(Ivan)

It was early morning, and the sky was awash with flaming orange clouds. The sun had just peeked above the horizon and the birds were singing.

Preparations were in full swing for the Stoneridge offensive. Shifters patrolled the skies, while troops from Pike and Scar converged at the Elma River. Stealth units were spread further south, along the Lonely River, searching for enemy scouts. Ivan knew that his brother was part of the shifter patrols.

I need to stop worrying about William, Ivan thought. He’s no longer a helpless boy. Still, he’s so impulsive.

Ivan turned around. The campsite that had been built near a bend by the Elma River was brimming with activity. Barges were piled with supplies and provisions. Siege weapons were loaded. In addition to the two void vaults, enchanted storage trunks were stuffed with food and even more supplies. They had finished loading weapons, gear, tents, medicine, spices, smoked meat, cheese, bread, vegetables, and fruit. Things were progressing as planned.

Ivan sensed the nervous excitement around him. Soldiers moved restlessly and spoke with hushed voices.

It was going to be a perilous journey. The Lonely River was unpredictable and dangerous. Swift currents and jagged underwater rocks were only a few of the known dangers ahead. The plan was to travel during the day and use the Mirror Image spell to conceal the convoy of barges.

Ivan was impressed with the rafts. The base of each barge was made of large logs. On top of them, there was a layer of wooden beams. The deck was lined with varnished slats. The entire structure was made of honeycomb pine, which was light, buoyant, and sturdy. The silent propulsion for the rafts relied on waterjet rune engines, but there were not enough of them. The remaining barges had been equipped with repurposed enchanted waterspouts. A decent substitute for the waterjets.

Ivan boarded one of the rafts and sat down next to Toby and Mary.

“Where is William?” asked Toby.

“He’s flying with Lin,” replied Ivan. “The two of them are really good at spotting enemy scouts. Where’s Claire?”

“My sister and Drake are on Mirror Image duty.” There was pride in Toby’s voice. “Just look at it. It’s incredible, isn’t it?”

“It sure is.” Ivan knew that the spell created a magical wall around the barge that reflected the river. They used runes to augment and maintain it, which required only two casters to cover the entire convoy. It was not a perfect illusion, but if they hugged the west riverbank, next to the Black Forest, it should allow them to maintain near invisibility.

Ivan looked up and examined the sky. Storm clouds were brewing in the south. “Hopefully, we can reach Stoneridge without being detected.”

An hour later the convoy of rafts departed. If their audacious plan worked, the oak tree banners would fly once again over Stoneridge.

#

The first week was mostly uneventful. On the eighth day, they had reached a small waterfall. Moving the barges across had taken all day. By the time they were done, everyone was exhausted. That night, the barges were pulled up onto the west bank, at the edge of the Black Forest. To avoid detection, no fires were lit. Many huddled around black onyx stones to stay warm. They ate cheese, smoked meats, and bread. Entering the forest was strictly forbidden. By early morning, they were back on the water.

A few hours later, Ivan saw William. He landed on the barge, pulled a few pastries out of his bag, and attacked them ravenously. He was grimy, had a few scratches on his face, and looked more disheveled than usual.

“What happened to your face?” asked Ivan. “Why are your clothes covered in mud?”

“Forget about his clothes,” Mary chimed in. “His hair is the real travesty here.” Toby snickered.

William grimaced and peered into the sky as though looking for something. His eyes darted and he flicked his hair to the side. “Uh, sorry, what did you say?” he asked distractedly. “Oh, that’s right… my hair. Well, I’ve been flying. What do you expect? It was actually quite exciting! You see…” He hesitated a moment. “Uh, Lin and I… uh, caught another scouting party. Oh yeah, and this time, they had a caster with them.”

William brushed a glob of mud off his shirt and glanced back at the sky. He knocked some twigs out of his hair. “That caster was tough, but… uh, we took her down. Yeah, we took her down.” Mary and Ivan shared a look.

“So, what did the caster do?” asked Mary. “Throw dirt at you?”

“Nooo…” William swallowed audibly. “The Shadow caster didn’t do that.”

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“Hah! You wouldn’t have gotten a scratch if I’d been there.” Mary punched her palm with her fist. “I’m good in a fight.” She crossed her arms. “I would’ve protected you.”

"Well, now is your chance,” William squeaked, shifted into a mouse, and scurried into Mary’s pocket.

A moment later a falcon dove toward the barge and transformed into Lin. Her face was beet red. “Have you seen William?” she growled and bore down on Ivan. “I’m gonna kill your brother when I find him.” She waved her hands wildly. “He drives me crazy! Wait till I tell you what he did.”

Lin raised her chin and took a deep breath. “We ran into a group of Shadowcloaks and they had a caster with them. I told William to wait for me, while I snuck around to spook their horses. That was going to create the perfect diversion. Well, did he stick to the plan?” She put her hands on her hips. “Of course not! The moment I left him alone, that bonehead charged them. I was as shocked as they were. Granted, he was brilliant. He was casting a Light Shield, Levitating rocks, and shooting Light-bolts. He took out half of the soldiers by the time I joined in the fray. The problem was with the caster.” She stomped her foot. “Just look at my hair.” She paused and turned around. “Just look at it!”

