The Eldren - Original Writing and Idea

An old story/idea I've dug up out of my documents folder because I'm considering re-vamping it.

Prologue:

A blue flag of Roldor fluttered atop the tower of a lone keep in a field outskirting the south-eastern forests of Roldor and the northern mountains of Tersen.

 A young lookout shivered as the wind swept through him in a sudden gust and he looked up grimly at the flagpole as it was almost ripped from it's stand. The war with the Cougars of the Southlands had only hit further north, near the city as was expected, and the southern keeps were getting weary of looking out for an enemy that would never come to them.

 "Keep strong Peyton, weather's getting worse." The lookout's commanding soldier said as he handed him a steaming cup of ale.

"Rhun still out hunting?" Peyton asked dully as he took it gratefully and wrapped his hands around the hot cup.

The soldier grunted in confirmation. "Probably got 'lost' hunting for a deer again." He laughed in a quick bark. "Who can blame 'im, you get more action with the rabbits and squirrels than you do down here!"

"Isn't- isn't that a good thing sir?" Peyton asked timidly.

"Well uh, sure, for cowards perhaps." The soldier said uncertainly. "But here well, they don't sing songs about the lookouts who died of frostbite lad." He said apologetically and clapped him on the back.

Peyton gulped and looked out towards the sea, it was far enough away that it was only a blue line on the horizon. "How *do* you know they won't come this way sir?" He asked curiosly.

The soldier threw his head back and laughed. "Honestly boy do you really think that an enemy like the Cougars who have enough gall to attack the capital of Eldranor itself! Would do something as stupid as land here and travel to the city on foot, when they could go ten times faster on ships *and* have the tactical advantage of taking over the docks and bringing in whatever forces they want?!" He said incredulously.

"Well what's that black haze near the mountains then?" Peyton asked and pointed south to what was indeed a black haze at the base of the mountains.

The soldier squinted and peered where he was pointing. "Hah that's nothing but a cloud of fog lad, you should be steady with that ale, it's going to your head." He said indifferently and ruffled his hair. "Honestly kid, it's miles off anyway, should only get here at nightfall." He insisted as Peyton still stared worridley at the fog. "Besides what have we got down here anyway 'cept villages, forests and a few mollycoddled princes up north?"

"I guess." Peyton said glumly.

"Tell you what I'll give Rhun night-duty tonight, teach that bastard not to take all the fun for himself eh?" The soldier smirked and headed back to the warmth of the keep.

Peyton smiled weakly and tried to retreat further into his armour as the wind still battered away.

The soldier opened the wooden door and looked back at Peyton's pitiful face for a moment. "I'm getting transferred next week lad. Up north, where the real battle is."

Peyton looked at him in alarm. "But what about us? This keep, who's gonna command it?" He asked helplessly.

"Rhun's getting promoted." He said grimly. "Don't let that spoilt loafer push you around lad. And if the opportunity ever comes your way kid, just remember which would you rather fall to, your enemy's blade amongst all your comrades with honour or the wind, frozen to the bone bit by bit as your toes fall off and eventually your heart stops, lying rock 'ard under a lonely flag til someone remembers this keep actually exists?" He scoffed. "Honour or wind lad, honour or wind." He repeated in warning and retreated into the keep.

Peyton sighed as the door slammed and squinted up at the flag, now rolled up so much by the wind it looked like a snake trying to escape it's captor.

"Wind or honour." He repeated to himself and with a glance back at the distant haze of fog gulped down his ale in one.

"To guard the villages he said. To save our people, he said." A young man with chestnut brown hair said mockingly as he leant against the barrier of a keep watchtower.

His two brothers looked up at him boredly and the youngest began to silently count his arrows again. "We've been here three weeks and the biggest battle we've had is shooting down birds shitting on the parapets." He finished glumly and threw himself down on a mound of flour sacks next to his blonde-haired brother.

"He's keeping all the glory for Jaysen, Faren I tell you." The blonde one rolled his eyes and picked at his sword hilt. "The glorious heir to the almighty throne!" He said dramatically and stood up to bow. "His flawlessness who managed to fall out of a window and into the Gulf Sea when he first transformed?" He added in a puzzled tone and they all burst into laughter. "Isn't that right James?" He yelled down to a passing soldier with a handsome face and rich dark honey coloured hair.

"Say what Elias?" The soldier yelled back and began to climb up the watchtower steps.

"Even Rowan gets dock-duty in Port Kirrilen." The youngest added glumly and slammed his helmet onto his head in frustration as a guft of wind blew his blonde hair in all directions.

The others grunted in agreement as the soldier, James, jogged up the last steps and joined them. "Well at least Rowan doesn't fall into the sea Cael." He pointed out and they all chuckled. "What were you saying again Elly?" He asked Elias and grinned as he dodged a punch from the latter.

"Exactly that Jimmy, exactly that." Elias smiled and tutted. "Haven't I told you that I'd get you hanged if you called me that again?" He said thoughtfully.

"Of course my prince, I heartily apologise and beg of your excellence if I may kiss his feet in a show of my ever-lasting loyalty?" James pandered and Faren sniggered.

"You may." Elias sniffed and stuck his boot out haughtily. "But mind they were covered in horse shit this morning." He warned and James recoiled in repulse into the pile of flour sacks Faren was sitting on.

"They were James, I did it myself." Cael pointed out helpfully and grinned as Faren helped James up.

"*YOU* did that?!" Elias asked in outrage. "Why you little..." He broke off and tackled Cael playfully.

Faren tutted to James as they observed the fight. "No wonder our father sent us here, they're helpless." He said simply.

Cael and Elias glanced over at him and frowned in offense. "Oh and why aren't you fighting with father and Jaysen then Faren if you're so special?" Elias demanded and Cael raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Well obviously he needed someone who knows the meaning of common sense to watch over you." Faren said haughtily.

"You're sounding more like Alfren every day." Elias tutted and shook his head in shame.

"Hey just because *I* actually attended my lessons-" Faren started to protest.

"When you weren't trying to impress the maids with stories of your "abilities"." Cael butted in and grinned.

"Come on James, let's leave my little brothers to their discussion and you can show me those female archers you were telling me about." Elias winked at James and rapped his knuckles on Cael's helmet as he went past.

"Really Elias? You're a prince, don't you have a moral code to keep up or something?" James asked in jest as they descended down the stairs.

"Just because I'm a royal tart doesn't mean I can't appreciate beautiful women...from a distance." Elias replied and added after a pause when James raised his eyebrow at him.

James laughed. "Come on then, lets observe the beautiful women from a distance then, but Reya's mine." He warned.

"I thought you said from a distance!" Elias protested.

"Yes, but *I* am not a prince who needs to behave." James winked and smiled smugly.

"Of course you aren't, you've never behaved in your life!" Elias grinned and James nodded in agreement.

"Hai James!" A young man shouted and called them over from a ridge behind the weapons shed that led up to the higher points of the hill the keep was built next to. "Prince Elias." He nodded in respect as they approached. "You're just in time, I persuaded them it was much better to practice outside." He half-smiled knowingly.

"They never could resist your rugged charm could they, Richard?" James grinned and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well if I'm rugged I dread to think what your charm is James." Richard muttered and Elias sniggered.

"Unmentionable, that's what. Beyond words entire as our dear Alfren would put it, hm?" Elias nudged James.

"Well as Richard's already taken with a little daughter and his grand higness second-in-line Prince Elias has a moral code to keep up, the lovely ladies have my 'unmentionable' charm all to themselves." James pulled a shocked face and lead the way up the thin hill path. "Watch and learn my friends, this will be the true meaning of woo-" He said cockily and broke off as he slipped on some loose rubble and rolled down the hill in a dramatic show of limbs.

"Well, that was the meaning of 'woops' indeed." Richard observed and after two moments of straight faces they looked at eachother and he and Elias broke into fits of laughter.

"Oh yes *very* funny you damn Crymoran smart-arse!" James called in jest as he got to his feet and began scrambling after them up the rocky side of the hill. "Get back here you cowardly milkmaids!" He yelled and they just ran and laughed even more.

Peyton stamped his feet on the frosty wooden floor of the keep's lookout balcony and watched as his breath formed a cloud of white air. 

 Nightfall was only hours away but the remaining sun was obscured by dark heavy clouds just waiting to unleash their frozen contents on the land below. A fog had indeed descended on the keep but it hadn't come from the mountains, and whether the dark haze was still there at the mountains Peyton could no longer tell.

He fumbled with his empty ale mug and looked worridly at the forest next to the keep. Rhun had not returned at his appointed time and the commander had gone to find him, that was an hour ago by now. He paced up and down the balcony for a few minutes before giving in to his nerve and retreating into the keep to light a fire. The wind had dropped alongside the formation of the fog and every sound was dull and muffled, even his footsteps.

 The fire was warm and comforting and Peyto couldn't help just resting his eyes for a few moments. When he opened them again he kicked himself in annoyance. A fierce wind had started up again and he'd left the lanterns out with no way for Rhun and the commander to find their way back.

 A thud came from outside and he widened his eyes but ignored it. His hands were shaking so much however he dropped five matches before he could light a lantern in the window. He paused as the flame caught, slowly turned his head to the right and saw with alarm that the door he'd definitely shut was wide open.

Peyton's squeal was muffled to a squeak as a gloved hand covered his mouth and pulled him away from the window. "You idiot put that out, they'll see us!" The commander hissed and batted the candle out with his hand.

 "Who will sir?" Peyton whispered back and looked out of the open door nervously.

"The Cougars!" The commander hissed again. "Rhun's dead, shot with a Cougar arrow, only theirs are that curved and spiked. Must have been a scout, caught him unawares, which is pretty much always poor bugger." The commander continued but stopped hissing and spoke lowly.

"But you said the Cougars would never come down here sir, what would they want here?" Peyton asked worridly.

"I don't know, maybe they're house-hunting for if they win." The commander said sarcastically. "Come here lad, help me put this fire out." He said as he fumbled with the fireplace. "The wind's clearing the fog, this keep will be a bloody beacon to any scouts out there. They probably want the keeps, think we've got hidden weapon stores down 'ere or something..." He trundled on and paused as he realised Peyton hadn't moved from the door. "Kid, I already told you get down 'ere, do you want the Cougars to win the war just because a lowly lookout was too lazy ter put out a-" He chastised and broke off as he saw Peyton's terrified expression.

"Sir..." Peyton said mechanically and continued to stare out of the door. "The fog's gone." He continued.

"Oh well observed." The commander said scornfully and sighed as he got up to join Peyton at the door. "Look what are you gawking at-" He said tiredly and cut off with wide eyes as he looked out of the door.

 Peyton just pointined shakily at the fields in front of the keep and the commander rushed to the balcony.

"By Raul's Howl the black haze- you were right boy. They've come through the mountains, Tersen's betrayed us." The commander said weakly and fell to his knees as he observed the scene in front of him. The black haze Peyton had noticed before had grown and advanced under the cover of the sound-absorbing fog and was nearly upon the small keep. It wasn't haze or fog at all, it was a force of two hundred black-armoured Cougar soldiers.

"Get down, they'll see you!" The commander hissed and pulled Peyton to the floor alongside him to hide his moment of weakness.

"But Cougar armour is grey and purple, not black!" Peyton exclaimed in confusion.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down, purple?! That's just the captains you idiot." He whispered irately. "Who cares what the colour is, it's obvious they're Cougars, nobody else has as dark skin here!" He whispered dismissively and crawled over to the top of a small ladder in the corner of the balcony next to the keep door.

"Where are you going?" Peyton whispered.

The commander rolled his eyes and the enthusiasm on his face made Peyton nervous. "We have to alert the princes of course, this is our chance lad!" He whispered excitedly and descended down the ladder. "Come on!" He said and popped his head up as Peyton didn't follow.

 Peyton sighed but as the sound of the soldiers' marching reached his ears in a gust of wind he paniced and decided following his opportunistic commander was safer than waiting for the Cougars. Just.

 "I'll take the long route around the forest on Garren-" The commander said and patted a large, hardy-looking horse as Peyton descended into the small stables that made up the base of the keep.  "Lead them Cougars off and lose them in the forest. *Then* you'll nip off through the west forest on Brandy and speed off that way!" He said brightly and patted the last horse in the stables. A considerably smaller dark brown horse who was probably more of a pony.

"But he's so small!" Peyton protested.

"Nonsense, speed is much more important than size in this case! And Brandy's one of them Olen horses...built for endurance and, stuff..." The commander trailed off and even Brandy loooked unconvinced. "And me an' Garren are the ones taking on the brunt of this mission mind you." He added and started saddling Garren up.

"Well I guess he could make it, if we're only going to Eddanhall Keep." Peyton reasoned dubiously and went to find Brandy's neglected tack amongst the mess of armour, weapons and hay.

The commander suddenly looked up over Garren's stall and spluttered. "Eddanhall?! Gods no boy, where's your sense of opportunity?! There's only three spoilt princes over there, you're going straight to the king in Fort Gaurath, our names will be famous throughout Eldranor I'm telling you. And me, the commander who risked his very soul so his young lookout could reach the king and warn them of this great invasion!" He grinned and his eyes hazed over at the thought of it.

"But what about the princes, they-" Peyton started.

"They'll find out when they get there don't worry." The commander chuckled. "They're princes, they'll have been trained in this sort of thing." He said dismissively and swung himself up onto Garren's back.

"But Gaurath's hours away, up near Roldor City!" Peyton protested in dread as he followed Garren and the commander to the stable doors.

"Brandy'll make it. Remember the Cougars are on foot, you've got a bloody 'orse!" The commander insisted and pulled down the visor of his helmet as Peyton pulled the doors open. "Wind or honour lad, wind or honour!" He said again and grinned as he galloped Garren out of the stables and towards the eastern forest. The Cougars noticed him immediately and sent their few mounted soldiers after him.

Peyton gulped as he saw how close they'd gotten and hurridly shut the doors and ran back to Brandy as he remembered what he'd been ordered to do.

"Think we can make it to the king, Bran?" Peyton said to Brandy as he fastened the last buckles on his saddle.

Bandy shook his head restlessly and after a second thought Peyton picked up a small helmet that was lying on a hay bale.

"Me neither." Peyton said grimly as he mounted Brandy and fastened the strap of the helmet under his chin. "But we have to." He said firmly as he rode Brandy out of a small side door that led to the western forest, and out of the Cougar soldiers' view.

Port Kirrilen is a dull harbour on the west coast of Roldor. Its inhabitants are as lively as the dark grey stone the village is made of and usually keep to themselves unless on trading business as, more than anything, Kirrilen is a small fishing harbour. Despite this all the harbours in Roldor have to be guarded in case of a Cougar infiltration, or so the inhabitants were told when the soldiers started flooding in.

 The village now resembles something more of a garrison than a fishing village with all the soldiers going around, and rightly so for the King's fourth son Rowan was stationed there for monitoring the Cougar's military tactics, patterns and any activities that seem relevant. 

 After the initial suspicions and offense at the village hall being inhabited by the soldiers for a headquarters subsided the residents began to get used to it and the "protection" offered by the soldiers. Some of the older, more stubborn -and perhaps less gullible to their young daughters' attractions- of the villagers weren't as accepting however, old Quincy Boatman for example who expressed his disapproval of this "invasion" at every given opportunity.

 One of those opportunites being today as the prince and his captain, Halger, a veteran soldier well-known to the princes during his long years of service, walked past Quincy Boatman's shack on the docks. Halger's reknowned for his surprising patience as a captain but even his was wearing thin under the constant asault of the older villagers.

 "Going up to the hall *again* your 'ighness?" Quincy called down to them loudly from his bedroom window. "Who knows what you'd be doing up there, and sneakin' up in the dark hours too, I've seen it from me own eyes!" He said knowingly and grinned at Halger, showing his rotten teeth from years of fish and sugar from trades, five of which were missing.

Halger's jaw tightened and he craned his neck to retort: "Our business is our own, Boatman, and I can assure you that is the business of the crown. The same I cannot say for the...legitimacy of your sugar tradings." To which Quincy threw back his head and cackled unpleasently.

"Bereave an old man of his sweeties would you?" He called back. "This is what our grand soldiery is coming to now people, robbing from the elderly!" He shouted even louder to all on the streets and cackled again.

 "You shouldn't let him get to you." Prince Rowan said to Halger as the latter fumed silently.

 "Three times this week that man's accused me of assaulting his daughters. *His daughters*, Rowan, everyone knows they're frisky." Halger muttered.

Rowan smirked. "Well I know you didn't, your men know you didn't, the majority of the village probably knows you didn't. What's the problem?"

 "Everyone knows no Cougar ships could get through this small 'arbour, your soldiers are here for nothing!" Quincy yelled to their backs as a last assault as they walked up the hill and out of earshot.

Halger sighed tiredly. "What are we doing here Rowan? We could have gone anywhere for this, why put up with these ungrateful old codgers?"

 "We didn't come here for nothing, Halger." Rowan said gently as they got to the hall at the top of the hill and spread his arms out towards the sea before them. "This port is ideally placed between the northern and southern forts of Roldor so we could quickly respond to either and, as old Quincy pointed out, the Cougars would never think of invading through this tiny grim harbour but our soldiers can still go out to sea and monitor their coming and goings from it." 

 "And you are right as usual." Halger said lightly and Rowan led him towards the hall with a laugh.

 "Not always Halger but in this case...probably." He reasoned and they both smirked. "Come, I have something to show you." He said in a serious tone and leapt up the steps crafted out of the earth.

 They walked into the hall, a small room a third of the size of the castle's throne room and with a seemingly permanent stink of fish, to hear a group of local guards and Roldorian soldiers muttering among themselves.

 "Bloody royal upstart...all from his father's favour...just a boy...never talks to anyone 'cept the Captain...bet he doesn't even know how to hold a bread knife-" They said and broke off in embarrasment as Rowan passed them with raised eyebrows.

 "I think you should be reporting to your Sergeant at this time should you not?" Halger frowned at them disapprovingly and they started to go off with muttered apologies and "Yes Captain"s.

 "Wait." Rowan interjected and went up to the apparent leader of the group who'd made the remark about bread knives. "What is your name, soldier?" He asked.

 "Baslod sir" The soldier muttered.

 "And your homeland?" Rowan continued.

 "Eddanhall." Baslod replied and straightened his back at the mention of his home.

 "Very well Baslod of Eddanhall, you know my brothers are stationed there and protecting your home from the invaders." Rowan chided and Baslod broke away from his gaze. "Now I could easily kill you with a bread knife but-"

 "Rowan you do not have to do this." Halger warned.

 "No no I do. It is true I'm not much of a talker and It's important my men do not doubt me, especially when my brothers protect their home, or my ability to defend them on the battlefield." Rowan said hintingly and circled around the nervous soldier. "As I was saying, I could kill you with a bread knife, it would just be a simple piercing in that hole in your armguard, or a stab in the back below your spine where your chainmail is weakest and you would be immobilized for life, and with the wound to your wrist would bleed to death in seconds." He assessed and Baslod gulped while Halger just shook his head exhasperatedly. "But on the battlefield we aren't equiped with bread knives." Rowan chuckled and Baslod's friends laughed along nervously. "Are we Baslod of Eddanhall?" He urged.

 "No my lord!" Baslod almost squeaked.

 "No, in battle we use swords, and it is swords I must prove myself to you with."

 "My lord?" Baslod asked puzzledly.

