here though. I kicked Gallions foot. "Oi, wake up." I said to him. He grumbled something, "Get up, Gallion. Let''s go. A large band of people just went by and now we will have to travel behind them." I complained. He sat up and rubbed his hairy face. "Where''s my fish then?" He asked me. I motioned towards a large stone I had cleaned and rested the cooked fish on to cool before I wrapped it for travel. "Good enough." Gallion said pulling bits off of a fish, swallowing it down without further complaint. Fresh fish was never something to complain about. "Now that you have rested, can we leave?" I asked. Gallion stood and started to stomp out the fire. "Let''s go then," He said.


    After mounting the horses and climbing aboard the wagon once again we set off towards the east. The group of people were no where in sight and that for me was a good thing. Avoiding larger groups like that was how we were able to avoid trouble as well. I mentioned the group to Gallion again, but all I got in response was a shoulder shrug. I took that as a hint that he didn''t want to talk and was probably still tired from his nap. I was thinking to myself about what Theramill would be like, I had heard stories about some of the cities in the world. Theramill was among those, and as it was fairly close to Dechrau then the others, it was the city people chose to talk about. People say its temple holds secrets of the past, and that when you enter the city you are met by trees that were woven into the walls by magic before faded.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Gallion, Theramill... Some people talk about it like it was the city of the Heks? And why do we call them that even? Seems so lowborn." I said. He laughed, "Yeah, I only know that Theramill...What is that there?" He was looking hard at the trees that were just ahead of us. I stared at the trees waiting for see what he was looking at, only nothing was there. "What are you talking about?" I asked him. He pulled the reins bringing the horses to a halt, and waited for a moment. Then we saw it. A black figure moved away from a tree trunk and slinked deeper into the trees away from us. "I think I saw that before, when we were at the stream." I told him, a chill setting over me. "What the hell is it?" I asked. "We aren''t sticking around to find out" He snapped the reins sending the horses forward in a quick pace. Passing by the set of trees that we seen the figure at, there was nothing.


    Gallion knew something, I was sure of that. Why he wasn''t telling me was what had me curious. "Gallion, why did you want to leave anyways? Why couldn''t we have stayed in Dechrau?" He looked at me and sighed, "Why ask me now, days after we have left?" "Curiosity." I said shrugging my shoulders. "After Dara''s parents, the pig attacks. Where did you go that night?" I asked him hoping he was going to give me an answer."Bjorn, there is more going on in the world then people pay any attention to." He said to me staring straight ahead. After a moment he looked at me and was about to say something, then stopped. He glanced to the side of me and snapped the reins to speed the horses once again. "We will get to Theramill in a few days, things will be explained more there. I give you my word on that, Bjorn." "Whats in Theramill anyways, more secrets?" I asked. "Not so much secret as change." He said to me and smiled.


    The path we were traveling was well traveled, the road beaten down by horses and wagons that have come through. We came across a few small groups of people, a few times we traded furs, spices, and even ore and weapons to those going by. Gallion knew how to make his way in the world, and had talked people into trading for items they didn''t want or need, for items he didn''t wan''t but knew he could get better later for it. I was always amazed that people gave him what he wanted when he was the merchant. I chuckled to myself as he was trading off the bag of apples he had only taken down the road hours earlier to a man for a package of fresh salted pork. Apples for pork. Gallion looked at me curious as to why I was so amused by, I just shrugged and shook my head and waited to get on our way again.


    The sky was getting darker and I was tired. "Gallion, lets stop, I''m tired and could use some sleep." I complained. "Yeah, that''s fine, I need the rest anyways. We will get farther tomorrow, there wont be so many people on the path the closer we are to the forest of Gorffennol. People don''t like going by there." He told me. "Why are we then?" I asked. "Quicker, and I want to make a stop there." He said as he chewed on a chunk of salted pork. "Here is as good as any." He started to pull the wagon off the path into a carved out part of the forest, obviously used by others who traveled here before as a camp. "I''ll start a fire." I said as I jumped off the wagon bench. I started picking up smaller sticks and tossing them into a pile. Gallion was releasing the horses when I last looked. Walking into the forest and collecting some larger pieces of wood I could hear smaller animals running through the grass and bushes. To the side of me, a larger russelling sound made me look over to assure I wasn''t about to come face to face with a larger animal. I dropped the few logs I had and pulled my bow from my back and readied an arrow. Scanning the dark trees for any threats, I stopped, quietly listening. Again to the side of me a sound in the bushes, I turned pointing my arrow straight at the sound and took a step forward. A fat rabbit hopped out of the bush and started for the next bush. "Damn, could have had that for dinner." I said to myself lowering the arrow. That''s when a woman stepped out from the trees. I pulled my arrow up again pointing it at her throat. "Not another step." I said in a rush. She stopped and raised her arms from beneath her dark cloak. "I am not an enemy, Bjorn.""How do know me?" I asked her irritated. "I know much, I have come to find you." She told me, still hidden by the shadows. I could tell she was rather short, but was wearing some kind of leather armor anyways. The hilt of a sword peaked out from under her dark cloak. So she was armed, I held my arrow aimed for her throat."Why are you following us?" I asked her, "It was you by the stream, was it not?" I demanded."Yes, it was me. I wanted to make sure I had the right man." She said her arms still raised. " Will you allow me to join you at your fire, we can then talk in peace." She asked me. I nodded my head towards Gallion, "Shall we?"


    We walked back to Gallion in silence, her in front of me leading the way. As we came back into the camp from the trees, Gallion spotted us and let out a loud sigh. "Oh no, I thought we had lost your interest a long way back." He said, not at all shocked to see me exit the forest with a random woman. "You know her?" I asked him. "Not her specifically, but her kind." He said waving his hand in front of him. "Her kind?" I was curious. "He means, Dryadalis." She said and she removed her hood revealing two long, pointed ears, decorated with silver coverings that stretched from the tips and down the back of them to her lobes. Her hair was a darker blond and pulled back into many different braids that lined her head. Her eyes were larger then my own, and round. Bright blue and intense. She was beautiful. I caught myself staring at her and turned away to look at Gallion. "What''s a Dryadalis?" I asked stupidly. Gallion laughed as did the woman. "I am. Maybe you prefer Elf?" She laughed. "As diminishing that word is."I didn''t know what to say so I started to build the fire. Gallion was laying a large fur down to sit and lay on, the woman taking a seat on the fur beside him. "Alright, out with it then, what are you here for? To come so far from your forest to find us? Why?" Gallion asked her. "What do we call you?" "My name is Pepper. I have come for your help." She told Gallion. "My help?" He asked shocked followed by a full belly laugh. "It has been a long time since the people of the Dryadalis has asked me for anything." he said to Pepper. "Regardless, this is why I have come to find you. My ranger has asked me to seek you out and bring you to the city.""To Theramill?" I asked. She shook her head, "No, not to the stolen city, to Cinneadh. The city of Dryadalis.""Nah, I wont be going back there. My last visit was enough for me for a life time." Gallion said."Your last visit is something we wont speak about. And, I am here for Bjorn. Not you, Gallion. If you chose to come with us, is up to you." She said. "Me? What on earth do you want from me? Gallion is the metal working master. Not me." I laughed. "We have a problem that we need the awakened to help us with."


    "He doesn''t have powers, he''s not awakened, not like his mother." Gallion said. Pepper looked at Gallion questioning the truth in what he told her. "How could he not? What about his sister?" She asked. "My what?" I interrupted. "Dead. Her fathers farm destroyed by a slaver." Gallion said. He looked at me ashamed, "I tried to find her when I took in Bjorn. I traveled to his farm, he was there dead, his wife and child burned in the cabin." He said to Pepper, but was looking at me.


    I looked at Gallion shocked. My what? Why would he never mention this before? My fathers farm? "Gallion." I wasn''t sure what I wanted to say. "Why would you not have told me this?" I asked him. "What? That you had a father and sister who were killed and burned?" He sighed. "Bjorn, you are like a son to me, I didn''t want to bring you more grief in your life." He shrugged. "I am sorry, son." I wasn''t angry. I did not know my birth parents. I didn''t say anything, I wanted to walk away. I walked to the path and started back down the way we came. Pepper had come after me and put her hand on my shoulder. Her touch was light and careful. "Bjorn, wait." She stepped in front of me. "Will you come to Cinneadh with me? Maybe you are not awakened, but we can still use help." She asked me. "Help with what, Pepper?" "I''m afraid for that answer you will have to come to Cinneadh with me. For now, I can tell you evil has returned here. The awakened are needed once again."

 Chapter Eight

    Bodil.


    I was watching an owl fly around above the camp thinking to my self what it must be like to be free. Another couple days and I was sure we would be in Theramill. That would be my chance to get away. The moment I could. The city was so big Uri wouldn''t find me, and I planned to leave Theramill and get as far away from there as I could. Laying back onto the ground, I pulled my cloak over my arms to warm myself. I could hear the smaller animals in the bush near me crawling around and picking at the foliage on the ground. I closed my eyes listening to them. I thought about them eating the berries that had fallen off the near by bush. "Do you think we will be safe tonight?" I heard a man ask his neighboring soldier of fortune. "What will you do about it, Cadmun?" The man snapped back. "Run." Cadmun said then laughed. This was the last thing I had the joy of listening to as I drifted off to sleep, hugging my axe against my body.


    ~


    ~

 Chapter Nine

Bjorn.


    Have you always complained so much, Gallion? I don''t remember you complaining so much." Pepper said to Gallion.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

 Chapter Ten

    Bodil


    Erik and I walked in silence. I wasn''t sure what we would talk about anyways. The last few days had been so strange, and now we were walking though the forest together alone, escaping an unimaginable situation.


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

 Chapter Eleven

Bodil


    The woods were quiet and that was something I was thankful for. I had so many thoughts running through my mind about my parents and this twin of mine. Bjorn. Bjorn. The name seemed empty to me. It meant nothing. I never knew this brother.

 Chapter Twelve

    I could smell baked bread, sweet fruits and maybe some mint as though I was standing in a kitchen full of fresh food and herbs. I was still pressing my arm against my face to hide my eyes from the light. I pulled it away slightly, then fully realizing the light was gone. Not only was the light gone, so was the forest. I was standing beside Aadi in a cabin kitchen. A man wearing a large fur cloak, golden armor, and armed with a spear. The spear its self was a sight to have seen. It was beautiful and had many old runes carved down the handle, and the blade its self was long, and the fire reflected off the well sharped edges. The man had long black and silver hair, a scar reached down his face, eye brow to his chin, and his blue eyes. Looking into them told me he was very old, and was probably not someone I wanted to cross. The power I felt from his stare as he looked at me was heavy. I wanted to kneel and beg for his mercy. Something told me that this wasn''t the first time I had met this man as well. He was familiar to me.


    As he stood I noticed a rune that was etched into the discs that held his cloak to his shoulders. Duw, the rune of the god Ota. Aadi, who I had forgotten about, moved closer to the man. "Are you, Ota? I seen you in the forest in Dechrau." Aadi said calmly. His voice exactly as it was in my dream. "Yes, I am Ota. And you are Bjorn, and this is your twin sister, Bodil." He said waving his hand in front of him. "Bjorn?" I asked looking at Aadi. He was already looking at my confused as well. "I am Bjorn. I have had dreams of you, I thought you were a memories of my mother." He admitted. "Twin souls separated at birth to try and avoid to the end of everything." Ota shook his hands around in front of him, "A prophecy that was poorly received, by a terrible seer. Your souls are trying to reconnect. You are more then mere mortals. At least, you used to be." He sighed and sat back in his chair. Waving his hand a woman entered the room. She was beautiful with long chestnut hair, and soft features, and her dress made of the whitest thread I had ever seen. She stopped as she seen me, almost in fear, then continued to place the wine and cups on the table. She turned and left quickly after bowing to Ota.


