Evelyn spent the night at Dhara's, but in the morning she was taken further into the Hold to her own hut. It was a solitary cabin away from the others in a patch of tall pine trees. Clearly abandoned and needing work, it seemed they thought she would be pleased to be able to make the hut into her home. She was not. She'd "fix it" by burning it down if it was up to her. Never in her life had she done work that was required to fix this shack. The thatch roof needed repairing, the inside needed a thorough clean, the hearth had an animal living in it and she'd need supplies for the winter. The only furniture was an old table and chair that sat outside under an old crooked pine.
What made matters worse was that Dhara left, leaving her to figure things out with her ever-present guard - whoever it was at the time, since they rotated. She hadn't caught the name of her escort last night, but she knew her new one today as Cassandra. As Evelyn stared at the decrepit hut, wanting more than ever to escape.
"I'm not living here." She said with a flicker of defiance dancing within her eyes. Scowling slightly, Cassandra looked at her as if unsure of what to say.
"It has to be so. The Thane has spoken, and his voice holds the weight of our clan's law." As she turned to face Evelyn, she noticed the leather armor she wore didn't creak, indicating how well maintained, yet worn it was. The leather work was impressive with decorative braiding and threading throughout. With the onset of winter, a fur mantle sat high around her neck draping over her shoulders. It was short however, hanging just about the shoulders so she could move in combat.
"He's not my Thane."
"He is, for as long as you dwell within our Hold boundaries. Even those who journey here as visiting merchants and esteemed guests, they too bend their will to his word, surrendering to his dominion over this land and its territories." Her matter-a-fact way of speaking was honest, but also slightly irritating.
"Cassandra, as a woman of duty you must understand my predicament. I need to--"
"The Thane has already enlightened me regarding this 'predicament,' and though I comprehend the necessity of fulfilling one's duty, I dare not question the will of the gods."
"Put yourself in my place, if Lowlanders were holding you against your will because their Maker said so, how would you feel?" She swore she saw the faintest bit of sympathy appear briefly as she took in her words. Evelyn softened her tone, "Did the Thane also tell you that if I don't report in I'll be branded a criminal and hunted by the Templars? Or that I'll never be able to see my family and friends again?" The warrior had a fixed frown now. "No, I don't suppose he did. What you're all asking me to do will have long-reaching effects. As head of the Hold's warriors, you should know the Templars will come for me. The Thane made clear that your people would fight them should they come, but am I so important to you that you'd be willing to let your men die to keep me from them?"
"Yes, for if not, we'll all die anyway." There was an unwavering conviction in her eyes, one that told her she truly believed it. Evelyn opened and shut her mouth a few times, knowing that she wanted to argue, but unsure as how to go about it.
"You'll all die if I leave? I don't understand. Please, help me make sense of all this!"
"Phoenix, no one but the gods can answer that for you, no matter how many of us you ask."
She threw her hands up in frustration, they'll die?! So, I either throw my life away or they die… great options.
"May I ask, would it be so bad for you, a mage, to be freed from your duty to the Templars?" That was a loaded question and she stared hard at the raven-haired warrior.
“There is no easy answer to that question.” A long pause followed before she headed inside to attempt to clean, keeping herself occupied. She needed time to digest what Cassandra had told her. It couldn't change her plans to escape, the Avvar weren't her people or her responsibility. That they would place the future of their Hold on her shoulders because their gods said so rather than find their own way to survive was beyond her. What was so special about her that would change their fate?
The rest of the morning was spent with no interruption until her stomach began to growl. She had cleared most of the dust and dirt out of the hut and cleaned out the hearth. Now that she had the space, she needed things to fill it with: tools, food, wood, pots, clothing, blankets, herbs, among other necessities. Though born of the nobility, she spent enough time on the road in a tent to know what was needed for basic survival. When the sun was at its peak in the sky, Dhara paid her a visit with baskets of dried and preserved food she collected from the villagers. Despite the generous amount of donated provisions, the young mage whisked her back to her home for the midday meal and to try on more of the clothes from the chest.
The more she looked at the clothes, the more it was apparent that the garments had belonged to at least two different women. As the apprentice had mentioned to her the previous day, one had a larger chest while the other was about her size just skinnier, making the fit of the clothes slightly tighter than she was used to. She had been under the impression Avvar women were all large and muscular like Cassandra, but they came in all shapes and sizes. The women who once wore the clothes in the chest must've been of higher status in the Hold. The fabrics were finely dyed and some were made from something other than cotton and leather. There were dresses with beautiful beaded patterns and embellishments along with some jewelry. She had noticed there seemed to be some distinction among the Avvar socially from the way they dressed, but the differences seemed to depend on appointed titles and jobs rather than social classes. So, then whose clothes were these?
"I hear the Thane's family will be visiting you this evening with a gift of furs." She felt herself deflate a bit as the question jarred her out of her thoughts. He was the last person she wanted to see. She moved over to a small table to eat as Dhara talked to her about commerce and trade in the Hold. The entirety centered around bartering - not a foreign concept to her as the Circle mages typically did a small amount of it. Of course, it all depended on having something other people wanted in order to make an exchange. "Do you have any skills that would be valuable to the clan?"