 "A duel, my good man. After all there's no better way to prove something than see it with your own eyes hm? May I have your sword, Halger?" Rowan asked Halger without looking back and Halger handed over his sword with a sigh.

 "To arms soldier!" Rowan said to the dazed Baslod who finally got his bearings and readied his sword, now not as confident as he was before in his degoratory gossip but after Rowan only just glanced off several basic blows he began to relax.

 "Good," Rowan puffed and bent over for a rest briefly. "Now lets see how good your footwork is." He said and began to circle around. They sparred and Baslod was soon grinning with confidence as he drove a seemingly exhausted Rowan up against the far wall. He tensed his muscles to deliver what would be a final blow and his friends gasped as Rowan panted weakly. Then as Baslod raised his sword up Rowan suddenly sprang up and kicked out at Baslod's armpit in a flash, winding the latter, and spun around to deliver a blow with his sword that spun Baslod's sword out of his hand and fell at friends' feet.

 Baslod stared at the swordpoint on his chest in amazement and panted. "Your confidence is your downfall." Rowan said without a trace of exhaustion and held out his hand to Baslod. "Never doubt your opponent's strength, even if they lie bleeding at your feet for even then they could sever your ankles." He advised as he helped him up. "So do you doubt me now, Baslod of Eddanhall?"

 "No my lord!" Baslod gushed.

 "Then we are done here." Rowan smiled and started to turn away.

 "My lord?" Baslod called and Rowan looked back.

 "Yes, soldier?" He said.

 Baslod looked abashed at his feet and summed up the courage to ask: "It's just that, my wife is in Eddanhall and without any means of protection, and with your brothers being there and all..."

 "I will put a good word in, when I can, don't worry." Rowan smiled and Baslod scurried off amongst many thank yous and mutterings amongst his friends.

 "Shall we continue?" Rowan said lightly to Halger.

 "You're enjoying this aren't you?" Halger tutted and shook his head as Rowan handed him back his sword.

 "Well there aren't any court scandals to start I'll admit but it's a change to lurking around suspicious nobles for my father, yes." Rowan replied as he led him into the tactics room.

Halger laughed. "I'm not sure your brothers would say the same, they're holed up like mice in a cage robbed of their precious cheese in Eddanhall." He said skeptically as Rowan poured over a big map spread on a square wooden table in the middle of the room. A single metal bed was pushed up against the wall, chairs and fishing nets were scattered around as he slept there often, despite having a room in the sea-wall barracks like all the other soldiers.

 "My father wants them safe of course." Rowan said without looking up. "Especially with Jaysen at the front lines with him."

 "Mm, I bet Elias hates it." Halger mused.

 "I don't doubt he does." Rowan said evenly.

 "But he still can't stand the idea of replacing Jaysen as heir, should he fall." Halger replied and Rowan just looked at him with blue eyes so like his fathers in silent affirmation.

 "You say it as a question, but you already know." Rowan said and scanned the map for a point where he had marked previously.

 "What was it you wanted to show me?" Halger quickly changed the question and went to his side at the table.

Rowan paused but let it pass and pointed at a spot on the map near the upper west coast of Roldor. "This is where the Cougars were last fought with my father and Jaysen, they could have, no *should have* won considering the numbers but instead my brother did."

 "Well it's a credit to your brother's tactics then." Halger said as he could see that's what Rowan wanted him to, but watched him carefully in expectation.

 "It should be but even if he was a damn genius the numbers still should have overwhelmed them, but instead the Cougars were battered and retreated. And it isn't the first time I've seen this happen in the past few weeks. Over here at Camlow Harbour, they should have won that but retreated at the last minute." He said and rushed around to the other side of the table. "Then here at Highmouth Keep and then Oroveil Pass...Jaysen and my father are convinced we're onto them, that finally their endless numbers have been worn down but..."

 "But you think otherwise?" Halger asked and frowned.

Rowan sighed and leant back on the table. "It just doesn't make sense, considering their force and sheer scale in previous battles...It's a credit to us yes but it doesn't seem right. If their numbers were so vast before why would they need to retreat them when ours are being depleted every day? It's like they're waiting for something, just reminding us they're there until it arrives..."

 "But they are the invaders." Halger interjected. "If their main goal is obviously to *invade* us and they clearly have the means to, why wait? What could be more important than that?"

 Rowan walked around the table and slumpe on the edge of it next to Halger. "I don't know." He said simply and rubbed his face with his hands. "We're being toyed with and I don't like it one bit."

Silence fell over them and neither moved until Rowan got up to stoke the fire on the left side of the room.

 "Twenty years old and I couldn't have had a more intelligent conversation with one of the king's generals." Halger said to no one in particular and smiled wryly. "You do look an awful lot like your father you know." He said gently to Rowan who paused and rose to his feet.

 "I know what you're trying to ask me Halger." He said and walked back to the table without meeting his eyes. "We're at war, and one we're unlikely to win if you put it to the numbers. Of all my brothers I'm the one furthest from any conflict, no matter how caged up my father makes my brothers, and therefore the most likely one to survive." He paused and looked straight at the older man's weather-worn face that was dotted with scars and wrinkles. "I've never had any interest in the throne and likely will never see it anyway. Even in the unlikely event both Jaysen and Elias died, Faren would never give up his claim even if he had to rule from a bed instead of a throne for the rest of his life." He said and smirked. "Besides, how can you possibly sneak around the courts and eavesdrop on servants' gossip when you're the one they're gossiping about?" He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not that sort of person Halger and you know it." He said seriously.

 "Fair enough. Was just wonering in case you'd give me a knighthood."

 "Looking to retire already Halger?" Rowan raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

 "Anyone would after this war, if we come out of it." Halger muttered and sighed. "Will you come down to the barracks tonight?" He asked as he looked out of the winow that was now turning dark.

 "No." Rowan replied from the table where he'd already pulled a chair over for the night. "I need to at least try to work this out, see if there's a connection...but you knew that already."

Halger smiled to himself as he walked over to the door. "Then I'll say goodnight sir."

 "Goodnight Halger." Rowan replied.

He stepped out of the door but paused as he remembered something and stuck his head back in. "Did you look into that message from that soldier in Tersen yesterday?"

 Rowan looked up and cocked his head slightly. "The one about the activity in one of the docks near the mountains? Bah, Tersen hate us certainly but they don't have the nerve to outright go against us, the war with my grandfather hurt them as much as it did us." Rowan batted off the proposition unconcernedly.

 "Very well if don't think it's important sir." Halger said curtly.

 "Get some sleep Halger, don't bother yourself with it. When whatever it is the Cougars are waiting for arrives we won't have time for avid paranoia. As Elias would say, it isn't exactly going to be ale and cakes."

 "Wise words indeed." Halger rolled his eyes. "Try to get some sleep this time Rowan." He said and Rowan just smiled to himself as a reply.

Rowan paused and looked up as Halger shut the door behind him and looked at the pin on the map he'd been pointedly ignoring, the pin he'd placed when he read the Tersen soldier's letter. He tried to find a connection between the Tersen port and the other locations where there'd been retreats but he failed and flung himself back in his chair with a sigh. He lit another candle on the ege of the table and the young prince prepared for what would be a very long night.

Meanwhile more than twenty miles away Peyton had come to a similar assumption. Or one that resulted in something being not right anyway.

 For about half an hour ago the black Cougars had split in half in two directions, Peyton and Brandy went the way they were supposed to of course which was the direct route to the capital of Roldor. Half of the Cougars had gone the same way as him but the others had oddly turned to the coast, and there weren't any major ports they had taken hold of for miles.

 The sun had almost vanished in the orange sky and only had an hour of light left. To get to fort Gaurath before morning would almost be impossible at this pace, Peyton thought to himself and sighed. He turned his head to check how far behind the Cougars were now and pulled Brandy to a halt in alarm as he realised they weren't there.

 He rode up to the peak of a small hill near them and breathed a sigh of relief as he realised he hadn't been somehow overtaken by them, instead the Cougars must have turned east a few minutes ago and were headed towards... Well, Peyton didn't know where they were going towards. The only notable garrisons in the east were further north, and the Cougars surely wouldn't be interested in them.

 Peyton puzzled over it anxiously as the Cougars were slowly but steadily marching away and then as a cloud passed over he lost all sight of them because of their black armour.

 Then as he tried to figure out what the other Cougars could have wanted on the coast it hit him. The only thing of any relevance this far down on the coast was Prince Rowan's station at Port Kirrilen, the Cougars going east were headed directly along the road to Fort Eddanhall, where the three princes were stationed; the strange black armour and small numbers, these weren't reinforcements: they were assassins.

 Peyton's face paled in shock and it was only when they got too close to the Cougars that one looked back as he heard a clack of Brandy's hoof on a stone that he realised he'd spurred brandy on without realizing. He gulped and pulled Brandy behind a copse of trees and sat in conflict at what to do for a while. Too long, and he almost jumped out of the saddle as one of the Cougars snapped out a command in their quick, harsh tongue and five soldiers began to head towards Peyton and Brandy's hiding place.

 With that Peyton's fear turned into a surge of confidence and he made a split-second decision.

 "Sorry commander." He muttered under his breath as he kicked Brandy into a gallop towards Eddanhall and prayed this brief warning would be enough time to hold off the Cougars before help from the king arrived, if the commander even got there at all.

Richard and Prince Elias were already at the top of the hill and lying on their stomachs watching the female archers in the valley below them by the time James puffed up.

 "Finally." Elias said and turned his head as James collapsed next to him. "Thought you'd hooked up with one of the rabbits you took so long getting back up." He teased and James just smiled tightly with a bitter scowl.

 "You could have warned me this hill was so damn high Richard." James directed to Richard who lay on Elias' other side.

 "Well it was once a mountain James." He replied. "Eddan Mountain? It's famous, simple map knowledge, even a child would have heard of it." The corners of his mouth twitched into a smirk and James rolled his eyes, still too tired to come up with a response.

 "I can't believe these girls are the only aid Danail sent, who does the bestard think he is?" James said as they watched the ten archers shooting targets.

 "The lord of Daralis, mighty eagle and of the best archers in Eldranor." Richard said curtly. "We're lucky he sent any at all, none of the other kingdoms did, and even then it's only because his son is apprenticed at the castle."

 "Yes, how does it go with your brother-in-law James?" Elias enquired and grinned at James.

 "I haven't really met him yet seeing as my sister only got *engaged* to him last week." James stressed. 

 "More time to knock some sense into her then." Said Elias and James smirked.

 "But you know wizards, bootlickers and a general waste of space." He continued. Wizard being a derogatory term for battle-mages, actual wizards are just frauds who play tricks on their audience's eye for entertainment.

 "Hm well I reckon Faren's actually doing a good job as one then." Elias concurred and they all burst into muffled laughter.

At this point a soldier, presumabley in charge of the archers, came out of the cabin at the end of the small mountain cove and called them in. The three young men sighed reluctantly and started to get up.

 "Is that yours, James?" Elias whispered and elbowed him as they saw a shapely brunette join the back of the line.

 "Oh yes, Reya Levan, of the captain's rear guard or something..." James said dreamily as they indeed watched her from behind.

 "You lucky bugger." Elias grinned. "I don't know how you do it-" He said and cut off with a start as a very loud voice sounded right in his ear.

 "Richard of Crymoran, Prince Elias and James Loran, I might have known." The voice boomed and they jumped up quickly, searching for the mystery voice when they saw the archers' leader standing in the cove looking up at them with hands on his hips.

 "Damn the Daralis soldier is a wizard?!" James hissed dejectedly.

 "An Eldrani commander too if you must know, very good ears." The soldier called back with an amused look.

 "One of Danail's own personal guard, gifted with the temporal ability of their Eldran lord's power, in this case-" Richard sarted in surprise but was cut off.

 "An eagle, yes we know." James finished glumly.

 "And what would one of Lord Danail's personal guard be doing here, when he sends so few?" Elias called dubiously.

 "In goodwill." The soldier boomed back with his voice-projecting spell. "Our lands have troubles of their own, unrest grows between the Bears and the Rats, we cannot so easily cross the border."

  "And yet his king suffers invasion while he tiptoes around a petty dispute." James muttered.

 "Think what you will, but the hour grows late and soon they will lock the gates, I'd advise you not to stray for long my prince." The soldier warned and followed his archers' steps into the cabin.

 "Ten archers and an Eldrani, more of a personal guard than an ally's reinforcements." Richard noted with a cocked eyebrow.

 Elias grunted in agreement. "They go to Fort Gaurath tomorrow, where Danail's son is stationed with my brother."

 "No doubt I shall never recover from the heartbreak tomorrow brings." James said in jest as they observed the sinking sun over the hill, but Elias was lost in thought.

 "I really shouldn't bash Jaysen you know." Elias said heavily. "What he and my father have done is a miracle, especially considering the difference in number. And gods know we'll never get any aid - I suppose my father isn't entirely to blame for that, and you never know what Crymoran's doing behind our backs...no offense Richard."

Richard nodded in understanding. "I've heard that the Cougars have been retreating though...when they could have won." He said skeptically and Elias shrugged it off with a laugh.

 "Mere rumour, it's just the fear creeping in as the fact that we're winning is so unexpected." He said assuredly but his expression said otherwise. "We're pushing them back at last, why else would they need to retreat? -James where are you going?" He called as James suddenly leapt up to the peak of the hill with a frown on his face.

 "There's a rider!" He called and Elias and Richard quickly climbed up to join him. "There on the brink of the woods, do you see him?" He pointed and Elias nodded.

 "Why he looks only to be a boy, and he's riding hard."

 "He wears the armour of a lookout, and comes from the south keeps by his direction." Richard said.

 "And how would you know that, and not me?" Elias asked curiously.

 "Because I was one, becoming a captain on day one isn't too common *Prince* Elias." Richard said tongue in cheek.

 "Fair enough." Elias pouted and smirked as James waved the rider up the hill.

  "Hail lookout of a southern keep!" James waved to him as the rider pulled his exhausted pony to a stop beside them.

 "How did you know that?" The rider panted and dismounted with stiff legs.

James looked smugly at Richard and Elias rolled his eyes.

 "What is your name boy and what brings you to Eddanhhall?" Elias asked commandingly as he walked up to him.

 "Peyton sir, I have urgent information from Risen Keep for the princes here-"

 "You're speaking to one of them, Peyton of Risen, I am Elias, the only one here with any sense so count yourself lucky."

 "My lord!" Peyton said startled and knelt down on one knee quickly.

 "What infromation, lookout?" Richard asked, frowning.

 "There's a force of fifty Cougars mi'lord, headed straight for here!" Peyton stammered out.

 "Cougars?" Elias' eyes widened in alarm.

 "Are you sure, and only fifty?" James asked cautiously.

 "Oh yes sir, I saw them black skin an' all! I outran them here myself." Peyton said enthusiastically and James smiled in amazement.

 "Perhaps you'll see some action after all Elias." James grinned and clapped his friend on the back.

 "So long as I don't get babysitting duty with my brothers." Elias said. "Come on, we need to get you down to Leison, tell him everything you know." He said to Peyton and led him down the hill.

 James followed them but Richard hung back for a second and looked over the horizon just before the sun set to see a black haze of what must be the Cougar force, one that was far larger than fifty.

The sky outside the two small square windows was pitch black and his candles had gone out long ago. Prince Rowan had fallen asleep at the table -as he had so many times before- and silence had fallen over the village hall as even the rowdy guards had retreated into their bunks in the bay-wall barracks.

 So when a series of three loud thuds came from the tactics room door Rowan leapt up in his seat immediately and winced as he banged his knees on the table. Suspicious at who would be calling at this time he crept over to the window, half expecting a mob of disgruntled elderly villagers to be fuming outside. He peered out and, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to make sure, he grinned as he saw thirty horses of the royal guard.

 "Rowan I know you're in there, I have five witnesses for proof." A deep voice called from behind the door. "Including an insistent old man named Quincy..." He added and Rowan smirked as he strode over to the door.

He opened it to reveal a strongly-built tall man in his late twenties smiling at him with weary but warm brown eyes and dark brown hair.

 "Jaysen!" Rowan grinned and the two brothers embraced with much back-slapping. "I wasn't expecting you til next week!" He exclaimed as they pulled back.

 "Well the military inspection is next week, but the men and horses were getting restless, not to mention father's becoming insufferable with trying to keep me back and our dear uncle's appearance, so I decided to hold it a week early."

 "Rethan's there?" Rowan asked in alarm.

 "Yes." Jaysen confirmed dully. "Only for a few days, gods know why, he was trying to keep father from going south, not that we have any reason to the fool, I slipped out easy enough though."

 "You, sneaking about? Decided to take a leaf out of my book for once?" Rowan asked and the corner of Jaysen's mouth twitched. Before he could respond however they both turned at the sound of a polite cough behind them.

 "Ah yes how could I forget, Rowan this is Lucas Sevorn, Lord Danail's son." Jaysen introduced as a young man with neatly cut shoulder-length black hair and the blue, knee-slit robes of a battle mage walked through the door. "He's acting as messenger between me and other garrissons with a battle mage during the ah, inspection."

 "So this is the one who did not inherit his father's Eldran form?" Rowan said skeptically and Sevorn inclined his hesitantly head that it was so. "And doing a particularly good job of making up for it I hear." Rowan smiled and shook Sevorn's hand warmly. "I was never one for living up to my inheritance either."

 "You're not wrong there." Jaysen said flippantly and rolled his eyes.

A small smile flickered across Rowan's face but faded as he remembered what he'd discovered before. "Speaking of that, Jaysen, I have something to show you, something I need your opinion on." He said vaguely and Jaysen frowned at his uneasy demeanor.

 "Very well, Sevorn tell the men we are to camp here for the night, they can tether their horses to the fences around the stables."

 "Yes sir." Sevorn replied and with a fleeting glance at the table the map lay on left and shut the door behind him.

 "Well?" Jaysen asked.

Rowan gestured towards the map. "It's all there." He said.

Jaysen frowned again and leant forwards on the table, examining it with trained eyes. "You've marked out Camlow, Highmouth, Oroveil, Wrenath, Gilraen... All fought and won weeks, if not months apart...and then up here." He said and pointed to a pin on the upper west-coast near Roldor. "You've marked the fields by Aralorn Harbour, the battle we fought not seven days ago." He looked up at Rowan who watched silently. "At all of these places the Cougars retreated. You think there is a connection?"

 "Yes." Rowan said simply. "All of these places, these retreats, there was no reason for them. You fought in them of course and not I but still, something made them pull back and I don't think it was us." He finished and paused circling the table to look at Jaysen's thoughtful but guarded expression.

 Jaysen sighed and ran his hands over his face tiredly. "It would seem so." He admitted.

 "You don't doubt me?" Rowan asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Jaysen looked at him quickly. "I listen fairly to all the views given to me Rowan." He said sharply. "But no, I've noticed it myself, though I've ignored it as much as I could." He said more softly. "Now that you've seen it as well, I don't think we can deny it any longer. So what is your guess? Another threat to them perhaps?"

 "No, we'd have heard of it by now. If there was another army threatening them they would have taken us ripe for the picking, already having been hammered down by the Cougars. No I think they're playing with us, reminding us they're still there and wearing down our numbers while saving theirs..."

 "When they could have delivered the final blow there and then? What could they be waiting for that's more important than defeating their target?" Jaysen said frustratingly and Rowan shrugged helplessly.