    "I have been waiting for you two to find each other, as I had forbade my self to intervein with your fates. You have lived many lives, all of them mortal after being stripped of your powers, Amaia." He looked at me almost like a father does when scolding his children. "I am Amaia?" I asked him. "You were Amaia. Today to are Bodil. Bodil Gunnar''s daughter, And Bjorn Gunnarson. Not Aadi." He nodded. I copied him nodding but still confused. He motioned for us to sit in the two empty benches across the table from him. Doing so he reached out his hands. "One memory." He repeated.


    I took his hand and thought of my parents, the memory Sullevan showed me. Would this be the same?


    When someone tells you that they will share a memory with you, you would assume that it would be a single moment in time. The memory I received from Ota was more like a reminder of a past life. My mind was filled with a story. A story of me, or at least who I once was.


    A goddess. The goddess Amaia to be precise. A story that consisted of love, power, greed and betrayal. A story that made me feel slightly ashamed. I murdered my brother to steal his power from him, I tried to kill Ota. I was exiled and banished to live alone, and the moment I was free, which I gained through lies and deceit, I was killed. I wasn''t always a chaotic god though. Aadi and I were born in the realm Nef, the realm of the gods. We were not born as children, we were born as the gods we were. Ota, who was among the first gods to come into the realms, our father who created us with his partner, Terra. Terra left the realm of Nef along with another god and their many followers, to the realm we lived in now, and became the god of the Dryadalis. I remembered my life as Amaia, but not everything.


    Ota allowed Aadi and I to be reborn, our souls given a new chance. We have lived many other lives before this life, except this life was different. This life Aadi and Amaia''s power was needed once again. The power of our twin souls. The power only we share. A power that once saved the realm of Nef in another life time, Interitus.


    Blinking my eyes as I was brought back to the current moment, I looked over at Aadi standing beside me. Bjorn. He turned his head slightly towards me. "Amaia." He remembered me, and maybe that was something to be happy about, but the shame I felt knowing what kind of god I was, well... I wasn''t sure that is something I was going to be able to ever to accept. My family was stolen from me in this life. The loss I feel everyday from them being torn out of my life by the greed of men, I couldn''t accept that I was ever so... Evil and uncaring.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    "I am sorry that you had to learn of these things in such rush." Ota said to us. "What is needed from us, Ota?" Bjorn asked. "Why do you need us?" "The awaken and Dryadalis need you. I am no long able to control the evil in the world alone. After you bother were granted life among the mortals, it became appealing to the other gods as well. The ones that were left after your betrayal, Amaia, They seen that you were able to become wiser, stronger. You changed yourself into someone no one thought you could become. They watched you through your lives filled with love, excitement...Children"


    Again shame stung my insides like a swords blade, I could feel my face turn red. Bjorn reached for my hand and squeezed it. I looked over at him, his green eyes and long black hair, the same as my own. I couldn''t deny that standing next to Aadi now, my brother, the memories I lost but now remember. It felt strange to know everything.


    "What do you mean the awakened need us? The awakened have not walked these lands for over a century." Bjorn said. Ota nodded, "They resettled on the island of Nef after the ice receded. It ended many wars and saved even more lives. The non awakened out weighed the awakened by many, and it seemed the right choice." He sipped from the cup in front of him. "Evil has crawled its way back up from the depths, and has reached these lands. You were born to awakened parents, the ability to use the magics is there. Your powers were suppressed when you were born." He sighed and looked between the two of us. "I suppressed your powers. I was afraid that if you grew with magics..." He stopped speaking as if he was ashamed of himself as well. "You were afraid that I might have made the wrong choice...again." I finished for him. I nodded and reached my hand out to Ota. He took my hand and nodded. "Yes. That is what I thought." He stood up and waved his arm in front of him.


    Now standing in a wheat field surrounded by trees, a large cabin neighboured by a stable and yard with roaming cows and goats. "Nef." Ota said waving to our surroundings. "Here you will find what fate has in store for you. Your powers have been restored. Not as gods." He said to us, emphasising the last part. "Help the awakened and the Dryadalis defeat evils that have not been here for a gods lifetime. You have much to learn before then. I have brought you your companions, everyone needs help."


    "You don''t mean Erik?" I asked him trying not to sound annoyed. "Sullevan. Although, I can arrange for Erik to join you, Bodil." He said with a grin. "As it is now, Erik is in Theramill trying to understand what happened after the attack on your group. "No, no I don''t want that." I admitted. "What of Gallion? Is he here?" Bjorn asked. "Gallion is here, along with Pepper. They both will play and important part in your life here, Bjorn. You both must prepare yourselves now. The rest you will have to learn on your own." He took a moment to study our face and then he faded like sand in the wind.


    "Shall we?" Bjorn asked as he motioned towards the cabin. I started to walk to the cabin silently, even with the knowledge I was left with, who I was, who I am, It was still strange to be standing beside my bother. My twin soul.


    Curiously I studied my palm as we walked, thinking of the memory that Sullevan showed me before, Gunnar and Ama shooting elements from their hand. I pointed my palm outwards and thought of wind. Nothing happened. Bjorn started to laugh. "What are you doing?" He asked me laughing. "Its a long story. I just thought I would be able to do something I was shown." I told him. "Sullevan, a Dryadalis, shared a memory with me once of our parents." "What were they like?" He asked me. "Incredible really. They were warriors, and could shoot elements from their hands." I pulled out my axe and swung it like I was fighting an invisible foe. Bjorn laughed again. I replaced the axe onto my hip and smiled. "Bjorn? What was your life like? Where did you live?" I asked him. "Started out pretty rough, Gallion, my father I suppose, took me in when I will still a boy. Been with him ever since. He''s taught me a lot. Metal working and other life skills." He stopped walking and looked at me. "Our Mother, Ama, she died when I was still a baby." He looked sad. "I thought it was her I would dream of, warning me about something." "I would dream too, about you in danger. I didn''t know who you were however. I didn''t understand why I would have dreams." I told him. "Gunnar was murdered along with my half brother and mother. I was taken as a slave, that is where I have been. I wont lie, I am not even sure where it was. Not far from Theramill. Days.""Gallion and I were going to Theramill. Until we met a Dryadalis called Pepper." "There seems to be a lot in common to our stories." I said.


    We continued to walk, still flipping my hands out forward randomly trying to send one of the elements from them. Nothing. Bjorn laughed, "I would try but I will probably just fail as you are now." "Thanks." I said flatly.

 Chapter Thirteen

    Bjorn.


    It was hard to forget the memory that Ota showed me. The betrayal of the sister that now stood beside me born anew. I stood by her while she tried to kill Ota. Why would he see fit to allow us to live at all? Something about Bodil told me that she was not the same as once was. That a soul that was once callous and uncaring had been humbled. She lived a life that couldn''t have been easy on her. Could I trust her? The last thing I knew before Ota brought us to him was walking through the forest with Gallion and Pepper. Then seeing Amaia. Bodil, standing there, no longer a dream, everything was still confusing and strange. I had the memories of Aadi, but I was still Bjorn. A powerless metal working foundling.


    Walking up to the door of the cabin, goats bleating as we walked by the railed yard, we were met with a young man as he rounded the corner of the cabin holding a bucket of feed intended for the goats. He seemed happy to have seen us, grinning he said, "You must be Bjorn and Bodil. You do look the same! It''s so neat! I have met twins before but you guys are almost exactly the same. Hey!" The boy took off running towards the barn, a younger boy was running away from him after being caught stealing a few long sticks. "That''s my weapon, I told you Marc!" Both of the boys were out of sight arguing about sticks when the door opened to the cabin. A woman with long braided white hair decorated with little wooden runes stood looking at us.


    "About time. I thought I was going to have to entertain these three on my own." The woman turned, motioning for us to follow. The cabin was full of plants, hanging from and potted. There were wooden benches placed in front of the fire place covered with furs. The fire roaring hot and welcoming. Gallion and Pepper were sitting on one of the benches drinking and talking. Another older man, who I guessed was Sullevan was sitting in the next. When they seen us they stood and came towards us.


    "Well, what a strange adventure that is turning out to be, eh boy?" Gallion asked me. I smiled, at least he was in good spirits.


    "Gallion, I met Ota. He has told us much. This is Bodil. My sister." I told him. Gallion''s smile faded.


    "You lived? And Gunnar?" He asked her.


    "Dead." She answered him.


    "I see. I suppose you know about Ama then as well?" He asked her.


    "I told her." I said to Gallion. Bodil nodded only. "Gallion, you knew of Bodil?" I asked him sternly.


    He nodded. "More details that didn''t seem to make a difference in the end my boy. Again, I am sorry for lying as long as I have." He said bowing his head.


    "My name is Kara. I suppose to met my grandsons outside?" The white haired woman asked. Her dress was strange to me. It was a green color with runes painted around the bottom of the dress in black. She wore a belt that was complete with four pouches, and a long thin rope that hung from her neck with more wooden runes on it.


    "I see Ota gave you knowledge of who you used to be, but did not grant you all your knowledge you once possessed?" She asked.


    I didn''t answer, neither did Bodil.


    "If you mean, the knowledge of magics, then no. Somethings we will have to learn for ourselves." I repeated Ota.


    "Ahh, good for him. No mortal should possess the knowledge of the gods. Its corrupting." She clapped her hands. "What about for fighting skills? Can you at least use a weapon?" She asked.


    "I am well trained with weapons." I said.


    "I can fight well enough." Bodil said, "I can protect myself."


    "When we are done with you, Bodil, you will be able to do more that!" Kara said to her.


    "And what of us?" Sullevan stood up and motioned between him and Pepper. "Our people were expecting us. Are we expected to stay here, on Nef? There is evil threatening them. Woman and children are dying every day from attacks. A nidhogg just now in the woods. We must go back." He urged.


    "Don''t you think that a god would have sent you there if you were needed? You were brought here for a reason. For Bodil." Kara said annoyed by Sullevan''s outburst.


    "Kara, could I have another cup of that warm drink you have made?" Ask Gallion.


    "It''s called Tea for gods sake." Kara said as she started towards the firepit where a pot was staying warm over the fire. She dipped a ladle in and poured the contents into Gallion''s cup. The aroma smelled lovely, full of herbs and something fruity maybe.


    "May I?" Bodil asked motioning towards the tea. "I would like some as well, if I could?" I asked.


    Kara nodded and brought tea for both of us. I took a sip and understood why Gallion enjoyed it, it was interesting and warm. I drank it slowly as I took a seat on a bench.


    Bodil pulled her axe from under her cloak and leaned it against the wall nearest to the door, and then joined us. The axe looked familiar to me somehow. Maybe Gallion and I fixed it as some point over the years, except Bodil lived far across the land from us.


    "I would like to start your training in magic immediately." Kara said. "I have had visions of you both using magic, so we know its at least possible."


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator."Vision." Bodil whispered.


    Kara nodded, "Another time." She said as she waved off the subject. "We will be supping together tonight! I would think you are hungry. My son will be back soon and my grandchildren will eat until they are pulled away from the table."


    Kara started to work on supper, Bodil offered her help and together they were soon roasting fresh beef over the fire on a spit. The smell made my stomach rumble. Gallion and I managed and ate well enough between the two of us, but this smelled better then anything we have ever made.


    "Smells good, Kara. Better then anything I have smelled in my life." I said to her.


    "Oi!" Gallion said as he tried to shove me off the bench from beside him.