"Um, I can throw fire." Dhara looked at her with a puckered frown. "I can throw fire at things?" She sighed and shook her head. "Back in the Circle, I used to brew potions of all kinds and my father is a horse breeder, so I know a lot about them."
"By Korth's beard, that'll be perfect! Perhaps the addition of yer Circle knowledge to our collective will yield somethin' and Horsemaster Dennet is always lookin' for more experienced hands, 'specially those to help with birthing." She sighed, only ever having watched births, but again she didn't plan to stick around long enough for the spring birthing season. Evelyn gave her best fake smile as she watched the giddy apprentice babble on about wonderful things were turning out to be.
In the evening after she returned to her lonely shack, the Thane's family visited. She was relieved when she saw it was only the two women and not the Thane himself. They brought large pelts that would make sleeping on the dirt floor of the hut bearable. Mia placed a hearty stew consisting of ram, vegetables and an array of spices over the fire to keep it warm. Seeing as she had no pot of her own they insisted she keep it along with the earthenware cups and bowls they brought along to eat with.
"Our brother can be difficult at times and has no sense of what it's like to run his own house since Rosalie does it for him. I will make sure he sees to at least getting you a proper bed." Mia looked over every inch the small dwelling making verbal notes to herself as to what more it needed.
"Thank you, your people have been most kind in sharing their winter stores with me. I'm not sure how I can repay the gesture." While she wanted nothing more than to leave, she couldn't help be feel a small sliver of guilt after all the food and supplies they had given her from what they had collected to get themselves through the winter. If things had been as bad as Dhara claimed them to be, then they had sacrificed their own survival to help her.
"There is nothing to repay, Phoenix. You are gift enough." She hated that and bit her tongue when her unbridled anger rose at the absurdity.
"Dhara has told me of some of your troubles, such as the Hold Beast missing and what it meant. Are things truly that dire around here that you hope I bring with me a miracle?" The two sisters looked at each other grimly. Rosalie began serving the stew while they sat on the furs on the ground.
Mia looked at her with long dark shadows from the fire filling her face. "Aye. Our fall and winter crop nearly failed. It's the worse it's been in Hold history. Hunts have not been as successful, nor has the forest provided its bounty for our gatherers. Most troubling of all is that the women cannot hold babes in their wombs. There is something larger at work here than we can know, and the Hold Spirits say you are the answer."
"How? How could I possibly be able to do anything about those things?"
She shook her head, sharing a look of sorrow as Rosalie joined them, handing them both a cup of stew. "I don't know, but you've already set one thing right bringing Kitsa back to us. Perhaps there is more to you than even you know. The gods will show you in time."
"I've been hearing that a lot lately, but I don't share your beliefs."
Rosalie spoke up now, having been absorbed in her first few sips of stew, "You don't have to in order to feel their guidance. They are in all things; the wind, rocks, animal calls. If you listen and heed the signs they give, you will know the truth." Evelyn sighed at the romanticized idea that their gods did such things regularly. As she scoffed at the idea in her head, she then realized the irony of it as she prayed daily to an absent deity.
"I know it must seem a simple thing for me to stay, but three Avvar clans surrounded me, killed my entire unit without cause, and now I'm your prisoner, despite how the Thane would have it appear outwardly."
"Thane Axlan killed your friends, not my brother." Mia’s face took on the same angry scowl as the man in question. "My brother came to you with offerings of peace and gifts."
Evelyn couldn't help but roll her eyes, "He came to kidnap me like the rest of them! There wasn't anything anyone could've offered me to make me come with them so I ran! Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to follow Kitsa here."
Both women shook their heads, but it was Mia who was on the defense, "Better us than the others!"
"Of course, you'd say that."
"It's true. Axlan would use you as a weapon against the other clans, raging war until he's the Thane of every Hold. And don't let that wench Svarah Sun-hair fool you, she would use you as a broodmare and re-strengthen her Hold."
"Those all sound so lovely, I'm dying to hear what your brother has planned! Pray tell what does the great Thane want with me?" A silence fell over the hut. Mia glared wildly at her while Rosalie looked up to the heavens chewing her lip. "Well?"
"It's not for me to say."
"Of course, it's not." She couldn't help but laugh. "It's for your gods to tell me, right? Well, I wish they hurry because I need to return to my people. Did your brother also neglect to tell you what will happen to me should I not return as he did with Cassandra? Because she seemed quite surprised."
"Our brother keeps very little from his own kin. If you can't confide in your family, who can you trust?"
"Mia, I've been thinking on it since she brought it up," Rosalie finally spoke up again, "couldn't Cullen send word to the Lowlanders letting them know what has happened? Perhaps then they could grant The Phoenix permission to stay." Evelyn paused to think it over. Her eyes glanced back and forth between the two women hoping there was finally some compromise to be had.
"You want him to negotiate with the Templars?" She scoffed, "he'd sooner slit his own throat."
"It's either that or we lose The Phoenix. She clearly isn't the kind of woman who is going to sit here doing nothing! She needs to report in, why can't she do that with Cullen there to vouch for her and ask that she stay with us for one reason or another? Or if he is truly set on fighting them, then say we took her hostage." She was beginning to really like Rosalie. Mia seemed as thick as her brother, but the youngest of the Thane's siblings was seemingly reasonable." Or would you rather see her run only to be captured by another clan? Come Mia, we need to at least try to compromise?"
