Horizons of the Heart

By Melange
Copyright © 2013 Melange
All Rights Reserved.

Synopsis

After accepting a fellow priest's request to look into a matter in a nearby village, the group finish their preparations before saying goodbye to Rosehaven. Oleander sees something while poking around the inn, and Mirena tries to understand the Mystic tradition of magic.

Flashback: Mirena has received her first assignment as a knight, and brings along a new friend

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Chapter 11: Roads for Thought

MIRENA & RHYCE

The door swung shut as she left the Lord Captain’s meeting room. Her hands were clenched into fists, and it was all she could do not to scream out her frustration. Again, they meddled. Again, they tried to control her. Well, she had turned the tables on them now, at least. It had hurt her almost as much as it had them, but at least now her family would not be able to tie her down in a ‘safe’ temple assignment.

Mirena stalked down the wide hallway where the officers had their chambers. Her ceremonial armour chimed and clanked with every heavy footstep. ‘Tactical field patrol’ was just a polite way of telling her to stay away from temple business, now that she had stirred the hornet’s nest. She wasn’t even sure she would get any support from her order. It was amazing, and infuriating, how far her family’s influence went. How great the reach of wealth was, even into the halls of faith and justice.

When she emerged from the hall of justicars, the cold fresh air of a Tier winter night hit her face like a rude awakening. She was all but alone, now.

“How did it go?” The faint borderlander accent wasn’t that out of place in the golden city. All kinds of people found their way here. Leaning on the wall next to the guardhouse was the man she had brought back with her.

“Worse than I expected, and better than I hoped,” Mirena told her new friend. Her only friend, right now. “I’m ordered to keep my eyes open and seek out injustice, basically.”

“Wasn’t that what you wanted?” Rhyce asked, as he shoved off the wall and join the knight as they walked through the temple grounds.

“What I wanted was to ride with my fellow paladins. Now it’s just me,” she sighed, and looked at the scruffy man. “Me and you, I suppose?”

“A proud heart and a beggar’s purse agree not, milady Kaladon,” he replied. She had come to learn that Rhyce favoured cryptic expressions.

“Please, I’ve asked you to call me Mirena. I don’t want to hear the name ‘Kaladon’ for a long while. I’ve had quite enough of them.” She had no use of that name now. She wore the symbol of Telum on her shield now, not the crest of her house.

Rhyce simply grunted noncommittally and held the gate open for her as they left the temple and stepped into the active streets of Tier after dark. Who knew what awaited them here? It would be interesting to find out.

Morning came all too early, with all the noises of the village waking up also bringing Jaden out of his dreams. They had been pleasant. There had been some sort of music, and someone had been running their fingers through his hair. It had been calming, and calm was something he desperately wanted these days.

Stann was already up, and seemed unaffected by his excesses last evening. He was even humming a merry tune as he dug a fresh tunic out of his pack.

"How are you not hungover, you monster?" Jaden groaned, and rolled to keep his back against the sunlight from the window. The feeling of his chest shifting slightly reminded him that he had removed his mirage veil the night before, and it would not be a good idea to stand up right now.

"Healthy living, my friend!" Stann boasted proudly.

"There is nothing healthy about what you and Kel do to yourselves!"

"Now, now. Get up and face the day, firebug!" Stann shook Jaden by the shoulder, friendly but rough, and headed for the door. "Don't make us wait for you, or I will eat your breakfast as well!"

As soon as the Northman had left, Jaden rolled over on his back again, blinking at the warm sunlight through the window. He tried to remember the dream for a little while. It had been so very relaxing, he remembered, but little else. With nothing else to do, he finally got up and started dressing. He should probably go for a bath too, before they left Rosehaven. The washbasin in the room wasn’t enough to get that truly clean feeling. His feet felt too hot as well, with the extra thick socks to keep the boots on. Without thinking about it, he had begun humming on a tune he couldn’t remember.

Before leaving the room to join his friends downstairs, Jaden made sure that his nymph-made kerchief was getting all the magic it needed to maintain the illusion he had to present. Most of his debt to his salamander was repaid, so he had more than enough available power to go around for a change. It wouldn’t hurt to keep a positive balance with his pacts for once. He could almost feel the approval trickle back from the link he shared with the two creatures, as he increased the feed.

Oleander scooted to the side when he walked into the common room moments later. She patted the seat next to her with a smile that looked unusually honest. Maybe a good night’s sleep was the best cure after all?

“You look well, Jaden,” Mirena observed as he sat down with the others. His illusion would of course hide anything that would say otherwise. “I was afraid for you when we left you with the brutes and their beer.”

“Give him some credit, Rena! He’s a man, and can drink like one. He matched me tankard for tankard the entire night!” Stann raised his cup in a salute.

“Really?” The knight gave Jaden a worried look, as if she expected him to fall over in convulsions at any moment.

“So your battle-shape is a beer elemental, Jay? That explains so much!” Oleander laughed, and then got up. “I need to visit the washroom. Be right back!”

“It’s… we don’t call it that!” Jaden turned on his seat and shouted after the fleeing redhead. The others looked amused. “We don’t. It’s ‘manifestation’, alright?”

“Battle-shape sounds much better,” Stann decided, earning nods of approval from Kellen.

One of the serving maids came to take Jaden’s order for breakfast. Unlike many of the inns they had stayed at before, the Well actually had a selection, which was nice. The girl had beautiful long, blonde hair done up in a loose tail. A small bowtie tied it off at the end. When she listened to what Jaden would like to eat, she kept eyeing his own hair with a slight frown.

“If you don’t mind me saying so, sir, you really should take better care of your hair,” she had her hands on her hips, which was never a good sign. “It could be so pretty, if you just treated it right.”

“I wash it,” Jaden tried to defend himself. His hair was almost as long as hers, well below his shoulders but tied back in a much more manly fashion. As many as he could manage, anyway. Before he could react, she had her fingers through the ends of it. The illusion and the reality were much closer to one another there, so no discrepancies were immediately visible.