    A man came into the door followed by the two boys we had seen earlier chasing each other over sticks. He was tall, as tall as I was. His two children looked just like him. Their brown hair was braided back while the sides were cut short to the skin. The man had a mark across the middle of his face, ear to ear, a line that looked like the thorny stem of a flower. Above his eye was another mark, a rune I did not recognize. And third mark just under the middle of his lower lip. A broadsword.


    "Ahh, Cal, here you are. They have arrived." Kara said this to her son reminding me that they knew we were coming. Magic, I thought to myself.


    "Well, that means its time to get to work." He said with a determined tone.


    "Cal." He said holding out his arm to me, I took his wrist and greeted him. "Bjorn." He released my wrist and turned to Bodil. She introduced her self shaking his wrist. Cal stood back and nodded with a smile.


    "You two look like your mother. My cousin." He said to us.


    "I thought you were in Cinneadh?" Sullevan asked him as he offered his own wrist in greeting.


    "I was." He said. "I am still unsure how I have gotten back here without a seer to bring me."


    "Never under estimate the gods, my son." Kara said.


    "Mmm, they could have at least sent me back with my provisions. I can only hope that Toke will bring them back with him in the following days." He complained.


    "Are you two aware what is being asked of you? Why you have been brought here?" Cal asked Bodil and I.


    "Not entirely. We know that we are needed to help the awakened and Dryadalis defeat an old evil. We know who we used to be. We are not them now. We are mortals as you are." I felt that was important to explain. "Ota has explained its our power that we need to defeat it. Interitus. I will admit however, I do not know how to use it, or what it does." I looked at Bodil hoping she would have an answer for it.


    Bodil shook her head, "That is the same for me. I know its name. I know its powerful." She paused, "I know it will come to us when we need it." She said the last part looking at me.


    "I feel the same. It''s not something that can just be done." I said agreeing with Bodil.


    "Well, let''s not worry about that for now then. You have much to learn, its going to take time that is sparse as it is. We will trust in Ota and prepare for what we can." Cal said as he reached for a cup and filled it with mead from a barrel.


    "Our villages are being attacked by everything from Banshee''s to Ravagers. Creatures that have not been seen in over a hundred years. More probably. At first we thought it was something else, we thought a Draugr had come. Then we realized these creatures were following something more powerful than that. An evil that not even the gods could control on their own. Before our time, they were thought to have been destroyed. Except they were not. This one has been hiding, hidden from the gods themselves. And now, it seems up to us to get rid of it." Cal took a deep breath. "A lot of people are dying, which feeds the evil. Feeds ?deleggeren. And when he is ready, he will kill us all."


    "?deleggeren? I know this name." Bodil said.


    "I also feel like I know this name." I said.


    "He is from the realm of Nef. His kind were defeated by the gods long ago. You would of known them as the Ud?de." Kara said. As the word left her mouth terror washed over me. The name was as familiar to me today as it would of been in my godly life. The reason that Amaia and my self were created by Ota and Terra. To protect the realms from the Ud?de. Only the power of Interitus could destroy them. Only Bodil and I could defeat this ?deleggeren. If he was an Ud?de many more people will be dead soon.


    "Has any other Ud?de been seen? Or just one? " Bodil asked.


    "No, and no one has actually seen ?deleggeren." Kara informed us. " There are four seerers in this village, and all four of us have had the same visions for two full seasons. If other seerers have had them, I am unsure. A vision of a giant with eyes that glow red and skin grey and scaley like the dead. He is surrounded by dark and followed by an army of chaos. The name ?deleggeren is repeated over and over as though the gods are warning us. He destroys the island of Nef, the island is swallowed by the sea... and then then everything else after that. On the edge of the world you two stand fighting ?deleggeren. A power never seen before, if you succeed or not was never revealed. The vision ends with you, Bodil." Kara looked almost curious as she studied Bodil''s face.


    Bodil looked concerned as she spoke, "The dreams." She said as she looked at me. I understood what she meant and nodded. Bodil stood up and took Kara''s hands. "I will do what I can to help you stop ?deleggeren. We will." She finished looking at me.


    "Of course." I said to her. I wasn''t sure we actually had a choice to help or not. It seems like everything depended on us. How Bodil and I were going to learn to use magics and interitus before it was to late was a concern of mine. I felt like something was missing. Something was needed in order for us to connect.

 Chapter Fourteen

    As Bodil and the others slept on the cabin floor in front of the fire, I stood looking out the window above Kara''s food counters. The night was calm. It was disconcerting to me considering everything I had just learned about. The memories from my life as Aadi would flash through my mind as I tried to remember the battle against the Ud?de. Frustrated that I couldn''t remember any real details I dipped a cup into the water barrel and took a long drink. Out of the corner of my eye I seen a glinting off of Bodil''s axe she placed against the wall earlier. I walked over to it and picked it up quietly, turning it over in my hand. The hilt was exactly like Gallions swords Hilt. Taking the axe I walked over to Gallions sack of belonging. Setting the axe of the floor I unrolled Gallion saddle cover and there was the sword, rolled up in a black wolf''s fur. The hilts were identical. Bodil came up beside me quietly and kneeled down.


    "The same. They must have been created by the same metal worker." She ran her fingers down the swords hilt, then the blade. "The blade is in need of repair. I would have done the Axe myself, except I did not get the chance." She picked up the axe and pointed out a chip in the blade. "Gallion and I can help you with that. He is a great metal worker. He was working on this when we left." I said pointing to the sword."These weapons must have seen a serious battle." She stopped and thought for a moment. She took the sword and axe and studied them side by side for a moment, then she slid the swords blade into a slot on the front of the axe''s hilt. The Swords blade adding a second edge to the axe''s blade. They fit together perfectly. In the moment that they locked into place they started to give off a blue hue. Bodil placed them on the ground unsure what was going to happen.


    We both moved back from the blades. They lifted into the air and started to grow brighter and brighter. The entire room lit up waking up Gallion, Sullevan and Pepper."What in the hell is that light?" Gallion asked grumpily. The light began to fade and the blades hovered, they were made new. Both of the blades were beautiful and black, the iron blade replaced with something new. The hilts were also repaired, the runes and leather as though they had been placed today, small shining gems on the butt of each handle.


    "The lost blades of Gorn. Terning and Skive." Sullevan explained as he came to stand beside us."How would you two come across these weapons?" Pepper asked me.The blades fell to the cabin floor with a crash. Sullevan picked them both up and handed them back to Bodil. "I am also curious how you both have possession of these blades?" Sullevan asked. "I thought your axe to be a simple look alike before, Bodil. To know now that these are the true blades of Gorn. Well, this is not something I thought I would not see in my life. Let alone, hold." Sullen passed the blades to Bodil and stepped away.


    Bodil pulled the blades apart, passing me the sword. Gallion walked to me placing his hand on my shoulder. "Now we know why you have been so attracted to this blade, eh Bjorn?" "Twins born to two great warriors would wield the weapons of Nef, bringing with them Ragnar?k." Kara said so quietly I almost didn''t hear her. "Ota said a prophecy was poorly received and this caused Bodil and I to be separated. Is this the prophecy you speak of? Ragnar?k?" I asked Kara, the room silent waiting for her to answer. "Yes, it is why you were separated. As for being poorly received is on the gods. Not Fran. She was near the end of her life when she received the message of the gods. If she said that Ragnar?k was the out come of you two gaining these weapons and now the warning of ?deleggeren, it may not be wrong after all." Kara said as she took a seat on a bench. "Kara, I will not allow that to happen." Bodil said sitting beside her."I say we get some more rest and first thing in the morning we start training." Pepper suggested as she yawned.


    Morning came entirely to early I thought, it felt as though I had just fallen asleep. My body was heavy, I hoped that the morning air would help me feel motivated to start training in magics. Gathering my cloak and pulling it over my shoulder I headed for the door, bringing with me the sword. I left the cabin and started to walk over to the barn. I found Cal here already tending to his trip of goats."Goats! Come on goats, time for your food." Cal called out to them. "Sure are stubborn beats, goats are. I always hated our goats at home." I mentioned. "How about those weapons of yours eh? I believe the gems are obsidian, the blades are Damascus. These blades will match your strength."I have only heard of obsidian in Gallion''s stories." I have never seen obsidian, Gallion always said it was a gem used by royals. A rare mineral pulled deep near a mouth of the earth. The fire rivers keep most away, they are unpredictable." Cal explained. Pulling out the sword I passed it to Cal. He took it with out hesitation and examined it. "Really is beautiful. I hope it will help you. At this point, we will take whatever help we can gain." "I want to learn what I can with my magic. It may be new to me but don''t treat me like a child. Train me hard." I said."Train us hard, you mean." Bodil said as she came up behind me. "I am no child either and I do like a challenge." She said smiling. She had her hair braded back into three braids, a few runes put into them, probably from kara."I jobs to tend to before we can start, If you two help out, it can be faster." Cal asked hopeful.


    Neither Bodil or myself hesitated we got to work immediately and before half day we were ready to try out some basic casts. Cal had set up a few target, mostly consisting of hay and wooden logs. "My children learned magic through healing in their young age, if you happen to need assistance, they will help you." Cal said as he waved at his boys. "Using your magics is as easy as waving your hand, its apart of you."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Cal turned on the spot and shot his hands out in front of him, Two fire balls shot towards the log target knocking into it with a bang. The log burst into flames. I stood in awe at the raw power. I was amazed. I have memories of using magic, seeing it now, here. I could feel the excitement building up in my belly.


    Stepping forward beside Cal, Bodil came to stand beside me. "It''s my turn to have a laugh." She poked at me.I stretched my hands a few times thinking that if I limbered up the muscles the magic would come to me more easily. In a fast motion I threw my hands up in front of me hoping the flaming balls would shoot out just like they did for Cal. Nothing. Not even a flicker of light. I tried a couple of times, Bodil was beside me chuckling to herself. "Well that''s relieving." She said. "I was worried you would get it on your first go." "So did I. Damn." I said. Cal laughed, "Nope, it takes more then flinging your hands around. Sorry, Bjorn, you need to know, really know what you want. Don''t try to repeat my actions, do what feels right for you." He instructed.


    I could see Bodil concentrating on learning herself. I followed my instincts. I pulled out my sword out in one quick swoop, swinging the sword upwards in front of me. The sword cut through the air leaving behind a line of fire, I immediately sung the blade down again, sending the flame towards the log. I stood watching the log burn, happy and surprised at my actions. How easy it was.


    Bodil immediately reached for her axe, pulling out she swung it over her head bringing it down with a crash in the ground. The ground split as lightning crawled across the ground towards the burning log. When the lightning reached the log it burst it into a thousand of burning pieces scattering outwards. She looked at me with a grin that stretched across her face. I couldn''t help but smile back. That was incredible.


    "I don''t think you guys are going to need much training." Cal said He sent a wave of water towards to burning field. " That crack will have to be filled the natural way." He rubbed the back of his neck.


    We spent the rest of the afternoon pushing soil into the crack. Luckily it didn''t split the ground completely. Cal had us use magic to move the soil in the deeper spots, this was good practice for us. I managed to bring water up from the ground a few times to wet the soil. Bodil matched up to me well. I couldn''t deny that the two of us were a lot alike. We made it a bit of a game who could cast what. Cal''s boys Marc and Kanoot joined us, and by the time they were done showing off how far they could toss water in the air, we were all covered in a healthy layer of mud.


