“Why are you always so politically correct?” he asked, sitting back with a smug look.
She smiled at him. “I had good teachers.” He laughed out loud then, and nodded his head in agreement.
His face turned suddenly serious, and he leaned closer to her. His voice was lower as he spoke. “I have a job I need done, and your father and I have agreed that you are the one to do it.”
Excitement began to build inside her, as well as pride. It was not every day that her father or Alistair would think to send a woman on a mission over a man. Especially something that appeared to her to be important. He explained the mission to her, and told her when she should go. After all the details had been explained, they continued their game in silence. He won, of course: after all the games they had played, she had yet to win one.
“Go in peace, my dear.” He placed a hand on her shoulder before she left.
“I will, Alistair.” She smiled, placing one of her hands over his. The priest who waited outside for her, the same one who had led her there when she arrived, sucked in his breath, most likely in shock when she addressed the High Priest so informally. Neither of them took notice.
“Be safe,” he said kindly. She nodded her head, and left with the other man.
Now as she sat at the base of a tree, she thought again about how lucky she was to have been given the task she now carried out. Her father had been visibly nervous to let her out of the city walls alone, but even he did not stop her. This was a great step in her career as a member of the King’s army. Creeping along the forest floor, she approached the small river that ran through the forest. She was close now.
“Why would they send a girl out alone, in the middle of the night?” Wolf was saying as they walked back toward their room.
“Who knows?” Logan replied uninterestedly. “I’m just glad it’s not me out there.”
“And Elisa, of all people,” he continued.
“Are you concerned for her?” He laughed, jabbing his elbow into his friend’s side. Wolf pushed him into a wall in return, and shook his head.
“No, I’m not concerned. I’m just curious.”
“Don’t lie! You’re worried about your dear future wife,” he teased, laughing. Wolf was always sensitive about their impending marriage, swearing it would never happen, but Logan wondered sometimes if that was truly how he felt. In all honesty, she was the most beautiful girl in town. She was a medium height and thin, her long hair a lovely shade of gold. She had hazel eyes that were rimmed by thick, dark lashes, and she had a full, pink mouth. She would always wear the same riding pants as the boys did, although they just looked so much better on her than they did on any boy Logan knew. And her shirt was always tight, the arms cut off, making it easier for her to move around with her bow. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also talented, the most talented archer they had. Really, Wolf was fortunate to be betrothed to such a girl, but with as many options as he seemed to have, Logan could understand why he didn’t want to accept it. Sometimes Logan wondered if it wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to just settle on one—girls threw themselves at him wherever he went—as it was that she was the only one that didn’t throw herself at him. She seemed to be completely impervious to his looks and charms. It was actually quite funny to see him get frustrated whenever they left her. Logan laughed out loud as he thought about it, causing Wolf to look at him, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“What is so funny?” he asked, squinting his eyes further.
Logan held up his hands in defence. “Nothing.” He laughed again.
“I will beat you up,” he warned him, probably guessing what Logan was thinking.
“If you can catch me!” he replied, taking off at full speed. Wolf might be a better rider and swordsman than he was, but if there was one thing Logan was better at, it was running. He knew he was way faster than Wolf, and laughed out in a high cackle as Wolf struggled to grab him, cursing at him the whole time.
A small fawn stood beside the river, its head lowered while it drank. Elisa crouched behind a tree, watching it with appreciation. Something near to them moved, cracking a twig under its feet. They both looked up in the direction the sound had come from. The fawn stood motionless, ready to take off in a moment’s notice. Out of a clearing in the woods came one of the beasts. Its breath filled the air with smoke against the cold night. His eyes glowed yellow in the darkness, and Elisa could hear it growling low in the silence.
