by Jordan Cramm
“Well you don't have to get your leggings in a bunch.”
Ayvock turned and finished unhitching the horses as Wolflen finished gathering what he needed quietly. When Wolflen was finished, he turned away from the wagon and took a few steps toward the pile of firewood in the brazier on the ground. He decided he would indeed try his magic again, and use his fire spell once more. He only hoped for better results than the first time, because while he was sure Katrina had not gotten too terribly far away yet, he knew that this time, there was no river nearby to call on if he started the forest ablaze. He held his spellbook a moment, staring at it as if to somehow prepare for what he needed to do. Then he cleared his mind. He made his spellbook disappear with his magic and commented to Ayvock that magic would be attempted. Ayvock turned his head to watch, but kept his hands busy with his own duty.
Wolflen stared at the pile of wood, and at last, it flamed to life with a crackle. At first, the flames started reaching slightly high, but Wolflen focused his thoughts, and soon, the flame was just the right height. Ayvock grinned slightly and turned his head back to his work. Wolflen on the other hand jumped in the air with excitement. He managed a decent fire on his first try. No one got hurt. Nothing got burned that was not supposed to be burning. That's a good start. When he saw that the fire was in good shape, he turned back toward the wagon. He climbed up inside with a leap and brought down some tea bags and a kettle pot. He had to go back for the water, but he brewed some warm tea. Ayvock had finished with his duty of unhitching the animals, and he had them all tied now to the wagon, but with enough slack for them to move around and graze upon the open grass. Afterwards, Ayvock fetched a bowl from the wagon, and got some water from a large barrel inside it, and after filling the bowl, he set about to give the horses some fresh water. They accepted it gratefully.
As Ayvock fed and watered the animals, he realized that it was refreshing being out in the open green lands. He looked around, listening to the sounds of birds, and the trees with their leaves swaying in the breeze. He took a deep breath and wiped some sweat from his brow, and then turned back to the wagon to put the watering bowl away. He had to admit; out in the open like this, it was peaceful. When he finished in the wagon, he saw that Wolflen was busy trying to pull a large fell log toward the fire. It was large enough for them to each sit upon, and as such, Wolflen was not having an easy time in his attempts to move it. Without a word, Ayvock approached, and grabbed the other end, making the log move much easier for both of them. Then, both of them sat down.
“Nice fire.” Ayvock said calmly.
“Yeah. Thanks for helping me with our seat.”
Ayvock smiled.
“It's not exactly like being at the temple for service in Akartha, but I could sleep here,” Ayvock replied smugly, “that is...after lunch.”
Wolflen chuckled.
“Thanks for coming.” Wolflen said with a grin.
Ayvock nodded.
“So you really are a War Mage huh?”
Wolflen looked down at the ground before responding.
“I think I am. I mean you saw me start the fire. Thank the Gods I didn't burn the forest this time. But yes, I am. I have the books, and it seems the magic wants me to be a War Mage. Plus, it's really cool working with Sespa.”
Ayvock smiled.
“Yeah,” he said, “I noticed you didn't tie her up at all.”
“I don't have to,” Wolflen replied, “she will stick around. In fact if I asked her to, she would do our hunting for us.”
Ayvock shook his head as he leaned back on the log and folded his arms.
“Wait a minute,” he said, “if we are supposed to conserve our supplies in the wild, and Sespa is capable of catching big game, then why is Katrina the one out hunting?”
Wolflen raised his eyebrows. He hadn't thought of it that way before, so now he guessed as best he could to answer.
“Well,” he started, “maybe because she wants to scout the land ahead. After all, she is bound to the wagon and cannot see far beyond where we travel while we are on the road. Or, maybe she just needs some alone time, or perhaps she is keeping her skills sharp. Who can say?”
Ayvock nodded. He supposed those reasons sounded fair enough.
“You know,” Wolflen remarked, “this journey so far is slow going, calm and easily paced. But I don't think it always will be.”