    "Amma will be sore with me when she sees us coming. Better head to the river first." He pointed through a thick layer of trees. Marc and Kanoot leading the way into the forest excitedly, the three of us followed. "I appreciate you doing this for us Cal." Bodil said. "You are a great teacher." "To be fair, it was Ama who taught me to control my self better. Your parents were strong fighters." Cal told us. "I just hope its not all for naught." Bodil said. "It wont be. Just you two being here, knowing the gods are on our side, it has made a difference. Men and woman all around the island, they have been renewed knowing we may have a fighting chance with you two on our side." He went on.


    A man came through the trees just a head of us into sight, Cal waved at him, "Ahh, Einar. Well met, I hope your family is well." Cal reached for the mans wrist as they reached each other. "Well enough, as for the other end of the island, I have just come from there, another attack. Cal, the land bridge to the main land is becoming less of a risk to the beasts who risk crossing it. We are out of time." Einar told him. Cal nodded in earnest. "I thought we would be. We will head to the land bridge tomorrow. We don''t know where ?deleggeren is." "He''s not on nef?" Bodil asked. "I thought he would of been here, where the magic is?" Cal and Einar paused for a moment. "There isn''t many places on this island the awakened haven''t been." Einar said. "There is anywhere here that he could be? A mountain? A cave? Catacombs?" I asked. "Catacombs?" Cal asked curiously. "The only catacombs I know of were the ones below the temple. They are blocked and buried. No one can get in or out." "I want to go see them." Bodil said. "Can we at least check them out? An old entrance? Back entrance?""Yeah, Father! The back entrance by the cliff shore!" Kanoot said happily, then stopped. "The ones we aren''t allowed to go near.""No, you are not." Cal said looking at Kanoot and Marc with a stern look. "We can have a look. It is only a cave entrance to the catacombs, but they are usually filled with wild animals. People tell stories of darker things that live in the tunnels that are available. They don''t go deep, they are old however, and not entirely stable." He explained."We have to start somewhere, thank you Kanoot." I said.


    After having a wash off in the river, and catching five fresh fish for dinner, we headed back so we can could feast on our catch and make plans to visit the cliff cave. Kara was preparing other items for our feast and telling stories to the boys about her time as a child, something about a battle she was proud and stood strong in."Amma, if you were such a warrior why are you so old now?" Marc asked."That is why I am so old. No one could defeat me!" She gave Marc a shove to the side. "And the gods needed me to live. They knew your father was going to need help with you two." She said to them and ruffled their hair smiling. "I don''t know, I can''t wait to fight in a battle and show the gods what I can do!" Marc said grabbing a wooden sword and pointing it at Kanoot. " Fight me, you demon!" He starting to edge towards Kanoot who turned and took off running out the door, Marc close on his trail."Bodil, would you like to try something different? A little... Seer magic?" Kara asked Bodil smiling. "I would love to, Kara." Bodil said smiling.

 Chapter Fifteen

    Bodil.


    Kara gave me a lesson on what a seer actually was, an awakened that communes with the gods. They received visions of what will be, or can be. They also posses powers that other awakened do not. They can call on the magics to take you somewhere, literally take you from one place to another across the lands. I was amazed when she explained this. They can also create elixirs that will improve your body. I felt a little light headed knowing how much magic existed in our world. The awakened hid themselves from the rest of us for so long that they became myths. Now here I am, flinging spells from my hands as if they were always there.


    "Kara, why did the awaken leave the main lands?" I asked Kara as she poured some hot tea. "Who said we did?" She asked me smiling. "A century ago war broke out across the lands. There were battles for land and power before that, but this war almost destroyed everyone. Everything. Not everyone who wields the magics are good, Bodil. Never forget that. The Magus''s, the magical rulers, decided they wanted more power. They were tired of sharing the land with people who they viewed lower then us. How it is that these people were brought in as our Magus''s are beyond me. In the history of Magus''s, it became apparent that people who are in control of that much power tend to become corrupt. As of today, We no long have Magus, or group of Magus that control the fate of the Awakened. We have a council that we gather and decide together what''s best for us. Your uncle Cal is on that council. Anyways, the war almost destroyed the world. The people. The land. Genocide. Our people decided to return to Nef, the island of the gods. Where magic was born. Ota, the king of Gods gave us magic as long as we followed his ways. That''s another lesson for another time." She took a sip of her hot tea.


    I nodded, "Yes, Ota and I are familiar." My cheeks warmed as I thought of the memories of Amaia. How she betrayed him. How I betrayed him. "Kara, Ota is a powerful god. Why would he chose to bring Bjorn and I am back after what happened? Not once, Kara...Twice. I betrayed him twice." I was confused. The feelings I had inside me were both my own, and Amaia''s. I could feel in my core how much I craved the power. To be a queen. Who I am now, I am ashamed. I had family, I even had love. "Bodil, You are who you chose to be. You are being given a chance by the fates. Take this and make it your own." Kara said as she took my hands in her, breaking my thoughts of doubt. I could tell that she cared for me. "Kara, thank you." I smiled.


    "Now, time for business." She said clapping her hands. "Let''s get cooking!" She started to place a few jars, sealed glass tubes, herbs that I recognized and others I didn''t. "What is this?" I said picking up a small root. "That my dear, is a the last of a dried nidhogg brain." She told me smiling. I put it back down. So much for being a root. "I see." She chuckled to herself, "We are going to use it to try and trace other threats on the island." She brought out a large rolled up leather strip. She let it rolled across the table revealing a map of the island of Nef. There were markings of each village, a temple, the caves and shores. Everything was here. The land bridge that was only accessible certain times of the year. There were drawn pictures of waters beasts off the shores of the island. I studied the map for a moment in silence.


    "What is this?" Bjorn had come up behind me unnoticed. He was pointing to an entrance indication by the Temple of Nef. It was tiny and drawn in beside two runes. One was the rune of protection, the other a warning of death. "That is forbidden. Closed off by the gods themselves before our time. People tried to enter before, ended up being beheaded, drowned, some simply didn''t come back." She shrugged. "Why keep testing the gods? We don''t go there."


    "We will be." Bjorn said looking at me. " Tomorrow." I tried not to look confused and nodded, "Yeah, tomorrow. Sure. "Pepper and Sullevan came in from outside, they were on a mission to train in the surrounding area''s so they would best know how to fight if there came a need.


    "Pretty sure that we would be best defended here if we were to set up a better perimeter. The two of us could do it easily enough, Sully. Wouldn''t you agree?" Pepper asked as she reached for the ladle in the water bucket. "I do, and we will do so in the morning, for now I am hungry and looking forward to some of Kara''s delicious meal. I know you are eager to help, Pepper. Young dryads always are." He poked at her jokingly. "The only thing I am eager about is to stop the attacks on our two peoples. We have lost so many already on the main lands. This may all be for naught coming here." She waved to her surroundings. "This could all be a rubble in a day or two." Pepper said in a hurry, then realized everyone was listening. "I am sorry, Kara. I don''t mean any disrespect. I just want to ensure your families safety." She finished kindly.


    "Oh, you don''t have to worry about this old farm and us, this land has been defended for many years, a few extra creatures will not bring about the end of it now." Kara said handing Sullevan a cup of honey wine. "Just what I was hoping for, Kara." Sullevan took it gingerly and took a long sip. "A flavor my soul will remember in the next life, I promise." He said, bowing his head to Kara.


    Going back to our map, Kara pointed out a few of the areas to the four of us that have been heavily attacked over the months. Two of the larger villages multiple times by groups of dangerous creatures. Leshys, Imps disguising themselves in cloaks and attacking younger folks, a farming family who happened to be accompanied by a kikimora was attacked, the entire family killed when it turned on them. Other creatures that roamed the island alone long before the awakened returned to its lands. I couldn''t lie to myself that I felt like I was living in a dream as Kara told the stories of the attacks.


    "I have been trying to scry for these attacks. Foresee them. They are coming so often that villages are starting to bunk up. And that''s not a recipe for peace." She handed me a small crystal attached to a leather string, runes were sewn to the string one after the other climbing the string, and a ring at the end. I slipped it onto my middle figure and examined the crystal and runes. Runes I didn''t recognize. "Do you think I have the power to be a seer, Kara?" I asked her. "I am guessing you might have the ability to at least detect a threat. The magics are mysterious!" She smiled. "Now hang that over the map, and let us see what happens." She took my hand and held it over the map with her own.


    Looking at the map I was waiting for something to happen. Anything really. Nothing did of course, and I was a little disappointed. I looked up from the map to Kara ready to ask her what I should be doing. Her eyes were white. A mist started to fill the room, except everyone around us didn''t seem to notice it, they were still talking amongst themselves and pointing towards the map unaware. The mist smelled like sage, and pine. As it grew thicker I could hear voices growing louder. Panicked, screaming. A small child stepped out from the mist beside me. She was dressed in a green dress, and clutching a small poppet. She was a mess, the braids in her hair pulled out in spots and looked possibly burned, her face covered in black dirt and soot, a small mark peaking out from under the dirt. She was talking but no sound escaping her mouth. The floor around her started to glow orange, then darker red. Fire of the earth flowed around her. It started to swallow her as she reached for me, sinking into the burning lake.


    I screamed, kicking the chair back as I stood and stumbled. Sullevan catching me before I hit the floor. Sweat was dripping off the sides of my face, the heat still against my skin. I desperately looked around the room, sure we were all dead. Kara stood over me and held out her hand. "A warning." She said as I hesitantly took her hand. Getting to my feet made me feel dizzy. "Kara..." I didn''t know what to say. Bjorn pointed to the map a village near the mountain cliffs had a burned circle around it. "Look at this." "The village Mons." Cal stated tapping it. "That''s where the next attack will be?" He asked looking at Kara. She nodded, "I do not think there is much we can do to stop this one, Cal. The mountain will open, and the land will burn." She said sadly looking at her son across the room, "We can only try to get as many out as we can. I will return, Bodil and I must go there, now." Kara turned and collected a bag she hung over her shoulder, "I will take us to Mons, We will go to their seer and warn them. We don''t have long." "How are we travelling?" I asked her as I slid my axe into the strap around my waist. "Horse back?" "I am seer, I do not need a horse." She said smiling. "Now let us leave." She stuffed a few more things into her bag as I did my own and made her way to the door. "Bjorn..." Kara started and then sighed in annoyance, "Bjorn listen to Cal, do as he tells you. Understood?" She was stern about it. Bjorn nodded confused, "I will." Cal and Gallion were chuckling to themselves. "What?" Bjorn asked them shrugging his shoulders.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Kara and I left the house and she turned and grabbed my arm. Once again mist started to surround us, only this time it was only for a moment, and no child visitors. As I looked around waiting, the mist was already disappearing and we were standing in front of an entirely new house. Kara let go of her tight grip in my arm. I was a bit dizzy from the change in surroundings. This was going to take some getting use to.


    "Surprise!" She said in a whisper. I couldn''t help but laugh a little. "Yeah, that defiantly puts you off, doesn''t it?" I said as I took in my surroundings feeling slightly dizzy. The cabin we now stood at the door of was covered in moss and vines. Wild plants and flowers growing all over them. It was pretty in its own way, and gave an inviting feeling. Kara knocked against the door and waited. "Just let me talk, Sigris is old, a lot older then me." Just as she finished talking the door crept open slowly.


    A man stood in front of us smiling a toothless grin. His eyes were squinted almost shut, his hair was only growing in certain spots on his bald head. There were runes tattooed all over him. Head, neck, arms. Every where you could see. He was dressed in a white robe that wrapped around him, a leather belt holding it in place. It was also decorated in runes. "Kara!" He croaked out. "Kara, I am so happy you have come." He reached for her hand. "I have been trying, you know? Trying to get the vision." He said as he shuffled towards a table in the center of the room. A wooden bed in the corner of the room with furs and other blankets. A cat was sleeping on the end of the bed happily. Sigris practically fell into the seat he took. I was worried this man was going to keel over any second.