The graying woman turned a cold stare to Evelyn, "If the Thane can manage it, would you stay?"
"Yes! Yes, I would!" Pushing her haughty attitude aside in favor of this new course of action, she wholeheartedly agreed.
"Then in the morning--"
"No, not in the morning. Now." Her life was at stake, she couldn't afford to waste another minute. She stood and took away their bowls setting them on the stone edge of the hearth. Mia was protesting but she ignored her focusing on Rosalie, "Where's your brother now? At home? Take me to him."
"He's not at home he's out with some of the other menfolk."
"Out. Out hunting? Out knuckle-dragging? What?"
"Out at the Mead Hall," the look and tone she replied with had a sheepish lilt to it. She stared at her wide-eyed as if she was missing something. Men drinking was nothing new to her. Rosalie quietly explained to her that they preferred not to interfere with their brother's privacy when he went out with the other men.
"Right, well lead the way. He's not my brother, what do I care.” They opened their mouths to decline, but she wasn't going to have it. "You can either lead me there, or I will spend the night tearing through the village building by building until I find him. Your choice." She leveled her fiery glare at them until they all stormed out the door and down the path with her guard in tow.
As they approached the building, it dawned on her that she could've found it herself from the sounds and smells coming from it. It sat a ways away from the other buildings on the outskirts of the village. It seemed a good thing too as the boisterous sounds coming from the people inside were lively. In all practicality, it was the equivalent of a tavern. Fights outside, lovers crowding dark corners, music and patrons of every degree of drunk milling about. Though Mia left to return to her home, Rosalie opted to wait outside in case their brother's temper got the better of him.
The ceiling was tall to support a large wrought iron chandelier which lit the space pleasantly. The sweet aroma of brewing mead hung in the air with hints of citrus. Trophies adorned the walls along with pelts of dragonlings and other animals which helped to soften the echo of the raucous noise. It was set up similarly to the Great Hall, just on a much smaller scale; a central fire pit for warmth, light and roasts with tables around it, though most of the patrons were split between sitting and standing. The floorboards seemed saturated in mead from the clinking of horn cups and tankards and offerings to the gods.
Pushing through the crowd was difficult at first until people realized who she was. Many gave a nod with a 'Phoenix' as they cleared her a path and pushed others aside. She stood tall and glided through the Hall with a reserved ferocity as her sharp eyes took in every face. She searched in vain for a few minutes as the spacious room began to quiet with the natives wondering what the interruption to their revelry was. It worked to her advantage when her quarry stood and she spotted him. He was bare-chested and partially covered in maroon paint. A sparse array of thick raised scars adorned his sculpted chest and ribs. She had seen other men dressed as he with Dhara earlier hulling back a meager bounty of game, so she surmised he was probably back from a hunt. The other men around his table were all dressed similarly to the Thane in fur and leather pants and boots. Their arms and shoulders were strapped in leather armor with puffs of fur lining peeking out. With eyes locked, she could already see the shift in his mood beginning at the sight of her.
"Not too drunk I hope? We have business to discuss." Aside from Branson and Rylen, she didn't recognize any of the other men at the table. One, in particular, seemed totally out of place. His skin was naturally tanned and he had a neatly groomed mustache that curled up at the ends. He didn't wear the same ensemble as the others, and she sensed he was a mage of great skill. He didn't try to hide the way he scrutinized her with raised eyebrows, beginning at her knees up to her head. When he finished, he flashed a cheeky smile at her.
She flicked a quick glance over the mage's shoulder to some women who stood against the wall near their table. They were watching the men at the table with an interest, whispering back and forth, trying to chime into their conversation. One stood out with pale green eyes and long dark brown hair. She looked at Evelyn as if sizing her up, though there was not much to compare, nor compete with aside from the woman's beauty. She was short and trim, but her curves were subtle and soft. Evelyn could assume she wasn't a fighter, nor did she sense a mage. At a guess, she was at least two years younger than she, still having a youthful dew to her pale cheeks. Her looks were striking and her large eyes betrayed her every intention - and she clearly intended to make the men notice her. Whoever she was, she did not seem pleased by the way Evelyn commanded the Thane's attention.
"What business?" He cocked his head to the side in a frown, sitting back down to recline back in his seat.
"The business of you intervening on my behalf to the Templars." He straightened as if she had just insulted him.
He spit, "No." She stood there expecting more of an explanation, but he merely held her gaze. The Hall was quiet as everyone tried to listen to what was being said. The men at the table shook their heads leveling glares and lewd comments at the mention of their sworn enemy. Even her guard had a few choice words to say about it.
Her eyes narrowed and her lips were slowly morphing into a snarl at the blatant refusal. "Can we speak of this privately?" She gathered that if she was going to try and convince him of striking some deal with them, she was going to need to get him alone.
"No, for you won't change my mind."
She scoffed, bending down with one hand on the table and the other on the arm of his chair, "You may be used to everyone following your orders without question, but I won't be. If you want my cooperation, then let us go and speak." Her raptor eyes turned deadly cold though the heat of her magic began to rise. The men at the table became uneasy at her words as if they expected him to gut her for such insolence. Sensing she was not taking no for an answer, he sighed heavily and gestured with his hand out the front doors. The once-lively mob parted ways for them again, waiting until they exited before resuming their revelry.
