14.Choices

When the lady in black opened her eyes,there was an odd mixture of surprise and mirth on her face.It was true that things hadn’t entirely gone according to plan,but now they were falling in place.A brilliant streak of a plan flashed across her mind and she adjusted her hood,now ready to appear before the trapped men in the cave.

Miroven brandished his knife in his hands and began to move towards the mouth of the cave.

Andrew looked at him once,meeting the determination in his eyes.

“Till the end brother,Till the end.”,he told Miroven gently stroking Princess’s fur.

Tumultous roaring in the background,the two men walked valiantly forward.They weren’t going to cower and hide with fear.

“There!!In the cave!!”,came the yells the moment Miroven and Andrew stepped out.A feathered arrow whizzed past,missing Andrew’s nose by a hair breadth.The two brothers took in how severely outnumbered they were and realized that they would be fighting a losing battle.

Beside them,Princess gave a muffled yelp and collapsed into a heap.She had been struck.

“Princess!!!” both brothers cried out at the same time.Andrew bent down unmindful of the volley of arrows that were now raining down upon them.He gazed lovingly at his companion as she licked his hand tenderly,the light in her eyes fading fast.

No one noticed the ripples that developed in the air.There was an odd shimmer,a haze near the cave and then the air parted,like a curtain of tulle being drawn apart.A slender figure stepped out from it and walked straight at the One Army,seemingly dauntless.

A pale hand rose for a moment and all time stopped.The men who were only a moment ago charging ahead froze altogether,now resembling toy soldiers of some giant kid.Only Miroven was unaffected.

“You!!!!”

“And thus we meet again,my boy.You have been foolish.Very very foolish.Thinking that you could go off defying me and expecting me to do nothing about it..It was a pity though,your wife was a pretty lady..can’t say the same about the children though..it took such a great while to silence the younger one.If only you had accepted my offer,they needn’t have died.You are responsible for their deaths..oh,you just had to join me.And now.Again.Thinking that you could fend off a hundred men single handedly..your recklessness is your Achilles heel,Miroven.

I have to say that initially your refusal to work with me annoyed me to a very great extent.To think that you were as foolish as to choose that rustic woman over me.I have watched you from your childhood.I know you more than anyone else does; to such a great degree have I observed you.Let it not be said that I was not merciful.I am willing to give you a second chance.Do not even for a moment get ideas and think that you can somehow defeat me.The fellow you had with you the other day believed that he could,and ofcourse,I showed him otherwise..how could I have not..”

“So it was you who killed the General?”

“Yes..Smart fellow he must have been.For I observed that you were his captive,all bound up with ropes.But not smart enough.Or perhaps just a little less foolish than you.”

"Never will I ever have anything to do with your evil schemes."

"Oh,don't you be too sure.Perhaps what you need is just a little incentive.You love your brother here very much,don't you?And this shaggy beast of his, lying lifeless next to him?I'll do him a favour and arrange both of them to meet again.Or would you prefer that I choose Laura instead?"

"What do you mean?Laura??My daughter?She's alive??Where's she ?"

Mirōven ran at her,knife in his hand.But as he neared,the weapon crumbled into dust.Still,he charged at her with hate in his eyes.

She side stepped very easily and yawned lazily.

"Don't be so hasty Mirōven.I can take you to your daughter..I can save both of you from your enemies here and grant you empires to rule. The promises of wealth and gifts still hold.I extend to you my offer once again.Share my powers..Let's rule the world."

                                ***

13. A Hard Place

"That's a pretty big whooper you got on your head Mirōven"a voice chuckled, "wouldn't be surprised if you'll be seeing things for a while now"

Mirōven winced open his eyes. He was still lying on the cave floor, but the rope binding him was gone. His head still hurt. Mirōven reflexively felt around his waist, his dagger was intact and in place.

It was beginning to get dark outside. He must have been out cold for a while. Mirōven looked for the source of the voice. Sitting near the cave entrance was a lean thin man, stroking the fur of a big beast which was lying on the floor. Mirōven recognised him.

"Andrew?"

Andrew looked at him.

"Right you are old friend"

Andrew picked up a bottle from the floor near him and walked over to Mirōven. He helped Mirōven to a sitting position with his back against the cave wall. Taking a bit of the potion from the bottle, Andrew spread it over the dark bruise on Mirōven's forehead.