    "Worry not, I have a little longer in this world!" He said waving his hand at me. " He smiled. "Tea?" He asked pointing to a pot of water boiling over the fire place. "Would you?" He asked. I figured he was talking to me so I walked over and took the pot off the fire. There were three cups on the table already set out filled with Tea, so I filled them. "You knew we were coming then?" I asked him. "Of course. Somethings I don''t need a vision to tell me, at my age I can feel a visitor coming days away." He explained.


    "What''s this about a vision, Sigris?" Kara asked. "Yes, yes the vision. It wont come to me. Not fully. Gaps. Like paged torn into bit and thrown at me." he was frustrated. " I know its a warning, Kara! Faces, burning arrows soring, people running. That''s all i get" he said sadly. "I knew you would come to me. "Kara nodded, "Ota has showed us, we have come to help. Its this great grump of a mountain. Rumbling away all these years, now she is bent on killing us all. As if we don''t have enough problems."


    I was remembering the vision. The moment the girl was sinking into the fire water. I remembered a voice behind me whispering in my ear. "Who is Tao?" As if I had asked something shocking, both of the seers silently looked at me. "Tao..." Sigris started. " How do you know that name?" He asked me. "I could hear the name when I was shown the vision." I shrugged. "Who is he? He knows something." "Tao is my son. He is unreliable." Sigris said sadly. "People say he has lost his sanity." He went silent. "I still disagree with that, Sigris, I think what was shown to Tao, never left him. That it changed him." Kara said. "Shown what?" I asked.


    Both the seers looked at me curiously. "That isn''t something that anyone but Tao could tell you." Sigris said slightly sad. "I see, so where can I find him then? Does he live with you, Sigris?" I asked. "Oh no, he lives on the shore line to the west of here. A day at a good pace." He replied. "What do you think Tao has to do with this?" Kara asked me. "I don''t know. I just heard the name being whispered as the girl sank." I told her. "The girl that sank?" Kara asked. "I did not see a girl. I seen the mountain cracked, fire flowing from within." She said curiously. "What did the girl look like?" "Oh..." I thought for a moment. "Dark long hair, dark eyes, she had the rune Wryd on her forehead, marked in blue like yours''s." "A mark like ours?" She waved to Sigris, who was covered in the blue tattoos. I nodded, "Same color." "The fate rune you say?" Sigris asked. "A maiden of Fate...Kara. This is Ragnar?k!" Sigris got to his feet surprisingly fast, and grabbed Kara''s arm. "Where have you been?" Kara asked Sigris annoyed. Pulling her arm free she started for the door. "Let''s get Tao, The council will have to get everyone to the shore. For now, we have other things we must attend to."


    Only moments later we were on horses heading into the forest that surrounded the village after Kara had sent a message to the council with Sigris''s neighbour, Erik.. The trees were thick making me wish we were on foot rather then horse back. "Isn''t there a path we can take? Or can we at least walk the horses?" I asked. "This thick bush is only so much, it does even out a bit." Sigris croaked over the sounds of the horses hooves cracking the branches and dead foliage. "And if we do take the easy way, we are bound to run into things we do not want to. The awakened have never been alone on this island, and we never will be. I think the creatures that have been attacking us, are doing it because they are lost and looking for new territory." He went on to say. "What? Why do you think that?" I asked him. "Think about it, nidhoggs especially, they live in denser, more prey populated areas and have rarely been dealth with over the centuries, ''cept they haven''t go any prey left because they are dying. So where do they go?" He asked smiling. "However, they isn''t prey here for them either. They eat frag''s, deer, caribue. Not Humans." Kara pointed out. "Until they do." Sigris added. "Wouldn''t you eat something new, if it meant living? Changing?" Sigris actually had a point. "So you think their food source is no longer providing for them? What of the other beasts? The demons that you talk of?" I asked. "What if they are simply scared of the Ud?de? Know they are coming? Do you think we are the only ones who have godly enemies? Or companions for that matter?" Sigris raised his eyebrows, or what was left of them, at me and pointed to the dark sky. "Not all Gods are good, Bodil. You should know this more then anyone." He said.


    His words stung a little. I wasn''t ready for so many people to know my past, I only just learned it. Was Amaia really that evil? "What if my life of Amaia wasn''t what people thought it was? What if there was more to her story?" I asked them both. "She knew love... I knew love" I said softer. "What if indeed." Said Kara. "Amaia''s story started long before her betrayal. "I nodded. It did.


    There was a time when Amaia, I was known as a great Goddess of the people. It was Aadi and I who stopped the Ud?de before they destroyed Nef, with the help of the others. Ota, Loa, Gorn, Saf... Desius. His name hurt my heart. I remember the love I felt for him. The life time we spent together. How he was always there with me through everything. He watched Amaia spin into darkness, but never let it cloud his view of her. Who she was, deeper then being a god. As I thought of Desius, reminding myself of the way he looked, sounded, felt, his death. A wave of sadness ran over me, it was my fault. The despair of Desius''s death was something Amaia couldn''t get past. It drove her insane. I can say that now, as an outsider to my own life. After my failed take over of the Kingdom and realm of Nef, being banished for thousands of years alone. All that was left was hate. Hate for everything that lived and breathed. Especially Ota''s pets, the awakened. Now here I am, one of them. Aadi my brother, whom I murdered out of greed, gaining both of us another chance at living. I had alot I needed to make up for. At least, I felt that I needed to make up for it. I could never be who I was as Amaia again. Never.


    The thick trees did break up after a short while, and we were moving faster towards Tao''s. " The council better be ready by the time we get back there, Or there will be heads rolling among the burning bodies." Kara muttered then looked at me and smiled. I couldn''t help but laugh. Kara was great. I am happy that we have been brought together.

 Chapter Sixteen

    Bjorn.


    The group of us sat around a large table, sharing stories and drinking ale waiting for news from Bodil and Kara. They had been gone for a while now and I had more questions regarding the vision or whatever that was. "Stop pacing, Bjorn. We will know more soon." Cal said as he came out of the room his two boys were now sleeping. "Sullevan, care to play Nine Men''s Morris while we wait?" Gallion asked, pulling out a pouch containing the game. "Only if you are ready to lose, my friend." Sullevan replied happily. The two men retreated to two cozier seats near the fire and pulled up a small wooden table between them. They were set on playing against each other until there was a champion between them. Cal decided he was also going to join them, and be their mediator in case one of them decided to add in any new rules.


    "Pepper, Tell me about the problems in the dryad villages on the main land? What is happening there?" I asked her. "Much the same as it is here. Larger in numbers. We have lost entire villages, burned by beasts and men. Too many Villages in fact. Rebuilding will be hard." She sounded sad. "How is it that no one else knows this is happening?" I asked her.


    "Do they not?" She asked me as she stared me in the eye. "Tell me what happened again, Bjorn. What happened in your village when you and Gallion left?" Her long ears twitched, I assumed in annoyance. "Yeah, I just thought after finding out who I was, that it was because of me or at least connected in some manner." I admitted. "Well, you are not entirely wrong. Many of non awakened are being attacked. Livestock being mutilated, stolen, eaten. Anyone of course who would come face to face with something like a wouldn''t be alive to tell anyone. Demons, dark fea, pythos, they are not interested in them. They live and cower in the shadows of the magical wards set around the land we live on, most times. They really are simply the beasts that are caught in between of Men and Gods.""Dark fea? Dryads and brownies are fea, so what is a dark fea?" I was curious, obviously they were dryads that follow a darker path, but just to be sure. Pepper cleared her throat and took a swallow of ale. "An embarrassment to our kind. Once know as pixies they were fickle and selfish. Eventually they lost themselves, tempted by other malevolent beings and turned dark. Now, instead of just taking shiny trinkets and flowers, they confuse their prey, stop them from caring, thinking for themselves and they are eaten alive... They are beasts, no longer representing who they once were." She shook her head, " Little bastards are disgusting as well. I can''t stand them." "Come on now, Pepper. They aren''t so bad!" teased Sullevan across the room. "They are kind of entertaining at times."


    "Really? And how many of them have you made friends with? Ranger ''unite the world''." Pepper joked back. Sullevan shook his head laughing. "Don''t think I haven''t tried."


    She looked at Sullevan, laughing quietly. "Sullevan is Eladry. A higher race of Dryadalis. He hated the idea of closing ourselves off once again, hiding behind walls. It took a long time to establish trades, relationships, and even peace for our three people. Sacrificed more then anyone else for it, until the clans decided it was to dangerous for us to live side by side with non awakened, and even the awakened for a time. Now he lives as a ranger. I think he felt betrayed by the clans, and took his step down. "What? Its been at least a hundred years since elves and hek...Awakened were known. How is it that possible?" I asked astounded. Sullevan didn''t look a day older then Gallion, who was no older then fifty winters. Maybe..."Eladry have very long lives. The first race of Dryadalis. There are entire bochord''s dedicated their history. Dryadalis like me, we are know as the Hanner oes, half lives. A race born of the Eladry and humans." She laughed, "Is this all a bit dull? "I smiled, It wasn''t. In fact, hearing Pepper talk about the history of her people was like being told a familiar story from childhood. Memories you had forgotten. The more she told me about her people, the more I thought about my memories as Aadi. "No, I am enjoying myself." I said.


    A banging on the door broke the conversations. Cal crossed the room and opened it to find a younger man standing their holding the hand of a child. "Erik, come in. And you young Cadmun." The two stepped into the house. "Got a message for you from Kara! Her and some other woman are headed to find Tao." Erik said. "Tao?" Cal studied Erik and Cadmun for a moment. "What else did she say?" "That you are to meet her in Mons, tomorrow. And not to bring Kanoot or Marc." He frowned a little. "I was hoping I could leave Cadmun here as well. Kara said the mountain... that fire was going to flow from it, that we should get as many people as we can to a safer place, or in the waters." Cal put his hand on Erik''s shoulder, "Of course. Come, sit. "Erik, your parents? Where are they now?" My father is at sea, gone with Frik and his men to the north again. And my mother is in Guylian. For another day or two. She is supposed to return with trade and supplies on the trade galley." He told Cal. "Then you shall both be staying here. You can look after the three boys until I am back." Cal ordered Erik. Erik nodded, obviously relieved he was not going to potentially burned to death. "The rest of us, we will leave now to Mons." Cal said.


    We gathered a few weapons, and readied some horses. The night was cold and I couldn''t deny that I was tired. "Cal, we will need a lot more men and woman to move a village." Sullevan said. "We can gather people on the way. If Kara is back and ready for us as we arrive, she will bring as many as she can out... Erik, what about Sigris? Did Kara bring him along?" Erik nodded, "Oh yeah, Sigris is with them all right." Erik laughed to himself. Sighing Cal shook his head. "That man is older then the damned mountain." He muttered something else and went into the room that Kanoot and Marc were sleeping.


    I spotted Gallion looking at me, waiting for my attention to land on him. He nodded for me to come over to where he and Sullevan were earlier. Taking the now empty seat across from him, "I can''t be going with you, my boy. My legs aren''t what they used to be and pretty sure I would be less help there then I can be here with these young fellers." He said as he waved his hands towards Erik and Cadmun.Cal came over to us after overing Gallion, "You are staying? "Gallion nodded. "I am no longer the young man I was thirty years ago, Cal. I am sorry." Gallion hated to admit he wasn''t as capable as he was before. Years of metal working, and battles had taken a toll on his body. "No, my friend, thank you for watching my boys." Cal shook Gallion wrist and nodded. "We will be back as soon as we can."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    After preparing our horses and leaving the farm, everything seemed silent around us. As we talked what the best plan was as we arrived, what we could expect, how many or rather if any men and woman would help or leave themselves. There were no owls hooting, or animals crossing us. Was everything in this land scared?


