Baby This Night (for CaitieGirl)

[Breaker]

The night winked and stretched so sweet

I couldn't help myself

Stirred from my quarters on the top floor of the Promenade.

The rooms could not bind me this night

Called me out

To the rooftops, fluffy whiteness blanketed the thatch and shale shingles

My bare feet whispered

would not feel the cold

Floated like when I battled Sha’keth

Snow innocent as the blood was shameless

Pure not vile

Inviting

Called me down

On the ground in the snow running

Tireless

The dark knew no end

Like the wrath of Sha’keth

I circled the city on wings of snow angels

Searched for what made the night different

Than when blood painted the rooftops

of Underwood.

She smiled and made it new

As only snowfall can

The night stretched and winked

And began.

[CaitieGirl]

Once she was allowed out of bed, the first thing Rose wanted was a bath. She revelled in the movement of her legs as she sank into the hot water. She was careful not to splash the newly knit scar that ran down her neck. That'll take some explaining when Angela sees it, Rose thought, letting her long hair fan out in the water behind her. The lamplight sparkled on the rippling water and she wondered at even being alive.

She had been in the infirmary over a week. The last few days she had spent in mental rebellion against the prescribed bedrest, and had used her energy and time levitating orbs of water out of the pitcher that sat next to her bed. The days before that she could barely remember at all. Those memories began with a white hot pain to her throat, then a concerned pair of hazel eyes, then a haze of aches, darkness and kind elven faces. The medics refused to tell her what happened. They seemed to expect that she would find out eventually which left Rose frustrated and perplexed.

Once she was clean and warm Rose donned the dress she had brought in her pack, which sat on a chair in her room along with her weapons. They looked entirely out of place in the peace of her simply furnished room, as if the very air were beneficial. The breeches, cotton shirt and jacket she had worn upon entering Underwood were suspiciously absent. Running graceful fingers along her scar Rose imagined that they had been soaked with her blood and had been destroyed. I'll have to buy some new ones. I can't very well train to fight in a dress.

Picking up her well used bow Rose wrapped a capable hand around the grip and drew the string back as she always had, simply lacking an arrow. She felt the string settle between familiar calluses on her fingers and felt the muscles in her shoulders sing as she moved. She noted with pride that her arms, at least, had not suffered from lack of use. Knowing she could hardly use it in the city she put the bow safely back on the chair. Her belt she wrapped around her waist and sheathed her dagger. She wasn't going anywhere without a weapon after having her throat slit once in Underwood. She stood shakily on one foot then the next to lace her boots. It felt odd to wear shoes after so long in bed.

Once dressed she purposefully left the infirmary and set her feet to the streets. She followed the directions a medic had given her, looking somewhat concerned at her destination. She was going where any well-bred young lady goes after nearly dying: for a drink.

[Breaker]

Continued from Your vices are in order (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?22175-Your-vices-are-in-order). All bunnying approved.

The moon peeked through a gap in grey clouds, heavy with the promise of more snow to supplement the crystalline drifts Underwood wore like a wedding dress. The town was so many things to so many different beings... a proving ground, a sanctuary, a home... and to one young woman the site of a near death experience.

The druidic healers who commanded the infirmary had promised me she would be on her feet in a week, and forbade me from seeing her 'till then. They had their customs, and out of respect for tradition I didn't sneak in. And yet three times a day I found myself passing the sprawling building, heart heavy with guilt. Somehow I knew it wouldn't lighten until I could see her eyes full of life again. The memory of their misty vacant stare as she bled out had haunted me for seven nights.

My feet left textured imprints in the snow. I wore a light blue cotton shirt and denim pants but no shoes. The springy squish between my toes was worth the dull chill. I dodged smiling residents as I moved. Some called out to me with questions or concerns, but I did not hear the words. I was off duty - tonight was not a night for mulling over reports of Hadian and Imperial activity, or assuaging the concerns of citizens. Tonight I listened for a certain girl's breathing pattern. In the purity of the night, her clean scent stood out. Fresh and alive. I accelerated and swerved, ran a few steps up the side of a brick haberdashery and spotted her thick chestnut hair in the crowd ahead. My hands hooked the top of the building, pulled my legs between them and onto the shale roof, sprinting. Snow slipped where my feet whispered, showering a young couple below, but by the time they looked up I had landed in an alley two buildings away.

I waited, for her scent and the sound of her breath. Her steps were light and steady as a metronome, drawing ever closer. And then she stepped past the greybrick wall.

"Rose," I spoke softly and touched her elbow with callused fingertips, a tentative smile on my lips.

[CaitieGirl]

Rose's reaction was pure instinct. Her dagger found the man's neck in a moment, and snow tumbled softly around them as she threw her body against his to force his back against the wall.

“How do you know my name?” she asked in a fierce whisper. She was made even more angry by the fact that he had worn what looked like a smirk when she whirled around. He had thought her easy prey. She had known that the growing resistance could cause turbulence in Underwood but she had hardly expected a scoundrel like this to remain unchecked in a place that was crawling with soldiers.

Then she realized that she was glaring into the exact pair of eyes that had haunted her for a week. “You,” she gasped audibly and dropped the dagger. Rose was swept back into her memories, those hazel eyes and firm but kind hands on her, helping her live. She remembered the searing pain but those eyes had been like an anchor keeping her from drifting into the afterlife. She backed away until her shoulders were pressed against the other alley wall a few feet away from him.

She looked at him wide eyed. He hadn't moved. He was watching her like she was a deer he was afraid to startle. Like she would run away. He stood with his back still against the wall and his hands at his sides but she took in the man's size, the muscle of his body. He was a killer born, yet she wasn't afraid. She realized that for him to stop her would have been all too easy but that he let her take control. She looked at his face. His hazel eyes were locked on her violet ones. They showed only good will but still they were guarded. If he only knew how much she wanted to thank him! Rose was almost sure that this man was the reason she was breathing.

“You saved me, didn't you?” She made a simple question of what she had been aching to know for days. She was ashamed to find that her voice was not steady when she asked it. He nodded, but didn't speak. He just watched her. More than that, his eyes seemed to track her every movement. She worried her every thought must play on her face for this watchful stranger to see. She hoped he couldn't see just how close she was to falling into the snow below her. Her legs were shaking uncontrollably. She hoped for pride's sake that it was because of the bed rest.

He moved, finally, bending down and plucking her dagger from it's snowy prison. He held it out to her in his open palm. There was a deadly grace to even that simple movement. She took her dagger holding it close to heart heart like a rosary. His hand remained held out to her, palm open, asking.

“Rose,” he said again. There was a power to hearing her name fall gently from the warrior's lips that gave strength to her legs and lifted her from her troubled thoughts. She pushed away from the alley wall and stood upright. She sheathed her dagger and took the offered hand, giving him a grateful smile. She felt his guiding touch on her back as they left the alley.

Another smile played her lips as they walked and she found herself saying lightly, “I think you've got a story for me, and I think I owe you thanks, but first, who the hell are you?"

[Breaker]

The clouds shed a slow downward spiral of translucent snow as Rose talked herself down and we entered the flow of elves and humans who walked the roads of Underwood. An attempt to convince her might have brought out the girl's fighting spirit. Instead I let eye contact declare my innocence. I didn't even look at the dagger she thrust against my throat - knowing she was not a killer. But a fighter for certain... only a warrior could survive a gash like that. The clouds wept crystallised tears of joy. She trusted me.

Snowflakes melted on our cheeks, and Rose caught one on the cherry tip of her tongue. I marvelled at her spirit and my own selfishness. Even as I sought to apologise to the girl I studied her. Looked for ways to put her to use. The moon hid shyly in her downy hood but to my eyes Rose's skin still glowed. Faint and blue like Salvic Icemold. I sensed her magical potential as a seer reads signs in the stars. And she was quick with the knife but not quick enough by half. A younger version of me might have taught that lesson with a harsh counter. But with years came patience and wisdom.

The slightest pressure of my arm on her shoulder and we stopped together on the corner of two white sheeted roads. She looked to me expecting an answer as I scanned the windows and rooftops and alleyways.

"Well?" Her one word question hung in the air like a snow flake caught in an updraft. Twelve yards and six centimetres behind her a one-armed drow stood unobtrusively in a nook between an apothecary and a candle shop. He wore a thick brown wool cloak and a floppy canvas cap and smoked a fat cigar contentedly. I met Rose's lilac eyes and shifted my hand through two swift signals behind her back.

"My name is Joshua Cronen," I said. I waited as if expecting her to know of me. In fact I listened carefully to everything the drow across the street muttered so quietly the passerby could not hear.

"Jacob is in the Promenade pandering to the ladies of course," Phyr Sa'resh whispered around the tightly rolled cigar. "Haven't seen Reev all day figure he's out at his hut," the drow hissed as he eyed a passing Elf. I made another hand sign and touched Rose's back again.

"I owe you that story. Later on tonight. I promise. Here and now..." The drow had disappeared. Stepping to the side I turned Rose to face the young half-elf who seemed to step from thin air behind her. "Have you met Jake?"

"Narmolanya." The horsethief said his last name as he took her hand. His boot traced a crescent in the snow as he bowed formally and kissed her knuckle. He wore a short scaly leather jacket and vlince shirt and pants. A black silk scarf concealed a secret on his neck. His button topped cap contained light rebellious hair.

I wonder if that's dirty blond, or just blond and dirty? Jake made an excellent friend and ally - and a pass at every girl he met.

"Well my lady Rose, may I assist you with anything?" He released her hand and finished the bow with a flourish, tweaking the brim of his cap.

"Glad you asked," I intercepted the question. "We'll be visiting Reever later. Could you hop out there and set up the shack like we did in Salvar?" Jake stepped back and quirked an eyebrow. I nodded.

"Of course I can matey!" The boy cackled, mimicking Reever's nautical twang. He turned a back handspring which put him behind a crowd of robed druids. By the time they moved on Jake had vanished. I looked back to Rose. She stood with hands splayed on her hips, feet and body pointed towards the Promenade's door. Must be tired of people sneaking up on her. I smiled and shrugged. Nothing's normal around me.

"For the moment Rose, can I get you a drink?"

[CaitieGirl]

Rose sat at one of the few tables that was available during the nightly barrage of customers at the Promenade. Josh had reluctantly used his influence to secure a table in a corner where they wouldn't be interrupted. Alone now, she kept her head down with her hair over one shoulder like a chestnut waterfall and stared into her glass trying to process what she had just learned. She had started out drinking Yurik's Firewhisky (Josh's recommendation, of course) but now she was simply drinking water. She thought it was probably best to keep her head even in the hands of a capable warrior. Her heart was heavy with guilt that Josh had gone through so much trouble for her. It wasn't his fault an assassin bent on revenge had taken her hostage, it was a case of 'wrong place, wrong time,' that was all.

Shortly after Josh finished his tale Jake slipped in and beckoned to him not forgetting to throw a kiss her way with a grin that was supposed to be charming. She had forced a smile but she could tell from the concerned way Josh looked at her before slipping out a side door that he saw right through it.

Rose tried desperately to remember the taste of the snowflake she caught only an hour before. She had felt like a weight had been lifted. It tasted like spring water in the woods that bubbled up from the earth cold and clear as glass. It was an innocent memory that seemed out of place now that she knew just how close she had been to death. It had been an unlucky coincidence and not Josh's fault as he believed. She was still staring into the glass, fuming at the fates, when she became aware of heavy footsteps behind her. If this is someone fooling around I will throttle him. Then she felt thick fingertips run up her exposed neck. She could smell the alcohol on the man's breath from where she sat. Perfect, absolutely perfect.

“Pretty women should never sit alone. Let me buy you a drink lovey,”

Rose heard him slide over his words and resisted the urge to shudder at his touch. She didn't think he'd take it well. Instead of responding she focused her thoughts on the water in her glass, floating an acorn sized orb into the air close to her body where he wouldn't see it. Not liking being ignored the brute grabbed her upper arm much tighter than was necessary and pulled her out of the chair. Rose had to fight hard to keep her temper and her control over the water and when he spun her around to face him she used her pent up frustration to throw it in his face with as much force as she could. Midway through the movement she lost all control and instead of what could have equated to a golf ball to the face the man got a stinging spray in the eyes. Wasting no time at all she twisted the man's arm behind his back and shoved him up against the closest wall.

She was trying to decipher what her drunken companion was grumbling at her when a capable hand settled on her tensed shoulder.

“I can't leave you alone in this town can I?” Josh asked sounding rather tired. He pulled her back from the man protectively. When the stranger saw Josh his already red face turned nearly purple and he muttered an apology and made a speedy get away. Josh watched him go, his face like a thundercloud.

Rose's eyes were, to her surprise, filling with tears but she smirked as she asked with bitter sincerity “Please Josh, you've got to teach me or you'll be stuck protecting me forever.”

[Breaker]

In that moment my presence diverted the flow of the Tap. Like a boulder lodged in the bed of the Firewine I altered its flow to my favour. My rooms in the Promenade and goods and services throughout the town were pushed upon me by smiling locals victim of the same effect. They only asked I remain in Underwood, like a talisman against evil. With no reason to deny their need for a guardian I accepted the gifts, and tasked Phyr with secretly refunding every glass of whisky and night of lodging. The ancient drow handled my finances, and had hidden considerable sums of gold throughout the town in heavy lockboxes of his own design.

Rose said the words I hoped to hear in a thickened voice, her eyes swimming like water lilies. The weighted feeling in my chest trebled as the girl's emotions bent her to my will. Her exchange with the drunkard had sent a ripple through the room, and suddenly we had space to ourselves. I angled my shoulders to shield the rest of the room from view and leaned close, set a comforting hand on her shoulder as a dewdrop tear trickled from violet petals. She gasped and went rigid as a steel tanto snaked out of my sleeve and caressed her scar. I dried her eyes with the dagger's ornate silken tassel and whisked her into the rear hallway which led to the stairwell.

"Your first lesson is never sit with your back to the room, and never fail to expect a knife." I made the tanto disappear and led Rose to a simple oaken door with a brass knob, which seemed out of place in the middle of the trakym panelled wall. Her eyes smouldered but I preferred angry to sad. Where I was about to take her, neither would last long.

"Second lesson is... be nice to Jake. Besides being a great kid when the barkeep hasn't been pouring him doubles, he makes these fantastic doorways." I twisted the knob and a gust of chilly air buffeted the door open. Snow streamed into the hallway from a forest clearing miles away, spilling through the canny magical portal of Jake Narmolanya.

"Step through Rose... I'm right behind you."

[CaitieGirl]

Rose looked back at Josh who grinned mischievously. The pressure of his hand on her shoulder increased slightly as he motioned her forward. She gave him what she hoped was a withering glare. She wanted him to know that his teaching methods did not amuse her. He gave her a gentle push. She thought she saw some darker thought pass over his face but it was too late.

She didn't even feel it. She was in the Promenade one moment and the next she stepped into ankle deep snow in the middle of a forest. She looked at her surroundings which were new but in many ways familiar to her. The whispers of the naked branches beckoned to her. She broke into a joyful smile. Josh didn't know anything about her, he could not possibly have known that of all the places to train this was what she would choose. She turned a circle and saw the moon kissed surface of a lake not far away. The water called to her like it had since she was a girl.

Rose knew she didn't have long before Josh arrived. She gathered her skirts in her hands and flew through the few trees that separated her from the lake. When she got within a few feet of the edge she sank to her knees. She thrust her silvery hands into the water, oblivious to the cold. Acting on the pure joy of being free and being well she scooped up water and splashed it onto her face, shivering with both cold and pleasure. She filled her cupped hands again to drink.

She heard a quiet splash and her eyes flew open. She looked down and saw that her hands were still full. Then where did that splash come from? Fish aren't usually very active in the winter. Rose scanned the surface warily. She didn't see any suspicious ripples. She loosed the water and listened to her own tiny fall of rain as she looked around behind her. No one, not even Josh.

She relaxed slightly, feeling more of her weight settle onto her heels, hearing the gentle squeak of the snow as she shifted. She looked around feeling bewildered until she noticed that something had surfaced and was now bobbing steadily across the lake towards her. She squinted but could only make out the inky silhouette of...what? Whatever it was it was getting closer. Too close. She scrambled to her feet and backed away from the shore. She felt at her waist for her dagger and it wasn't there! Either she had lost it or...that bastard Cronen! I'm going to kill him! Hell of a time to disarm a girl! She nearly shrieked when she backed into a tree. Slamming a hand over her traitorous mouth she stood still. She watched as some sort of animal trundled out of the water. It stood on two of its rather short legs and swept its front paws over its face in a very human gesture. Rose was just picking up a fallen branch in case the thing came at her when she heard a voice call to her.

“Yeh won' be needin' that Rosie darlin'! Josh would have me hide if'n I was to harm yeh!”

Rose kept her hold on the branch. After the last week I've earned the right to be paranoid. She cautiously crept forward until the moonlight showed that her opponent was in fact a giant otter. She had heard stories about them but had never seen one. She reasoned that anyone who knew that she was under Josh's protection would be raving mad to attack her and that a stick really wasn't going to do her much good against those who dared to try. Giving herself a mental shake she dropped the makeshift weapon and closed more of the distance between them.

“I'm very sorry. I wasn't sure who I was dealing with. Josh... didn't prepare me much.” she said, truly embarrassed by her behaviour and conscious that it was the first time she had said Josh's name out loud. Then she heard his voice from behind her.

“That's because you needed to learn the third lesson. Your weapon is your life, treat it as such. And the fourth isn't so much a lesson as it is an introduction. Reev, may I introduce Rose Vasston. Rose, this is Reever Glacegeyser.”

Rose took the otter's extended paw in the oddest handshake she had ever felt and he gave her a wink. She smiled back, seeing how entertaining her reaction must have been for him. After this exchange she turned on Josh who had appeared from the woods where she assumed he had been watching the whole time. Just seeing him made her feel safer. Ignoring the feeling she held out her hand imperiously and he gave her the missing dagger, hilt first. She took a good look at him from his familiar eyes down to his feet, still bare in the snow. The moonlight threw everything into sharp relief and she was able to see the contours of his muscles more clearly. He was as intimidating a figure in the dark as in the light. And he is a good teacher, she admitted to herself. Meeting his gaze she held out her arms in a symbol of defeat.

“I know when I'm beat. Your teaching methods are unorthodox, but effective.” She gave a little curtsy just for emphasis.

He smiled. Rose knew that she had simply pointed out the obvious but the fact that he was amused both exasperated her and made her want to laugh with him. With sudden inspiration she sighed, smoothed her skirts underneath her and sat down in the snow, facing the lake but keeping Josh in her peripheral vision. She was very tired of having people sneak up on her. She watched him sit down beside her and saw that Reever was wandering off somewhere. He probably doesn't think much of human behaviour.

“Enough lessons for tonight?” Josh asked quietly.

Rose tried to keep a straight face. “I think I've got one more in me”, she said. Then she shoved the handful of snow she had been hiding into his face and hair and bolted. She was laughing as she called back to him.

“Lesson one, never give me a reason to get even!”

[Breaker]

Downy flakes melted on my tongue as I wiped snow from my eyes and tasted the night. Such freshness banished the weight of guilt as I watched Rose run through the snow. She looked like a nymph, able to scamper across the upper icy layers of snow. My legs churned a channel down to the ground as I pursued. Sweeping wide, I ducked on the run and scooped a handful of powder, sculpting it into a sphere as the heat from my hands made it malleable.

"Lesson two!" Rose called as she raced alongside the dense, frosted bushes that lined the small lake in Concordia. "Next time wear some snowshoes!" As she turned back to look where she was going I dove into the lowest fork of a large oak tree, setting it rocking to the roots. Rose giggled as my snowball spun past her shoulder, adjusting her path so she ran even closer to the canopy of solid snow and ice which covered the bushes beside her. I stayed in place as the tree stopped shaking and took my time gathering and moulding another perfect projectile from the snow which cascaded off higher branches. Rose was nearly twenty yards away when she glanced over her shoulder again, her words a puff of steam in the silvery night. "Lesson threeeeeahh!"

She cried out in shock as my snowy sphere clipped her calf. On the run and off balance, she tumbled through a thin veil of powder and into a dark, icy chute.


*

Reever Glacegeyser had constructed the lodge mostly from ornately frozen snow and ice. Sculpted stalactites of tinted white grew from the ground, supporting a roof of overlapping snow domes which resembled snow covered bushes from the outside. The otter's canny magic was evidently at work, for the large bonfire in the centre of the small round main room never melted that downy canopy, and yet the smoke filtered to the heavens without complaint.

Jake Narmolanya crouched on the stacked animal skins which carpeted the floor, tending to the iron teapot hanging from a short steel tripod. Looking through the looped handle of the pot the teenage half-elf could see Reever had actually removed several bushes from an existing grove to make his temporary residence undetectable even to those who knew the forest well. I guess that's where all this fire wood came from, the teen thought, eyeing the branches stacked against the prickly wall behind him. To his right, a flickering blue light accompanied the sound of softly lolling waves. Must be an underwater entrance, Jake reasoned as the kettle belched steam and whistled. He removed the iron pot using a sturdy firepoker and set it on a tray of moss, lifting the lid to sprinkle in a small pouch of organic substances. The aroma that filled the lodge made him feel cosy and lazy.

When Rose Vasston slid giggling onto the mossy mat from the main entrance to Jake's right, the teen was just finishing pouring a second cup of tea. He politely averted his eyes as the way the girl landed temporarily displayed her creamy thighs. Jake fiddled with the black silk scarf at his neck, as if it could hide the redness of his cheeks. Aside from the scarf he wore cotton trousers and shirtsleeves, and sweated as he sat next to the growing fire.

"Thanks for the visit, Rose." The half-elf said with a cheeky wink. "I've made some tea for us, but first, could you get the door? I'm not much use with water-based arcana, and I know Josh and Reev won't be along for a bit. Where are you from?" Jake lounged back and sipped the sweet, earthy tea, casting a habitual glance across his rucksack and other possessions piled nearby.