“Even so, it looks worn and dry,” she rubbed her fingers against it, and looked a little confused. She murmured quietly. “Though it feels amazing…”

Jaden realised that he probably projected his own expectations of his hair, how it had looked when he grew up. But these days, despite the little care he gave it, it had grown thick and almost annoyingly glossy.

“So, what should I do about it, then? Do you do anything special with your hair?” He tried to steer the conversation back to the maid. It seemed to work as she let his hair drop, and touched her own.

“Well, I use some of the soaps and oils we make here in Rosehaven. We’ve got a large plantation here where we grow a lot of different flowers, as well as an offshoot of the Royal Arboretum!” She claimed with some pride.

“That sounds interesting,” Kellen joined the conversation. “Is it close to the temple? I think I saw an orchard close by when we went there yesterday.”

Happy to let the two continue chatting, as long as he would get his food, Jaden leaned back and drank some of the breakfast tea. He saw that Oleander had returned without him noticing it, and she had a strange expression on her face. Was she playing with her hair?

“Well, we’re in no hurry today, so let’s relax and do some shopping,” Mirena said. She was obviously interested in the latter, as there were a couple of local seamstresses she would love to look into. “We’ve all earned this.”

One by one, the group got up from the table to look around town, leaving Jaden more or less by himself. As he finished his breakfast, a remarkably spicy omelette, he caught the long-haired maid’s attention again.

“Would it be possible to get a bath? I was too… preoccupied last night,” Jaden nodded at the stains on the floor where the revelry had taken place.

“Oh, of course. Uhm. Actually, we’re scrubbing the big tubs right now. Do you mind using one of ours instead? They’re a bit smaller, but that only means we can get the hot water done quicker?” She shrugged a little in apology.

“That’s fine. I just want to get clean. Thank you,” Jaden said as he let her take his plate away. He toyed with the idea of offering to heat the water himself, but then had an unhappy vision of the inn burning to the ground and a lot of blame going around. Maybe it was best to let things take its time?

The two Northmen didn’t exactly fit in as they walked around the marketplace, but the good people of Rosehaven were happy to have them regardless. Having seen that barrel of good beer from Strom yesterday had made them more than a little homesick, so they sought the sun and the breeze from the ocean to chase such thoughts away.

As they walked toward the sea they had to step out of the way from a group of playing children running past. Stann followed them with his eyes until they were out of sight. Just another reminder of home.

They soon found themselves standing down by the harbour and watching the fishing boats throw out their nets. A few birds sat on the supports on the pier. Mostly seagulls, but also a pair of crows for some reason.

“Do you miss it as well, Kel?” Stann didn’t have to say what.

“Seldom a single day pass without me asking myself whether I made the right call back then,” his cousin had his eyes fixed on the boats.

“You know I never blamed you, right? Our clan… it couldn’t understand you, or any strong individual with new ideas honestly. Us staying would only have split Winterheart in two.”

“I know. I know. That doesn’t stop me from dreaming about our return, one day, welcomed with open arms by our family and friends.” Kellen sighed morosely.

“How did that song go, now? ‘Where every hand that you shake’?” Stann tried to bring a smile to his cousin’s face.

“’… feels like a warm embrace’,” Kellen finished.

The fishermen looked up from their boats as the Northmen’s voices carried out over the water.

“Could only be one sweet place!” Home and the heartland.

Oleander had just left the breakfast table for a short while to go freshen up. When she had tried to go there this morning, a lot of the maids had been busy cleaning up the washrooms so she decided to go straight to the common room and eat first, instead. When she came back she saw Jay talking to one of the blonde serving girls, and she heard him talking about the maid’s hair. The woman had even had her hands on him while they talked!

It had made Oleander think about her own appearance. It wasn’t something she spent a whole lot of time considering, normally. As long as she was clean, she figured she had done what was expected of her. Her priorities lied elsewhere, really. But having spent more than a year with Mirena, she had started to get a good look into the world of how ladies took care of themselves. She couldn’t help but wonder if it would make a difference for her as well?

That pretty blonde girl had talked about the sort of oils and fancy herbal soaps they used to look beautiful, so Oleander figured they would have some around the inn for them to use when they got ready for their day. Sneaking into the back rooms where the staff had their rooms was the only reasonable course of action.

As she tiptoed down the short corridor, she heard some splashing from inside a room to her left. With utmost care, she eased the door open and took a peek inside. It was the bathroom the staff used, clearly. It didn’t have the large tubs the guests bath had, nor the bell pull that alerted the maids if you needed something. Then she looked at the occupant who was facing away from the door in the small tub.

Wet, black hair clung in ringlets to slim shoulders, showing the tapered ears of an elf. Wait, was this Jay? What was he doing here? She looked further down. Below the shoulders, as the person raised their arms to wash their hair, was a modest, but unmistakable bust? Nope, definitely not him. That was a girl, no doubt about that.

Oleander eased the door shut, and snuck away. She would have to come back for those oils another time. She couldn’t help but smile, though.

“Wait until Stann gets to hear they have an elven maid at the inn,” she chuckled to herself.

Jaden pulled on a fresh set of clothes. It felt really good to be clean again. Everything smelled nice for once. He shook out his hair before returning it to his customary tied-off style, then gave his oversized boots a hard glare. Now if it wasn’t for those…

He almost bumped into Rhyce as he headed down again. The archer was coming up the stairs carrying a small bag that made metallic noises. Probably new arrowheads, knowing him. Rhyce preferred to make his own arrows, but he wasn’t any blacksmith.

When Jaden stepped to the side to allow the other man to pass, Rhyce slowed down and gave him an odd look.

“Are you wearing perfume?”

“No, of course not,” Jaden said. Was he? He did smell nice.

“You smell like violets, Jay,” Rhyce pointed out, still not moving from where he had stopped.