Once outside, the shadow of Rosalie jumped up to join them immediately. "You got him to agree?"
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"Ros, you're involved with this?"
Her face immediately imitated his scowl, but Evelyn waved her hand for them to focus on the actual issue. "You don't want me running off, well this is the answer. Arrange it with the Templars for me to stay and I won't. It's truly as simple as this. I know exactly where you can send..."
"I said no," his anger had risen to the point his voice was sounding like a growl. "We will not deal with the Templars, and that is final. I will hear no more of this." Rosalie went to protest but it was harshly denied followed by an order for them to return home. He turned to head back into the hall, but Evelyn grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards her, both of them surprised at the force with which she did it.
"How can you so easily dismiss the one solution to our problem!?" Her anger was replaced by desperation. A profound sense of loss was welling up from deep within feeling powerless.
"Our problem? The sooner you come to terms with the fact that this will be your new home the better, Phoenix." He called the guard over and ordered that he take her home immediately, then left them in the darkness of the night. Rosalie didn't know what to say and just hung her head in defeat while Evelyn slumped to the ground on her knees.
This was it. Her life was over. She would be declared an apostate and they'd hunt her down. When they found her, they'd drag her back to the White Spire and put her on trial, find her guilty and if she was lucky they'll execute her. More likely they would make her Tranquil - a fate worse than death. To sever herself from the Fade rendering her powerless, emotionless, to be a shell of her former self terrified her. She would end herself before letting them castrate her magic from her. To not be able to feel anything, to live her life just waiting for her next command, to be reduced to the same status as dirt was too much for her mind to handle. She began to cry at the hopelessness of her circumstances, muttering her overflow of thoughts into the night.
An arm timidly rested across her shoulders followed by a soft pitiful 'sorry.' As they lingered, the tall and muscular form of Cassandra materialized out of the darkness. She dismissed the guard with the full intention of staying with her for the evening as apparently ordered by the Thane.
"He wanted to make sure you were alright. He's a proud man, and he… sometimes he doesn't always say things right. He is our Thane and he is trusted with the interests of our people. Now more than ever he is under a lot of pressure to sustain the Hold. To him, it is a very simple matter of heeding the Hold Spirits' counsel." Evelyn barely heard her as she went on to defend the man, as she felt the pull of despair dragging her to the depths. Darkness and pain were old friends of hers, having spent part of the last decade with them as constant companions. She was many things, but she was not one to give up despite any odds. The fierce driving force within her refused to yield. She was resilient before the Void, having already escaped from its grasp whilst in the Circle. The enemy she had fought and conquered in those years was more cunning and dangerous than this Thane.
"I think he made himself perfectly clear." She picked herself up from the ground and glared at the Mead Hall as if hoping he'd feel her defiance. There were to be repercussions for his actions tonight. Taking them off-guard, she fade stepped away into the darkness making a break for the gate. She heard Cassandra commanding those about her to sound the warning horn and for the rest to keep their eyes on her. Evelyn's long legs and strides helped her outpace a number of the warriors, but she still had to dodge and fade step to avoid others. She was glad she chose to wear her own clothes today, as running in a dress would have hindered her speed. Conjuring flame and grabbing a bundle of dried grasses left outside of a home in a heap, she lit them on fire creating a smokescreen to hide in. As the smoke billowed out reducing the visibility of those in pursuit, she fade stepped again, losing them just before the horn alerted the Hold of trouble. She drew in steady breaths as the defensive wall loomed ahead, outlined by torchlight. Anger and self-preservation fueled her sprint and with one last step into the Fade she cleared straight through the closed gate.
Looking back for a second, caused her to not see the giant cat before her. Startled, the Phoenix came to an abrupt halt in front of the now hostile Kitsa. The lioness bared her teeth in a snarl and let loose a roar that Evelyn felt reverberate in her bones. Wide-eyed and paralyzed in fear, she could do little else but stare at Kitsa. She was vaguely aware that the Hold gate had opened and a large pack of Avvar was closing in on her. Her title was shouted a number of times at her back, but she cared not still frozen in place.
"Kitsa!" It was Dhara, sounding distressed by the Hold Beast's threatening behavior. The apprentice continued to try and calm the beast, but Kitsa too was locked in a battle of wills with The Phoenix.
Evelyn, blinking a few times, as her fight for survival rose up overtaking her fear, reached for a staff and a sword hilt that was not there. Seemingly knowing what she was reaching for, Kitsa lunged knocking her flat on the ground with her large paws planted to either side of her shoulder. There was a frightened gasp from the warriors around them, and now the Thane and Augur both added their voices to calm Kitsa. The lioness inhaled a deep breath that puffed out her chest before letting out one long deafening roar. Her thick head rose skyward before ending inches from Evelyn's face. She shut her eyes tightly and through the ringing of her ears could've sworn she hear a voice within the Kitsa's bellow.
She opened her eyes meeting the cat's vibrant yellow ones, you will follow or I will drag you. The Knight-Enchanter's face scrunched up in confusion, unsure of who was speaking to her. It was a familiar voice, though she couldn't place it like from a distant memory. A wet snort brought their eyes to meet again. She swore she saw Kitsa's glare darken in warning paired with the voice.