They stood in silence for a few moments lost in thought when a loud crash and a cry of annoyance came from outside. Patters of running feet faded away and came back in the hall. They looked at eachother in alarm and Rowan went to the window, just in time to avoid Sevorn bursting the door open.

 "Prince Jaysen!" Sevorn panted. "I just recieved a message from Fort Gaurath, a commander from the south keeps has reported a force of Cougars coming from the south mountains!"

 "The mountains? That's Tersen's ground." Rowan frowned.

 "How many Sevorn?" Jaysen asked quickly and Sevorn frowned in concentration as he tried to contact the battle-mage in Fort Gaurath.

 "They don't know exactly, my lord. The commander reported hundreds, fitted in black armour, but we can't be sure. Apparently he lost a lookout on the way who was supposed to get there before him..." Sevorn trailed off as he realised Jaysen had stopped listening.

 "Very few for expected reinforcements... and *black* armour?" Jaysen said puzzledly.

 "He was definite about that, came up like a fog from the mountains apparently." Sevorn confirmed.

 "Why on earth would they come from Tersen, and on foot?!" Jaysen said bewilderedly to Rowan who was looking at a spot on the map he'd marked and brushed aside with Halger before concernedly.

 "There was a report from a soldier yesterday, he reported some...activity in one of the docks below the mountains but I disregarded it as unimportant." Rowan said hesitantly.

 "Well of course naturally." Jaysen said. "Tersen would not have betrayed us, Lord Benard has more sense than-"

 "It isn't Tersen." Rowan cut him off. "I disregarded it because Crymoran bought the dock ages ago, I thought it was just another of Rethan's marketing schemes but...with a dock to themselves the Cougars could pass through the mountains undetected, Tersen would not stop them for fear of getting involved..."

They paused in dread at the implications and Jaysen looked as if he was going to shoot the idea down where it stood. "Rethan would not go against us surely. His men have died on our side for months, he's twisted I'll admit but to give away his own mens' lives when planning to support the enemy all along? No, no I cannot believe this-" He started but stopped as Sevorn doubled over in pain. He went over to help but Sevorn shook him off.

 "I'm fine." He said. "I was just sent a message particularly loudly." He winced and rubbed his head.

 "From who?" Rowan urged.

 "It's from one of my father's guard." Sevorn realised with wide eyes. "He's at Eddanhall, a force of black-armoured Cougars march on them at this moment, they are outnumbered and call for aid."

Jaysen snapped his head up quickly. "*Eddanhall*?" He repeated.

 "You said Rethan was trying to stop you from going south..." Rowan said and the two brothers' faces paled as it dawned on them.

 "Black armour, small numbers...they're going for the heirs -*the crown*, and Rethan is firmly in their pocket for them to do so." Jaysen said quietly. "I must go immediately." He said quickly. "Rowan I will leave a mage with you so you can at least keep in contact. Do not leave this place, they're going for the obvious location first, hopefully Kirilien is too remote for them to have thought of it."

 "And our father?"

 "He's too far away to be of any help. Hopefully I can get there in time with my men, if we ride without stop." Jaysen replied. "Sevorn ready the men." He said quickly and Sevorn scurried off.

 "Jaysen-" Rowan said as Jaysen prepared to leave. "Be careful, it is all the heirs he wants, not just Elias, Faren and Cael." He warned and supressed a sudden urge to embrace his brother.

 "I will." Jaysen nodded curtly and left with a fire of determination in his eyes.

 They never saw eachother again.

The "leaders" of Eddanhall Keep had come together in the small inn -built there so the soldiers had something to do during their action-lacking duration of the war- to listen to Peyton's report. There was the Captain of the keep, Leison, the various commanders of each soldier regiment, Lord Danail's Eldrani, various soldiers who'd caught wind of the lookout with news of war were sprawled over the remaining barstools and of course the princes themselves stood before Leison, with Peyton firmly in hand.

 "So tell us again," Captain Leison said to Peyton and turned around in the middle of the inn floor to face him. "These 'Cougars' just appeared out of the Tersen mountains and, out of all the places they could attack, are marching on *us*?" He asked dubiously, or perhaps just hoping it was that dubious.

 "That's right sir." Peyton replied nervously and wrung his hands "They were on us at Risen Keep seven hours ago-"

 "And why didn't you alert your closest captain before? You must have seen them earlier from your lookout surely!" Captain Leison asked sharply.

Peyton gulped and wrung his sweaty hands again. "They were dressed in black armour sir, only a h-hundred of them, they looked like a cloud of fog from a distance."

 The captain chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Like fog hm? Well if your observations are true-"

 "They are Captain!" Cried a scout who tumbled into the inn and pushed his way through a group of curious soldiers lingering near the door. "I saw them at the forest edge not five minutes ago. There must be one  hundred, if not two, of them sir." He said and lowered his voice as the conversation in the inn suddenly stopped and all eyes were layed upon him.

 "Two hundred?" A commander repeated hoarsely.

 "But we only number fourty seven! It'll be a massacre!" Another cried and a panicked chatter rose in the room.

 "Shut it!" Captain Leison yelled and slammed his hands down on a table next to him. The room fell silent and Leison tried to keep his voice steady. "If they were at the forest they will be here within the hour. We need aid dammit, where is that Eldrani mage-"

 "I'm here." The Eldrani drawled and stepped out from behind a group of men at the bar. "And I messaged Prince Jaysen as soon as the lookout here arrived, it was obvious you'd reach this conclusion as soon as you stopped doubting the poor boy." He said nonchalantly and watched as Captain Leison spluttered and frowned at being undermined until finally deciding to cross his arms to listen to what else the Eldrani had to say. "He and my Lord Lucas are on their way now from Port Kirilen with fifty strong of the royal guard and soldiery, more being joined to them as they come."

 "Fifty?" Captain Leison repeated and let out a sigh of relief. "Why with the support from keeps along the way they will easily amount to two hundred!" He exclaimed and the other soldiers in the room began to relax and chuckle with relief. "All we need to do is hold them off until help arrives. Simple, this keep is strong enough to withstand anything two hundred footsoldiers could throw at us."

 "The bastards don't even have catapults!" A soldier chuckled and his friends joined in.

 "Exactly." Captain Leison said. "Prepare yourselves for siege, not one soul is to go out of this keep, nor one in." He declared to the amassed crowd and rose his voice as the hubbub of voices and clanging armour began. "Where these Cougars came from, or what they want, is not our concern. All that matters is that we do not let them get past this keep!" He shouted and the soldiers cheered.

 "Captain!" James called. "What of the villagers that reside here, the women and the children, they cannot ward off Cougars from their homes with knitting needles."

 "The Cougars will not get within the walls, when Prince Jaysen arrives with his men it will all be fought outside the walls." Captain Leison replied.

 "And how can you guarantee they will not get *within* the walls?" Richard asked skeptically. "It has already been said they outnumber us by two hundred-"

 "'If not two hundred' was the exact quote, a mere exaggeration by an overeager scout no more." Captain Leison corrected. "I doubt they will score over ninety, such excitement can fool the eyes. You underestimate the strength of Eddanhall Keep, soldier of Crymoran. It has witheld much more than you can imagine. And it is your people who still have not sent their troops, despite saying otherwise. I would watch your tongue, Crymori." He warned and Richard fumed silently, to which James laid a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "I would suggest you ready yourselves your majesties." He said and turned to the three princes before following his men to the door.

 A hand clamped down on his arm out of the shadows near the door and he sighed, clenching his teeth as he turned to its owner.

 "Have you even thought of what they come for, Leison?" The Eldrani mage pondered quietly with a threatening undertone. "So few in number for reinforcements but just enough for sneaking around without threat, black armour and a silent dagger in the dead of night - which it is right now."

 "What are you trying to imply, Captain Mildras?" Captain Leison asked and shook off his grip on his arm.

 Captain Mildras nodded subtly towards the princes. "I haven't told them you know. My Lord Lucas told me another thing, their brother, Rowan, is dead. Or as good as. Jaysen was too far to save him, when the Cougars set fire to Kirilen. Not the whole of Kirilen, just the village hall, shockingly where the young prince resided." He said sarcastically.

 "That's ridiculous." Captain Leison spluttered. "Why would they go solely after the princes? Everyone's becoming paranoid with the threat of battle...ridiculous." He added firmly but his strong composure had crumbled and his eyes shifted nervously towards the princes for a second before he started to stride out of the door.

 "I am here solely to protect Lord Danail's son, Captain." Captain Mildras stopped him again. "What goes on here is beyond my concern, but I would advise you tread carefully where the princes of Eldranor are at risk." He warned and smiled with a knowing nod. Captain Leison spluttered and with another worried glance behind him stepped out and called a passing soldier over.

 "Very well." He muttered to Captain Mandras. "Sergeant Elroy, make sure the princes are assigned to the eastern tower!" He called and Sergeant Elroy ran off with a "Yes sir!". "They will see no action there." He said assurredly to himself and Captain Mildras and scurried off to the gates with a cough and abashed look at Captain Mildras.

Soldiers ran about Eddanhall Keep in a fluster. Both gates at the west and north-east ends were shut and bolted, torches were lit, the residents were ushered away into their homes and the soldiers prepared for a siege. To them it was easy enough, ready the archers and sit tight until the prince's men came, and live to tell the tale of battle for no foot soldiers could breach the 30ft tall wooden defenses of Eddanhall.

 The princes and James were getting dressed in the armoury, Richard had already been assigned to guarding the houses, which could also be interpereted as keeping him out of the way of any, sabotagical opportunities that a Crymoran soldier might be suspected of.

 Peyton stood awkwardly in the middle of the armoury and was considering shuffling quietly out of the door before James saw him. 

 "Hey lookout!" He called and ushered him over. "What are you doing over there, looking like a lost lamb?"

 "Leave him be James, the boy'd be safer in here." Faren said dismissively as he pulled his robes over a chainmail vest.

 "I've never been in a battle sir, I just, well, look for them." Peyton said sheepishly and Faren snorted.

 "What'd I tell you?" Said Faren.

 "Every man has to have his first battle. We were all young lookouts or squires once- save a few." James said and looked pointedly at Elias who rolled his eyes. "It was Peyton wasn't it?" He asked and Peyton nodded.

 "But he's a boy James, not a man." Faren pointed out.

 "Hey I'm still a boy!" Cael perked up from tying his boots and grinned at Peyton.

 "Exactly." Faren said dryly and rolled his eyes. Cael scowled but his retort was cut off by Elias throwing his shield to him.

James stood up and having already donned his armour handed Peyton a shortsword from a rack beside them. "Very well Peyton, stick with me and we'll show you the ropes of the infamous business we call warfare."

 "That's it, he's doomed." Faren finalized and James ignored him.

 "I have to admit James, my brother is right there. I mean can you even handle your own sword, forget a virgin lookout?" Elias jested.

 "I can handle my sword perfectly and you know it, unless you want to try me young princeling?" James retorted and swung his sword around expertly in quick slashes.

 Elias grinned as his plan for his joke fell into place. "No thank you, I'll leave the testing to Reya if you don't mind." He said and all of those within earshot chortled. 

 "Mmm, I'll ask Lady Annis for comparison, see who 'handles' theirs the best?" James retorted unabashed and grinned at Elias's embarrased look at the mention of his rumoured lover, Annis the daughter of Benard, Horse Eldran Lord of Terris.

 "Don't worry Peyton." Cael interjected so as to stop the impending fistfight between the two friends. "Captain Leison's assigned us to the north-east tower anyway, it's built into the mountain so we won't get a single arrow back there." He sighed and Faren muttered something about his talents being held back.

 "Assigning the crown princes to the back of a battle?" Elias tutted. "What a waste, I'll be damned if we stay there." He said and James looked up curiously from fastening his belt as he stopped a soldier heading out of the door.

 "Soldier! You're assigned to the south-western tower are you not?" He called.

 "The south wall actually sir, the center post." The soldier replied.

 "That'll do." Elias said quickly and stood up from the bench sidled along the armour racks. "You and three of your fellow men have been re-assigned to the north-east tower, we'll take over from here." He announced and Cael grinned in amazement at his older brother.

 "But sir-" The soldier protested.

 "You recognize me as your prince do you not, soldier?" Elias asked.

 "Of course my lord-"

 "Then as your prince, and seccond-in-line of the throne of all Eldranor, my authority surpasses all within this Keep and I say you have been *reassigned* soldier." Elias stressed.

The soldier looked up at him with wide eyes and saluted. "Yes my lord!" He said quickly and called his three friends to join him at the north-east tower.

 "*Now* we'll see some action." Elias smiled and Cael leapt up with a grin.

 "I don't see how you can detest your claim to the throne so when you obviously see, and take advantage of, the benefits?" Faren asked exhasperatedly but smiled smugly at being able to exhibit his abilities in battle at last.

 "His highness being a naughty boy again? Nurse will give you a smacky bottom again for sure." James grinned. "Nice one my friend." He winked and clapped Elias on the shoulder.

 "But my lord-" Peyton interrupted the exuberant group of friends shyly. "you reassigned only four soldiers, I make a fifth..."

 "Always good to have a spare man Peyton." Elias smiled warmly. "Anyway you're stuck with James now, gods be with you." He smirked and led them all out of the armoury. "Come on!" He called. "Stick to the walls, try to avoid the torches."

 "Hiding from the Captain now are we?" James murmured as he crept up the outside wall of the armoury alongside him.

 "Just a precaution." Elias replied and paused as a group of soldiers went past. "My authority only goes so far, and I think Leison might remember the fact that my father commanded him to keep us locked up like dogs if any Cougars came wandering by."

 "Hm yes he might, he looked pale as a sheet when Lord Danail's Eldrani had a word with him." James smirked and gave out a small "Oof!" as Peyton bumped into him from behind, making his sword dig into his thigh. "Watch it Peyton!" He hissed.

 "Sorry sir." Peyton whispered back and James rolled his eyes.

 "Look if we don't get a move on the Cougars will be dead and gone by the time we get up to the wall- *I'll* lead." Faren hissed and overtook Elias in a crouched scurry. Elias let him past without an ounce of resistance and looked almost wistfully at his closest [in age] younger brother for a moment until Cael and Peyton brushing past distracted him.

 "You're responsible for him now James, til death do you part." Elias winked as Peyton snuck past a patrol with Cael.

 "Ah no you aren't fooling me princeling, you had a moment of brotherly tenderness with Faren there didn't you?" James grinned knowingly. "What now, he reminds you of yourself when you were all young and dashing?"

 "Shove off you idiot, the poncy wizard is as much like me as Alfren is a fond grandfather."

 "Well you never know, deep down..." James teased.

"Come on." Elias murmured and quickly crept across the dirt road to the post he'd assigned them to. "And what do you mean 'When'?" He shot back but James just chuckled.

 "Finally! Get in." Faren chastised as they slipped inside of the small tower built into the middle of the wooden keep walls. "Cael's already been up to the battlements, no sign of the Cougars whatsoever."

 Elias frowned. "None at all? They should have been here by now, it's almost been an hour since the scout spotted them at the forest anyway."

 "Well I don't know, I'm a battle-mage not a scout." Faren huffed and scowled at Elias's smirk.

 "Oh right sorry I didn't realise, it isn't like you tell us-" Elias started and the tensions suddenly dropped as a yell came from the battlements above the front gates.

 "Fire! Fire!" A soldier cried and Cael came half-running half-falling down the ladder.

 "The damn Cougars have been here for ages, they've been laying oil and we didn't see them, the front battlements are on fire!" Cael cried.

 "This entire keep is built from wood, we'll be cooked like chickens plucked ripe for the table." James stated and hit his head against the wall in frustration.

 "Not unless we stop the chain of fire." Elias realised and his eyes lit up.

 "Oh gods Elias, the villagers!" James snapped his head up and threw open the door to see the flames already licking the corners of the wooden wall surrounding the keep. The soldiers were now focusing their desperate efforts to put the fire out, and the Cougars rained arrows down on them up and over the walls without resistance. "They'll be at the mercy of the Cougars even if you can stop the fire, I could get them out through the east gate, the fire has not reached there..."

 Elias paused and stood beside him at the door. "Jaysen will not reach us before the walls are breached." He said quietly to his friend and James nodded grimly. They'd known it from the start, not even an Eldran Eagle could get from Kirilen to Eddanhall in under an hour. "But we can still fight them off, prevent you from being followed."

 James looked at the young man he'd known since they were little boys with sticks and the flickering fire that reflected in his fierce blue eyes. "Don't kill them all, I want to be sung of too you know." He jested and did everything he could to ignore the growing sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

 "Go you bloody hero." Elias grinned and shoved him out of the door. "Still doesn't make you a prince!" He called over the roar of the fire and panicked shouts of soldiers.

 "Peyton! With me!" James shouted and beckoned him out of the tower. "Course not, too many moral codes!" He called back to Elias and raised his hand in parting before rushing with Peyton to the nearest house to rally the villagers.

 Elias grinned and turned back to his two brothers. "Well what do you have in mind for 'stopping the chain of *fire*' if it isn't a damn big bucket?" Faren asked with arms firmly crossed and tapped his foot.

 "By giving it something it can't burn, a barrier that *you* will magic up little battle-mage." Elias smiled expectantly and Faren stuttered in alarm.

 "Look w-when I said I was good I didn't mean-" He started and Elias rolled his eyes with a smile.

 "Don't get your fancy robes in a twist you wizard, you burnt up the castle kitchens before, right Cael?"

 "Right." Cael confirmed and grinned at the memory of Faren's dramatic mishap.

 "Then he can do it again in a tiny wooden tower." Elias put his hand on Faren's shoulder and led his confused -and slightly offended- brother back outside of the door. "A fire cannot burn what is already burnt, as soon as it gets to this tower the fire willl die and the real fighting can begin."

 "And the east gate will still be up for James and the villagers!" Cael added and Elias nodded.

 "So get to it our wonderfully calamatic brother whose power defies thine own mouth." Elias grinned and stepped back out of Faren's way with Cael.

 "Fine." Faren grumbled but was still secretly pleased at being relied on.

He began to mutter a spell and orange tendrils of magic began to flow from his fingers. Soft and elegant at first but as they reached the tower's wooden walls they began to spark and fizzle, striking it in quick bursts and causing tiny flames dotted on the wood.

 "What are you doing?" A passing soldier cried and tried to go forward to put it out but Elias pulled him back. A small crowd quickly amassed but relaxed as the tower seemed to refuse to light.

 "Whose side are you on anyway for the gods sake?" Someone shouted angrily and Elias frowned at the sweating Faren.

 "Faren if I'd have known you were *this* incompetent-" Elias shouted and broke off as a flame shot just above his head. He cursed and went forward to grab his brother but fell back as with one last spark the little flames on the tower suddenly connected and engulfed it in fire. "Ok, good..." Elias said weakly. "Now put it out. FAREN PUT IT OUT!" He screamed as the flames started to expand beyond the tower and towards them.

 Faren tensed up once more and with one last effort released the magic, the flames went out with a hefty cloud of smoke and the crowd looked up at the charred, blackened tower. The flames from the gates had already devoured all they could and now there was nothing more flammable in front of them.

 The flames spluttered out and the soldiers watched, silent and unmoving, for what seemed an eternity until the smoke cleared and a head appeared above the burnt rapports, a Cougar head. He was quickly shot down and the soldiers suddenly burst into action, their commanding soldiers yelling at them to form at the gates. The gates were battered down within seconds and the remaining fourty six soldiers stood to face down more than a hundred Cougar soldiers.