“That’s cra-“ Jaden trailed off. Now that he knew what it was, he could smell it too. Time to lie. “Uh, there was a lot of salt residue in my tub. No wonder the maids had to scrub them out today. Guess the girls went a little overboard last night, huh, if it made me smell too?”

Rhyce made a noncommittal sound, but started walking again, and soon disappeared into the room he shared with Kellen.

Danger averted, Jaden continued down to the common room where he met up with Mirena and Oleander. They were resting their feet by a table near the entrance. The knight held a carefully folded bundle in her hands, spoils from her trip around the shops in the town, no doubt.

It was promising to be a warm day, so Emik had placed a pitcher of water and some bowls of fruit on his table to tide the guests over until it was time for lunch. When Jaden sat down, one of the maids he recognised from yesterday came over to ask if they wanted any of the offered refreshments. Mirena smiled and thanked her for the kindness.

They were brought a glass of somewhat cold water each, and then offered some of the fruit from the bowl. When the maid came to Jaden’s side he reached out to see if there were any that he liked. As his fingers closed around one of them, he suddenly remembered another time. It had been sunny weather too, and she had held a very similar half-eaten fruit in her hand when she had ruined his life. Jaden yanked his hand away from the fruit as if it had burnt him.

“I… I changed my mind. Please take it back,” he stammered. The maid looked surprised, but brought it away. His friends were looking at him as well. He hurriedly finished his water and stood up.

“Are you heading out?” Oleander asked, about to get up as well.

“Yeah. I need some more ritual components,” Jaden said, forgetting he had already used that excuse a couple of days ago.

“Again so soon?” Mirena raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you restock your… supplies back in Tier?”

“Well, as you recall things didn’t go as planned, and I burned through a lot of my components when we were leaving the Sons of Husk hideout.” The lies flowed easily out from his mouth, mixed with just enough truth to be palatable. He had more than enough to last him through many such fights. Mystics didn’t really consume material focus like, say, Sorcerers did, but none of his friends were very familiar with the Mystic craft. At least he hoped they weren’t.

“Literally burning through them, huh?” Oleander quipped, waving her fingers around in a show of imaginary fires. Mirena groaned at the pun.

“Yes, quite,” Jaden agreed. “I’ll be back later. I think I know where to look for the things I need.”

“Get me some raisins for the road, Jay!” The redhead shouted after him as he left the inn. He waved over his shoulder and headed off toward the village merchants.

Oleander chewed her fruit for a bit, and then smiled. She leaned in close to Mirena and nudged her in the ribs.

“Never knew Jay was so picky about his snacks. I’m going to hide some of those inside his bed next time he tries something,” she said.

Mirena cast her eyes skyward, asking her god for strength.

"Those look to be a little small for you, good sir. Maybe something closer to the size you are, ahem, already wearing?"

The shopkeeper was only trying to be helpful, of course, but Jaden felt his composure wearing thin. A calming breath masked by standing up straighter helped him shake off the childish desire to set fire to the man's hat.

"They're... not for me." He turned the boots in his hands. They looked like they would be too tight a fit on his apparent form, but not for the shape that was hidden underneath the magic veil.

"Oh? Maybe a present for that red haired lass who came in with you yesterday?" The shopkeeper smiled broadly, clearly approving of the young couple his mind made them out to be.

"What? Uh... yes, that's it," Jaden stammered a little. "Do you think that she will like them? They're a bit, ah, practical, don't you think?"

"I'm certain she will. She has the look of a practical young woman." The older man had no idea just how practical Oleander could be. "And she'll love you even more for the gift!"

Jaden almost dropped the boots. Ollie didn't really have those kinds of feelings for him, right?

"Well, you've sold me, goodman. I'll take them, and one of those bags of raisins."

He took his purchases and started to leave before he caught himself.

"Ah... would you happen to know any seamstress in the village, who could make... uhm... underclothes for her?" Jaden felt himself going red in the face, but this was his best chance to buy something before they headed out, and he did not enjoy the chafing that had been going on lately one bit.

The shopkeeper had a wide grin on his face. He even waggled his eyebrows.

Rosehaven was a community that straddled the line between large village and small town, and as such they could accommodate a number of more stores and shops aside from the ubiquitous general store, and a small market by the central square.

The shopkeeper of the traveller’s goods and general outfitting had pointed Jaden in the right direction, a house that no doubt doubled as the home for the seamstress, and allowed her to keep her business on the bottom floor.

There were thankfully no bells chiming when he pushed the door open. He was nervous enough without needing the extra startle, and embarrassed by the idea that he was just around the corner from the inn. The last thing he needed would be for Oleander or Mirena to walk in on him right now. Sweet mercy, if Oleander saw him in here, she would never let him live it down.

"Good day, sir! How can I help you today?" A cute brunette was putting away a measuring string when he entered, and was now looking at him expectantly. She couldn't be more than a couple of years older than him. Maybe one the seamstress' daughters?

"Ah, yes. Good day to you too." He could feel his cheeks flushing slightly, and send a heartfelt thanks to his mirage veil. As long as he wore it, it would only show what he wanted to show.

On shelves along the walls were bolts of fine cloths, some too thin for everyday wear. Clearly they made a variety of garments, but leaned more toward things for special occasions. He wondered for a moment if there really was enough business for a business like this in a smaller town, but a vague memory about the differences in some taxes between Alband and Tier might cause people from surrounding villages to go to Rosehaven rather than the metropolis for purchases. Also, the temple of Kuros was large enough to attract its own share of travellers, who might bring back a souvenir or two from the local shops.

"Sir?" The woman had walked out from behind her busy workbench. She had an eyebrow raised, and a small smile. Maybe they weren't strangers to bumbling menfolk in their shop after all?

"Apologies, I was... I'm sorry. I'm looking for, ah, something to..." Definitely blushing. Red as a salamander's tail. "You see, I have this friend?"

