Aura's POV
"We need to stop. Reina and Catarina look like they're going to pass out." Nimue shouts which just fires me up even more.
"If we keep going, we can get to Omaria sooner which means we can hang out for however long we want!" I scream back. We had been arguing about whether or not we should stop. I thought we should keep walking but Nimue wanted to take a break for the sake of our companions who had less stamina than we did. Reina chose that moment to butt in, trying to mediate so that we didn't alert any enemies. Catarina on the other hand was stopping every few feet to wave her hand and chant a few words in the ancient language of the gods, giggling as flowers sprouted up along the path. Everything from red tulips to hydrangeas were cropping up everywhere. Sure looked like she was exhausted to me.
"How about we take a short five-minute break and then keep moving? It's not too long but it's enough for us to get our bearings. Sit down for a minute, prepare for the last bit of the trip before we book it the rest of the way so that we can get to slightly less dangerous territory." Reina suggests, her voice calm and her eyes unwavering; I could tell she needed rest, so I agreed.
Sitting on a rock, I pulled my sword and my whetting stone, sharpening the blade to ensure that if I need it in battle, it's ready to swing. As I watch Catarina spin around, a breeze picks up, blowing the strands of hair that have come free from my ponytail into my face. Nimue's eyes train on her frame, a smile forming across her lips as she attempts to hold back her laughter. Spluttering, I drop my sword and swipe at my face, trying to get the hair out of my mouth. Of all the things the witch could do, she chose to make it windy. Seeing my reaction, she cackles and grasps her sides, followed by her falling to her knees and rolling around slightly in the grass. It seemed like an abuse of her power to use it to inconvenience other people and use it to make herself laugh. If look could kill this kid would be meeting Cygthos very soon. Noticing my look of anger, she stops her laughing and gives me a sheepish grin. Had she been any older it wouldn't have worked but in combination with the wide eyes and rosy cheeks, I caved and waved her off.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't know it would be that strong." She calls over before continuing with her dance, flowers sprouting and a slightly less aggressive breeze trailing behind her, ruffling the leaves of the trees she passes by. Catarina seemed to do everything with a certain level of excitement. No matter what it was, she was happy. I mean, we were heading to possible death and she's as happy as a squirrel in a tree.
"She sure is a happy camper, isn't she?" Reina asks from behind and Nimue hums in agreement. Cocking my head slightly, I regard the youngest of our group and I notice that this trip is a chance for her to see things that she normally wouldn't. She's accustomed to her small section of the woods and hadn't been around many other people so this is kind of her first experience with the outside world since she was kicked out of her coven.
"I'm not sure if she's happy. I think it's because she wants to make the most out of the time she has out here. Catarina has been holed up in her cottage for so long, left alone in the woods, that this is her opportunity to meet people and get to know the life she could've had if only she hadn't been abandoned because of something she didn't have any part in." I murmur and I can feel the gaze of the girls behind me like a brand. Maybe I got a little bit too personal in terms of my hypothesis, but it was the only description I could give that my brain could make sense of. If I were in shoes I'd be just as excited as she was. Seeing new places, meeting new people, not having to be afraid of using your powers in front of people because it's expected of you since you're a witch. This kid's living the dream. Watching her play in the field and just be a kid pulled at my heart because I knew that if she dies, this will be the last thing she'll remember, choosing to go on a mission with a group of people she doesn't even know because she thinks she's a part of the prophecy that made this whole quest a reality.
"Hey Catarina!" I shouted at her and she twirls around, the sleeves of her white blouse billowing around her arms as she does. In that second the youngest of us all held a look in her eyes that was mature and wise beyond her years. The lines on her face were a little bit harder than they were earlier and I knew that she was already aware of what I was going to ask. She wasn't happy about it.
"Ya?"
"What was it you said about the prophecy and you knowing what it said?"
"Oh right, I had to learn about it when I was still a part of the coven because they thought that one of our witches was an integral part in it. Guess they were right. Why?" She starts walking closer to the rock I'm on with a look of apprehension crossing her features. Though I had noticed that she was hardened before I asked, now she was stone. Catarina was not excited to share her knowledge. The question was, why.
"What did it say?"
"A witch, an elf, a fae and a nymph
Together shall find the fifth and sixth
The seventh shall come when help is needed
Their fates are set
And must be heeded
Should they succeed the world shall not be enslaved
Though the price they must pay shall be grave"
Her eyes have gone completely white and her head has started to loll to one side. When the last line passes her lips, she pitches forward but before she could hit the ground, Nimue catches her, lowering her gently to the ground. Placing her head on her lap, Nimue runs her clawed fingers through the young witch's hair and she looks up at me with a look I never thought I'd see pass through her eyes. Fear. She knew that the price was most likely someone's life and neither one of us was prepared to have any die. Not too long ago, I was prepared to lay down my life for my kingdom, but now that I had shared my deepest secret with a group of people who also had personal problems, I wasn't as prepared to leave the world behind. Seeing the only other person I knew who was prepared to do anything for the place she lives be afraid of the idea of death, threw me for a loop. Nimue and I had grown up knowing that being a paladin was dangerous, we were taught that dying was inevitable. Ever since we were young, it was important that we understood what we were being trained to do. I looked down at Catarina who was still unconscious, lying across Nimue's lap, and the level of apprehension I felt was rising. How did she know the prophecy, and did she know who was going to die? Or how? The questions I had could only be answered by the witch who was currently unavailable and there was no telling if she could even give me a decent answer. At least now I knew why she didn't want to tell us.
