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Chapter - 14 "A Night To Remember"

Garrock was practically pushing the two of them over to an empty stall in the stable. The dwarf kicked some of the scattered hay and dirt around till he found a covered loop in the floor. Garrock hiked it up disturbing years of dirt and crud exposing the old trap door.

"Locke's great grandfather had this put in way back when I'd be willin ta bet the daft bastard doesn't even know it's here."

Raku having the best night vision of the three of them went first down the hole. Dust rolled down the narrow passage dug along the inside of the castle wall. The remains of a rotted old ladder sat in a pile at his feet. Next to him was a small trough that presumably held a small amount of animal fat to dip torches into. All that lie in it now was a single half-burnt torch and a thick layer of dust. At least they could take comfort in the fact that no one had been down here for a very long time. Raku took the flint from one of his pouches and used it try and light the old torch, ember bursting off his pauldron as he struck it while the others made their way down as well. Eventually, it took a flame albeit a small one but it was better than nothing. "This will lead us the right to the back of Black Rock, the horses will be waitin" Garrock said as they followed Raku single file down the passage. Several minutes of awkward silent walking later the dirt and stone passage opened up to the dry plains surrounding Black Rock. Being built upon somewhat of a plateau. The tunnel ended in a narrow slope. Down at the bottom stood the horses just as described and in the distance, one could see the strange mass of white dead trees aptly named The White Woods. Reecie hesitated at the exit looking out into the White Woods recalling her dream if that experience could even be called that. Raku's attention was more on the horses as they made they're way down.

"Garrock are those...Saddles and bedrolls?" Raku squinted trying to make out all the gear the horses were laden with. The dwarf chuckled softly, a smug grin on his bruised face.

" Yeah, I might have acquired some of the guard's supplies in getting this plan set up for us. We'll be long gone before they figure out what's missing. Oh, I got some warmer things for the lass as well. I hope they fit givin our situation an all." Raku chuckled as well. The dwarf really outdid himself. Garrock glanced up at Reecie who was still staring off into the distance. "Your welcome!" He called and bowed. Raku patted him on the back as he passed him up. As if torn from a trance Reecie shook her head and blinked looking down at the two now several yards ahead before hurrying after them.

"Don't take it to heart dwarf..she's not the most grateful I've learned." the wolf mumbled. Garrock grunted in agreement. Rejoined with their mounts, Raku inspected all the things Garrock had provided. Raku and Reecie returning the weapons they had left behind to their right places.

"So what's the plan now cause...I honestly didn't think we'd make this far." Garrock asked, hooking his thumbs on his belt as he looked between the two."

Raku thought for a long moment looking around some.

"Well we sh-"

"Meesari," Reecie said flatly. Garrock and Rakus head both snapped to her. Garrock looked concerned but Raku was just glaring. "I have to know...don't you think you should too?" Rakus chops twitched slightly fighting a snarl.

"Know what exactly? The amulet is gone so what is the point?" At the mention of the amulet, Garrock started frantically digging in a pouch on his belt. Before producing Reecie's amulet from it. Wide-eyed she snatched it from him inspecting it.

"How?" she asked with renewed excitement.

"Didn't know what it was at first during all the commotion. Ah scooped it up thinking it was the Archmages and recognized it after the fact." He nodded.

Reecie smiled slipping it back around her neck. "Thank you Garrock!"

Her attention shifted to Raku whos angry stair deadened her enthusiasm.

"What? This means we have reason to-"

"Does it?" Raku moved to stand in front of her bearing down over her

"Reason to what? Find out if I'm some kind of abomination like that thing in the castle? Perfect sounds like a grand time. I can tell you aaaaall the monstrous things I've done in my life if that's what you'd like." He pointed a finger at her as he continued.

"Did you ever stop for one second and think that maybe I was trying to forget all of that? That maybe I don't want to know. Maybe there's a reason I can't remember how I came about that fucking rock." Raku poked her in the chest harshly with one claw.

"But Skal said-"

"You leave her out of this!"Raku barked angrily. His eyes started to water slightly. The image of Skall propped against the counter beaten,maimed and mortally wounded was forever burned into his brain. Oh gods...Skall...I'm so sorry...so so sorry. The wolf turned away from them before they could make anything of his outburst and climbed onto his saddle. "Let's find a place to rest for the night...I'm exhausted." He grumbled trotting off. Reecie, confused and hurt looked to Garrock who put his hands up and shook his head. He didn't know anything about all this and wanted not to get involved. He turned to Reecie's horse and pulled a heavy cloak from one of the saddlebags and handed it to her.