 "So it begins." Elias said to himself with a wry smile. "Cael, Faren, we stick together." He said firmly to his brothers who stood behind him. He took one last glance towards the east gate behind them, James and the villagers had already gone and were running further still he hoped. Not James though, no he might run for awhile but his fiesty friend wouldn't be able to resist the call of battle or to abandon his comrades. 

He hoped he would.

Jaysen rode to Eddanhall with an already heavy heart. They'd come for Rowan in the dead of night, a single boat through the small harbour blocked any escape. Kirilen had been surrounded even while the brothers were talking and yet the Cougars were unseen. They'd let Jaysen and his men out without a ripple of disturbance and by the time the village hall was alight Jaysen was too far to help, all they could do was watch and despair as all contact failed.

 He held back the tears, the indescribable grief at the loss of his reclusive, wily and caring young brother and focused on saving his remaining siblings. They rode hard, the horses were almost dead on their feet by the time they got there but it wasn't enough. They cut through the forest, he didn't care about the risky terrain or their horses' endurance for the return journey. He needed to save his brothers, hear Elias's infuriating jests and practical jokes, Faren's relentless fawning and aloof tall tales, Cael's foolish nature and gullible sweet-tooth, but as they saw the smoke rise over the edge of the forest they knew they were too late.

 The keep was a blackened, crumbling mess at the front and the dead still lay before the gates, both Cougar and Roldorian stained the walls and sank into the ground. Some soldiers roamed aimlessly through the keep in a shell-shocked state, some trying to clean up the mess, others just sitting with their heads in their hands at the death and destruction before them. They were soldiers of a small keep in the east, nobody had expected war to come upon them, they spoke of it, even glorified it, but they were just tales. Hopes and dreams of fame - nobody wanted the reality.

 "This is no victory, yet there is no Cougar in sight." Said Stannis Varguard, Jaysen's right hand man for the trip who had known the princes since they were children, a general of the Roldorian army he was already a worn and wisened war hero and close friend of the king.

 They rode in silence through the gates, they needn't knock as the gate had crumbled an hour before, and Stannis rode forward to speak for his silenced prince.

 "Captain!" Stannis called to Captain Leison who sat distraught on a hill step that led up to the higher levels of the keep. "What happened here?"

 "They came with fire..." Captain Leison replied hoarsely. "We thought we could hold them back until you arrived...but they burnt down the defenses and stormed the keep...so many, we couldn't hold them...then they-they killed them...and...left..." He replied and held his head in his hands in grief and shame.

 Stannis sighed heavily and silently rode his horse back to Jaysen.

 "Well?" Jaysen demanded, dread filling his soul. "What did he say? Survivors remain - where are my brothers?" His voice almost cracked at the end.

 "They got what they came for, and left." Stannis said simply, his own eyes filled with pity and his own grief as all hope faded from Jaysen's eyes. The princes were like nephews to him, but now only one remained and he was falling.

 "No." Jaysen whispered and shook his head once. He dismounted from his horse and silently walked through the churned dirt and dead bodies to where Captain Leison pointed. He didn't care for the blood he was getting on his boots, seeping through the soles to his feet, the soldiers he stepped over or kicked aside, it didn't matter. He turned a corner to see even more dead, soldiers mulling about and moving them aside for burial or burning, some mourning over the bodies of their friends. But at the end of the dirt road one soldier stood out. He lay over his fallen comrade's body and his body shook with sobs. He moaned and cried and rubbed his hands over his face. He looked at his comrade once more as if to make sure it wasn't a nightmare and screamed out to the world in agony, his face turned to the sky as if to contend with the gods for taking his friend.

 It was James Loran, he was Stannis' apprentice and had grown up in the castle with the princes. Jaysen was friendly with him but not as much as Elias, the two were inseperable. Jaysen couldn't see the comrade's face. *He couldn't see his face.* 

 Stannis ran forward to comfort and pull his apprentice away, James was like a son to him Jaysen remembered vaguely.

 "James, James, I'm so sorry." Stannis said to him and embraced his apprentice.

 "I was too late." James sobbed through floods of blinding tears. "I couldn't get back, I was too late!"

 "I know, I know." Stannis soothed. "Come away now, we are soldiers, their protectors, only death and heartbreak comes from becoming involved with the descendants of kings. We must leave them be." He advised as he pulled James away, the latter stumbling blindly. "We mourn in our own way, away from view." He murmured to himself and looked back to see Jaysen was approaching James's fallen comrade.

 Jaysen walked slowly, as if through mud, towards the man James had mourned over. He could see now that James hadn't moved the body, he'd wanted it to be seen that his comrade died for another, seemingly having thrown himself in front of that person but his efforts had been in vain, the Cougar sword had pierced both their hearts. Jaysen moved closer. He could see the comrade's hair now. It was blonde and long enough to have constantly fallen into it's owners eyes to his annoyance, stained with blood from the soldier below him he'd died trying to save. Jaysen came to his feet. He could see his face now. Fair, handsome in a way, a mouth that rarely changed from a smirk or grin, blue eyes that stared no longer at his best friend for the last time. Elias.

 Jaysen fell to his knees and moaned. He pulled his closest brother away gently to see the soldier he'd tried to save. Faren. A single silent sob racked through Jaysen's body as he pulled his brother's lifeless bodies onto his lap and he stroked the matted air away from their faces. He brushed away the blood from the corner of Elias''s mouth and closed his eyes with a shaking had. He buried his head in his brothers' and he finally gave in to the grief.

 He stayed like that for a long time, rocking his brothers back and forth and not a single tear fell down his face, but the sobs racked through his body until his chest ached so badly it felt as if the pain would never fade.

 "Jaysen, I'm so sorry. Nobody could have got to them in time, you must know that-" Said Stannis as he laid a heavy hand on Jaysen's shoulder, breaking the silence that had fallen. "We must get them back to your fath-"

 "Where is Cael?" Jaysen suddenly asked and ignored Stannis. "He is not here." He said and rose, gently laying Elias and Faren's heads next to eachother on the ground. "Where is Cael? Where is my youngest brother?" He repeated and began to search in the darkness when no one replied. "Cael?" He called and grabbed a torch from a nearby wall. "Cael!" He shouted and searched the road around the corner of the armoury. His men joined in, searching in small burnt huts and under rubble and fallen bodies. There was no sign of him and they had almost reached the east end of the keep. Then Stannis called him over to a small hut built into the keep wall. Frightened children peered out from gaps in the wood, not daring to disturb their protector he lay pinned to the door by a spear.

 "CAEL!" Jaysen yelled and threw his torch aside into the dirt to pull the spear from his brother's lifeless body. Cael, the youngest son who had always wanted to be like his older brothers and haunted their footsteps, had become a hero at last.

"Cael..." Jaysen whispered and pulled his little brother to him tightly. Tighter and tighter, trying to will him back to the living world once more, to stop the pain growing in his chest, his heart, the pain that would never leave him.

 "NO!" He cried out as he rocked Cael's body back and forth. The soldiers behind him bowed their heads in respect and it was then, and only then, that the tears began to fall.

                                                                                                                    2 YEARS LATER:

The war had ended. Crymoran had sent their forces at last and the Cougar invasion was driven out. It was a time for celebration and happiness but few celebrated. A dark shadow hung over the victory, war was over but a such a great cost. Four of the five princes were dead, the king was dying of an incurable poison and Roldor's forces were practically non-existant.

 The king's heir and oldest son, Jaysen, had survived but perhaps not in all senses of the word.

 A quiet thud of a heavy footfall sounded in a darkened castle bedroom and a scurry of claws reached the ears of the sleeping owner of the room.

 His eyes snapped open, he could see nothing in the darkness but he smiled wryly to himself anyway, his fate had come.

 "So you come for me at last dear uncle." He said to the darkness. "My brothers are dead, my father is dying and the war has failed to kill me - you come to finish the job." He said as he rose from the bed to greet his midnight visitor. He was fully dressed, he hadn't slept since the war ended.

 "There is no escape Jaysen, my Eldrani surround this room and will transform in a second if I so wish it." Rethan's voice came out of the darkness. The moonlight from a single window highlighted his cruel smile as he stepped forward with a swish of his brown cloak.

 "Oh I do not intend to resist." Jaysen replied.

 "But you are the single heir to the throne of Roldor, if you die the line of the Wolves is lost." Richard said evenly and stepped forward to his master's side, now bearing the pale yellow crest of Crymoran on his dark leather armour, and the necklace of Rethan's chief Eldrani. He said it uncaringly, stating it as the fact it was but out of Rethan's sight his eyes stared frantically at Jaysen, praying he'd resist. "It is your duty to live."

 "My associate here is correct, how can you give up your life so easily? Your father would be ashamed." Rethan asked innocently and tutted.

 "Life?" Jaysen laughed in ridicule. "This is no life. I died the day you killed my brothers, the day all hope and prospects of "life" left me. This isn't life dear uncle, it is a pretense of it built to appease my father when all I feel is pain. I welcome death" He vented at Rethan and ran his hand through his disheveled hair. "But I do have one last request if you will."

 "Why of course." Rethan replied and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

 "My father refuses to believe his own brother killed his sons you know, maybe not by your own hand but it was by your word. He denies it to this day, and your murder of our mother despite the proof laid before him."

 "Yes my little brother was always blinded by his quest for peace." Rethan chuckled to himself.

 "Kill me not by your lackey's hand but with your own blade, the same one that killed my mother, my father would not be able to deny it then. Let the whole of Eldranor know the cold-blooded traitor you are." Jaysen spat.

 "Very well. It will matter little after Jonath has succumbed to the poison, my blood-claim to the throne cannot be denied then when no Wolves of Raul remain." Rethan smirked and drew an elaborate black-bladed dagger from his waist. "On your knees." He said sharply and pushed Jaysen down roughly with his left hand. "Now you will recognise the true king of Eldranor, the Rat King." He said and drew back the dagger.

 Jaysen closed his eyes. He barely made a sound as the blade sliced through his chest, leaving only the wan gold and black hilt protruding. He fell back with a muffled thud and Rethan prodded him with his boot to make sure he was gone. Jaysen groaned and Rethan pulled back.

 "Now we wait." Rethan said simply and spun around to take his leave of the castle. "Clean up the mess Richard, make sure he dies." He called back and summoned his Rat Eldrani to him.

 "Jaysen what have you done?" Richard whispered when he'd gone and fell to his knees in front of the dying prince.

 "I go to my brothers." Jaysen panted hoarsely.

 "I'm so sorry, I could do nothing - he has my daughter!" Richard moaned and held his head in his hands.

 "Your time will come soon Richard of Crymoran. I know my father better than anyone...save her. This...is not...over yet" Jaysen urged.

 "Save who?" Richard urged and leant in closer to hear his last breath.

 "The Drenstone...will be restored." Jaysen whispered hoarsely and with the first genuine smile that had graced the eldest prince's face in two years, he closed his eyes and parted this world.

 Richard grieved for a moment and then stood with a hardened face. He strode out of the room with determination and a glimmer of hope for Jaysen had whispered one last word in his dying breath. Richard replayed it in his head as he transformed into a Rat and would have smiled if the situation hadn't been so despairing, and hope so thin.

 The five princes were dead. The King dying, the Eldran Wolves who had ruled Eldranor from the beginning since Raul himself, were lost.

 The word was "sister".

Story:

A dark threatening cloud hung over the city of Roldor, the wind whistled through the dark empty streets and rattled the windows as the inhabitants peered out in dread at the inevitable snowfall. It had been the worst winter in years, the king had made sure the citizens were well-supplied as usual but there was something about this winter, something forboding and dark.

 A horse whinnied out into the night and startled a young girl, almost making her slip on one of the many patches of ice.

"Watch your step miss, it's going to be a rough night tonight!" An innkeeper called to the shabbily but warmly dressed girl as he tried to calm down his horses.

"Will do Patrick, take care of yourself!" She called back smiling, he was a familiar face to the citizens of the outer-city walls.

"Aye lass, if one of these bloody horses don't kill me first." Patrick muttered as he shoved a horse back in its stable.

The girl bit back a grin as she nimbly hopped over a snow drift, her brown travelling boots muffled by the snow, and turned a corner in the cobbled street. The smile soon faded from her face however as she approached a ramshackle dull grey house that dominated the end of a small avenue of connected houses.

She grimaced as she opened the rusty black gate -unfailingly squeaking ear-piercingly loud- and passed under the familiar ominous metal arch with letters spelling 'Orphanage' that looked, and indeed have, as if they'd fall off at a mere breath in their direction.

"Wiiiiilliaaam!" A stern and raspy female voice screeched from inside. "Get these rats off me! I need my beauty sleep for the royal roll-call tomorrow!"

The girl sighed and looked up to the heavy black sky in exasperation but soon regretted it as a big wet snowflake fell on her face. She grudgingly started walking up the icy stone steps and almost lost her footing on the last one as the woman, the Orphanage's patron Mrs Grimshaw, screeched out yet again. "Wiiiilliam!"

"Yes I'm COMING!" A young deep voice replied, William.

The girl muffled a giggle at the sound of his voice and waited outside the door until the footsteps and harrumphs passed so she could slip in unnoticed.

"Pleeease can we have a story William, please please please?" A little girl's voice cried from the living room.

"Yes Liam a story a story!" A little boy added.

"Hey now, only Eva calls me that you cheek." William replied reproachfully and from the sounds of it chased the boy around the room.

The girl smiled as she hung up her wet coat and scarf, and pulled off her faded red wooly hat, making her black hair spill out in waves down her back. She tiptoed over to the worn wooden door on the top-left side of the square hall and peered through a crack at the many orphans behind it. She watched William sit down on the bench next to the fire, pull the smallest boy onto his knee and the rest of the children quickly gather in a circle on the rug near him.

"A story hm?" He mused teasingly.

"Yes yes yes!" The orphans replied eagerly.

"Oh alright. But what story shall we have?"

The children all called out their favourite stories at once, determined to have theirs heard over the others and William winced at the noise they made.

"Ok ok, I'm going to choose one at random, how about..." He shushed them and with his eyes closed hovered his hand over the heads of the children at the front.

"You, Eleanor" William said softly and smiled as he realised who he'd picked. Eleanor was a 4 year old girl they'd found on the streets, her right leg was crippled forever but she was a sweet child with silky pale blonde hair, almost white, and a teddy she never let go of that they found her with. 

"And what story would you like?" He asked her.

"The Eldwen stowy, it's Eva's favourite" She replied queitly and snuggled her bear.

"Oh? And how do you know that?" He asked as he ruffled her hair.

"She told me!" Eleanor replied defensively and pointed to herself, grinning and wriggling about to get away from William's hair-ruffling. 

"Ahh alright then, we'll have the story of The Eldren, The Eight Kings." William announced as he sat back down and the children cheered in glee, calling out their favourite kings and arguing why they're better than the rest.

"Alright alright! Be quiet now, it's the kings' time to be heard." William announced and clapped his hands, the children immediately fell silent and watched William begin to act out the tale with wide eyes.

"A long time ago, a very long time ago, in this very land, there was once a great war." William said dramatically and the girl could see the children were hanging on to every single word he said like it was gold dust.

"The war spread all over the land, even beyond!" He cried and the children gasped in unison, despite the fact they had heard it many times before.

"Now this war, called the First War, was with men from far out to the west, over seas and places unexplored, a mystery to our people. These western men had a power we had not dared to dream of then, they called it Magic-" He paused for dramatic effect. "And it's what our soldiers use in battle today. Now these western men thought they could take our lands at will with their magic but we said no!" William suddenly stood up and put on a dramatic face, the children cheered in glee. "So our people all gathered together from every corner of the country and sought to fight these westerners and drive them from our lands! The battle lasted for years and years, it was hard and weary on our people but eventually, 8 years later, we won the war! But at such a great cost, all our leaders were slain in battle and nobody knew what to do with the land." William sat down and continued in hushed tones: "Now what happens next is argued amongst many clever men but legend says that the gods were impressed by our peoples' ferocity and courage, and so decided to send down The Changer, the god of fortune, balance and change, to reward our surviving heroes and decide the fate of the land." William paused and looked curiously at the door as the girl accidently thudded her boot against the door as she took it off. She cursed under her breath but relaxed as William's attention was drawn back to the children as they demanded him to continue.

"So...The Mighty Changer gathered the eight surviving heroes of the war around him. He called the two brothers forward, both brave and bold warriors who had muscles bigger than both your arms!" William stepped forward and mimed having big muscles on his arms. "To them he gave the cold lands of the North, one icy tundra and one freezing white woods. They also were given the ability to transform into magnificent giant bears, white and brown, both the size of a horse!" William mimed being a bear and growled at one child near the front who giggled in return.

"Then there was Daralis, a keen-eyed archer who could shoot a target from a mile away! He flitted from tree to tree with ease and was a sturdy fellow, The Changer gave him the mountainous north-west lands, full of mountains and valleys, and gave him the form of a majestic giant eagle." William pretended to shoot a bow and waved his arms like an eagle, "soaring" them over the childrens' heads."The fourth hero was Olin, a fiercely loyal knight who had stayed by his lord's side right until the end and was an impressive fighter, and could fight in any conditions with his light armour. The Changer gave him the form of a dog, loyal and fierce, and the lands of the lower midlands and higher southland." William barked like a dog at a child who proclaimed Olin was his favourite and put a hand on his heart in a show of loyalty."Then the fifth came forward. His name was Alfrin, and he was the wisest of all. A practitioner of the ancient powers of the land, our old version of magic, and had slithered amongst our magic-using enemy and attacked them from within. His given form was an amazing winged serpent, and The Changer gave him the midland marshes." William wiggled like a snake as he said it and dropped his voice to an enthusiastic whisper."A form of a mighty bay horse with eyes like lightning was given to the sixth hero, Terris!" William suddenly shouted dramatically and the children jumped in surprise, and grinned as they realised what was coming next. William trotted to either side of the fireplace like a horse and the girl at the door couldn't help letting out a laugh, but it was lost over the laughter of the children. 

William stopped in front of the fire and continued the tale, flourishing two imaginary swords as he did."Now Terris was a flame-haired man with two swords he could shwish as fast as lightning! He was best when on his warrior horse, Streyker, and it was Streyker's form that The Changer gave him, along with the plains of the south-west. The seventh hero stepped forward and it was an unexpected one indeed! For his name was Cynric, a mere merchant from a humble market town near the sea. But he was very wily and clever, he had cunningly used his resources of merchandise on the battlefield to gain both sides' armour and so helped Alfrin bring the westernmen down from inside, and survive the war. So The Changer gave him the form of a rat, of changeable size, and the small remaining land of the east." William mimed scratching like a rat and scrunched his nose up before bringing his hands together sombrely. "And so ends our tale..." The children suddenly cried out in protest and reminded him of the eighth king he had missed.

 The girl at the door gave up hiding, in a rather uncomfortable position too, and used the noise as a distraction to tiptoe barefoot into the stone-floored room behind them. William said nothing to give her away but tapped his wrist subtly, raising his eyebrow and shaking his head in disapproval. His eyes gave him away though as they lit up and crinkled at the sight of her.

She shrugged and smiled slightly as she curled up in an armchair on the opposite side of the room from him.

He started to motion something to her but the impatient children tugged his trouser leg and he gave in to their demands.