[CaitieGirl]

Rose wrestled her skirts back to where they should be and looked apologetically at Jake who had turned bright pink at the sight of her legs. Once she was upright and the heavy material had settled into a somewhat more ladylike array she put the young half-elf and his embarrassment out of her mind and retreated into the place in her mind that was reserved for magic. She could feel the vestiges of Reever's magic in the air as she tried to recreate the veil of snow that had hidden the entrance from her. It was as if the energy already being present magnified her own abilities, so instead of a thin layer she lost control and wound up with a miniature avalanche which nearly engulfed her. She turned quickly to silence Jake's snickering with a look and tried again. This time it worked as it should because she was ready for it. I'll have to watch out for that, that could have been much worse. If I ever loose control of ice and it shatters I could kill someone.

That done Rose turned and shook out her skirts for a second time hearing small sizzles as bits of snow wound up in the fire. She moved so that she was beside Jake and tucked her skirts and her legs under her so she could sit. She gratefully accepted the cup of tea he offered and wrapped her hands around it to warm them up. As she raised her cup to her lips she became aware that Jake was watching her intently. She stopped.

“What is it you want to know?”

“Where you're from,” Jake repeated. Rose sighed quietly. She was tired but she could see that he was curious and would not be put off. She settled more comfortably onto the skins on the floor.

“Home is a very small village north west of here. Or...north west of Underwood I suppose. I'm not really sure where we are thanks to your door.” She gave Jake a genuine smile for the first time that night and he beamed back, flushing a little.

She took a sip of tea and was shocked to discover that the tea Jake had given her was the same kind Angela had given her when she was sick as a child, made from the native herbs of the forest. She was hit by a sudden wave of homesickness that felt like a kick to the gut. She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

“You know my brother's name is Jacob. We call him Jake too sometimes.” The young elf made a face as if to say he did not think much of sharing a name with Rose's kin.

“And I suppose you're Rosie.” he said teasingly.

There was a hitch in Rose's breathing as she struggled to answer. “Only very rarely now, that was my father's pet name for me once.”

She took another sip of tea and, upon realizing that Jake was still looking at her expectantly, she launched herself into story after story about her brother and herself as children running through the forest, learning and bruising along the way. She let herself sink into the memories of soft leaves brushing her arms like helpful spirits and the feeling of the bark of a centuries old tree. She told him how she had learned to climb then to remain unseen up in the branches. She had accidentally witnessed more than one lovers' tryst this way. She told Jake how her brother had been the first one to know about her elemental magic and how when he was learning to shoot a bow she had spent long hours with him so that he could shoot with the best of the men and not be outshone by his sister. Unknowingly she had let herself become a storyteller, letting her hands gesture freely to match her animated expressions. She hardly knew she was talking at all. When she had worked her winding way to the turning point in her life she stopped and sat staring into the fire wistfully.

Those years before the bandits had come seemed perfect to her now. Before they had come her father had been outgoing if not entirely happy. It was as though they broke his spirit not just his hand. The memory made her blood boil. But Jake didn't hear the story of the bandits, it was much too close to Rose's heart to share. They had been the reason she came to Underwood to train and who knew what would become of that plan. She had already come perilously close to death but the thought of abandoning the people that needed her made her sick to her stomach.

“Thank you Rose.” She snapped out of it, and gave Jake a weak smile by way of an apology for getting carried away. It was just as he was pouring her a second cup of tea that Reever slid down the chute on his belly, looking completely at home. The entrance was built more for giant otters than for humans. Josh followed quickly and although he did not look as natural he landed solidly with one hand on the floor in the small pile of snow Rose had created and his weight equally distributed. He was still like a coiled spring when Rose and Jake both raised their cups to toast the newcomers.

“Welcome gentlemen, good of you to join us.”

[Breaker]

The fire's steady purr was that of a kitten, incapable of surviving long on its own. Jake must have noted my observation for he rose and gathered more of the dried thorny branches, stacking them expertly on the flames in a rising grid. I uncoiled my spine and moved through Reever's lair. It had an air of secrecy; the otter had taken far too much care in concealing his temporary residence to call it a home. The domed roof was comfortably high and somehow diluted the escaping smoke, making it less visible to passing scouts. I padded across a moose pelt and stepped onto bare ground. A nearly flat section of yellowed grass shone in the growing firelight. Perhaps ten paces square, the area preceded another of Reev's ice slides, a dark conical conduit that echoed with the tired yip of winter water.

Glacegeyser was curled on a wolf pelt, basking in the fire's aura. The creature lived a simple life but was far from simple-minded, as he had proven by saving my life on more than one occasion, at a time when death loomed like an ending. I grinned as Reev wiggled his tail and footpaws closer to the bed of dusty coals. My eyes travelled around the fire and lit on Jake and Rose. Both my students, both incredibly talented. They would not train together for a time, though. More important they become friends. The way Rose leaned on her elbow and pointed her foot indicated the two had bonded over tea and the atmosphere. She learns quickly. My grin widened as I called out.

"Jake! Time we showed Rose some of what you've been learning." The boy was on his feet before I finished the sentence. He rummaged in his rucksack and produced a long golden-brown quill almost reverently, holding it in both hands as he strode to the dried grass and stood opposite me.

"The first thing I teach all of my students is that training is only as good as one's diligence to training. If you're not ready to fight any time every day, you present your enemy with an opportunity to ambush you." The dead grass whispered as Jake rose into a one-footed stance with his right knee curled against his chest. I felt a surge of magic and the quill in his hand became an iron hilt from which a fiery swordblade grew, slightly curved and still as ice. The tip of the flame-sword pointed at my heart sure as a wetted thread points at the eye of a needle. Jake breathed in, slim arms still as stone beneath the sleeves of his cotton shirt. The fire popped, and I glanced at Rose to see if she was still paying attention.

She was. Jake exhaled, but not loud enough to conceal the rustle of his pants as the curled leg lashed out, bare heel aimed for my jaw. My grin became a wide smile as I ducked beneath the kick and swept Jake's back leg. The daring attack made me proud of my protege. He fell gracefully and rolled over one shoulder, sworldblade fanning the air defensively until he changed direction and attacked again, this time with a straight thrust that turned into a downward slash seeking my femoral artery. I stepped twice, sideways and forwards, shouldered Jake and swept his other foot. He started to roll backwards then kipped up, slashing at my throat smooth as a wave rising against sheer ocean cliffs. My head snapped back as I tapped his elbow, forcing an overextension and stepping in close again. I trapped his neck and swordarm in a standing compression choke. The half elf's breathing barely changed as he shifted his feet to alleviate the pressure. The compact muscles in his arm shifted as he spun the longsword into a downward grip and stabbed at the back of my neck.

I heard Rose gasp and felt the heat of the blade's proximity as I spun and threw Jake over my shoulder, slamming him to the ground and forcing the sword toward his own throat. He shrimped away, crackling the grass, and then grasped my hand with both of his own and tried getting his sword back with a wrist throw. I allowed him to regain his weapon with the crisp technique but flared my other elbow up at the same time, belting him across the neck with my forearm. The youth staggered away, green eyes fuzzy. He steadied himself in a low crouch with one hand splayed on the ground. His other wielded the sword like a wand and a barrage of fire balls poured out, sizzling in the moist air as they sped towards me.

As each magical projectile entered my space I urged it to change course, sending some down the ice chute and others back towards Jake, who batted them back again with the flat of his sword. Sweat dripped from the boy's chin and his steady breathing finally became haggard as the use of magic wore on him. And yet this feels like playing catch with a kid. I could have juggled fire all night.

"Reev, could ya' lend a.. paw?" Jake gasped. He had returned the flamesword to quill form and tucked the item away, hurling balls of fire with both hands as fast as he could. The otter rose onto his hind legs and moved sinuously to stand beside Jake. The sizzling grew louder as he produced a school of icicles and sent them zipping toward me like minnows through a pond. I laughed out loud and melded the ice and fire together, creating a shield of molten element that grew and threatened to consume both of them. Reever barked in surprise and thrust both forepaws out, freezing the matter into a thousand tiny snowflakes and channelling them all into the fire. A cloud of steam rose in result, and when it cleared I was sitting quietly beside Rose, sipping Jake's tea.

"Your turn," I said into the cup, my eyes on the chestnut haired girl. "Reev, are you up for a little duel with the lass?"

[CaitieGirl]

Rose gulped quietly but knew that the duel was not an option, it was a goodnatured test. She nervously rose to her feet and faced Reever underneath his own beautifully crafted roof. She looked around at her companions. Josh looked absolutely imperturbably calm, Jake looked encouraging and expectant and her opponent looked lithe and prepared even for an otter. She took a steadying breath and closed her eyes. She hoped that Reever would take her inexperience into account and go easy on her.

Her eyes flew open just in time for her to dodge the snow that whizzed toward her head. She barely got out of the way and felt it clip her hair and spray flakes onto her neck and chest. She dropped like a stone as even more airborne snow hurtled towards her, grateful that her boots gave her purchase as she knelt like a runner before a race. It only took a moment but she could feel herself shift from a carefree girl to a fighter and suddenly she was thinking faster. She reasoned that Reever was far more experienced than she with magic so if she were to win it would probably not be by magic alone. The minute she saw Reever rise onto his two back legs she knew what she had to do, even though she wasn't quite sure how to do it. She used her position to launch herself forward and essentially tackled the otter. Given the difference in their weight this move usually wouldn't work but she was taking advantage of the fact that he was less steady on two feet than most humans were.

They fell back together but Reever moved like his furry body was made of water. He twisted out of her grasp and half skidded across the floor, spinning around to face her again. He didn't make a move but sent a wave of icicles towards her like he had fighting Josh. She let out a yelp and instinctively threw up her hands to try and protect herself. To her surprise the icicles slowed down noticeably giving her time to realize that in the warmth of the lair it was actually costing Reever more energy to keep things frozen. She took control of the icicles and using her hands to focus her energy she used the momentum left to send them past her into the wall where they didn't smash, but splashed. She had let them melt. Something clicked in her mind and an idea began to take form. She reminded herself that she had to be careful not to lose control like she had earlier, she didn't want anyone to get truly hurt. Rose ran fleet as a deer to dodge the icicles that kept heading for her and sent what she could of them into the fire, wincing silently when they struck home which they did more often than she would have liked.

Soon the room was filled with steam again but instead of letting it dissipate Rose sent it to settle around Reever in a haze, where she cooled it to form the smallest of clouds. The fact that it was snowing was not part of the plan, but the cloud served its purpose for as long as Rose kept the vapour quite cool Reever could not see her. Carefully she sent snow and ice to land gently on the floor across the room. Reever took these to be the sounds of her footsteps and sent his projectiles that way. Rose sat silently and unlaced her boots. When she stood she dropped them purposefully to her left and in bare feet spirited herself to her cloud which still had ice pellets whipping out of it toward where she had been a moment before. Finally she relaxed her slight control and let the vapour drift as it wanted. As soon as she could see the outline of the familiar furry body low to the ground she wrapped a wiry arm around is neck and pressed the point of her dagger gingerly above her opponents' jugular. It wasn't until they stood immobilized for a few moments that she noticed that her breathing had turned ragged and that Jake and Josh were still watching. She had forgotten all about them.

“Alright yeh got me Rosie darlin'.” The otter sounded amused, but not at all taken aback.

Reev shrugged her arm out of his way as soon as she moved the dagger. He stretched out his front legs and arched his back in a luxurious stretch then moved back to his particular spot on the skins and curled himself up looking as if he could have gone three more rounds quite easily. He had been going easy on her, he just wasn't going easy by her standards.

Rose went to retrieve her boots and saw that they had disappeared. She looked at Josh who had been the culprit last time something went missing but Jake's grin was far too satisfied. Josh stole her things to teach her, Jake apparently did it to flirt.

She summoned what was left of the steam and made another cloud directly over Jake's head. She made sure it wasn't quite as cold as last time so instead of snowing it began to rain on him. Josh was close enough that he got drizzled on so, with an unsympathetic look at Jake, he moved to stand beside Rose. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her thoughtfully.

“You've got a lot of raw talent, and a sound mind, but little training training. With time the dagger will be as much a part of you as your abilities with water and ice.” He seemed almost to be talking to himself but yet again his eyes were locked on hers. She didn't think he was the type who usually gave praise easily.

“Um, Rose? A little help here!” Her analysis was interrupted by Jake's indignant exclamations. When her focus had shifted to Josh the cloud's rain had gone from a shower to a downpour. Hastily she made the cloud disappear and helped the boy up.

“Between the two of us we could really steam this place up.” He said, trying to be flirtatious even as drips made their way from his sopping dirty blonde hair into the scarf around his neck. Rose rolled her eyes dramatically at him and as he moved toward the fire snaked a bare foot in front of him so that he was sent sprawling as she marched off to retrieve her rather damp boots.

[Breaker]

Tall orange flames licked the air greedily as they devoured the stack of brittle branches. Jake proved himself a worthy fire-keeper, hastening to satisfy its needs. He rummaged in his rucksack and brought out a ball of twine, cutting lengths with an iron dagger and using them to bind the remaining kindling into thick bundles. These he stacked in a pyramid on the crumbling ashen remnants of the consumed framework. The boy breathed through his nose, light and low, already recovered although sweat soaked his clothing. He smelled steadfast and cheerful, sly green eyes glancing often at Rose.

The girl splayed on a shaggy brown bear rug, stretching her legs and core by tilting from side to side, touching her toes and arching her back. Her bosom heaved slightly, cheeks flushed from exertion, shining through damp strands of bark-coloured hair. Hard to blame Jake for looking, but he needs to be less... obvious. That's a lesson for a different night I suppose.

Some minor damage had occurred to the icy walls of the lodge, mostly caused by stray fireballs. Reever turned from repairing the dripping holes and slithered around the fire on all fours in the serpentine manner of otters.

"Slow yer' breathin' Rosie, you'll catch it faster that way," he said with a small wink as he passed the girl. "Be back in six shakes matey," he called to me, "an' I'll see if'n I can find some more dry wood." With that Reev vanished head-first down the lower chute. The sound of his controlled slide rolled up the tunnel, capped by an echoing ripple. In all the time I'd known him the otter never entered the water with a splash. He was doing more than gathering firewood; Reever didn't like being inside any structure for long, and often preferred to spend his time scouting the forest. More than once I wondered if he was in fact paranoid, but his carefree attitude didn't support the theory.

I re-crossed my legs, stretching the opposite knee, and inflated my lungs, causing my sternum to pop audibly. One callused thumb scratched my chin as my hazel eyes swung between my students. The fire popped in response, satisfied at least for the time with Jacob's offering.

The Ravenheart Academy in Underwood, and the town itself, had seen a recent influx of warriors, from seasoned mercenaries to farmers bearing staves and rakes. Civil war gripped Corone and refused to relinquish the land, and after more than a year of fatality ledgers and and razed villages, the common folk and sell-swords alike sought an end to the madness. Many of them turned to the Rangers, holed up in what had once been a sleepy Concordian town, for training and organisation. I taught frequently at the Academy and the Dansdel, offering open lessons to all who gathered. As I taught murderous techniques to previously peaceful people I delved into them, looking for power and potential. Until Rose, Jake was the only gifted student I'd found. He had already experienced battle as an archer, and hunted demons for thrills, relying on his magical abilities and surprising wits to survive. It had taken considerable work to convince him his his body needed to be as dangerous as his sword.

Rose, I hoped, would be the first of many students who would not have to work around this barrier. She was still young, still fascinated with her meagre magic, but her potential for drawing power from the Eternal Tap would increase exponentially in the coming months. Looking at her, I could see that as I easily as I could see her eyes were violet. The rare colour marked a rare type of woman. I examined the long, angry scar across her neck, reddest above her carotid. If that artery had been fully severed... Providing she lives, she will be a powerful sorcerer in years to come, no matter what I do. But if I keep her close... she could become more than any mortal. The girl's cool blue aura flared and shone briefly, as if agreeing.

"Jake, you're back in," I said, and moved to the centre of the patch of dried grass. It felt soothing beneath my coarse feet, a slight reminder of the coming spring. "No weapons this time, no striking. Push yourself." I smiled as Jake dove for my legs, secured a crippling cross-face grip that put me in the dominant position as he carried us both to the the ground. I breathed seldom and slowly through my nose as we rolled and spun through grappling techniques, allowing Jake to advance only when he executed his escapes and attacks perfectly. The feel of the rough grass and the flow of our kinetic chess match became meditative as I focused my senses on Rose. She had stopped stretching and watched intently, her breathing still slightly ragged. She smelled nervous and tired, but above all else... excited.

[CaitieGirl]

Rose watched Josh and Jake struggle together on the floor, watching their every move. To be truthful Jake was the only one struggling. Josh was barely breaking a sweat while he kept the gangly youth in check. Rose didn't understand all she was seeing but it was clear that every time they switched position Jake would gain a little ground and then lose it again. She watched as he changed the position of his wrist or slowed his breathing until Josh let him move. Josh was steadily teaching him and all the while Rose could see the flash in Jake's eyes while he fought, he loved doing this. Sweat worked its way into his hair, and his hair worked itself into his eyes while he tried to escape the choke hold he had ended up in. After a minute or two of trying to escape Josh's iron grip he tapped the floor twice and was released only to start again. But, Rose noticed, he didn't make that mistake again.

She was sitting cross legged, still barefoot, with one elbow on her knee, her chin resting on her upturned palm. She was excited by this kind of fighting in a way she'd never been. She was fast, and decent with a knife but this kind of fighting required strength and endurance and skill that she did not have. But I could. She cocked her head a little thinking about it, knowing that she could trust Josh and Jake to teach her patiently and well and that Reever had much to show her if she could get him to stay put. She had planned to train at the Ravenheart Academy like most did when they came to Underwood but the gods seemed none too pleased at her presence in that city. I wonder...would they let me stay?

She looked at her companions. Jake had obviously made a mistake because his arm was being twisted in a way that did not look comfortable. Josh was kneeling over him with his back turned to her. Jake still had a fiery look on his face but he was worn out. His green eyes met her violet ones and in that instant they knew what they should do. Even with Josh's knee driving into his back Jake smiled as he moved his free arm so his hand was palm down on the floor. He winked at Rose with the eye furthest from Josh's line of vision and raised his arm to tap out. Before his hand hit the second time she was up and running. She used the fact that Josh couldn't see her to her advantage. She put her right arm across his throat to grip the upper arm of her left, to try and cut off his air. She wrenched him backwards and up so Jake could get away. She couldn't very well choke him from where she was, he was taller and stronger. Her intention was to climb onto his back and hook her feet in but instead of landing on his back she remained airborne and landed flat on her back in front of him. He'd thrown her. His knees hit the ground near her head before she was up again, kneeling and facing him. Her chest was already heaving, and her heart was pounding. This is fun, she thought almost viciously.

“Breathe Rose.” Josh said calmly.

She did as he said taking slow breaths until she was calmer, more rational. She noticed that Jake was nowhere to be seen. Then Josh lunged at her and it didn't matter. She moved enough that he collided with her but only knocked her down, he didn't have her completely under his control. With the hand she had free she drew her dagger, after all that was how she'd won against Reever. With Josh above her she snaked a hand up to press her knife against his throat.

“Feel familiar?” She teased, but the smile fell from her face almost instantly. He had an unbreakable grip on her wrist and no matter how she twisted her arm he found pressure points that forced her own limbs to bend to his will. It hurt, but more than that, her blade was slowly lowering itself towards her own neck with deadly certainty. Then the world shifted...

A hand on her hair, cruelly twisting her head back. An evil laugh in her ear and the smell of death. She tried to scream but the sound got caught in her throat. She couldn't move but she could feel. Then a blade, the white hot pain at her throat, another laugh and she was falling.

“NO!” She came back to herself and with a strength that was beyond what she should have had she violently pushed Josh off of her inadvertently putting him off balance so that he knocked some of the spare kindling partway into the fire. It blazed to life and seared his left arm which had come to rest on top of the rogue firewood. He moved quickly and threw the wood safely onto the fire, and then sat staring at the blaze. Rose moved over to him cautiously.

“I'm sorry, I should have known better than to do that,” he said quietly.

Rose shook her head and tried to ignore the tears that rebelliously escaped and ran down her cheeks. She took up the guilty blade and cut strips from her underskirt. She took one and wet it to clean the burn, Josh moved his arm away. He put a calloused hand on her cheek and forced her to look at him. She didn't know what he wanted. She set her jaw and forced herself to stop being emotional and talk.

“It wasn't your fault, I shouldn't have gotten carried away, and you couldn't have known that would happen. This is my fault” she said gesturing to his arm, “so let me help. My brother is a blacksmith, burns are a bit of a specialty for me." She cleaned and dressed his arm finally resting her hand on his gently.

“I really am sorry. I don't know what came over me.”

“You almost died, it's understandable to relive it in stressful situations. We'll just have to be more careful.” Josh looked up to a sound that Rose couldn't hear and a few moments later Jake slid down the chute holding Rose's much abused pack on his lap with her bow over one shoulder.

“I thought you might be needing your things Rose” Jake said cheerfully. Rose scrambled to her feet to snatch her pack from him possessively, like it was the only safe thing left in the world.

“Gee Rose, where's the fire?” asked Jake. Rose promptly burst into tears.

[Breaker]

No dam can hold back the waters forever. I stroked Rose's downy raven hair as her tears darkened the breast of my shirt, turning a patch of the light blue cotton navy. Jake's face was a picture of horror as he hovered anxiously behind her, looking to me for instructions. I smiled reassuringly at the teen and flashed a series of basic hand-signs. All is well. Make tea. Jake busied himself with the pot and pouch of herbs, cursing under his breath. He still had trouble letting the little things go.

"Shhh... you're safe here. Sit." Rose dropped next to the fire and I folded myself to the floor behind her, allowing the girl to use my legs like the back of a chair. "Breathe, Rose." I repeated. Almost without exception, the young warriors I taught in Underwood breathed improperly. "There... relax." My fingertips found the soft spots next to Rose's temples and applied gentle pressure. She sniffed and dried her eyes, inhaling deep into her diaphragm. I slid the rough tips of my fingers down to the nooks beneath Rose's ear lobes, drawing tension out like a cold compress on a wound. Finally I placed my thumb in the pressure point at the base of her skull, and a sigh escaped her lips. She twisted to face me, eyes reddened but clear.

"I'm sorry-" she said, but I shook my head.
"Enough apologising Rose. A blacksmith cleanses the impurities from iron before turning it to steel. This is good... you must process what's happened and let it go." She bit her lip for a moment, then nodded acquiescence.
"Thank you, then. For everything."

