It was the beginning of dusk by the time Helbram made his way back to Kiki’s forge. Winter’s chill attempted to slip into his fur coat as wind billowed down Geldervale’s streets, but he carried a steady warmth from the stew and bread that Pius had so graciously provided for dinner. Were it not for the fog that parted from his lips with every breath, it would have been as if he was unaffected by the chill at all.
The same could not be said of the person accompanying him.
“It’s bloody cold,” Jahora said as she slipped further into the hood of her coat.
“Could you not warm yourself with a spell?” Helbram asked with a bemused smirk.
“For a walk through town? I may be small but I’m not as dainty as you seem to think.”
“I am well aware of that, but had I the capability, I know I would do so in a heartbeat.”
She snorted, “Such fragility.”
“Indeed, should I be subjected to such inclement conditions for a moment longer I am afraid I may fall ill.” he gave her a sidelong glance.
The Mage rolled her eyes and held her hand up. A Circle formed around her head as she gathered the Aether around her into a small ball of fire between the two of them, radiating a gentle warmth over the duo.
“Much appreciated,” he said.
Jahora’s face became noticeably less hidden by her hood, wearing a prideful grin, “But of course.”
The wind howled through the street again, its bite noticeably less harsh as it passed over them.
“We really ought to purchase a heater when next available,” Helbram said, “Winter is proving itself to be a harsh mistress this year.”
“We should have grabbed one from Goldshire,” Jahora said, “Though if my senses aren’t lying to me Geldervale appears to have a number of their own. Perhaps they have spares they’d be willing to part with.”
“Hopefully,” Helbram said, “For a fee of course, they’ve been far too generous enough already…”
“Indeed, compared to Redhaven it’s quite the jarring shift,” her brow wrinkled, “Even Merida has been quite generous.”
Helbram studied his companion’s face, noting doubt that bordered on suspicion. It was an impulse he understood.
“Do you believe she will go after Aria?” he asked.
Jahora sighed, “I don’t know, and that’s what bothers me. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so distrustful.”
“You have every reason to be cautious, especially when it concerns Aria’s safety. We will all do our part to keep her in our sights.”
Jahora nodded, “Yes we will.”
Helbram scratched his chin, “What of her progress, do you believe that she will form a Circle soon?”
Jahora crossed her arms, “It’s difficult to say. Given the natural -or rather, unnatural- boons from her nature as a Shade, it would not be a surprise if she had formed one at this time, but there is a form of… indecision that appears to be holding her back.”
“Of where to form her first Circle?”
“Yes. Self centered as it sounds, Elly and I thought that she was having a hard time choosing who to emulate between the two of us, but the cause appears to be related to more unconscious reasons…” she held up both her hands, “As she channels Aether, its flow diverges.”
“Normally the flow is in a singular direction, right?”
“Correct, but with Aria, the Aether splits between her head and wrist, and it has been long enough to know that this is not intentional,” her eyes darkened, “Not from Aria, at least.”
Helbram let out a breath, “From the little we know of Shades we can tell that some of their memories do persist. It could be very well that her soul has some recollection of when she previously formed a Circle at this age, and that is making her draw it to one spot while her current self draws it to another.”
Jahora nodded, “My thoughts exactly. I don’t know how much it will inhibit her growth, but it’s something we can’t ignore. Elly and I have been teaching her different ways to focus, to get a greater conscious control over Aether, but, if I may be honest I find myself wondering if it's the correct choice.”
“What do you mean?
“We aim to teach her something different so that she may better find herself outside of her past life's influence, I know, but what if we are just forcing her to deny what is so irrevocably tied to her very being? We have reason to fear her Shade, but…” she pressed her lips thin, “What if our caution will do nothing but smother her potential in the end?”
They walked in silence as Helbram ruminated over her words.
“You raise a fair point,” He said, “Aria will always be a Shade, and there is nothing that can be done to change that. To teach her to deny that part of herself is nothing more than imposing shackles forged from our own fears, but we must take into account that Aria did not have a chance to form her own self.”