Moving as slowly as she could, without bringing attention to her location, she began to string an arrow into her bow. The beasts had impeccable hearing, so it wouldn’t take much for the thing to notice her, if it hadn’t already. Pulling it back, she closed one eye focusing on her target. The large animal hadn’t moved, keeping his focus on the baby deer. She wanted to yell at it to run, but the poor thing seemed to be stuck in its spot. Breathing out slowly, she let her arrow fly, watching with both eyes open as it sailed through the air and into the leg of the large hog-looking animal. It growled in anger, turning his head to look in the direction where she sat. With the attention off it, the fawn took off into the woods, leaving Elisa alone by the river with the fierce creature.
The beast stamped his hoof on the ground, his eyes only mere slits now. Getting up from where she stood, Elisa stepped out into the clearing beside the river, so that her opponent might see her clearly. Just as she showed herself, the ugly creature charged at her, snorting hard as he tried to tackle her down. Anticipating his charge, Elisa was already swinging herself up by a lower branch into the tree behind her. These beasts couldn’t climb trees—this she knew. It circled the tree, visibly getting slower from the loss of blood. She could see the wound she had made soaking his black tangled fur, and knew it was only a matter of time. Grabbing another arrow from her back, she pointed it down toward the beast and let it fly. This time it found its way into the creature’s head, killing it instantly. Waiting until his limbs stopped moving, Elisa finally lowered herself back onto the ground. She crouched by the dead body to retrieve her arrows, and cleaned them quickly in the river before moving on.
There was smoke above the trees not far from where she was, so she knew the cabin was close. Picking up her pace, she began to speed through the forest, avoiding the branches that hung low and threatened her with a serious head wound should she run into one. It wasn’t long before the cabin came into view, and she slowed her pace back down. She had never actually been to this place, having only heard about it from others. It was feared by most; the road that led to it was overgrown from the lack of visitors. The woman who lived here never left, keeping to the forest around her, and avoiding the Capital City altogether. Elisa could feel her nervousness beginning to increase, but she did her best to ignore it. There was nothing to be afraid of—Alistair had assured her of that. Still, the darkness of the night, and the wildness of the forest around her, made the cabin look that much more frightening.
The trees that circled the house were so tall, even if the moons had been out they would surely have been covered. The light in the clearing must have always been in perpetual darkness. The ground was uneven, filled with rocks half-buried in the earth. A small pebble path led directly to the front door, although it was hard to see amongst the weeds and wild flowers. The building itself was a small wood cabin, which looked like it could have only one room inside. There was a small arched door in the front, painted a bright red, or at least it must have been at one time. The paint was flaking in most parts, but some of the original colour could still be seen. The roof was made of straw, with a large chimney protruding through the middle of it, where the clouds of smoke now escaped. There was only one window on the front of the cabin, to the right of the door, where a tiny light could be seen inside.
Taking a deep breath, Elisa began to walk up the path toward the small red door. She reached out and knocked three times, very lightly, and waited for the answer. It wasn’t long before the door creaked open, and inside stood the woman she had come to see
, who was not at all what she had expected.
Elisa sat in a large purple chair that smelled like mothballs, and had too many holes in the fabric to count. She warmed herself by the large wood stove that was situated in the middle of the room, while the woman bustled about the tiny kitchen on the other side. It was indeed only one room inside the cabin. When you entered there was a small kitchenette to the left, the cupboards an old oak, and the counters made of rough natural stone. Herbs were hanging all about the ceiling in there, and jars of items Elisa could not recognize, nor did she want to. On the other side was the small sitting area, which had the chair she now sat on, and a small sofa made of the same material. A little table sat between them. Behind the wood stove was a small bed with curtains hanging around it. The space was so small, and crowded by all the knick-knacks she appeared to have, Elisa couldn’t understand how she could have stayed there as long as she had.
What surprised her most was the appearance of the witch. Elisa had mentally prepared herself for an old lady, with rags on her body and warts on her nose. What she got instead was a young-looking girl, maybe around her late twenties, with long blonde, almost white hair, and a beautiful white robe on her body. The robe had embroidered symbols in it, stitched with a gold and silver thread that seemed to shimmer wherever she walked. It looked almost magical. The witch had wide, deep blue eyes and a friendly smile when she greeted her. Elisa couldn’t understand why anyone would be afraid of this place.
