by Candy Crum
Chaos snorted as he nodded his large head. He then extended his front legs, lowering himself enough that Cathillian could lift Arryn on the horse’s very tall back.
She was able to throw her leg over, but immediately leaned forward to lie on Chaos’s massive shoulders. Cathillian quickly hopped on before Chaos once again lifted himself.
“You should be safe lying like that,” Cathillian said. “But if you start to slide off in one direction or another, I’m pulling you back against me—got it?”
Arryn gave him a thumbs up before her arm flopped back down to the horse’s side. Chaos began walking west, toward the Kalt river, the sounds of his snorts and heavy breaths soothing Aaryn as she relaxed against him.
There was a loud screech as Echo flew by. She landed in a tree ahead, waiting for the trio to walk by before flying ahead of them again.
It didn’t take long for Arryn to fall unconscious again, but Chaos’s broad back and shoulders gave her a sufficient area to lay in. Cathillian had to center her a few times, but she didn’t care. Right then, she didn’t care about anything other than sleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT
It was quite a long hike for Samuel to get back to Arcadia, but that journey had finally come to an end. It never seemed possible to him—a rearick—that he would ever be excited to see the city, but that had certainly been the case after days of walking.
Food.
Drink.
The rearick was very excited to see the city.
The only thing he'd managed to catch and eat on his journey back were some rabbits and a few berries. He wasn't a big fan of rabbit meat, but it kept him strong. That was good enough for him in the Forest, but he wasn’t about to pass up stopping for some real food now.
The hard ground had been no good for his old bones, and he needed rest. Samuel could still fight with the best of them, but his sleep was important.
To keep up with the younger men, he’d need good rest. The idea of looking weaker by comparison annoyed him, as it would any other rearick, to no end.
When he finally arrived at Sully’s, there was a cute little barmaid working that evening who brought his food and drink. Among all the ugly mugs in attendance, he was happy to see a pretty face. Something that didn't kill his appetite while eating.
He ate in silence as he imagined how wonderful it would be to get back to Craigston. It felt like forever since he’d been home. He didn't have a family there waiting on him, but it was still more home than this damn city.
"Can I get anything else for you?" the young woman asked.
Samuel pulled his mug way too fast, a stream of ale spilling down his beard as he coughed. He hadn't seen her coming, and he'd been lost in thought, allowing himself to be easily startled.
He cleared his throat one last time before speaking. "Well, since me clumsy arse just spilt half the beer, I think I'll need another. Have any of the mystics’ brew back there?”
She smiled and pulled a cloth from her belt before handing it to him. He almost blushed at the kindness of the younger beauty, thanking his thick, bushy beard for hiding any color that had flooded to his face.
He wiped his mouth before giving her an embarrassed smile.
“We do, but it’s pretty expensive.”
“Expensive? Ye mean expensive inna way ol’ Samuel here can’t afford it even with him bein’ one ta deliver it?” Samuel smiled, not wanting the woman to think he was giving her a hard time as much as having a problem with the situation.
She shrugged. “I’m sorry. We can’t really afford to put in an order for more than a barrel at a time. Two at the most. None of the men around here have money. They’re all outta work with the factory down and all. Noble money is all that keeps us up and runnin’.”
Samuel groaned, the sound lost in the loud voices. After journeying alone and on foot for that long without any supplies or proper food, he was a bit more than annoyed to be unable to partake in the good shit. He’d earned it by constantly doing underpaid work for the city—and even helping to save it—or so he’d thought, but apparently not.
The rearick men were always in and out of the town. He realized his men were still working for the damned Arcadians, yet they couldn’t even get a decent night’s rest or entertainment because the city was too far gone.
Everything was too expensive for them, even though they were the reason it was possible. All work and no good ale made for very testy rearick—and they were already as rough and smartassed as they came.
“Sounds like the Chancellor needs ta put tagether a group fer rebuildin’.”
The barmaid smiled. “She has. Otherwise there’d be a lot more guys here. All the others are outta town takin’ jobs from nobles or out in the forests by the Madlands cuttin’ wood for their new houses.”
She paused, shifting her weight from one foot to the other before continuing. “I’m sorry for the expense, but I can get you another beer. I might even be able to sneak you one of them big corn muffins I saw back there.”
When she placed her hand on his shoulder, Samuel felt another blush spread across his face.
“Thanks, lass,” he said with a curt nod, turning away. “I’d like that.”
She gave his shoulder a squeeze, that felt better than he’d liked to admit, and she winked at him before walking away.
"Damn it all," he said to himself. "I’ve completely lost me charm. Ugh. It's been too long."
Samuel shook his head, cursing himself for having been so awkward. He was a rearick, and rearick men didn't get nervous. With another nod, he avoided eye contact when the young woman brought back his beer and a large corn muffin—as promised. He quickly thanked her and went back to eating.
I can't wait to get back home, he thought, but then he thought of something else. What home would there be to return to if he couldn’t find work? None of his people would be living very nice lives if there wasn’t enough coin to go around. I might be stuck here after all.