"Alright," she said frustratingly, now believing she'd gone mad talking to a lion, but she stepped back allowing her to stand. Evelyn placed her hands on her hips thoroughly annoyed that her escape attempt failed. "Well? Lead on, or would you rather further shame me by dragging my arse through the Hold?" I'm going mad, I'm talking to a giant cat, who snapped at her a moment later in rebuttal. She jumped back at the sound of the toothy maul slamming shut. Grabbing a hold of a fistful of coarse fur, the two began their brisk walk back into the Hold, assumingly to her cell they call 'hut'. They didn't stop to answer questions, but that didn't stop them from following along.
Dhara walked on the opposite side of the lioness gazing curiously at them, "Were you talking to Kitsa?"
"Only because she talked first. It was a very short conversation." Kitsa growled at her words. "You were very articulate," she looked down at her guide whose tail came up to swat her in the back of the head. "Ow!"
"Dusan, have you ever heard of a Hold Beast "speaking" before?" The Thane and Augur followed behind them closely. Cassandra and Rylen worked to keep the people at a distance, but the procession only grew the further into the Hold they went.
Dusan's deep baritone mused on his question with a hum, "I haven't, my Thane. But Kitsa is directly linked to the gods, it's possible they are communing through their herald." She couldn't see them, but by the silence she figured they were exchanging looks. "Phoenix, what did you hear?"
"I heard her, rather in my head I heard her say, 'you will follow or I will drag you,' but I have no idea where she'd taking me." A grunt of a laugh came from behind from none other than the Thane. It was a haughty sort of laugh as if this validated his stubborn refusal to compromise not long ago.
When it was clear that she was being guided to the Augur's hut, Dusan quickly got ahead of them to block them from entering. "Kitsa, she is a Lowlander and not permitted in with the Hold Spirits." His tone was stern as he towered before the doorway. Kitsa wasn't having it though and gave a sharp growl in response.
"She said move," the Augur glared at her translation. She supposed it must be annoying that an Lowlander was communing with their gods, telling him their will.
Cullen joined him in the doorway, "The Augur is the keeper of the Hold's Spirits. If he has not been told that they wish to meet you, then his word stands."
She let go of beast pointing an accusatory finger at his chest, "I'm not making this up! I was trying to leave, not talk with your spirits, yet here I am thanks to your cat again!" Having enough, Kitsa reared and grabbed Evelyn by the back of her wool wrap dragging her into the hut. She knocked the men out of the way with her meaty shoulders and hung on tight to Evelyn as if she was a mischievous cub.
Once inside, Kitsa threw Evelyn before a large brazier in the center of the room. She sat up giving a huff to the cat, who in turn spoke again to her. "Kitsa says, you may enter, but utter a sound and she will drag you out," she relayed to three crowding the doorway who promptly entered. The Thane issued some orders not to be disturbed to Rylen and Cassandra who were standing sentry outside before shutting the door behind him.
As soon as the door clicked shut, the fire in the center suddenly spat purple and blue flames. Hanging from the ceiling were various animal bones carved with runes. They swayed in the ethereal wind that whipped around them. As they clicked off of each other, the sounds came together to create otherworldly music. Evelyn raised her forearm bracing herself against the gusts of magical energy as her two-toned hair whipped about. As quickly as it had come upon them it stopped, and she peered out from behind her arm to see five wraiths. Immediately her power surged forth to protect her against the demons as she stood. Fire flickered at her fingertips ready to defend herself, but as the wraiths materialized more, she realized they began to develop human-like features. They were still transparent ranging in various shades of orange, but over their skeleton-like core individual faces and clothing appeared. She stood entranced by what she assumed were the "Spirits" who were stewarding the Thane's every decision regarding her. If they were, Maker did she have a plethora of choice words for them. The thought pumped fire into her veins, making them glow with each heartbeat.
"Calm your fire Phoenix, we are not demons here to possess you. We are beyond such petty and base desires." The spirit’s voice echoed from beyond the Fade with an air of superiority to it. It sounded like a raspy older woman and when she concentrated on the ever-shifting form, she noticed it was dressed in puffy furs and a feather headdress. There were triangle markings on her upper cheeks when she could make them out.
"Forgive me if I don't take you at your word." Evelyn knew the cleverness of demons. Even if the others were seemingly not alarmed at their appearance, she had no idea what these Avvar and their spirits intended for her. Kitsa, still seated at her side, whapped her in the back of the head again with her tail.
Another spirit, this one sounding like a young male with a heavy accent, addressed her. His form was still to wraith-like for her to discern any distinct features. The hint of anger in his alien voice made it hiss, "Phoenix, we are displeased that yer tryin' to escape when your destiny is clearly so intertwined with ours.”
"You’re holding me prisoner, of course I was going to try and escape! Especially when no one wants to give me answers about what’s going on and why I’m here!” Her tone was sharp and it did not go unnoticed by the five before her. The odd fire sparked as if it was enraged by her offense.
"You will watch your tone Lowlander!" A deep bellowing voice overwhelmed her, causing her to cover her ears at the volume. Looking to the far right, a brutish man with a dark beard and rippling muscles floated higher over the fire, glowering at her. Each word seemed to help him look more human, "You do not know to whom you speak!"
"My, my I see much of Brina Broken-Axe in her," the older woman spoke again, her voice coming from multiple directions.