"How did you.."

"Find you? You underestimate the force of love a brother has Mirōven. I knew you were in trouble and my sense of loyalty lead me."

Mirōven looked up at Andrew. Andrew burst out laughing

"I kid", he chuckled, continuing to apply the healing potion, "I met up with Shadowfoot in the forest, he got restless when you didn't show up and followed your scent here."

As if on cue, Mirōven's big wolf bounded into the cave. He gave Princess a quick snarl before running over to Mirōven. Andrew moved a bit back to give rider and wolf space. Mirōven hugged Shadowfoot and held him close, running his hand across the warm black fur.

Mirōven looked back up at Andrew, continuing to stroke Shadowfoot .
"But what are you doing in Akram? The last I saw you.. well I don't remember. At Grelf Beach?" Asked Mirōven, and suddenly stiffened as another thought crossed his mind " Where is General?"

"Slow down buddy. And I thought you were glad to see me" Andrew smirked as he moved back to Princess and sat down near her. He started stroking her fur once again, applying the potion, " I didn't come to Akram, was just passing by. Got a good offer to take care of a few rotten elves up north. And I know nothing about any General, unless it is the dead guy a little off outside you are talking about. Shadowfoot got extra agitated when he saw him."

"General's dead?" Mirōven was taken aback.

"So it seems I think"Andrew shrugged, "And in case you were thinking, I had nothing to do with it. Found him such. Was too bony, else Princess would've had him"

Mirōven placed a hand on his head and closed his eyes. It was supposed to be simple in and out bounty job, and he had messed up bad. General was dead. The One Army wouldn't be happy. His head hurt. Mirōven sighed.

There was a sudden commotion coming form outside, a lot of shouting and wailing. Andrew and Princess were immediately on their feet. Mirōven held onto an alert Shadowfoot and kept an eye on the entrance. The shouts grew louder and more numerous.

Andrew motioned all of them to stay still. Pulling his shawl over his face once again, covering his one bad eye, he sneaked to the cave entrance and peeked out. He stayed there absolutely still for a few moments, then crept back. Motioning princess not to move, he knelt down near to Mirōven.

"Trouble I think", he whispered, "Lottsa people gathered around that General guy you were speaking about. All armed. Around a hundred I would say"

Terror washed over Mirōven in waves.

"The One Army", he whispered.

######

Leo stared in disbelief. He had prayed the scout had made a mistake when he reported seeing a body.  But there was no denying it now. General lay sprawled on the ground in front of him, legs bent at unnatural angles. Blood soaked the soil near his head and a big blot had blackened the centre of his father's chest, as if someone had hit him with a sledgehammer. General's eyes were still open and in his right hand he clutched a crushed fruit from a nearby tree.

Braider placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. Leo barely registered it. His father was supposed to initialise him today, today was his 18th. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The commotion behind Leo was gathering momentum as more and more of the One Army regrouped at a respectful distance behind their fallen leader and the news spread amongst them.

The kid was in shock, Braider noted. General had been a good friend and mentor, but now was not the time for emotion. He had to handle things delicately if the One Army had to survive this blow. Braider looked at General's son, and he couldn't make up his mind on whether or not the kid could step into the shoes of one of the greatest men he had ever met.

Leo suddenly bent down on one knee. He stayed still for a moment, and then slowly, deliberately, closed his father's eyes. He got back up on his feet, and looked at Braider with remorseless eyes. Braider saw the determination he had very often seen in General's eyes flash through Leo's. The One Army's Commander made up his mind.

"I want revenge" Leo said.

12.The boy in the boat

The little boy was delighted.He stood on the deck,hands tightly gripped around the bow railings,watching his parents rowing a littler boat and having fun.They looked very tiny,the little boy mused.Their boat bobbed ever so lightly on the waters.The azure deepening to a cerulean tinge and then with the approach of the night,the deep blue of a student’s ink bottle.It had been a very long time since he had seen his parents so happy.

The boy looked at the sky.For a second,there was surprise on his face.Almost like he had seen something.A face.But then,he assumed that it was just the cool night wind making him see stuff.