She wavered for a moment then turned, accepting a cup of tea from Jake, who had used his proficiency with fire to brew it unnaturally fast. I rolled over and stretched like a cat, watching Jake watch Rose who curled up on her wolfskin rug and pulled a woollen blanket on top of her, fingers laced around the steaming mug.

The fire burned low, and Jake turned his attention back to it, using his own energies to fuel the flames. I stood, expanding my chest and rolling my shoulders, listening but hearing nothing from outside the lodge.

"Where d'you suppose Reever is? It shouldn't be so hard to find dry wood out there." I scratched at the stubble on my chin and paced to the base of the entry ramp.

"Probably sittin' beside a stream somewhere waitin' for a fish to swim past," Jake muttered, his focus on the fire. The youthful swordsman's calloused fingers wiggled slowly next to the leaping flames, glowing threads of orange flowing out of him to maintain the heat.

"I'll be right back." I crouched and uncoiled, springing powerfully upwards and through the wall of snow, covering my face with an arm and feeling powder slip into my collar. Moving at a light jog, I circled the lake until I found Reever's distinctive paw prints then increased my pace, churning up the snow alongside them. The flakes had finally stopped falling, settling into the loam and treetops, frosting branches and boulders alike. Everything smelled different after snowfall, the forest's regular scents masked and combined by dewy newness. I ran freely and easily, making better time than a racehorse, the burn on my arm stinging pleasantly in the crisp slipstream. It wasn't until Rose's tears began to freeze on my shirt that I smelled blood dead ahead.

[CaitieGirl]

After her cup of tea Rose felt better... annoyed at herself, but better. She uncurled her stiff limbs and sat up keeping the blanket around her shoulders for comfort more than for warmth. Putting her mug aside she started pointing and flexing her toes to get circulation back into them and finally stood up. She glanced at Jake who was staring with great determination at the fire. She shrugged her shoulders to loosen them and walked towards the pile he had collected for her to retrieved her boots. Her bow was the only thing that was not there. Looking around she saw that the embarrassed boy had moved it closer to the fire. He knew as she did that the cold could make the wood brittle.

“Thank you for taking care of my bow Jake. It was silly of me to forget.”

“It seemed the least I could do,” the teen muttered, not looking at her.

“Oh Jake, it wasn't your fault.” Rose moved next to him and sat down, her knee nudging his accidentally. “It was just unlucky timing for you that's all. Don't worry, I think I'm cried out for a solid month now.” She nudged his shoulder, trying to shake him out of his gloom. Just like with her brother it worked almost instantly and his face lit up. He gave her a returning shove that nearly knocked her down. Now if we can just keep this up and leave the flirting nonsense out of it we'll be just fine. But as she revealed enough leg to put one of her boots back on Jake turned pink again. Rose bit the inside of her cheek, exasperated, but said nothing about it.

“Jake, I've been meaning to ask you, what did Josh mean when he said to set up like you did in Salvar?” Their teacher's name seemed enough to straighten out any lecherous thoughts. Jake's face returned to its usual colour as he searched his recollection. Rose finished lacing her second boot and folded her legs more comfortably.

“Oh that, all he meant was making the lodge out of snow. That's what we had to do once when we were in Salvar, we were chasing an arctic demon and snow was really all we had to build with.”

“Why didn't you just make one of your doors and go somewhere warmer?” Rose asked, perplexed.

“Well, see, I dropped my quill in a blizzard and the hellion we were chasing could move like I can. We needed it, so there was nothing to do but stop and find it.”

Rose made a face. “That must have taken hours, even with three of you. And tedious.”

Jake looked mischievously at her, “Very tedious.”

“What? What are you looking like that for?”

“Our supply Radsanthian reefer definitely helped make it more interesting. We found it eventually but by that time the demon was long gone. You know how it is, we got distracted.” Jake leaned back contentedly, the weight of his upper body on his hands. He gave Rose a smirk that told her quite clearly he didn't expect her to know what he was talking about. Annoyed she quit playing with her hem and was about to open her mouth to retort when the sound of howling filled the ice hewn walls. Jake sat straight as an arrow and his ears seemed to appear more elven as they strained to hear.

“Jake, relax, it's only wolves, they–” Rose was cut off as another round of howls pierced the air, closer than before.

Jake shook his head, "Those aren't wolves." He looked at her quickly and it was the only time she remembered him looking afraid. Whatever was going on Rose knew for certain that story time was over.

[Breaker]

Jake gnawed worriedly at the inside of his lip and touched the magical quill beneath his vlince shirt, suddenly wishing the garment were studded leather or better yet, platemail. Without his ministrations the fire waned rapidly, distorting his shadow on the slick icy walls as Jake strode to his rucksack and took an iron dagger from it. Glancing up at the hole in their fortress Cronen had left behind, the teen moved back to Rose and pressed the black knife into her hand.

"Use this first, if there's fighting. Don't draw yours 'till you lose it." The dagger meant a lot to Jake - it had been given to him by a childhood hero, an illustrious outlaw called the Sheriff who Jake had helped escape a botched robbery. He would have given up his quill if it meant Rose would live through the night, to be truthful. "Can you close the door?" He asked her, frustrated with himself for only practising a single element's arcana. The howling grew louder and Jake scratched at his neck, worrying the black silken scarf there.


*

Lycanthropes.

The reports had been infrequent, and never from anywhere so close to Underwood. And yet the rank odour of werewolf blood turned my stomach as I entered a small clearing and stopped.

My feet ploughed twin furrows in snow that had been melted by thick blood and churned to muck by furious violence. The entire clearing looked to have been ravaged by Haide; torn up earth, tufts of fur, and broken saplings corrupted the pristine winter beauty of the rest of Concordia. Circling the forest fringe swiftly, I spotted the marks of their clawed paws. A pack of eight had ambushed Reever as he entered the clearing, roaring in from every direction. Only the noise of their bloodthirsty charge could have saved the otter's life. That and his instinctive ice magic, the residue of which hung on the air like mist.

I followed the trail left by the pack through an evergreen grove and a copse of trakym, stopping only once to verify an otter's paw-print beneath the mess left by the lycans. Entering another clearing, I saw similar signs of battle surrounding three werewolf corpses. They were massive creatures, with fur-covered bodies of gigantic men and the fanged snouts of dire wolves. But all of their power and speed had not saved them. Two bore gaping gashes to the chest and neck, and the handles of Reever's wicked cutlasses blossomed from the site of killing thrusts like lillies of war. The last was impaled through the jaw by an icicle spike which had not yet begun to melt. Glancing up at the stars for reference, I realised Reever had been running for Underwood, but the pack had forced him to double back towards the lodge. Understanding the implication, I collected my friend's shortswords and sprinted off in pursuit of the howling, ignoring the trail in favour of the shortest route, a damascus cutlass in each fist.


*

Blood dripped from Reever's matted coat as he whirled his sling overhead and loosed a large, smooth rock. It skimmed the air and shattered the front fangs of a charging werewolf, forcing the demonspawn to list and stagger away, coughing up its own teeth. Crimson droplets pockmarked the snow all around the Reev's footpaws. The otter stood with his back to a short cliff face that looked out on a shield of smooth rock. The snow made the natural terrain slippery there, and with only a few small boulders for cover, the lycans could not seem to solve the riddle of his ranged attacks. They wanted to outflank him, to take him down from all sides as they had failed to do in the meadow. Well, he would sooner die with his back to a wall and a glint in his eye than run another step from the twisted beasts.

"Aarhoo! Josh, if ye' can hear me, come help finish off the last o' these fanny-goats!" The otter roared as he channelled a careful measure of earth magic into a stone and sent it whining to the stand of oaks where the lycans crouched. The rock struck a tree trunk and burst in a shower of sharp fragments. The sting of the insult and the stone chips brought two other werewolves charging out of safety. Reev met them with a lethal wave of snow that hardened into ice-flechette at the last instant. The first went down in a pile of whimpering, oozing fur as the second staggered back to safety, it's right forepaw limp and useless, dripping crimson.

Breathing hard, Reever placed a fresh projectile in his sling and set to whirling the tough material aloft. His stone pouch grew light, and the last blast of ice had sapped him worse than a foot race with Joshua. Soon, he would be left with nothing but his wits to defend himself.

[CaitieGirl]

Rose looked at the heavy dagger in her hand and swallowed past the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. She took a steadying breath.

“Jake, I need you to be still for a minute. I'm going to do better than close the door but I need to focus.” He nodded without turning to look at her, his hand still at his neck. She knelt as if she were praying, not in reverence but because she didn't know how her legs were going to hold up. She closed her eyes and tried to quiet her mind. She hid the entrance, not with a veil as before but with a wall of snow thick enough (she hoped) to mask their scent but not so thick as to trap them. The underwater entrance she froze as solid as she could. She didn't know if the lycans could swim but she wasn't taking any chances. With those things done she opened her eyes and looked to Jake who was still in front of the chute.

“Jake, I need you to move.” He did so quickly and silently. His quill moved between deft fingers but that was the only part of him that moved. His body showed his readiness, and that in itself frightened her. She took several seconds to rest and then called on her magic again. She reformed the chute into steps in case they needed to escape. Just as she was solidifying the ice she felt her control start to get shaky. She opened her eyes to Jake's hand tightly in hers and the room spinning.

“Enough Rose. You need to be able to fight!” Jake whispered fiercely, sounding angry and worried.

“It's alright. That's the last of it. Give me a minute and I'll be fine.”

Rose looked at her handiwork. The ice above the water entrance looked solid, and her stairs were crooked but serviceable. She picked up the iron dagger again and with Jake's help stood up. She had shouldered her bow and quiver and was making sure her hair was fastened when there was howling just outside the newly sealed door. Jake put a finger to his lips and moved silently to one side of the steps, leaving Rose on the other. The huffing sounds of breathless wolves sniffing at the door sent shivers up her spine. Then silence. Seconds later the door crashed in and two massive creatures bounded past them to wheel around the embers of the dying fire. Jake's quill had become a blade of solid flame and the last thing Rose saw was him hurling himself towards the nearest wolf as she bounded up the stairs and into the night.

Once outside she was surprised to find she could see perfectly, the moon had risen to its peak. She swung herself into a nearby oak tree and nimbly pulled herself up through the frosted branches. In the fresh layer of snow she could see that only two pairs of prints led to their shelter, the rest of the pack was elsewhere. She could hear snarls and an occasional yell from Jake but the sound was muffled. At least I know he's alive. It wasn't long before one of the brutes surfaced and Rose had her chance. She drew two arrows over her shoulder, holding one in her teeth and nocking the other.

The wolf followed her tracks to the base of the tree but went no further. An arrow whistled home burying itself in the frozen ground after going clean through his snout. Jake stumbled out into the open just as her second arrow put the whimpering creature out of its misery.

“Jake!” Rose got to the ground as quickly as she could and hugged the boy fiercely. He winced and moving back she saw that one of the lycans had made a bloody mess of his left arm. She moved to tend the wound but he stopped her. There were whimpers and less earthly sounds nearby, sounds of fighting. Rose shouldered her bow and looked at Jake. Returning her mirthless smile he gave a nod and the two young fighters ran into the trees to help their friends.

[Breaker]

Jake sped across the pelt rugs, fire-wrought sword drawing a line in the air that menaced the lycans. They snarled and snapped as he herded them together, seeking space to outflank the fierce eyed youth finding none. As Rose's scampering footsteps vanished outdoors Jake changed directions and leapt over the fire. The flameblade sizzled as it slashed through the first werewolf's gorilla-like arm. Jake's feet found the ground, propelling him in a blurred movement form Cronen called Walking On Water. As the first lycan stumbled away the slash became a thrust that buried the flameblade to its iron hilt in the second beast's chest. Jake turned to pursue the wounded werewolf, only to feel an impossibly strong set of jaws clamp his left forearm like a spiked vice.

Even collapsed to its knees the lycan was taller than him, and although its arms hung limp the thing bit deeper into his wrist, slobbering and growling, vainly trying to pull the flameblade from its chest. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, Jake gripped the leather wrapped sword hilt and inhaled, expanding his chest. The foul stench of the beast and its boiling flesh made him want to wretch. Trust the technique. Insist upon the technique. Breaker's words echoed in his mind as he twisted at the waist, driving the orange edge of his fire sword downwards and sideways, destroying the beast's ribcage and dumping its innards on the dead grass where they had sparred what seemed like minutes earlier. Nearly sliced in half, the werewolf still would not admit its demise, frothing at the mouth and emitting barking sounds. Jake severed its head with a single stroke, grimacing at the tremors of pain lancing up his left arm. Extinguishing the sword, he clutched the tawny quill and, pausing only to grab a small candle nub from the wreckage of his rucksack, raced up the icecraft stairs.

Tap be praised, she killed it. The bulk of Jake's concern for Rose melted away as she dropped from the lower branches of a tree and raced to embrace him. Jake winced, noting the lethal accuracy of the girl's shooting through her curtain of chestnut hair. One through the snout and a second in the brain. If she'd hit that thing anywhere else, it'd be the one hugging me right now.

Pocketing his quill and dismissing the horrid thought, Jake gripped the candle nub in a handful of fire as the two youths dodged between tree trunks. They stepped as lightly as they could, both raised as hunters, but even still the snow crunched and slowed their progress. Soon the candle wax melted into a viscous glob which Jake smeared over his pulsating left forearm. Rose noticed his action and reached out, stopping him and lending her magic to cool the wax rapidly. Was that a glimmer of admiration in her eyes? Jake felt his face flush even in the dire situation. Scratching at his neck - why was it so bloody itchy all of a sudden? - he seized her hand and led her up a steep incline. The sounds of a frenzied battle broke over the rocky crest like a river swelling with the spring melt. Lycans howled and roared and Reever roared in response, his words lost in the melee. Wooden thuds and splintering, and the crackle of elemental magic rent the air.


*

The werewolf's oily blood spilled across my hands as it died, one of Reever's cutlasses buried in its neck, the other piercing its skull through the roof of its maw. By the silver moonlight I could see Reever still whirling his sling, holding the remnants of the second pack at bay. The lycan's corpse slumped into a snowdrift with the rest of its pack as I sprinted out of the tree line and up the rocky incline, arriving just as Reev loosed a fist sized stone.

"Thanks matey, knew I'd left those somewhere by mistake," the otter gasped, gladly stowing the sling behind his belt and accepting the cutlasses. "What d'yer reckon that lot'll do now? Turn tail an run?" He pointed one dripping blade at the pile of boulders a short distance away. I detected three lycans behind it, two healthy and one wounded. They had attempted to take Reever by surprise, but arrived too late, after I'd hit the pack in the trees like a meteorite with swords.

"How many did you kill? Three seems like a small pack." I shifted my bare feet in the snow covered rock as the wind teased my short brown hair. Reever frowned in an otterly fashion.
"Jus' one, yore right mate, where d'ye suppose the rest got to?" Reev eyed the stacked boulders between us and the remaining demonspawn, exhausted but still ready for a fight.

"We got one each back at the lodge!" A familiar cheeky voice called from above. Craning my neck I glimpsed Jake and Rose waving at us from the top of the cliff, the boy moving his left arm stiffly, the girl with an arrow notched on her bow. A ball of stress between my shoulder blades evaporated and I smiled, winking at Reever.

"You get your tired otter bones up there and watch the kids. I'll take care of the last of them." The otter nodded and I raced away.

As I gained the top of the boulders, the werewolves set up a bloodthirsty howl that challenged the very wind, whipping the forest. The feeling of wrongness and corruption, the feeling that always came from being so close to demonspawn and undead creatures, strengthened as I leaped down into their midst. They snarled and snapped at my neck, swiped scythe-like claws at my neck with awkward swings of tree branch arms. I flitted amongst them, a hammer in the dark, smashing repeatedly with my palms, elbows, knees and feet. They buckled beneath blows to their legs, necks, jaws and eyes, their counter-attacks becoming laughably sluggish. It felt right, pummelling such wicked creatures 'till they could not stand. But even as the three lycans waned, the feeling of wrongness grew stronger. It's not coming from them... Inverting a werewolf's knee joint with a battering ram stomp-kick, I risked a glance at the cliff top and saw two figures of shadow sliding down the trees, racing towards the young warriors in my care.

"Jake, Rose!" I roared a warning, and seized a pheasant sized rock from the ground, crushing the downed lycan's skull and swinging it at the next one.


*

Watching in adulation from the cliff top as Joshua beat the last three lycans to death, Jake suddenly tore the black silk scarf from his neck, scratching angrily at the scars there.

"What happened to you?" Rose gasped. The scars of a vampire's bite on his throat, usually pure white, had turned black and seemed to devour the silvery moonlight. It was then that Jake heard the too-soft footsteps in the snow, approaching from the woods.

The flameblade blazed to life as Cronen's shouted warning reached Jake's half elven ears. The youth spun, facing the two vampires that raced up the hill towards them. They had sickeningly pale faces that seemed blanker than the snow, and wore cloaks as black as their long tangled hair. Each drew a hooked knife as they approached in perfect tandem, mirroring each others stride. Jake's neck burned, the scars like glowing forge iron.

Jake bellowed his rage and launched himself at the hated beings, attempting to drive both down the hill, away from Rose. But the vampires moved like hunting lions, dividing their prey. Before Jake could finish his second sword stroke he was fighting for his life, barely turning away one Hadian's snakelike attacks as its kin closed in on Rose.

[CaitieGirl]

The thing that closed in on her was like nothing Rose had ever seen. It would be almost beautiful if it didn't exude evil. It's grace was as unnatural as its pallor. She had time to loose one arrow but the thing had moved before the projectile had closed half the distance. Before she could blink it had a hand on her throat, the curved blade of its knife looming in her blurring peripheral vision. With one hand she tried to keep the knife at bay, but the force of the the arm wielding it was like nothing she'd ever felt. She stabbed the restraining arm with the iron dagger Jake had given her but her assailant didn't seem to feel it. She twisted the blade trying to pry its hand away. Nothing was working. Desperate, she rolled towards the thing knocking it off balance enough that she could push it further and rip the blade from its arm in one motion. The tip of her blade had just cleared its flesh when she was knocked face first into the snow by a fist to her jaw. A hand to her hair lifted her head up enough that the wickedly curved blade could slip under her neck to finish her. Still recovering from a nearly crushed windpipe Rose coughed weakly and spat dark blood onto the snow. The knife hesitated a hair's breadth away from her skin.

Blood dripped slowly from her split lip like an offering, shining in the moonlight. She seemed frozen in time, too immersed in the pain of trying to breathe to wonder why she was still able to. Then she was being thrown onto her back and the thing was kissing her! No, not kissing, it was sucking on her lip, biting down to expose more of her blood to its eager mouth. Sluggishly she pieced together that it was a vampire, something she had only heard of in stories told on dark nights by the fire. It's evil smell invaded her mouth and nose like a plague and she was coughing even harder than before. The force of the coughs rocked her body so that the cut on her lip only got larger. The pain cleared her mind. At some point the iron dagger had fallen from her hand but if she could reach her own dagger while it was still distracted maybe...there! She rammed her dagger into the side of the vampire's pale throat feeling the heat of its blood, and likely some of her own, soak her chest. Rolling the demon off of her she ripped the thing's throat out, nearly decapitating it. Blood drunk and feeling violated Rose took the time to finish the job and pick up its curved weapon before looking for Jake.

The youth was fighting like a true warrior, the exertion showing but his form never faltering. The blood from the werewolf bite had dried or frozen but he was still favouring his right arm. The thing he fought though, it was like liquid death. Always a step ahead of him, its focus like nothing of this world. Rose didn't want to distract Jake by rushing in from behind him, that could be a death sentence. She retrieved her bow and some of the arrows that had fallen from the quiver on her back. Blood was still dripping from her lip, and the vampire's blood soaked her torso, threatening to freeze there as she stood with an arrow nocked, watching for an opportunity to help. The pain where her lip was cut mixed with fatigue was making her dizzy. She had to be sure she wouldn't hit Jake accidentally. It was as she began to draw her arm back that she saw Josh's form through the trees. He was running like a man possessed toward the fray.

[Breaker]

The vampire hissed murderously, eyes shining rage against the young half elf who forced it to retreat diagonally down the slope, toward the tree line. Jake's breath whistled in an out of his nostrils, steadfastly defying the fatigue sapping his forearms. The wounding and binding of his left arm made it useless in all but the most basic two handed forms. Jake switched to a one-handed fencing style as his left arm cramped and failed, treating his fiery longsword like a rapier as he thrust at the demon's groin, neck, heart, fast as he could, elbow tucked, posture immaculate as if he were competing before the bloody Queen of Scara Brae. Only perfect practise makes perfect. One of Cronen's favourite training mottos resonated as Jake shuffled forwards, twisting at the waist and using his legs to power his attack. The teen knew he had only one chance of besting the undead creature. It moved like water in the rapids preceding falls, hair and clothing darker than midnight depths. Those obsidian strands barely swayed as it dodged about, evading or turning aside each attack with its cruelly hooked knife. If his non stop chain of attacks showed a single chink, that glinting blade would find a home in his gut as sure as his neck itched like a nest worth of spider bites.

As they duelled through snow and between trees Jake's feet faltered, boots sliding on upturned roots, and he instinctively resumed a two handed stance. Wild slashes from the flameblade kept the vampire back and sliced several long strips from a mighty oak's trunk. The boy sucked a long, deep breath through his mouth as his boots slipped again and he staggered to one knee, gasping. His energy seemed spent as the fire sword faded and vanished, replaced by the long diamond tipped quill. Jake breathed out and looked up as the nightmare monster descended upon him like an oversized bat, fangs extending from the corners of its jaw. Jake inhaled through his nose, smelled the evil on the demon like burned grease, and the camp-fire odour of the oaken shards scattered around him. The glimmering knife arced toward his ribcage, seeking to hook him and drag him into the vampire's deadly embrace.