"Yes? Go on." She didn't even bother hiding her smile now, and had leaned back against the workbench with her hands folded patiently.

"A female friend?" He explained.

"Of course."

"And I wanted to get her a... something to keep..." Jaden made embarrassed gestures around his chest. Maybe this would've been easier if he had just magically veiled himself as a woman? But what would he have done if the seamstress wanted to take measurements?

"A corset? A bodice?" She was laughing when she spoke, but not cruelly. He was thankful for that, at least.

"Oh, no! She's not that, ah, big. Just one of those underclothes? Something very soft please, if you have?"

"Aha! You want a chemise? Well, then you are in luck. They don't have to be as individually tailored as a good corset, so we have a few available in different sizes. We even have some in silk! Is she about my size? Taller? Shorter?"

Jaden reluctantly imagined what he saw in the mirror, and held out a hand slightly below his illusory height.

"Almost as tall as me, and with a somewhat slighter build."

"Oh, that beautiful knight who you arrived with? She came by just a while ago, to browse our selection. She seemed very refined and we will find just the right thing for her!"

"Ah, yes. That's it." Wonderful. One shopkeeper thought he was with Oleander, and now the seamstress believed he was courting Mirena.

"I'm Keyla, by the way," the young seamstress introduced herself while she went through the carefully folded underclothes.

"Nice to meet you." He had begun to regain his composure, hoping now that there wouldn't be too much gossip in the small town once they left.

"Does she have a favourite colour? She had a nice skyblossom blue dress today, I remember." Keyla chatted amicably as she critically held up one embroidered chemise to the light.

"I- She does enjoy blue, but I feel... I mean, I think she might enjoy some variety. Do you have anything yellow?"

"Yellow? With her brown hair and green eyes? Hmm... I think this deep sea green would look wonderful for special moments, don't you?" Kelya held up something with scooping neckline and flowery decorations.

"Ah, no. I really think it should be something more along the yellow or gold."

"Something to remind her of your rare eyes?" She grinned and glanced at him sideways while carefully rummaging through another box. "You're an elf, right? I can tell by your ears."

"I'm not an elf," Jaden said automatically. "I mean, yes, the eyes. Sure. Do you have anything like that? Very soft, though?"

"All these are made of finest cotton or silk, and quite soft indeed I assure you." She continued to dig through the shallow box while singing to herself, and finally produced a something creamy and off-white, with sparse gold-thread embroidery. "This might be a nice compromise. A little pricier, I'm afraid, because of the gold detail..."

"That shouldn't be an issue." At least since they just got paid for their last assignment against the Sons of Husk. If there was ever a time to spoil himself a little, this was it. Wait, spoil himself? By buying clothes? Jaden shook his head.

"Don't you like it?" Keyla looked concerned, taking his internal dialogue the wrong way.

"No! It's fine. Please, I'll take it." Jaden hurriedly explained, putting a handful of coin down on the workbench.

"Sir, this is a little too-"

"It's fine!" He repeated. "Thank you. Goodbye!"

Keyla blinked a couple of time as the strange customer grabbed the silk chemise and hurried out. "Ah... alright. Have a nice day?"

Coming down from the upstairs living quarters, her mother glanced toward the door as it slammed shut.

"Who was that, dear?"

"Oh, just a customer. Nervous suitor type."

"Ah, youth," her mother reminisced with a smile.

Jaden started to walk down toward the inn, but turned around almost immediately and hurried the other way. He kept his hat pulled down to hide his face as he rounded a corner. Kellen had been not twenty paces away at a vegetable merchant's wagon. He was probably restocking their supplies for the next journey, or regaling the hapless merchant with stories from his frozen home.

It was only luck that the Northman had his back to Jaden when the Mystic had walked out of the... the women's shop. He hid the silken bundle under his cloak and made his way around the block back toward the inn. Walking this quickly only made the chafing worse.

Most of the others were by their table once he returned. He glimpsed a map rolled out and secured with tankards and plates. They were obviously in the planning stages, which was normal for the group. 'Think first, plan second, act last', Mirena had once told them.

"Hey, Jay! Found what you needed?" Oleander called from the table where she had her head close together with the knight.

"Quite!" Jaden didn't even slow down, but took to the stairs immediately. The women exchanged a look, and the redhead shrugged.

"I suppose Jaden is in a hurry to get started with his rituals?" Mirena offered, and then went back to tracing a finger along their map of the region. It was woefully inadequate, showing only the major cities and borders. They might need to get another one.

"I guess?" Oleander wondered aloud.

He hurried up the stairs and down the hall to the room he shared with Stann, and yanked the door open. Stann stopped pulling on his rust-stained undershirt for a moment. He was halfway through putting on his travelling clothes, and Jaden got a good look at his hairy chest.

"Oh, for the love of-" Jaden whirled around to face away from the half-naked man. Again his nondescript hat saved him from showing any blushing.

"Welcome back, little brother! Don't concern yourself for my modesty." Stann laughed heartily.

"You don't HAVE any, Bear!"

"Precisely! Gaze upon me as much as you will. I'm proud of who I am, as should anyone be. Except my cousin, who is clearly hideous." Stann laughed again.

"You two could be brothers." Jaden disagreed, still keeping his back turned. Those two really looked a lot alike, except where Kellen was taller and broader, and Stann had even fairer hair.

"You are lucky I am in such a good mood after yesterday's celebrations."

"Are you finished yet?" Jaden had crossed his arms, and regretted it. It pushed... things up. The noise of chainmail settling told him it was safe to turn back around.

Stann just kept on chuckling as he made his way past Jaden, slapping him on a shoulder as he did. The fingers passed through the illusion unnoticed once again.

"I'll see you downstairs once you're done, little brother."