Ayvock turned his head toward his friend and asked why Wolflen said what he did. Wolflen explained that he had a feeling down inside; an eerie feeling that told him they were riding toward danger. But he also told Ayvock that they would have been in the same danger staying in Akartha. That wasn't a very comforting thought. Ayvock knew that Akartha was at least familiar territory for them. Still, he knew that the journey they were on was the one they had to be on. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but he did. He only hoped it would not end with their deaths.
Katrina returned later with a deer draped over her shoulders. She threw it down on the ground near the fire when she returned after walking back with it to where they were sitting. She had already gutted it out too. Wolflen and Ayvock were already drinking tea, and they offered her a cup as soon as she returned. She took it gladly and thanked Wolflen, commenting that the fire seemed to be well in control. He smiled and nodded. When she asked if he used magic, he told her and she said she was proud of him for doing it. Then, after a few drinks, Katrina began the work of preparing her kill for the fire so that could eat lunch. Meanwhile, Ayvock retrieved some biscuits from a barrel in the wagon and brought a handful of them back to the fire. He passed a couple of them out to Wolflen and Katrina, who both took them gratefully, and then he himself bit into a biscuit.
Wolflen watched Katrina work intently. She seemed to know just how to cut edible portions from the carcass, and then work her knife to discard certain pieces while also making good use of everything. Wolflen asked her if she learned about what she was doing from trade school, or if she had learned it some other place. Katrina smiled sheepishly as she knelt over her kill. Her hair was mostly tied back now, but a few strands hung down in her face, and behind these, her eyes looked at Wolflen mockingly.
“Wolflen, I am an Elven Princess,” she stated, “this is not stuff royal houses teach you. This was all trade school. I am preparing sections to flash cook over the fire, and with some of those sticks over there, I can make a rack to smoke the rest. That way, it will keep for quite a long time, and we can save the salt.”
Wolflen nodded and tried to make it appear that he already knew that and so he agreed at once. Katrina thought it was cute to see Wolflen trying to cover up the fact that he hadn't known and did have to ask.
“You said we would reach settlement by tonight—but on my map I see no such place. Where is it exactly?” Wolflen asked curiously to change subjects.
Katrina just smiled and looked down at her work before answering.
“Can you find us on the map?” she asked.
“I think so” came his response.
“Okay, if we continue North and East we will reach the edge of this forest around twilight. Then it is open prairie following the river. On the prairie, I have seen nomadic settlements—traders and merchants alike I think. Tent people.”
Suddenly, Ayvock chimed in. “Right now WE are tent people.”
“Not exactly,” Katrina remarked smartly, “we don't have a tent.”
Wolflen realized suddenly that she was right. Their wagon offered some shelter from rains, but they had no real tent for sitting out harsh weather. She looked up at him and saw in his eyes that he must be coming to that conclusion now.
“It's okay,” she stated, “I have worked with or without tents. And so long as decent weather holds, you two should be fine without one as well.”
Ayvock knew he was stating the obvious now, but it seemed only the thing to do.
“We cannot expect perfect weather for our entire journey.”
Katrina nodded no, agreeing with him silently.
“So we need to get a tent first thing then,” he continued, but again she nodded no and interrupted his statement.
“We will wait until we are in Elven hospitality. We will find a good tent among them. Nothing personal, but I trust their tents more than those of nomads. I have seen nomadic tents, and they will in fact stand strong against many vile weather conditions. However, Elven tents are more camouflaged, and I think that right now our objectives should remain as secretive as possible. Because trust me when I say this—War Mages do have enemies, and War Mages do need to be stealthy.”
Wolflen caught the look in her eyes as she trailed off her last sentence, and he wondered if she was telling him in a subtle way to practice being stealthy, or warning him that danger was drawing nearer than any of them might have expected. He didn't say anything, and after she spoke, she put her head back down and worked until she had hearty portions of meat ready for the roasting poles over the fire.