*

I leaped high and clung to the cliff face, vaulting through my long arms as I had hours earlier when cresting the haberdashery following Rose. I saw Jake's fire sword flashing between tree branches not far away, felt more than saw the flickering, wraithlike presence of the enemy he battled. The boy would be well. I sprinted to Rose and grasped her elbow. Her bowstring slackened and the arrow fell next to the semi-decapitated vampire. Rose nearly collapsed into my arms, weak from blood loss and adrenaline's desertion. Her eyes seemed unfocused, lip badly punctured. Inwardly, I grimaced, smiling instead into her violet eyes. I wasn't intimately familiar with the turning process, but I knew a single bite would not suffice. Even so, I detected traces of a shadowy taint in the bite, injected like a viper's venom.

"There's poison, Rose. It needs to come out." I cupped her face with the heel of my hand, trying to avoid mixing werewolf blood with the crimson that already decorated her, and pressed my lips to hers. The first time I tasted her lips I had breathed life into her, after Kron Sha'keth gave her the long scar that covered half of her neck. The second time, I drew out the demonspawn's disease, ruining any romantic notion by turning and spitting into a snowbank. Small, strong fingers tangled in my hair. Rose twisted my face back to hers and kissed me back, helplessly, pressing herself against me in spite of the gore we both wore like a badge of war.

"Thank you, thank you, oh Thaynes thank you..." She whispered through crystal tears, clinging to the wood-carved muscles beneath my tattered shirt, head on my chest. I put my arms around her as Rose began to shiver and led her into the trees, toward Jake and Reever and the lodge beyond.


*

The vampire's acrid breath washed over him as the creature stabbed for his ribcage. Jake exploded up and forwards, past the hooked blade's bite. He trapped it at his side with the arm bound by wax, smashing the vampire's chin with an uppercut that left the tawny quill embedded there. Jake's motion never ceased; he poured every last ounce of strength and stamina into sweeping the creature's legs and slamming it to the snowy ground. He seized the sharpest shard of oak cleaved by his swordwork and clutched it in both hands. With a cry of exertion and anger he drove the point through the vampire's breastbone, killing it instantly.

Jake sat astride the demonspawn as its body faded to nothingness. The enchanted quill stored some of its energy and dissipated the rest, destroying the demon's twisted soul. Soon the corpse vanished entirely, leaving the young half elf huddled in a pool of thick, rank blood, still regaining his breath, the quill glowing warmly in his hands.

Several twigs snapped nearby, and Reever Glacegeyser sprinted out of a pine grove, a bloody cutlass in each paw. "Never can navigate the bloody woods at night!" The otter gasped, "Sorry I couldn' get here sooner matey!"

[CaitieGirl]

When Jake saw Rose holding onto Josh for support and covered in blood his face drained of its colour and he rushed to her side. “Rose, I'm so sorry! I tried to get to you!" He gripped her hand as if death were coming to take it from him and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. She smiled weakly and squeezed his hand.

“Jake it's alright. I'm alright. Most of this blood isn't mine. Even a vampire can't survive having his head cut off. It's just a split lip and a bit of a bite. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.” As she spoke she watched Jake's face go from relief, to admiration, then to horror at the word 'bite'. He looked to Josh who gripped the half elf's shoulder with the hand that wasn't keeping her upright.

“I've taken care of it, she's in no danger now.” Jake sighed with relief for a second time and moved to Rose's other side as if to guard her from any more damage. He gave her bloodied mouth a glance every so often. Reever fell in beside Josh, his cutlasses stowed and walking on all fours. The foursome looked every bit as exhausted as they felt moving through the trees towards the lodge. The shadows cast by the moon had disappeared and were replaced by longer shadows in the face of the coming dawn. The golden light dappled the warriors' faces like a blessing.

When they came to the corpse of the werewolf Rose had killed Josh stopped and so of course Rose and then Jake did as well. Reever went ahead and ambled through the entrance that had been left unhidden in their haste. As his furry tail whipped out of sight Rose detangled herself from Josh and sank into the soft snow and leaned her back on a tree not far from the body.

“I've never known you to need two arrows Jake,” Josh quipped sounding weary but Rose could hear the humour and pride too. She smiled to herself, but said nothing. She knew she didn't have to. Instead, she leaned her head back and listened.

“That was Rose. I was busy with my quill in there while she got herself high up in a tree and shot the poor beast down before it could follow her.”

“Hmm, she might give you a run for your money in time Narmolanya,” Josh said quietly. He smiled at both his students then sobered up as practical thoughts invaded. “In the meantime she'll need something to wear. Jake do you mind lending her some things? She's about your size and she's covered in blood. And we should help Reever get the other body out of there, I'll be in in a minute.” Jake nodded and turned away, the tension of the night showing in his shoulders. He gave Rose one last concerned glance before heading down into the shelter. Josh headed through the snow to sink to one knee to one side of her outstretched legs.

“How are you feeling?” A simple enough question, but one that Rose really didn't know how to answer. She couldn't tell if the tingling in her lips was residual from the venom he had drawn from the wound or from the kiss. She didn't know for certain why she had done it. Was it because he had saved her again? Because he made her feel safe in a world that seemed bent on her destruction? Could it be something more than that? And what would he think of her now? There was no answering these questions especially now when her mind kept feeding her flashes of the vampire's obsidian hair, it's demonic smile as it lowered its mouth to hers. She had done well tonight but the horror of her knife ripping through the vampire's throat was a graphic memory.

“I'm fine,” she replied. And physically she was, her lip had stopped bleeding and her fatigue would be easily cured with some sleep.

“Then up you get. Vampires can't stand the sunlight so we'll be safe enough if there are more out there. You need some clean clothes and we all need some rest.” He helped her up and searched her amethyst eyes for a moment before letting her hand go and walking with her until she moved out of the brightening morning and into their icy haven.

[Breaker]

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

Jake looked up at me, squinting in the sunlight that permeated Concordia's wintry bones. Although the youth seemed exhausted, slim shoulders slumped and green eyes bloodshot, he radiated a new energy, like a fire topped with a fresh bundle of sticks. His boots shifted sporadically, red-rimmed eyes darting. Darkness gnawed at his arm amidst the remnant of a hastily applied brace, but Jake's vitality fought it actively. Soon the taint of the werewolf's bite would be eradicated. He has a knack for fighting demonspawn infection, I thought, eyeing the black silk scarf which covered his scars once more.

"Stronger." Jake said in a quiet voice. I nodded, and shivered, the cold touching me. For a moment I felt the grisly chill of my blood-slicked clothing, then diluted the sensation to a single finger and shed it like a clipped nail. "It wasn't like before," he continued, referring to the previous times he'd destroyed a demon's soul and in doing so stolen a fraction of their brand of magic. "When I killed the travelling demon, I knew I'd take that talent from him. I'd watched him escape through the doorways so many times I almost had the spell figured out on my own." He rolled his shoulders back, raising his slightly stubbled chin, emulating my posture. "Now... my whole body aches. I feel every blow I gave and took last night in my muscles. But on my oath as a Hunter, I could fight all day if I had too, and gladly. And that's not all... I notice things." Jake made a visor with his hand to block the strengthening sun, and met my eyes. "It's almost like--"

My left fist lanced out at his jaw, almost as fast as I could move. An audible gasp left the half-elf's lungs as he parried the jab with lightning precision. Stunned at his own improved reflexes, Jake ruefully rubbed his forearm where he'd blocked my punch, using the arm with the wax all over it.

"Good trick," I indicated the wax, "A lot better than searing it shut. How do you feel about sewing pieces of a vampire into your soul?"

The question would have hit most adults like a cudgel to the liver, but Jake did not even blink.

"Fine. So long as they're gone forever, and I keep getting better at killing them." He removed the quill from his pocket and considered it. The thing looked innocent enough, if oddly elegant in the hands of a blood-bathed young ruffian. "As long as the Empire is in power, Concordia is all I have left. I can go anywhere on Althanas with a single step, but this forest is my home. This is where I want to live, and" he glanced back to the gaping hole in Reever's snow lodge. The healthy red pallor of his cheeks extended to his ears. I hope Rose's kiss was a result of the moment... perhaps it was a mistake to take her on so soon. "and I won't have demonspawn trying to take over from the inside." Jakes eyes were still as hard as raw emeralds.

No, I thought, every willing fighter is needed. Especially those of Rose's potential. I must be more careful with her.

"Corone will be free." I told Jake, "but right now, I need a doorway back to the Promenade. Wait till Rose is asleep, then call me in. I'll carry her through." Jake followed my orders but paused at the mouth of the otter's lair.

"Do you really think more will come today?" Jake's eyebrows were raised so high they disappeared behind his messy hair.

"No," I responded, a slight smile shadowing my lips. "but they will come to investigate at night. Rose needs to rest, and she can't do that in the middle of a construction site."

"What are we building?"

I mimicked Jake's expression comically until the light of understanding flared in his eyes. The half elf ducked into the lodge and I turned to face the sun, drinking its energy, letting the refreshing enzymes it brought wash away any traces of fatigue. By seeking us out the demonspawn had provided an opportunity to kill a great many of them. The battle of the previous night had not ended; the executioner's bill was not yet tallied.

[CaitieGirl]

Rose awoke in a place she had never seen and fear took a tight hold on her heart. Did the demons come back? Have I been sedated so they could capture me? They could use me to manipulate the others. I have to find a way out of here. Rose laughed at herself once what she was looking at registered in her mind. She was in a bed and a comfortable one at that. Light from the setting sun crept across the floor like a stalking cat from a paned glass window. She doubted very much that any demons worth their salt would leave a captive in a room with an unbarred window, or provide her with such generous accommodations. And even if they had that wouldn't explain the fact that through the window she could see the snow kissed streets of Underwood. She didn't know exactly where she was but she was not in the hands of vampires or werewolves. But where are the others?

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the glare she could see that she was in a room that could be found in any inn in Corone. She could hear the sounds of activity, not loud but insistent, coming from downstairs. She moved to get out of bed but her muscles screamed in protest, her arms and legs were every bit as stiff as she had expected them to be. She was in the clothing that Jake had lent her and as she lit the lamp beside her bed she saw a dress draped over the foot of the bed. It was the one she had been wearing she noticed but had been dyed a dark purple, almost as dark as her eyes, to hide the blood stains. Someone had planned this thoroughly.

Despite her protesting limbs Rose leaned on the bed and slid a foot into one of her boots. When she repeated the movement she had to stop because there was something in that boot. She pulled out a piece of parchment wrapped around her dagger.

Rose –
I thought you should have this, just in case. Josh is keeping your other weapons so don't get any ideas. Don't worry, you won't be stuck at the Promenade forever. I've got some things to do but hopefully I'll be back by the time you wake. Your room and meals are taken care of for as long as they need to be so relax and get some rest.
– Jake

While she deciphered the note which had been written very hastily she went from confused to angry. Josh didn't have the right to send her off whenever he pleased and she would have expected Jake to stick up for her. One thing seemed obvious, this was at least in part because she'd kissed him. Could he have told Jake? Is that why he'd cooperated? Trying to swallow her frustration and failing miserably she yelled and threw her boots into the opposite wall. She immediately felt silly for being so childish and went to fetch them. Well, if I'm stuck here I might as well wear my own clothes.

[Breaker]

Jake Narmolanya's lycan-hide boots rested atop the tavern table as the half elf swirled a clay mug of coarse ale and gazed past his custom footwear. He watched the rear exit between sips, wishing the Promenade had a livelier late-afternoon crowd. The only other patron was a balding wino in baggy burlap slacks and tabard who had dozed off with his face flattened on the oaken table next to an empty mug. He was one of the masons building the defensive wall the Town Council had commissioned, judging by the dusty calluses and grisly scrapes on his hands, but one who poured too much of his salary into drink. A stout, bosomy barmaid was polishing glasses at the front. The woman gave a glare to most men she caught eyeing her generous curves through that long cotton dress, but had a soft spot for Jake. He took a sip from his mug and swished the ale around his mouth. How much fun was teasing or making a pass at a pretty woman without anyone around to laugh, or shake their head in disapproval? Hardly any at all when she only responded by giggling and pinching your cheek like a bloody child.

Bloody women, Jake thought, all the ones that aren't little girls think they're too old for me. The barmaid set her last tumbler glass on the stack with a light clatter and bustled out to wipe down the tables, an event which coincidentally coincided with Jake deciding to put his feet back on the floor. He straightened his posture against the canvas booth cushion and set his mug down, marvelling at his wounded forearm. Despite the foul nature of a werewolf's bite and the deep punctures it left, the wound showed significant signs of healing and felt like it would be well in a few days. Jake lifted his ale and sipped again, just as the door he was watching opened with a creak and Rose entered the tavern proper. Jake perked up immediately, waving his mug in greeting and giving her his cheekiest grin.

"Over here sleepy head! You should have something to eat. Breaker's tab is open." As if on cue, the smell of roasting meat and fresh bread wafted into the room, accompanied by the steady sounds of a kitchen at work; pans clanging, cooks chatting and laughing, the sizzle of heated grease. Then the kitchen door swung shut behind the barmaid and the sounds were muted to a dim buzz.

Rose looked slightly unsteady, but otherwise healthy and somehow unblemished by the previous night's skirmish. She sat opposite Jake in the booth, dark hair spilling across the mauve shoulders of her dress. Jake found his eyes caressing her pale skin and following that long hair down to her considerable bosom, but caught himself and took a hasty swig of ale to cover the infraction.

"How are you feeling?" He asked lamely, then turned towards the familiar swell of sound and smell as the kitchen door opened, beckoning the barmaid over to take Rose's order.

[CaitieGirl]

After scarfing down a much needed meal Rose sat back contentedly. Jake had the barmaid refill his mug with a wink and looked at her pointedly. “You still haven't answered my question my dear.”

“What question was that?” Rose smiled apologetically. Food had taken priority over conversation, much to Jake's amusement.

“How are you feeling?” Jake repeated, “We were attacked by werewolves and vampires last night and you've barely begun to train. My guess would be that you had never killed anything other than game before last night. Am I right?”

Rose took a swallow of the wine that had come with her meal. Jake, although a year younger than she, was far more experienced and he obviously knew that. “You're right. I know I'm new at this, but does it show that badly?”

Jake gave her a lopsided smile and reached his hand across the table to squeeze one of hers. “No. In fact, most people as green as you would be dead by now.”

“Then what's the problem?”

“Oh, no problem at all. It's quite the accomplishment. But last night you beheaded that vampire from underneath it, that had to have been awful. I'm simply here so that if you need to fall into someone's arms, I'm the man who gets the privilege.” Jake winked and took a hearty swig of ale as Rose looked at him with her usual admonishing smirk. She rested her chin on her hand and sized up the young man who she had fought beside not long ago. He wasn't a boy, no matter what she chose to pretend. There was a seriousness and an understanding beneath the mirth in his eyes. Jake met her thoughtful gaze without hesitation, almost challenging. Rose looked away first, glancing over to where the fire danced merrily.

She was lucky to have him here. She knew would look out for her. And, she realized, she for him, there was a loyalty there she hadn't felt grow. She thought back to her family deep in Concordia and wondered what would happen if the Empire's reach extended further. What if her brother someday looked at her with the eyes of an old soul? What if he was forced to become sorrowfully wise? What if a woeful tale was written on her father's face the next time she saw him? She thought of them and knew that that was what she needed to fight for. She looked at her friend and knew he would have a family of his own some day, likely with more children than he'd know what to do with. The thought made her smile.

“Jake, you flirt with every girl you meet. Has it ever worked?” He continued to look at her seriously, his eyes roaming her face trying to guess what she was thinking.

“It hasn't yet won me what I truly want. But my lovelorn existence is beside the point. Are you really alright?” This time when he asked he looked at her earnestly. “I really am here to talk about what happened last night.”

Rose stared into her cup and thought about what 'last night' had entailed. The memories came in flashes. The fear. The squelch of an arrow penetrating the brain of a werewolf following her tracks. Jake's yells of pain. The rip of flesh and the coursing of blood over her neck and chest and breasts. Being saved by the fact that her own blood was spilled. Being bitten. Josh sucking the venom out and her hands winding in his hair as she pressed her newly cleansed lips to his. Oddly, the only part she could bring herself to regret was the kiss. It was born of gratitude and a rush of adrenaline. True he had saved her life but last night she had kissed a man she barely knew. Everything else was what she had needed to do. It hadn't exactly been pleasant hacking her way through skin and bone with a dagger but she would do it again if she had to. “Really Jake, I'm fine. I did the only thing I could do under the circumstances. Those things would gladly have killed me and every one of you.”

“I'm glad you understand that. Vampires and werewolves can appear human, and the lycans have advanced social structures somewhat like real wolves. But they are monsters and never forget it. The only reason they would delay killing a human would be to use them for something sinister, and even then death is inevitable. They need to be destroyed.” Jake spat the words out, loaded with the venom of his hatred. He pulled at his scarf with his wounded arm.

It was Rose's turn to reach across the table. She lay her small hand on his forearm, but the grip was solid. “Don't worry Jake, they will be. We'll get 'em.” He looked at her, his eyes showing fierce determination and affection for her.

“That's my girl."

[Breaker]

The air outside refreshed Jake's senses, pleasantly cool after the stuffy interior of the Promenade. He breathed deeply as Rose accompanied him along the now winding, then grid-like earthen roads of Underwood. As the golden sun dissolved into a ball of red fire and dipped behind Concordia's evergreen horizon, the people of the haven against the Empire trickled out to the streets, visiting friends or pubs with their bellies full and their shoes polished. Although they laughed and chatted, joked and clasped one another's shoulders, most of them carried some kind of blade on their belts, be it a sword, a long knife or a small hatchet. They were still villagers, with their simple clothing and ruddy faces, but their hearts were now as worn as their worker's hands. They had seen refugees, naked and starving, pour into their not-so-sleepy forest City, had heard rumours of the Demonspawn threat growing in the woods. And each of them would fight to their last breath rather than let their home be overrun by martial law.

The pair neared the outskirts of Underwood and Jake saluted a Watch patrol with his right fist against his heart, nodding at the youthful guardsmen who marched by as they returned the sign of respect, thumping gauntleted hands against leather breastplates.

"I teach some of them the sword and the bow," he explained, seeing Rose's raised eyebrow. Her other eyebrow joined it, and Jake took that to mean he had impressed her and straightened his posture as they entered the Dansdel grounds.

Despite the waning sunlight, several shirtless men in rough breeches duelled within the grand circles of hewn limestone. Their skin shone with perspiration as they attacked and parried with their wooden practice swords, grunting as they jockeyed for position and followed advice called from a small crowd of spectators who populated the rising wooden benches outside the rings. The men wore beards or coarse stubble on their chins, senior guardsmen and adept fighters all, but Jake knew he could have bested any three of them. The crowd in the bleachers was mostly women, the wives or consorts of the warriors, mixed with a few other men and women who awaited their turn to fight. Jake heard the familiar baritone of Terech Bodorson over the chatter of the watchers and the clack-clack of bokkans, for the old dwarf's voice rang like an Akashiman gong struck by a thunderstorm.

"Step then thrust, Talmanes!" Bodorson bawled at one of the duellists, "Yeh've got as much a chance of a chance of hittin 'im like that as yeh would wrasslin' a steam engine!" The dwarf's tirade continued as the fighter in question sheepishly made the adjustment. The Master of Ravenheart Academy's proficiency with weaponry was as legendary as his acidic tongue. Ordinarily Jake would have taken the opportunity to train before the old dwarf, but a much more pressing task caused him to lead Rose beyond the bleachers to an archery range that bordered on the forest.

"So this is the Dansdel," Rose said, a smile bending her lips like a longbow, "I've wanted to train here for a long time. Are all the instructors like that?" Her fingers hovered past her face like a white moth taking wing and brushed a stray strand of chestnut hair back into place.

"Well, not me." Jake responded, sticking his tongue out briefly. "But Master Bodorson is the best swordsman in Concordia, maybe the best teacher of the blade in Corone. And he could teach you ways of using knives and axes that'd turn your hair white and your eyes red." Rose swatted his shoulder playfully, and her touch seemed to electrify him, even through his thick scaly jacket. Come on dummy, he told himself, keep your thoughts on the cleared path or you'll wind up caught in a mire.

They stopped next to a long oaken fence, hip height, which ran parallel to rows of improvised targets at various distances. Guardsmen had lashed oversized quivers to the fence at regular intervals, each bristling with steel broadpoint trakym arrows fletched by grey goose feathers. And there, leaning against the firing line, was...

"My bow!" Rose exclaimed, seizing the long yew stave and kneeling to string it. Grinning, sharing her happiness, Jake retrieved his own cased recurve bow from the other side of the fence. Gripping the top curve, he braced the bottom on the frozen earth and strung it without stooping, enjoying his new-found strength.

Enough of the crimson gloaming remained that the targets were plainly visible. Several large, rectangular bales of hay stood thirty and fifty paces away. Some of the younger guardsmen had tacked canvas cutouts in the shape of men to those bales, and marked them with burn sticks so they resembled cross-eyed, ugly renditions of Imperial soldiers. At seventy paces long boards were lodged in the ground, providing thin targets an archer would have to fire between the straw bales to hit. Further away still, at a hundred yards and further, mismatched items hung from the trees on long thin cords.

Toeing the ground beneath the oaken fence, Jake stood at an angle and bound his left arm with a leather bracer, strengthening and protecting the wound. He selected a shaft blindly, notching it on his bowstring as smoothly as lacing his shirt. He sighted along the smooth trakym arrow, took careful aim then drew and loosed in one motion, exhaling through pursed lips as the projectile whined away.

Thwack! The arrow drilled half its length through one of the pockmarked boards at seventy yards, causing it to quiver like a sapling in a windstorm. Green eyes slightly squinted, Jake fired five more shots fast enough his arms became a blur, the bowstring smacking the bracer in time with his controlled breathing and the hum of displaced air. He set his bow down with a satisfied nod, finding a spare bracer in one of the quivers and passing it to Rose.

"Alright then miss... let's see what you can do. Try to hit my arrows." The fletchings of his last five arrows blossomed from the torsos and heads of cutouts on separate hay bales at various ranges. The board his first arrow decorated finally stopped shaking. Rose parted her pert lips as if to comment on the difficulty of the task, then clicked her teeth shut and set her mouth in a determined line, selecting a shaft from the supply.