***
Once Arryn and Cathillian reached the side of the river, Chaos lowered himself to the ground, allowing Cathillian to gracefully dismount without falling and potentially taking Arryn with him. Arryn awoke to Cathillian picking her up, and she curled into him.
“Shit,” she said, yawning.
“What?”
“I can’t stay awake. This is terrible.”
He smiled. “Well, aside from getting your nasty ass cleaned up, I have something for you. A new lesson.”
Arryn groaned. “Can’t you see I feel craptacular? I don’t feel like learning anything.”
The sun was intense over the river, forcing Arryn to keep her eyes squinted. It was a beautiful day. The clouds had all retreated from her earlier assault. It looked as though they’d never even existed.
“If you can use words like craptacular, then you’re energetic enough to learn this. Besides, you’ll thank me. Not many druids can do it. I’m one of the few. Other than me, only my mother and the Chieftain are strong enough.”
“Then why would you think I could?” Arryn asked.
Cathillian was silent, taking slow, careful steps as he walked into the river, Arryn still in his arms. Once the water was to his hips, he gently dropped to his knees, submerging Arryn up to the chest in the process.
“Whoa, that water is cold,” she said. Her body was sore, even after being healed, and the cooler temperatures helped quickly numb away some of the pain.
“You’ll get used to it soon enough,” Cathillian said. “Lean your head back.”
Arryn did as she was asked, her hair moving in the water as it rushed along with the current. Within moments, her hair was washed clean of the dirt and blood with no effort at all.
The water had cleaned away most of the mess. Her face was all that was left, and Cathillian wiped that away with a gentle, wet hand.
“You’re clean now. Are you ready for your lesson?” he asked.
Arryn shook her head. “I really just want to go to sleep. Besides, if you, your m
other, and your grandfather are the only ones able to do whatever this is, I’m not going to be able to even attempt it while I'm so weak.”
“Way to give up before you even try, quitter. You’ll never regret it if you learn it. Now, stop being a shit. You’re too weak to fight me on this anyway.”
Arryn rolled her eyes. “Delightful.”
“You asked why I believe you can do this when no one else can. The reason is because I just saw something in you that we haven’t seen in a long time. Raw, untapped power. You have a lot of potential—but not if you hold on to your Arcadian ways.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Arryn asked. “I let go of my Arcadian ways forever ago. I’m more druid than Arcadian. I just don’t have the fancy, pointy ears to go along with it.”
Cathillian laughed. “Don’t make fun of the ears. You’re just jealous that yours are rounded and boring. Look, what I’m trying to say is it’s fine to learn your physical magic. You’re good at it—for a novice. But there are some things you need to learn about our magic, too. So, can you just trust me for maybe five seconds?”
Arryn nodded, fighting the urge to fall asleep in his arms while the cool water rushed around them.
Cathillian adjusted her in his arms when her eyes started to close again. “Using magic drains the hell out of your energy. Physical magic is the worst because it takes more energy than any other type and it doesn't give anything back at all. Mystical magic isn’t much better, but they can heal themselves some with meditation. Nature magic is the opposite. It’s pure. It’s life.”
Arryn fought heavy eyes again before shaking her head to wake herself more. “I suppose that makes sense, but I still don’t see where you’re going with this.”
“That’s because you have zero patience.” He smiled, but Arryn couldn’t see it for the bright sun blinding her. “Touch the energy from the water. Feel it and pull it into yourself. When you can learn to absorb the energy, you can learn how to recycle it and heal yourself.”
“Yeah, I can feel it, but I can’t move it right now, let alone do something I’ve never even seen done before. You can?” she asked with a yawn.
He nodded. “Yes. We walk around barefoot to have a constant connection with nature. But water’s stronger. We just can't carry it with us. When any other druid heals, they only use their own magic—meaning their own energy—and push it toward whatever they are healing.”
Arryn nodded, unable to manage much else.
Cathillian smiled. “That means they get weak quickly—just like if they'd used physical or mystical magic. If you learn to use the energy of nature around you instead of just yours, then it won't drain you so much. You're essentially healing yourself as you cast, but it has its limits, and I doubt it would work well with any other type of magic use—like physical.”
“Heal yourself as you cast? But—that would mean that druids could have almost endless energy in battle if they just learned how to recycle the energy around them,” Arryn said.
Cathillian shook his head. “No. Not even close. My grandfather doesn't even have that kind of power, but it would allow someone to fight a little longer. As for powerful healing, there is only one element that can deliver a lot of life energy at one time, and we’re standing in it.”
“This sounds like a lot of bullshit, and I don’t believe you. Carry me back to the grass; I'm exhausted. I’d have noticed you, Elysia, or the Chieftain do that kind of magic. I can feel energy, and I’m not a native druid, so everyone has to be able to do it,” she said.
Cathillian dropped Arryn’s legs down while still holding onto her with the other arm. He pulled a knife from a small sheath on his belt and struggled for a moment to keep hold of her in the river while using the knife to make a deep cut down his free forearm.
Blood immediately poured through the wound and into the water. Without saying a word, he lowered his arm into the river.