Lunch passed and they all ate their fill. When it was over, Katrina suggested that they stow away the meat once it was done being smoked and then continue onward, which meant they needed to re-hitch the horses to the wagon and repack everything that they had unpacked. To Ayvock's delight, Katrina was more helpful with these tasks than she had been in unhitching and watering the animals. It didn't take long and they were on the road once more, pressing through the forestry and following her lead.
The sun was lowering on the horizon when they spotted the dots on the horizons that they guessed to be the nomadic tent dwellers and their settlement. As they rode onward, they saw the clearing of the forest, and ahead, they knew that their guess had been right, even from a distance through the trees. Ahead upon the plains were nomadic settlements. They were all talking about it when they heard loud screeches coming from overhead. Sespa was the only animal that didn't spook. Colt, and the wagon horses spooked immediately, becoming jumpy. Ayvock tightened his grip on Colt's reigns though, and Katrina quickly calmed the wagon horses as she looked upward.
“Griffon!” she said sharply, informing Wolflen and Ayvock about what was flying overhead.
Wolflen watched. They were nearly as big as the horses, but they had wings, and rather than hooves, they had talons, and instead of a horse-head, they had the heads of birds—massive birds to be exact and they had sharp looking beaks and a large mouth. Wolflen had heard of such beasts, but never got a chance to see them in the wild.
“Will they attack?” Wolflen asked quickly.
“Yes!” Katrina remarked sharply as she continued keeping the horses calm and on the path. “I count five. Ready any weapon and Wolflen it might help to try using fire again if they land or swoop low enough again.”
Wolflen was communicating now with Sespa, using his telepathy. She asked him if he wanted to get off and let her play defense when one swooped low again. Wolflen wouldn't have it though, and told her that if she would fight, so would he. She told him to hang on tight to her fur locks in that case.
“If they attack us, we have a natural born right to defend!”
Katrina shouted as she stopped the horses and jumped down to the ground. She quickly tied the reigns to a nearby tree and drew her bow and already had an arrow knocked back on the tight string. She let one fly, stopping one of the Griffons in flight, striking it in the haunches, and stopping its would-be dive-bomb attack against her. She drew another arrow, and aimed, but the second arrow was dodged. Then a third arrow was knocked and ready and Katrina waited. She spun quickly in all directions, standing with her back to the wagon. Wolflen was ready himself, watching the surrounding area with his own dagger drawn and one hand gripping Sespa's fur with a death grip. Ayvock however was busy with his sword drawn and yet one hand tightly gripping his reigns. He feared the moment when his horse spooked again. Above them, the Griffons circled still, each screeching, developing an attack strategy Wolflen thought.
They were clear of the forest for the most part. A few trees could still provide limited cover and defense, but not enough to save them. Wolflen knew that the danger above was real, and that the matter at hand was serious enough to warrant violent action and response. Still, he didn't fully trust his ability to use fire. And he was unaware and untrained on other spells, so he wasn't quite sure what he might do.
That's when the attack came. There were five Griffons in all. All five dove downwards, their speed was frightening. Katrina fired two more arrows and sent one Griffon crashing to the ground. But that made her a hot target because she was a threat, and she quickly ran away from the wagon, sensing that fact. She knew she had to save the wagon and horses if they were to continue after the battle. Wolflen watched her run and saw the Griffons giving chase; two in fact. The remaining two seemed dispatched against himself and Ayvock. One landed in front of each of them, and between the two of them. So each had their own to fight. Ayvock gripped his sword in readiness. Then suddenly Sespa reared up and charged at once, not waiting for Wolflen to be ready.
