March 16th: Kingdom Time
As the sun slowly made its way into the sky the next morning, Nicodemus studied the drawing and then looked up at the scene he stood before. It was an exact match! It was drawn as if she had stood in the exact position, he now found himself standing. The drawing clearly showed the cave but when he looked at the scene before him, he saw only trees and underbrush. The cave was very well hidden, but the drawing gave precise indications, so he left his horse tethered to a tree and began to trek his way in the direction Sunny had so clearly drawn.
There was no evidence of a scouting party or any sign of passage down into the forest. Fury paused before the hillside he softly called out to Moon-Bear.
In the cave, Moon-Bear slept. Instantly he was awake and alert! He heard his name called again. It was Fury! Just as the woman had predicted. He called out. His voice was strained and weak and he was thirsty and hungry. He hoped that Nicodemus had brought both water and food.
Fury heard the cry of the Sith and headed toward the sound. Within seconds he found the cave opening and crawled in. The tunnel was just wide enough to let a man in. Nicodemus' shoulders were nearly too wide for him to fit, but he managed to get in using his elbows to drag himself into the cave. The cave itself was fairly large, and in the gloom, he saw the eye-shine of Moon-Bear.
"I see you did not vanish into thin air as I was beginning to think," Fury sat up and looked around the cave as his eyes adjusted to the gloom. "This place was not easy to find."
"It was easy enough for the witch-woman to find me," Moon-Bear said. "She told me you were coming."
"She did, did she?"
"Who is she? She did not look like any of the females you frequent. She is not of the Partholan."
"She is different," Nicodemus replied. "She is the daughter of the Dannan," He crawled over to Moon-Bear and pushed his pack toward the Sith. "There is food and water in there. How badly are you hurt?"
"My leg is injured," Moon-Bear said. "It is not broken but I cannot walk far."
"Too bad the Dannan did not heal you while she was here," Fury muttered.
Moon-Bear snarled at him, "I will not let a witch-woman touch me!"
"I doubt you would have come to any harm – the Dannan women are known for their healing powers."
Moon-Bear cocked his head in question. "Only a Sith healer can heal me."
Fury nodded and watched for a few minutes as Moon-Bear drank and wolfed down the food he had brought. The Sith began to groom. When he finished, he nodded at Fury. "I am ready, shall we go?"
"Yes," Nicodemus replied, "These walls are closing in on me."
"Try being in here three suns!" Moon-Bear growled.
"You would likely still be here if it had not been for Sunny locating you," Fury replied as he crawled out of the cave through the narrow tunnel.
Moon-Bear sniffed at the thought. "Remind me to thank her properly."
Nicodemus squeezed out the tunnel into the light. He turned around and reached in to pull Moon-Bear from the cave. The Sith blinked his large golden eyes rapidly waiting for them to adjust to being in the sunlight.
"That is not going to be possible. She is in Arwyn."
Moon-Bear frowned, his face fierce, "How is it that she came to me and told me you were coming if she is on the other side?"
"That I do not know," Fury replied.
Moon-Bear put slight weight on his leg, he began to purr softly in his throat. Nicodemus realized the Sith was in pain but attempted to hide it. "Come on, the horse is waiting up on the trail."
"Any sign of trackers?" Moon-Bear asked, looking around him and his ears angling to catch any sounds.
"Nothing, they have moved off deeper in the forest," Fury replied but he moved steadily toward his horse.
The Sith continued to listen, his head cocked to catch any trace of sound. When he could not hear anything amiss, he looked once again at Fury, "How did she find me?"
Nicodemus looked at his friend, "That I do not know exactly," he sighed and moved once again up the embankment. "She has special sight," They both paused to rest, and Fury took that time to show the Sith Sunny's drawing. "She knew exactly where you were."
Moon-Bear studied the drawing and then handed it back. "You should burn it. It has magic perhaps even Da'ark magic."
Nicodemus examined the drawing closely before tucking it back into his tunic. "You remember me telling you about the attack in the palace?
"I do," Moon-Bear said.
He patted the area where the paper lay against his skin, "The work of the same woman." Fury replied.
"Best to stay away from her," Moon-Bear told him. "She sounds like a Blood witch."
Fury scoffed at the young Sith, "She is no blood witch, Da'ark witch, or any other kind of witch."
They started on their way again, "Do not forget that I warned you!" Moon-Bear said, and they continued their way up the trail to where Fury's horse waited. "You will be caught up in her magick!" Nicodemus made certain that the cinch was snug. He watched as Moon-Bear made himself comfortable on the back of the horse.
"Too late," Fury replied. "I am already caught," Fury said more to himself than to the Sith. "If only it were possible."
"You have found your Anamchara (soulmate)?" Moon-Bear asked.
Fury glared up at the Sith, then rested his head against his forearm briefly before mounting his horse. "Yes."
Moon-Bear was silent. He had never seen his friend in such a conflicted and anguished state over a female. He decided not to question Fury anymore about the woman who had stolen his heart. They rode toward home without further incident.