Catarina lets out a groan as she shifts, tucking her hands under her head before settling back into sleep. Her face lost the lines of concentration that are there even when she's happy and the knife I gave her is strapped tightly to her hip, stuck through the belt she had that cinches her blouse in. Her skirt was moulded to her legs as she lies on the grass, the brown following the same motif as the grass she's on. There's a slight green patch on her white blouse from when she rolled down a grassy hill and her long flaxseed hair windswept and her lips were a bit chapped from the cold that we experienced the day before. A girl who's so young shouldn't be on the road with two soldiers and a baking nymph. A tear trickles down her face and she lets out a whimper, then flames swallow her body, not harming her but keeping her isolated from the outside environment. Nimue chooses to brave the heat and shake Catarina awake.
"You have to wake up, Catarina. You're going to burn down the forest." She screams, trying to get the sleeping witch to open her eyes. A sob escapes Catarina' mouth and she starts thrashing. As her movements become more erratic, the flames grow, and the heat becomes unbearable.
"Catarina! You have to stop this!" I yell, throwing all sanity out the window and diving into the flames to get this kid up. Shaking her hard and picking her up, I finally get her out of whatever nightmare she's in and she gasps for air. Tears stream down her face and she sniffles, gasping for air, clutching my training shirt and burying her head into my shoulder. My shirt sleeve quickly dampened with her tears and I stroked the back of her head. She was shaking in my arms and I held her closer. As much as she was annoying, she was like my sister and I couldn't just let her cry without any consolation. Turning her around, I comb my fingers through her hair and start braiding her hair. Slowly her tears subside and the shaking in her shoulders calms as I weave the strands of her hair together and she relaxes back into me. Nimue sits beside me and grasps Catarina's hands.
"What were you dreaming about that was so terrible you almost burned down the most dangerous forest in Druvolain?" She whispers.
"My father killed himself when I was three and because of my gifts I can still remember seeing his body as it hit the floor. The sound his head made as it hit the ground. His eyes were dull and stared back at me. He had taken one too many toxic herbs and his last words were 'I get to see your mother again'. He left me because my mother died in childbirth. His only child was left to fend for herself because he couldn't handle the thought of being away from my mother." She whispers back.
"I can't believe you had to see that."
"I only get nightmares once in a while."
Tying off her braid with a strip of leather from my pocket and I patted her shoulder. For such a young kid, it's amazing that she can still be happy and excited about new things after all she's been through. Unanimously, we decided that we would stick around a little longer to give her some time to collect her thoughts before we hit Vorinia. Catarina pulls out the dagger and spins it around on the ground, somehow making it spin like a top. It was clear her magic was helping, and I worried that the use of her powers was going to drain her even more. The bags under her eyes were prominent against the paleness of her skin. A sheen of sweat gleamed along her cheeks and her lips were cracked. I could see her hands shaking from where I sat, which was a ways away and it worried me. She reminded me of the way I was a few years ago and I knew how scared and alone I felt then. I didn't want her to feel that way. Keeping a close eye on her, she stops the knife and starts drawing in the mud with it. Throwing my head in my hands I came to a decision. That it's time for her to learn how to fight.
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"I can't," Catarina whined from her spot on the ground. After I had shown her the basics of fighting with a dagger, demonstrating the basic thrusts and parries I could show her, I realized she was not cut out for swordplay. We had been going hard at this one specific disarming maneuver that was supposed to be the easiest one possible, but she couldn't seem to grasp the concept that the dagger was held pointy end out. I had been ordering her to hold the weapon from the leather wrapped hilt and it seemed that my commands went in one ear and went right back out the other.
Her hand was cut up, but she was continuously healing herself because the number of slashes was diminishing. Her eyes were filled with tears of frustration, her cheeks flushed, and her hair ruffled. She was a mess and there was no way she was going to be able to absorb any of the information I was trying to give her. I couldn't handle her crying and it was probably because of the nightmare she had earlier, seeing her so vulnerable when she was always guarded and sarcastic, well, it rocked me. Sighing, I lower my own weapon and hold out my hand. It was clear that she wasn't going to get any better with the short blade so to avoid a tantrum, I change tactics.
"Okay... maybe a dagger isn't going to be your best friend. How about we get Nimue to teach you how to use a bow?" Sending a prayer to Kituna to help keep her safe. Hunting wasn't easy and the scrawny arms that this girl sported were not going to be able to help her shoot quickly during battle.
"A bow sounds less sharp than this monstrosity."