Sespa tore down her target quickly. The Griffon flapped its wings as it crashed to the ground and Sespa pinned it quickly. Wolflen could hear the snapping of the Griffon's beak, but it was soon over as Sespa bit the animal's neck, pouring blood to the ground. One last Griffon screech sent it to its death with gargled noise. Ayvock on the other hand was swinging his sword, and Wolflen turned just in time to see the Griffon try and leap at Ayvock and his horse Colt. But both were ready. Colt lowered his head and dropped to his knees to kneel while at the same time, Ayvock drove his sword upwards, gripping it with both hands. The slice cut through the Griffon that flew just over the top of Ayvock's head. Ayvock lost his sword in the process, but the Griffon went crashing to the ground behind him, and was dead on impact. Wolflen and Ayvock exchanged glances, ensuring that the other was okay, and still in disbelief in what was occurring. Once Wolflen realized what happened, he jerked his head back round to Katrina, who was running still, and dodging every so often, leading the other two Griffons away as they chased in flight. Their claws dipped downward ever so often, just missing her back and head. Wolflen could see the black gleam of their talon claws as he watched.
Wolflen spurred Sespa on, and Sespa seemed eager for another target. She bounded over the prairie’s edge toward Katrina. And Wolflen communicated with Sespa as they bolted toward Katrina. Sespa wasn't sure she trusted Wolflen's plan, but she agreed to follow his plan just the same, and as they got closer to Katrina, Wolflen leapt to the ground, rolled a few times, then sprang to his feet at the end of the last roll and had his hands instantly raised. His eyes were dark in that moment—that moment which was like slow motion. A Griffon on the left and on the right. Both were only a few feet away. Both hovered in the air with talons coming toward him—toward her; Katrina stood behind him now. Time seemed to pause. But Wolflen was not afraid. His hands began to glow, and a colorful ellipse formed around his entire body in front of him. It was shaped like a crescent moon. It was purple though, and it was shielding. It stopped the Griffons from killing Katrina. It extended beyond his left hand. Then his right hand gestured and the beasts slammed into the ground at once. Next, Wolflen used his telekinetic energy force to slam into them, all the while keeping his shielding in place. When the force of energy slammed into them, they both slid backwards, their talons dragging through the dirt ground and leaving large scrapes. He struck them a second time with energy force, this time sending them in to the air and backwards. The second strike was enough to scare them away and they quickly left the area.
When it was done, everyone was breathing heavily. Ayvock had recovered his sword and had been commenting about how he would never curse horses again. He said Colt was a magnificent war horse, and Ayvock would have no other. As for Wolflen he was asking Katrina if she was okay. She was still in shock however after just witnessing everything that occurred and knowing full well that Wolflen had saved her life.
“You saved me,” she said, “I saw the one after me, but not the second until I turned, and there you were..”
Wolflen nodded.
“We are all okay. You led them away from the wagon, and I thank you for that. You bought us enough time to manage the battle. Sespa killed one, and Ayvock got another. I am thankful to have not needed to kill myself.”
“But,” she responded, “the spells....I saw some kind of shielding. How did you do that?”
Wolflen wasn't sure himself, and he told her so.
“You know, the War Magic can take over in certain situations—manifesting itself based upon the thoughts of the War Mage in certain situations. If you can do it under pressure, then it can be learned and practiced.”
Wolflen just nodded.
“Well then, should we get on with finding a place for the night?”
~
That night they settled in with nomads who kept their tents in close proximity to one another in order for greater protection among the people. Wolflen had decided to bring two dead Griffons to the nomads as a gift of food, as well as showing them evidence that Griffons were downed, and no longer a future threat for the nomads themselves. They were Izenian, all of them, but they welcomed Wolflen, Ayvock and even Katrina warmly. They told Wolflen of the recent weather in the area, and also provided prepared food and drinks for him and his friends. He offered to pay them for their kindness, but they refused. They told him that they as nomads had little use for money in the wild, and that they lived off the land as hunters, farmers, and sometimes as guides. Wolflen asked if there was any way to repay their kindness, but they simply reiterated the way in which they lived. They said they were simple people—people waiting on the crops of the land, and the animals that fed upon them. Katrina stepped forward sheepishly after the remarks and spoke up.
“I can see that money is of little value to you in the wild. However, I am a Ranger from other lands. Perhaps I can assist you with my skills in some way?”