“A broken soul in not one close to Chreign”

  -Heard by a marksman on number 2500.

  Carrie woke up the next morning to Mark and Grace tending to a fire while talking with one another. She sat up, and stretched her arms out.

  “And the sleeping beauty is revived,” Mark says.

  Carrie smiled, yawning. “Where’s Green?”

  “Haven’t seen him today,” Grace replied.

  “Where do you think he is?”

  Grace shrugged, “Green likes to go off on his own every once in a while. My guess is he’ll be back by the end of the day.”

  “He did seem pretty shook by what he saw,” Mark added.

  “What did he see?” Carrie asked.

  “Some letters jumbled up,” Mark answered. “He took one look at them and told me we were leaving. Probably something he saw before.”

  Carrie nodded, and let silence sound between them as Grace gave Carrie a bowl of mush.

  Thoughts of Green confused her. Mostly because she wasn’t sure what they were to one another.

  What should she think of him? Better yet. What does he think of her?

  She had essentially saved his life. But she'd done it by making him feel guilty for leaving her behind. She loved him, of course she did, but was it selfishness that had urged her?

  The more she thought about it, the more questions she had. Did it matter that it had been her? Had it been Grace, Mark, or any random person who had a hint of care for him. Would it have had the same effect? She didn’t like to think so.

  Carrie looked down red faced when she thought of what she had said.

  Tell yourself, just this once. She had said. Tell yourself that you want to live. If you say the words, I’ll be their foundation.

  “You alright?” Grace asked.

  Carrie looked up, then turned away, taking another bite of her mush

  “I’m fine,” she said, her mouth half full.

  Grace gave her a knowing grin at her reddened face, then wrapped an arm around Mark’s.

  “It sure is nice to be married,” Grace said. “I mean, there are so many advantages.” Carrie glanced over to find Grace staring at her with a glint in her eyes. “I mean, it’s so nice. The way they look at you with those eyes that tell you you’re special.”

  Grace hugged Mark’s arm tighter, but was only looking at Carrie.

  “What are you doing?” Carrie asked.

  “You should ask him.” Grace said.

  “Ask who what?”

  “Ask Green to meet your parents.”

  Carrie choked on her mush, and began coughing.

  “Are you crazy? I’ve only known him for a few months.” Carrie said in disbelief.

  “So? Mark met mine after a few weeks.” Grace said.

  Carrie turned to Mark for confirmation, he nodded.

  “Of course he was a nervous wreck," Grace said with a chuckle.

  “In my defence, I was homeless the day you met me.” Mark said. “I didn’t think you’d say yes, let alone your parents.”

  Grace chuckled again, “still I can’t imagine Green would react the same way.”

  “Yeah,” Mark added, “he’d probably say something like: “as you can see, I’m highly trained in many areas. I’m sure I can provide your daughter with accurate protection.”” Mark said, poorly mimicking Green’s voice.

  Grace laughed. “Or something like; “I saved her from the septaroth forest. That’s the day I fell for her.”” Grace mimicked Green’s voice, making it flat.

  “Or he just wouldn’t say anything.”

  “True, Green has a habit of not speaking unless something relevant needs to be said.”

  Carrie smiled, then looked down when she noticed the two where watching her, waiting.

  “I just. I think he’s amazing. I don’t want to make things awkward.” Carrie said.

  “Oh he’s amazing all right,” Mark added. “He’s strong, skilled in multiple areas, and smart. But he lacks emotional intelligence. I mean, let's be honest. If you did ask him that, he’d likely think you wanted to go home faster. Or thank him in your own way.”

  “Yeah,” Grace added. “He still thinks of you like a child. You should just tell him you’re older than him. Maybe not that you’re in your thirties, but at least around his age. That’ll definitely help.”

  Carrie shrugged, “I think it’s better to just show him how mature I am. Rather than telling him outright.”

  “Good,” a voice sounded above them.

  Carrie jumped, looking back up to find Green squatting on a branch. He jumped down and kicked some dirt into the coals, putting them out.

  “You’re awake,” he said. “We’re leaving, pack up.”

  Green started putting away the bed rolls, kicking Mark and Grace off. This got them up and at it, so Carrie followed, taking care of his own bed roll.

  It wasn’t long before they headed out. Green was carrying Mark’s large bag, claiming that it would be more efficient. Of course he looked like a child wearing an adult’s bag, that didn’t slow him down however. In fact, he’d picked up the group's pace.

  Carrie followed Mark and Crace, and was in turn followed by Green. Who wanted to watch over the entire group.