"There's also a doublet in there if you're still cold you can put under yer vest."

Reecie slipped the cloak on more confused than ever now. "Let's just give the dog some room to breathe, maybe a bit o rest will do us all some good. I know mah bones er achin" Reecie let out a defeated sigh submitting to the idea as they mounted up and plodded along after Raku.

No one spoke again until Raku had settled on a spot, sliding from the saddle his paws crunching in the thin layer of snow.

"Here should be good enough, not too close to the Woods but far enough from Black Rock we shouldn't have any trouble." He knelt down and started clearing a spot to start a fire. Still, he sounded pretty upset.

"Tend to the horses would yeh?" he asked Reecie before hopping down himself and walking over to Raku."Come on dog, let the lady handle this come with me to get some wood fer the night." The brute didn't reply or even look at the dwarf. He simply paused for a long moment before taking a deep breath, then exhale jetting from his snout like two streams of smoke curling in the cold night air. AS the dwarf started to walk off Raku slowly followed.

Garrock decided on an old dead tree wedged between a few wind-worn boulders once he was sure they were out of earshot of the elf. Using the ax on his back he started hacking pieces off and rolling them Rakus direction.

"Ya know dog I can't make heads or tails between the two of yeh?"

Puzzled Raku looked to Garrock as he collected the wood thrown his way.

"What do you mean?"

"Well one day yer this little wood elves slave it seems. The next you're willing to risk life and limb to save her. An now...you fight like an old couple."

"Your point?"

Garrock sighed putting one foot on the butchered tree before sinking his ax into it and resting an elbow on his knee, taking a break for a moment. He stroked his beard braids for a moment.

" You love her?" Raku nearly dropped his bundle.

"What?!" Garrock chuckled shaking his head.

"So ya least got feelins fer her?" he asked

Raku stood silent for a long moment his head tilting slightly. That tightness in his chest started to grip him once more.

"It's complicated" he eventually admitted. Garrock nodded yanking his ax free as he went back to chopping.

"Always is dog, how long ya been travelin together?"

"Give or take a week, roughly"

Garrock nodded again putting his ax back, satisfied with the haul of dead timber.

"Look I'm not goin to assume what's going on between you two or how that amulet plays into it all. But I know one thing. A week ain't much but living the way we do, it might be all you ever get and day in and day out a week is a lot longer when you're spending practically every moment together." Raku raised a brow as Garrock gathered his own armload.

"What are you getting at dwarf?" The brute asked following Garrocks lead back to camp.

"All I'm saying is your intimidatin, especially to a little wood elf like her. Stop once in a while and get a feel for what's going on in her head, be gentle with her. Not everything is a battle dog."

Rakus ears flattened some at the dwarf's words. She had gone through a lot the past week and he had been pretty rough on her, pretty much from day one.

"What if...I don't know how? To be gentle, that is."

"Well, you gonna have to learn then ain't yeh." As if Raku didn't have enough to think about not Garrock piled on a whole mess of things for him to sort through. Returning to camp Reecie had gotten the horses settled in and had made a neat little fire pit. She had laid out her bedroll and had taken Garrocks advice covering up some having put the thick olive-toned doublet on. Her leather vest sat at the end of her bed-roll. Garrock and Raku made a small woodpile with their findings, Garrock laid out his own bed and began the process of shedding armor layers. Raku got the fire going before stripping his gear for the night as well, out of the corner of his eye he watched Reecie sit there cross-legged by the fire fiddling with her amulet. Well, your gonna have to learn then. He thought, the dwarf's words echoing in his brain. But what do I do exactly? His eyes floated to Garrock who was down to his clothes, a heap of armor next to him. In one hand he held a small wooden pipe the other a burning twig he used to ignite the contents of the pipe and take a few puffs. He caught the wolf looking and nodded towards Reecie. The brute sat for a moment just thinking, losing himself to the flames. Why did joo never come back for me? Even in his head, those words stung just as much as the first time. His grip tightened on the dagger belt that still hung from his fist, his gear piled in front of him stripped down to his trousers and fur once more. He sniffled for a moment feeling those tears on the verge of returning once more. It might be all you ever get. Garrocks words came to him again. He was right though. Rakus gaze lifted to Reecie who was looking at him as well. They could all die tomorrow and what point was there if they died angrily. He needed to make the most of what he had or could have while it was still there. If not for him he owed it to Skal at the very least. He squandered their time and now surely it would haunt him.