Half of her ponytail was missing, and the ends were singed.

“If he had followed the plan, this never would’ve happened.” She waved her burned hair at Ivan. “I’m telling you right now when I see him… I’m going to pummel him to the ground.” Lin took another deep breath and announced to the trio. “He needs to learn how to follow command and I’m going to give him an earful when I see him. He can run, but he can’t hide.”

“Well, if you want vengeance,” Mary announced, “I can tell you exactly where the rat is hiding.” An alarmed squeak from Mary’s pocket got everyone’s attention.

Lin narrowed her eyes. “So, that’s where the vermin is. Come out of there, rat boy. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

A mouse crawled out of Mary’s pocket and shifted into William. “Lin, I’m so sorry. I got carried away. I saw an opening and I took it. I’ll be more careful next time.” He put his hand over his chest. “I promise!”

“Rot and ruin, you’re going to be the death of me,” Lin snapped. “And if I die, I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life.”

“You’re not going to die,” William assured her. “You’re too pretty and talented to die so young.”

“Do you know how long it took me to grow this hair.” Lin whipped the remains of her ponytail in his face.

“Uh, a few months?” William said meekly.

“What!” Lin cried out. “It took years.”

William grimaced. “Look at the bright side. It still looks great. Besides, shorter hair was quite popular on Eel Island.” William turned toward Mary. “Right,” he said with pleading eyes.

“I’m with her.” Mary pointed a thumb at Lin. “I would’ve done worse to you if you had burned my hair.”

Lin huffed. “You owe me… Big time!”

(William)

Later that day, William flew over their old farm. Other than a few chickens near the greenhouse, the place appeared deserted. The mushroom logs were no longer covered in snow. The nearby stream babbled merrily. There were no signs of Swifty, though he had not expected to see the large moose. Everything looked peaceful, and it reminded him of how things used to be.

After circling the area, he landed on top of one of the pines, not far from the house. He wondered how many people had been uprooted from their homes by the war. He could see the window to his bedroom on the second floor. His slingshot and rock collections were probably still there. They had departed in such a hurry and had taken only what was necessary. He had left so many of his precious things behind. He thought of his metal soldiers, quartz marbles, and wooden boats. He wished that he could go in and get the Proving Grounds game that Ivan had purchased for him after winning his first sword fighting tournament. He could easily put all those things in his bottomless bag.

Aunt Lisa is probably right. He sighed. Going into the farm is not a good idea. It might not be safe. Still, I don’t see any magical signatures from up here, but you never know.

He sat there looking for a while, reminiscing, before finally flying away.

Before sundown, the convoy of barges reached a suitable tributary to settle for the night. With the use of long ropes, the barges were moved out of the main river and secured on the bank. Things were going according to plan until a collision occurred between two barges. Fortunately, the accident only damaged the steering plank on one of them. The Construction Guild members supporting the mission were tasked with the necessary repairs.

The early spring weather had proven quite unpredictable. Some nights were pleasant and warm. Others, like tonight, were echoes of winter. The frosty wind howled and the nearby trees in the Black Forest whispered and screeched. Toby, Claire, William, John, and Mary were bundled up and huddled around a black onyx stone.

“This place is creepy.” Claire shivered. “It feels like we’re being watched.” She looked around nervously. “I don’t like being this close to the Black Forest. I hardly got any sleep last night.” She looked at William. “I can’t believe that you lived so close to this place.”

“I like the forest.” William shrugged. “It feels homey to me. Besides, Ivan and I hunted in the Black Forest once. Nothing bad happened. It’s just a bunch of trees.”

“When Mary and I escaped from Pike, we spent our first night in the forest.” John looked at Claire. “It was one of the most terrifying nights of my life. I was in wolf form and my senses were magnified. The sounds and smells were overwhelming. Weird noises that I had never heard before spooked me.” He paused. “Claire, my point is that I know how you feel.”

“Oh, John, I’m scared too,” Toby said in a high-pitched, girly voice. “Hold me!”

Marry giggled and Claire elbowed her brother. John rolled his eyes and then snickered.

“Well, I drank too much raspberry cider,” William announced. “I need to go and water the shrubs.” He got up and threw his blanket to the side.

“Those poor shrubs will be pissed off.” Mary smirked and the group chuckled.

William walked some distance away, stopped, and looked around. There was a dim light up ahead, right at the edge of the forest. A few Construction Guilders were getting ready to chop down a tree. One of them held a sunstone lantern. They were probably working to repair the damaged barge he had seen earlier.

Thunk!

The dull thwack of an ax against wood was followed by a reverberating high-pitched screech. William watched in disbelief as the tree that they were trying to chop down transformed into some beastly creature. It snatched the ax-wielder by his leg and dragged him toward the water. The other guilders shouted for help and ran after the creature, but it was too fast. It slithered down the bank and plunged into the river with a splash.

“A beast dragged Fleck into the water,” the man holding the lantern screamed. “Somebody, help… Help!”