And then came the yellow flowers..All at once.The sea was full of them.The boy wondered how they had come up all of a sudden.An unseen spectacle it was for him.Moving outwards,radiating out from a single epicentral point in the water.Golden amber filling every little crevice in the sea surface.

The little boat moved on jollily,but now the voices coming from it weren't that of glee.The boy saw his mother rise with a start,she seemed to be screaming.And then his father made her sit again,hugging her close to him.He wondered why she was screaming.The golden flowers were now dancing.Transfixed,he stood watching the way they moved,consuming the darkness.Delight filled his being,the joy of seeing something that was previously unknown.

He kept looking from the deck,there was a kind of grey darkness rising from above the flowers.If only his parents would bring one  back for him.His mother had stopped screaming.
 Ohh..he noticed.
Some of the flowers were making their way towards his parents' boat. 
Take some,mommy...please.

The boy felt sweat trickling down his brows.And then long grey wisps began to rise from everywhere.Obscuring his view.Blurring out the sudden burst of golden that emanated from the place where the little boat previously was.

He felt dizzy. A voice was speaking to him. Calling out Miroven,Miroven. His name... Asking him to come along. Telling him to embrace sleep.A beautiful lady clad in black.

                                                             ***

11.Losses and Water

                    Nira was bamboozled.All these years of owning a potions store and she had never had  a break in.Till that day.She trusted everyone too much.Laura used to tell her that.She didn’t ever believe people to be capable of evil.Maybe,it was because she travelled so less.Or maybe because the only places she had ever been to , was the Blue Forest and Lantern village.

 The open door was what told her that there had been a break-in. Laura consoled her.Together ,they began walking along the long rows of shelves of potion bottles,hoping that nothing had been taken.They had covered almost all the shelves when suddenly,Laura spotted the loss.The healing serum had been taken.A current of invisible relief washed across Nira.The other one was still intact.Masked as a sweetening syrup,the fruit of her long toil,lay the gift.

                                                               ***

                    Leo’s horse didn’t like water.That was going to be a problem considering the fact that the army was faced with a river right then.

“Charge on,White Thunder!!”,Leo tugged at the magnificent stallion’s bridle reins.It merely whinnied and gave its master a sad look.

“Oh,come on..we gotta get across.Haven’t got all day,my pal.”

White Thunder nimbly placed one hoof in the water.And immediately pulled it back.

Leo sighed.He got down from the saddle,put one arm around the horse’s neck and spoke gently into its ear.

“I need to find my father,old pal.He was taken away and you know how fond of him you are.Its just a little water..we wade across now and I’ll give you a nice lump of sugar when we get back”

White Thunder nuzzled his face against Leo’s shoulder silently agreeing to what his favourite person had said.

Leo mounted his horse yet again and they moved onwards,the rest of the army following them,all their gazes fixed on the horizon.

                                                             ***

10.Mistakes

The lady in black watched from a distance as General climbed higher up the tree. She had cast an invisibility spell on herself, even though she had no fears of being caught in the sight of this puny mortal. All it would take is a wave of her hand.

She hadn’t anticipated Miröven’s arrival in Akram. Putting a sleeping toxic on the berries he plucked was probably not her most ingenious plan to date, and was more of a knee jerk reaction at her surprise on sensing his aura within the city limits. The plan had been simple: put him to sleep, erase a few memories, and plant him somewhere far away from Laura. The remote chance that they might run into each other was too great to ignore. Her spell was not yet complete, and she didn’t want to take any chances. This had been way too long in the making to be chanced upon the die of fate.

She watched General clamber up the hill. Rage boiled within her. She hadn’t had the slightest clue Miröven had a prisoner with him; and he had taken his chance and hurt Miröven. That was unforgivable.

General had reached the top most branch and was reaching out to a fruit when the lady in blacked decided to wave her hand. Silently a shot of blue light escaped her fingertips, rapidly sped across the distance between them and hit General square in the chest. He was thrown clear off the tree from the impact and came down hard upon the ground with a dull thud.

General moved no more.

***

Miröven woke with a splitting headache and feeling sore. Blood had hardened on his forehead where General had struck and cut him open. His hands and feet were tied and there was dust in his eyes. He rolled onto his side and looked around. He was in the far end of a cave. Daylight streamed in from the mouth of the cave.