He stopped walking, “From birth her Shade had its hold over her, and by the negligence of her family she was left subject to its influence unabated for nearly twelve years. She did not have a childhood. She did not learn to play. She did not have the chance to form bonds unique to this life until just a month ago. Perhaps it will slow her growth in magic, but if that is the cost for a formation of an identity, for a being that she can truly call herself, then I believe it would be best that we tell her to pay less attention to that part of herself for the time being.’
“I agree,” Jahora said, “but at some point she will need to come to terms with her nature, and I would rather it be done through acceptance rather than denial.”
“That is valid,” Helbram scratched his head and sighed, “this is quite a lot to think about when running errands.”
Jahora snorted as they started to walk again, “Well we don’t need to come up with a solution just yet. Tis something to think about… should Merida prove to be trustworthy, we may be able to consult her with this.”
“Indeed, though she did seem to be more focused on Leaf, from what I could tell.”
“That she is,” Jahora smirked, “You don’t think she fancies him, do you?”
“Certainly” He said in a dull tone, “his welcoming frown and homely, abrasive nature has fluttered the hearts of many a maiden, after all.”
“Pft, you don’t need to be so harsh about it.”
“I would be worse if he were with us,” Helbram said with a grin. He let it drop a moment later, “But I imagine that Merida is interested in him for other reasons, ones that I suspect are related to what a Warden may be.”
“Right, she did say that didn’t she? You wouldn’t happen to know what a Warden would be, would you?”
Helbram scratched his head, “I am afraid not, my knowledge of the Glasswood is relatively sparse.”
“Your grandfather never taught you about them?” Jahora ribbed at him.
He snorted, “No, he was a bit distracted by his student choosing to galavant in the woods himself, instead. But, in terms of Druids, you and Elly may know more than I. As far as Wardens are concerned… from the name I can only guess that they would be guardians of some kind, which would explain why she would be confused to find one so far away from their home.”
“If Leaf is a Warden” Jahora countered, “Given his reaction I don’t think he realizes that about himself.”
“Indeed, but Druids possess a keen sense when it comes to determining one’s nature, so I do not think she would be wrong in this instance,” Helbram rubbed his chin, “Leaf did mention that he felt a shift when he advanced his Core; perhaps it was this shift that made his aura more similar to that of a Warden.”
Jahora gasped, “I forgot to congratulate him on that! We got so swept up in the flow, but that’s no excuse…”
He patted her on the back, “Pay it no mind. Proper congratulations will have to wait until he gets his own thoughts sorted out anyways”
“Right… but when will that be?”
“Whenever he is ready. In the meantime, I still have questions for Merida,” his gaze focused, remembering what the Druid had said when they first met her, “namely what sort of entity could cause the corruption of one’s Aether.”
Jahora sighed, “It wouldn’t be us if we didn’t get ourselves tangled in some mess regularly, would it?”
Helbram smiled, “No it would not.”
Their conversation descended into small talk as they continued their trek across Geldervale, and before long the pair of them found themselves in front of the forge. Even from a good stone’s throw away he could feel the heat radiating from the building as the sounds of hammering echoed out into the street. Jahora dropped her spell and lowered her hood as they made their way through the door, spotting Geoffery at the power hammer. The apprentice smith was fully distracted by his work, engrossed in the rapid rhythm of the machine’s strikes against the red hot metal held in his tongs.
Kiki, on the other hand, was on the opposite end of the forge sitting at a workbench. To her side was Helbram’s armor and a long, wrapped bundle that lay on top of it. In front of her was a helmet; one of a simplistic, yet sleek design with an adjustable visor that would cover the wearer’s face when fully set down. When the smith finished passing her cloth over it, it appeared to have been given a new life, as he could see its sheen clear across the room. It was around this time that Kiki noticed him and Jahora, and she motioned excitedly for them to approach.
As they did, the smith picked up the headpiece and held it out to Helbram, “This is quite the impressive piece.”