"I'll try not to take offense to that given that blades are my weapon of choice and yes a bow will be less sharp. At least if you notch the arrow properly." Turning my back to her I shout over to Nimue. Waving my arms like a maniac and yelling her name repeatedly to get her attention, Nimue looks over at me and I almost die laughing. The look she gave was laced with the intent to murder me. She had been in a bad mood for the past few hours and I'm pretty sure it's because she didn't get the chance to sleep all that well the other day. I wasn't sure why she couldn't sleep but when I got up for water and saw her sitting in front of her tent, looking out into the woods. Shooting me a glare she stalks over to us, elbowing me in the ribs. Grasping my side, I send her smirk and she sticks her tongue out at me.
"Real mature."
"What. Do. You. Want." She grits out.
"Catarina wants to learn how to use a bow and arrow." Nimue's eyes light up like Christmas and her birthday were happening on the same day and she got to have two separate parties. I guess this is her chance to share her passion with someone who isn't obligated to complete a course to graduate. Stepping back, I observe as Catarina summons a bow from thin air and see Nimue place her hands in the right spots.
"So, you have to hold the bow steady and pull the bow back, keep the weapon stable because if it shakes, your target won't get hit. How strong are your arms?" I listen to Nimue's lesson and chuckle. It's obvious Catarina doesn't have much upper body strength. But my laugh dies out as I watch Catarina hold the bow confidently, though horizontally instead of vertically like Nimue does. Notching an arrow, she pulls the string back and just when I thought we may have found a weapon she could use; she sneezes and the arrow flies wide. It catches my sleeve and pins me to a tree. The horror on her face is quite funny actually. Her mouth is open in an O and her hands slowly come up to cover it, the colour in her face drains and I can see she's starting to shake. Signs that she's afraid of how I'll react.
"Well, I guess you could use some practice. And maybe work on that clumsiness if that's possible." I tell her, reaching up to pull the arrow from the tree. Dropping it to the ground, I nod at Nimue to continue and she reaches over to the bow in Catarina's hands before she shows her apprentice the proper hand positions and the way to always shoot true. Shot after shot, every target was missed but when she doesn't aim and just lets the arrow fly, it hits whatever place Nimue points to. By the time, we established that she wasn't going to get the hang of it, she was sweating, and her breaths were coming out in pants. Her muscles were shaking, and it was obvious standing was becoming difficult for her to do. Falling to the ground she starts laughing, both of us join her.
"Maybe training wasn't the best idea." She says between bouts of laughter.
"Probably not, just promise me you won't attack anyone with a weapon other than your magic." I tell her and she retaliates by dousing me in water.
"That was so worth the energy it took to do."
"Not appreciated."
After she sends a breeze to dry me off, we hear Reina call us over because dinner's ready. We had been trying to teach her how to fight for hours and it was scary that we had spent the remainder of the day working towards nothing. Trudging over to the makeshift campsite we'd built; we saw Reina hunching over a pot as she stirs whatever's inside. The smell that was wafting from her direction was heavenly.
"I'm making butternut squash soup and I scrounged up some ingredients to make garlic bread." She calls over to us and without even looking at her I can tell that Catarina is grinning like a kid on Easter when they're told they get three chocolate treats. I wouldn't lie, it smelled and sounded amazing. Reina dishes out the soup into the wooden bowls she brought and passes each one down the queue we'd formed as we waited for food.
"That was amazing." Nimue gushes and Reina was blushing harder than Catarina was when she hit me with an arrow in the shoulder that I needed to wield my sword, before she raced over and healed it.
"It was, is there anything left? I could totally go for thirds." Catarina gets up to look in the pot and beams when she finds more soup. Dinner was fantastic and it made me extremely happy we had found a friend who could cook. Hoping my expression conveyed my feelings of gratitude I gave her a small smile before getting up to clean the dishes.
"We should get to bed." I hear Reina say, she was such a mother hen. Ever since I met her, she was conscious of our injuries and the way we were feeling, she felt responsible for us and it was probably because of her taking care of her mother after her seven other sisters. They had all left the forest they had grown up in and left Reina and her mom, Melinai, who was now a permanent fir tree. It became a habit for her to ask how the people around her were doing and try to help when something was wrong. Drying the last bowl, I make my way over to the tent I'm sharing with Catarina and see that she's already asleep. Still in her traveling clothes and above her blankets, I gently roll her over and tuck her in. I was getting soft and I wasn't sure whether or not I liked it. My only hope was that when it came time for someone to try to kill me, I wanted to be prepared to do whatever was necessary to stay alive. Sighing softly, I change into a loose pair of pants and an oversized shirt, slipping under my blankets and settling down, my eyes get heavy and I fall asleep.
###
"Aura! Aura!" I was shaken awake by Nimue and I groggily wipe my eyes.
"What is your problem?"
"We're going to be attacked. I can hear the marching of soldiers getting closer and I need you to go on patrol with me."
"Fine. Get out so I can change." Huffing, she ducks out of my tent and I can hear her muttering about how if I took to long, we'd all be dead so it wouldn't matter if I was wearing pajamas or not. Rolling my eyes, I throw on a pair of leather pants and a loose top, I grab my sword and push the tent flap out of the way. Nimue was right beside the campsite and I jogged over to her.
"Let's get going. If there really is an enemy troop nearby, I want to be prepared." Grabbing her hand, I drag her behind me as we walk into the brush.