Lochlan walked through the forest. He could hear Jarl and the other horses breaking their way through the low branches, working their way around the thickly growing trees. Larry and the other horses were having an easier time than Loch’s giant warhorse, the wrapped burden he was carrying not making it easier, getting tangled and caught on branches. Jarl neighed and chuffed in aggravation, a hoof slamming into a trunk. The whole tree shook, crackling bolts of energy spreading around the trunk, leaving black scorch marks.

“Easy big guy,” he said, looking over his shoulder.

Jarl chuffed.

Loch laughed, watching the rest of the group as they made their way through the forest. It was a much smaller group then the one he’d left with. Brian, the twins, Albert Bergmann, Julia Montgomery and Randy Sager were escorted the Silver Bark prisoners back to the school. The prisoners had taken an oath confirmed by the Connected System, so Loch wasn’t that worried. But he’d left orders with Brian that at the first sign of trouble, they were to abandon the prisoners, leaving them tied up.

He didn’t like it, but he valued his people’s lives more and wanted them kept safe. Loch didn’t want to just kill the prisoners, or leave them for monsters, but if it meant keeping his people alive it was something he would do.

The party now was just Loch, Kelly, Piper, Elora and a single elf. Casian Nightgrass had taken an additional oath. Elora had made all the prisoners swear to not harm any member of Clan Brady unless first harmed. They could defend themselves if attacked but that was it. She had not made them renounce their oath to the Silver Bark Clan, which had made it easier for many to swear the additional oath. Cerie had said it was standard practice in the Connection with prisoners of war to make such oaths.

Some of the prisoners had seemed like they wanted to renounce their oath to the Silver Bark like Elora had. Casian was one such. He’d been in charge of the Silver Bark equivalent of a squad, but during the fight had stayed in the rear, not seeming to want to engage any of Clan Brady. He hadn’t run, but hadn’t been active either.

Loch thought him an opportunist, waiting to see which way the battle went. If it looked like Hoskia was going to defeat Loch, Casian would have joined the attack and made it look like he’d been trying the whole battle. With Loch winning, Casian had held promptly dropped his sword, stepping back.

Some of the Silver Bark had glared at him. A couple had done the same. Loch had suspected possible spies at first, but remembered how some of the Silver Bark had looked uneasy when he and Elora had confronted Hoskia. Elora had left the Silver Bark at the first chance. Why wouldn’t others?

The elf walked in front of Loch and his family, taking the lead, Elora right behind. With Jarl and Larry were the two horses that had bonded with Kelly and Piper. The others had been sent back to the school. They had wanted to come with their pack leader, Larry, but the Storm Stallion had neighed, pawing at the school and any disagreement had come to an end.

Loch had worried about taking a small group, especially one of just his family, to the Silver Bark camp. The presence of the horses helped ease that worry. With them, it would be relatively easy to escape if needed. Loch hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

He hoped to get through the upcoming confrontation without bloodshed.

They had spent the night at the battle, downslope away from the blood and bodies, just inside the trees where there was some shelter and safety from the night scavengers. And those had come. The fire had kept most away but a couple more daring predators had tried to attack their camp at night. They’d quickly been killed, their pelts added to the pile of loot in Piper’s Spatial Bag. Exhausted from the battle, and the stress leading up to it, having to listen to the feasting of scavengers all night, along with the growls and cries as they fought each other for the scraps. It hadn’t been a relaxing night for any of them.

Now it was more subdued. There were still predators in the night, but with the fire and the horses walking around the camp, Loch didn’t think anything would bother them. He leaned against a tree, arm around Kelly, a blanket pulled over both of them. Piper was just a few feet away, closer to the fire, drawing in her sketchbook. Cerie glowed brighter than normal, her light helping Piper draw. It was nice, peaceful. The only thing missing was Harper.

It reminded Loch of the times he and the family had spent out back at their firepit, just relaxing and enjoying the fire, the girls roasting s’mores. He and Kelly would have a couple drinks, and then a couple more once the girls went to bed. Those were good times.

He felt the anger against the Connection rising up. Taking a deep breath, Loch forced it down. Kelly sensed the shift in his mood.

“You good?”

“Yeah,” he said, leaning a bit and kissing the top of her head. It felt so good to have her back. “Just thinking of the last time we did this.”

“Hung out around the fire with elves, giant horses and a fairy?,” Kelly teased.

“Ha. Was thinking of the last time we had a fire at the house and the girls were with us.”

“It’d been a while,” Kelly said, with a sigh. “They were always so busy and getting Harper to hang out with us was turning into a chore.”

Loch smiled as Kelly leaned in closer. He looked across the fire. Casian was on the other side, hands in his lap as he stared into the flames. Elora was next to the other elf, talking quietly. Loch wondered what she was telling the other elf, who he had been told was almost twice Elora’s age. Casian didn’t look it, he looked barely older than Elora. The legends and stories had been right about the long life of the elves.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

He looked up at the stars and the moon. It was a rare cloudless night. It hadn’t rained for a couple of days, Loch expected they were due for a storm too. The weather had gotten worse with the Connection. It wasn’t just the wind being constant now, but there was more rain and when it did storm, the storms were more fierce. It made him scared for what the winter would be like.