"I was going to say Bjorn Wily-Tongue," purred another woman's voice. The spirit floated up close to her, looking into her eyes. Evelyn’s eyes tried to focus on the human side to the wraith as the hollow sockets of her skeletal face was unsettling. She had a seductive posture and tone to her as her dark wavy hair floated about as if weightless. Seeing the Phoenix eye the large spirit looming just behind her, she quickly pulled away from her inspection. "Oh, calm down," she said turning to the brutish man, "can't you see the poor thing is distressed." The man still glowered at her as he lowered himself back down.
"I'm like who?" She tried to keep an even tone.
The dark-haired woman smirked, "You have been favored, fiery one. You hold the souls of past heroes within you, though you wouldn't remember. Such is the fate of those favored few when they migrate to a new body."
Her jaw dropped as she stared at them stupidly, "My soul has been shared with past Avvar heroes?" She moved her lips to try and process what they were telling her, but ended up stuttering in confusion.
"Enough, we brought her here for a purpose. Phoenix, I am Wisdom if you must define me. Surely you have encountered me before in your travels through the Fade." The fifth and final spirit addressed her in an authoritative yet soft respectful tone. This spirit was remarkably solid with the appearance of an old man with white hair and a long beard. He held a staff and while he looked bright-eyed, an inherent tiredness made his features droop. She blinked a few times at him before nodding in confirmation. "There are events that you need to be made aware of unfolding as we speak."
"What events?"
"One of your people survived the attack on your camp, a Templar. They sent word to your masters that you were not among the dead, nor present for the attack." Her face contorted into a seething glare as she went to speak, but she was silenced by the spirit's hand. "I know the truth of the matter already, Phoenix. You need not explain events to which I was there to witness.”
"What do they intend to do to me?"
"You have angered those who serve your Maker. They did not forget your words as you condemned them for encouraging resentment in your Circle. It had a more profound impact than you realize on all when you threatened their authority. And so, they've sent their warriors to capture or kill you."
"You mean Templars. What happens if they capture me? Will they give me a trial?"
"Aye, but not a fair one. For your judgment has already been decided. It is what you fear most." She swallowed hard knowing he meant the Rite of Tranquility. After letting her digest his words for a moment, he continued, "So you see, it is already too late to go back."
"What about my family?"
"They cannot help you or hide you from those who would hunt you. No amount of your father's coin could save you, not this time. To leave the Basin would mean death." The words echoed about the hut adding to the feeling of doom.
"Tell me Wisdom, are you all-knowing? Are the things you say already certainties in the halls of time?"
"No." His features darkened knowing what she was alluding to.
"So, there is still hope for me then. You've been very convincing, Spirit, but even the smallest amount of hope is enough for me to keep trying."
"Foolish girl!" A disembodied face materialized right before her. The old woman spat venomously, "You would waste the gift of knowledge that we give you because your own stubbornness and arrogance will not accept what you do not wish to hear. Our guidance will save your life."
"Your guidance will also keep me your prisoner so I may fulfill this prophecy to save your asses! You are not my god, nor are they my people. Why should I care?" Her face faded away as the old woman appeared on the opposite side of the fire floating erratically.
The brute lowered his predatorial eyes on her, "By all means, go back and be rendered useless. What will you care when they strip you of your power. In fact, I'm sure the Templars would line up to rape a woman such as you, especially when they take all the fight out of you." She felt an overwhelming rage beginning to render her senseless. Her nails dug into her palms, her knuckles turned white and her muscles flexed yearning for a victim to the violence of her emotions. The spirit grinned wickedly knowing those carefully crafted words would set her off. He breathed in deeply and for a moment it felt as if he was drawing in her mana. "Oh, to be alive again, you and I would've made a fearsome pair with that temper of yours Phoenix," he chuckled.
Wisdom calmly began again taking back control of the conversation, "You crave purpose and are duty-driven. Both are respectable traits. Surely living here free among our people could offer you a new purpose?”
"Everything I've worked for is gone! Everyone I love is no longer in my life. There is nothing here for me." The five Hold Spirits looked between each other having some sort of silent deliberation with their eyes.
"What of fulfilling the prophecy? Would not saving the Avvar people be a worthy challenge for one aspiring to greatness such as you?" Her anger began to release her from its grasp and she began to feel hopelessly lost. She was a lone ship on a calm sea with no guiding wind to a safe harbor. "The entirety of the clans in the Basin have talked of nothing but you’re coming for some time now. The longer you evaded us the worse things had become." She looked at him in disbelief. "Yes, Phoenix, you have avoided your destiny for some time. It was Korth Mountain-Father who finally asserted his will far enough to reach you. You felt the call of the wilds and came, enthusiastically I might add. But I digress, the prophecy speaks of the great deeds you will do to bring balance back to the Basin and its people. I cannot tell you more than that without altering future events. There are some things mortals are not meant to know."
"But they know," she pointed to the three silent observers behind her.
The spirit's tone took on more of an authoritative edge, "They are the leadership of this Hold and future leadership. It is their business alone to guide the clan through action and ours to offer insight into what action to take." After a long pause, while she waited to be further lectured by the spirits, she closed her eyes wanting to be alone with her thoughts. She fought herself on whether to accept her new path or fight it. Evelyn had never been this conflicted about anything in her whole life. She sunk to her knees feeling the hollowness of being alone even in a room full of people and spirits. “That is all we will impart to you, for now.” He went on to say some parting words in Avvish, looking to his clansmen. At the conclusion of his words, the spirit vanished followed by the others one by one. The fire in the brazier returned to its normal color and darkness filled the hut.