    "The air here tastes different." I said out loud, Cal spinning around at the sound of my voice with a dagger pulled out. "Sorry." I said as Cal shook his head. "What do you mean?" Sullevan asked. "Like when you burn a sweet herb on the fire. The taste it gives off. Something like that." I explained. It seemed almost familiar. "I don''t taste or smell anything." Pepper said. Sullevan took in a deep breath through his mouth, then smacked his lips like he was tasting a new drink. "He is right." Sullevan jumped down from his horse and tied to a tree a few feet away. "Oi, we haven''t got time to be doing anything." Cal called out to Sullevan. "We are in a bit of a rush!" "In all my time in this realm, I have learned that nothing, is never nothing, Cal. You know this." He said, giving Cal a look that said he was investigating no matter what.


    Jumping off my own horse, tying it to the same tree as Sullevan I tried to look around us as best as I could in the dark. "Is there a farm here?" I asked. "Not for another few miles." Cal said. "An old cellar?" Pepper asked. "That seems to be common here. As though your ancestors had a lot to hide, or worry about." "Who knows." Cal said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don''t make it a habit of creeping around the woods looking for strange things, unless that strange thing is a Dryadalis." Cal said. "Oh, yeah?" Pepper said as she chucked a stick at cal. The stick missed Cal and went straight inside a large tree trunk. Right thought as though the tree wasn''t there.


    The four of us stopped and went silent once again. I pulled out my sword and readied myself. Cal and Sullevan moved closer to the tree to study it, whispering Pepper said, "A vail." Sullevan nodded and pulled stepped back pulling a leather string from her hip and tying her hair behind her, she pulled up a hood from under her cloak that covered her face. Dropping her cloak she pulled two daggers from her hips and was ready. Sullevan held his hand in the air, then brought it down. Pepper shot off like an arrow straight into tree. I went to follow in after her, Sullevan grabbed my arm holding me back. "Wait!" he hissed. A moment later, the stick Pepper tossed at Cal, came back through the tree. "Let''s go." Sullevan and Cal walked through the Vail, I followed behind them still holding my sword, ready to attack.


    On the other side of this invisible barrier was Pepper, with her foot the back of a man face down in the dirt unconscious. "You knocked him out?" Cal asked. "He was standing here with a spear." She said in defense as she waved her hand at the spear just below Sullevan''s feet. "Seemed easier this way. We can talk to him in a moment."


    Sullevan was looking over the man''s things that were laid out. It looked at though he might have lived here. A shack was roughly put together with sticks and mud, there were runes hanging over the entrance way. Furs were hanging to be dried, and a carcass of an animal was slung up strips of meat smoking over a low burning fire. The smell of sweet herbs filled the air here. The same smell I could taste before. "Who is this man, do you know?" Pepper as Sullevan and Cal. Neither men knowing who he was shrugged. "I am unsure." Cal admitted.


    The man groaned and turned his face out of the dirt. "Ugh, why can no one ever just do things the easy way?" He asked no one. He tried to push himself up out of the dirt, Pepper pushing him back down with her foot. "Just stay there stranger, and we wont have a problem." She said pushing harder. "We wont have any problems, just left me up. I have no ill intentions, I swear to Ota." He said as he laid helpless in the dirt.


    Sullevan knelt down looking at the mans face. "Your name?" He asked. "William. William Hannison. My father was..." He started. "Hanni the Butcher." Cal finished for him.


    William nodded, "yup, yeah that''s me. Son a murderer." "Just let him up." Cal sighed in annoyance. "Your father was banished from here. Why are you here?" Cal asked. "Was I banished for my father''s crimes as well?" William asked. "I just thought as long as I lived quietly, who was I bothering?" "Stand up, boy." Sullevan said pulling him to his feet. "You know, I am pretty good and hiding myself, how did you guys find me anyways?" William asked. "I could taste those herbs you have burning there in the air." I said pointed to the bundled herbs at the edge of the flames. They were smoking heavily. "You could smell that out there? Nah, you''re a liar." William said laughing to himself. "What am I then? I could taste them as well. " Sullevan said.


    William didn''t reply, obviously deciding it was better to just be quiet in that moment. He was looking us over when he asked, "What are you four doing anyways, creeping around in the dark? Hunting?" "We are on our way to Mons. Looking for men and woman to help the village leave before the mountain splits." Cal told William. "What say you? "William thought for a moment, "I say you should never run towards danger, you live longer that way. "Sullevan punched William in the top of the arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" William asked shocked. "For being a coward." Sullevan said ready to give him another. "No! No, please. I am not a warrior! I am a coward, you are right! I would much more prefer to hide, but only because I know! I know the truth about what is happening!" "Oh? And what is that?" Pepper asked shoving past him. William flinching in fear Pepper might attack him again. "Yeah, you go over there when I can you. You are scary!" He said pointing a shaking finger at her. She growled back at him, causing him to pull back. "What do you think you know, William?" Cal pressed.


    William then locked eyes with me and went silent again. He tore his eyes away and kneeled on the ground refusing to look back up. He was praying and whispering in a different language. Sullevan sighed and pulled him back up to his feet, "what are you doing now?" William swallowed hard looking at me from the side. "Aadi." He said.


    How could he know that? "How do you know? How do you know that name?" I asked him.


    "In nomine Ota, potestas interatus confringet terram, Ragnar?k nascetur." William said. "What does that mean?" I asked annoyed and confused gripping my sword tighter. "It means that Ragnar?k has begun." He started to laugh and cry at the same time. "Finally." He said clapping his hands.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Bodil.


    The horses clopped across the flat ground in a repeating rhythm. I think Kara was a sleep, I could hear a soft snoring sound from just behind me. I turned to see if I was right. It was Sigris snoring and Kara was looking over a smaller version of her map. "I thought it was you asleep." I said to her. "There will be time for that when I am dead. We aren''t far from Tao. I can feel his energy already. He''s nervous."You are the first people he has seen in a long time, Kara. He only has me." Sigris sadly said. "What is this?" I had spotted a strange looking bush in front of us. It''s features sticking out among the rest of the plants and trees. The leaves were black with bright red berries sprouting all over. The berries had what looked like tiny spikes on them. "Berries of the dead. At least that where they grow. Where people have died from evil deaths. This small valley is scattered with them from deaths long ago. Tao chose to live here because of them. Say''s no one will come for him at the risk of being poisoned." Sigris explained. "Why don''t you just eradicate them? Like you would a rotting tree or crop? Isn''t that safer for families?" I asked them. "They just grow back twice as much. They are a plague in the end." Kara told me.


    A loud bang sounded off north of us, the sound echoing in the distance. "That would be Tao..." Sigris said laughing. "At least I am sure it is.""What the hell is he doing?" Kara asked him."Who knows?"


    A few fleeing critters came running past us, probably trying to escape whatever was happening. A mans voice in he distance burst into song, the happy sound filling the forest around us. "I thought you said he was nervous?" I asked Kara. She shrugged and laughed, "Drunk I guess." Moving closer to Tao seemed to have Sigris worry more, I thought maybe out of embarrassment that his son was a crazy drunk in the woods instead of a noble warrior ready to join the Morwyn y Duwiau. He did seem to pity his son however, so maybe he was simply worried. Men like this would not have lived long where I come from. He would be run through by another man who would have thought he was crazy, or useless in the end. I hadn''t thought of Uri or his men since I got here, for a small moment I felt sorry for Erik. I wondered where he was now, if he was making his life he wanted in Theramill or if he returned to working for another bastard like Uri.


    "AH HAH!" Tao had jumped out from a bush next to us, startling our horses. I had pulled my axe out instinctively ready to defend myself. "Ahh, Father it is you! I knew someone was coming to see me, but seeing you fills my heart with happiness!" He patted Sigris on the leg smiling like a fool. "Kara as well I see! It is lovely to see your face again, Kara." He walked over to Kara and gripped her wrist in respect. "You... I do not know!" He said to me through thin eyes. Tao was squinting at me as if he was trying to see through me."It can not be. How did you find them, Father? Kara?" He turned towards them with shock and surprise."Let us go inside and talk, the trees have many ears." Kara said to Tao. He nodded, "Yes, you are right as always." He climbed up on Sirgis''s horse, and took hold of his waist. "Home ward!" He called out. Sigris rolled his eyes and motioned for his horse to get going.


    Tao''s home was nothing I had seen before. It was made out of the trees, as if they had grown this way. Vines woven together to create window shutters, and a door. The entire house was a tree. I stood looking over the building in awe for a moment."Dryadalis architecture! Its a beautiful sight, its why I asked them to build my home for me." Tao informed me as he stood beside me. Walking into his home he waved for us to follow him inside. Inside wasn''t as pleasant as the outside was however. While a garden and benches, a few goats and chickens roaming on the outside, the inside only house a hay bed on the ground with furs and the ceiling was strewn with more furs hanging from whatever branch was there to hang from. There were runes carved into the wooden walls. Protection, and guidance. Others like destruction, and sickness. It was strange, but then again so was everything else that was happening around me.


    On another wall were pictures of the mountain and Village Mons. The mountain has a smokey figure rising from it and explosion of what I thought were stars were rising into the a sky. Below the mountain was the village with trees surrounding it, like a canopy. The people praying to the mountain. "What is this?" I asked Tao. He ignored me and brought horns for drinking to a table that stood against the runed wall. "Drinks for all!" He said as he poured honey mead into them. "Tao? What is this?" I pushed, the image fit what was happening in the world as we spoke. "Tao, we are not here for drinking and making merry. We are here.." Tao spoke over me. "You are here because the mountain is going to break. And much more then you are aware of." He said irritated. "I would like a single drink with my father before I have to relive the worst day of my life." I nodded. Feeling guilty for being pushy, but something bothered me about the image. Where was the destruction? Why were the people praying instead of fleeing? I needed answers.


    Waiting patiently for Tao to have his moment, catching up with Sigris, I silently studied the drawing. The mountain, the spirit, the stars, the people covered and guarded. Over and over I looked at it. The canopy of trees that were covering the people... "Tao, this is not the mountain here, and this is not mons, is it?" I asked. He looked at me surprised. "No. It is not. It is the mountain Featerra. And those are Eladry. The Eladry that hold up the earth and hold in someone else. They sacrificed themselves to forever guard their people. To uphold The god Terra''s order of peace. A silent war. A war that they are loosing. And because they are loosing, the Ud?de have found a way to break through the realm.""The mountain here, Tao. It is also going to break open and spill the fire of the earth into the village." Sigris said to his son. "Yes, I know. It will happen no matter what. The island of Nef will no longer be an island. People will Die," he stopped talking for a second and took his fathers hand across the table, "The awakened will have to accept change once again, father." He said in an almost happy tone. "Tao, you talk as though this isn''t a terrible thing." I said to him. "The island will no longer be and island." He repeated. "Everything needs room to grow, Bodil." He said.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Did we ever tell Tao my name? I knew his name, but I don''t remember ever being introduced by name to Tao. "A maiden of fate brought the vision. Showed herself to Bodil, Tao." Sigris said. I still didn''t understand. Tao was silent. Standing up and breathing out a heavy sigh, he crossed the room and dropped into his hay bed on his knees. He was digging around for a moment and then turned around, sat straight and held a box in his hand. "William gave me this before he left forever. Together we were supposed to face Ragnar?k. We were going to stop it. Things changed however and over the years I have come to realize that this was never meant for William or myself." He stood up and walked back to the table placing the box on the table. "open it, but listen to me Bodil. This item will change your life. It was pulled deep from under Featerra. It should have been left there." He nodded and left it at that and went and laid in his bed and pulled a fur up over his shoulders. I waited a moment and looked to Kara for advice. Shrugging I reached for the box. Sigris put his hand on mine before I could slid it towards me.