[CaitieGirl]

Rose slipped on the bracer Jake handed her and her body found the familiar stance, her weight centred. She glanced at her six targets and silently cursed Jake. He was showing off, she only hoped he would be able to teach her something. She drew two arrows and held one in her teeth as she had in the forest. She nocked one and drew her arm back closing one eye to sight down the shaft of the arrow. She took a breath deep into her stomach and let go of the string. The arrow hurtled through the air and landed a good three inches away from the first of Jake's arrows. She let out her breath and let her shoulders fall.

“Good,” Jake said to her, “but you're holding your breath. It's throwing you off. Your breathing should never stop, especially not when you're concentrating. Also, you're turning your head to look down the arrow, it's pulling your arm sideways even though you don't feel it. Try again. Keep both eyes open and breathe.”

Rose nodded and did as he said, taking the arrow from her mouth and finding her stance again. She took her time and thought about every move she was making. She didn't hold her breath this time and made herself look down the arrow normally. She loosed it and it landed even further from her target. She looked over at Jake, irritated. “That only made it worse!”

“True, but your form was perfect and you didn't stop breathing. You just have to realign your aim. Here,” he said, handing her an arrow “try again.”

Rose huffed but took the arrow. She moved back to where she was and swiftly nocked the arrow and drew her arm back. Almost instantly she felt a hand between her shoulder blades, she stopped.

“You're tense now, and its ruining your form. Relax. I know this is irritating but once you get it you'll be unstoppable.” She shrugged off Jake's hand but nodded, closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She felt the breeze nip at her face and carry her anger off as it went. When she opened her eyes again they locked on Jake's arrow, she slowly drew her arm back and instead of sighting down the arrow she simply gazed at her target and let that lead her body. She let her arrow fly and it nestled itself into the board half an inch away from Jake's first arrow. She smiled triumphantly and looked to Jake. He had his back to light of the setting sun so she could barely see his smiling face. “Good. Again.”

He had her continue with the closer targets, and nodded his approval as she got closer and closer to hitting them. When she was certain her aim would be true and had one arrow nocked and another in her mouth like usual Terech Bodorson's voice rang out from behind her. “That little habit of yours could get you in deep trouble girl.”

Rose spun around and took the spare arrow out of her mouth. She could feel her cheeks turning red. “Which habit sir?”

“Holding and arrow in your teeth like that will do if you've no quiver but only then. If you need to shout for any reason you won't be able to. Now if you want to get yourself killed that's just fine, but if you can't warn others that could get them killed, and you don't want that kind of blood on your hands.”

“I'll remember that Master Bodorson.” Rose gave the dwarf a deep nod and stared at the ground until his footsteps had moved away. At once she turned around and fired arrows rapidly in the growing darkness. When she finally split the shaft of an arrow she jumped and let out a whoop that drew stares. She ignored the attention and continued practicing. When she had split the shafts of all of Jake's original arrows and those of her previous misses she put down her bow and smiled at her young teacher. He walked to her slowly and with one hand tilted her face up to the last rays of light. He met her violet eyes with his green ones.

“Well done Rose,” he said softly. His blond hair had tumbled into his eyes and he was looking through it with an expression she was not sure she wanted to decipher. “You're ready.”

[Breaker]

The old wooden warehouse building which served as Underwood's town hall had become cluttered of late. Long banks of shelves held stacks of scrolls and parchment bound by every means from string wound pinholes to tanned leather covering. They were ledgers, personnel records, messages from the Rangers and proclamations from the Empire. Several broad desks occupied the rear of the meeting chamber, polished surfaces covered in shifting piles of paper, inkwells and blotters, surrounded by straight-backed chairs staffed by a shifting groups of clerks. Rows of chairs and long tables occupied the middle of the large rectangular room, all facing the platform at the rear of the hall. A podium dominated the centre of the platform, and concealed in the rear corner the humble oaken desk of Phyr Sa'resh, Captain of the Watch, nestled next to a lamp stand. A braided leather cord held the ancient drow's long silver hair high off his azure face so as not to fall into those dark blue eyes. Phyr's right arm ended at the elbow, the stump hidden by the knotted sleeve of his long black robe. The fingers of his left hand pinned a freshly cracked scroll flat, his long crooked nose hovering inches from the scribbled message. He finished reading and crumpled the report in disgust.

"The rangers have lost ground in southern Concordia," he said in his oddly formal way. I stepped up beside the podium and stood with my back to the sound of quills scratching over parchment and clerks conferring in hushed tones. "Only a little, but now they must entrench themselves again, dig their heels in to hold the Imperial masses." He sighed, long and heavy, flexing the long gnarled fingers of his single hand. "They requested reserve forces from the Watch as soon as possible, but so few of our soldiers are prepared for combat, and we need all of those here in case of an attack by these -" he gestured at a separate brown file folder, searching for the word in what was possibly his sixth language - "demonspawn." Shaking his head so his silver mane swayed, Phyr flattened a blank length of parchment and pinned it at opposite corners with two smooth riverstones. "Of course, we can afford you a dozen or so archers for tonight. And a dozen heavy foot to guard their backs." Phyr plucked the quill from his blotter and dipped it into a large glass inkwell, carefully beginning his response to the rangers.

I smiled down at the old drow, rubbing the stubble on my chin and thumbing the Y-shaped scar beneath my left eye. For all his mechanical and military ingenuity, Phyr occasionally missed glaring opportunities. Like so many mortals he kept his thoughts neatly organised, forgetting to take them out of the box on occasion and examine them in the sunlight.

"I have everyone I need for what must be done tonight, my friend. I will only accept bloodless victories over the demonspawn. And I can't guarantee that with a score of first-timers running about." The sound of scratching quills at the front of the hall stopped, and I realised my voice bore the edge of an adamantine great-axe. Softening my tone, I went on, "It is as you say. We need every fighting man and woman we can teach to hold a spear. But our most prevalent enemy is the Empire. If the rangers call for aid, we must answer." I ran a wide, callused palm across the top of the podium, relishing the smooth, sanded craftsmanship. "Send a platoon of your most promising trainees. They can dig trenches and build walls, fire arrows from the trees, pull back the wounded, they can dig latrines. They'll learn as much from the Rangers as they could here. And they will hold the line, knowing their home lies behind. it." The old elf could admit when he was wrong, but didn't like it. I caught the hearty aroma of Yurik's Firewhisky as he dropped his pen, plucked a flask from beneath a crumpled map, and popped the clasp. He took a wry swig and plugged the vessel anew after I refused a drink with a shake of my head. "Still hiding your work habits from Elena, my friend?" I asked as he hid the flask and resumed the task at hand.

"You see far, and well." Phyr waggled the quill at me then set about replacing his half-written message with another fresh parchment, ignoring the question. "Classes at the Ravenheart Academy have been overbooked for weeks, as has the Dansdel schedule. This will allow our instructors to focus more on the individuals. And build units within the guard..." As he blotted his quill I could see the gears of Phyr's powerful mind whirring like one of his clockwork devices. "Fare well this night, Joshua Cronen." Phyr said dismissively as a pair of familiar, heavy footsteps thudded into the chamber. I inclined my head in return and turned, strode swiftly and silently to the front of the room where Terech Bodorson stood, accidentally intimidating most of the clerks. The old dwarf, with streaks of grey in his long fiery beard and hair, looked like a hero or a villain from an Aleraran legend, depending on who told it. The ornate stone-pommelled hilt of a heavy titanium bastard sword stood at attention over his right shoulder, a simple leather sheath masking its diamond edged blade. Several balanced hatchets adorned his belt, which Terech had strapped on over a long steel-mail tabard. In his right hand he carried a redwood longbow which stood taller than him even strung. His left hand pinned an angular iron helmet against his hip, the weight of which would have crippled most men.

"You don't have to fight them all yourself, Terech." I murmured as I slid past and led the way outdoors, "We'll help."

"Ooch, I'd hoped ye'd let me give it a go at least!" Bodorson jested, a hearty chuckle booming from his barrel chest. Side by side we moved along the muddy road, the dwarf's powerful trudging steps a counterpoint to my flowing stride. While I wore only dark denim clothing and the enchanted Breaker Boots on my feet, Terech carried more metal than the average mule could manage. And yet the thin crowd of villagers parted for me as quickly as for the Master of the Ravenheart Academy. Soft murmurs and tentative cries of good fortune followed us across Underwood, for though they knew not our destination, Terech's weapons and the set of my eyes and shoulders told them it would be bathed in blood. By the time we reached the Dansdel's archery range the sun's frail fingers had withdrawn, and the moon's silver gaze peeked from behind the treetops. An urgent breeze sprang up, stirring the feathers of the arrows Jake and Rose had poured into various targets.

"Yeh'd better not have worn her out, lad!" Bodorson roared as we approached, and the younglings jumped in surprise. I wondered if all dwarves shared Terech's tendency to become exponentially more boisterous preceding combat. Jake spun around, the silk scarf on his neck snapping, catlike eyes wide.

"Of course not sir I... Master Bodorson, are you coming with us?" If possible, Jake's pupils dilated further, mimicking the wide grin that stretched his youthful features. Fighting alongside one of his heroes was almost as good as winning a war for Jake Narmolanya.

"Yeh're right in that, Jacob," Bodorson uttered in a voice like hammer striking anvil. "I wouldn't miss it for all the spices in Fallien." There was a moment of dead air as the four of us met each others' eyes. The breeze arose anew.

"Jake," I commanded, "be a good man. Get the door."

[CaitieGirl]

As she turned around Rose was torn between three emotions: anger for Josh who had banished her now returned imperiously, amusement at Jake who was practically dancing on air at the thought of fighting alongside Terech Bodorson, or amazement at Master Bodorson himself who was armed to the nines but carried himself as well as Josh did. Instead of choosing she turned from the men and walked to the targets she had been pummelling. Any of the arrows she hadn't split she pulled from the targets to take with her, on her way past the fence with her harvest she grabbed her bow to sling over her shoulder and as many more arrows as she could fit in her hand. From a distance she watched Jake with his quill, it was like watching a deer run, it was so graceful and natural looking for him. Where his quill touched the wooden side of a storage shed light bled from the tip until he had created the image of a door. The outlines filled in with light until his joyful face was awash with it. With a slight flash the door became solid and he opened the door with a flourish, looking to Master Bodorson beaming like a lantern.

“Well done lad” the dwarf said gruffly and then tramped through the door into the snow. Josh followed glancing back at Rose expectantly. She gave him a solemn nod and motioned him forward. His brow furrowed as he looked at her, seeming confused or concerned but then he turned away from her and went through the door that Jake was holding for him. As she walked towards the young half elf he looked at her full hand and raised and eyebrow. She smiled and gave him a wink.

“Waste not want not.” She took a step and her foot sank into the snow of Concordia forest. Jake followed closely on her heels and she heard the slightest hiss as the door disappeared behind them. Terech and Josh had moved a little away and Terech was exclaiming over something as Rose and Jake made their way to them.

“ – bloody brilliant! We'll barely have to lift a finger against the bastards.”

Rose looked to Jake questioningly and he nodded to Josh who had turned his attention to the young warriors. “We dug pitfalls all around Reever's lair. They're deep holes with ice edging the sides andsharpened stakes lining the bottom, covered by a thin veil of snow. Rose, you and Jake may be light enough to walk across some but don't take any chances. Step where I step." He pointed to a nearby yew the wind had frozen at angle. Or so it seemed. "We set snares everywhere we could between here and the lodge. Hopefully a few of them will get strung up and they'll be watching the trees rather than where they step." With his mouth set in a grim line he turned and stalked purposefully through the forest.

Rose looked around sweeping the forest floor for any sign of the traps and thankfully she saw none but when Jake went a little to wide of the path Josh was setting for them she could feel the magic keeping the snow afloat and she grabbed the back of his scarf just as his foot triggered the trap. With a whoomph the snow fell into the hole and they saw just how far he would have fallen. Rubbing his throat he choked out, “Thanks Rose”. She laughed nervously and reset the trap with her own magic, it wasn't perfect but it would hold up fine.

After that Rose kept her awareness of magic sharp and with that they were able to make their way to where the others were without further mishap. When they arrived Josh handed her the rest of her belongings, he had even retrieved the clothing she had borrowed from Jake from the Promenade. With a very slight smile she took her things and dipped her head in thanks. Again Josh looked worried but he said practically “Rose you'd better change back into those, you need to be able to move.”

Looking to the rest of the men she ducked through the entrance and heard their laughter fall away as Jake tried to follow her in. She willed the door veiled with a thought and made it a little more solid than usual just in case. She slipped out of her dress, and without the fire goosebumps marched out onto her skin. As quickly as she could she slipped into the breeches and tucked the excess material into her boots. The rough cotton shirt and her own belt came next but there was something missing. She considered the iron dagger Jake had given her. She had nowhere to put it. Rose bit her lip, thinking, then took the shift she had been wearing under her dress and with her dagger ripped most of it into one long strip. She wrapped the length of it around her hips up to her waist again and again until it ran out. She tucked her extra dagger in the folds at the small of her back where it would be away from her skin but easy to reach. Then she donned her belt again, grabbed her quiver and headed back up the stairs.

She pushed through the snow in the doorway and stepped out into the moonlight feeling silly but more prepared in her get up. Jake stared at her, blushing again, and she realized that the breeches and the cotton shirt probably showed more of her curves than she would have liked, especially with a sash tied around her tidy waist. “Jacob Narmolanya, of all the times to be a lech!” she said quietly and he sobered up. Josh appeared at her side and put his hand on her arm. She started a little but met his gaze evenly. There would be no room for grudges tonight she knew.

“Rose, let me see your quiver." She handed it over and her eyes widened as he snapped the metal tips off six of her arrows.

“Wha–?” She started helplessly.

“Vampires,” he said, “can be killed with a wooden shaft to the heart. When the time comes use wood for vampires and metal for werewolves. But take care; your shots won't fly as true without those broadpoints." Seeing that she had emerged Reever and Terech came wandering in from their inspection of the traps. Josh glanced through the naked branches of the trees to see the moon's position in the sky.

Josh motioned everyone towards the door. "We've one more thing to do, but we don't have much time left."

[Breaker]

The air inside Reever's lair cooled my skin like dew after a night of stargazing. My nostrils flared as I drew a long breath. At the heart of the atmosphere's pleasing moistness brooded the sulphuric taint of lycan blood, a smell no amount of magic could scour away. My boots made muted taps on the icy staircase as I descended and strode past the centre of the lodge. The others followed in a single column; Jake and Reever soundless spectres, Rose a wildcat on the prowl, Terech a boar hunting carnivores.

My crew - my people.

I examined each of them in turn as they formed a circle around the shambly pile of dried wood dominating the middle of the lodge. Rather than speak I wriggled my hand through a sentence of signs, barely visible at hip level. Jake responded with his usual alacrity, summoning flames to the leftover branches and stumps shorn from the pitfall stakes. I had saved two dozen of the straightest cyper poles and stacked them at the foot of the staircase. As flames lapped up the thinnest of the kindling, the howling began. Distant, as if echoing across a great body of water.

The flames grew stronger, leaping to play on the faces of my students and my friends, brightening the slope beyond our little circle. Reever had iced the previously bare earth to a sharp angle, and melted his lair's entire rear wall. Rose gasped, shadows spattering her face like war paint, as the light grew bright enough for her to see the next phase of our lethal trap. The dark, glassy slope vanished into the blackness and roll of tiny waves below, but the aura showed five pillars of ice spaced across the breadth of the slope. If more than a handful of werewolves gained entry and were pushed down to the frigid lake below, their attempts to scramble to safety would bring the entire lodge down. Reev still didn't look happy about that, but I couldn't be sure. Otter facial cues are hard to read. Jake nodded, knowing the next part of the plan and approving of its ruthless progressions. Bodorson touched Rose's elbow gently with his own, nearly knocking her flat.

"Don't ye' worry lass. We won't be here when the roof falls!" He rumbled, a steam rolling out of his helmet.

The howling grew louder, like a pack of coyotes yapping at the outskirts of town.

No, we won't be here when it comes down, I thought, but they will. I bet my life on it.

As the fire popped and snapped the flames devoured fuel. The heat melted a chimney in the snowy structure's domed top, venting wispy woodsmoke. I dipped into one of my customised leather pockets and withdrew the hooked daggers wielded by the vampires my students had slain. They shone in the bonfire, shaped almost like kukri but with an extra curve at the tip to tear flesh. The fearsome weapons were forged from an alloy of steel and silver, and to my senses glowed with the energy of minor enchantment. I had commissioned two special sheaths from the best tanner in Underwood, one emblazoned with JN, the other RV. The tanner had added a looped leather braid to the balancing holes in the base of the hilts, to keep a dropped weapon close at hand. Although they both tried to hide it, I noticed a sudden straightening of Jake and Rose's spines.

"These blades," I said, unsheathing the first, "Were created by a master alchemist. A powerful demon, if I'm right. They bear an enchantment to cut demonspawn flesh deeper than any other." As I sheathed the glittering weapon, the others all started talking at once. Bodorson's baritone rang through.

"Just a moment there lad - ar - Josh. Why would a demon make weapons for slayin' 'is own kin?" The dwarf accentuated the last three words with taps from his great bow. Jake and Rose nodded confused agreement to his query. A low, frothing growl emanated from the back of Reever's throat. An outside observer of most sentient societies, the otter had a canny knack for seeing to the end of such issues.

"Haidia's strength has always come from its numbers," I explained, "but they've never had any large scale military organisation, not since the demon wars, at least. They blamed each other for their losses and devolved into feuding clans and primitive societies. Those old arguments have only gotten worse over the years. But with these weapons, a dominant clan could change that. They're building an army based on their strongest resource. Fear." My students' eyes widened till they shone like emeralds and amethysts. Bodorson clucked his tongue like a grandfather clock and had the grace to look embarrassed.

"Douse my irons lad," the dwarf muttered as he looked closer at the ornate craftsmanship, "I believe yer' right. But... fer' all the world, ye' sounded like ye could remember the demon wars yerself when ye were talkin' Josh!" I shrugged at Bodorson's bafflement. I could not hope to grasp the full scope of the knowledge in my mind at any given time, but the important parts seemed to surface whenever I needed them. The howling grew louder.

Reever unwound his sling from his waist and selected a stone from the pouch lashed to his belt. He wriggled his body in the serpentine fashion otters have, loosening his muscles beneath the scaly jerkin and trousers he wore, their grooves larger and more angular than those on Jake's jacket. He fit the smooth stone into the pocket of his sling and wrapped it tight around his paw.

The howling grew louder still.

No way too associate the sound with anything but lycanthropes. Lots of them. If I read the patterns right, at least four packs, which meant as many as fifty of the beasts. I kept my face smooth as the others grimaced, completing similar mental calculations. Rose's expression of alarm was delayed until Jake whispered an estimated figure in her ear. How many vampires would it take to herd a pack so large? No use wondering. Nothing to do but hand my students their new weapons and walk to the foot of the stairs. As I placed my left boot on the first icy step, several surprised yelps cut the chorus of bloodthirsty howling. Seconds later the sounds from the lycans swelled and exploded. Frantic yipping, guttural roars, and agonised growls punctured the crescendo of their nightmare dirge. And then the sounds receded to muted snuffling, leaving me feeling as though I'd gone deaf.

"Reever, with me," I said, quiet and calm but clipping my words, "Rose and Jake, notch arrows and be ready to join us when I call. Terech, stay by the fire and throw anything with fur - other than Reev - that comes in here down that slope." Bodorson grinned and tipped me a nod and a wink stolen from Jake's library of cheeky faces. The half elf and Rose did as I commanded as the otter pursued me up to the yawning exit, webbed footpaws quieter than my metal boots could be.

The moon had escaped the cloud's modest veil and unabashedly glorified the carnage of our work. Fractured moans of werewolves dead and dying rose from almost every pitfall. One lycan who had fallen into the first line of holes atop two others clawed his way out and, steam blasting from his snout, turned to flee. A snare triggered with a soft click, heavy braided ropes lifting him off the ground as two nearby cypers straightened, bearing his weight between them. Several other of the beasts had suffered the same humiliation, and all twisted and snarled, tiring themselves out as they tried to inch razor sharp teeth up to their bonds. Beyond the range of my vision, where the forest became a haze of sharp lines and flickering shadows, I smelled them. Their force was even larger than I'd thought, and the majority had hung back. They no longer howled... they were waiting for something.

"Seems they might be a tad reluctant to pay us a visit after all," Reev muttered, again drawing the same conclusion as me. "Probbly' waitin' on new orders. Wot say we invite 'em?" The otter's toothy grin looked like a skull in the silver moonlight as he passed me a stake from the bundle clutched against his shaggy furred chest.

The javelin had recently been the trunk of a young cyper, thick as a fullstave with one end rubbed to a fire hardened piercing point. I hefted it, feeling the weight and balance on my shoulder, the smooth bark on my palm, the slight breeze on my cheeks. I willed my self to smell the demonspawn, to hear their monstrous breathing, to identify individual life signs. Two shuffling sidesteps for momentum and I twisted at the hips, hurling the javelin straight from my shoulder with all the muscles of my legs and back powering it. The cyper stake whistled out over the stench of dead and dying lycans, crested its arc as it spiralled past the upside down beasts struggling in their snares, and vanished into the shadow of a towering oak some two hundred yards away. It made a sound like a meat tenderiser pounding a juicy side of pork. A moment of stillness, then a nine foot werewolf tumbled into the moonlight, stiff as the javelin that bisected its neck. Its snout flattened a snowbank, pink saliva squelching in disturbed slush. The cyper stake snapped beneath its bulk. The report echoed like a gunshot.

The forces of Haidia howled with renewed blood lust and charged our encampment, skirting the remnants of our fortification.

[CaitieGirl]

Standing in the lodge listening to the muted groans of dying beasts made Rose feel like a horse fighting the bit. She shifted her weight from one foot to the next and her knuckles were white round the grip of her bow. Beside her Jake could have been carved out of stone. He didn't move and if she didn't know better she'd say he wasn't even breathing. Terech on the other hand was definitely breathing, not loudly but his enthusiasm for the task ahead was unmistakeable.

Rose considered the path that had lead her here. Just over a week ago she had come to Underwood, with no experience, hoping to find a place at the Academy. Now she was going to face the hordes of Haida alongside seasoned fighters. The road had not been easy, the scar on her neck showed that quite clearly. But knowing what lay ahead Rose would not have changed it for the world. Josh had saved her life and he and Jake had likely kept her sane. The thought of being anywhere but here helping them was repulsive to her.