  Did something happen? Carrie thought. Her first thought was that he'd heard her, but when she'd seen his aura, it hadn't shown any hints.

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  She wanted to ask what was bothering him, but adults didn’t get into other people's business. Still, it was nerve racking every time she looked over her shoulder to see Green’s blindfolded eyes.

  Being blindfolded wouldn't blind an Elf, they didn’t see things like humans did, but Green acted as if it affected him some. Nevertheless, Carrie could see the way his face scrunched up, the way his ears twitched every time a twig snapped, or leaves were rustled.

  He’s on edge, Carrie thought. It didn’t take anyone particularly skilled to see it. She blinked however when she noticed something. She put her hand next to her pointed ears. Her ears were longer.

  She looked back at Green’s, then slowed down to let him catch up to her. He raised an eyebrow when she did, but she didn’t plan to take off his blind fold like she did back in Septaroth Forest. So it should be fine.

  She put her hand next to his ears. He flinched, but didn’t jerk completely away, allowing Carrie to touch him.

  “Your ears are very small,” Carrie said.

  Green didn’t reply. His ears were as big as her hands, maybe a little smaller, not that her hands were all that big. Not all Elves had the same length, but the smallest she’d ever seen where her oldest sisters, and Green’s were tiny compared.

  They were barely larger than human ears actually. They were still clearly Elven, but small.

  “Who are your parents?” Carrie asked.

  Her breath caught in her throat when Green’s aura bursted—like a fire that had a load of flash powder thrown in. She froze in place when it shifted to a dark crimson in nearly an instant.

  She let Green continue.

  After the shock Carrie ran to catch up to Green. And after a moment of silence, Green spoke up.

  “I never met my parents,” he said blankly.

  His aura slowly shifted back to its regular silver, though a few wisps of Crimson still lingered. It had been that way since he’d come back from the dead.

  She wanted to pry, but she thought it better to stay silent.

  Green suddenly wrapped an arm around her, then pulled her to his side as he turned. He dropped his ammo bag and pulled his pulx pistol from his waist.

  Carrie’s flushed, but looking up, she noticed Mark was carrying Grace with one arm and backing up to meet them.

  “You hear that?” Green whispered.

  “Yeah,” Mark whispered back. “Any ideas.”

  “Not at the moment, what about you?”

  “Nothin.”

  “What?” Grace asked, “what’s happening?”

  “Sleuth,” Mark said.

  “Sleuth?”

  “Group of bears,” Green answered.

  “Bears!” Carrie said, “can we look at them?”

  “Not these ones, kid,” Mark said. “Bears around here are known to hunt man. And they typically travel in groups of fifteen or so.”

  “Let’s just climb some trees,” Grace suggested.”

  Green shook his head. “Bears climb trees, they’d be able to outrun us too.”

  “So what do we do?” Grace asked.

  “We’re right in the middle of their territory,” Green said. “We’ll have to hide and pray they don’t find us.”

  “You can’t fight them?” Carrie asked. Mark snorted. “What?”

  “You don’t fight bears, kid,” Mark said.

  “Why not?”

  “Because they weigh a quarter ton, and can crush your skull with ease.”

  Mark said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. But they didn’t sound all that dangerous. Hunters back at Lindhael had always run into bears, and they hadn’t been much of a problem.

  Of course hunters and military personnel were the only ones allowed out of the gate, so Carrie herself hadn't ever seen any.

  Green moved Carrie to Mark. “Keep her safe,” he said.

  Mark nodded, so Green dropped the large back pack and jumped.

  Green landed near the top of the nearest tree. He wanted to get a full three sixty view, but still needed a strong enough branch to stand on.

  He pulled his blind fold off, keeping in his palm, and reached behind to grab the rifle strapped across his back and hefted it onto his shoulders. Weight, Green thought. His weight increased from the arts, and Green could hear the branches below him groan.

  The rifle wasn’t meant to shoot standing up, so Green increased his strength some as well. Just in case.

  He put his muffs on and loaded a fifty caliber bullet. He hated to waste expensive bullets on bears. Especially when they wouldn’t be very far away. But his other options. That of his one-handed shotgun, his twenty-two, and his pulx pistol. Wouldn’t work as well.

  Green spotted his first target. It was a large creature, about the same size as the Borxt. Though compared to the colossal Septaroth, bears weren’t all that impressive.

  “Bang” Green whispered to himself, firing the first shot.

  The bullet went straight through the beast's head, dropping the bear. He had originally thought to use his pulx pistol, and use a hit and run tactic. But they’d have to kill them sooner or later, otherwise they’d have to be constantly run.