“People are always afraid of what they don’t know,” the witch said from the kitchen, as if she were reading Elisa’s mind. She walked back over to the sitting area, carrying a tray with an old teapot and two cups on it. She smiled down at Elisa as she placed the tray on the small table before taking a seat on the sofa across from her. “Stories circulate of a witch living here, and everyone thinks the worst. What most people don’t know, is that the witch they knew died some years back now, and had taken on a new apprentice before then. I have taken up her teachings since she passed, and so now I have become the resident freak.” She chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t correct any of the rumours, finding the privacy preferable.”
“You are so young,” Elisa blurted out, immediately cursing herself for being rude.
The witch laughed, pouring them both a cup of tea. “Young in age, my dear, but old in my soul. I’ve had centuries of teachings passed down to me, and that can’t help but age one’s inner spirit. Now, what is your name?”
Elisa was shocked by this, assuming this woman would just know her somehow. Was she not psychic?
“I am no fortune-teller,” she interrupted her thoughts. “I know things, but not all. Some things I choose not to look for, finding it nicer to have people introduce themselves normally. Normality is fiercely underrated.”
“I apologize for my rudeness,” she replied, feeling her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. “My name is Elisa,” she introduced herself.
“Ah, you are Alistair’s star pupil, and also the great Captain Turk’s daughter, then. They must be in great need if they sent you here alone.”
Elisa nodded her head, searching for the words the High Priest had told her to recount. “The High Priest told me to tell you that the time has come for the warrior to be awakened. The force in the north is growing too strong, and they fear our men will not be enough to destroy the monsters the sorcerer has created.” The witch grunted at that remark, but remained quiet. Elisa continued on with her narrative. “Alistair has discussed their weaknesses with the High King and his Chancellor, and both have agreed that they need a force of their own. Something that will be strong enough to challenge whatever Brutus and Callum send down the mountain. We need the foretold warrior, before Eden is lost forever.”
The witch stood up and walked toward the fire in the stove. She was silent for a while. Elisa sat in silence, awkwardly waiting for her to respond. Even though her father and the High Priest had trusted her with this message, and the journey it entailed, she had no idea what any of it meant. Alistair had explained that there was a great warrior that would help them to victory, but she didn’t understand why they needed the witch, or where this warrior actually was. Unexpectedly, the witch began to smile.
“I understand the great need Eden has for this one, but I’m not sure your father and Alistair realize the work that is still yet to be done. I will get this warrior for them at the next full moon. You may come back here to get him.” She turned to look at Elisa. “You alone. Until then, you must explain to your elders that he will not be what they expect in the beginning, and that I hope they are ready for quite a challenge. Anyone can achieve great things, as long as they are given the time and encouragement one needs to reach it. They must be great teachers now, and great leaders if this warrior is to bring any sort of help to the army of Eden. Go now, and be back at the next full moon. He will be waiting.”
CHAPTER THREE
It was the last day of his suspension, and to Aiden it felt like he had been home for two months. His mother was driving him nuts, and the confines of the house felt like a prison. Since he was suspended from school for fighting, his mother had decided that he should also be grounded from going out anywhere. That left the house and the yard as the only places he was allowed to roam. It was insane. Keeping a fifteen-year-old boy locked up like this was cruel and unusual punishment.
“Aiden!” his mother yelled up the stairs at him. Looking over at his clock, he saw it was only seven in the morning. That was another thing that was driving him mad. Originally, he had viewed his suspension as the perfect vacation away from school, and the chance for him to sleep in. His mother, on the other hand, did not see it that way. She woke him up at the same time as usual, and gave him a list of chores to do in order to keep him busy. Groaning, he swung himself out of bed and looked for a decently clean pair of pants to put on, amongst the mess covering his floor. “Aiden!” she yelled again.
