Rune held the parchment letter lightly in her palm.
"That from ya motha?" questioned her partner, Clyde and Rune often stood guard at the front gates of the castle together, that and the fact that they were siblings, and roommates meant they were pretty close, but also usually on eachothers nerves.
"What do ya think?" she snapped, she whipped off her helmet letting her enormous cloud of bright fiery orange hair pop out around her head all the way down to the thin silver plates of her leg armour.
"Ya ought tah put that back on before Diarmid sees ya."
"I'll drive a sword through his heart if he mentions it." She recoiled distractedly, her helmet propped under her armpit, she was using it as a sort of table for the letter as she read it.
Grimacing she bit her lip in worry.
"Oh no, it's not another alcohol run to the new world is it?" Clyde complained, his greasy auburn hair falling out of his helmet and resting around his chin.
"No, no, I'm afraid not… To hell with these damn elves." she muttered
"Oh…" his akward frame shuffled away from Rune slightly to avoid getting hit in her upcoming rage.
Instead, she slouched in place, giving off a defeated sigh she reluctantly drew her falchion sword.
"Are you coming with me? We takin' Mungo or Shag?"
Clyde didn't question it, he'd been best friends with Rune since squire training, during that time she'd gotten him out of a hell of a lot of trouble, the least he could do is play moral support for some quest in a time like this, that and he didn't have the biggest will to live so there wasn't much to lose.
Clyde limped after Rune, his peg leg banging against the cobblestone street with every step.
"You go saddle Shag, I'll send a message to Bryn." he called after Rune as she sped towards the barn at the back of the barracks.
Clyde then pulled a cork bottle out of his ratty boot, he dumped a mere pinch of the powder onto his palm before willing it to swirl into a tiny tornado which spun away from him into Brynjar and barrack.
Before he knew it Brynjar's limp most likely intoxicated thumbs-up hung out his barrack window in the distance.
Soon after this, Rune could be seen walking up the hill in the distance with Shag trodding along behind her muscled figure. Shag was a stocky horse with a beautiful dappled gray coat and thick layered main, it was honestly astonishing that he had been cut from the army simbly for being blind in one eye.
After he was close enough to feel the horses breath against his own skin, Clyde then mounted the horse after his sister just before they began to gallop away into the forest.
The first thirty or so minutes of the journey was silent, not a word was spoken, and the only sound was the rustle of the highland grass slapping the horses belly as he charged through the field between the forest and Bobainne. Finally they entered the wood, it was nearly dusk, the sun cast a warm glow through the snow covered pine trees as Shag crunched across the freshly fallen ice.
"We should be reaching the portal soon, the note said they'd be in the cave."
Clyde merely grunted in response his auburn hair filling with snow as it bounced up and down with the pace of the trot.
The leafless trees scattered within the pines added a sort of eerie demeanor to the wood, their sharp spindly branches looked as if they were stabbing the sky as they trotted past them.
Just as Rune's thoughts had begun to overtake her they reached the cave.
"Halt." she ordered.
Clyde pulled back on the reins harshley causing Shag to stumbled briefly as he came to a stop.
The cave stood about fifty feet away, the area in between them was much more sparse than the rest of the forest leaving the intricate etchings visible on the faded black stone in front of them. The cracks between the boulder blocking the entrance and the rest of the cave seemed to glow a soft purple, letting Rune know the mage responsible for their travels specialized in necromancy and possibly dream work, a very different area from Rune's earth and body magic.
She huffed silently causing Clyde to smirk.
"We should proclaim peace by projection before we enter, I wouldn't be surprised if they were on guard."
"It's almost sunset, you'll have to work quickly." Clyde noted staring aimlessly into the setting sun's warm red glow behind the pines in the distance, a look of worried panic riddled his tired face.
Rune rolled her eyes before jumping into the snowy floor of the clearing with a thump.
"You're a soldier Clyde, act like it." she snapped
"Well you're not unkillable Rune, why don't you act like it." he retaliated
Rune stayed silent. Just before she could retrieve the needed supplies from her belt the boulder rolled away slightly with a thundering crash, the purple glow faded as a figure emerged.
"Marbh get back here! You have no idea what's in those wo-" the voice faded out as a gust of wind roared against the figures dark brown ratsnest.
The figure, apparently named Marbh ignored the warning from inside the cave and continued trodding towards them.
"Oh shut it coward, that's the daughter of mother athol if I've ever seen one." he snaughed (snarl laughed).
"The hell does that mean?" The question came out much sassier than she meant it too, her hand on her hip and her sword at her thigh she glared him down silently.
"Killara wants yah to come in the cave."
Rune glanced at Clyde briefly before nodding to Marbh, she gestured for Clyde to follow.
Still atop shag, he sighed, pressing his foot into the horses side, they trotted to the cave cautiously, the snow crunching under his hooves loudly.
Once at the entrance Marbh leaned his weight into the boulder opening the entrance wider for shag's muscular frame, Clyde ducked his head as they wiggled through but still managed to bump into the rocky stone.
Marbh rolled the stone closed behind them leaving nothing but the light of a somewhat humanoid figure's glowing purple hands, under their elbow was what seemed to be a girl around the same age as her, she was fit just like Rune but slimmer and more flat, her platinum blonde hair was more sleek and graceful dangling around her hips, she was much much taller and more fearful, her bright pink eyes darted around the confines of the cave she seemed to be mouthing the same word over and over her thin rosy lips making the same movements time after time.
Suddenly there came a booming voice from behind the two figures Rune had been studying.
"Who are you?" his question was effective and to the point, Rune liked this. His hand rested on the purple person's shoulder; he glared down at Rune his massive figure nearly blending into the darkness of the cave.