Jaden just nodded, carefully keeping his silky secret hidden. 'Little Brother' was a title of honour. Northmen warriors called each other 'brothers', brothers in battle. He had fought alongside Stann many times, despite how he would make a fairly unimpressive Northman if you went by stature and strength alone. There was no insult intended with the 'little' bit. Stann was the oldest of his siblings, so everyone was little to him, even if his cousin was a couple of years ahead of him. Jaden held out the chemise and studied the embroideries. They were some sort of vines clinging around the hems. Maybe 'brother' was as bad a fit as his old boots.

Making sure the door was shut tight, he stripped off his outer clothes and finally, grudgingly, allowed his mirage veil to show his true form. First order of business was to replace the boots. The thick winter socks went back into his pack with a sigh of relief. He wiggled his toes a bit and glared at the slim feet.

The new boots fit much better, and it would take care of one of the things chafing him. He looked down his chest at the other cause of discomfort.

"Well, I've got something for that too, now."

The chemise fit well enough. A little tight around the waist, but that was alright with him. The main concern was how the silk felt so much better against his... sensitive areas. He put his tunic back in a hurry, making sure it covered everything completely. It had a straight neck and full sleeves, fortunately.

He replaced the gloves, vest and cloak almost as quickly, and then finally the kerchief that obediently resumed its appearance of a hat. He felt the veil settle around him once more, and only then realised he had been holding his breath almost the entire time.

Jaden bounced in place experimentally, and felt that the previous chafing had been replaced by a slick caress instead. It was still a little distracting, but much better. There was ... jiggling, however. Maybe he should've asked the woman, Keyla, about a bodice too? He shook his head. No. No more of this nonsense. It was time to focus on a solution to the underlying problem. He was sure there must be a way to deal with this. There had to have been Mystics in the past who were unhappy with the spirits they had ended up with. He just had to retrace their steps. There was always a way when magic was involved.

When lunch came around, they had gathered in one of the private rooms. There would be a bit of professional discussion, and there was no need to scare the locals.

"We didn't ride blindly into Rosehaven since we already had some contact with the temple of Kuros, but what do we have on this so-called ‘troubled’ village, Redwall?" Mirena asked the group, now all gathered around their table.

"They've both got something red in their names?" Stann joked.

"There's nothing wrong with being red." Oleander shot him a look.

"Not all roses are red," mumbled Rhyce. He sat leaned back far enough to not really see the rough map of the upper continent. Jaden wasn't sure what to make of that comment, since the archer often added deeper meanings to the things he said. It seemed like most of the others weren’t sure either.

"Aside from that, please?" The group's mother always tried to keep their attention at the task at hand.

"It's not too remote from Tier, but lies away from the main trade routes through Alband. Further inlands, too, in the forest. They might be somewhat isolated, and anything occurring there may take time to reach the rest of the kingdom?" Kellen followed a sound line of reasoning.

"But there's clearly some exchange between Rosehaven and Redwall. If anything really noticeable had happened, don't you think the word would've gotten here by now?" Oleander countered.

"What did the priest say, exactly?" Jaden spoke for the first time. He had been squirming a little in his seat.

"He didn't give us any specifics, only that he had been getting a bad feeling when he visited his extended family there a while back. I trust in his intuition." Mirena would stand by another member of the Temples, especially one who asked her help.

"Something that raised a priest's hackles? We're walking into something horrible again, aren't we?" Jaden shifted in his seat again.
Oleander leaned down against the table and put her chin on her arms. "'Not it' on getting cursed this time!"

"We have no way of knowing what could be waiting for us, Red." Stann patted the small woman on the head.

Rhyce mumbled something else, but only Jaden sitting close enough heard anything.

"Demons."

Their world was not alone in all of reality. Surrounding it were countless different shards and realms just out of sight, separated by a metaphysical wall. But like the waves of the tide, sometimes one came crashing upon the shore of the world of men and something from that distant plane spilled over. Strangers from beyond the wall, called ‘visitors’ by scholars, sometimes showed up where the wall grew weak. Some were benevolent, and became the angels of myth. Others were not, and the witnesses of what transpired gave rise to the legend of demons.

The citadel archives were filled with recounts and stories of people meeting these visitors. Some were first-hand experiences of Lacunai Mystics who had the opportunity to speak with one of them. It was from a particularly amicable visitor, who in fact spent a considerable time with one of Jaden’s ancestors, that the Lacunai learned about a place called the Myriad Nether, and its terrible denizens.

Jaden had read all those books, most of them quite recently while trying to come to terms with the lot fate had cast him. He couldn't help but feel a peculiar kinship with the demons of the Nether realms. After all, was he not one of them, in a way?

While Kellen and Mirena had left to see the temple again, and to try and find a map of the local area that included smaller villages like Redwall, Jaden found himself in a discussion with Rhyce.

“What makes you believe demons are involved?” Jaden tried to sound casual.

“There have been signs,” the archer replied laconically.

“Like for instance?”

“I haven’t seen many predators. When I looked around outside the town earlier, there were no tracks of foxes or badgers. I haven’t seen any hawks or owls either.” Rhyce listed off some of the smaller hunting animals that usually lived in this part of Alband.

“Explain that to me, would you?” Jaden started paying attention.

“Predators like that are mostly nomadic. They run away from danger, and keep running, rather than staying to defend their territory like a bear would.”

“We’ve passed a lot of farms, though. I saw the cattle they kept. They didn’t seem too alarmed?” Jaden countered.

“Generations of breeding and control by humans has eroded their natural instincts. They don’t hear the warning bells in their souls anymore, telling them to run.” Rhyce tapped his head. “People are like that, too. They’re too busy listening to their own thoughts, to hear that inner voice.”

“So, we have no way of anticipating this kind of danger anymore, because we got too civilised?” Jaden didn’t want to accept that. It seemed too bleak. It also struck a bit close to home. He knew he usually ignored his own instincts, often to his regret.

“There are still some who can. Certain sensitive people, children, or the insane, can still hear the warning,” the archer shrugged a little.