She stared ahead as her breathing began to increase in the panic at now having to make a choice. Lost in her own mind, she was vaguely aware of Kitsa turning to leave. Before doing so, the lioness nudged her with its head, but she made no reaction to it. The voices of the three behind her sounded as if they were submerged in water. At hearing the mention of her returning to that shithole they call her hut, she finally succumbed to the loss that had been building up since before she tried to escape. One hand clutched her heart as the other held her face as she sobbed. Dhara was quick to react trying to soothe her, while shooing the men out. At some point, Cassandra and Rosalie entered, both adding their own empathy to the situation, but all she wanted to do was be left alone.
Deep down she knew she couldn't return home - to her real home. It was just so agonizingly hard to accept. With exhaustion creeping in, the women took her back to her solitary hut. For the next few days and nights, the three rotated their watch on her. Evelyn barely spoke, slept or ate. Her eyes were always wet and she embodied defeat. She wallowed in the ashes of her former life, grieving for her loss. She was numb and even the whirling inferno inside had cooled.
The silence of her hut was suffocating. In that moment, she allowed herself to feel sorry for herself for once. Tears flowed like a bubbling brook and she hugged a pillow muffling her sobs. After some time, she sat there emotionally raw. That one word, prophecy, ate at her. It was a bane and a blessing, and whether she liked it or not, she was bound to it body and soul.
The deep depression set into her chest again. It was an emptiness where all emotion and rational thought was lost. As soon as she'd think of something to keep her afloat, it sank into it's dark depths. It was an indescribable loneliness to know no one understood her.
As these spiraling thoughts consumed her for the entirety of the day, she began to wonder how she was going to get out of bed and face the world tomorrow. The Phoenix looked to the fire, the mirror image of her soul, trying to find some hope to help starve away the darkness overtaking her. Within the flames one glaring word stuck out in her mind through the cacophony... duty.
It wasn't until a fire caused by spilled bear grease engulfed one of the huts in the village that the Phoenix emerged from her week of seclusion. Cassandra had been keeping her company but quickly abandoned her to help fight the fire, knowing full well her demoralized charge wasn't going anywhere. She had rushed out so suddenly, she left the door to the hut swinging. Evelyn could see the thick black plume of smoke rise like a thundercloud above the Hold. It hung there ominously as if it was a manifestation of all the bad luck the clan experienced of late. Slowly moving out the door she watched the dire scene unfolding. There was no mistaking the severity of the situation when the whole of the Hold was rushing with buckets to the river for water and sand just outside the walls. Shouts echoed off the lioness whose rocky form sat above the Hold as its silent guardian. Despite her current mental state, the instinctive need to protect compelled her to act.
Dropping the fur she had wrapped herself in for days, she gradually broke into a sprint down the slightly worn path into the village. Her rush of blood to her muscles made her feel alive after lying dormant for days. Her lungs breathed the fresh crisp mountain air, rather than the stagnant air of her new home. She wasn't dressed for the cold, but she'd be warm soon enough. Her leather pants creaked from their stiffness and her light cotton shirt did little against the wind which cut through it. The faster she sprinted the more constricting her leather underbust became, but she ignored it knowing she was almost there.
When Evelyn arrived, there was a woman screaming and wailing incoherently. The Thane was already there trying to calm the female while shouting orders at the others who were trying to quell the fire. Those throwing buckets on the fire were getting too close to the flames and she found herself holding her breath as the heat's hunger searched for its next victim. The fire burned hot, jumping to two other neighboring homes. If something wasn't done and fast the inferno would claim the wooden village.
The Phoenix stretched her arms out allowing her mana to connect with the inferno. Everyone seemed to ignore her as she began to draw the fire to herself. When the flames licked out towards her in the opposite direction of the wind, she reached out to it weaving it around her arms and into her center. The pure energy of the fire electrified her very being as she attempted to tame it. Flames were the raw embodiment of cleansing and rage; the latter of which Evelyn knew well. She fed the fire the fury it craved, for she had plenty for it to feast on. Drawn from the lifeless timber and thatch, it engulfed her in a firestorm. Standing in the center of the whirling vortex, her hair whipped about as if it was one with the flames while her eyes were ablaze with determination. Each agonizing thing the spirits revealed to her was given in offering to the flame. She clenched her teeth and growled against the searing heat, sweat beginning to fall in place of the tears she shed.
The flames had first bowed to her command on the day she turned ten. Through the relentless pursuit of knowledge and the tireless honing of her pyromantic skills, she had ascended as a true mistress of the inferno. The fire, formidable in its own right, quivered in the face of her indomitable rage. It seemed as if her very blood coursed with the scorching might of molten magma, and her heart glowed like an eternal ember, radiating an inner luminescence that could not be extinguished. Within the halls of the Circle, the Senior Enchanters gazed upon her in awe and wonder. Never before had they witnessed such a prodigious talent for the primal arts. Her affinity for wielding the untamed forces of nature surpassed that of her peers, as if she were born with an inherent connection to the flames.