Helbram took it from her and examined it, noting that its numerous scratches and weathered edges had been significantly reduced, “That it is,” the corners of his lips quirked up, “it was my fathers.”
He slipped his fist into the helmet and held it up in front of him, catching his distorted reflection as the orange red glow of the forge’s flames bounced off of its sides. For a brief moment, he could see his younger self looking back at him, his eyes filled with a wonder that had been long since tempered.
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“Properly restored to its rightful condition…” he said, his voice softer than he intended, “thank you, truly.”
Kiki grinned, “Of course! You wouldn’t happen to know who forged it, would you?”
“I am afraid not,” Helbram said, “but it was refitted by a rather ornery smith by the name of Galain, from a small village by the name of Caershire.”
“I’ve never met a smith that wasn’t some sort of stubborn,” Kiki said with a snort, “And I suspect this Galain was your master?”
“For a time,” Helbram admitted, “enough to aid with maintenance while on my travels, at the very least,” he cradled his helmet under his arm, “clearly my equipment was in need of a far more talented hand.”
“More practiced,” Kiki corrected. She looked at Jahora, “Have you come to get something made?”
“Actually, I was wondering if I could use your workshop,” the Mage said as she pulled a sheathed dagger from under her coat and pulled out part of its blade, revealing the scratched rune across its profile,, “I’ve been meaning to a bit of maintenance of my own and your tools are far more suited for the task than the small kit in my satchel.”
The smith peered at the dagger for a brief moment before breaking out into a grin, “Certainly! Though you must show me the enchantment afterwards. Artificery has always been a curiosity of mine.”
Jahora gave her a thankful smile, “Of course, and I’ve heard from Elly that you’ve been commissioned in the forging of a shield. If possible, I’d like to assist with its production,” she shot Helbram a sidelong glance, “I’ve a few ideas to improve its chances of being wielded by one so reckless as he.”
Helbram frowned, but did not give his companion the satisfaction of his complaints. Jahora stuck her tongue out towards him as she and Kiki made their way towards the back of the workshop, where Helbram could only assume the smith kept her designs. Whilst the two women spoke with increasingly animated movements, his attention drifted to the armor and bundle that lay on the table next to him.
He first looked over his brigandine, now fully appreciating its noticeably more tapered design as he held it out in front of him. While the Goldshire’s smith, Bertrand, had done his best to adjust the fit from the armor’s previous owner, the man’s expertise lay within the forging of tools rather than armor, leaving it with some traces of Garuf’s wider build.
Garuf… he wondered how the retired adventurer was faring in his new duties as captain of a town’s guard. A bittersweetness followed as his thoughts drifted back to him, seeing the image of a man who, even through all his years, would not find his name in song or legend, but was content with his lot by the time he hung up his cloak. It was very much a future that Helbram could expect to see.
But would he accept such an ending?
He shook his head and placed the brigandine back down, giving it a good thump with his fist before examining the bundle, which was three quarters the length of his arm. He knew what lay inside, but did not open the package to inspect it. He had faith in Kiki’s work, and a large part of him wished to share in the excitement of its unveiling when he gifted it to Aria.
“Though perhaps the wolves will prove to be too much a distraction…” he mused to himself.
Motion at the door interrupted his thoughts, and as he turned towards it he was greeted by the sight of Felix walking into the workshop. The “mayor” of Geldervale wore the same coat he always had, its black shade matching his hair and beard. His eyes surveyed the room with a cursory glance, but the knowing expression on his naturally stern face told Helbram that he knew of his presence long before he stepped into the building. Resting against Felix’s shoulder was his spear, the unusual swirled pattern of black and silver catching Helbram’s eye as it always had every time his eyes fell upon it.
This time, however, his attention was pulled away by someone else.
