(A/n~ Hello all…wonderful to begin a new story…though the frying of my keyboard was a slight setback, I was able to procure the precious hardware in which to write a few chapters.  This new story is the third and final installment in the “saga” as a friend would put it…I’m writing it as I go…so there might be a few days between updates and the whole story might be a little lengthy.  Read on my friends…enjoy!

Through words, I’m yours,

Silver)

“I’d guess we were about a half a day from Delshire…which means that if the weather continues…we’ll get there in a day--…” Rowen looked skyward, judging the breeze, “but we might meet some rain on the way there.”

Maryn chuckled from behind Aleyn, “look at him…a regular mountain man.”

Rowen clucked to Maryn the horse, urging her to pick up speed.  She ignored him, remaining at a slow sluggish walk.  “I grew up in a forest; you’d think I would know how to navigate in one.”

Maryn rolled her eyes, “I would think so, but then how do you explain us getting lost down by Brahin?”

“Ok…I was not lost.” He clucked to the mare again, but still she ignored him.

Maryn leaned back, almost flat against the stoat mare they had purchased in Brahin. She wrinkled her nose against the shine of the sun, thought she didn’t squint her eyes, “then why did you ask for directions?”

Aleyn smiled and slackened her grip on the reins slightly, “will you two cut it out? You act like…well…Robyn and Demarn.”

Rowen groaned, though Maryn didn’t say anything.  “I don’t think I would survive as her sibling.”

Maryn sat upright, nearly teetering Aleyn backwards off the horse, “what is that supposed to mean?”

Rowen chuckled, “well…if you’re anything like this infernal horse, you’re a stubborn as a mule and just as—“

Aleyn interrupted her voice haughty, “she’s not stubborn.”

Rowen looked at her, brows raised, “what?”

“She’s not…just because she doesn’t listen to you doesn’t make her stubborn.”

Maryn smiled, “see…told you.”

Aleyn leaned back against her friend, which made her dip precariously toward the edge of the saddle. “No…you are stubborn,” she laughed at the huff from behind her, “--but Maryn the mare isn’t stubborn.  She just doesn’t listen to Rowen.”

Rowen rolled his eyes, “females…always thinking they’re smarter.”

Maryn dropped the annoyed glare she had fixed on the back of Aleyn’s head to focus it on Rowen, “we are.”

“Are you really? Well then…if you’d be pleased to demonstrate.” He reined in the mare, with no little trouble, as she fought the bit like it was killing her.  When he managed to stop her, the mare snorted in annoyance, ears flattened against her head.

“What?”

“Climb down horse queen; let’s see you control this beast.”

Aleyn looked behind her at Maryn, who shrugged.  She echoed the gesture and climbed down, her feet landing on the hard packed earth with an unsteady thud.

Rowen folded his hands to form a step to the saddle, “Now…put your…foot…” the instructions fell away when she swung into the saddle with ease he himself almost had. 

“The reins?” She held a hand out and he gave them to her.  He watched, dumbfounded, as she hitched them up like a pro and checked the horn of her saddle.  She caught him looking and sent him a wink.

Aleyn bent forward, whispering in the horse’s ear.  The mare’s eyes went bright, the ears pricked ahead and alert. Smiling, Aleyn clicked, “come on…let’s go.”  Maryn started off a quick trot, clods of dirt flying out from beneath her hooves.

Rowen stood and stared.  Only the human Maryn’s voice broke his stupor, “we going to catch her or what?”

Rowen looked up at her before swinging into the saddle, “did you know she could do that?”

“Do what?” She sounded distracted and hesitantly slipped her arms around his waist.

“Ride a horse so well…” he nudged the horse into a cantor, to make up for the distance Aleyn had made.

“No—no idea.”

“She’s a fast learner…amazing.” The horse moved slowed as they neared Aleyn, who had slowed her mare to an easier pace a bit further up the lane.

“Yeah—you are.”

Rowen didn’t have time to ask her about it, since Aleyn was so giddy, “I have never been so terrified in my life.”

“I knew it!”

“We have a problem.” Jason slid a piece of parchment across the oak table that sat in his study. He took a seat at the small conference table.  The room around him was empty, devoid of anyone except Robyn, who sat across from him working on some work order or another. 