"Oh of course, the eighth king, how could I have forgotten?" William relaxed back into his enthusiastic storytelling voice and the children were enchanted into silence once again, albeit after tutting at him. "For the eighth king was the greatest king of all, or so we say in Roldor, as our very own king is descended from him! His name was Raul, hair as black as the midnight sky and eyes as blue and piercing as a wolfs. He was a very great and noble warrior who had won the last battle with his mighty sword, Golvyre, and a very sharp mind for the battlefield. The Changer gave him the vast woodlands of the west, reign over all in the country and the form of a giant black wolf!" William howled like a wolf and then pulled the little boy, Simon, back onto his knee and all the children gathered closer to hear the end. "And so it was, the eight kings, the Eldren, ruled over our land and made it prosper once more, and then they passed their abilities down to their children and they passed it to theirs. To this day we still celebrate them on Eldrenas Day and thank the gods for our rulers' unique shapeshifting powers-"

"Don't forget the Fordren, Liam, wouldn't want the children to think that the Rats were so innocent." The girl suddely interrupted with a teasing look on her face.

"No we wouldn't would we Eva." William replied and rolled his eyes.

"Please Willyam who are the Fordren?" A child asked with wide eyes.

William sighed and with a worried glance at the clock quickly continued. "The Fordren are the other heroes The Changer honoured with land and forms, they were...not as fortunate as the Eldren and their lines were cut off, whether by death and the lack of an heir or by being vanquished by another Eldren. For the rats weren't happy with their small land and sought to expand their reign, they fought long and hard with the weaker Fordren and eventually defeated them, making their land almost as big as the Wolfs and to this day have made it a very succesful trade county. Now I think it's time for you all to go to bed-"

"Oh please William we want to know who the Fordren were!" The children protested and moaned tiredly when he ushered them out of the room.

"No, another time maybe. Now off to bed before Mrs Grimshaw finds you." William insisted and began shooing them out and walked over to Eva, weaving between the feet-dragging children. "You're back early." He said in a questioning tone and kissed her softly."But early's still too long." He sighed and hugged her, snuggling his head in her hair until they were broken apart by a young girl grinning smugly and singing "William and Eva sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-"

"Madeline off to bed" William growled softly and pushed her towards the door.

"We'd better make sure they actually get to bed, the Grim sounds grouchy today." Eva smirked and returned the questioning look to William as she picked up Eleanor. Usually Eleanor would be helped by her fellow orphans but today they forgot in the rush.

"And how exactly would you know that, Evalina? Just how long were you standing there?" He retorted and cocked his eyebrow even higher.

"Long enough to know you're winding her up to the heavens again." Eva replied evenly and sighed as they walked back into the hall. "She keeps us here because she couldn't look after the children herself-" William snorted but shut up when Eva gave him a sharp look at him interrupting her. "But it's true she could throw us out at any minute as we're beyond the age limit now, or remove our food-"

"Eva, Eva, you worry too much-" William interrupted again."I'm just *saying*" Eva scowled again at the interruption. "You should at least give her *some* leeway to grind her jaw at the daily stuff she works herself into, without you twisting her beyond sanity everyday and making it worse for the children!" Eva insisted.

"Fine. Well it's only me she can take it out on, and the cow's scared witless of me now since I beat that blacksmith beef over at the inn last week, I can go without a few scraps of mouldy leftover bread for a few days don't worry." William replied sarcastically as they walked up the stairs next to the living room door.

"W-what? You beat McKully up?!" Eva stammered. "You idiot he's twice the size of-"

"And I'm fine. He was abusing his horses in public, the oaf deserved what he got." William said firmly. "As for the old cow, well let's just say I'm paying her back for those scars on my back when she used to work me half to death." He continued and jutted his lower jaw as he always does when in a stubborn mood. "I won't be here long anyway for her to punish me." He muttered under his breath but Eva heard anyway.

"What do you mean? Don't tell me Patrick gave you a bonus for Eldrenas, he's barely scraping by himself in this weather-" Eva asked worridly.

William quickly glanced up and bit his lip, frowning guiltily. "No no nothing like that...I'll tell you later." He swiftly avoided the question and changed the subject as they turned the second corner of the winding stairs. "But *you* are avoiding the question."

"Me?" Eva asked in confusion as she ducked Eleanor's head beneath a low lamp on the faded green-wallpapered walls.

"Yes you, you still haven't told me why you're back so early. A trip to Crymorn's markets and back in eight days, you could have stayed out there for weeks and you know it." He walked backwards up the stairs and slowed her down so he could see her reply.

"Well the Dorlis Pass was getting snowed in before I got there, I didn't want to risk having to go through the North country..." Eva hesitated and fiddled with a sleepy Eleanor's hair.

"Yes, and?" William prompted, frowning.

"Well there was word amongst travellers and innkeepers that a war's brewing. Bigger than the last one, and that....that our King is dying. You know what his brother, the Lord of Crymorn is like, I didn't want to risk being caught away from Roldor in the midst of any conflict. The roads are getting wild too, wild animals driven out of their homes." Eva dropped her voice as if she didn't want Eleanor to hear. "Liam what's going on? I thought we won the battle with the South?" Eva asked worridly, her usual fiesty and mature look, founded from years of looking after children from a young age, dropped from her face and as she bit her lip a look that can only be described as vulnerability passed over her elegant long-nosed face.

"We did, Eva, we did..." William shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground, his brow creasing with worry as he obviously held something back.

"Liam what is it? I also heard a soldier say we face becoming one of the Fordren, but we have five princes, that can't be possible!...can it?" Eva looked at him with wide eyes, shaking her head as she realised what was coming.

"...Eva, they're dead." William softly admitted, still staring at the wooden floor.

"But that means...Lord Rethan will be our King? That's not possible, the man's evil Liam. You haven't seen the Rat city. There's a reason Crymorn is the most successful trades city in the country, Rethan works them to death, even the children!" Eva hissed and Eleanor grumbled at being disturbed from her sleep, and snuggled deeper into Eva's arms.

"I know I know, Eva it'll be fine, we're going to fight him, that tyrant won't put a foot in Roldor while the king still breathes. Look we can't talk about this now, the Grim will-" William winced as the inevitable screeching from the next flight up started.

"Wiiiiiilliaaaam!" Mrs Grimshaw shrilled.

"Come on." He said grimly and pulled Eva up the stairs behind him.

"William! What are these rrrrodents doing out of bed, and outside my door?!" Mrs Grimshaw continued screeching. "Wiiili- oh there you are, finally." She huffed as she saw William come up the stairs. "Oh Evalina you're here too, late as usual." She sniffed, despite the fact Eva had returned a week earlier than usual. "Come, I need to speak with you. Give the child to William-" She waved her hand daintily at Eleanor and Eva reluctantly handed her over to him.

"William get these children out of my sight, their feet thundering on the stairs are like a thousand ellyfans to my delicate ears." Mrs Grimshaw pulled a face like she smelled something awful.

"Elephants I think you mean Deirdre, and don't worry you won't hear a squeak out of these children tonight." William winked at her and as she stood working her jaw in shock and outrage at him using her first name. He pulled Eva in for a quick kiss, relishing Mrs Grimshaw's suddenly purple outraged face.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, The Wolfs Snout" William whispered in Eva's ear as she smiled and shook her head in disdain. William quickly ushered the children to their rooms upstairs and grinned at Mrs Grimshaw again before he turned the corner. Mrs Grimshaw suddenly got control of herself back and gave a mighty harrumph as she marched Eva into her office across the small landing.

Eva stood in the doorway of Mrs Grimshaws office and observed her surroundings, it was only recently that Mrs Grimshaw had started to invite her in to send her on errands around the country as she couldn't be bothered going herself. The stark comparison of the room to the rest of the orphanage caught Eva out every time. Whereas the orphanage wallpaper was faded and dull the office was painted a deep purple with half dark wood panels, and rich velvet burgandy curtains hung over the clean windows. The furniture was a quality mahogany and the seating was comfortabley cushioned and deep red. Many trinkets, jewels and expensive-looking objects were sprawled across the room and Mrs Grimshaw was obviously better off than she let on.

"Well do stop dawdling girl, sit down!" Mrs Grimshaw motiones towards the wooden chair in front of her desk, having sat down in her own lavishly cushioned chair behind it herself. Eva sat down hesitantly on the chair and boredly studied the woman herself as she waffled on about the trade Eva made in Cyrmoran.

Mrs Grimshaw was a woman in her forties who seemed to be quite fond of the colour purple. She wore her frizzy grey-streaked creamy blonde hair in a bun, adorned with a pearl hair clip. She was one of the few people in the city who wore the new and expensive glasses, made by magicians from overseas who the country was now allied with. She doesn't need glasses, in fact they're fake, she just thinks they make her look smart and expensive. As usual she wears a high-collared dress with black beads, a purple dress this time. She has small grey eyes like an owl, her nose is small and stubby with thin pursed lips, but is just taller than Eva much to her satisfaction.

"Well girl did you hear me?" She demanded and Eva focused on her dazily.

"I'm sorry wha-"

"Honestly, late and a daydream. I said where's the money girl, from the trade?" Mrs Grimshaw said impatiently.

"Oh! Uh right here." Eva pulled a pouch of money out of her pocket and Mrs Grimshaw grabbed it eagerly, counting every last piece of gold.

"I count 36, 36 gold for a roll of pure Alvenian silk? What do they think we are, money trees?" Mrs Grimshaw tutted and quickly pocketed the money. It was twice as much as what she'd asked for and the silk was fake."Well now, what are we going to do with you?" Mrs Grimshaw asked herself tiredly and studied Eva's skinny but fit figure up and down. "Now William's going, you obviously can't fight, you're a woman!" She laughed haughtily. "Nobody on earth would want to take something as scrawny and gangly as you on...no you'll just have to stay with me, such is my good heart." She sighed dramatically and put her hand on her heart, despite the fact that the only reason she kept Eva and William on was so she wouldn't have to do a scrap of work herself.

"What do you mean Mrs Grimshaw?" Eva asked in confusion. "I know William's been...out of sorts lately but surely-"

"Oh no I have no choice in the matter. Didn't you hear me before? The royal roll-call is only a day away and William is of age. I can't say I'm sorry to see the little runt go though personally, no decorum whatsoever." Mrs Grimshaw rattled on.

"Roll-call?" Eva stuttered in shock.

"Well yes. Did you not know? And I thought you would with being travelling and all!" Mrs Grimshaw laughed in her pretentiously posh voice.

"Know what?" Eva asked urgently, William's guilty look before suddenly make sense.

"Why, we are at war my dear! Or soon to be anyway. The princes are dead, our king is dying and suddenly everybody is panicking about the Rat Lord Rethan being king. I don't see why myself, he seems to have managed his own lands perfectly, and much more profitable than ours too. But yes back to the point, apparently our troops suffered from the late war with those silly men down south who thought they could take our land, and the army needs all able male citizens to take arms and protect our country from Rethan, should he make a move. Perfectly simple." Mrs Grimshaw finished lightly but Eva's face had drained of all colour as she realised what she meant, William was going to war.

"My you're as pale as that blasted snow girl, get to bed immediately, I no longer recquire your presence." Mrs Grimshaw shooed her out and locked the door behind her.

Eva slowly made her way up the staircase to her room in the attic. William and her used to share a room but when they turned 15 Mrs Grimshaw made a strict rule about "No hanky-pankying or funny business" and no room sharing. William had found it hilarious and that's when he started kissing her to wind Mrs Grimshaw up. They didn't love eachother, not in that way, and had never spoken of it, but Eva sometimes found herself doubting if it wasn't just a pretense after all. She hesitated as she passed William's door on the third floor but decided to leave him, he had an early shift at The Wolfs Snout (Patrick's inn) and it wasn't wise to disturb him, not with Mrs Grimshaw in the house anyway.

Eva went up one final staircase, much thinner than the rest, and opened the trapdoor at the top with her hands, not bumping her head into it for once. Her rectangular slanting attic room was pretty makeshift, with dark wooden floor and walls, random pieces of old carpets strewn around, a squeaky bed shoved next to the left wall with a ratty quilt Mrs Grimshaw had thrown out years ago, a dresser on the slanting right wall with boots lying around it. But Eva's favourite part of the room was the round window at the end of the room. It wasn't particularly big but it had a spectacular view of the castle far above, it was her favourite spot and had her bursting bookshelf, end table and chair right next to it.

Finally alone Eva cried out in frustration and threw a random boot at the wall. It bounced off the end table and knocked it over, the contents spilling all over the floor. Eva groaned and began to pick her paper, inkwell and other tidbits up when she saw a sparkling blue amulet on the floor twinkling in the moonlight from her window. She had been found with the amulet when she was left at the orphanage's doorstep at just 3 years old. Mrs Grimshaw had called it a fake and left her with it but Eva treasured it and used a shoelace as a chain, but rarely wore it for fear of it being stolen. It was half the size of her hand and shaped like a teardrop, and the exact same blue as her eyes. She held it up to the window and let the light from the full moon shine through it, blue shards of light dancing around her room and on the walls of the opposite houses outside. She began to relax in its light but then suddenly a high pitched scream sounded from outside, it sounded like a rat's but it was surely too loud. Eva covered the jewel in shock and laughed at herself for imagining things, but decided to keep the amulet close around her neck just in case.

She slept restlessly that night, dreaming of screaming rats and giant wolf kings.

A lone figure stood in one of the large arched windows of the castle's east wing hallway. He was fairly young, in his mid twenties, but with a look of someone dreading the moment he was broken from his reverie. He was obviously ranked fairly high in the army -or at least a correspondant for the crown- by his black, blue and silver lined uniform but was picking at it as if he was uncomfortable with the finery. His handsome brow was creased with worry and was just about to gulp back the contents of his wine glass in one when a blinding blue light suddenly flashed from a house near the city's outer walls and flooded the hall with blue light. He recoiled in shock and spat out his drink just as a faint high-pitched squeal echoed from outside, the light stopped just as soon as it had started.

"What in Raul's name..." The man started and tried to figure out which house the light had come from.

"Loran! Please Captain Loran sir!" A castle messenger suddenly appeared at the top of the hallway and began descending the blue-carpeted stone stairs, his blue and black robes fluttering about around him and nearly tripping him up.

The man at the window quickly looked up and abandoned his wine glass on a nearby glass table, walking over to the messenger as fast as he could without running.

"Peyton what is it?" He asked quickly.

"Alfren sir, he's speaking to the king, and has requested yours and Sevorn's presence immediately" Peyton panted.

"The wizard? Oh gods save me." Loran buried his head in his hand briefly. "I'll go immediately, feel free to take my wine Peyton" Loran clapped him on the back and took off running towards the stairs.

"Thank you sir" Peyton said with a puff of breath and collapsed into the couch Loran had been standing near, drowning the wine in one.

"Come on Loran, it doesn't do to keep the King waiting." Said a man robed in the colours of Roldor, but with the symbol of a magician on his chest, as Captain Loran bounded up the final stairs to the king's quarters, slightly out of puff.

"In fact I'd be surprised if His Most Royal Highness hadn't dropped off back into a far more beneficial snooze while waiting for you." He continued as Loran puffed up beside him, glaring at the magician but too breathless to speak.

The large iron-bolted wooden door behind the magician opened and a well-dressed man with the black and silver cloak of someone close to the king, in this case his advisor, walked out.

"Loran, Sevorn, finally. The king wishes to speak with us." He said in an even, graceful manner. The man was well into his sixties but still had a commanding aura about him, and the posture and look of someone who could disarm a soldier in seconds.

"I'm sorry for the delay Alfren, Loran here thought it wise to take a tour around the castle before he got here." The magician, Sevorn, said lightly and swished back his immaculate shoulder-length black hair, then quickly muttered a spell under his breath and hovered through the open door.

"Oh shut up you floating fairy, it's something we call feet, ever heard of them?" Loran retorted and stormed in after him. Alfren sighed and promptly followed them, looking around the hall first before bolting the door behind him.

"Floating fairy? Paha that must be your best yet Lorrie, well done. Hey page, go get Loran a medal for-" Sevorn said sarcastically to a page next to the door.

"Both of you stop this inane banter, do you remember who we are in the company of?" Alfren hissed before Loran could reply to Sevorn's jibes. The two backed down as they realised what Alfren meant, both looking a bit sheepish and watched from a few steps behind as Alfren approached the bed-ridden king.

The room itself was modest for a king, he had been moved there after his sons' deaths for better security. The walls were made of a dark wood, the floor too but with a deep deep blue carpet. On the walls hung the banner of Roldor, a rich blue rectangle with a W tail and embroidered with silver, the center or the banner was the side profile of a noble black wolfs head, supposedly the one of Eldren King Raul. The room had a few lanterns and globes of light on stands scattered around (they had abandoned indoor torches when magical light was realised, so much more practical and less smokey) but they were weak and the main light came in from the large circular window next to the kings bed. The bed was a single one, but a reasonable size, and was made of oak, the duvet a medium blue and the pillow and sheets an off-white linen.Beside it was a dark oak drawer and it was on this that Alfren laid his hand as he kneeled on one knee before the king, frantically motioning for the others to do so too when he realised they were still standing behind him.

"We are here, your majesty." He said, bowing his head low.

The king himself lay on the bed, only slightly propped up by a few pillows. His once pitch black chin-length hair now streaked with silver spread out on the pillow next to him. His body was weakened by the blood loss from his severe chest wound and his skin practically grey.He slowly turned his once-handsome head to Alfren and wearily opened his mouth to say:

"I can see that Alfren. My body may be failing me but I'm not blind." He said half irritably and half amused at Loran and Sevorn's surprised looks.

"I-I-I yes sir, sorry-" Alfren stammered slightly, taken aback by King Jonath's quick sprightly tone compared to the hoarse and weary one he'd heard before.

The king looked at the three men, still kneeling, and rolled his pirercing blue eyes. "Oh *get up*, honestly how many times have I told you Alfren, you do not kneel for me, you are as much an equal to me as my closest friend." He insisted and Alfren was up surprisingly quick for his age, and elbowed Loran and Sevorn as they smirked behind his back.

"Thank you sir. There was something you wished to discuss with these...amateurs? We have already spoken of Reethan-"

"Yes now, what are your names gentlemen?" The king cut Alfren off and directed the question at Loran and a rather huffed Sevorn at being called "amateurs".

"They are Lucas Sevorn and-" Alfren butted in before one of the others could respond, but was cut off by Loran.

"Loran, just Loran. Your highness." Loran said quickly and added the formality when Alfren glared at him.

"Very well Lucas Sevorn and, Loran..." The king raised an eyebrow curiosly at the latter as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Is this about that flash of blue light?..Your highness." Loran squeaked the last part slightly as Alfren stamped on his foot subtly.

"Yes," The king sighed and coughed slightly. "A magician, a soldier and an experienced ex-soldier scholar. You should do-" The king suddenly burst into a fierce coughing fit, blood appearing in the corner of his mouth and Alfren immediately called the doctor over.

"I can't do anything, he's bleeding from the inside!" The young doctor cried in despair as he frantically tried to staunch the wound.

"If I may," Sevorn drawled, pushing his sleeves up and pushed the doctor aside. The rest of the room watched in silence as he flexed his fingers and began muttering to himself as he waved his hands over the kings chest in some complex spell, a pure pale blue light trailing from his fingers. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as he finished the spell and the room gave a sigh of relief as the king breathed evenly once again. "It's been a while since I did that." Sevorn said tiredly to Loran as the latter looked at him in awe.