A girl stood at Felix’s side, one that he’d seen around town once or twice before. Given her smaller size - only coming up to Felix’s waist - and her round face, her age was most likely around Aria’s, possibly younger. Like the mayor, she too possessed black hair and gray eyes, but where Felix’s eyes held the sharpened visage of a hunter, hers were still filled with a wonder and curiosity befitting one of her age. Her garb matched the man at her side, and she too possessed a spear which she clutched to her chest, though it was far shorter than the one Felix possessed. Even from across the room Helbram could tell that it was most likely one that was used more for training rather than actual battle. As the girl’s eyes fell upon him, her gaze quickly shifted to looking around the rest of the room, clearly looking for something.
Or someone, perhaps.
“Felix,” Helbram said with a wave, “I must say I did not expect the mayor to make an evening visit to a forge of all things.”
“I like to keep on top of my equipment,” he said with a knowing smirk, “though now that you know the truth I’d prefer if you did not call me that.”
He walked up and clasped his free arm with Helbram’s.
“The title is ill fitting, and makes me shudder far more than Winter’s kiss ever could.”
Helbram snorted, “Kiki’s told you of our conversation then?”
“Yes, and from what I heard you would make quite the interrogator,” he set his spear down on the table next to Helbram’s armor, “Luring her attention with weaponry was quite clever.”
“Smith’s tend to be an open sort, given that they are sufficiently distracted,” he looked at the girl at Felix’s side, “And what is your name?”
Rather than answer, she shifted further behind the man’s leg.
“It’s alright Serena,” he patted the girl on her head, “Apologies, my daughter has not seen much in the way of outsiders.”
“Pay it no mind, better caution than recklessness,” he gave the girl a gentle smile, “Serena? What a pretty name.”
She did not show much reaction to the compliment, and instead looked around the workshop once more.
Helbram snorted and knelt down to meet her eye level, “I am afraid that Aria is not here at the moment.”
Serena tried, and failed, to hide her disappointed frown.
He held back the chuckle rising from his chest, “But I can bring her over, tomorrow perhaps. Do we have an agreement?”
Helbram held his hand out to her, and after she took a moment to stare at it, she grabbed it.
“Yes,” she said, giving a firm shake before quickly letting go.
“Perfect, I am certain she would love to meet you.”
Serena again failed to hide her emotions, the brightness in her eyes betraying a clear excitement.
Felix smiled and tapped her shoulder, “Go on and speak to Kiki, I’ll be along shortly.”
The girl nodded and walked over to the smith and Jahora. Before she could exhibit any of the timidness she showed Helbram, however, Serena was quickly caught up in the Mage’s energy as she flashed her a wide grin and gave her a hug.
“I appreciate that,” Felix said, “Geldervale doesn’t have many children at the moment, and I know she could do with some company around her age.”
“Pay it no mind,” Helbram said, “Aria will welcome another friend.”
Felix nodded, “I trust Merida has settled in?”
“That she has. Pius has been a most gracious host. I am almost afraid we have taken too much advantage of him.”
The mayor chuckled, “If anything he’s glad for the company. I was afraid he’d go mad if he never actually had a chance to be the tavernkeep he wished to be.”
“Is that so? I suppose I will have to test his limits then,” Helbram said with a smirk.
Felix shook his head, and the smile on his face faltered, “I am surprised that you haven’t asked what I discussed with her.”
Helbram took a seat at the workbench, “I do not deny that I am curious, but it would be quite rude of me to impose myself in your business,” he tapped the table, “unless you were generous enough to share?”
“I was thinking of asking your party for assistance, actually.” Felix admitted.
“Fair enough, perhaps when I bring Aria by tomorrow?”
“That would be perfect, I’m sure Camilla will appreciate the company.”
“Your wife… the request you gave Merida would not have something to do with her, would it?”
Felix held his hand up, “It will have to wait for tomorrow, Helbram. I… we need to process some things.”
“Understood, tomorrow it is,” he looked over to Kiki, then took a glance at Geoffery, “I must say, you lead a quite a talented bunch.”
