Relm was thrown roughly to the ground and the spear was trained at her face. “Don’t ever look at me,” Jenhiro ordered, “or I will cut out those eyes.”
Sweat coated her green dress and her platinum hair hung limp and wet at her sides. Ashyn knew she wasn’t used to the rigorous pace they were moving, but they had to put as much distance as possible between them and Feydras’ Anula.
Ashyn reached out and lifted the spear away from her. He said calmly to Jenhiro, “She’s our guest. Not an object.”
The rogue Ferhym spit to the ground. “She betrayed us, Ashyn. She cost your friend his life. How can you not hate her? We trusted her, and she betrayed us all.”
Ashyn looked up at the monstrous sequoias around him. Anywhere the Ferhym could be waiting, watching. Ashyn asked Jenhiro repeatedly to scout ahead, to scale the trees, but he didn’t want to be one inch from the Exemplar.
Ashyn knew he was taking Relm’s duplicity very hard. Just when the damaged elf had tried to trust his own kind again, she turned on him. “I am a man of my word, Jenhiro.” He continued firmly, “We will not harm her unless we are threatened. Am I clear?”
“And if she takes control of you again?” Jenhiro pressed.
“She can’t,” he answered with all conviction.
Jenhiro harrumphed and stormed away, kicking foliage as he went.
Ashyn extended his hand and Relm took it. He helped her up. “He hates me so much,” she said with tears in her quicksilver eyes. “I want to tell him everything.”
Ashyn nodded. “I know, but not yet.”
Rizen approached before they could continue their conversation. Well timed, Ashyn thought sarcastically. The gaur held a small bowl with only a smattering of water. Ashyn immediately put his fingers in the bowl.
Our movement progresses well. Few Ferhym have followed from their big residence, he said in Ashyn’s mind, referring to Feydras’ Anula. Spies, nothing more. Though, I know there are more here. In the trees. I don’t want this caravan to meet the same fate as my herd’s. After a moment, Rizen added, this is my new herd now. You are my Bos until I return home.
Ashyn nodded. He feared as much, too. When they had entered the Shalis-Fey he had known they were in the trees, but they were so good at hiding. It was only through the help of Jenhiro that he had actively avoided patrols. He had not wanted Rizen to harm anymore of the elves after losing his whole branch to the Pundit before. Now, Jenhiro had just been tasked with getting them out as quickly as possible. Avoiding patrols in the manner he had before had taken weeks. They needed to be out in days.
Do you still trust your pointy-eared ally? Rizen asked.
Ashyn glanced down at Relm before answering; Jenhiro has come through at every turn, has he not?
He has.
And yet you two, knowing each have made grievous errors, have not found it capable to trust one and other? Ashyn asked.
Rizen snorted. He killed my herd.
And his branch is dead. You hunted us mercilessly for weeks.
Again Rizen snorted in disdain.
I don’t need you two to be friends. I need you to work together.
Rizen was quiet for a long time, before Ashyn heard the words in his head. I will keep my bargain, totem-brother.
The massive gaur pulled the bowl from Ashyn’s fingers and then fell back to the end of the caravan.
Ashyn sighed. He had never wanted to be a leader. Politics is not for a wizard, Xexial used to advise. It made Ashyn smirk. Would he be proud? Angry? Probably both.
Ashyn held out his hand, and after a moment a single spark flashed to life. That spark intensified into a small flickering flame. He whispered, “Two parts deadly, one part ridiculous. A Blood Wizard, indeed.” Though it was still very weak, Relm had not lied to Brodea. She had guided him, healed him. He truly was a wizard once more.
Ginger bounded up on a nearby rock and meowed at him. He was the one thing in all of this that brought the biggest smile to his face. He walked over and scratched the cat’s chin. “I don’t know how you found me my little friend, but your timing was fantastic. You are my hero, you know that?”
Ginger purred contentedly, walked in a circle, and then hopped off the rock, to do whatever it was a cat like him did. Ashyn thought it was curious that the tabby had found him like that, but it was also a blessing. Since the day he had allied with the massive feline, he had no more loyal a companion.
Ashyn was about to continue moving when he felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. He turned with the feeling, and he saw her watching him, again.
Though watching wasn’t exactly the right word. Julietta stood there, facing him, her head directed toward him, and yet he knew that she saw nothing.
As she approached him, she walked with her palms out, face down. She maneuvered deftly around obstacles letting her finger tips guide her. He really found her movements quite impressive.
Ashyn smiled at her. She smiled back.
“How do you do that?” he asked.
“What?”
“How did you know that I was smiling?”
Julietta shrugged as she fell into step next to him. “It would take a long time to explain.”
“It’s going to be a long walk,” Ashyn remarked.
Julietta nodded, “And you are going to be very busy with this walk. Tell me, how is it my little brother became a vigilante and a leader to these people? That is not the small boy who coveted insects that I remember.”
Ashyn looked at the ground. “I’m far from a child anymore.”
Julietta nodded. “Yes. Now you are what the Ferhym called a wizard. What is that?”
Surprise apparent in his voice, he asked, “You don’t know what a wizard is?”
Julietta shook her head. “I only know things I have heard from the druids and the Earthshorn. I’m afraid that my knowledge is very limited. The Ferhym can be biased.”
Ashyn laughed at her comment. “It would take a long time to explain.”
Julietta smiled again. “It’s going to be a long walk.”
Ashyn Rune laughed. “Yes, it is sister. Yes, it is.”
And so he explained what a wizard was, only leaving out some of the minor details. Like, why the world hated and feared him. And that his title was the Blood Wizard.
~ ~ ~
Xao watched Ashyn and Julietta interact with one another and his heart swelled. You would be proud of me Mireanthia, he thought. You would be proud of them.
Xao always kept close now, and he knew that they were far from free of the danger the Ferhym represented, but the Runes were reunited. They were whole.
The small red dragon would never leave Ashyn’s side again. Not while either of them drew breath. Not because it was his duty as a Watcher, no. It was because Ashyn Rune had become his friend.
Xao blinked at the two with his large yellow eyes as they walked deeper into the Shalis-Fey. They followed a Ferhym and a gaur, and they had an Exemplar amongst them. To say they were in for a wild ride was quite the understatement. But wherever the Blood Wizard went, his faithful cat Ginger would follow.
Always.