After a while the moaning ceased and she could hear Reever's voice drift down the stairs. She couldn't hear the words, just noise. There was no reply but moments later such a cacophony of howls pierced the air that only Josh could have made himself heard. At the summons Rose bolted up the stairs with Jake not far behind.

She surfaced just in time to see the first of the charge fall with a javelin through its heart. It lived long enough to stumble into one of the pitfalls and share the fate of the first to fall prey to Josh's skill. The wolves were avoiding the traps as best they could, making their way around and coming in from two sides. Jake and Reever stood facing one onslaught, Josh and Rose the other. She stood with her back to the wall of the lodge with her legs splayed and launched arrow after arrow into the night. She hardly had to aim, she could barely see the trunks of the trees for furry bodies. One by one the howls and snarls turned into whimpers and the gargle of blood flooding pierced throats. Out of the corner of her eye Rose could see Josh launching wooden poles through the air with both arms. When she fumbled trying to nock an arrow she looked up to see a wooden shaft pierce one werewolf's stomach only to bury itself in the front leg of another. The animal limped forward snarling, trying to drag the weight of the other with it. It continued forward until she sent her troublesome arrow hurtling into one of its eyes.

Even with the four of them working as quickly as they could some of the wolves got around and made their way onto the roof of the lodge to attack from behind. The first of these swiftly found one of Terech's arrows through its gut as it climbed, he had shot it through the makeshift chimney. It reared back trying to pull the shaft out but lost its balance and fell. Josh pushed Rose back into the wall just in time to save her from being crushed by the wolf's descent, knocking the wind out of her in the process. As she caught her breath he rammed a javelin home, killing it instantly. When he looked up he met her eyes and nodded to her before turning and sending his bloodied spear into the night.

Rose looked to the rest of her companions. Reever had his teeth bared at the oncoming enemy, a pile of ammunition at his feet. Almost every time he loosed a rock there was the sickening crunch of breaking bones. Jake's arms never stopped moving but Rose could see the drops of blood in the snow below him, his wound had reopened but he never slowed. While she was watching he nimbly dodged the falling carcass of one of Terech's wayward victims. Rose turned back to her task but saw that the wolves were hanging back. Either they were contemplating retreat or they were trying to find a better strategy. She couldn't blame them for hesitating. The forest floor was littered with the bodies of their kin, drowning in their own blood if they weren't already dead. The carnage was bad enough that blood was slowly flowing down the sides of some of their traps. Rose shuddered.

“Jake, it's time. Get going.” Rose snapped her head around to look at Josh, who had spoken. He didn't meet her gaze, he stood with both hands holding javelins staring into the darkness, watching for foes. She heard Jake's hurried footsteps and she turned to him as he took hold of her arm. He whisked her down into the lodge and, with a nod to Terech, drew his quill. He made the door much more swiftly than he had in Underwood and pulled it open for Rose who dashed through. She ended up back on the cliff where the vampires had ambushed them. She had enough time to see the wreckage of that struggle before Jake arrived to draw her attention back to this one. He came through the portal wrapping what appeared to be the last of her shift around his arm. She knotted the makeshift bandage for him, understanding that the wolves would have smelled them if he had let it bleed.

He took her hand and guided her through the trees, taking her closer and closer to the rear of their enemy's line. They moved silently through the snow, until Jake turned to stand in front of Rose forcing her to stop. He put a finger to his lips then placed his hands on her shoulders to guide her. He moved her three steps to the left and pointed ahead. From where he put her she had a clear shot through the lowest branches of the trees. From any other position she would not have seen it. She could see the wolves clearly whereas before she only caught glimpses. They would be able to shoot and hit but their enemy would likely never see them. She looked at him incredulously, her eyebrows shooting up as she comprehended how long it must have taken to plan this and clear the appropriate branches. Jake shrugged away her silent compliments. He silently explained to her that these points were placed all around. He knew where they were so they needed to stay together. She nodded her understanding, they were going to use them to drive the last of the wolves towards the lodge. The two drew their arrows almost in sync. They exchanged ironically wolfish grins and sent them flying into the unsuspecting ranks of the demonspawn.

[Breaker]

Insanity can be defined by doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

Where did those words of wisdom come from? Remembered from a lifetime ago, they drifted through my mind as the lycans advanced. Like wastewater seeping up a hanging towel, rather than waves that broke so easily. They were mad with their bloodlust and rage certainly, but not fully insane. They learned from the first two charges, picking their way carefully past the shattered remnants that represented two thirds of their force. The sheer mass of the downed lycans - snuffles of the wounded, twitches of the dying, the stench of them all - stained the silver moonlight, made musty what should be fresh. Snow and mud ran red and pink, but the gore did not sway the living lycans. They prowled amongst their comrades, stopping where the dead were stacked only three high, never presenting a living target for long. Reever growled as a stone from his sling split the skull of a beast already dead with six arrows in its chest.

"Time to get back to your roots, Reev." I said. The otter trundled to his lodge stowing, the sling in an empty stone pouch and pulling the cutlasses forth from his belt.

A long cyper javelin in each hand, I faced the horde of demonspawn alone. My breath came soft and easy, cherishing the last moments of fresh air. And then I was among them.

The breaker boots never faltered as I danced circles around the pitfalls. The javelins made a heavy thrumm between wet impacts as I spun them around my hands, my arms, my shoulders. Their chiselled points gashed furry throats and pierced yellow eyes. I threw myself into the right flank, pushed them back with a seamless salvo of striking and stabbing, and the left flank split two ways. The first fist of werewolves bounded into the lodge, howling in conquest. The second ran towards my back, salivating for an attack of opportunity.

Arrows poured out of the woods. Goose fletched arrows, seemingly fired by the trees themselves, cutting down lycans in front and behind me. Both javelins lost in corpses or splintered on kneecaps, I pulverised foes with straight kicks from my weighted boots, grabbed handfuls of werewolf fur and flung them towards the lodge. I could hear deathroars, the song of Bodorson's blade splitting demonspawn hide, and the crackle of ice giving way. The lodge seemed to wilt, a melting snowball, then collapsed upon itself.

"Freedom in Concordia!" Cleaving the legs and stomachs of enemies on all sides, Terech Bodorson exploded from Reever's lair as it swallowed a score of the lycans. The dwarf's face shone redder than his beard as he impaled a gargantuan werewolf on his diamond edged broadsword. Chain mail singing, heavy helmet askew on his head, the dwarf stood at my side and together we felled the demonspawn faster than they could come. My left foot shattered an angular snout, changed direction and crumpled an elongated spine. My hands became talons that tore out throats and eyes easier than a hawk eating mice. Claws that raked muscle from bone. The diamond edged sword described figures of eight and star patterns, opening arteries at every turn. Underwater, Reev would be doing the same to any that fled into his domain. In his natural element the otter was untouchable.

The press of the lycanthropes dwindled, but they never ceased their suicidal assault. As I broke one's arm and used its claws to disembowel another, Terech tipped me a nod. The final and most crucial phase of the trap had arrived. The most crucial, and therefore simplest aspect of our complex preparations. As the last of the lycans died on Bodorson's blade, I turned and sprinted into the thickening trees, making a straight line toward the cliff top where Jake and Rose fired arrows through our strategically carved conduits.

If I had noticed how drastically the flow of arrows from their position had slowed, I would have left much sooner.

[CaitieGirl]

Every so often Rose could see a glimpse of Reever or Josh from her strategic perch, a sure sign that the wolves were running low on troops. She was relieved to see that they were alright. She was running low on metal tipped arrows. She had more than enough if she could make her shots count but she was loathe to use the ones Josh had altered. One encounter with a vampire was enough to teach her caution. Jake, she saw, had more arrows than she did but not by many. They were each crouching in a different fork of the same tree. If not for Rose's long hair and curves, and Jake's black scarf the two of them would have looked nearly identical. They were both slight but strong and they both balanced in the tree like they had been born doing it. Jake felt her gaze and turned to her. He motioned that they should move on to a more suitable spot. Rose looked back through the branches and saw nothing to shoot at. She looked back up and nodded.

She ducked her head under her bowstring so that the wooden limbs of her longbow extended past her shoulder and hip, the string settling beneath her breasts. This freed her hands so she could get down from the tree the fast way. Moving her feet so her weight sat on only one branch she wrapped practiced hands around the bough and let herself swing beneath it then dropped the remaining distance to the ground. Her leather clad feet met the frozen earth almost silently as she bent her knees to absorb the impact, placing on palm on the ground to steady herself. She stood up and removed her bow from her shoulders, then looked for Jake. She jumped when he suddenly appeared beside her. She could not get used to how quiet the young half elf could be, especially when he wanted to show off.

The two moved through the trees side by side, looking for all the world like siblings. They both kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. The werewolves were fewer in number now but the huge stinking beasts were faster and stronger than they were and giving them the element of surprise was a luxury they could not afford. They hadn't gone thirty paces when Jake's bow fell from his hand into the snow that blanketed the forest floor. He dropped to one knee, one hand moving to retrieve it, the other furiously scratching at his neck. “Rose, vampires!”

Rose looked around frantically while she nocked the first of her wood tipped arrows. She saw a shadow gliding swiftly through the trees and shot at it. The arrow went wide and didn't even come close to hitting the pale spectre which moments later proved itself solid. She was rammed into a thick oak tree and saw stars before long claw tipped fingers wound themselves into her chair and pulled until her neck was screaming with pain. One of her hands was clamped in its iron grip, and there was no room for the other to reach her blades. As the vampire started to lower its fangs to her hammering pulse it was wrenched back. Jake threw all his weight into the motion, sending the vampire off balance. With a kick to its chest he sent it to the ground and straddled its chest and arms. The unholy thing drew white lips back from whiter fangs hissed furiously. As Rose trained an arrow on the it Jake removed the knife Josh had given him from its sheath. The blade glittered cruelly in the fractured moonlight before he plunged it into the vampire's chest. Blood bubbled up slowly, lacking a pumping heart, and the demon gave a shriek that no human or beast could have given voice to. Jake twisted the blade and silenced it.

When an answering scream met their ears Jake wrenched the blade from the body and stood beside Rose who had her eyes trained on the direction the sound had come from. The vampiress did not present a target, she moved so quickly that she appeared before them with no warning. She stopped long enough to see the blood that dripped from Jake's knife, and the corpse of her mate before letting another shriek pierce the air and reaching out skeletal hands towards the youth. Rose loosed an arrow, hoping the closer target would prove easier to hit with her arrows. The arrow caught the ghostly lady in the shoulder as her hands wrapped around Jake's neck. The vampiress met Rose's gaze as she tore the shaft from her flesh, then she shuddered as Jake's blade buried itself in her gut. The boy was nearly unconscious and dropped like a stone when she released him. Rose nocked two arrows at once and put all the force she could into the shot. They both flew true. Going through the vampiress' neck and stomach they effectively pinned her to the closest tree. The angle was bad and they would not restrain her for long but Rose ran like a madwoman to slam her own silver tinged blade into the thing's unbeating heart. In the last throes of the final death the vampiress got hold of Rose and sunk her claws into her arms and moved as if to feed on her, but the arrows held just long enough. The demonspawn's eyes went dark, like her partner's had before her, and she sank to the ground looking like an undead, soon to be all dead, pincushion.

Rose rushed to where Jake had fallen and seeing his still form feared the worst. She listened to his chest. His heart was going strong but he wasn't breathing. Had that evil bitch crushed his windpipe? She tipped his head back, took a deep breath, and placed her lips to his. Instantly his lips moved and his hand cupped the back of her bent head. She wheeled back from him, falling squarely on her rump as he howled with laughter.

“Oh come on now Rose, I couldn't miss an opportunity like that.” Rose glared at him from her seat in the snow, then got up and stomped away to retrieve their blades. She cleaned hers in the snow and sheathed it. Jake's she sent arching through the air to land between his knees. He stopped laughing.

"Only you could try something like that after a night like this. Really, Jake, I thought you were dead. Never do that again." She was facing away from him to hide the fact that she was less angry than she seemed. Truthfully she was barely fighting off crazed laughter, she was riding high on the adrenaline. The giddy feeling fled when she glanced at the blood staining the snow. They had shed so much of it tonight. With werewolves and vampires together in one place it was a miracle they were alive. She hoped that the others had managed without their help back at the lodge, they had been occupied a while.

“Jake, wouldn't you think Josh would have come when we stopped shooting? And those things weren't exactly quiet, he could have found us easily.” Rose stood with her bow in one hand and her other rested on her hip while she thought out loud. "To control so many wolves there must have been more vampires. They may have made it to the others. Maybe that's why he's not here."

“You're thinking more like we do every day. But no need to worry I'm sure they've got it handled. Nothing Terech likes more than hacking up demonspawn. Well my girl, shall we head back and see what's what?" Jake put a bloody hand on her arm leaving a gruesome handprint on her sleeve. She gave him a grimace to let him know he wasn't fully forgiven for his antics but didn't shake off his touch until she moved beyond the reach of his arm and into the trees.

[Breaker]

Snow crunched steadily beneath my black boots as I ran through the forest. Tree branches whizzed by on both sides and above, shaken by the speed of my passage, shuddering at the touch of disturbed air. Layers of sweat, grime, and lycan blood froze my clothing and hair into imitation armour of black and crimson. Gore masked my tired face. I could feel my lungs labouring as I powered up the stiff slope, leaping from rock to fallen tree trunk, willing myself to silence. Two nights of fighting with a day of work in between was taxing - even for my body. I slowed to a trot, and as the press of my breathing, the pounding of my heart and the crackle of my encrusted clothing quieted, I heard a voice. My lungs burned for it, but I stopped breathing completely and became a statue. In the stillness, the voice pushed through layers of vegetation and snow, reaching my quivering ears. A child, calling for help. A chill marched up my spine and bit the nape of my neck, and suddenly I felt the full cold of the night air, of the ice on my skin, of the empty silvery moonlight.

Snow sailed through the air as I sprinted after the voice, churning the ground with each step, regard for silence abandoned. Tree branches swatted my shoulders and face, snapped off against my hips. Banks of ice and snow exploded beneath my boots until I reached the edge of the thicket.

Long dead grass swayed all around the child, a girl of no more than twelve with flaxen hair and a coarse burlap dress. She cried out to me, reaching with one frostbitten hand, the other latched onto her ankle, her face contorted in pain. A root ensnared her ankle, rubbing the soft flesh cruelly. I sensed earth magic at work, embodying the root and keeping the girl trapped. Where did she come from? Why is she here? The questions were far away, issues for future consideration. The girl's lips were blue, she was shivering uncontrollably as she called for help again, reaching out with numbed fingers. I stepped into the thicket, and her wail became a demonic cackle.

The ground was gone. I realised the complexity of the earth magic too late. Curled into a ball just as I struck a rocky outcropping, the impact shattering my kneecap and flipping me sideways. Pain swallowed my left leg and bit hungrily into my spine as I cracked the rocky bottom of the cave. Vision blurred, I saw the silver sky disappear as the root structure re-wove itself, thicker than before, blocking out the light. In darkness, I heard the faintest scuff of careful footfalls, felt the channelling of earth continue. Then a woman drew a long, rasping breath.

"Yesss."

Not a woman. A vampiress. A hand of molten lava gripped my stomach. How had I not sensed her? I scrambled to a standing position, back braced against an invisible rock wall, weight balanced on my right leg. Tested the left leg and found it unable to take a full step. The channelling of earth magic ceased, and a second set of slow, muted footsteps joined the first. How had I missed them?

"Yessssss."
"Yesssssssss."

The single syllable, hissed by two wicked mouths, echoed in the underground cave. I shifted, unable to track their movement through the spiralling sounds. Something struck my midsection hard enough that the rock wall my spine was braced against cracked. Mouth agape, I pitched forwards, sprawled on the rough ground. The earth magic sprang up, stronger than before, and thick roots erupted from the ground all around. I rolled and wound up pinned on my back, oak roots as thick as my waist holding my arms and legs down. The unseen speakers let their cacophony fade, and slowly my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

I lay in the corner of a small chamber hewn from living rock. The slightest silver sheen still emanated from above, making the bulky walls glisten with moisture. Two ghastly women occupied the centre of the chamber. One was taller than the other and had shades of grey in her long black hair, but otherwise they seemed identical. Same smooth ageless face, same satanic smile. Same evil obsidian eyes. Judging by their power, which I sensed all too clearly, they were both ancient as the roots that bound me. The younger of the two, with perfectly straight, perfectly dark hair, held the flows of earth magic tighter than a soldier holds his sword in a battle to the death. They were both staring at me like their favourite flavour of icicle.

"Greetingsss Breaker of the Ascended. I did not expect to have a visit from you so soon. I am Esstania of the Forgotten." The taller vampiress, the one with grey in her wavy hair, introduced herself as she slithered toward me. Her underling fell in behind, silently raising a long-nailed hand that summoned a ball of flames to the air six feet above my head. In the sudden firelight I could see they were both naked, clothed only in that midnight hair that failed to make them modest whatsoever. Whether from the enchanted fire or the dire situation I began to sweat, blood and ice melting off my chest and face. I should have closed my eyes, but I watched the shift of smooth muscles beneath the skin of Esstania's creamy legs. She straddled my hips and settled her weight on me, letting the faintest gasp escape her rosebud lips.

"Go on then, forgotten one." I twisted my head, offering my neck. "Have a taste. Something tells me you won't like the flavour." Her clawlike fingernails raked my chest, shredding my shirt and drawing angry red lines from collarbone to navel. My back arched involuntarily, lifting her an inch of the ground, my mouth wide, gasping for air. She raked again, this time shredding the front of my pants but missing the skin beneath.

"I have no interessst in taking your blood," She whispered, eyes afire with black mirth and rapture. She ground herself down on me again, drew another eight lines down my sternum. Blood seeped from the scratches. "Not when you can give me the most powerful shadow-child sssince the birth of Haidia." She kissed my chest and lapped up the blood, bare thighs caressing my naked body. I sought the serenity of meditation but her claws gouged the meat of my shoulders and I sucked another deep breath, heart rate increasing, head spinning.

"Yessssssss... give me my prodigy babe, Breaker."

[CaitieGirl]

Seeing Terech and Reever lifted a weight from Rose's heart but when she realized that Josh was not with them that relief turned to a knot of fear that lodged in her stomach and would not budge. The relief would have been short lived either way because the two warriors were alive but locked in combat with more vampires. One had already fallen with one of Terech's hatchets lodged in its throat. He had severed its spine which showed just how much strength his compact body contained. Terech himself was busy forcing one of their attackers to glide backwards as he sliced the air the creature had been occupying a second earlier. Reever was showing his teeth as he dropped to all fours to avoid a strike from the other. The night was obviously beginning to wear on him.

Jake deftly climbed a pile of werewolf corpses and sent a wood tipped arrow whizzing through the air to lodge itself in Reever's opponent's back. He corrected his aim and shot again this time driving the arrow through its heart. Moments later Terech drove another of his hatchets deep into his foe's leg, shattering its kneecap. The creature fell to its knees shrieking and met a swift end as Terech swung his sword into its neck as if he were felling a tree. The giant otter looked confused as his opponent fell with a wooden shaft through his chest then stood up on his hind legs to see Jake standing like a conquering hero on a mountain of bodies.

“Yeh're just in time lad!” Reever called. Terech wrenched his sword free with one foot upon the chest of the vampire he had just killed. The body keeled over to lay among the others and Terech cleaned his sword on its cloak, a final insult to Haidia and all its creatures. As Jake neared him the master dwarf gripped the boy's upper arm and he lit up at the show of comradery. Rose picked her way across the bodies to stand beside Reever.

“Where's Josh Reev?” she asked quietly as Jake and Terech talked enthusiastically.

“I wish I could tell yeh Rosie, 'e went out lookin' for you youngins an' I 'aven't seen 'im since.”

Rose chewed on her lip worriedly. Visions of the ascended's body lying broken and bleeding on the forest floor flooded her mind. The last time she had spoken to him she had been holding back anger, and now he was missing in a forest filled with demonspawn. Jake and Terech made their way over and Jake looked at her until she met his gaze. She knew he was trying to will her to believe that he was fine and that they would find him but she wasn't listening. Reever quickly explained the situation and the four of them set off together in the direction Josh had been headed.

As they moved through the trees all four of them looked around like hounds that had lost the scent. It began to snow again, the fat flakes bringing a silence that muffled their footsteps and made them all grip their weapons tightly for fear something else take advantage of the quiet. As they progressed Rose could not shake the feeling that they were going the wrong way. When she voiced this opinion the rest agreed that they would follow this course for a time before going back and trying a new one. She tried to fight off her doubt but it remained, gnawing at what was left of her peace of mind. As the distance between her and the rest slowly lengthened she made a decision that even at the time she knew was foolish.

She checked her speed and took advantage of the unusual quiet to steal away from her friends. She turned around and followed her own footprints back through the trees until instinct told her to stray from that path. Alone the only sounds she could hear were the gentle crunches of her footsteps, the beat of her heart in her ears and the occasional whisper of wind through the branches. She kept all her senses alert, making a conscious effort to slow her breathing and ignore the fatigue in her muscles. She even occasionally felt out with her magic, seeing if another's energy would send out an answering vibration that only those with power could feel. There was nothing. She moved through the trees like a wraith, alone and vulnerable, looking to rescue a man who was her superior in almost every way. She was about to admit her idiocy and turn around when she heard a noise that was not the wind, nor her steps, nor her heart. Untrained breathing nearby and it sounded human.

Rose drew the curved, enchanted blade Josh had given her earlier and kept it hidden by her side. She moved in the shadow of each tree, willing herself to remain invisible. As she made her way closer she finally spotted her prey. It was a vampire, that much was certain, no human looked like that. But she didn't have the stillness or grace of the others, and she had been breathing. Rose thought about it, and realized she must be newly dead. She fidgetted, and maintained some human habits, and standing out in the snow alone she was obiviously inferior. A lackey to the elders. Her eyes darted but never came to rest on Rose. She must be very new.