Rune straightened her posture and prepared her most intimidating voice for use.
"That is irrelevant, you know who I am, my mother sent you did she not?" Rune did not allow him to answer before she continued to her next point of action
"We need light if we are going to continue." she glanced at the small crowd expectantly as she said this.
"Well then make some magic girl." Marbh spat.
"I don't specialize in that form of magic." She admitted reluctantly.
Marbh crossed his arms smuggly over his armor, he gave her a sickening grin exposing his yellowed bear fangs.
Rune gave a frustrated grunt, throwing her hands in the air she lost composure of her voice.
"Well! I was told one of you had fire blood! Make a torch dingbat!" Shag took a step back in fear causing Clyde to once again be banged against the stone of the cave, he gave a small whimper which no one gave any attention to
Marbh then thrust his boot into the musty dirt floor causing a deafening bang and a whoosh of fire to flare up around him, he smirked giddily at the new source of light, his display of dominance over this cocky little redhead seemed to be a success as he had managed to break her professional and .controlled composure.
Rune bit her lip to keep from screaming at him, her nose was now coated in soot as she had been closest to the display, her entire face seemed to wrinkle in distaste.
The others wore blank expressions as they were all somewhat used to his impulsive childlike personality by now. Clyde and Zoe were busy observing the runes engraved onto the walls.
Marbh tilted his chin upward to hide his concern, his hazel eyes lit up by the fire and soot coating his pale freckled face and dark brown hair he glared at Rune as if daring her to either challenge him or join him. So far she was acting like his least favorite type of person… just as assertive and blunt as he but so caught up in titles and reputation that everything was a pointless competition for validation and never a real and exhilarating challenge for victory.
Rune wiped her nose before reluctantly holding out her hand to her new found frenemy,
���I like your witt, I'll give you that." she admitted through her teeth.
Marbh eyed her hand questioning briefly whether to scorch it or give a spit oath, before he could decide she pulled it back.
"But the vanity has got to go." she growled.
Marbh rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall, he crossed one leg over the other letting Rune walk past him over to Killara and Zoe.
She stopped just in front on the thin girl with the pink eyes,
Rune cleared her throat.
"Is this Aer an Bhlátha Bándearg?" She directed the question to the purple figure standing over the girl, the figure in question had an inherently confusing appearance, shirtless and using what most likely used to be a shirt as a sort of tourakette for the girl Rune could see their chest was flat as dirt and mostly masculine looking, however their face was feminine and there was no bulge visible underneath their tight royal blue leggings. Rune didn't even notice she was staring, looking the figure up and down, till they cleared their throat irritable before answering.
"She goes by Zoe." They replied, their voice the most perfect confusing mix of masculine rasp and feminine inflection. The man behind them seemed to blush slightly under the cover of darkness, he gave his own face a slight slap before gesturing for Rune to focus on the purple human instead.
After a few moments of confused silence the purple one sighed, their eyes fading from a fluorescent white to a faded cobalt blue they broke the silence grudgingly.
"My name is Killara, I'm mage captain for the american spell circus…"
Rune nodded.
"Is this the one I'm meant to guard?" she questioned, doing her best to keep her voice from cracking whilst looking at Zoe, she didn't seem any weaker than her, sure anxious and fearful. But wasn't she from the rose bloodline? Surely she could perform proper protection spells. The Rosen elves were some of the most powerful mages in all the worlds, especially those born with royal blood… only such uncertain and dangerous times such as these would require a guard.
"Yes." Killara replied flatly, their electric blue dreads now tied into a large bun on the back of their head.
Rune nodded solemnly at this.
"Our first move should be to head toward Bobainne, we can use some more witches to help teach the princess, that and that is where we can start our search for the map."
"The what?" The princess questioned.
"I'll explain later sweetheart." Rune's voice was gruff and worried.
"R-rune it's dark how are we supposed to-" Clyde faltered
Rune and Marbh both whipped around to look at him, Marbh cut her off, he needed an excuse to yell at someone.
"We've got four mages and four weapons, we can make it three if you wanna act like a coward." he snapped.
Clyde grimaced at this.
"Call me a coward all you want there's no use bein foolish, I'm only bein careful."
Marbh rolled his eyes, if there was anything he hated more than sitting still, it was other people forcing their impulse control on him.
There was silence for a few moments before Marbh decided to speak up, he did not want to compromise but he equally did not wish for someone else to come up with an idea and proceed to lead him into it so he made a suggestion.
"Rune and Zoe stay here, the rest of us will go ahead and go.. We'll send a message back so you can know what dangers there are."
Rune huffed.
"Surprisingly that's rather clever." she mumbled
"No its not! We should never split up!" Clyde shook Rune by the shoulders as e said this.
"It makes sense Clyde, if there is anything in the forest you all will act as bait… our first priority is the princesses protection."
Clyde began chewing his fingernails as he practically disappeared into the corner.
"The rest of us will set off immediately, Athol told me Clyde was a navigator." Marbh turned towards the shaky soldier in the corner.
"I'm assuming that's you?" he prodded
Clyde nodded, he was now sinking more into a dissociative state rather than his usual panic.
Omeo detached himself from Killara his tacky gasoline stained hoodie glowing almost purple against their hand as it rested on his shoulder, he pointed his piercing brown eyes at Marbh.
"I'll go… I trust ya Marbh,"
Marbh gave a thankful nod before turning to face Clyde.
"Omeo… you convince him, I don't feel like not being an asshole."
"Fine I'll go." Clyde mumbled
"Thanks man." gruffed Omeo
"Not like I have a choice."
With this, Marbh, Omeo, and Clyde all shuffled out the cave with shag behind them before they all awkwardly mounted the bionic horse and set off to Bobainne.