The warmth of the fire spread out. Loch had always loved campfires. Head leaning against the tree, Loch closed his eyes.

“Lord Lochlan,” the musical voice of Casian brought him from his thoughts.

Loch had almost fallen asleep. He knew he shouldn’t have. Spending a chilly night sitting against a tree wouldn’t help him in the morning. Before the Connection, doing that would lead to sickness and cramped joints. He’d be a mess in the morning. Now, he’d just be grumpy, maybe a couple minor aches and pains. Still not something he wanted to do. Kelly stirred next to him, murmuring in her sleep. Piper was gone. Quickly looking around, he spotted Cerie’s light green glow in Piper’s tent. Relieved, Loch focused on Casian.

“Yes,” he said, speaking just loud enough for the keen hearing of the elves.

He didn’t want to disturb Kelly. Not yet.

“What is your plan for us?”

Loch took a moment to respond, sorting out his thoughts. He knew what he wanted to happen, but a lot would depend on how the Silver Bark would respond. His eyes wandered to the wrapped bundle off to the side.

“That depends on what the Silver Bark at the camp do,” he said. “I’ll treat you all fairly. That’s the best I can do.”

***

“MOM!,” Harper said, rushing forward.

Kelly let go of Lights’s reins, grabbing her oldest in her arms. She held Harper tight. Kelly hadn’t shown it, had tried hard to not show it, but she’d been worried nonstop about Harper. She’d worked with older women, ones that had seen their children off to college and then out into the real world. They had said letting the children go, letting them become adults and stand on their own without mom and dad, that was the hardest thing they’d done.

Harper was only fifteen. Kelly had thought she had at least three or four more years before college and then another four or more before Harper went off on her own. Thanks to the Connection, those years had become months. And most of those months, Kelly hadn’t been there to watch over her girls.

Loch had done an amazing job, especially with the situation. She wasn’t mad at him for letting the girls fight. There had truly been no choice. When he’d first proposed the idea of Harper going off to raid the Silver Bark camp, she had been against it. That was too much for a fifteen year old, even if she was the second highest Level in the Clan. Third with Kelly herself there. But even with her strength, Harper was too young.

Kelly had finally been convinced. She’d known that someday she’d have to see her girls off into the world, let them become adults. And so she had let Harper go. Her oldest, her firstborn, the one that had made her a mother, had proven herschel over and over. Harper was strong.

Holding her now, Kelly realized just how strong her daughter was.

“How did it go?,” Loch asked.

“Good,” Harper said, laughing as Larry trotted over and nuzzled at her hair, eating and pulling a couple of the strands, just like he had done when she was a child.

Drew walked over, the rest of his people in the clearing. They were breaking apart the camp they had set up the last couple days while waiting for Loch. Kelly didn’t know the young man that well, but what she’d seen she liked. He was strong, and seemed very loyal to the people he’d brought to the Clan, the ones he’d protected and led when their camp had been overrun by giants.

“The prisoners should almost be back to the school,” she said, stepping back from Kelly. She reached up and stroked Larry’s neck. “Drew’s team caused a great distraction and I managed to do some damage and steal the portal stone.”

“Great job honey,” Loch said, leaning down and kissing the top of Harper’s head. She didn’t roll her eyes like she had before the Connection. That was one thing about the Connected System that Kelly liked, it had helped Harper stop being a moody teenager. She was sure her daughter still had moments, but she liked how responsible Harper had become. She didn’t like that it took her daughter risking her life every day though.

She watched Drew’s team pack up the camp. They were quick and efficient, even kicking at the fire to spread the ashes to make sure it didn’t light up again. It reminded her of the people in the caravan. After long months of walking, camping somewhere different almost every night, they had gotten quite good at packing up and moving on quickly.

Her time was growing short. She’d have to return to the caravan again soon. It tore at her. She’d just been reunited with her family and she was going to have to leave them again. Kelly knew she could stay, but that would mean leaving the people in the caravan under Senora’s control with no one to stop the elven High Priestess. Kelly couldn’t allow that. She had accepted responsibility for those people and she would protect them.

Even if it meant leaving her family again.

But that was still some time away. She’d make the most of what she had.

“You look like crap,” Piper said, coming from behind the horses.

“Piper!,” Kelly scolded.

“She does,” the youngest Brady remarked with a shrug and a smile at her sister.

Kelly looked at Harper, tilting her head and smiling.

“She does,” Kelly said, earning a scowl from Harper.

Kelly laughed. Harper just shook her head. Leaning down, which she didn’t have to lean far, Harper had grown, Kelly walked over to where Loch was talking with Drew.

“There’s still a lot of them,” Drew said. “We killed a couple when they came to investigate our distraction, but…,” he shrugged. “We couldn’t get a good count in all the chaos. She’s real good at causing that,” he finished, nodding to Harper.

Harper smiled proudly.

“She’s always been good at causing chaos,” Kelly said, purposefully not looking at her daughter. “You should have seen how she kept her room.”

“Mom,” Harper grumbled.