* * *
The grey light of an overcast sky filtered down through the trees, right into Aiden’s eyes. This more than anything else roused him from his slumber, though the lingering sense of horror told him he’d just had nightmares his mind had decided not to remember upon waking.
There were few signs of the fight remaining on the damp ground of the forest. No bodies littered the muddy ground, and no weapons were left to rust in the damp conditions, but there was a mound of dirt about twenty yards from their camp site.
“Did Pacian give you any trouble overnight?” Aiden asked when he noticed his friend snoring heavily nearby.
“He talked back to me quite a bit, but wasn't game to get physical with me,” Colt responded as he threw a few more pieces of wood onto the fire. “After a while I ended up giving him a hand.”
“That was decent of you,” Aiden remarked.
“Not really,” Colt shrugged. “He fell in a heap after a couple of hours and I had to do the rest. Don't let him tell you otherwise though. That kid isn't the most useful person to have around, and I can see why he took to scumbaggery.”
“Nice sword, by the way,” Aiden added, looking at the shining weapon lying on the ground next to Colt.
“Yeah, a real beauty, isn’t it? Fletcher won’t be needing it anymore so I’ll put it to good use. I doubt he paid money for it, anyway. I’ve gathered up a bunch of their weapons and gear, too. Should fetch a decent price when we reach Culdeny. Mostly little swords and all the knives you could ever ask for, except a few Pace kept for himself.”
Aiden nodded absently, then turned his attention to Sayana, who was crouched under a tree nearby eating stew from a bowl. She gazed up at Aiden like a timid deer as he approached, reminding him of her wild nature. She emptied the bowl and with an extended hand, sent it hovering slowly through the air until it touched down next to the fire, along with the other bowls.
“Where are you from?” Aiden inquired as he sat across from her. She didn't answer immediately, choosing to look at Aiden with glinting green eyes for a long moment instead.
“I am of the akoran mountain people,” she finally whispered. “My tribe lives in the mountains a few days travel south of here.” Aiden recognised the tribal name, having lived close to the area where the native peoples of that region live.
“What brings you into Aielund’s territory?” Nellise asked curiously.
“I struck out on my own when food became scarce.”
“You're young to be out here in the wilds by yourself,” Nellise observed. “How long have you lived around here?”
“Six months. There was a great deal more food around here last summer, then the soldiers came through and hunted the place bare. The forest to the west has some game, but men patrol it with their longbows and chase me away whenever I try to hunt there.”
“What of your abilities?” Aiden pressed.
“I've always been able to do that. I just make it happen.”
“You didn't have to study?”
“Study what?” Sayana asked, looking at him curiously.
“Wizards typically have to study ancient texts for years to do what you claim to achieve by instinct,” Aiden explained.
“I don’t have any books,” Sayana hedged. “Sorry.” Aiden couldn’t help but smile at her attitude.
“Sayana, you risked your life in the fight yesterday, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. You don’t know us, and we don't know you either. Not that I'm complaining mind you - feel free to save my life any time.” The hint of a smile finally drifted across her lips.
“These men, these bandits, they have been hurting people here for some time and making my life difficult. When there was nothing else to do, they would hunt me instead, often for days at a time. When I saw you on the road I thought they were going to kill you too, but you were winning so I did what little I could to help.”
“It was enough,” Aiden assured her. “Tell me, when you touched this piece of glass around my neck, something strange happened. What made you reach out like that?”
“Understand, the power I work with, the control I have over it, is instinctive. I need to be in tune with my feelings because each emotion is a different state of energy that affects my abilities. I must be disciplined. I don't know where my powers come from, but when I touched that thing around your neck, it reminds me of something from when I was very young, and somehow, that's connected to what I am,” she said, searching for the right words. Aiden lifted the glass shard from around his neck and held it out to her.
She held it up to her eyes, looking closely at the remains of the glass sphere. Seeing nothing of interest, she hung it around her neck. Her eyes went wide and she gasped, staring off into the distance as her tattoos started to glow with a white light, dimly at first but brighter as the seconds past. The shard itself was glowing in the same manner. She was quite a sight at that moment, lit up like an angel.
“What the hell is going on here?” Colt asked as he looked on from the other side of the camp. Upon hearing his voice, the glow from Sayana’s body disappeared.
“I was just talking with Aiden,” she stammered, quickly handing it back to him.
“You don't need my permission to do anything,” Colt grunted, “but what was that light all about?”
“She was testing a possession of mine to see if it had some intrinsic power,” Aiden volunteered. “I wasn't expecting the light show. I assume that means something significant?”
“You are correct, that glass shard is what I am sensing,” Sayana confirmed. “But I don't know why. Is there anything else you can tell me about it? Perhaps, where you found it?”
“Not a great deal I'm afraid,” Aiden sighed. “It was a glass sphere about as large as your head, and it was glowing softly. I picked it up and I saw – I mean I felt very strange for a few moments. Then I received a mild shock, which prompted me to drop the sphere, which shattered on the ground.”
He no longer told people the whole truth about what had happened, as he'd been ridiculed too many times in the months afterward. “I've spent the years since trying to find out more about its origins. This shard was taken out of my hand afterward, and I wear it as a reminder.”
“Nothing else?” Sayana pressed.
“Only that the sphere had some odd symbols around it, similar to writing,” Aiden added. “I figured they have some relevance, so I spent much of the last few years trying to learn more about these sorts of things. Just before we left for Culdeny yesterday, I finally obtained a book that has more information. Not much to go on, but I plan on pursuing it when I have the time.”
“I would very much like to know more about this,” Sayana said, her voice reflecting the kind of eagerness that Aiden himself felt, pushing him to learn what had happened to him on that day in the cave, years ago.
“You’re welcome to travel with us,” he offered. “I’d like to hear more about your insights on this matter.”
“About that,” Nellise said after clearing her throat. “Could I have a word in private with you Aiden?”
He nodded in agreement and left Sayana to rest while he accompanied Nellise to the other side of the camp.
“You have concerns about her?” he asked quietly.
“Well, yes, but this is another issue. I’m pleased to have had a hand opening the roads to Bracksford, despite all of the fighting and death, but I don’t want to associate with criminals.”
“Pacian,” Aiden grumbled, realising what she was referring to.
“I might have accepted his actions were simply self-defence at the beginning, but to murder a man in cold blood without any sign of pity or remorse… No, I don’t think I can tolerate that. When we reach Culdeny, I’m going to turn him in to the authorities.”