"You don't say." Loran said in jest as he handed Sevorn a hankerchief.

"Alfren..." The king whispered hoarsely and beckoned him over.

"Yes my lord?" Alfren said as he bent down to the king. Loran and Sevron listened closely as the king grasped Alfren's hand and whispered in his ear: "The light...there is...another..." The king wheezed and dropped his head back against the pillow.

"Another what my lord?" Alfren asked urgently but the king just repeated it to himself and slipped into unconsciousness.

"The king needs his rest, I think you should go now." Said a healing mage who had just entered the room, with the look of someone far more experienced than the last doctor.

"Very well." Alfren huffed, not used to being told what to do, and beckoned Loran and Sevorn to follow him out of the room.

"Another? Another what? Another star, another pillow, another pompous wizard - it could be anything!" Loran ranted and threw his hands in the air when they'd reached the left wing hall, Alfren quickly shut the doors at either end.

"Maybe to a gormless soldier." Sevorn threw back, not taking kindly to being called a wizard - a man who does cheap tricks and marvels with weak purchased magic for entertainment.

"Calm down men, we need to think clearly. Obviously the king must have needed us to work together for something important, but why he wanted two bickering ragtags like you I have no idea." Alfren said as he strided back from closing the south door. "So we will work together" Alfren stressed as they continued glaring at eachother. Loran and Sevorn frowned but grudgingly muttered in agreement. Alfren sighed and paced the space between the arch window next to them.

"Obviously it was something to do with that flash of blue light, did either of you see where it came from?" Alfren asked sharply after a moment of thought.

"The west quarter of the outer city walls, I saw it from my room." Sevorn replied frowning in concern.

"The western quarter? What could possibly be of interest there? It's not wealthy at all, and the crime is centered in the east, not the west..." Alfren frowned, resumed started pacing and they fell silent again."There was also that squeal after it, didn't you hear it?" Loran asked.

Alfren and Sevorn looked up at him sharply. "A squeal?" Alfren enquired.

"Yes like a rat, but far too loud to be one surely..." Loran faded off and his hazel eyes widened as it dawned on them. 

"Only the Eldran rats squeal that loud." Alfren said in dread.

"Surely not Rethan, he wouldn't dare come near the city after he practically murdered Prince Jaysen." Sevorn insisted.

"No no not Rethan, he hasn't got the balls." Alfren snapped quickly. ""There is another", the light... of course, soldier rats!" Alfren grinned in realization.

"I thought we purged them out after the death of Jaysen, what's the light got to do with them?" Loran asked in confusion.

"Honestly, soldiers" Sevorn rolled his eyes and sighed. "Soldier rats, or any other type of Eldren form, are vassals of an Eldren lord who have been given access to a weaker version of their lords power, via a crystal. Usually a gemstone with magical capabilities, typically an Eddastone. It's like a diamond or quartz but opaque and slightly murky. But there have been other rarer coloured crystals-" He explained.

"-And so the blue light, I wouldn't be surprised if Rethan had got his hands on them." Alfren finished. 

"So...these soldier rats, the king thinks there is "another", and wants us to hunt it down?" Loran asked, finally catching on.

"So it seems." Alfren sighed. "Bloody Rats, what is Rethan up to...well we can begin the search in the morning. I suggest you two get some rest, it's going to be a long day tomorrow." Alfren clapped Loran on the back and went towards the north door with Sevorn, Loran's quarters being in the barracks outside the castle.

Loran took one last glance out of the window he'd seen the blue light in, frowned in thought and went out of the south door, the sound of it slamming shut echoing through the hall. 

A biting wind whistled through the midday streets of Roldor's lower western quarter. Snow from the previous night blew around in mini whirlwinds, battered against the doors and rattled the windows of the closely-packed houses and stores. Barely a single soul was in sight as they all sheltered from the cold and peered from their windows in curiosity at the sudden abundance of guards that marched through the streets.

It was on the corner of a usually busy street that the weather-worn and slightly scruffy inn, The Wolfs Snout lay. It was usually a busy local hotspot but today the vast amount of soldiers passing through the streets had scared the usual folk off. The interior of the inn was chipped, worn, stained and homely.

The warm wooden beams from the front door immediately led to a wooden bar table that had seen better times and mustn't be a very comfortable pillow for the inns only occupant, a snoozing young man. His shortly cut dark brown hair spilled over his arms as he rested his head in them. He'd fallen asleep with a cleaning cloth in his hand.

The heat from the nearby fire made the air overbearingly stifling and for the first time in a while the inn could be called tranquil. That is, until a girl with pitch black hair and a faded burgundy dress that fell just above her ankles stormed in and thudded her hands on the space in front of the young man.

"Roll call?!" Eva practically shouted, the light of the fire next to her dancing in her piercing blue eyes.

William's head suddenly shot up and he winced at the sudden intake of light.

"Liam why in Rauls name did you not mention this?!" She demanded as William squinted at her, trying to adjust his eyes to the light.

"What? Eva quiet down..." William mumbled, his voice heavy with sleep and rubbed his hands over his face. Eva huffed and tapped her foot as she watched William splashed water on his face from a bucket behind him and went over to the fire to stoke it down.

"Well?" She asked him impatiently as he finished.

"Ok ok I should have told you. I was going to I just didn't know how-" William said with a conflicted look on his face.

"Oh it's quite simple. Just give it to me straight, "I'm sorry Eva and I know we've been friends for fourteen years but now I'm going to die in a war because some twisted bastard wants more power, and only told me at the last minute!"" She said sarcastically in a biting tone, her voice raising in volume again.

William winced and glanced at her guiltily. "Eva it's not like that..well it is but just...not here ok? Patrick'll be in in a minute, wait at the table over there, I'll be as quick as possible I promise." He said distractedly as a group of rowdy soldiers burst through the front door, demanding drinks. William quickly herded them over to the bar and yelled for Patrick. He didn't notice another set of dark-brown leather-clad soldiers slip in behind them and take a table the other side of the room to Eva's. She did though and looked away as they slid past her.

"He told us to watch the western quarter, this is in the western quarter, I don't see your problem Billy." One of them grinned to a nervous-looking one and shoved him towards the bar laughing.

Their leader, a handsomely rugged man with a short goatee and dark brown hair in a short ponytail, glanced at her as he walked past and he paused for a moment and frowned in what looked like confusion. Suddenly conscious of the blue amulet underneath the fabric of her dress Eva coughed and covered it by playing with her hair and he quickly moved on.The inn quickly filled with the late afternoon rush of customers and the sun was setting by the time William managed to break away from the bar and let Patrick take the reigns. The entire time Eva noticed the rugged soldier across the room staring at her when she wasn't looking. She subconsciously rubbed the bulge of the amulet beneath her dress and his dark eyes immediately shifted to it.

"Sorry, couldn't get away." William said apologetically as he unceremoniously flopped down into the chair opposite Eva. "Look, Eva, I don't have a choice. Besides I'm nearly twenty now, and you'll be 18 next year...Please if you'll just hear me out, it's complicated...Eva." William pleaded then waved his hand in front of her face and repeated her name as he realised she wasn't listening.

"Sorry, what?" Eva focused back on William but flitted her eyes in the direction of the soldier.

"Distracted already? You looked prepared to tear my face off an hour ago." William said, a bit disgruntled.

"Sorry, but did you see those soldiers slip in before? The ones in the dark leather, the one with the silver amulet hasn't stopped staring at me the entire time they've been here." Eva said and bit her lip as she frowned worriedly.

"Really?" William started to twist around.

"Don't look!" Eva hissed and pulled him back.

"Well I wouldn't think anything of it, you are a particularly striking young woman you know." William toyed with his drink and waggled his eyebrows at her. Eva sighed as it was obvious William wasn't going to take it seriously and tried to forget about the soldier, he did shift his chair a bit so as to block the soldier's view.

"Complicated?" Eva asked skeptically, returning the conversation to the original subject.

"Well yes, with the prince's death last week-" William started.

"Wait, which prince? I haven't heard anything for three weeks-" Eva stopped him and he returned the favour.

"How can you not know? Everybody's talking about it!" William said.

"There aren't many messengers on the country roads, Liam" Eva said pointedly and scowled. "Especially not lately..."

"Alright sorry." William raised his hands in surrender and sighed as he clasped them together on the table. "Well it's like this, in the recent war with the Cheetahs in the south three of the five princes were killed. (eldest name), (second eldest name) and (youngest name). Very tragic of course but that's war. But then in the last battle the king was gravely injured. It looked bad but then the Cheetahs offered a truce as their army was nearly flattened, despite being larger. Very odd but naturally we accepted, as we had only a third of our troops left." William paused as a man walked past and resumed when he'd gone.

"That was nearly three weeks ago. Then the last prince, Jaysen, died suspiciously two weeks ago. The official reason is an "accident" but..." William leaned in closer to Eva. "Word is among the guards passing through here that Rethan's rat soldiers were very... active in this city around then, and everyone know how much Rethan wants his brother's throne, Jaysen dying removed the last threat...it's obvious he killed him if you look closely." William leaned back again and crossed his arms.

Eva nodded that she understood. "But what about Prince Rowan? You said all the princes were dead." She asked.

"Ah, well that's an interesting one. Rowan disappeared in battle, presumably taken as a prisoner of war and is assumed dead. It's been a year since he officially disappeared apparently, not even the Cheetas know what became of him if you go by their word but whatever happened, he's not going to be alive." William finished. "Why?" He asked when he noticed Eva's dejected face.

"Nothing, it's just sad really. I met him once when the family was parading through the city years ago, he'd got bored and snuck off to explore. He found me trying to break into McKully's house to retake my amulet when he stole it and Rowan found me, trying to jump over the wall of McKully's garden. He could've got the guards but he helped me instead, I think he found it fun. He must've been 14 at the time." Eva told him and smiled slightly, but then focused back on William as she remembered her original question. "But you still haven't told me why there's this roll-call, or why you didn't tell me it's tomorrow!" She fired at him."Well you've been away the entire time I knew - and I didn't really have time with the Grim firing at us, come on Eva you can understand that right?" William quickly added as she scowled even more and did a soppy wide-eyed face.

Eva rolled her eyes and sighed, but her anger melted at the sight of his ridiculous expression. "Fine, but that still doesn't explain why you have to go." She said pointedly.William exhaled deeply and chose his words carefully. "Well our army was hammered by the war with the south, we have barely any troops left and the commanders need the citizens to give what they can, be it arm, shield, leg, anything." He paused to take a breath. "Nobody wants Rethan to become king, he's a twisted money-making bastard and he's a Rat. With the king dying without an heir the Wolves would become one of the Fordren, a thing for forgotten bar tales and another people absorbed by the Rats." He practically spat the Rats' name and started passionately: "We are not going to let that happen Eva, we will fight him. *That's* why there's a roll-call, we can't let Raul's legacy fade into nothing without a fight."

Eva laughed nervously in a short bark. "But William you're a bard, a musician, a storyteller! The only swordsplay you know is imaginary ones. And the citizens, they are just that, shopkeepers, stablehands and farmers, they do not know the ways of war." Eva said desperately.

"Well then we can learn." William said stubbornly and crossed his arms again. Before Eva could respond a friend of William's came over and grabbed him by the arm.

"Come on William, we can't let your pretty young lady have you all night, we need some music to get our feet stomping!" The rest of the inn cheered as he dragged him over to the fireplace at the back of the inn. William also grabbed Eva and pulled her with him to the closer wall around the corner, shrugging in helplessness.

"And not one of your new soppy ones either, something old and with a beat!" Someone shouted and was met with cheers of agreement.

"Oh very well you tasteless louts." William sighed and fiddled with the strings of a lute someone handed him. It was his usual act, but Eva knew he loved every second of the attention.

After some initial grumbles and mucking about William burst into a traditional cheery, and slightly ridiculous, song about a drunken soldier falling for an enemy soldier he mistaked for a woman, mocking the helmet plumes of the Horses. Everyone was clapping along, even the leather-clad soldiers Eva was now much closer to. Eva found herself clapping and laughing along too as William stomped his way through a song about theRats' greed and killing of the Fordren to get more land.

"And now for something more tasteful." William announced and slurred a bit, having had drink after drink offered to him by the inn's patrons. He started off slowly, singing of a maiden he once knew and described her hair. Then he suddenly burst into a lively jig with his lute and a girl with a fiddle joined in.

The entire inn was soon clapping along to William singing of a girl who once was the queen of his heart, until she chucked a pail of water over his head and opened his eyes. In the middle of the song he let the girl with the fiddle take over and he suddenly grabbed Eva and began dancing with her in the middle of the inn.

"I don't dance!" She protested and pulled back half-heartedly."Of course you do!" William shouted over the voices of the drinking and singing men and started spinning her around grinning. Eva grinned back and began to let herself go when suddenly she bent forward and her amulet fell out of her dress and freely dangled from her neck. She saw the rugged soldier immediately focus on it in alarm and said something quickly to his men.

Eva began to pull away from William when a group of 4 thuggish young men burst through the door and started towards William.

"Pssst Will, out the back." William's golden-curly-haired friend tapped him on the shoulder and nodded towards the door behind the bar. "McKully's thugs, they don't look like they want to request a song if you catch my drift." He murmured. William looked up and saw the thugs."Thanks Jack, lets go." William patted Jack on the back and led Eva quickly around the back.

McKully's friends cursed as they lost sight of him and dashed back out the front door, Eva noticed the rugged soldiers quickly followed them with a glance back at her.

"Well that was close." William said lightly as they stepped out into the street behind the inn. The freezing air seemed to sober him up a bit.

"I told you you shouldn't have beat up McKully." Eva chastised and pulled her coat closer around her.

"He isn't as hard to beat as he looks, his friends however...Well I'll be gone tomorrow-"

"Speaking of that we should get back before the Grim realises we've gone, not that Rosie isn't responsible enough to look over the others at 13." Eva said.

"Good point." William replied and they began walking quickly down the right road at the T junction next to the inn.

"There he is!" A greasy brown-haired boy Eva recognised as McKully's best friend shouted as they walked in his direction. William cursed as his three friends quickly joined him and turned around to go down the left road instead.

"Bloody Henrick, he's as quick and tough as he looks. Makes up for McKully's thick skull." William muttered grimly to Eva then cursed again as McKully himself and four more friends blocked their way down the left road.

"Can't even sum up the courage to fight me yourself Kully?" William called as he backed Eva up.

"What makes you think I want a fair fight you wussy dancing poet? I'm going to punch you into death's arms and back, William." McKully sneered and got right into William's face, Eva could smell his foul drunken breath from behind him.

"Liam you can't let these thugs beat you up, come on." Eva hissed and tried to pull him back down the south road but Henrick soon stopped her and grasped her from behind.

"Oh no Eva, little "Liam" is staying right where he is." McKully sneered wider and motioned to Henrick to hold her tighter.

"Get off her!" William spat and launched for Henrick but McKully held him back as he struggled.

"Haha you're not going to touch her again, Willy." McKully breathed into his ear, making him struggle even more. "But don't say I'm not a fair man, your little lady can go, we'll be finished with you by the time she gets the guards anyway." McKully grinned and nodded at Henrick to let her go. "Or... she can have a head-start before we come for her anyway." McKully and his friends roared with laughter.

"Eva run, the orphans need someone still breathing properly to look after them anyway." William smiled weakly and grimaced as he struggled with McKully's thick arm around his throat.

"No way I can leave you here!" Eva protested but eyed McKully's menacingly grinning friends wearily as they ran their eyes down her body. One of them strided over to her and stroked her hair, and then began to slide his hand down to her chest and waist as another came up and blocked her from behind.

William suddenly kicked McKully in the balls and broke away as he keeled over wheezing, grabbed Eva and quickly kissed her.

"Run." He insisted and pushed her away just as he turned around to punch a thug in the face.

Eva staggered back and saw William try to keep them off in vain, McKully soon delivered a heavy blow to the side of his face and William snapped back, blood beginning to run down his face. She looked down the right road briefly to see the shifty soldiers from before watching the fight from a distance, the leader looked straight at her.

As she turned back to the fight a thug on the edge of it puckered his lips and made a kissing sound at her, winked and punched William in the gut.

Right then something snapped in her, she started breathing heavily and a boiling rage surged through her, rising to her head and suddenly a blinding pain burst in her head. Eva cried and staggered back, she opened her eyes to see the soldiers staring at her but oddly more clearer. A strange sensation passed through her body like she was being stretched and found her field of vision was rising and stopped at the height of about 8 foot. Her eyes were quicker and she quickly flitted them to the right to see that the soldiers were now staring at her in amazement, she could even hear them. "But...how can she have done that? The king doesn't give the Eldran power to his soldiers anymore-" A soldier asked with his eyes wide.

"But that was some kind of Eddastone." Another replied in confusion.

"That was no Eddastone." Richard said half eagerly, half shocked. "Get the boss, quickly!" He hissed at them.

"But Richard he's killing the-" One protested."I don't care, he's dying anyway, this is far more important." Richard replied and backed away from Eva even more as he stared at her again slightly slack-jawed and two of his men ran off to get "the boss".

Eva lifted her hand in confusion and felt that her muscles were much bigger and stronger, rippling with power and covered in jet black fur. She yelped as she saw her hand was now a paw three times the size of her normal hand, with sharp black claws to boot

.She snapped her eyes back to the fight in front of her as one of them whimpered and saw that they were no longer beating William up, just staring at her in utter fear.

"W-w-werewolf!!" One of them screamed and ran off as fast as he could, moving to reveal William's half-unconscious body.

The others suddenly were jerked into action and ran screaming like girls as Eva howled and began throwing them away from William, the one who groped her was the first to feel her powerful jaws.

She panted as the last one was tthrown away and ran off screaming. She was standing there not sure how to move William without hurting him with her claws when Richard spoke again.

"She doesn't know her own strength, get her." Richard said as he observed her and drew his sword.

Eva whimpered in fear and looked back from William to the soldiers conflictedly, but ultimately decided William could take care of himself when he awoke. She turned her tail and ran down the south road on all fours like the fully transformed Rat Lord himself and his army were behind her.

"Go west! You can block her off at the castle!" Was the last thing she heard Richard shout but within seconds they were out of earshot even for her keen ears.

Eva twisted and turned through the streets of Roldor in a blind fear, not knowing where she was going or what in The Changer's name had happened to her. She ran too quickly for any citizens to focus on her in the black night, not that there were any out to see her anyway.

She lost track of time as she ran, not caring about anything other than to escape what had happened to her. Eventually her fear, shock and anger faded into pure exhaustion as dawn arrived and she slowed into a walk.

Somewhere in the west quarter she turned down a neglected and deserted back street that ended at the city's wall boundary. So tired, she barely noticed as she turned back to normal and collapsed in the bushes next to the wall, the last thing she saw was the hazy pink sky and the fading white circle of the moon before sleep overcame her.

The castle was in uproar the next morning. Stannis Vagaurd, the Captain of The Guard and retired army general, had been murdered in the night right under their noses.

Those with less respect openly muttered amongst themselves about who had done it, and who will take his place. The people with more respect kept quiet and bowed their heads as they walked past the barracks he had died in.

It was in the courtyard archway next to these barracks that Loran stood. His dark blonde hair fluttered out behind him in the early morning breeze and was highlighted by the rising sun. His eyes were stony and face grim as he jogged towards an equally grim Alfren waiting at the steps of the castle.