"Never again..." he mumbled to the flames. Reecie blinked sitting up a little at the brutes odd behavior.

"Are...are you ok?" she asked, worried she might be yelled at again.

Raku shook his head with a hard sniff and swallowed his feelings as best he could. It wasn't her fault I can't take it out on her.

"Yeah, I'm fine just...thinking." Raku stood up taking a dagger from his belt before tossing it with the rest of his things.

"You up for a little hand to hand training?"

"Um...ok I thought you were tired though?" She looked up at him as he approached her around the fire. Raku flipped the dagger around so he was holding the blade and handed it to her.

"Who said I wasn't still tired? Come on it'll be fun." He stepped back from her a few yards before motioning for her to come at him with two fingers. His body turned sideways slightly as he shifted his weight to his toes, claws digging into the frozen earth.

She hesitated for a moment looking at the dagger in her hand though it was quite large in comparison to a weapon more suited suited to her stature. Taking a tight over hand grip she sauntered over. Raku slapped the dagger from her hand before she even got a chance to strike.

"Hey!" she whined.

"No one is going to let you stick them, try again. Pretend this is real."

Reecie picked up the dagger and wiped the snow off. She stepped back and then lunged forward with it. The brute caught her wrist before the blade even got close and spun around pulling her past him throwing her off balance as she fell face first into the snow. The scraping of her hand and knees was as much a punishment as being thrown into the snow. Raku knelt down to help her up with one hand while grabbing the dagger with the other.

"Now I am going to thrust to your side, I want you do just as I did."

Reecie looked unsure sizing him up a bit.

"How? Your way bigger than me?"

"Size doesn't matter with the right technique. Do like I showed you, you will be using my own weight to throw me off balance, not yours." Reecie blinked a bit before nodding understanding some what. The brute took a step back.

"plant your feet, turn to the side some. Alright...here I come." He warned and stabbed the air to her side. Her first attempt was sloppy as he sort of staggered past her before turning around readied for another pass.

"Again." He repeated.This back and fourth of first hand demonstration followed by guided practice of various attack and defense moves continued for what seemed like hours. Garrock just sat quietly puffing on his pipe and whenever Reecie begin to get a handle on each new move he would nod and clap for a moment. Soon enough much of the snow around their little camp was churned and mixed with dirt and grass. Raku could tell just by the redness on her cheeks and stiffness in her hand the cold was starting to take its toll on her after a while. Still they continued, the moves becoming ever more complicated and the amount of effort climbing with it until they were both starting to get winded. Reecie's hair had become a disheveled mess as she huffed in between breath blowing a bit of those fire orange bangs out of her eyes. Raku was even starting to pant a little.

"We should probably call it a night, you've made great progress. Id almost call you a natural." He smiled taking a deep breath to collect himself. Reecie wanted more though,she was on a roll.

"One more," she sniffled her nose starting to run. Raku chuckled at the eager little elf.

"Alright I suppose...last one. Let's make it interesting. I'm going to come at you for real this time. Nothing fancy just a straight lunge. You want me to use the dagger or these?" The brute flexed his hands causing a few of his knuckles to pop as his fingers spread bearing his claws on each hand. The brute could see Reecie just focus in on him here eyes narrowed. She raised the dagger and nodded quite possibly biting off more than she can chew. Her Amulet began to hum causing her heart to jump into her throat. He wasn't kidding...this threat was real.

"Alright, no holding back this time." The brutes hackles raised as he kicked off leaping at her, one arm raised to swipe down. At the same moment Reecie executed the proper dodge, ducking and side stepping the brute. But at the same moment something else happened. The etchings on her amulet lit up and a visible concussive blast rippled outward from the amulets surface. The fire spit embers into Garrocks lap, a perfect circle of snow was suddenly cleared from around her kicking up in all directions. Raku was launched backwards violently spiralling through the air before he hit the ground with a heavy thud several feet away. Garrock hollored swatting the burning coals off him before his beard could catch. Raku thrashed for a moment gasping as the blast had robbed his chest cavity of air. His expression was that of panic and confusion, clawing at the earth before getting caught in a coughing fit at the rush of cold air in his lungs.

"Fuckin hells was that!?" Garrock shouted his pipe dangling from his lips in awe.

Reecie stood frozen, untouched, and unharmed. Her eyes like two billiards as she stared at Raku, unsure herself of what just happened. The wolf rolled to his hands and knees then pointed at her still coughing and hacking.