Miröven rolled onto his back once again and groaned. He was done for. The One Army was going to find him, and he would see hell before being sent down there. And to think all he wanted was just one last adventure before retiring quietly. Miröven wondered what would happen to Shadowfax. Helplessness, and the frustration it brings with it, washed over him.

“Miröven..” a sweet voice floated down to him.

It had come from somewhere near the cave entrance. Miroven rolled onto his side and looked at the source of the voice. Silhouetted against the daylight coming in through the cave was a lady figure. She wore a blue dress and her hair touched her shoulders, but her face was hidden in the shadows.

“Benny...” Miroven saw the shadows dance as the woman’s lips moved.

“Cassandra...?” Miroven’s voice broke.

***
Andrew jumped out of the window of Madamme Nira’s crafting room with nimble ease. These people really should invest more in security measures, he chuckled to himself. Princess had had a cut from their travel through the jungles, and Andrew didn’t want it to get worse. There was enough coin in his purse for him have just walked and bought a healing potion from the bushy tailed potion mistress, but where was the fun in that? Andrew lived for the thrills.

He had snuck in when he was sure both the occupants were out. Picking the locks were less than a piece of cake for him, finding the right potion had been more trouble. He had still been scouring around when he heard a short squeal of surprise from the front door. Someone had discovered the break in. There was no time. Andrew grabbed the potion and leapt out.

Safe in his hand, was a bottle of the green potion. Green with purple stripes.

9.Onward

Scorpi sighed.She hated when this happened..All the trouble she had gotten into to plan a surprise for Leo and now,it was all going to waste..

Damn the General..why couldn’t he just take care of himself?

Leo was in the ammunition tent,getting things ready and shouting orders to the One Army.

Whoever had abducted the General was not going to be spared.

Scorpi shuddered remembering the fate of the man who had dared to sneak into their tents and steal their food.The One Army didn’t forgive.He had been dismembered and thrown to the wolves.The look of sheer horror on his face was something she was sure she would never forget.

Members of the army were filing out into the clearing now in full battle gear.

Bradier was talking now.”We have been hated,looked down at and condemned in every possible way.Though skilled we all are in our respective trades,whether it be looting,forgery,disguise,arson or murder,we never stood a chance out there on our own for too long.It was the General who assembled this army.It was he who brought us together and made us a family.The General gave us new life.For more than half of us,the General is the one who got there on the nick of time,saving us from the midst of public trials, possible hangings and beheadings.The One Army owes everything to the man who gave his everything to us.Today men,we unite against a common enemy..We know very less about him..about his strengths or for that matter,his weaknesses.But we will not let any of that affect us.The General shall be found and the enemy shall regret his doing.To the General.And Victory.”

Bradier raised his sword and the rest of the One Army followed suit.A hundred swords caught the sunlight and gleamed bright.

Scorpi ran up to where Leo was. “Leo,please..I want to help fight the enemy too.You know how good I am with a knife.”

“Dear,it is not because I doubt your skills that I want you to stay behind.I want you to be here,guarding our tents.We wouldn’t want to return and find them all burnt down or something..”

“You know Leo,you haven’t gotten any better at making lame excuses to get things go the way you want them to be..One would think that an year was gonna change that.I’ll stay..but you have to promise me something.”

Leo looked at his wife,wondering what was going on in her mind.

“Tell me Scor,what do you want me to promise?”

“Look into my eyes Leo,and tell me that you will be safely back tomorrow..Promise me that you will find the enemy by nightfall today and bring back your father”

“Scorpi..you know how this works..things don’t always go the way we hope..A promise is..”

“Is it too much to ask for Leo?Is wanting to see you again too much to wish for?”

There was a kind of fire in Scorpi’s eyes..there was determination and beneath it,something more.Which one among fear,uncertainity and love had brought the faint trace of a tear in her eyes?The one that she was desperately trying to hide?

“I’ll be waiting,Leo.Come back soon.Find your father.Do what you have to do.”

                             ***

Three miles away,in a rocky cave of sorts,the General stretched.He chuckled thinking of the reversal of roles.The man who had previously been his captor now lay at his feet,bound by the very same ropes which had bound him merely hours ago.The fellow had put up a good fight.The General had been half tempted to ask him to join the One Army.But then he decided against it.