  Green lifted his head, looking west. There were miles of forest ahead. He shook his head, they couldn’t run forever.

  He reloaded and turned his attention back to the bears.

  “Bang,” he whispered, killing another.

  He turned again, firing two more back to back. Whispering to himself each time. With his Elven eye seeing their spirits, it was easy to find them.

  He moved again to the other side of the tree, shooting another. Again, and again, he dropped each bear with a bullet to the head. Each shot reverberated throughout Green’s body, and sent sound waves through the air.

  He spotted the last one in the immediate area.

  Seventy paces away, and its head hid behind a tree. It wasn’t moving. The tree wasn’t all that thick, perhaps just under twelve inches from the look of it. Green squinted as he reloaded.

  This shot would be risky. Could he move or wait for the bear to move? Yes. But something in him wanted to prove something.

  So he took aim.

  “Bang,” he said.

  The bullet pierced through the wood, and Green saw the bear drop a moment later. He didn’t smile. But a quiet satisfaction settled in his chest as he slung the rifle over his shoulder.

  He took off his muffs, and put his blind fold back on.

  “Green!” Mark shouted in panic.

  Green’s ear twitched, and he jumped down at an angle. He saw Mark running with both Grace and Carrie in his arms. A bear ran behind them, and was gaining ground quickly.

  Green’s eye’s shot open as he landed with a skid, and bolted to catch up. How did he miss this one? Speed, he thought.

  Green kept running until he ran neck to neck with the bear. The beast looked at him with what seemed to be shock, not that Green could read the animal's expressions.

  The bear curved, going to bite Green. Green immediately stopped running and took a hold of the bear's hide. The bear stopped, now trying to get to Green.

  Green jumped off the bear, landing several paces away. He looked up and stared the beast directly into the eye. Apparently not liking that, the beast charged.

  Green wrapped his arm around the tree next to him, increased his strength, and yanked himself out of the way. Getting into a fist fight with a bear would not be ideal, but Green could stall long enough for Mark to get away.

  He reached for his pulx pistol but paused. He decreased his weight, then jumped away from another charge.

  Though it was a broken vow, he had the arts again. He would use it. So Green maneuvered the bear. He dodged, using the trees to maintain safe distance while also using the arts

  Eventually the bear, enraged, stood on two feet. Green took his chance.

  He increased his strength sixfold and pressed both palms flat against the bear’s shoulders, arms locked. The beast snarled, lunging forward—but couldn’t reach.

  Its claws swiped inches short, its jaws snapping empty air. For a moment, Green had the leverage. Their strength was near equal, but the bear’s mass, its sheer animal force, began to drive him back, inch by inch…

  Green kept pushing however, keeping his hands on the beast's shoulders to keep its claws and head away.

  It was only after a few moments that Green realised his veins weren’t popping, they weren’t even burning. While confused, he also noticed his hand sink into the bear’s shoulders slightly. It reminded him of something.

  The War Shadows, Green thought. He increased his speed, and put some ground between him and the bear when it went to bite his arm.

  The arts weren’t hurting as badly as they were supposed to, and there was a lightness in his body. Like part of him wasn’t there.

  Green experimentally increased his strength sixfold, then seven fold, then eight. It was more painful, but he managed eight, maybe eight and a half. That wasn’t supposed to be possible.

  Back in the Septaroth Forest however, he’d learned to touch the War Shadows. Those creatures were spiritual beings, similar to Elves. Though Elves had a physical form.

  Green dropped his strength, and increased his speed the moment he realized the bear was charging, and ran.

  It was well known that how far one could use the arts depended on how spiritual the body was. Most Elves were eighty percent spiritual and twenty physical. A rare few were seventy spiritual and thirty physical. The spiritualism increased the older they got.

  Green himself was thirty percent spiritual and seventy physical. So had he simply grown more spiritual? No, that took decades. And no training could increase it, only time. Yet he had touched the War Shadow.

  What’s happening? Green questioned. His body wasn’t exactly normal. No Elf was less than sixty-five percent spiritual. Other than himself.

  The bear growled, then let out a roar in frustration. Green glanced over his shoulder, then scowled. He had just discovered something that could possibly change everything. And here a bear was interrupting his thoughts.

  Green jumped forward. He turned midair to face the bear, and skid against the ground, coming to a stop. The bear continued its charge, so Green took off his blindfold, and realised his miasma.

  The bear panicked, freezing mid charge and skid on the ground until it stopped right in front of him. Green looked down with a glare. And like the frightened animal it was, it turned to run the other way.

  Green waited until it was far enough away to put the blindfold back on.