Robyn glanced at it, then back up into Jason’s eyes.  She caught anger there, briefly before it was subdued.  She picked up the parchment, which on closer inspection was an envelope.  It was weather-worn and bent at the edges, the seal foreign to her, though the handwriting was familiar.  She stared blankly at it for a moment; trying to place the untidy scrawl that covered the front of the envelope, before giving up and withdrawing the letter within.  Her first surprise was that the letter was written in English, and then second that it addressed her directly, something she had become unaccustomed to in the past weeks. Her gaze swept over the unfamiliar handwriting before she caught one phrase.

“Hello my dearest friend, a greeting from a not-so-lost human.”

She let out a squeak and looked up at Jason, “this is from Aleyn!”

He nodded briskly, a ghost of a smile painting his lips grim, “read on Robyn…it gets worse.”

Her brows went up, though she obliged. She smiled as she recognized Aleyn in every word she read. 

‘I would like to first say that I am perfectly safe, though I cannot say the same for your dear brother if he continues to scare me as he has in the past.  Rowen and I are having the loveliest time together, though the weather has been soggy of late.  He found me just over three days ago in my father’s cabin, a lovely home just north of Tysthmarth.  Oh Robyn, your brother is so sweet, though I don’t think I’ve ever been so consecutively angry at someone so much. I honestly was so close to belting him for scaring me the way he did, just appearing in my room.  But he managed to save himself just in time.

‘My dear friend Maryn is with us now, a fellow slave from my old owners. I know you would like her, she reminds me greatly of you, though her transition into being a young lady has become delayed.  I honestly have no idea where she learnt all those horrid curses, or why she needs to use them so often.  Maryn and Rowen have become fast friends, though I think Maryn is on the edge of a slight infatuation with him.  How are your dear brothers?  I miss them so, though I only slightly know them.  Send them my best wishes, and let them know I miss them.  How is dear Jason? Rowen told me of his new position in some big province up north.  It goes well I trust. Tell him I miss him as well, and that to not get into any quarrels with you, being as he will most likely loose.  That goes for you as well, dear Robyn, for I know you too well.  Don’t fight with him, he has a lot on his mind and all your snappy remarks, no matter how much deserved shall only distract him. He’ll need your help, so don’t do much to annoy him.’

Robyn was grinning when she read the last line, a grin that faded as she reached the final clause.

“The roads north are completely terrible, what with this rain. When we reach the city, it will take forever to dry out all the way.”

Robyn’s head jerked up, and she caught the look in Jason’s eyes; mirrored it. “They’re coming here? NOW?”

Jason nodded, his hands folded on top of the table, “yeah…this letter was mailed from Delshire…they’ll be here by tomorrow.”

“But…Jason…Jason! The Minderc are on the loose, at least one is—probably more…they could be attacked!”

“That was my point…I sent out a squad about ten minutes ago.  They should be back in a little while--”

Robyn leap from her seat, the letter clamped in one hand, “we have to go find them!  This winter weather makes for slow going…if they’re attacked, if they get lost…I can’t loose--”  She moved toward the armory rack in the corner, nearly managing to wrench a long-handled broadsword from it. “I can’t loose them…”

Jason edged around the table to snatch her arm, “Robyn, there is nothing we can do…the squad will find them…there is no need for panic…”  She fought against his hold, shaking his hand off her arm.

It was too late for those words, far too late. “PANIC? I’m not panicking! I’m perfectly calm! Jason, we have a marauding ancient evil on the loose.  They don’t even know about it! We can’t just let them fight that alone.” She lunged for the rack again, but he was to fast.  He caught her around the waist, heaving her off the ground. “Jason! Put me down!  We can’t let them fight this!”

He panted and swung her away from the swords, dragging her toward a chair. She clawed at his arms, squirming against his hold with all her might. “Who says they will have to?” Jason had this fear as well, though he didn’t want her to know that.  He would have to trust his squad.  He set her down on her feet, though he kept his hands are her arms.  “They could get here with no trouble at all—“

She looked down at his hands, “but Jason, if anything happens to them…”

“They’re probably almost here…the squad will find them…I put my most trusted and talented men on it.  There is no way a whole squad could miss them…even in the dark.”

This seemed to calm Robyn down, if only a little bit.  “Are you sure they’ll be fine.  I mean--”

The doors burst open, three mud splattered soldiers walked into the room, one holding a bloodied rag to his forehead.  All looked tired, frightened and completely out of breath.

Robyn shook out of Jason’s grasp, and ran to them.  Before a single one could even take a breath to speak, she asked in a terrible strained voice, “where is she?”