"By Raul, Olin, Terris and the rest of them, what a mess this is." Alfren said darkly as Loran approached. "Couldn't have been at a worse time too." He added.

Loran just nodded. "Do we know who it was yet?" He asked sombrely.

Alfren looked over his shoulder at some eavesdropping guards and pulled Loran to the side. "Yeees we've got a fair idea." Alfren said and slightly raised his eyebrow. "I can tell you more when the magician gets here but for now, this is the knife Stannis was stabbed with." Alfren said and held out a sharp silver knife with an engraved wooden handle.

Loran took it tentatively and examined the handle. It was quite elaborate with animals in a great battle, at closer inspection it seemed to depict a scene from ancient lore.

"Sorry sorry! Bloody head mage was holding a meeting, couldn't get away." Sevorn grimaced as he huffed over.

"At least you're here now." Alfren said. "I was just showing Loran the knife Stannis was killed with."

Sevorn peered over Loran's shoulder at the knife.

"Isn't that a rat-" Loran started.

"Killing the Fordren." Sevorn finished grimly.

"Reethan" Loran spat through his teeth.

"Certainly looks like it but still-" Alfren said and started to say something else but with a glance at a group of guards behind them who looked far too interested in their nails, changed his mind. "Actually lets go somewhere less, open."

The other two glanced at the guards and caught on immediately.

"The east wing, I have something to show you anyway that will put any questions at rest." Sevorn said uneasily and started hurrying towards the east castle turret door.

Loran shrugged at Alfren and they hurried after him.

"This leads to the kings quarters." Alfren frowned questioningly at Sevorn as they finally reached the top of the winding stone stairs.

"Exactly." Sevorn replied and turned down a long hallway, not noticing a small maid walk out of a door next to him and went straight into her. "Oh sorry Mira, didn't see you there!" He apologised and helped her up.

Mira giggled and brushed herself off. "Oh don't worry Lord Sevorn sir, nobody does!" She grinned. "Oh are you going to the kings quarters? Mrs Harks was going to clean in there, but I told her not to as you'd be going back."

"Thank you Mira." Sevorn said smugly and flipped her a coin before walking on down the hall.

Mira caught it and giggled as Loran passed her. "Captain Loran, Lord Alfren." She bowed her head respectively, and fluttered her eyelashes at Loran.

"Morning Mira." Alfren said to her briskly and pushed Loran forwards.

"I'd be quick if I was you, Ms Hawks isn't the sort to dally!" Mira called back and was met with Sevorn's raised hand of thanks. She smiled to herself before spinning on her heel and going the opposite way.

"Here we are." Sevorn said as he opened the double doors to the kings room and stepped aside to let Alfren and Loran past. 

"By Raul!" Alfren gasped as they walked in.

The entire room was a mess, but the part that stood out the most was the window. The glass was shattered all over the floor and a rope ladder swung from it, firmly attached inside by metal grappling hooks.

Loran quickly went over and leaned out of the window, his boots crunching sharply on the glass. "The shutter has been pulled clean off." He said and carefully drew back, hopping over the biggest pieces of glass. "The ladder drops to the kitchen overhang, it wouldn't've been hard for anyone to get onto that." Loran told them and sighed.

Alfren let out a small sigh of relief. "Reethan for sure then. Thank the gods we moved the king last week. But if he got in, surely he must be somewhere in the cas-"

"The guard who investigated the noise found the doors securely locked. There was no way he could have got out without breaking them, something must have drawn him back." Sevorn interrupted Alfren.

Loran frowned. "But what? With the guards distracted over Stannis it would've been the best opportunity Reethan's ever had to kill the king."

"Well lets hope for our sakes it wasn't as important as he thought. For something to be greater to him than that, I dread to think." Alfren shuddered and they fell into silence as the significance of that sunk in.

They jumped slightly as the healing mage from the night before rapped on the door."Sevorn, Edvard told me you'd be here." He said briskly.

Sevorn stiffened at the casual use of the head mage's first name. "And here I am Artus." He waved his arms dramatically. 

Artus ignored the light jibe and puffed his chest up slightly. "I wanted to know what spell you used on the king the other night." He said slowly as if it caused him great pain.

"Ah, it was a spell I learnt in the war with the Cheetas. If their soldiers were injured they used this spell on them so it would remove all pain and senses from their wounds, basically so they could keep fighting until their wounds overcame their body. Nasty but there it is, I used a weaker temporal version on the king in this case obviously as I thought it would help. Why?" Sevorn asked. 

Artus paused and loosened the neck of his robes. "Well...it's, to a degree... the results are remarkable. We thought it was only a matter of days until he'd die, weeks at the maximum. But with this...Well it wouldn't cure him obviously but the inevitable could be...postponed for a time..." He looked even more uncomfortable and paused.

"Aaaand?" Sevorn asked gleefully, relishing in Artus' discomfort.

"Well we, I, was going to ask if you could...teach..me this spell." Artus sagged slightly as he finally got it out.

"Of *course* I will teach you old chap." Sevorn grinned and clapped him on the back, winking at Alfren and Lucas as he followed the pompous Artus out of the door.

"Well I don't know what will come of that, but we can hope. Pray, Damn anyything if it stops Rethan getting the throne." Alfren said to Loran after they'd left.

"Talking of Rethan, is it still wise to do the roll call?" Loran asked.

"Why yes of course. The king's demise won't be prolonged for long whatever happens, we need more soldiers to defend ourselves. God knows the other Lords won't come to us." Alfren replied bitterely.

"But if Rethan's rule is inevitable, these are just citizens, wouldn't it be best to-"

"We will not simply give in Loran. I will not allow it. Citizens they may be but we can train them. If Rethan thinks he can simply walk in and take the throne he's got another thought coming." Alfren cut him off vehemently. "The roll call will go on, you'd better get down to the barracks Loran and get your men together." He said more gently.

"My men?" Loran asked in confusion.

"Why yes, as advisor to the king and second in command as in the case of his inefficacy I am promoting you to temporal Captain of the Guard, until a more suitable person can be found." Alfren looked at him enquiringly. "So if I were you I'd get on, it's a big city to cover."

Loran shook himself out of his shocked state and gave a small smile. "Yes sir." And walked out of the door, giving the glass a wide berth.

A few rays of early morning light pierced through the dark overcast clouds over west Roldor, even though it was not long past midnight. 

Five soldiers nervously watched a tall cloaked figure pace up and down the deserted backstreet in front of them. Their leader, his nut brown hair dishevelled and slightly sweaty from running all night, was the most worried of all but he tried to hide his dread from the man in front of him

The cloaked figure spun around towards him, his hood hid his face in shadow but his pale golden brown eyes flashed from the depths of shadow in anger. "Lost her, Richard? I abandoned the biggest opportunity of my life just for you to tell me you LOST her?! She was right in front of you for the gods sake!" He fumed and paced in front of him in distress.

"My lord, we tried to cut her off at the castle but she didn't turn up-" Richard tried to explain calmly but a few notes of distress slipped in to his voice and it sounded more like pleading. 

The cloaked man snapped his gaze back to Richard. "The castle? Why on earth would she have gone there?! She can't know anything of who she is. If she did my brother would've been onto it in a second and if the castle knew then we all would, believe me." Rethan practically spat out the mention of his brother and laughed nervously. 

"How could she not know?" Richard asked in confusion. 

"Well if nobody taught her of her ability then it just bloomed naturally, you must have witnessed her first transformation." Rethan said offhandedly. "Jonath the naughty one, who'd have thought it." He tutted and chuckled. 

The soldiers behind Richard joined in nervously but shut up immediately when Rethan shot them a glare. 

The smile swept off his face immediately and he marched right up to Richard's face. "Find her Richard. This girl will ruin everything! Jonath must not find her first." Rethan hissed.

Richard pulled back a bit. "What will you do with her?" He asked cautiously.

Richard winced as Rethan's furious expression eased into something more relaxed, but far more menacing. "Kill her of course." He said simply.

"But my lord she's just a girl! She has no idea of-" Richard protested and relented as he saw Rethan's threatening glare, daring him to continue. "Surely she would be a powerful ally, we could manipulate her..." Richard checked himself.

Rethan relaxed and smiled to himself. "True, but if that Cougar bastard stays true to his word we have all the allies we'd ever need. Besides as long as her blood still runs warm my claim to the throne is ruined." Rethan leaned in towards Richard. "I want her found Richard, I want her dead."

Richard opened his mouth as if to protest but Rethan smoothly cut him off. "Your young daughter recently acquired Bone Break Fever, am I correct? Awful illness, fatal if not under a roof and warm fire, and you're the only source of income for her since your wife left..." Rethan trailed off. He didn't need to say any more, the threat was crystal clear.

Richard's eyes widened and flashed with hatred but he respectfully ducked his head. "Yes, my lord." He said numbly.

Rethan clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man. May her recovery be swift. Now the girl. Thankfully Jonath is still ignorant of her existence otherwise the entire army would be searching for her but it won't be long, that flash of light from her necklace already alarmed them." Rethan said darkly. "Use your entire force, abilities...I don't care how you find her I just want her found. If anyone was to get in the way...well they shouldn't have interfered." Rethan raised his eyebrow suggestively. "I want her found before the next dawn Richard. And when you've found her-" Rethan paused as a guard patrol passed the entrance of the alley. "Bring her to me." He hissed. "Understood?."

Richard tightened his jaw but nodded in affirmation. "Yes my lord."

"Good." Rethan said slowly and watched his every move. "You know where to find me, remember, *before* tomorrows dawn." He insisted and drew back. "Now I must go, don't fail me again Richard." He warned and with a whirl of his cloak transformed into a rat and scampered off into the shadows.

"What are your orders my lord?" Richard's second in command asked him after Reethan'd gone.

Richard turned to him slowly, his face was void of any expression and his voice just as steely. "We find her. Get the others, scour the city, we have 20 hours."

"Yes my lord." He said and strode off shouting orders to the other men.

"Gods help her." Richard muttered to himself as he strode out of the alley.

Filtered light flooded in a small bedroom from a single window covered with pink curtains, casting a peachy light on the walls and floor. A girl slept in the double bed opposite the window, her black hair fanned out on the white pillows behind her. Her pale skin had a hue of warm gold as a beam of light slipped though a chink in the curtains and rested on her face.

Eva fluttered her eyes open and winced as she raised her hand to block her eyes from the sun. Her eyes focused on her hand and she recoiled in shock and scampered back up against the bed's headboard. She whimpered and hesitantly raised both her hands to her face and turned them over. They were normal. She frantically checked and ran her hands over her legs, feet, stomach, ears, face... they were all normal too.

Eva breathed a sigh of relief and slid down the headboard, she was human again, it was just a bad dream surely. Then she realised, this wasn't her room. She pulled at her awkwardly frilly white lace nightgown, it wasn't hers either. She scrambled off the bed and frantically looked around the room for something familiar. She threw open the curtains and coughed as a cloud of disturbed dust blew into her face. Wafting it aside she looked out of the window to see a small fenced yard, and beyond that a street at the side of the house leading towards the south city gate, and around the back of the yard was a small alley disappearing in between a cluster of stone grey houses.

Eva relaxed a bit, at least now she knew where she was. As she turned to pull the curtains shut slightly she noticed standing on the chest of drawers next to her was a small carved wooden horse painted in childish swirls and flowers of pinks and purples.

She frowned. "I know this." Eva muttered to herself as she carefully picked it up and examined it's stomach. "Joanna." Eva smiled to herself as she saw Joanna's wobbly signature painted on the horse's stomach.

She quickly set it back down on the dresser and hurried to the door. She was about to open it when she looked down at her nightgown and bare feet and changed her mind, she rummaged around in the wardrobe next to the door for something plain to wear. Which was a tough task as Joanna's dresses were mainly showy and brightly coloured, even the simpler ones were trimmed with fussy lace.

Finally she found a sturdy dark green wool dress that looked like it had never been worn. She undressed and dressed quickly, and silently thanked the gods that she annd Joanna were a similar size as she tugged on a pair of dull brown ankle boots.

Eva and Joanna had been friends since they were 6, Joanna is the neice of Patrick, the innkeeper of The Wolfs Snout, and her father is a wealthy tradesman so she always had nautural a taste for the... extravagant.

Eva hurried down the stairs outside of the bedroom and turned right into the kitchen to see Joanna fussing over a bouqet of flowers. Her rich blonde hair was tied up in a bun on her head with a burgundy ribbon, with the ends of her locks hanging down the back of her neck. Her dress was a bright yellow and made of a shiny silk edged with white lace and cut in a slightly revealing low scoop on her chest.

"Joanna?" Eva asked in surprise as she hesitated in the archway.

Joanna spun around in shock. "Eva! Are you alright? We were so worried-" Joanna said as she rushed over to Eva and took her hands

"I'm-I'm fine." Eva reassured her and pulled away slightly. "What are you doing in Roldor? You moved to Crymoran years ago-" She asked.

"My father thought it best we moved here, what with Rethan eyeing up the throne and all, and Crymoran's on the brink of war with the white bears too- but Eva are you sure you're alright? Father found you without any clothes in the snow, he brought you back in his cloak, who did that to you? If I ever get my hands on him..." Joanna repeated in concern.

Eva blushed slightly at the prospect of Mr Calderson seeing her exposed but he had known her since she was a child so she shook the thought off. "Jonna I'm ok honestly, nobody did this to me, it's...a long story." Eva hesitated and looked down at her feet but snapped her head back up as she realised what happened the night before. "Oh gods, William! Joanna have you seen William anywhere?" She asked urgently.

"William? No not at all, I would have know trust me." Joanna winked and shivered dreamily but became more serious when she saw Eva's worried face. "Why, did something happen?" She asked with wide eyes.

Eva paced quickly next to the kitchen table. "No- well, yes. I have to find him...the roll call! He might have gone back to the orphanage-" Eva said eagerly and ran towards the door. She tried to open it but it was locked by a key. "Joanna?" Eva said warily and slowly turned back to see her guilty expression.

"Father said you weren't to leave the house, he locked the door, I'm sorry Eva but he said there were animal tracks, an Eldren's animal tracks-" Joanna pleaded.

"Joanna." Eva said seriously and walked towards her. "Last I knew Liam was hurt, badly, I don't know if he's even still alive-" Eva gulped a little at the small lie but continued on and took Joanna's hands. "I have to find him. Joanna please you have to understand." Eva pleaded and looked into her green eyes imploringly.

Joanna looked away conflictedly and sighed as she gave in. "Ok ok, those blue eyes of yours should be illegal Eva." Joanna grumbled and walked out of the archway Eva came in. "There's a door around the back that leads to the back alleys, we only use it in emergencies." Joanna said as Eva followed her through the house to the back storeroom.

"Thank you Joanna." Eva hugged her as they arrived at the grey door, barely noticeable amongst the stone walls.

"You do know father will kill me for this." Joanna said as she opened the door.

"I know, I'll tell you everything as soon as I can don't worry. You won't regret this Joanna." Eva said and stepped into the biting winds of the winding alleys between the houses of West Roldor.

"This is for William mind." Joanna said teasingly.

"I'll let him know." Eva said as she waved goodbye and started off up the alley.

"Be careful, Eva!" Joanna warned.

"I will!" Eva called back as she turned a corner and bit her lip as she wondered just how big of a lie that would turn out to be.

The sun was drooping slightly in the sky by the time she got to the orphanage, she must only have woken past noon.

She quickly leapt up the stone steps, thankfully free of ice today, and almost dropped the spare key from under the windowsil in her rush to get in.

"Mrs Grimshaw, is Wil-" Eva huffed as she practically fell in and hurridly shut the door behind her.

"Ah yes here's Evalina now, Evalina this is *Captain* Loran, he's here for the role call." Mrs Grimshaw said lightly and fluttered her eyelashes at the soldier next to her.

Eva looked up properly and saw a fairly handsome soldier with dark blonde hair trying to avoid Mrs Grimshaw's advances politely. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked as if he would rather be anywhere but here.

"It's a pleasure." He said to Eva tightly and glanced fleetingly at her but instead of looking away his inquisitive hazel eyes widened in shock.

"Loran, we've done he western quarter." A soldier reported as he walked in through the door behind Eva. "Captain?" He said again as Loran didn't respond.

"Is there anything wrong Captain? I admit Evalina isn't looking her best today." Mrs Grimshaw asked and looked disdainfully at Eva's slightly ruffled appearence.

"No no not at all. I apologise, Miss Evalina just looks like someone I know that's all, it caught me off guard." Loran said and shook himself out of his reverie.

"Ah yes happens to the best of us, we see the one we want to be with all the time don't we? In fact I-" Mrs Grimshaw fawned and sidled up next to Loran fluttering her eyelashes again. He groaned quietly and rolled his eyes. 

The soldier behind Eva snickered and coughed into his glove at the sight of Loran awkwardly trying to pull away from the woman double his age. 

Eva didn't know whether to be mortified or amused but settled with interrupting them. "Mrs Grimshaw Liam-" 

"Ah yes the boy. Really we must be getting on ma'am, where is he?" Loran gratefully interrupted Eva and stepped back from Mrs Grimshaw. 

"William? Well I thought he was with you Evalina. Always getting into trouble those two, I don't know how I cope." Mrs Grimshaw said dramatically to Loran. 

"But, he hasn't been back?" Eva asked in alarm and gasped.

"No not at all." Mrs Grimshaw said disdainfully. 

Loran frowned at Eva. "Why, is there anything wrong?" He asked. 

"No... No he should have been back..." Eva said to herself and backed up towards the door shaking her head. She turned around just in time to bump into William as he walked through the door. 

"Here he is now, my god boy, what have you done to yourself?" Mrs Grimshaw asked in alarm. 

He had a black eye, a fair few cuts and and a bloody nose but apart from holding himself awkwardly seemed ok. 

"Liam!" Eva cried in joy and launched herself into his arms. 

William winced but returned the embrace until Loran coughed awkwardly and they broke apart. 

"So this is the boy? Peyton take him to the training base with the others, we're done here." Loran said matter-of-factly. 

"What, already?" Eva asked quickly and looked up into William's usually warm eyes to see only concern, and even a flicker of fear.

"Come on, follow me." Peyton clapped William on the shoulder and started walking out of the hall.

"William?" Eva asked warily but he only took her hand and slipped her amulet into it.

"You dropped this." He said quietly and smiled at her weakly before following Peyton out of the door. 

"Liam!" Eva called to him desperately and was about to follow him when Loran noticed the blue amulet in her hand.

"Where did you get that?" He asked in shock with wide eyes. 

"I-hey! " Eva protested as Mrs Grimshaw snatched it out of her hand. 

"Give it to me, stole it no doubt. Why this could fetch me a small fortune-" Mrs Grimshaw said in awe as she examined it in the light, making a vivid blue light shine out of it. 

"It can't be..." Loran said to himself in wonder but nobody was listening. 

"Give it back, it was my mother's, I was found with it you cow!" Eva shouted and tried to pull it from Mrs Grimshaw's grasp. 

"You.. Insolent child!" Mrs Grimshaw gasped as Evalina pulled it from her and scowled. "How dare you speak to me like that. You have no mother, give that to me!" She demanded and slapped Eva across the face. 

Loran was about to interrupt when he saw Eva's face. She was fuming with rage but more than that, her eyes, they had gone like a wolf's. His jaw dropped for a second but he quickly snapped into action and began pulling Eva out of the house. 

"Where are you taking her?! She needs to be taught some manners-" Mrs Grimshaw demanded but backed away at the sight of Eva's eyes. 

