“He’s beautiful,” Kelly said, running her hand up Jarl’s nose.

The tall horse had bent forward, letting her reach from nose to top. If horses could smile, Loch was sure Jarl would be. The horse was not friendly with anyone but Loch and his girls, he wasn’t surprised when Jarl had immediately let Kelly pet him.

Loch could feel the presence of the other horses as they approached them. The girls were with them, smiling. Kelly stepped away from Jarl, first seeing Swift. She glanced at Piper, who was beaming, before walking over to the smaller horse, who immediately nuzzled her head into Kelly’s shoulder.

“Hello,” she said. “I can feel your connection with Piper. That’s odd.”

The last horse poked her with his nose, making Kelly laugh. She turned away from Swift, not even looking as she reached out to pet the horse’s nose. It’s one she had stroked hundreds of times over the years. She knew how tall the horse was.

“Hi Larry,” Kelly said, leaning in and hugging the horse. “I’ve missed you.”

Larry stepped back, lifting his head. He gave a soft chuff, twisting to point with his nose behind him. Swift echoed the noise, moving back out of the way. Jarl kicked at the ground. The Brady’s all looked confused, except for Kelly who looked past the horses. A fourth had come up, but hung back. It now stepped forward, as Kelly did.

Together they meet, staring at each other. Kelly reached a tentative hand out, stroking the side of the horse’s face. Loch had remembered this one. A mare, white with a couple of small brown spots, she had been one of the ones that Liam said had come with Larry. He’d used Evaluate on the mare and had been surprised at the name. He and Kelly had briefly talked about their Abilities. He knew her Valkyrie Abilities were light energy based. Knowing that, he wasn’t surprised about the Mare anymore.

LIGHT STORM MARE

Kelly made the same connection, using her own Evaluate Skill.

“War, Shadow, Swift and Light,” she laughed. “Like they were made for us.”

They probably were, Loch thought. Wondering if it was the Connection, his Patron or the Unfettered Trait. Maybe a combination of all three or none of them.

“This is very odd,” Cerie said, from where she floated over Piper’s shoulder. Her eyes glowed green as she accessed her knowledge. “Bonded animals are common but not like what has happened with your family and these horses, who are not related.”

Loch looked out into the field where the other horses were grazing. A fence had been hastily erected. It really served no purpose. The horses didn’t wander off and it didn’t keep out predators. They hadn’t lost a single horse though, even though there had been multiple attacks by Mutated Coyotes and other creatures each night when the horses had first arrived. The guards never got a chance to fight off the monsters. Larry and Jarl did most of the fighting with some of the others joining in.

“But I wasn’t even here,” Kelly said, turning around to look at the rest of them. “How is it possible to have a horse that fits so well with me?”

“I do not know,” Cerie replied.

“Lord Lochlan,” Elora interrupted, walking down to join them. She had stayed behind with Drew after the meeting had ended. As one of his Bannerman, she had insisted on joining him as he walked the school grounds with his family, but he had made her stay behind. “You asked us to come up with ideas on how to free the prisoners. I have one.”

***

“Do you trust her?,” Kelly asked.

“She’s my sworn Bannerman,” Loch said. He’d had to explain to Kelly what exactly that had meant. As well as Elora Seedspear’s oaths to the Clan.

“That didn’t answer my question.”

Loch shifted on the bed. The room he shared with the girls contained just him and Kelly. It was cramped, the bed not truly meant for two, but they were making it work. It felt good having her close to him again. The frame squeaked as he moved. It had been doing a lot of that earlier.

The first time it had made a noise, they had stopped, worried someone would hear. Then it didn’t matter. They were just happy to be together.

“I think so,” Loch answered.

“That’s not good enough.”

Kelly sat up, taking the blanket with her. She shifted to sitting cross legged on the bed, Loch doing the same. Kelly looked at the bunk bed the girls used, the totes with the few belongings they had and the pictures Loch had saved.

“Think the house is still there,” she asked.

“Probably,” Loch replied. “I think the scavengers are due to hit the street in a week or two. Is there anything you want them to get? Some of the old jewelry?”

“No, nothing that is worth having now. It’s just stuff.”

Kelly started to laugh, it turned into a cry that she forcibly stopped. Loch brushed a stray hair out of her face, turning to look at her.

“Kel?”

“I’m okay,” she said, wiping away a tear. She sighed. “I want it all. That’s our life. It’s where we raised the girls. The jewelry all has meaning. Some of it’s my great-grandmothers. Even the silverware has meaning. But it is just stuff. None of it matters now. You have enchanters right? That can take rings and stuff and make them better?”

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“Not yet, but we’re getting close.”

“Let them use the rings and necklaces. Even if they’re destroyed, it’ll give them practice.”

“You sure?”