Arryn’s eyes widened as she watched the wound close almost instantly without him touching it as she’d seen other druids do while healing themselves or others. And she only felt a tiny amount of energy come from him as he healed himself.
“How?” she asked. “I—That’s incredible!”
He smiled. “I told you. The point is, once you’re comfortable enough with the power nature offers, and once you can control it, you’ll use half the energy, but yield greater results. It’s the only type of magic that gives as much as it takes. I think I can teach you how to use nature magic in a way that will help you grow your physical magic right along with druid abilities.”
“Why can’t other druids do that?” she asked.
“It’s not for a lack of trying,” Nika said from behind them. She rotated the wrist that had broken in the battle. Seemed like it was feeling much better. “If I could do what he can, I wouldn’t have to have others heal me.”
Cathillian turned with Arryn in hand. He sheathed his knife before picking Arryn up once again and carrying her to the grass. He gently sat her down.
“I wanted you to use the water to regain your energy, but I guess you'll just have to sleep it off. I’ll let you off easy this time—but only because you got the shit kicked out of you. But next time, I’m not gonna be so gentle with you.” He winked and stood.
“Do you really think I could do that?” Arryn asked, her voice sounding a bit more lively and excited.
Nika kneeled then, a towel and some fresh clothes in hand. “After what I saw today—I’ll never doubt your abilities again. That doesn't mean I won’t doubt your skill in controlling them, however. I really don’t think you could call on that kind of power again without another trigger, but you definitely have something.”
“We’ll talk more about it later,” Cathillian said. “I’m gonna walk back so you can get changed in private. Nika, can you get her on Chaos without a problem?”
“Your mom healed my wrist, so I’m good to go. I’m gonna heal Arryn a bit more. See if it helps give her a bit more strength. She's much more awake. Seems she syphoned a little from the water without realizing it. We should be just fine,” Nika said.
“Wait, what?” Arryn asked. “I did?”
Cathillian laughed. “Never paying attention! It’s no wonder why I always sneak up on you. You really do make it too easy.”
Arryn and Cathillian had always spent their time arguing and insulting one another. It was their favorite pastime. But it had been a long few days, and he had been there for her without fail. He was a much better man and friend than she’d given him credit for.
It was obvious that he believed in her, and that meant more to her than she realized.
“Cathillian,” Arryn said as he walked away.
“Yeah?” he said, turning back to face her.
“Thanks for everything. I don’t know if you’re right or not, but I’m more than willing to learn. If it turns out that I’ll be allowed to leave for Arcadia, though, it’ll have to wait.”
“No. No, it won’t,” he said, a devious smile on his face. Her expression turned inquisitive before he answered. “I demanded to take the Versuch. Looks like you’re stuck with my ass. We both know I won’t lose.”
“Oh, hell,” she said out loud.
CHAPTER NINE
The sun was beginning to set, the daylight hours still short from winter. Amos made his way back to the Academy, having just finished helping a friend, John, home after class. John had been injured in the Battle for Arcadia, suffering a broken leg, and Amos liked to help make sure he made it home OK every day.
Amos hadn't told anyone about meeting the Dean later, not having wanted to make a bigger deal out of the earlier fight than what was necessary. He didn't like fighting and arguing, and he certainly didn't like making himself look like an ass.
Still, when people like Jackson got in his face, it was difficult for him to back down. All he wanted was to live alongside everyone in Arcadia in peace, no matter what their background was. But there were still people like Jackson that had
a hard time adjusting.
As he crossed the front entrance of the school, he wondered what the Dean could possibly have to say. He didn't like the idea of needing to stay after class, but if it managed to get some problems solved, then he’d do what he needed to.
He regretted being so rude to Talia earlier, that having been the first time he'd really met her, though he'd seen her around campus. He hadn't wanted to upset her further; it was obvious she was annoyed with Alec, the new history teacher. Amos had only added to it, and he knew it.
He took a deep breath and knocked on the door of the Dean's office, the sound of her voice echoing through the wood almost immediately.
He pushed the door open and made his way inside before closing it behind him. Talia sat behind her desk, standing to meet him as he stepped away from the threshold.
"I'm so glad you could make it," she said. "I know staying over isn't ideal, but I appreciate you coming back."
Her words were kind, but there was something in her voice that chilled him to the bone. He couldn't place it, but something just didn't seem right.
She slowly walked toward him, her head was held high, her shoulders squared, and her pace was slow and deliberate.
Very confident.
His gut began to roll as a bad feeling crept cross him. He couldn't understand why, but he was suddenly very afraid of her.
Talia smiled, the very tone of it terrifying. "You look nervous, Amos," she said, her voice low.
Amos shook his head. "No, not at all. My mom's just expecting me soon, so I need to get home before it gets too dark outside. Still, I wanted to come here, since you asked."
Talia stopped only a couple of feet away from him, nodding her head as she looked him over. "So, you said you fought in the revolution?"
"Y-yes, ma'am," he said, silently kicking himself for allowing his voice to crack.