“I’m up!” he yelled back. “I’m up.” Running his hands through his hair, he actually thought it would be nice when he could go back to school. There was a thought he had never imagined having.
He climbed down the stairs to the upper floor, and saw Eddie standing in her crib from the outside hall. “Good morning,” he said, smiling at her. She reached out for him, so he obliged and went in to pick her up. As they were going down the stairs to the main floor, Eddie giggled as he pretended to be a horse, running her down the hall to the kitchen. His mother was in there making breakfast for the baby. She smiled when she saw the two together.
“Good morning, my beautiful children.” She smiled, tickling Eddie’s belly. It would be better, he thought, if he were allowed to sleep in past seven. “I want you to clean up that room today, Aid,” she started right away. “When you’re done that, you can go outside and cut the grass in the back. Your dad is working late tonight, so he won’t have time to do it himself.” Sure, he thought. She’s just looking to torture me as much as she can.
“Yes, Mom,” he mumbled. She set down a bowl of cereal in front of him and kissed the top of his head, before sitting beside the high chair to feed Eddie.
“And how is my little angel this morning?” she started cooing. Eddie responded in indiscernible words. Aiden sat there miserably as he ate his cereal, wondering what else she would throw at him once he got the first two things on his list done.
That afternoon, he found himself pushing the mower across the long grass in the unbearable heat of the sun. The air was unseasonably warm, and sweat poured down his face. Cursing the whole time, he walked the length of the backyard back and forth until the whole area was short and manicured. His mother walked out with a glass of water, taking a look at his work.
“You’ll need to rake up the grass when you’re done,” she pointed out. He rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he drank the whole glass of water in one shot, feeling dehydrated from sweating so much. “There are garbage bags in the garage.”
“Okay,” he replied, walking
back over to where he had left the lawnmower.
“Isn’t being suspended fun?” his mother called out, before turning to go back inside. He looked over at her retreating form in anger.
“Someone, kill me,” he breathed out loud.
After cleaning up the grass, Aiden had the bright idea to stay in the garage and appear busy. So far it had worked, because his mother had yet to come out and find him. He sat on one of the lawn chairs in there and watched the cars drive by. It wasn’t much fun, but it was better than doing more chores. Around three thirty Ethan came up the driveway and saw Aiden sitting in the garage.
“Hey,” he called out. “What are you doing in here?” he asked, looking around.
“Hiding,” Aiden replied honestly.
“Hiding? From what?”
“My mother,” he replied. “She has been on me ever since I got suspended. She keeps giving me all these things to do around here, and it’s driving me nuts.”
Ethan chuckled, grabbing a seat beside him. “Well, I guess it is her job to punish you, right?” Aiden looked over at him like he had just been betrayed. “Sorry,” he said, laughing and holding up his hands. “You’re right: that evil woman! What was I thinking?”
“Whatever,” Aiden replied, kicking at a pebble on the floor. “So how was school today?”
“Boring as usual, so don’t worry—you haven’t missed much. Although Melissa did ask about you today.”
Aiden sat up and looked at him in shock. “Really? What did she say?”
“She just asked what happened to you, and when I told her you had been suspended, she asked if you were all right.”
“Really?” Aiden smiled. She had actually asked if he was all right. She cared about how he was.
“Yes, really.” Ethan rolled his eyes. “She also professed her undying love for you, and said she can’t wait to bear your children.”
Aiden shoved him, almost sending him right off his chair. “Shut up,” he said. Ethan laughed in response, telling him he was a lovesick fool. The two of them sat in the garage for a while, before his mother finally found them. She told Ethan he had to go, reminding Aiden that he was grounded and therefore was not allowed to see his friends. Ethan said his goodbyes, and once again Aiden was left alone in his prison.
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