Kelly shifted and leaned against Loch, smiling as his arms wrapped around her. She had missed that.

“It’s just stuff,” she said, snuggling in tighter.

They were silent for a bit, enjoying the feel of each other.

“I do trust her,” Loch said finally.

He was thankful to Kelly for giving him the time to think it through. It was something she was good at, knowing when to press and when to give it a break knowing he’d work his way through it. And he had.

“Cerie said that the oath is unbreakable.”

“She broke the one she made to the Silver Bark didn’t she?”

“Yes, but that was to the Clan and had consequences. The Bannerman oath is something else, but beyond that I do trust her. Call it a gut instinct.”

“Which you’ve always been good with,” Kelly said.

“I guess,” Loch said, thinking of something that had been bothering him for a while.

A feeling he’d had, but mostly ignored.

“Loch? Are you okay?”

The thought fled. Loch shook his head, wondering what he’d been trying to think about. Nothing important if he couldn’t remember.

“Yeah. Elora had plenty of opportunities to hurt me, the girls or the Clan, but she didn’t. When confronted with that chance, she killed her own Clanmate. She’s fought beside us. Killed beside us. She’s starting to find a home here.”

Kelly sat up, turning to look at Loch. She studied him, running a hand over his face and beard. It had grown out more than he’d ever let it in the years they’d been together, but she had to admit that she liked it. He looked the part of the viking warchief.

“That’s good enough for me,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Loch leaned in and kissed her.

***

“See that ripple out there,” Piper said, pointing onto the surface of Harvey Lake. “That’s Unfey.”

“Is he friendly?,” Kelly asked, walking along the shore with her youngest.

They held hands, something Piper had not done with either of her parents in awhile. She was getting too old. But at that moment, neither mom or daughter cared.

Harper was on the shore, sitting on the grass, with her father.

“How long is she staying,” Harper asked quietly, not wanting her voice to carry to her younger sister.

“Not long enough,” Loch said, sighing. “Only a couple of days. Long enough to do what we need to.”

“What’s that?”

“Rescue the prisoners and hopefully end the Silver Bark threat.”

“Is Elora’s plan going to work?”

“I don’t know,” Loch answered truthfully. He looked at his oldest, proud of who she was becoming. “But we have to try. Harps,” he said, making her turn to look at him. He took a deep breath, not wanting to say it but knowing he had to. They all had their parts to play. The plan had been outlined, there were still details to go over, but the major parts were set. Harper’s was one of the most important. “You’re not coming with us,” he said.

“What?”

She sat up straighter, starting to get angry. Loch knew the signs. He raised a hand, stopping her.

“Hold on. You’re not coming with us,” he said, pointing to himself and then Kelly and Piper. “But you are going. Just with the other teams.”

“But why?”

Loch thought back to when he’d made her run from the gaunts with the spatial bag full of supplies. Sending her off on her own had been a hard choice. But at least that one she had been running away from danger. Now he was going to ask her to go off on her own without the family, just when they had been reunited, and to run headlong into danger. Her job was the most important.

If Loch and his team could pull off their part, Harper’s job wouldn’t be as dangerous, but no matter what, Loch was going to send his daughter into the lion’s den.

***

Loch stopped about twenty feet from the edge of the treeline. The small pond with the strange flowers was behind him, the brick of the school building back beyond the fields. He stood in his full armor, Onyx out and at full size. Kelly stood to his side, her spear in hand. Harper and Piper were just behind, dressed in their full armor and gear. Harper had her tonfas sheathed.

Behind the Bradys stood Elora and the rest of Loch’s Bannermen. Brian was in the middle, giant club over his shoulder, flanked by the twins. Elora was in front of Brian, looking small compared to the large man, who just seemed to get bigger with each Level.

“Elora,” Loch said, keeping his voice low as he scanned the trees. “Where?”

“To your right, the large oak near the three birch.”

Loch turned slightly, finding the spot she had called out. He could see anything. Reaching out with his Spirit, trying to sense a Presence, he felt something. An elf.

They knew the Silver Bark had the school under near constant watch and were counting on that.

Loch pointed with Onyx, knowing he’d done this same thing before at the Dungeon off Harvey Lake Road. The survivors he had let run back would have told the Silver Bark elders what Loch had said and done, how he had done it. This was no surprise.

But it still looked dramatic.

“I have a message for Hoskia Silver Bark,” Loch started, his voice just loud enough for the unseen watcher to hear his words clearly. He and Elora had discussed the wording, even the tone of what he was going to say. No disrespect, full of confidence. “I call on him for parlay. A chance to discuss the future and cooperation between our Clans. Meet in four days where the Wendigos were defeated. Come with just an honor guard.”

Loch lowered Onyx. He turned, the others all turning as well. The bannermen parted, letting the Brady family walk past, before they too turned and followed. None looked back.