"Don't worry Mrs Grimshaw we have strict procedures at the castle for this type of behaviour." Loran said lightly as he pulled Eva through the hall with his arm securely around her shoulders. "Keep it in keep it in, do not let it control you." He muttered in warning to Eva as they jogged down the steps and pulled her into a side alley next to the orphanage where she finally transformed into a wolf.

"By the gods." Loran said simply as he stared up at her in awe. "It was you. They're looking for you, he meant you!" He realised and laughed in shock.

Eva didn't find it so awe-inspiring however and she whimpered as she looked down at her furry body.

"Oh of course you want to change back, you won't know anything about it will you?" Loran said to her softly and began pacing in front of her with the occasional amazed glance back up at her. Eva even noticed him pinching himself once. "I've been told about this before...god what is it?" He asked himself in frustration. "Oh! I've got it!" He said suddenly and Eva looked at him eagerly. For a wolf. "I remember Prince Elias told me once, you have to relax completely, imagine feeling like...like you're in your own body again. Feel your fingers and your toes...it won't work if you're tense." Loran added as he noticed Eva scrunching her eyes up. "It's going to be ok." He said kindly with a small smile after she tried unsuccessfully again.

It took a few more tries but eventually she shrunk back down to her usual self. Loran quickly put his cape over her bare shivering body.

"What's happening to me?" She asked quietly with wild eyes.

Loran started to respond but a piercing screech suddenly erupted from a few streets away. "They must have caught your scent." He cursed and grabbed a dress hanging from a washing line on the wall of the orphanage's back yard. "Put this on." He said as he handed it to her and respectfully turned around. "We can't talk here, it'll all be explained to you at the castle I promise." He continued and spun around as she tapped him on the shoulder. "But right now we gotta run, mind going barefoot?" He asked eagerly, almost looking as if he was enjoying this. Or maybe it was just the shock.

"I think I'll be fine, considering I keep turning into a wolf spontaneously..." Eva laughed awkwardly.

"Good point." Loran remarked and offered his hand to her. "Ready?" He smiled mischeivously.

Eva hesitated for a moment but as the squeal was suddenly joined by many others, and much closer, she nodded and took his hand.

He grasped it tightly and they took off through the the streets off Roldor so fast everything was a blur. Thankfully Loran seemed to know the streets even better than her and he never paused as they ran through the winding backstreets, only going on the main roads when neccessary.

The squeals had faded to a stop by the time the castle loomed into view and they slowed into a jog as they approached the massive iron courtyard gates. They were even taller than Eva in her animal form and were connected to thick grey stone walls with multiple guards patrolling the battlements.

"Wait here. Security's tight after the assault on the king, they won't let you in even with me." Loran whispered to her as they stopped next to the gate.

"Here?! But the rats-" Eva protested but Loran cut her off.

"-Wouldn't even think of you coming here. Trust me, I won't be long." He smiled reassuringly at her and yelled at the lookout to let him in. They kranked open the gate a little to let him in and Eva could only watch helplessly as they clanged shut and Loran ran into the castle.

Loran bolted through the castle mindless of anyone he disturbed, focusing only on reaching the king. He even knocked over a surprised Mira with only the explanation of "I've found her!" when she asked where he was going.

 He almost barrelled into a worried Alfren as he bounded up the stairs to the king's room.

"Loran have you lost your mind?! Where in Eldrenor are you going?" Alfren asked reproachfully.

"I need to see the king, I've found it Alfren, I've found her!" Loran enthused as he pushed past him.

"F-found what?!" Alfren spluttered as he followed him back up the stairs. "You can't go in there, Sevorn and Artus are with the king." Alfren said as he blocked the door to the king's room.

"This is far more important than any namby pamby wizardry Alfren." Loran said firmly as he knocked his arm aside.

"Loran you can't!" Alfren hissed at him.

Loran smiled slyly and raised his eyebrow. "Watch me." He said, knocked once loudly and opened the door with a sweep of his arm.

 It was the same small room the king was in before but better-lit in the late-afternoon light and the king was actually sitting up for once. Artus and Sevorn were at the end of the bed looking slightly fatigued as if they'd just performed a complex spell.

"The spell should begin to take affect in an hour or so considering your, ah, weakened condition your higness." Artus said to the king and spun around as the door burst open. "Loran?!" He spluttered.

"Apologies for the interruption my lord but I have some urgent news." Loran announced boldly as he strided in. "News that is far more important than any flashy magic tricks." He interrupted Artus smugly as he was about to protest.

 The king raised his eyebrows at Loran. "Well Captain you'd better get out with it, and quickly." He said firmly, not amused at the interruption. 

"Of course my lord." Loran said confidently and knelt before the king. "That night when you told us that there was another, to follow the light." Loran paused for effect and Sevorn snorted at the dramatised twist of the king's words.

The king's gaze flickered towards Sevorn, Artus' bemused expression and Alfren who was frowning puzzledly before returning to Loran who had a flicker of excitement in his eye, but no sign of deception. "Yes of course. Why?" He asked gravely.

"I found the source of the light this afternoon while doing the roll-call rounds. And the owner of it." Loran revealed and brandished Eva's blue amulet from his pocket and held it out before the king for them all to see.

"It cannot be..." The king whispered in awe as he looked at the glorious blue gem, the light from the window reflecting on his face in a blue glow.

The same face was on all of the faces within the room, wide eyes and slacked jaws at the sight of this single jewel.

"The Drenstone." Sevorn said breathlessly and his open mouth turned up at the corners slightly.

"But the Drenstone was lost over 15 years ago, how can a common man just have it?!" Alfren spluttered and examined the stone more closely.

"It wasn't lost, it was stolen." The king corrected him.

"So this man, where is he now?" Sevorn asked.

"It isn't a man, it's a woman. A girl in fact." Loran answered and the king suddenly fixed on him and broke away from the Drenstone.

"A girl? It's a girl." He sighed to himself, whether in contentment or dread it couldn't be told.

"Well whatever the gender, Loran where is she now?" Sevorn asked him quickly.

"I left her outside of the gates after she transformed outside an orphanage, I couldn't leave her there-" Loran explained but was cut off by an incredibley close squeal, so close it could've been outside the gates.

"Rats." Sevorn said and everyone's faces had a look of horror.

Loran cursed loudly and bolted out of the room, Sevorn following not far behind him.

"An orphanage. My lord surely..." Alfren trailed off in dread.

"Let's just pray they get to her first." The king said firmly, his forehead creased with worry.

Eva paced up and down the castle walls anxiously and rubbed her arms to keep warm. For the sixth time since Loran left her she paused and considered going home but decided against it when she thought of the rats and resumed pacing. Her bare feet slapped against the cold damp stone floor and she wondered if Loran was going to come back at all. The sun had just set and the temperature was dropping dramatically, it was the middle of winter after all.

"Need some company sweetheart?" A patrolling guard called down to her and his friends snickered.

"I'm fine thank you." Eva called back to him and smiled tightly. She sighed and slid down the wall to sit down.

"Now that's a wall I'd wanna be!" One of them proclaimed a bit drunkenly and the other guards guffawed.

"Piss off." Eva muttered under her breath and sighed in annoyance. "Right that's it." She declared to herself and slapped her hands on the ground to push herself up. "I can go somehwere else to find out what's happening to me "Captain" Loran, somewhere not as damn cold." She stood up and started to walk down the main road when she froze mid-step. Her jaw slacked and her eyes widened in fear as she saw the silhouette of a giant rat at the end of it standing up on it's hind legs, sniffing the air. It was easily the size of a man and had pale yellow eyes that gleamed in the dark. Eyes that were looking straight at her.

Neither of them moved and for a moment all was still. Then Eva wobbled and stepped backwards to balance herself and the rat let out a high pitched squeal. She'd never heard anything like it, the squeals in the distance were nothing compared to the volume of it close up. Her ears repulsed at the sound and it kicked her into action.

As she spun around she saw three others had joined it and they were all running on all fours at her. Running was hopeless, they would overtake her in seconds but she did so anyway.

"Should we stop her?" A soldier asked indifferently as he watched her run off down the west road.

"Nah, Loran has more than enough women already." Another soldier replied and they all guffawed and returned to their drinking under the sheltered watchtower.

 Her lungs were bursting with pain and her throoat rasping as she twisted and turned blindly through the streets and backstreets when she could, anywhere that would throw them off her tail.

She turned back onto a main street and looked over her shoulder to see there were now five rats, led by one at least a foot larger than the rest. She urged herself to turn into a wolf, tried to replicate the rage that had accompanied her previous changes but she couldn't. The only thing she could feel was pure fear.

 She moaned as the street ended in a dead end at the outer city wall but noticed a smaller side street to her left and started towards that. She backed away from it as two more rats came from the darkness and turned around to watch the rats slowly advance towards her. She walked backwards until her back was against the wall and she pressed back into it as far as she could. There was no way out, nobody knew where she was, she was going to die.

She winced and scrunched her eyes to wait for the inevitable blow of claws on her body but it didn't come. She opened them hesitantly to see that the smaller rats had stopped a few feet away. The leader, a russet brown rat with a brown nose, walked forward slowly on two feet and changed into a man before her eyes. He was fully clothed and had a pale amulet around his neck that seemed to glow brightly and subside as he reverted to normal. It was the soldier who'd pursued her before, Richard.

"I'm so sorry." He said simply as he walked towards her and he genuinly did look sorry. He pulled out a coil of rope from his belt and reversed his dagger so he was holding the blade.

He raised his arm slowly to strike her with it and she quickly jumped on his brief show of compassion, it was her only hope. "Don't" She said simply, She didn't beg or plead, nor was it a command. It was just one word of suggestion.

Richard paused and looked at her, his eyes filled with conflict. She was younger than he'd first thought, 17 at the most, an orphan too and she just stood there with bare feet firmly asking him not to kill her.

 "Richard!" A voice called from behind him and he smiled wryly as he lowered his arm. "I can't let you take her." The voice continued and Eva laughed breathlessly in relief as she realised who it was.

"She's a bold one, Loran. No doubt she'd have made a fine ruler." Richard called back to him.

"And she will." Loran said firmly and he beckoned from behind the rats to Eva to join him.

Eva looked in confusion at Loran and then up at Richard in front of her. Richard nodded at her and motioned to go past his soldiers. Barely believing her luck she hesitantly took a step forwards, then when none of the rats reacted, another. They didn't move to stop her and she ran forwards to Loran. She stumbled and almost fell as she darted in-between two rats and Loran caught her.

"I shouldn't have left you, I'm sorry." He said quickly into her ear as he held her tightly and then pushed her behind him.

"I can't let you go Loran, you know what he'll do with me. To my daughter." Richard called regretfully and his voice broke on the last syllable.

"I know my friend. But I can't let you take her, she's our only hope." Loran said helplessly and started to back Eva up as a disdainful voice came from the small side street Eva had been blocked from going down.

"She is isn't she?" The voice said smugly. Loran quickly looked at Richard in alarm but he just shrugged bewilderedly.

 They peered into the darkness and gradually a tall man formed in the mist and strode out. His hands were calmly held behind his back and he practically oozed confidence. Under his long brown cloak Eva could see was dressed in the yellow and black colours of Crymoran and had a murky white amulet around his neck like Richard, but his had an elegant gold chain and a clasp shaped like a rat's head holding the crystal.

This all faded from her mind however as she looked at his face and her eyes widened. His eyes were a piercing amber that almost glowed gold in the moonlight from underneath his low straight eyebrows, and they were fixed on her. It wasn't that that alarmed her though, it was his face. His mouth was set in a firm line, curved down slightly at the corners and the bottom lip was far fuller than the top. His nose was slightly curved at the bridge and the nostrils were narrow and morphed into his nose bridge flawlessly. His cheekbones were prominent and slanted down towards his mouth. They were exactly like hers.

"So the coward emerges from his fortress at last?" Loran sneered at him.

Rethan looked Loran up and down distastefully and gazed at a scar starting on his jaw just in front of his ear and vanished beneath the neck of his chainmail vest. "Captain Loran. I'd recognise that scar and ostentatious manner anywhere. Where did you get it again, running from an enraged lover was it?" Rethan smirked as Loran as he almost lunged for Rethan's neck, but restrained himself as he remembered Eva.

"My lord Rethan, I thought you had returned to Crymoran?" Richard hastily interrupted and bowed down to him on one knee briefly. The rats in front of him did the same as well as they could.

Rethan broke his malicious gaze from Loran and he turned to Richard. "I thought it best to...oversee the situation given its importance, and to keep you going in the right ah, *direction* if neccessary." Rethan replied and his eyes flashed dangerously at Richard, Eva doubted he meant geographically.

 His mouth spread into a menacing grin as he noticed Eva staring at him and strided over to her. "So this is her, Jonath did well indeed, pity she looks so much like her father." He said dismissively. "But then I can see a bit of myself in her, perhaps it isn't all lost for you girl." He sneered as he lifted her chin with one long finger. His sharp nail scraped the skin beneath her chin and drew a drop of blood as Eva flinched back.

"Don't you dare touch her" Loran warned and pushed Eva behind him again, drew his sword and rested the tip directly on Rethan's neck.

Rethan raised his hands in surrender and shrugged and smiled venomously as four more rat soldiers came up behind Eva and Loran, blocking them off completely.

"She *is* the only hope my brother and this pitful city has left Loran, and that is why *I* cannot let you go, alive." Rethan said threateningly and drew his sword, it's pommel was encrusted with three murky white crystals, lined with gold and its blade was pitch black. He advanced towards them slowly with Richard and his rat soldiers followed behind. Eva and Loran were being herded up and blocked off more and more each second.

"Stay near me." Loran said to her and shielded her from Rethan with his body, brandishing his sword in defense.

"You can't possibly fight them all!" Eva said in alarm to Loran. She looked over his shoulder and Rethan just smiled knowingly at her.

Loran's eyes flitted towards the right alley and grinned as he looked back at Rethan. "No, I can't." He replied and Rethan looked at him puzzledly as he grabbed Eva in his arms and threw them both backwards through the line of rats, just as someone roared a word unknown to Eva from the side alley. A wall of flames ignited from the source of the voice and spread across the gap between Rethan, Loran and Eva, reaching higher than the trees next to them.

Eva rolled to a sudden stop three feet away from the explosion of the fire as she hit her head sharply on a tree trunk. She looked up hazily to see Loran, already having jumped up and was fending off a rat who'd avoided the fire.

"Come on, run!" A voice yelled as he pulled Eva up and away from the fire. "Loran!" He yelled and Loran quickly looked up and kicked the giant rat into the fire before running after them.

"Looks like you actually *can* do magic Sevorn!" Loran shouted hoarsely over the roar of the flames at the man who'd helped Eva up.

"Glad you noticed, but that actually isn't-" Sevorn yelled back but it was lost over the roar of the flames.

"What?" Loran shouted.

"It's fake!" Sevorn yelled even louder just as Eva glanced over her shoulder and saw Rethan, transformed into an impressive 8 foot rat, glaring at her over the tips of the flames and stepped right through them.

Loran noticed Eva looking back and did it himself. "Oh for crying out loud you damn wizard!" He shouted and propelled Eva forward even faster.

"Well I thought you might have preffered me walking than-"

"Sevorn!" Eva screamed just in time for him to spin around and throw the rat who had launched for him back with a spell.

"Thank you." Sevorn said curtly as they ran around the corner of a street leading to the main road.

"Just.. run!" Eva panted and tried to put on a burst of speed as she started to fall behind the taller men.

Loran looked back at her and then at the rats behind them. They were still a fair distance away but gaining. And fast. "It's no use, they'll overtake us before we even get close to the castle at this rate." He huffed and Sevorn looked at him in disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Eva asked and panted in relief as Loran slowed them down to a jog.

"I'll distract them. Sevorn get her to the castle." He said to Sevorn quickly.

"You idiot." Sevorn shook his head at him but took Eva's arm and began muttering some spell.

"It's been a pleasure my lady." Loran winked at Eva and saluted.

"W-what? What are you doing? Loran!" Eva shouted after him helplessly as he charged towards Rethan and the rats with his sword drawn.

"Bloody show-off." Sevorn muttered as they watched him for a moment and began to run in the opposite direction.

"Sevorn, why did he salute me?" Eva asked Sevorn warily.

Sevorn glanced at her hesitantly and then at three rats who'd gotten past Loran and were quickly gaining on them. "Nevermind that just RUN!" He yelled and suddenly a flash of pale blue light came from his hand that was clenched around Eva's arm and they practically flew through the city streets. They lost the three rats in seconds and Eva thought that only an Eldran eagle from the east mountains could have possibly gone this fast. Their feet barely touched the ground and the road to the castle that would usually take ten minutes to run up passed in seconds. Sevorn jumped them over the front iron gate and burst the vast front doors open.

"We're here." Sevorn said quietly as he landed them gently on the stone floor of the throne room. He quickly ran out of the castle again, presumably to go and find Loran, and Eva was alone.

 The floor was grey stone and so was most of the architecture in the long room. The columns that lined the hall however were of a darker grey, and were wrought with pure silver in twists and turns right up to the tops where they morphed into wolf heads. Inbetween the columns when there wasn't a window or door the majestic blue banners of Roldor hung, the wolf head was black and the banners were lined with silver thread.

A tall majestic throne carved out of grey stone sat at the end of the hall, it was elevated by three layers of stone and two smaller chairs sat beside it. Words in a language Eva couldn't read framed the edge of the head of the throne and a wolfs head was carved at the top, it's stone eyes looking down at the hall before it.

 Eva took a few steps forward along the blue carpet before the throne, taking it all in in awe and then the reality and enormity of the situation hit her. She was turning into a wolf, the king of Eldrenor himself wanted her and Rethan, rat lord of Crymoran, his brother, wanted her dead. She was never going home again, and would probably never see William again, if he survived the war. Even the man who'd saved her was probably dead as well.

Exhaustion finally overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees and sobbed.

 Footsteps echoed through the hall and she raised her head from her hands to see a man aproach her from a door in the top-left corner of the room. He was clothed in the attire of Roldor but far more fine than any soldier she'd seen. His tunic was dark grey velvet with the symbol of Raul's wolf head embroidered in blue. His breeches were a light grey and boots black.

He paused in front of the throne and gasped slightly as he looked at her. His blue almond eyes met her own and she realised it was King Jonath. She had never seen him in person, except from a far distance at public events and announcements. His face was wider than the thin one of his brother's, and more heart shaped rather than oblong. His eyes were larger too and set further apart, and his chin was dimpled and wider. His hair was thick and pitch black with a slight wave to it, just like her.

 He knelt in front of her and gently took her face in his hands. As she examined his face and kind smile she realised the only difference was probably their chins and eyes, whereas his were slightly hooded and deep set with an angled heavy brow like Rethan hers were more open and her brown shrugged to Eva apologetically and prepared to deliver the first strike.

Eva closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare herself. She opened them to see Peyton's sword coming down on her shoulder and she jerked out of the way to avoid it.

 "Glance the blow off, not run away from it." Loran barked quickly.

Eva cringed and she and Peyton reverted back to their positions for the next try. She managed to parry Peyton's sword this time but it was clumsy and after a few more blows it was obvious Peyton was purposefully holding back.

 "Move your feet, battles aren't fought in a single position the entire time you know." Loran said and Eva grimaced as she now had to focus on her position as well as the sword.