“They are far more than I deserve,” Felix admitted, “Once we were out of Osgilia they could have gone anywhere they wanted, and the fools decided to hitch themselves to my carriage.”
“I would say that says far more about you than about them.”
“Nonsense, dullards, the lot of them,” the affection was clear in Felix’s voice. He tapped the workbench with his fist, “But I’m afraid I cannot stay long to chat tonight, I shall see you on the morrow.”
Helbram gave him a wave, “May the stars grant you a restful sleep tonight,” he thought about that for a moment, “should they deign to grace us with their presence, at least.”
Felix chuckled, “Likewise, Helbram.”
As he walked over to where his daughter went, Kiki’s attention shifted from Jahora to Felix, allowing the Mage to slip away with a small wave before making her way back to Helbram.
“Productive meeting?” He asked.
“Quite,” she said, “I’ve a feeling you’ll be fond of what we have planned.”
“Of that, I have no doubt,” he frowned, “I know that she is fond of the craft, but we really ought to give her proper compensation.”
“We can always do what we normally do,” Jahora said, “Drop the money at their feet and run away.”
“Ah yes, reverse banditry, lightens the spirit and the wallet,” he smiled, “sounds like a fine plan.”
They shared a laugh as they left the workshop.
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Leaf was already in bed by the time that he returned to the room. The Awoken was quiet as he faced the wall, and from the way that his body rose and fell Helbram could not tell if his friend had fallen asleep or not. He considered speaking to him, to see if he was ready to talk about his misgivings, but as he opened his mouth to say something he stopped himself. He had to have faith that his friend would speak up sooner or later, and it was with that trust that he fell into a swift slumber as his head hit his pillow.
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His eyes opened to a cave.
Its depths were blanketed in darkness, as if the abyss between the stars had bled into the crevices of jagged rocks and lightless tunnels around him. What little illumination he had was from the lantern strapped to his waist, and as he appraised his gear he found himself strapped with a mix of metals and leathers from equipment he had not worn for years. Still, his helmet remained the same, and it was this combination of information that told him what he was standing in was a dream. He could feel a presence at his back, and as he turned around, his heart froze.
Not a dream, a nightmare.
Four figures were following him, formless, featureless beings that might as well have been shadow, but he knew that there was more to them. He could describe their faces, recite their names. But he did not wish to recall them.
Not now.
A noise echoed through the cave, a distant knock that might have been a pebble bouncing off of stone. A knock that grew to a deafening thunder as a roar swallowed the caverns depths, snuffing the life out of his lantern, leaving them all in darkness. Something struck him in the side of his head and he collapsed onto the ground.
The screaming came next.
Voices pounded against him, desperate sounds of words that he could say from the scars long carved into his mind, cries that bled a want of mercy, a desperation for salvation into his very soul.
Still, he refused to remember them,
He tried to move his body, but the blow to his temple had knocked the strength from him. His vision spun and his hands flexed as they pushed against the ground, but still he could not rise. The screaming continued, scraping the walls with a cadence that he knew was calling his name. His body shook as one of the voices was choked, cut short with a gurgled sound and the snapping of bone.
Save them.
He strained again, arms trembling as his torso lifted from the ground, only to be slammed back down onto the ground as he received a blow to the back of his head. His sight blurred and ringing bounced around his ears, but two voices cut through it as they cried out to one another, followed by a blood curdling wail as one of them was silenced by a sickening crunch.
The splashing of blood stilled the cries of the other.
Damn you, move!
Blood pooled underneath him, filling his helmet with the sickening scent of iron as his vision cleared, catching his red reflection staring up at him. Another voice followed, its cadence still panicked. Not for themselves, but for the one who’s name echoed through the cave.
His name.
A pair of eyes appeared in the darkness next to his reflection, ones of a deep blue, like sapphires lost in the night sky. Eyes of someone that he once called a friend, a brother.
Eyes of one long passed.
The roar followed, and darkness swallowed those eyes without a sound. All went still, and his own voice struck out a final time.
SAVE THEM!