“Since you’re not a child, do you fall under the ‘sensitive’ or the ‘insane’?” Jaden half-joked.

“You tell me,” Rhyce replied and turned his head away. That conversation was over.

Kellen decided that he liked Rosehaven. It was a good place, with nice people. It was close enough to Tier that some culture splashed this way, but far enough to avoid the stressful bustle of the big city. Also, the fish here seemed to bite close to the shore. Fishing opportunities was a large tip in this town’s favour, if Kellen had anything to say about it. He looked back over his shoulder toward the temple on the hill. The blessed hall of Kuros overlooked the town like a kindly shepherd watched his woolly charges. It would have been nice to stay a little longer and speak with the priests more, but there would always be another time when they eventually came back down south to Tier. He couldn’t imagine them staying away from the golden city for too long. It was, after all, the place where stories began and legends were told, if the bards were right.

The bell above to door to the scribes’ house pealed as Mirena stepped out into the noon sun with a rolled up parchment in her hands. Sometimes Kellen wondered if her obsession with maps and ahead planning didn’t bordered on the compulsive, but it didn’t slow their progress down too much, and it made her happy. He couldn’t complain, honestly. It was even fun to be part of the process from time to time.

“They were most accommodating, Kellen. I have a rather detailed map of the landmarks and road to most of the middle and north Alband villages. It’s a smaller version of the one their tax collectors use, so it should serve us well.” Mirena straightened her pale blue dress with a smile, and handed the map to her friend.

“Excellent. Did they say how far it was?” Kellen asked as he accepted the roll. “Stann and I got some basic supplies this morning, but if it’s a long trip we might want to get some of that dried stuff. You know Rhyce enjoys his jerky.”

“That he does,” she agreed. It must be an Albander thing. “It’s not far at all, really. Rosehaven lies more or less in the middle between Tier and Redwall. We should only need to camp out the single time on our way there.”

“Curious. If it’s just two days each way, you’d think there would have been more word locally, if something had happened over there,” said Kellen with a raised eyebrow.

“We made a promise, my friend,” Mirena reminded him.

“Oh, I wasn’t suggesting trying to weasel out of it, just that it might not be a lot for us to do once we get there. Anyway, I will see if there’s anything else we need after all.”

Together, they walked back along the sunlit streets, enjoying a moment of peaceful thought. Some townspeople even waved at them as they passed by. Yes, Kellen thought, he could definitely see himself coming back here one day and maybe staying for a while. Maybe some of the others would like to return too? At least Mirena would, given how she seemed to have enjoyed the visit to the temple. Their little fox would probably be bored out of her mind, though. Oleander had a hard time handling too much tranquillity, having grown too used to the city.

A pair of crows landed on the Well’s rooftop when they finally made their way back. Their beady black eyes trying to look everywhere at once.

“If you’re going in, go in. If not, step out of the way!” Stann startled them a little when he came hurrying back. He had a half-forgotten sack of fresh fruit in a hand, and Oleander in tow.

“Hello to you too, cousin,” Kellen said as he gracelessly gave way for the busy warrior. Some patrons of the inn looked in with surprise at the exchange, but the shrugged and went back to their lunch. That they were Northmen gave them a lot of leeway with etiquette in the other lands.

“Yeah, yeah. Now, where did you see her?” Stann asked the grinning redhead, who just pointed at the backrooms.

“Oh dear,” Mirena sighed and shook her head. “Please don’t let them do anything that will make us unwelcome here, Kellen?”

“Of course not, milady. Here’s your map, if you want to get started with that while I rein in my witless cousin.” Handing the rolled up parchment back, he once again went to temper a situation the other Winterheart might have gotten himself into.

“Thank you,” she called after him. The innkeeper had already intercepted Stann, and they were talking animatedly. It seemed good-natured, though, so she was hopeful they wouldn’t get thrown out. When she made her way back up the stairs to the balcony, and the private room they had all but claimed to themselves, she saw only Jaden there. He was still wearing that new hat of his. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that it actually looked pretty bad on him. With that shirt and vest, he should keep his hair clipped back, or even free.

“Hi Rena. More excitement down there, I hear?” The black-haired Mystic observed as ruefully as she felt.

“Never a dull moment, is there?” She agreed. “By the way, have you seen Rhyce?”

“He was a little, uh, antsy. Though, he did mention taking the horses to get reshod. We haven’t really done that since forever, honestly.” Jaden shrugged.

“That was very thoughtful of him. I haven’t been paying as much attention to my poor horse as I should, ever since completing my training. I always assumed I would have a squire of my own to handle that.” Mirena rolled out the map, using candlesticks to hold down the corners. As she did, she tilted her head a bit. Was there perfume in the air?

“Why didn’t you get a squire?” Jaden seemed actually interested. “I don’t know a lot about the practices of temple knights, but if you were a squire yourself at some point, it seems reasonable that one would be appointed to you once you’re an, uh, ordained member?”

“Politics, I’m afraid. After my first assignment into the field, breaking up a group of bandits in west Alband, I was stationed in the temple rather as the knight-errant I dreamed to be. Apparently, there was some… pressure, to keep me in the city.” Mirena frowned, and some bitterness flashed across her eyes. “I took certain measures to get reassigned into the field, but was denied a squire as punishment. I believe they thought I’d cave in and return to the temple after a while, without the help a squire would provide.”

“Well, the jokes on them. You didn’t get one squire, you found five!” Jaden smiled widely. He was really quite pretty when his face was lit up like that. It was such a shame he was so brooding lately.

“True enough, my friend. True enough,” she laughed. “Now, if we were to begin here, in Rosehaven, we should be able to make it to the treeline by nightfall…”

“Final checks, everyone,” Stann called out as he sat on his heavy Olman horse. The chestnut stallion tapped its hooves against the flagstone experimentally, and then snorted with equine satisfaction.