Rose kept up wind of her quarry as she moved around, keeping to the shadows thrown by the moonlight. The little vampiress made an impatient noise and sat down with her back to a tree. She was small, a brunette. She looked like she would have had rosy cheeks had there been blood flowing beneath them. Rose smiled at the unpolished movements but knew that even a young vampire could kill her. She had yet to face one completely alone. She moved from the safety of one shadow on the way to another then her heart sank as a twig snapped beneath her boot. The vampire's head snapped towards her and the human resemblance ended as her face contorted in a predatory snarl. She bolted towards Rose and tackled her with such force that it was clear her strength was new to her. The two flew backwards and even as Rose's back struck the ground she got one foot up and used the overzealous vampire's momentum to throw her off. From the sound of it she had been thrown into a tree, even vampire bones can break. Rose frantically tried to suck air into her lungs as she got to her feet. She staggered to where her foe had fallen and straddled her chest and arms as she had seen Jake do. The vampire groaned as Rose's weight settled on its broken ribs on the left side, then hissed as Rose revealed the knife in her hand.

"Tell me what I want to know and I won't use this to break the rest of your ribs before I kill you." Rose was surprised when the words left her mouth, but she meant them. This thing was between her and someone she cared about, and human-looking or not she was evil. The new vampire looked at her eyes and saw the unwavering certainty. She hissed and struggled but only succeeded in hurting herself further. Rose lowered the knife to just above lowest of ribs on the already injured side and was poised to strike when the vampire found her voice.

"No! Please, it hurts!" Her voice was surprisingly breathy. "The elders have a human with them, I don't know what they're doing. All I was told was to keep watch and kill anyone I saw."

"Where?" Again, Rose was inwardly shocked at the edge to her voice. She sounded vicious. She shifted her weight a little and the vampiress whimpered.

"Somewhere close, to the west. That's all I know. They told me to keep watch, kill any I saw. That's all. I swear. I swear..." Rose sighed. The young vampiress was wheezing and sobbing. It was obvious there was nothing else to be gotten from her. Rose moved her knife to just above her heart and looked her in the eye. Her heart softened just a bit and was glad she could put her beyond pain.

"Thank you," she said sincerely and drove her knife home. The young one's eyes closed and a look of peace stole over her features.

Rose got to her feet and mentally centred herself. She needed all her senses to be alert, especially considering how tired she was. She looked for the intuition that had led her here but it was nowhere to be found. All she could hope for now was that the girl had not been lying. She found thher path and taking a steadying breath, disappeared into the trees. She once again willed herself invisible. There were elders close by. There could be no mistakes.

[Breaker]

The fire washed chamber echoed with Esstania's guttural moans and the wet slap of her flesh on mine. The Vampire Queen stared down at me between rises in ecstasy, her eyes sinkholes of rapture and fanatic evil. I struggled and strained against the wooden restraints but could not move them. Most of the ice and mud and werewolf gore melted as sweat sprang from my pores. Esstania's noises became a stream of whispered words I had never heard before, something ancient, perhaps one of her kind's dark prophecies. I felt a rising calm as she threw back her head in a fresh throe, long wavy hair whipping my face and scarred chest. She'd lost interest in the scratching and biting once the lycan blood mingled with mine. Her fingers and palms groped and massaged my leathery muscles through the foul lubricant. Behind her the young one crouched, touching pleasure centres in my feet and legs. Additional stimulation. Contact seemed to increase her power over the roots that bound me. It would make no difference. I was winning. The undead wench couldn't finish me, and every second I shut out more of the sensation. The immovable wooden chains barely concerned me. Training in martial arts, you learn to escape from some bad situations. And I'd had worse.

My cheek smashed against one of the wooden staples as Esstania backhanded my jaw. Cartilage clicked but the bones stayed solid.

"Come back," the vampiress hissed within the rhythm of her relentless rise and fall. "You're nowhere but here, Breaker."

Too late I heard her words form the hex-spell, too late to stop those seductive hooks setting deep in my memories. Esstania rubbed the bunched muscles and seething arteries in my neck, increasing the tempo of her hips. Her servant's massage climbed my quadriceps. I felt like a musket had fired next to my ear. No! My mind is my own! Get out! Esstania's delight crescendoed with a breathy gasp and arched back, then kept building. Feeding on my past seemed to sweeten her palate more than the purest blood. An unbidden moan tore from my throat as she drank in my last memory of Kristina Rythadine before her death.

"You made sssuch a rugged young man. Dark from the winds of Knife'sss Edge. Yesss... come with me, Breaker."

Reality changed.

Unfiltered Salvic sunlight, red and breathing, poured over the western mountains. Kristina nestled close, our clothes still on for warmth, except the important parts. The breathy moan of frigid winds could not touch us. Kristina lay astride me with her nose pressed against mine, chocolate eyes mocking me even as we made love. The same dimples that made her brother's face angular and villainous made hers delectable. So sweet I wanted to crunch my abdominals, close the inch of space between us and kiss both dimples, both brown eyes, lose my mind in the tangle of her hair. But I couldn't move. Tried to smooth a stray strand of her auburn locks and found my arms immobile as well. This is wrong! I never bedded Nina here, I felt her heart stop beating as we watched the sun set. Haidian succubus, leave my thoughts! Out!

The flickering ball of mage fire had turned black, casting no light but double the heat. Perspiration poured from my glands like power from the Tap. Esstania's whispers were wordless once more and barely audible. Her snakelike neck lashed left and right, obsidian irises rolling back to show the hidden whites of her eyes. I shuddered as the lesser vampiress caressed a clump of nerve clusters, then the other. Shoved rising sensation down as Esstania wrapped herself in a smaller illusion and became Angeline, the woman who had found me a job as a bouncer in Radasanth, years ago. How many nights had she shared my bed? The familiar blonde hair that smelled of incense fanned above me as the wings of an angel should. Her willowy frame and curved collarbones, covered by the smoothest skin I knew, pressed against me. Soft plump breasts kissed my chest as her lips made a round opening and cooed the coyest of whimpers.

"Oh Heartbreaker," Angeline's voice gushed, "Oh never, no never go aw-oh-away so long again!" I denied the voice, denied the caress of her creamy flesh, the fantasies she whispered in my ear. I focused on the outline of roots against dim silver light far above and strove to force my will upon Esstania, to break her magical disguise. I failed. Her true voice returned with that maddening cackle, and her servant joined in, nipping her mistresses shoulder in lust as her hands assaulted me. Slowly, Angeline's blonde hair darkened and curled. Her frame shrank and her figure expanded as the hair became chestnut brown, the lips full and crimson, the eyes violet. The moans morphed into girlish gasps of a young maiden.

"Please Josh... Please..." Rose whispered in my ear. I lost sight of the latticed ceiling as my eyes rolled back. I bridged so powerfully the wooden staple pinning my right arm cracked. A single vampiric wail ripped from Esstania's throat as she climaxed and lost control of the illusion. Blood pounded in my veins. My head swam. Sweat and werewolf blood soaked my clothing and skin. Exhaustion coiled like a steely snake around every muscle I had and sought to suck the life from me. The lesser vampiress had released me and now embraced her mistress from behind, crooning a low congratulation.

Relaxing my body instead of struggling against the bonds, I writhed like an eel shedding its skin. My right arm slid out easily. My left wrist dislocated with a wet thock as it escaped. Sturdy as a barrel of whisky settling on its side, I rocked back and forth, pulled my legs free as the Breaker Boots came off my feet. Kicked the lesser vampiress so hard her neck and six vertebrae down her spine snapped in tandem. Grabbed for Esstania but she sprouted leathery wings and lifted off from the stone ground, shrieking like a jilted siren. Fire spouted from her flared lips as she neared the latticed ceiling, burning a hole in the roots and snow. The silver moonlight that poured in became everything in my universe. Pure, clean energy that washed away exhaustion and made the stinging lacerations, the aching wrist, and the decimated knee a problem for another time. Another version of myself. A Joshua Cronen with a less immediate agenda for vengeance. I curled into a ball, balanced on my good leg and gathered my enchanted boots, one on each hand. As Esstania flew out of the cavern, wing strokes showering me with silt, I leapt. Landed on a flattened rock ledge the moon had revealed, took a moment to centre myself then crouched and exploded upwards.

Rising like a ghost from an undeserved grave, I wrapped my arms around the winged demon's waist. But the same mixture of body fluids that saved my life allowed Esstania to slip free and swoop to the treeline. My sternum slammed onto the edge of the hole in the thicket, and I smashed the Breaker Boots down flat. Their clever magics stopped me from falling further but jolted my shoulders and wrenched my injured wrist. Teeth grinding, I muscled my way out until I lay panting in the snow. Heard Esstania's sprinting footsteps fade behind a wall of vegetation. No. You can't break ME, Demonspawn. I rose, dripping, and took one faltering step in pursuit. Then I saw the real Rose Vasston staring at me.

[CaitieGirl]

She burst into the clearing just in time to see raven hair and bleached ivory skin disappearing into the trees and Josh standing frozen, the moonlight putting a sheen on the sweat and blood that eclipsed his skin. He was staring at her as if she were a exquisite nightmare. After a few seconds' shock one leg buckled underneath him and he crumpled to the ground. His falling shattered the bonds that had kept Rose immobile and she sprinted towards him as he fought to sit up. Her hands grazed the slick surface of his skin searching for wounds and he writhed under her touch. She started to panic, she couldn't find a wound that would cause this much pain. He used one calloused hand to capture both of hers and gently pushed them away. He closed his eyes and dragged in two shuddering breaths before speaking.

“It's just my knee. Give me a brace. I need to catch her.” His voice rasped through his clenched jaw demanding impossible things from her.

“Josh, there's no way, I don't have anything-”

“Use ice. Do it. Now.” Her veins were straining to contain her boiling blood. Idiot that he was Josh was just aching to run off and get killed. She was not going to allow it.

“No," she said forcefully. "You're hurt. Letting one escape is not the worst-” His grip on her hands tightened until it was painful. His gaze was an unstoppable force, she couldn't avoid meeting it.

“Rose," he said simply. Like always his voice shaping the sounds of her name had a power over her that she didn't understand. She quickly took stock of his injuries. He was drenched in sweat and worse. His face was paler than she'd ever seen it, pain and fatigue ravaging a body that was usually a living weapon. Goosebumps rose on any skin that was bare enough to be seen. His clothing was in tatters, a fact she ascertained then pointedly ignored. His left hand sat at an awkward angle and his knee was swollen and had turned black with bruising. She glanced up to see his eyes searching her face, then down and away deep in thought. If he had the strength to do this, she decided, then she had the strength to let him.

“Alright.” He nodded once, then straightened his leg, biting back guttural groans. As she placed her hands above his knee he moved his right hand to set his wrist. One wet sounding pop and a consequent sigh of relief told her that one injury was at least part way fixed. She wove band upon band of ice around the joint, giving up as much energy as she could afford to keep it solid. Weaving water and will together she formed a brace that the healers of Underwood's infirmary would envy. She gave one last sweep of magical perception to find any weaknesses and she was finished.

She climbed to her feet and offered Josh her hand to help him up. Gratefully he took her hand. It took a good measure of strength to keep his weight from toppling her but she managed and he lurched to his feet and tested her handiwork. He still could not stand properly instead he rested half of his weight on the hand which held one of his Breaker Boots. Their magical properties kept him steady. Althought the position was not graceful it kept the weight off of his newly braced knee. Satisfied with the Boots' effectiveness he used the power of his good leg to propell him forward, skidding through the trees. He disappeared after the escaping vampiress leaving Rose sitting on the frozen ground marvelling at his determination and hoping he didn't injure himself further.

[Breaker]

The Breaker Boots sprayed my face with shards of ice shorn by their rapid slide. Squinting, feeling the frigid flecks catch in matted blood on my face, my strength returned gradually. I caught Esstania's scent on the shifting wind and leaned right, veered to a raised icy oak root and launched off my good leg. The shadowqueen had changed direction, fleeing haphazardly uphill. Sailing over a snarl of cedarbush I landed in a tactical roll and powered uphill, crouched over my good foot. Propelled myself after the essence of her evil with both arms, like a kayak on snow, my braced leg the prow. Esstania was slowing down, exhausted by her deadlift flight escaping the cavern. She's headed for the cliff. The drop followed by the extensive meadow would give her a long glide. Faster travel than I could manage with a stiff leg. Although her magical prowess and strength amazed me, Esstania wasn't very good at running uphill. I could hear her raspy panting and footfalls muted by snow. I leapt and grabbed a tree branch, kipped and flipped to a higher one on a mighty oak. There.

Leaving the tree branches shuddering in my wake I spiralled to the ground and rolled, shoulder striking the edge of a flat rock and shucking it into a puddle. I'd glimpsed the ancient vampiress through winter-whittled branches and frost-tinged needles. A hundred yards from the clifftop. Twenty yards from me. Nothing but guts and willpower left to catch her with. I bounded after her on my good leg, brace cocked out at an angle. Dropped the boot off my hand and hopped after her as fast as I could. Esstania heard my thunderous breathing, the crunch of each impact of progress. She glanced over a bloodstained shoulder, mouth open and sucking air, fangs shining in the moonlight. I brushed against an aged cyper almost as thick as my waist, snapping off a heavy branch. With one final burst of energy I crashed into her from behind, threading the cyper stake through both leathery wings.

Esstania's scream sent a roused flock of birds fleeing for Scara Brae, the sturdy yew that made their resting place shivering as if it felt the cold. Esstania got to her feet, face contorted in pain and rage. She stalked across the snow, eyes burning between yellow and red, flexing her claws.

"Perhapsss I will defy the words of the Eldest and taste Assscended blood thiss night." She was still gasping, stiff from the skewer pinning her wings together

"You should have left the girl out." I said quietly, balanced like a statue of a war veteran. "I'd have killed you instead."

My elbow cut off her murderous hiss, punching two fangs out the side of her cheek. My other hand tangled her air and yanked her head into a knotty rywan, then did what my good leg had been begging for. I spun and collapsed to the ground, throwing Esstania over my shoulder so she landed beneath me. Even with an ice bound leg I pinned her as effectively as the devil-roots had me, one arm across her jaw to keep the remaining fangs away, the other laced through both of hers. She moaned when I broke one of her shoulders, screamed like a banshee as I twisted my hips and inverted the opposite forearm. As her catlike whimpers faded I flowed to a new position and broke her legs, one at a time, using my whole body as a fulcrum. Her screams should have cloven the ground, shattered the ice, shattered the night.

Finally we lay in silence, if not for the blood and broken bones like a pair of spent lovers. Entangled. The snow made a pink halo around our bodies.

"How long till dawn?" I asked the vampire queen. She spat blood in my face.

[CaitieGirl]

Only Josh could have kept up with the vampire queen. He had disappeared almost as silently as the morning dew and twice as fast. Rose, half mad with worry, tried to follow him. It was only the scuff marks from his awkward gait that led her on. She moved as fast as her battered body would take her which was why when faced with a furry apparition she didn't have the control to stop. Instead she rammed into the creature full force and wound up flat on her back. It turned and jewel-like black eyes twinkled down at her.

“There yeh are Rose! I see you've taken up Jake's 'abit of makin' an entrance.” Reever spoke louder than he needed to. He offered her his paw and pulled the poor girl up off the ground. As she was brushing the snow off of her clothing the other two warriors materialized from the trees, one of them very quickly. Jake hugged her fiercely, spun her in a circle then set her down and took a firm hold on her shoulders.

“Why did you do that?” He demanded, shaking her for emphasis. Rose shrugged apologetically. She didn't have an answer. His expression softened and he looked more like the Jake she knew, less drawn and worried. She felt bad for having caused him pain but she didn't regret sneaking away. “So, you still haven't found Josh?” Jake's question brought her back to why she had ended up in the snow in the first place.

“Yes I did! He's chasing an elder I was following him! He was injured, he might need help.” She was pulling on Jake's arm trying to get them all to move, it took them a moment to understand but after that she had trouble keeping up with the more seasoned fighters. Sheer worry forced Rose onward and before she knew it she was squinting against the rising sun. There was a pause before they all comprehended what the dawn would mean. Terech was the first to slow, forcing the rest to stop as he was in the lead.

“Either he's long dead or it is,” he said ominously.

Rose gasped as understanding took hold and ignoring her protesting body she pushed her way past her companions and followed the trail uphill as fast as she could manage. The tree branches snagged her clothing and even her skin as she tore through the forest. She felt scratches on her arms and face but that didn't matter. She had to see. She had to know.

When she was finally free of the trees at the edge of the cliff what she saw came to her in fragments as if her mind couldn't take it all in one piece. There was only one still form on the ground, and it was Josh's. He was covered in blood, it surrounded him like a wreath. Some of it pink in the snow, some of it nearly black mixed with dirt. One breaker boot lay discarded twenty yards away. Only once she had taken in the surroundings could Rose bring herself to look at the man. There was no way of knowing the extent of his injuries, whether the blood that drenched him belonged to him or his prey. The brace she had fashioned for him had shattered during the fight or before, she didn't know. His clothing was held on with gore and little else, but his face, it was peaceful.

Rose felt the knot of fear that had been eating at her stomach expand and take over her whole body. The worst had happened. Numbly, she staggered to where he lay and knelt on the bloodied ground next to him. She took one of his hands and held it in both her smaller ones. She bent her head over it and whispered to his motionless fingers, “Thank you Josh, for everything.” She didn't cry, she was just still, she couldn't make it real enough to cry. She just sat there with his warm hand in hers and...Wait. Corpses aren't warm. Her eyes flew open to see a familiar pair of hazel ones staring back at her. Then, it seemed, Rose could cry.

[Breaker]

Determination had replaced the dust in city hall, as dawn had replaced the devilish night, as warm washwater cleansed caked gore and grime. As six hours uninterrupted sleep refreshed and rejuvinated me. I hobbled past the rows of paper-strewn, ink-stained chairs and tables. My knee had received rudimentary healing but still felt weak, and I carried my heavy dehlar sledgehammer by its rounded maul, using it as a cane. My right wrist twinged on occasion. The leather wrapped handle of the hammer padded the oaken floor even more silently than my black boots. I left the sledgehammer leaning on the stage and flowed up to lean on the podium. The hall was empty for once, except for Phyr Sa'resh, who sat writing abnormally clear instructions on stone-flattened parchment.

"Elek E'et Tak!" The long nosed drow exclaimed, snapping his head like an enraged stallion and whisking his long silver hair away from the open inkwell with the shirtsleeve knotted over his stump. "The buki Empire forces broke through to the North and East. Tak it is well we found the right path so soon." Phyr flipped his quill to the blotter and sat back, satisfied, sanding the parchment casually. As he worked he rolled his shoulder, eliciting a rolling series of pops that sounded almost smooth. Like the purr from the braziers that lit Phyr's solitary vigil. Finished with the sand, he coaxed open a stubborn trakym drawer and found a broken clock to pass the time as he waited for the ink to dry. His experienced hand, gnarled and worn but so sure and efficient, worked the mechanisms to such swift clicks it seemed to live once more. "Forgive my outburst," he said formally as the mauve hue receded from his scarred azure cheeks. "I see you are injured," he indicated my vlince-braced knee with his crooked nose, meeting my eyes but still working the little tin clock, which looked like a toy on the only bare surface of his desk amidst heaps scrolls. "Are your disciples well?" Something pinged in the little clock, and it was alive. Phyr's increase in aptitude since he cut down on the booze explains a lot, I thought as I filed away perceived definitions of the Aleraran words he'd used. I wondered just how much Phyr Sa'resh could evolve before years of mistreatment caught up to him. Shifted on the podium and looked at the empty chairs and tables.

"My students are well as can be expected considering they helped kill a couple hundred werewolves." Phyr's eyes widened more than they had when the clock chimed. "and a couple vampires each." Those pools of dark navy wisdom dilated further. "and I have one captive. An Elder." The ancient drow rose from his ladder-backed chair, looked for a place to lean his single palm on the desk but couldn't find one, and instead paced around to the front and leaned against its scuffed rounded corner. I looked away as footsteps echoed in the antechamber, saw a balding male clerk with a pencil nose to challenge Phyr's rush in.

"Are you saying," Phyr whispered urgently, "that we can interrogate one of the ancients of the Underworld? A true Zu'Ilhar?" The clerk had respectfully busied himself tidying some of the messier desks near the front of the hall, but I noticed his foot pointing toward the stage. Listening.

"Yes of course. I'll pass it to him for you." I responded loudly. Seized the quill and used the last of the drying ink to scratch a few words on a spare bit of parchment. Phyr read them and nodded, returning his clock to the drawer and sliding it shut with his knee. He rolled and sealed the sanded document and handed it to me. I took it with a nod and lowered my voice to a level imperceptible by most humans. "Meet me as close to noon as you can." I stepped off the stage and limped quickly down the aisle, hammer making muffled thuds on the ground. Handed the clerk his instructions and followed him out to the midmorning sun. No longer so pure, the snow left on the streets of Underwood looked ready to give over to spring. No white sheets to reflect the light, to wash out the senses. Nothing but cold reality and the cycle of the seasons.

[Breaker]

Stepping into the midst of a Watch patrol that was more elves than men, I kept myself concealed behind their flowing hair and cloaks that billowed with every breath of wind. The guards nodded deferentially but knew better than to question me. Most of them regularly attended one or more of my various combative classes, and recognised my focus at a glance. Even the least observant man in that group knew I pursued someone, from the way I peered intermittently between their halberd staves and controlled the speed of their patrol.

The clerk was weaving in and out of shoppers and hawkers, shoulders hunched, never so much as glancing behind him. At last he met a snarl of townsfolk applauding a knife-juggling street performer, and paused, hesitating. The glare of his baldspot shifted as he looked over his shoulder and spotted the advancing patrol. An innocent man would have joined the crowd of onlookers, or pushed politely through. But the clerk flinched visibly and mopped his glistening brow, then sidled into a nearby alley. Above the clamor of workers and shoppers I picked out the definitive pattern of his footsteps accelerating to a run.

“Thanks fellas,” I said, and slipped out of the patrol, pursuing the clerk who had a guilty conscience.


*

The clerk’s sparse hair, as much gray as light brown, was damp with sweat. As was the collar of his cotton undershirt. The heavy brown woolens kept him warm even slick with perspiration, even on the eastern outskirts of Underwood where the buildings didn’t break the wind. Even crouched in a frozen ditch next to where the wooden drop box was buried, hurriedly copying the contents of the scroll Captain Sa’resh had entrusted to him, and including a juicy footnote about how Cronen had captured a Haidian Elder, no doubt.