"T-the amulet!" he sputtered. Reecie looked down and raised it in her hand to see better. The glow in the markings that had appeared faded back to nothing, the vibration had stopped as well

"The amulet did that?!" She looked to Raku with concern as much as excitement.

"If that's true you have to be tied to it somehow! Lets see, attack me again!"

Raku shook his head looking at her as if she were insane.

"Fuck no!" He shouted before coughing again.

"That hurt!" Garrock suddenly burst with laughter, perhaps it was to much katt grass or maybe just the image of a wolf kin whirling through the air like a child tossed into a hay pile. Raku cast the dwarf a sidelong glare getting one foot under him slowly then the other before brushing the dirt and snow.

"The more we learn, the more I despise that damn thing,"the brute muttered.

Garrock was still chuckling as he emptied his pipe and put it away.

"Ah think Ah've smoked way too much tonight, not entirely sure what I just saw was real." he cackled a bit more at the brutes expense. Raku Returned to his bed roll after retrieving his dagger the dagger Reecie had dropped in the excitement.

Her teeth started to chatter now, she had spent enough time away from the fire and moved back to her spot as well,still pouring over the amulet asif it would somehow reveal something else.

"Well that was quite the finally you two, good show HA HA!" the dwarf laughed and tossed another log onto the fire as he slithered into his bedroll.

"We really should get some rest before the sun's up, I doubt we will get any tomorrow," Raku was doing the same. Reecie sort of ignored the two of them, slipping her new cloak over her shoulders as she tried to warm up by the fire. She sat for a long time now, studying every scratch and scrape on the stone. "What else did Katt say about this in that journal she had? She closed her eyes trying to walk through that morning again. Spell mention trinket and shakey shakey...

"The spell!" she muttered. The spell talked about everything so far but remembering how it went was escaping her still. Chain this soul? No...Bind this damned and blackened soul...chain it to this trinket whole. make it powerless to the wearer's will... yeah that's it! Or at least part of it. Hmm. The bit she remembered ran through her mind again and again. Chain it to this trinket whole. So Haraku is bound this then and make it powerless to the wearers will... I wonder. Garrock and Raku had since long gone to sleep when she finally settled into her bedroll. Sleep came quickly as her mind still picked apart her conversation with Katt.

Later she awoke to the sensation of her bedroll being moved for a moment. Still groggy and quite tired she didn't want to open her eyes. Then the motion came again. Am I being dragged? The movement stopped and being hardly half awake she drifted off again. Then she felt the motion a third time. Now she opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. Before her was no fire, no Garrock on the far side, no Raku just charred earth and those white trees...

"Wha-"

"Shhhhhhhh." she looked down at her feet where she was being dragged along and looking down at her was Baymon. Before she could scream a loud rumbling at her side drew her attention. As she turned her head she saw the fire once more though all but a smoldering bed of embers now. Her heart was racing. A nightmare? She sat up and looked around frantically. She could see Rakus ears sticking out from his bed roll where he had tucked his head in and on the other side of the fire was Garrock in his. The sound she heard? The dwarfs snoring. Reecie rubbed her eyes a bit before realizing she was shivering. Unsure if she should bother the others to get the fire going again her thoughts prior to the dream came rushing back as she pushed that demon from her head. Maybe I should test my theory. She looked to the wolf's ears once more before calling out to him softly.

"Raku?"

"Hrummhm?" Came a grumble from his bedroll.

"Can...I sleep with you? I'm freezing and-" Before she could finish one of his ears twitches slightly and the top of his bedroll opened, his snout sliding up to the edge. She didn't even have to beg...or anything really, perhaps this was the powerlessness to her will? She chalked it up to the wolf being half asleep and hurried over. Reecie made sure to at least shed her boots before climbing in the rather cramped bedroll with the brute. Her tense shivering melted away. Oh gods is he warm, wow. She understood now why she slept so well the previous night. Perhaps this would become a habit. she wondered as she snuggled up against him. She half wondered how far she could push this power she had over him, if she truly did at all as she felt behind hear until her fingers grazed the rough pads of his fingers. I hope he doesn't mind me making a blanket of him. She bit her lip still unsure as she pulled his hand and heavy arm over her midsection. She froze however feeling his whole body shift behind her slightly as he lowered his head again almost as if on instinct his muzzle found the groove of her shoulder and neck and nestled in with a heavy sigh. Reecie couldn't fight that sense of exhaustion any more now. She was warm under a blanket of fur and best of all, she finally felt safe after the night she'd had. Even having been torn from slumber moments ago it returned with a fervor she couldn't resist as she drifted off in the brutes embrace.