    "Bodil..." He sighed and took his hand away and leaned back in his seat. I slid the box towards me and unclipped the lock holding it shut. Looking straight at Kara I opened the lid.


    A stone was placed in the box. The stone was red, and seemed to give off a slight glow. I thought it was going to be something else. As I reached for the stone the room started to change. Mist flowing in from no where filling the space until I couldn''t tell where I was.


    The sounds of birds calling and singing seemed to come from a distance, the mist being so thick I was unable to see them. I knew this was the work of a god. Ota would probably appear next and give me some great warning. "Can we stop with the mist? I know its you, Ota. Coming for another visit?" I asked out loud.


    A figure stepped forward out of the mist. It was definitely not Ota. A woman, with a green hue to her skin stepped forward. She was wearing a black dress that was made from scales, like a lizard. The shoulders of the dress stretched out behind her in a cape. The back of the dress was tied together with a string tightly. Her ears long, like the Dryadalis, but longer if that was possible. Her eyes were purple, her nose was small and lip thin and red. Her hair was wild and yellow and was as long as the cloak she wore. Terra.


    I lowered my head to here in respect, "Terra. I did not expect you." I had forgotten her face until now. I know that she was not my friend in my past life, and I doubted very much she was willing to be a friend to me now. She looked at me un-impressed as though I was a insect. "I see you have finally been humbled, Amaia." She looked me over. "I can''t imagine how upset you must be having your memories back, and being who you are now."


    Yeah, I didn''t think she would be kind. "I am no longer that person, Terra. I only have memories of that life." She scoffed loudly. " We will see, won''t we? Do you know what that is, the red stone that you now have in your possession?" She was straight to the point. "What is it?" I asked trying to sound kind. She raised an eyebrow at me, " Its the heart of the mountain. My mountain. When it was stolen years ago, torn out of the mountain by a greedy magic using human, it nearly killed the mountain. The very mountain that had I placed there to seal the hole that was created by me, from the realm of Nef, when I left. Do you remember?" She asked me. Not really. "Yes, I do." I lied. I was not a fan of her tone, and it was starting to bother me. She scoffed again. "You were always terrible at lying." She laughed to herself. "Bring the stone back to the mountain. It will seal the gap and stop Ud?de from being able to come here. As for ?deleggeren... He has already come. He is a problem for you and your twin." "Why help me if you hate Amaia?" I asked. "Why not take the stone yourself, and stop the Ud?de? Why do the gods even need Bjorn and I? We left that life long ago." "I am helping the Dryadalis, my children. They will die without the mountain to protect them. Their city is inside that mountain. They live there." She stared at me with her purple eyes. " Save them, and I will give you something in return, Bodil."


    She turned her back to me and walked away without another word. Bringing the mist with her. Once again, I will sitting in Tao''s dirty tree house with the three of them watching me as if I had been doing tricks for children this whole time. "What?" I asked them."What just happened?" Kara asked, "What did you see?""See? Hah, more like who did I speak to. Bloody gods and their ways. I can''t even imagine I was like the rest of them. Flittering around giving orders." Sighing, I could feel the stress building up. I''m suppose to heal a mountain, stop a god like man, evacuate people from burning alive below another mountain. What could be next?


    A bang at the door startled us. "Great." I said out loud. I shouldn''t have asked.

 Chapter Eighteen

    Bjorn.


    "Who looks forward to Ragnar?k?" Pepper asked me in a whisper as we leaned against a tree watching William rant about something to Sullevan, Gallion and Cal. Shrugging I shook my head, "People can keep you wondering, can''t they? I wonder how long he''s been hiding out here?""Good question, it doesn''t look like he has been here long, maybe he''s wanderer?" Pepper suggested.


    William was dressed in a blue men''s gown tied tight with a leather belt. The belt had a few potion bottles, a small pouch and a dagger hanging from it. His head was bald with blue tattoos all over his scalp, a blue mark in place of his eye brows where there was no hair either. The marks were arrows that pointed inwards towards his nose. Down the bridge of his nose was a single word, but tattooed in black. Ragnar?k.


    "Maybe..." I walked over to Gallion''s side. "What''s going on with this guy then?" I asked him."Well it seems our friend William here has known that this place was going to burn its way into the ocean, his words not mine, that this isn''t the true Ragnar?k. Says something about a heartless mountain."


    "That''s right! I promise you, you will not miss his entrance." William said. "Who is he?" Sullevan asked William. "He is the one who will change everything." William said. He turned around and poured what I think was watered down dirt into a drinking horn. He offered it to Sullevan first. Sullevan politely waved his hand in front of him and and told William he was unable to drink it.After Gallion declined William shrugged and drank it himself. Cal sighed in relief he was not offered.


    Sullevan placed his hand on his sword under his cloak, Gallion and I moved back to our horses and pulled ourselves back up. I was unsure of this man and it seemed that I was not alone."William would you join my friend''s and I, to guide people out of the village of Mons? We need as many men as we can to come help." Cal asked him. "Why? People will die anyways." William said. "What will I get?""You will be rewarded for your help, William I promise." Cal said.


    Pepper was looking at what William had lying around un noticed as we waited for him to mull over the idea of joining us. It wasn''t much, a small single horse wagon, except it was a mule who looked as though he had seen enough sunsets in its life that accompanied William. Items were strewn about in the open, a barrel that was probably filled with dirty ale, a bag of wheat, other sacks filled with things I couldn''t identify in the dark.Sullevan pushed aside a fur that was slumped over a stump, seemingly by accident. William leaned over and picked it up replacing it on the stump. Sullevan nodded once at Cal. "What say you, William? Will you help us?" Cal pushed. Pepper came running over to her own horse and slung her self on top effortless giving me a wink. I couldn''t help but smile."For as long as I want to be there." William finally agreed. "Fair enough." Sullevan and Cal each shook wrists with William. "Whatever help you provide is welcomed and appreciated."It was decided that we would leave immediately and continue our travel to mons. William put his few belongings onto his messy wagon and strapped up his old mule. The poor thing let out a few bray''s in protest and then went forward with more protesting.


    As Williams wagon bumped along in front of me I could see a bag of scrolls rolling around that I hadn''t noticed before. "William, what is it that you read? What are the scrolls you travel with there?" I asked him . "Oh, those? Nothing that would of interest to a man such as yourself." He said, then started to hum a tune. "Do you read them all the time, or have you only just acquired them?" I asked again. "I read them always, every day. Whenever I can. I want to know everything I can about them." "Oh, what are they about then?" Gallion added. "No ones business but my own." William said looking cross then started to hum again.  I looked at Gallion who had thought the same thing I did. William was an interesting character.


    The night past in what seemed a short period of time after William joined. This was probably due to the fact the man never stopped singing, or humming. He told us stories of men and gods. Things that sounded like children''s stories. We Were un able to convince more men to help in the village, instead they decided to remove their own families from the area.  Eventually we came to over look a village in a valley below a mountain base. The mountain looked peaceful. Beautiful in fact. It reached so high it seemed to touch the edge of the world. Snow covered the top of the mountain and grew into thick forest. The trees different colors making it look as though they flowed down the mountain side like water. Mons was small, a few dozen buildings only, which gave me relief. The less people we had to  convince for leave to safety seemed for the better. However, it didn''t look as though anything was happening. I figured that Bodil and Kara would have been here by now, preparing people for our arrival. "Cal..." Pepper started. "Yeah, I thought there were be more going on as well." He finished. "Let''s head down and see what''s happening." Cal lead the way down a well traveled path towards the village.


    "No birds." William said."What''s that?" Gallion asked him. "No birds." William repeated motioning around us with both arms. "No singing, no tweets." "They are all probably aware of the mountains anger." Pepper said to William. "Gone to safer lands. Beasts know more of this earth then we do at times.""A very elvish thing to say." William said. "We prefer Dryads. Elf is a primitive slang I have no care for." Sullevan said annoyed. "I could do better and call you an Eladry, friend Sullevan" William said. Surprised that William would use the term Pepper asked him, "And what do you know of Eladry. They are to be respected mind you." She was stern."More then some, less then others." William said"You are not a man that shares much are you, William?" Pepper asked him ."No."Pepper left it at that. I could see that she trusted William less the more she got to know him. I don''t think I could blame her. I also found it hard to have any trust in this man. And what did we actually know about him?


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    There were no animals though. I started to wonder if Pepper was right, or William. Even if they did have some sense to get away from the mountain, surely we would have seen at least a deer, or bear. A rat...


    The Village gates were open and still we haven''t seen a single person. "What''s going on? Where is everyone? Where is Kara and Bodil?" I asked Cal. " Has something happened here?" Cal shook his head just as confused as I was. "Pepper go to the main hall there, see if anyone is inside. Kara and Bodil may not have needed much help convincing them to leave." Sullevan order Pepper. She didn''t hesitate, she commanded her horse forward with her legs and she went off without a word. "I''m going to check out the area." Sullevan said turning his own horse and moving towards a group of homes. "Let''s do the same, move out and check it out." Cal said. He went towards the same direction as Pepper, towards the hall.


    "I''m staying here, I''m tired." William moaned. He stood up and stretched then practically fell into his wagon and started to pull up a fur over him before Sullevan was out of site.


    "Shall we?" Gallion asked, dismounting his horse.Following his lead and dropping my feet to the ground, we walked our horses over to tie them up at the ale house that stood in front of us. "What the hell, Gallion. An entire village gone? Where is Bodil?" I was worried that we had stepped into something more then a simple disaster. "I don''t know." Gallion said as he pushed the door to the ale house open.


    Empty. There were horns lying on tables, and the firepit was cold. There were plates with food on them, looked as though they have been there for a while. "Gallion, no one has been here for a few days at least." I said kicking over an empty ale barrel. "Seems that way." He went to the ale wife''s cupboard and took out a wooden box. Upon opening it we found it full of gold and gems. "Why would you leave this behind if you were leaving for a new life?" Gallion asked me. "Maybe they didn''t leave." I suggested. "Aye, maybe they didn''t." He agreed.


    We left the alehouse in search for the rest of our group. From the sounds coming William''s wagon he was fast asleep. Leaving him there Gallion and I walked towards the hall as well. We could see Pepper and Cal standing there in deep conversation. When Pepper spotted us she waved us over with a hurried motion. "Hah, that young sprite thinks I''m running she''s dreaming." Gallion laughed.


    Gallion took a seat on a wooden stool that was outside the hall door with a grunt. "You are slow, old man." Pepper said to Gallion. "Should of brought your horses.""They are at the ale house, along with William." I told her. "And why isn''t he helping us look around? Something about him isn''t right, yes?" She was annoyed and was probably tired of hiding her distaste for William. "Sleeping. Let him. I''m tired of hearing him talk." Gallion said."Agreed." Cal added in. "Come inside, no one is here and can rest ourselves for a while. See if Kara arrives while we wait. It is still early and she may have been delayed.""Been a long time for her to be delayed. She left hours before us." Pepper said holding the door open for Gallion to walk inside. Something caught her attention from down the road. "Wait here." She said as she took off sprinting. "Like a crazy cat that one." Gallion said walking inside letting the door bang behind him. I stood a moment watching where Pepper had run off to. I wasn''t worried for her, I had witness the power that woman had. I was curious on what she had seen.