“We’re all set, Bear,” Jaden spoke for the group. “You seem to be in a hurry to leave, though?”

“Eh. We’ve got a mission and… things, right?” The Northman warrior leaned forward in the saddle a bit. “Also, turns out she had already left, so there’s no reason to linger.”

“Who? Nevermind, I probably don’t want to know.”

With some small coin for the bother, the local shoemaker had agreed to send his nephew back to Tier with their wagon. The Winterheart’s clansman had borrowed it to them when they had to leave, and he probably expected it back before soon. With all other needs and necessities taken care of, the group once more set out along the north coastal road that would continue all the way up to Farcrest, and from there eventually into the Northern Lands. They would, of course, only follow it part-way. Alband was generally good with signposts and milestones, so they didn’t expect any trouble finding the branching road that would take them to Redwall.

Oleander nudged her horse up closer to Jaden’s once they got out on the road proper.

“Hey? Want to know why Stann was so keen on hitting the road?” Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Not really. It’s probably something embarrassing.” Jaden didn’t want to imagine what could have happened, only that they probably would need to cross off Rosehaven as a place to return to in the nearest future. “If I give you your raisins, would it make you keep it to yourself?”

“Turns out, there was another elf visiting the inn while we were there. Of course, Stann wanted to meet her. Surprise, surprise, right?” She was laughing now, holding onto her saddle.

“I didn’t see anyone,” Jaden thought back. It wasn’t as if elves were that rare, but they usually lived deeper inlands, not far from Sorun. “Also, I’m not an elf.”

“Yeah, she didn’t stay for long. I only saw her when I almost walked in on her bathing,” Oleander looked ahead where Stann rode, and shook in another bout of giggles. “Are you okay? You’re looking a little stiff.”

Jaden clutched his reins hard enough to make his horse fidget. The redhead didn’t seem to notice, though. She never really seemed to notice when she did something that might have hurt another’s feelings. Jaden’s thoughts began to wander of their own accord, however. Thinking about feelings always seemed to trigger something within him, distracting him. That might be one of the reasons he tried to ignore his inner voices so much. Listening to them always seemed to bring unhappiness into his life.

“Do you mind if I ride with you for a while?” Mirena spoke, suddenly by his side. He hadn’t noticed her slowing down enough for them to catch up.

“Oh, of course not, Rena. No need to ask,” Jaden replied. Had the knight some reason for being so formal? They were friends, after all.

For a short while, they simply rode on with Jaden in the middle, and the women on either side. Mirena chatted lightly with Oleander, about how she had seen some ballroom slippers at the seamstress’ store, and had heard that some Tier culture seemed to have made its way up into the communities close to the border. There was hope for Alband yet, according to her. Jaden didn’t really follow the conversation, that sometimes literally went over his head. He had started to drift off again when he was addressed.

"Jaden? May I ask you some questions?" Mirena nudged her horse into step next to where Jaden was riding.

"As long as I can claim Oleander is to blame for anything you may have hard?" He didn't like to answer questions, especially personal ones. While his trust for his friends was strong, there were some things he would rather not tell them.

Mirena smiled, and shook her head at the antics of the two. Oleander was trailing behind a bit behind, distracted by two crows that flew from tree to tree next to the road.

"I was going to ask you about magic, but if you'd rather talk about the things you two have been up to-"

"No! No. Magic is fine. Good subject. Much to talk about." Jaden hurriedly explained.

"As you wish," Mirena smiled. "I was interested about Mystic magic, specifically. I know some about Northern shamanism, and to some degree, runic magic. And, of course, I'm familiar with both temple magic as well as the sorcery of the Arcane Order."

Having grown up in a wealthy family, she had no doubt encountered the sorcerers for hire at some time, Jaden imagined. The other two traditions surprised him a bit. The shamans were every bit as miserly about their secrets as the Lacunai, and while rune seekers were more open about their craft, they were often too busy with their latest endeavours to stay to talk for long.

"Ah. Mysticism." Jaden said slowly. He had to be careful not to divulge any of his kind's secrets. Much of their position in the world depended on how the other magic societies didn't know the source of the Mystics' power.

"You've spoken about your pacts, before." She urged him along.

"That's a good place to start. Mystics make special bonds with magical creatures." Or individuals, but that practice was more or less discontinued these days. "This allow us to draw upon their power, in essence using their natural abilities as other magicians use their spells."

"So, your fire magic comes from your connection to the creature you're bonded with?"

"Precisely. In my case, a salamander. Though, other fire-using Mystics may have other sources. Elementals, dragons, anything can be a part of the contract." Or anyone, he added silently.

"Why do you call it a contract?" She wondered.

"Partially to show that we don't simply steal the magic." Anymore. "We enter into an agreement with mutual benefits."

"What do the... the other party gain from this connection?"

"The magic flows both ways. Most creatures can't shape raw magic the way a magician can, however. To them, it simply means greater health, usually larger size or extended lifespan. For a shorter lived creature, like a stormfalcon, it could mean a dramatically longer life. As long as the Mystic is alive, the surplus magic that flows back to the creature will essentially keep it from aging."

"I see. How many contracts can a Mystic hold at any one time? I assume that if a creature was to meet an unexpected demise, the Mystic would lose that connection?"

"That's right. That’s one reason why some Mystics keep their bonded creatures close, to make sure they are safe. In my case, my salamander ally lives on a southern island. It seems to be doing alright, as salamanders go, but it has been a bit annoyed with me."

"Annoyed?" Mirena sounded surprised.

"We've been fighting a lot lately, and when I use too much of its power, it becomes weakened. I'll have to let that bond rest for a few days to rebuild its strength." Jaden cleared his throat. "As for how many? Each Mystic is different. There seems to be an innate limit on how thin you can spread yourself, bond-wise. Most can easily handle four or five contracts, though."

"And you?"

"I have... two." Jaden caught himself in time. "My salamander, and a breathstealer."