Until recently, her path had been set, destined to traverse the realms of power and mastery. Now all her hard work and dedication to her art were about to be thrown away as Redhold's newest resident. The flame reveled in her pain consuming it until with one last deep inhale and exhale, it was snuffed out. A hush fell over the once chaotic scene. Though she closed her eyes as the fire in her veins cooled, she could feel the others watching her. It was so quiet, it was if they were afraid to breathe. Having cleansed her recent upheaval of emotions in the fire, she slowly opened her eyes. Steam from her breath puffed out thickly from her mouth as she tried to slow her breathing.
The first sight she saw was that of a man and child being pulled from the charred remains of the hut in which the fire originated. She assumed then that the woman whom she found wailing upon arrival was related to the two survivors. They coughed and gasped for air, but they were alive. A small smile tugged at her lips watching their reunion. After a few minutes of watching healers tend to them, a familiar mop of blonde hair pushed through the crowd over to her. Whispers drifted about those still lingering around her about what they had witnessed. Looking down she could still see the remnants of the inferno glowing in her veins. To anyone who had never been around her before, it could be an unsettling sight; there were even Templars whom she had known for years who still twitched uncomfortably when she used her magic.
The Thane, followed as always by Rylen and Cassandra, stopped before her. She directed her gaze down to the ground unsure if she was ready to meet his tawny eyes. She assumed he came to reprimand her use of magic without sanction - though there was a question of whether or not it was allowed. There was a moment of silence followed by a firm 'thank you.'
She looked up cautiously, "I was only doing what was right. There's no need to thank me."
"What you did…" his words trailed off in utter amazement.
"Aye, I've never seen the like. Have you, Cass?" She just shook her head in disbelief at the Master of the Hunt.
"Fire yields to my command. It is in my blood." She pushed up her sleeves and then pulled at her shirt's collar to show the fire still alight in her veins. "It comes as natural to me as swinging a sword or firing a bow comes to you, I'm sure. I know how to feed it, nurture it and in turn it lets me wield it." A dangerous look passed between them. She would let her actions speak for her ability, but the less he knew about how she actually fought the better in case it ever came down to it. It was one advantage the Hold Spirits could not take from her. Refusing to bow to the Thane's authority seemed to stoke the fire within her, calling forth her will to fight. She felt more alive than she had in days, and if her grudge against him was the thing to pull her from the darkness, so be it.
As she left, a number of the onlookers stopped to give their thanks to her. Some praised the gods, others her abilities, but it was clear she had made an impression. What that would be worth in the future she would have to wait and see.
A few hours later, while sitting at the old table outside, the woman whose family she saved from the fire visited her meager dwelling. She was petite with long blonde curly hair. Her round blue eyes twinkled with mirth. Most noticeable to Evelyn was that she was a mage.
"Phoenix," the woman threw herself to the ground before her, "Words cannot express how grateful I am the gods brought you to us! You possess the wisdom of The Lady and the strength of Hakkon!" She was beginning to cry as she crawled to her feet. "My husband and child would have been lost without you!"
"Please," she gripped the woman under her arms helping her stand, "I am glad they are alright. There is no need for such thanks."
"There is every reason to give thanks! Without you, I fear we will all perish." She had only been with the Avvar for a short time, but their cryptic notions about her were already grating on her patience. "Please, there must be some way to repay you?" Evelyn looked around shrugging with her arms until she turned to her lodgings.
"You wouldn't happen to know how to thatch a roof, would you?"
The woman eyed her roof with a smirk, "Aye, when my man's lungs clear I'll send him over. He'll have that fixed in no time, Phoenix." She would've grinned, having solved one of her major dilemmas, but it just went to remind her that this was her new home. "My name is Ilara. I'm one of the healers in the village. No doubt you sensed that already though. Your power is quite… overwhelming, if I may say so."
"Please, call me Evelyn. I have the utmost respect for healers for I have no aptitude for it beyond simple healing. Some of the best mages I know are healers of great talent and they use their gifts to do the Maker's work. Some have the gift of healing, others, like me, the gift of protecting."
Ilara smiled, "Well, we could certainly use a mage such as you around here, ye ken. Come join me down in the village some time and I'll introduce ye to the other healers. There's one, in particular, I'd like you to meet. He wasn't born nor raised Avvar, so he might be of some comfort to ye."
"Thank you, I'll be sure to stop by." She groaned inwardly at the commitment. She was still grappling with a number of issues such as her future in the Hold.
Future in the Hold, it was like ripping stitches out of a fresh wound each time she manifested such sentiments. She would have to come to terms with this new twist of fate in her life if she didn't want to wear out the welcome in the one place that promised her safety and even freedom. For the sake of her own survival, she was going to have to live in harmony with the Avvar. The Spirits were right in that she has always needed a purpose; one driving direction to commit her very being to. Perhaps with a focus of steel, she could keep her mind off the grief of losing her family and friends. Maybe in time, she could even send word to them of her new circumstances. One thing was certain though, opposing the Thane at every turn would no doubt prove perilous in the long run. If the Templars came to kill her, she'd need his protection. He was in charge and she'd have to swallow her pride and abide by his rule. It wasn't going to be easy, but she no longer had a choice. No matter how much it ate at her inside, she was to become plain Lady Evelyn Althea Trevelyan of Redhold, former Knight-Enchanter of the Ostwick Circle of Magi.