    Waiting for Pepper to come back I was hit in the back of the head by a small rock. Turning around rubbing the back of my head I found a group of brownies perched on the edge of the roof. "Sullevan told us to come find you. Where is Ranger Pepper?" A brownie with hair that almost seemed orange stood talking to me. The other four stood silent their tiny bows with arrows ready pointed at me. "Oi, calm down then. She''s gone that way. Went to look at something. If Sullevan sent you to find me, then you know we are companions.""Maybe you are..." He jumped off the roof onto a group of stacked wooden boxes and made his way down. Standing no taller then the length of my hand he was quiet confident in himself. " I will wait for her then. Then I know the message will be collected correctly."


    The urge to give him a small kick went away quickly as Pepper came jogging back into view. "Always a brownie around no matter the situation, eh comrade?" Pepper said jokingly as she spotted the small warrior. The brownie stood tall and introduced himself to Pepper, " I am Hutch, the mighty! The strong! I have conquered many foes! I have come with a message from our elder, Sullefan Eladry, The long lived, the amazing, the wise!""Bloody toads, get on with it already!" Pepper laughed. "I see your greatness sir, I admire your bravery, now what is Sullevan''s message?" She asked him kneeling on one knee, lowering herself to him. The brownie grinned proudly, "He''s gone to the mountain entrance with a group of me brownies, we found something inside he wanted to see. He says wait for him here!" Hutch bowed to Pepper. "Ranger, I would like to join your ranks!" He offered himself to her. "Oh? And do your troops not need their leader?" She asked him in a high tone. He thought for a moment, "Next time then!" He bowed deeply to her and then started to climb his way, surprisingly fast, back up to the other brownies. "Go to Sullevan, tell him we wait for him for now. If he is to long we will come find him. So tell him to be quick." She asked Hutch. "Aye!" Hutch bowed again and the entire group of brownies disappeared.

 Chapter Nineteen

    Bodil.


    "Aadi run! Run now!" I kept yelling at him to get out the collapsing tunnel. "RUN!" I screamed as the walls caved inwards, Aadi was running hand in hand with a small child. The same girl that was swallowed by the fire in my vision.


    Fire was flowing from the ceiling chasing them down the tunnel as the walls caved it. As though the mountain itself was angry they were leaving. "RUN! Aadi, Save her!"


    I opened my eyes to find myself face down in the dirt, my hands tied behind my back. My head throbbing in pain, and my eyes burning. As I breath in my chest felt heavy causing me to cough. "Kara?" I coughed as I spoke. My throat was dry and it made my voice crack. "Kara?" I asked again. I hoped she was okay. Everything happened to fast at Tao''s I wasn''t sure I remembered it all. A group of men burst into Tao''s house after we arrived as if they were waiting for us. They caught us off guard and attack us. I don''t remember reacting, or having a chance to for that matter.


    I pulled myself up to a sitting position and started to twist my wrists around to loosen the knot. I have had years of practice releasing myself from being tied up by Uri and his wife. It only took a few minutes before I was free. Rubbing my sore wrists as I looked around. I was in a large iron cage like some sort of animal. My cage was in a barn. There were other cages next to my own, and I could hear goats and maybe some horses huffing.  I wasn''t sure as my head was swirling each time I moved. "Kara?" I called out hoping she would answer me. "KARA? I yelled loudly. Nothing. She didn''t answer me. I was unsure if I was relieved or not, if that meant she was alive... or not.


    I crawled over to the edge of my cage and tried to look around. A pile of hay. Water buckets. The walls of the barn were old and looked weak, if I could get out I could maybe kick my way out and be free to run. "Is anyone here?" I asked. "Tao? Sigris? Are you there?" No one answered me back. Damnit. I concentrated and managed to create fire in my palms, magic was incredibly convenient. The fire did exactly what I wanted it to do. Slithering from my hands and curling around the rusty iron bars, heating them. I created more fire snakes and sent them crawling and heating the bars. Eventually my patients paid off and the bars started to crumble and melt into a hot pile of iron leaving a hole large enough for me to crawl out of. I waited for the iron to cool, the last thing I needed was to trip and fall into hot iron. I didn''t want to waste a moment so I called out once again, loudly hoping someone would hear me. "Tao? Tao are you there? Wake up! Tao!" Listening to see if by chance I was right and he was there and maybe just unconscious still.


    I carefully crawled out of my cage and out into the open barn room. I waited a short moment to see if I would be caught now that I was outside of the bars. No one came. I felt it was safe enough to move over to the next cage to check it. Carefully and silently I stood up and walked crouching to my neighbouring cage. Empty. I checked the next, and it was empty as well. Great. I was alone and that meant I was on my own for getting out of here as well. I quietly moved to the door and peaked around the corner to see where I was going to go next. The barn was small, a couple of stalls stood between me and the barn door. I stepped out of the room, staying low to the ground I crept my way over to the next stall. I looked the cracks in the wood to see what was in there. A sleeping pig. I moved to the next one. Two men stood practically hanging against the far wall, their hands chained above their heads to a hook in the wall. I couldn''t see their faces, but I knew that it wasn''t Tao or Sigris. One of the men looked as though he was dead. He didn''t move, and I couldn''t see him breathing like I could the other man. The one that I could see breathing had a wound on his chest. He was dressed in only pants. His body bruised and looked like he had been tortured. He lifted his head slightly, "You should run while you can." He said in a low whisper.


    I didn''t respond to him. I wasn''t going to give up my chance to leave. I didn''t move either, I didn''t want him to know where I was.


    "If you''re not going to leave, then at least untie me and so I can get the hell out of here." He said in a growl.


    I stood up and quietly stepped up to the stall door. It was only locked with a board. I could let him out, save him. But should I? I looked at him again though the cracks in the wood of the stall door. He was a younger man, and looked strong. Would he help me if I asked him?


    I pulled the board off the door as quietly as I could and placed it on the floor. I pulled the door open quickly just incase it made some kind of noise. The man''s head shot up and locked eyes with me. "You should have run."


    I walked over to him without responding to him and started to pull on the chain to free it from the hook. The chains were locked around his wrist, but I could at least help him lower his arms. The hook was higher then I could reach and I tried to find something I could stand on to reach it better. The chain was stuck in place and needed to get a better grip to get it down.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    The man watched as I looked around the room. After a moment looking at Tyr, debating how much strength he actually had. "Think you can handle it if I stand on your legs?" I asked him.


    He nodded his head still confused. "Why are you helping me?"


    I ignored him and stepped on his leg holding onto his shoulder for support. I was about to reach up enough and lift the chain up and off the hook. The mans arms fell over my head and on to my shoulders causing the two of us to fall. I pushed his arms off of me and rolled away from him getting to my feet as quickly as I could. The man laid there not moving for a moment obviously relieved. "Thank you." he said as he started to stand. "You could have left me."


    "You are right, but now that I have helped you, I expect help in return." I said to him quietly. "Where are we?" I asked.


    "The mountain of mons." He said.


    "Who brought me here? Do you know of my companions? There are three of them." I hoped he had some news of them.


    "No, sorry. I don''t."


    "Damnit. I need to find them." I was worried for Kara. "Do you know the name Kara?" I asked him.


    "Kara the seer? Yes, of course. Why would she be here?" He questioned me.


    "I was with her when I was attacked. Woke up here in a cage." I told him.


    "Can''t say I am surprised. Things are not what they used to be." He stretched his arms and shoulders. "I''ll help you get out of here, but I am not helping you find others. That will only get us caught and probably killed."


    "No, I can''t leave without Kara, at least. She is family to me." I told the man.


    "Family? To Kara?" He thought for a moment. "What is your name, woman?" He asked.


    "Tell me yours first."


    He studied my face before answering. "Tyr. I am Tyr Vidarson."


    "Bodil. Now that we are friends, will you help me?" I asked.


    "Why do I feel that I am about to regret you saving my life, Bodil?" he said as he started to get to his feet.


    I pushed him on the shoulder causing him to fall back against the wall. "You may if you keep acting like an ungrateful child."


    He said nothing just smiled and got to his feet. "Let''s go before they come back."


    "The walls to this barn are thin, with enough pressure we can probably break through them in the back room where I was." I suggested.


    "No, we will take the horses." He told me as he walked out the stall door and crossed the room without care.


    Pulling open the stall across the barn, a lonely horse stood grazing. "One horse then. Come one." Tyr said as he guided the horse by the mane out of its stall. "Good girl, yeah." He was petting the horses neck and keeping her calm as he guided her to the main door of the barn.


    "Get on." He told me, I followed his instructions, gripping her mane I pulled myself up onto her back and waited.


    Tyr pushed the large door open slightly and looked around to see if there was anyone near. He slipped out for only a moment and then returned pushing the door open fully. He came quickly over, and holding my arm pulled up onto our mare behind me.


    "Let''s go while we can." He whispered.


    I held the mares mane and motioned her forward, guiding her to the side of the barn and then the back. Then Tyr gave her rear a shove and she ran towards the tree line. "What of my friends?" I called back to him.


    "Your friends are not here. I seen the seer''s being taken to the mountain entrance before they dumped you. For now, we need to get safe." He told me.


    "Why didn''t you say this before?" I asked as I slowed our horse.


    "Would you have believed me either way?" He asked me. "I swear to Ota, your friends are inside the mountain."


    Something about the way he said it told me he wasn''t lying. I rolled my eyes, "Where is this entrance? Kara was here because the mountain is going to crack, fire water will flow from it." I told him.


    He was silent for a moment then said, "The village of mons is no longer, Bodil. The people are gone. How could Kara not have seen this?" He sounded confused.


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean the people died weeks ago, and were thrown into the mountain by Williams men." He said.


    "William?" I asked. Tao had talked of a William as well. The man who gave him the heart of the mountain. "Who is this William?"


    "A man who can not be trusted." He said simply. He reached under my arm and started to gently pull back on the mare''s hair, bringing her to a stop. He jumped off the horse and stretched his body. "I can''t not tell you how nice it is to use my body in my own way." He said. thankful. "Again, thank you for helping me." His hair was long and dirty, hanging over his bare shoulders.


    "Why were you there, Tyr? Are you a slave?" I asked him.


    "No. I need some clothes if I am going to help you with your friends." He stated.


    "You will help me?" I asked surprised.


    "You helped me, I am in your debt." He said with a slight bow.


    I took my cloak off and tossed it to him, "Here, until we can find something else." Catching the cloak and swinging it over his shoulders he nodded to me.


    "Thank you, again."


    "How do you know this William if he is not trustworthy? Are you a thief? A sword for hire?"


    "Yes. I worked for with him for a while. But when it comes to the sacrifice of entire families, well that was a line I was not willing to cross. Some things are never forgiven." He cleared his throat. "Now, I have a question for you."


    "Fair enough. If I chose to answer it however is up to me." I told him. I was not one who likes to share things.


    "Why would you be separated from the rest of your people?" He studied my face.


    "You would know more then I would. I only remember men coming into the house I was in, everything after that only the gods know." I shrugged.


    "What men? Think about it, what did they look like?"


    Thinking about it I really wasn''t sure. They all bore the same blue mark on their forehead. I touched the middle of my forehead, "The rune of Yr, here."


    "Yeah. You are not a seer then?"


    "No" I laughed a little, "No I am no seer."


    He nodded, "May I lead our way?" He pointed to the horse.


    I slid back on the horse allowing Tyr to climb in front of me. "I wish we had some weapons." I complained.


    "Are you not awakened at all, Bodil?" He sounded surprised. "I thought you had magic."


    "Oh, yeah but a sword solves problems just as well." I said.


    He laughed, "That it does."