"Undead?!" Mirena turned toward him sharp enough to make her horse nervous. She really didn't like the undead. She also forgot all about how she had meant to ask which of those he turned into.

"A common misconception, Rena," Jaden tried to defuse the situation. "Breathstealers are fey, not undead. They're often mistaken, though, since they're shadowy and... well, steal peoples' breath."

Mirena blushed a little, angry with herself for losing her temper. They rode in silence for a little while. Oleander had passed them a while back, looking at them with curiosity, and joined with the men in the front. Talk about magic didn’t really interest the redhead, but she kept glancing back at the two anyway.

"I apologise for my outburst, Jaden."

"No need, Rena. I'd be alarmed too if I thought one of my friends had her soul bonded to an undead monster."

"Just so," she laughed, relaxing. "Just so."

Since they had all slept in a little back at Connor’s Well in Rosehaven, none of them had been particularly hungry when they set out around lunchtime. Their late breakfast had carried them through so far, but several miles away from the town they decided it was about time to let the horses rest, and for them to eat something.

Jaden stretched a little. The hidden silk chemise had done wonders for the irritation and redness his regular shirt had caused. After a while, he had even managed to forget about the constant jiggling, as well. Adapt and survive, Jaden told himself. That’s all there was to it, really.

"Did you get a new sword?" Stann had wandered up to help him unsaddle the horses while they ate. There was no sense in having their mounts sweat more than they had to. “Yours had a flat pommel, I recall, but this one’s round.”

"Well, I got a sword," Jaden smoothly lied without blinking. "I lost my old one when I had to drag Ollie out of that burning place back in Tier."

"A sad day indeed, having to choose between your blade and your friend. You made the right decision, though," Stann approved. He would probably have slapped Jaden on the shoulder again, had there not been a horse in between them.

From the campfire, Oleander's tuneless whistling told them that she had cooking duty. They grimaced at a particularly jarring note.

"Are you sure about that?" Jaden asked the Northman.

"Eh... ask me after lunch," Stann eyed the pots with some trepidation. Oleander didn’t have a very good record with her culinary pursuits. She tended to experiment and improvise in the face of convention and common sense.

“We will definitely need to spend a night before reaching this village,” Kellen announced, as they sat down to eat. Oleander had provided them each with a bowl of some very fragrant soup.

“Good,” Rhyce nodded. He seemed more alert recently, if that was even possible. His eyes constantly tracked movement along the hillside. Whenever they had met other travellers on the road, his hand had twitched ever so slightly as if it wanted to reach for his bow.

“That’s easy for you to say. There are bears and wolves and, uh… squirrels in that forest,” Oleander jabbed a finger accusatorily at the treeline that had just began to appear. They would likely spend most of the next evening and the next day traversing that sea of leaves.

“No there aren’t,” the archer disagreed. He couldn’t imagine any animals voluntarily staying in those woods. There was something ill on the wind. He could almost smell it. Rhyce turned his head sideways. He could also still smell the violets.

“Well, if you say so,” Oleander sounded sceptical.

"So, still think not leaving her behind was a good idea?" Jaden looked up from his bowl at Stann, who sat next to him.

"I'm not sure what I just ate, but no sword was worth that!" The warrior smacked his tongue with a puzzled expression. He had managed to get some bits of it in his beard, prompting Jaden to lean over to clean it up with a napkin.

"Friendship should overlook some shortcomings," Mirena said diplomatically, and scraped the bottom of her soup with a spoon.

"I make the kind of soup that ENDS friendships!" Oleander proclaimed with pride, thrusting a small fist into the air.

“Can I take the next time Ollie’s supposed to cook?” Jaden asked his friends. Of all his mediocre talents, he had picked up a number of highly appreciated recipes during their brief stay in Etrana last summer.

“Yes!” Four voices replied immediately.

“Hey!”

Offering to do the cooking got Jaden off the hook from cleaning up after this mess, though, which left him to his thoughts again. They came unbidden, and quickly. It had happened more often recently, these moments of introspection. It was as if his refusal to listen made something inside just raise its voice instead. Eventually it made itself heard over his conscious thoughts.

This time, though, it touched upon something he had wondered about many times before. The Mystic drift, the way they assumed qualities of their spirit, was a slow process. His father, proudly merged with the powerful dragon Ironscales, hadn’t shown his first traits until well over a year after his rite of the spirit. Even today, hundreds of manifestations later, he had only developed some obvious signs. So, how come Jaden, who had assumed his spirit’s form less than ten times, had drifted so far? The eyes, the… shape. His size. It was too much, too quickly.

Jaden tried to remember what his Masters had told him about the bond between the Mystic and the spirit, and more importantly about the drift. It had been something about harmony. The closer the two were, the more profound the drift would be. But that made no sense. He and his golden-eyed demon was a world apart. They had nothing in common, after all, right? Maybe… was it because he was struggling so hard against it? Was the drift like quicksand in that regard? The more you fought, the quicker you became submerged?

Or, even more frightening, was there something wrong with the spirit? He remembered her voice, when she whispered her name in his ear.

“Ashomi Kian…” His lips moved by themselves.

“Huh? What was that, Jaden?” Kellen looked at the smaller man. That hat hid Jaden’s eyes, but Kellen could tell something was bothering his friend. “That wasn’t Elvish, was it? Hmm… oh! That’s Nethertongue! I had no idea you knew that, too. Does that mean you believe Rhyce’s theory about demons in Redwall?”

“Huh? Ah, maybe. I’m not sure.” Jaden blinked, and looked up at the rune seeker. “Being prepared for the worst never hurt, right?”

“True words, I suppose,” Kellen tightened the strap of his saddle, since they were about to set out again. “What you said right now, that means ‘two skies’, or something like that?”

“Something like that,” Jaden mumbled, and sat up as well. They still had miles to go.

Notes: With apologies to Bill Whelan (for the Winterheart song)