I watched the clerk from an outbuilding’s morning shadow, leaning against the oaken structure, still holding the hammer by its maul but with the dehlar haft pointing back over my shoulder. Felt its weight, felt the press of the wind, then took a staggering step and heaved the hammer straight from my shoulder. It made a hideous noise that was mostly muffled by the clerk’s scream when it destroyed his leg. The clerk fell out of view behind a thick row of winter-dead reeds.

Limping only slightly, I advanced toward the sound of his ragged, sobbing breaths. Dried reeds crackled as I slid through.

The clerk lay in a cleft of snow and ice, his left leg pulverized from the thigh down by the hammer's horrendous weight. The parchment he’d been writing on, and the scroll Phyr had entrusted to him lay on uneven ground a yard away. Choking, begging forgiveness for a thousand things, the clerk made a move toward the papers. I intercepted him, and he drew a slim-bladed push dagger suddenly and thrust it upwards at my sternum.

I caught the reedy man’s stork hand lightly with my own and crushed it around the knife’s handle. The fine bones, tendons and sinew that make up the human hand crumpled beneath the pressure, but something drove the clerk to keep trying, for he strove to plant the blade in my chest, even with a ruined hand. I dropped to one knee and retrieved both the parchment and scroll with my free hand, used the action to fold the clerk’s wrist in half like a heavy book closing. He retched and vomited on his polished leather shoes, but kept fighting, through tears of agony, to kill me. Looking closer, I could almost see the dark hooks of shadow compulsion set deep in his mind, deep enough he would never be free again. Turning over the parchment, I read the first line.

My Lord Sha’keth...

I could feel a remnant of Kron Sha'ekth’s wicked energy emanating from the hapless clerk. The letter, which the clerk had finished except for signing his name, contained a rudimentary idea of mine and Phyr’s daily movements, and ended with a projection of the most practical time for a full-scale assault on Underwood.

Blinking, I found the clerk’s quill where he had dropped it, and channeled the slightest bit of heat from the Eternal Tap to warm the ink frozen in its nub.

“Finish your work,” I said, spreading the parchment on the clerk’s clipboard and holding it before him. Finally he forgot about the push-dagger entangled in what had once been his left hand, and used his right to grab the quill and sign the message.

“You’ve helped a worthy cause.” I said, looking him straight in the face and hoping he knew it for truth. Then I stuffed the parchment in the drop box, snapped the clerk’s neck, and carried his body and belongings somewhere Kron Sha’keth would never learn of them.


*

The rocks still smelled like blood and sex, on the cliffs near Reever's lodge. I stood on the craggy face and looked at the frozen ground below where I had thrown Esstania, before collapsing and hearing frantic footsteps scurrying through the forest. As the sun reached its zenith I heard different footsteps advancing; leather boots of men carrying weapons but striving for stealth. And the delicate tread of one ancient, not-so-frail drow. As usual, the Crimson Guard kept themselves concealed in the depths of the forest, invisible behind the thickest trees. I heard the occasional slide of a swordbelt, the muffled snap of a few long-dead branches beneath the snow. As Phyr Sa'resh limped to join me on the cliff face, leaning on his hardwood stick as I did my hammer, I had no doubt at least three repeating crossbows were trained on us. Phyr's highest ranking underlings in the Watch had taken it upon themselves to provide an elite bodyguard for their captain whenever he left Underwood. They wouldn't like what happened next, but they would expect it.

"They'll have to stay up here." I said, shouldering the sledgehammer and shifting my weight off my bad knee. Phyr sighed but nodded, then turned and raised his single azure palm, made a fist, then snapped his fingers rigid again. The trees rustled as if the signal had agitated Concordia herself, but nothing more. I led Phyr along a rough stone path, slick with snow and ice in some places, that provided a fairly direct route to the bottom. At first we both moved prudently, more like a couple of old gents out for a woodland stroll than what we were. As he grew more comfortable with the incline Phyr broke the silence between us.

"How did you come to capture an Elder, Cronen? Come on, out with it." Although he controlled his tone, I could tell Phyr wanted information more than he wanted his right arm back. I heard the crackle of weakened ice and spun to snatch Phyr's heavy cloak before he could pitch off balance.

"She could have killed me but she wanted to... toy with me. I wore her down. And she wasn't fast enough to fly away." Reaching the bottom safely, I studied the clifftop high above, ensuring none of the Crimson Guard were spying. When Phyr joined me I pointed out a particularly dark patch of churned earth. "That's the last place I saw her. I broke most of the bones that mattered and threw her off. Didn't know if she'd survive. But since Terech didn't come back this morning... she must have." Not bothering with magic, I plunged through what appeared to be a snow bank set against a solid rock wall.

[CaitieGirl]

Sunlight showered itself down onto Rose's cascading hair and onto the rest of the students who were taking advantage of the warm weather in the Dansdel. Most of the bodies she could see had met the mud at least once already. She herself was not training today though she could feel her previous lessons in every muscle. She was perched on the fence near the archery targets, her feet daintily tucked under her and one foot hooked to keep her steady. Jake was nearby with some of the young men he taught. Rose had gained the respect of many simply by virtue of the company she kept. It didn't hurt that like all stories the tale of their skirmish in the forest had gotten bigger with every retelling. The number of werewolves she had reportedly killed seemed to be reaching legendary proportions. Much to Jake's obvious displeasure the tale had lead to an increase in her prospective dance partners at the Promenade, but since her return to Underwood Rose hadn't felt much like dancing.

Jake shielded his eyes from the sun to give her a wave, several of the others followed suit. Smiling, and chuckling to herself she waved back. Turning to look over her shoulder she surveyed the young fighters circling each other, the bleachers holding their audience. The Dansdel seemed somehow empty without Terech Bodorson's voice ringing out to batter the ears of his students. The things and faces she saw were familiar for the most part. She had gotten used to the small city which had flummoxed her on her arrival and she marvelled at her shift in perspective. She had seen the same familiar faces for nineteen years of her life and now, with new refugees and trainees coming in every day she didn't think anything of it. Albeit most of the changes were wrought by her experiences fighting alongside Josh and Jake and the others, but over the span of a few days it was a lot to take in.

Turning around she watched Jake giving lessons, altering one man's stance, another's grip on his bow. Most of the men were older, taller and broader than he was but they nodded thoughtfully and did as he said. Rose wondered how two such well respected warriors could have come into her life just when she needed them, which led to the inevitable musings on where Josh could have disappeared to today. Since gaining mobility on his injured leg he had routinely spirited away for hours at a time, but she knew better than to ask where or why. She contemplated her strange relationship with her two protectors. Josh was a frustrating arrogant mystery to her. He rarely spoke to her but had a way of looking at her that drove her mad with curiosity. She generally tried to ignore the emotional turmoil, hoping it would go away and threw herself into training instead. Jake was less of a mystery. He was obviously dying for her approval and was a hopeless flirt. She didn't want to hurt him and valued his friendship but felt sure that he wouldn't give her any real trouble. After finding her weeping over Josh on the clifftop he had distanced himself somewhat. Hearing the tell-tale snap of a split arrow she glanced up to see that it had been a student, not Jake, who had accomplished it and called out her congratulations. Jake dismissed his proteges and came over to stand beside her.

“Well Rose, have you made any decisions yet? Where to next my dear?” Jake leaned against the fence Rose sat on, staring past her to watch the men sparring a ways away. Rose scrunched up her face in a grimace. She didn't know what to do. After such an adventure what could possibly come next?

“I think,” She offered hesitantly, “I'll head back home for a while. I haven't sent word that I made it to Underwood, they must be worried sick. I can always come back and train later.” Some small, nearly formless thought nudged itself to the surface to point out that being away from Josh could really only help her at this point. Jake turned around to face the same direction as she did. They both stared off into the trees beyond.

“You could...” He mused aloud, “or you could come demon hunting with me. After the last few days I think you're more than ready. And you know we make a fantastic team...provided I don't play dead then try to kiss you that is.” Jake said it with his usual half-laughing tone but Rose could tell this was a legitimate offer. She was honoured, but sincerely conflicted.

“Jake, tell you what. Whatever I do I won't be leaving Underwood for a few days at least. Let me think about it alright?” Jake gave a little push on the fence to straighten up. The wobbling of the fence made Rose unsteady and he grabbed on of her hands in case she fell. His eyes twinkled and he gave her hand a little tug so she came down off the fence and onto the thawing ground.

“Alright my dear, but you know I won't wait for you forever.” He winked at her then laughed as she freed her hand from his custody rolling her eyes at his corny line.

[Breaker]

Mildew coated the air in the tunnel beneath the cliffs. I moved toward flickering torchlight a hundred yards away, nearly blind in the underground darkness. My callused palm caressed the cool walls and came away moist. The creators of the tunnels had carved messages there. I trailed my fingertips as I walked. Caught a few Tradespeak words amongst what might have been Elven or Dwarven or some long-forgotten dialect. Honour. Valour. Responsibility. Was this place built to taunt me? I reached the chamber where torches and candles guttered and heard Terech's rumbling baritone. The dwarf sounded weary, and was whispering so his words barely defeated the flutter of flames.

"She hasn't bloody looked away from me all night, otter-lad. Sets my spine marchin' the Ahyarks, it do." Terech wore a pair of crystal half-moon glasses perched on his nose, a novel of an ancient adventure about slaying dragons open in his lap. The dwarf's armour hung from a chair, as he had chosen to sprawl against a large rough-sided boulder. Terech wore a leather tunic over cotton skivvies, and had used snow to scrub traces of the battle from his face and hands. I couldn't see the grey in his hair though, and smelled gore still matted there. That is not a comfortable feeling. The dwarf had guarded the prisoner without rest since the previous night. Although cracks in the rock vented smoke well enough, the flames of many lights kept the cave uncomfortably warm. I could see wet pawprints on the blackstone floor indicating Reever had recently arrived. The sinewy otter wore barkcloth bandages over herbal poultices on multiple wounds, and hand-sized patch of fur were missing from his right side. Judging by the shadowy discolouration of the skin beneath, a brutal blunt trauma had caused the hair to fall out. Despite the likelihood of several cracked ribs, Reev stood tall and proud in his voluminous vlince cloak. Shoulder to bald hip, the otter and dwarf both gazed at the lone vampiress bound in the corner.

Hair tangled wildly and her posture stooped, Esstania's rate of recovery astounded me. The radius of the forearm I'd snapped was no longer visible, and the jagged hole it had torn in her wrist was a whitened scar. Her legs were both straight, and her opposite shoulder looked functional. Terech had left the stake piercing both her wings in place, and lashed it to a stalactite with the same braided hemp cord that bound her hands before her. Except for the eyes and wings, she looked like a pitifully pale Salvic refugee after a month of fasting. A thick deerskin blanket was wrapped around her torso and hips to conceal her nakedness. The hunger in those eyes trebled when I entered the cave, but still they bored into Bodorson.

A steady pattern of careful wet bootsteps announced the arrival of Phyr Sa'resh. The Captain of the Watch paced straight to the single chair and sat heavily on its edge, away from his comrade's armour. Phyr's hand trembled slightly as he uncapped and swigged from a rusted iron flask. The smell of whisky perfumed the hot, mouldy atmosphere, and by the torchlight I saw no fear in the ancient drow's eyes. Only astonishment and tremendous anticipation.

"Are the wee ones-"
"They're well, Terech." I said quietly. Esstania's eyelid twitched. "Reev, can you make our prisoner less of a guest?" The otter frowned for a moment, adjusting his swordbelt and jerkin in deep thought, then gave a toothy grin and raised a paw.

"SSssssss." The low hiss echoed in the chamber for several seconds even though Esstania cut the sound off sharply. Reev had created plugs of ice in her ears and a dense visor over her face. Her nostrils flared, taking in as much as she could, but the otter had given us until the ice melted to speak freely.

"Shoulda' thought of that meself," Bodorson mumbled.

"Add some heavy leg irons on her thighs," I commanded, and Reev obeyed, weighting those creamy quads with a solid block of ice. The lingering hiss had reminded me of the previous night. "She likes playing with heat. Keep her cool, she'll stay tame." As if to confirm my theory, Esstania's broken fangs chattered lightly against her molars.

"This is excellent." Phyr had finally found his tongue. "We must bring her to my quarters at the Sleepless Maiden tonight. And blood, how soon must she drink? We must keep her alive." The drow's eyes glowed like a clear twilit sky. Reever remained impassive, but Terech left off packing a small pipe from a leather kit he brought to raise a dark, bushy eyebrow at his countryman.

"Are ye' so quick to sink to their level, Phyr? I know ye had the trainin', but I never imagined ye'd have the stomach for torturin' a lady, even one so twisted as this." As if to show he meant no insult the dwarf shrugged and lit his pipe by perching the bowl beside the flame of a beeswax candle and drawing heavily. The earthy smell of tobacco, sage and cloves cleansed the cave's reek of mildew and mold. Phyr inclined his head and accepted the proffered pipe. It was shorter than his fingers and stout, carved from a single piece of Akashiman Redwood. Phyr took a long haul and exhaled through his crooked nose, and passed the pipe to me.

"My methods wouldn't be considered torture by most, my friend," Phyr spoke as if dreaming. I inhaled a through the pipe and immediately understood why, as my head swam with the potency of Raiaeran tobacco amidst the other medicinal herbs. Terech had fine taste indeed. Phyr inclined his head to the dwarf once more. "I bow to your supremacy when it comes to instruction or the use of weapons, and welcome your counsel on the battlefield. But this is my area of expertise alone, and we should, as my Elena often says, leave it at that."

Reever and Terech exploded with booming laughter that crashed on the rock walls and made Esstania jump like a rabbit skimmed by an arrow. Phyr's cheeks darkened and took on a mauve hue momentarily and he shook his head, clucking his tongue. I mimicked the action as I passed Reev the pipe and he finished the bowl, tapping the ashes out against the wall.

"I'll make the arrangements to have her transported to Underwood." I said, "but not the Maiden Phyr, it's too central. Anyone could stumble into your rooms, and if she escaped the town would be her feeding ground." I turned my back on the restrained Vampire Queen, and the Alerarans stood so we formed a loose rectangle.

"We could 'ole 'er up in one o' the ole loggin' cabins I used to work outta' mate," Reev suggested, "Some are less'n a mornin's stroll from Underwood, and no one uses most of 'em this time o' year." I nodded, suddenly recalling a map with the lodges he'd mentioned well marked. Did I see that map with my own eyes? I couldn't trace the memory, and yet it was as vivid as the giant otter, the dwarf, and the drow who stood in company around me, firelight spattering their familiar features. We all looked as if we were part way through a war. Even Phyr, whose gnarled ears and lined face made him appear more damaged than the rest of us. But we shared the same determined certainty that a bright end was in sight. A torch at the end of the tunnel.

"Well said!" Phyr saluted with his flask, the contents sloshing noisily. "I could most likely reach them in an hour's ride. Absolutely ideal." A mournful note countered the tactical symphony that played behind those azure eyes. "I would like dearly to seal this meeting with a toast, as I must return to my work presently. Alas, I have no..."

A circular sheet of ice materialised between us. Suspended on tendrils of magic, it rotated slowly as four small shot glasses appeared there. Smiling like a child on his favourite feast day, Phyr emptied the flask in four equal amber measurements. The crisp, aged aroma of Yurik's Firewhisky filled the chamber, chasing the last tendrils of pipesmoke away. Reever floated one of the ice-cups to each of us and made the tray vanish, catching his own frigid glass awkwardly in a callused paw.

"I sticks to water normally meself," he said around a wide smile, sniffing the scotch appreciatively. "But yer' words are pretty enough to drink to, matey." He moved as if to cuff Phyr playfully then thought better of it, instead extending his iced shot to the centre of our square. Quiet clicks measured our words as each magical glass joined the toast.

"To safety for all in Underwood, and freedom in all of Corone!" Terech rumbled.
"To slaying all the demonspawn we catch in Concordia." Reever echoed.
"To a long, happy retirement when this war is won." Phyr enunciated.
"To my students," I said, "may they never stop teaching me. Santé!"

Health. I couldn't recall the language, or where the word had come from, but saying it felt right. The whisky burned down my throat and warmed me from within. Fuel on my fire.

[Breaker]

Spoils: Two daggers shaped almost like kukri but with an extra curve at the tip for tearing. The fearsome weapons are forged from an alloy of steel and silver and are of master craftsmanship. They are enchanted to cut the flesh of any Hadian twice as easily as normal. Rose Vasston receives one, and Jake Narmolanya the other, although Joshua Cronen may use Jake's within the bounds of liquid time. The daggers also include custom tier 3 leather sheathes and wrist loops.

[The International]

This was a rather enjoyable thread. I know this is quite belated, but welcome to Althanas, Catie.

Plot Construction 22 /30

Story 7/10 – Numbers, good job picking the judge whose a sucker for character development. :p That’s what the first portion of the thread was, and it was enjoyable. However, when I view the overall structure of the story, that first portion stretched on for a little bit too long. The middle, which started once the warewolves made their presence known, was a little too short for my taste. The full bunnying rights were taken advantage of properly. Catie, good job playing Numbers ensemble. Numbers, good job playing Rose. That’s a challenge for most players. The last note I would like to make is about the pacing of the story. It’s a habit for many writers in Althanas to spend a paragraph or two recalling the events of the previous post, which is a logical use of the common motivation-reaction unit used in fiction, but I would encourage the both of you (and all of Althanas) to use it only when you feel the reader needs it. They don’t for the most part, and it can kill pacing. While the two of you didn’t do it too much, I believe the story would have flowed better if you had just spent a sentence, if any, on the events your partner has already conveyed.

Strategy 7/10 – I like the fact that a high level character such as Joshua can still find himself challenged the way he was. The both of you did a great job conveying realism through the use of your characters’ tactics and knowledge. Novice players should all take a page from your book, Catie. I love how you used Rose’s abilities very humbly, but very creatively. I’ll point out the scene where Rose provided a ‘backdoor’ out of the otter’s dwelling as a great example of that. However, there were times you decided to tell, and not show. For the most part you were on a roll showing me her feelings, showing me her actions, showing me the scenery. You also balanced it well with summarizing when you needed to, but there were points when you summarized when you shouldn’t have. Pay particular attention to this during the action sequences.

Setting 8/10 – Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow. There was nothing particularly wrong about the setting, but there were moments that it shined and I couldn’t help but think it could have shined even more. The first example of which was the snowflake on Rose’s nose. That was superb. Why? Because it was important to her. Filtering the setting through the focused character to give it impact (even if the narrative is in third person) is encouraged.

Characterisation 22 /30

Continuity 7 /10 – Continuity is my favorite category. Character-wise, I love to see growth. World-wise, I love to see reflection and expansion upon Althanas concepts. Let’s start with characters. A lot of veterans of Althanas manage to let their jaded ways and (dare I say it) limited imagination get their main characters to a point where they’ve seen and done everything. Thank you, Numbers, for not doing that. Joshua showed growth. Major growth. He learned that he could learn from his apprentices. It’s a little bit easier for low level players like you and I, Catie, to do that because our characters have so much room to grow. When it comes to world continuity, it is stated that the highest scores in this not only reflect the world of Althanas and its many facets, but expand upon it. What I saw here was an establishment of status quo, a conflict that threatened it, a solution that ended the conflict, and, for the most part, a return to the status quo despite there still being a looming threat. That’s reflection. What I saw was the potential for major geopolitical implications on Corone and its Civil War. Hell, for all of Althanas. Haidia’s back, baby! This is the nation that historically played a close second to the Forgotten Ones and the Wars of The Tap. That’s important, and even though they didn’t enter the stage in massive waves, they should still put both the Empire and the Rangers in high alert. This doesn’t require changing your story. It just requires adding a bit to the storyline that changes the status quo. In other words, Caden Law this bitch. Just… not as much as Caden Law.

Interaction 7/10 – You both did a very good job. This is where I award the unlimited bunnying rights. However, I have to wonder how much detail the two of you could have put into the training fights near the beginning of the thread. You took amazing risks and liberties with each other’s characters, but I think if you took a little more time to add a tiny (and I do mean tiny) bit more detail to one another’s players, I wouldn’t have known where one player’s post ended and the other’s began (save for the POV).

Character 8 /10 – Catie, I’m impressed. Call up the other level 0s and tell them to read your stuff. They could use a lesson in knowing their character as if they had been inside their head for years, while properly introducing their character to the reader. What you could use improvement on is filtering your narrative through Rose. There were moments when you did this – when your narrative was opinionated, transparent, and filtered everything through Rose. It just wasn’t quite one hundred percent. When you edit your posts ask yourself ‘is this important to Rose’? If it isn’t, either a) make it important to her, b) make sure it will be in the future or was in the past, c)or get rid of it. Now for Numbers. I like the fact that Joshua sorta-kinda used Rose at the beginning and felt a tad bit guilty. Completely straight laced heroes aren’t two dimensional. They’re one dimensional. I would have loved to see more of that from him. The dialogue was telling of everyone, and you both did a good job portraying everyone in Numbers’ ensemble although I think you could have done more to get inside the head of every member of the ensemble earlier on. Using a Head Hopping POV conservatively (like you did as the characters separated) would have worked wonders for them at the beginning.

Writing Style 20 /30

Creativity 6/10 – Catie, your prose was compelling, but you can manage to make it more… purple. Get a little more creative with similes, metaphors, alliteration, and cultural references to Althanas. You’ve got wiggle room. Both: If the plan all along was to bring the demons in so late in the story it would have been good to use a literary device such as Checkov’s Gun or foreshadowing early on. If I missed it, it was too subtle.

Mechanics 7/10 – There were places where commas should have been placed, and that ever elusive proper-spelling-wrong-word situation loomed its ugly head once or twice. For the most part it was fine though.

Clarity 7/10 – There were a couple of points where the actions of multiple members of Numbers’ ensemble were clumped into one paragraph. I had to go back and make sure who did or said what, but other than it was all very clear.


Wildcard: 8/10
This was fun, and it has managed to spark my imagination.

Total 72/100

Numbers gains 3024 exp
CatieGirl gains 1512 exp

All spoils are granted.

[Breaker]

EXP added, 016573 hits level 11! Thread archived.