It was nearing midday and all the General had had nothing to eat.He glanced at his captive..at the scar on his face.He was young..but looked much older.The face of a man who had seen much in life.

The General’s stomach growled and he looked at it disapprovingly. Ambling out of the cave,he took a deep breath and looked around.Feeling a sharp pain on his leg,he looked at it.Only to find a leech which had latched on to his flesh,sucking away.Cringing with disgust,he prodded at with a twig.However,the creature hung on refusing to let go until a long while later when it was full.

I need to eat,the General thought.He was feeling very tired.Looking around,he saw a fruit on a tree and began to climb up.Halfway up,he saw that the fruit was rotten and had maggots crawling in and out.

Damn you creatures,he swore.Well,they would have to pay now..

The General kept climbing up.

                               ***

8.Blood Brother

Shadowfoot moved nimbly through the forest. Tall trees with moss and mushroom fighting for space on it barks loomed on all sides. The undergrowth was wet and thick. Very little sunlight penetrated from the foilage above, leaving the forest in the permanent semi-darkness of it's own shadow.

Shadowfoot stopped and cocked his ear. The forest was silent except for the song of the crickets and the occasional cry of a bird. Something was not right. Shadowfoot stood very still, concentrating on all his senses. For him good prey and strange visitors never were hard to detect.

A tiny rustle of leaves was the only warning when the beast attacked and Shadowfoot managed to jump clear of the sudden attack only at the last second. He had sensed an unfamiliar odour, but had erroneously put it down to tricks of the forest. Shadowfoot gained his footing and looked at his artacker.

It definitely was not a wolf. It stood slightly taller than Shadowfoot and was covered in yellow fur with black stripes. A tiger. It barred it's lips to reveal rows of sharp teeth.

Shadowfoot readied himself. It was going to be a tough fight and it'd be a miracle to come out unscathed . Tigers always were fearsome n agile fighters, he would have to take it down by the neck at the first chance he got. A snake twitch of a muscle in the Tigers paw alerted Shadowfoot of it's intentions to renew attack.

"Hey hey... Break it up!" a man suddenly came running forth from the trees. He was wearing a long flowing grey-green cloth that gave away no idea of his appearance and his face was entirely covered, except for his eyes, by a black shawl. He had obvious difficult moving through the thick forest undergrowth in his attire, but he still moved quickly. Reaching near the tiger he put his arm around it's neck. The tiger instantly relaxed.

"It's a saddled wolf Princess", he spoke softly into the Tigress' ear, "You are not supposed to attack other saddled creatures". The man gently rubbed the tigress behind her ear and she purred. In one fluid motion, the man, in his flowing robes, leapt onto the saddle on the tigress' back. He faced Shadowfoot.

There was something familiar about the man, in his smell, his antics, but Shadowfoot couldn't remember nor place it. He looked at the robed man sitting atop a tigress and refuses to relax.

"Oh Ride of a Fellow Soul" began the man grandiosely, aninatedly "My name is Andrrenor, and Princess here is my Ride. We mean you no harm. Princess " he slightly bowed to rub the tigress on her side, "Is new to Riding and is still learning ways of our trade and life. I feverently hope you forgive her little transgression" he finished with a flourish if arms.

Shadowfoot looked at the man who seemed to be conducting an invisible opera from his tigress, and was confused. He relaxed, but kept his eyes on the man.

The man suddenly leaned forward. He seemed to be looking at something near Shadowfoot's paw. He was silent for a few minutes.

"Oh my my.." the Man looked back at Shadowfoot. He suddenly got off his saddle and began walking to where the wolf was standing. Princess was staring at them both.

"You are Shadowfoot aren't you?" He continued, coming closer. Shadowfoot tensed yet again. "Mirōven's Ride..."the man trailed off. In one motion he reached up and tore off his shawl to reveal a thin scrawny face with a single bright eye shining through. The right eye was covered by a patch and a scar running all the way from the bottom of his right chin, through his eyes and upto his forehead cut through it.

Recognition suddenly hit Shadowfoot. That's why the man seemed familiar.

"It's me Shadow" the man said, suddenly putting his arm around Shadowfoot's neck. Shadowfoot instantly relaxed.

"It's me" the man whispered into Shadowfoot's ear, "Andrew. Mirōven's blood brother."