Ch 59: The Prince's Army

Astasha and Calder were just about to try to find their way back to the cavern to get Helia, when they heard footsteps.

Pulling his sword, Cal stepped in front of her, ready to protect his love.

A small torch came into view, followed by none other than the older fire sorceress.

“Helia!” Said Astasha stepping around the Prince.

The woman breathed in relief. “Thank the Goddess.” Her eyes moved to Calder. “Your Highness!” She bowed. “What happened? I woke to what felt like a tidal wave of energy and a blinding light, and then I realized you were gone!”

“I’m fine. We’re both… there was no danger.” She couldn’t help but blush.

Helia looked between the two and a sly grin appeared on her face. “Love and light indeed.”

Hoping to avoid further embarrassing discussion, Calder stepped forward. “Sorceress, I believe I owe you a debt of gratitude. You kept your word, and in return I give mine… whatever favor you should ask of me, if it is in my power, I shall see it done.” He bowed his head to her.

“Thank you, your majesty.”

“Please, Calder. We are all equals in this battle.” He said. “And speaking of, we don’t have much time left. The moon will have reached its full cycle in ten days. We’re camped a day’s ride North from here along the border. I would have been here sooner, but there were things that required my attention there before I came to find you.”

“We?” Asked Astasha.

He smiled. “It’s what I wanted to show you. Do you still have the horses?”

“Yes, they’re tethered back at the cavern we had settled in.” Said Helia.

“Good. If we leave now we’ll be there in time for lunch.”

Both women cocked their heads at the Prince, but he would say no more.

They returned to the cave, loaded their mounts, and headed off, following Calder’s lead, up through the rocky terrain.

“That was an impressive trick.” He said as they rode. “With the fire.” He looked over to Astasha.

“So it did reach you?”

He nodded. “Oh it did. Knocked me on my ass too.” He chuckled. “I dare say you missed me maybe just a little. I’ve never been so overwhelmed by emotions and memories… it was like, I had jumped into a pool of them, enveloped by warmth and love and thoughts of when we first met.”

“Really?” Interjected Helia. “You saw the memories? Like visions?”

“Not like visions, no, more like, echos in my mind and heart.”

“I had been telling her about that first day.” Said Astasha. “We’ve learned quite a lot about whatever this power is between us, but that was the first time I was able to actually harness it.”

“Well, we will have to share lessons then.” Cal moved his hand over his chest and closed his eyes briefly. As he pulled it away, a strand of blue flame was grasped in his fingers, like a wisp of smoke. He blew it from his grip and it floated toward Astasha.

She held out her hand and as it landed on it, it burst with light, and she was overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings of their encounter just earlier that night.

As she caught her breath she turned to look at her love, with what she was sure were blushing cheeks. “That’s...“

“I know.” He said before she could find the words. There was a huge grin on his face.

“What was that?” Asked Helia.

“Apparently, pure emotion and power and memory.”

Again, both women looked at him incredulously.

“But how?” Asked Astasha.

“I’ll explain everything when we get there.” He said. “For now, tell me, what happened after you left? I heard there was some kind of witch’s fire incident outside Bracken.”

The sorceresses exchanged a look and Astasha proceeded to fill him in on all they had encountered on their journey, and all they had discovered about their powers, both the dark side and the light.

Soon, the sun was rising, and as it climbed higher into the sky, the huge hunks of stone grew smaller and more spread out.

Calder gave them little pieces of what had happened, but refused to say much more.

“It’s a surprise.” He kept saying.

Finally, they came upon what appeared to be a steep slope down ahead, and Calder smiled widely.

“Are you ready?” He asked as he approached the edge.

Astasha took a deep breath and urged her horse forward to see what he had to show her.

The ground dipped down into a vast valley, and there, nestled at the base below them, was a large camp, with tents, and horses, and fires, and men and women in armor.

It was an army, and in the center of it all, atop a large canopy tent, flew the Prince’s crest.

Astasha was in awe. While it wasn’t as large as the King’s full military, it was still a sizable number of soldiers.

“How did you manage it?” She said turning to Calder.

“With a lot of strategizing, and quite a bit of bargaining.” He looked out over his handy work and sighed. “Those five years apart from you were torment, but they may have just saved our future. Most of those gathered, aside from my own guard of course, I met during my travels of the kingdom.”

“Well done your majesty.” Said Helia.

“I just hope it’s enough for whatever we are about to face.” His brow was furrowed and Tasha reached her hand out to cup his cheek.

“It will be enough my love.”

He took her hand in his own and squeezed it.

“Well, shall we?” He said letting go and steering his horse down the hill. “There are some people who I’m sure would love to know we’re all alive.”

The three made their way down into the valley and as they approached the camp, a horn sounded along with shouts of “The Prince has returned!”

A couple men rushed to meet them and take the reins of their animals.

After dismounting and helping Astasha down, Calder turned to one of them. “Make sure their mounts get extra care. The poor creatures have been through quite the ordeal.”

The man nodded. “Yes your highness.”

“Where is the Captain?” He asked another of them.

“In the War Tent I believe sir.”

“Thank you.” Calder put his arm around Astasha and ushered her into the camp, Helia behind them.

“Captain Talib?” She asked.

There was a look on Cal’s face as he nodded. Was that, mischief? “He was in a right state when I refused to let him come with me to get you, or anyone for that matter. I luckily had some backup in convincing him to stay.”

She looked at him curiously. “Backup?”

“You’ll see.” He said as his grin widened.

All around them, soldiers bowed as they passed and Astasha couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the amount of people willing to risk their lives for their cause. Granted, if they did nothing, their lives would still be in danger, but coming all this way to face an enemy they knew nothing about, it took true bravery.

She smiled at them as they went, hoping to convey some of her gratitude, but then a thought came to mind and she tilted her mouth to whisper in Calder’s ear.

“Do they know? What I am? About, us? The powers? Any of it?”

“All of it actually.”

She stopped in her tracks, Cal turning to her as she did.

“How? How did you get them to agree… how are they ok with…”

He stepped closer to her and took her face in his hands. “I don’t want you to worry about that.”

“I am worried about it Cal. How do we know they can be trusted?”

“Not all of them can. But there’s enough…” He looked away and took a deep breath before returning his gaze to her. “You’re safe here. *We* are safe here.”

She knew him too well. “We’re in this, together, remember? What aren’t you telling me?”

He paused for a moment. “I promise, I will tell you everything, but not now, or here.” He looked around and she understood.

“Ok.”

Helia had respectfully kept her distance during their exchange but rejoined them as they continued on.

They wound through the tents and makeshift tables, until eventually, they came to the one bearing Calder’s flag.

As they approached the flaps of the entrance, a giggle sounded from inside and Cal signaled for the two sorceresses to be silent.

There was a childlike grin on his face as he quietly snuck up to the fabric and beckoned them closer.

“Oh come on, just one. There’s no one here and who knows how long until Calder makes his way to us. I’m sure first thing he’ll want to do is take her straight back to his tent.”

There was no mistaking the Captain’s gruff voice, but the one that responded was not what Astasha had expected.

“Honestly, that mouth of yours is going to get you in trouble.”

“Which is why you should kiss it before it does.”

There was a pause.

“Oh alright, just one! I told you, it’s not appropriate in here.”

Calder waited just a moment before ripping the flap of the tent open.

There, in the middle, was Talib, with his lips planted firmly on those belonging to a tiny little thing with silver hair.

“Honestly you two! You have your own tent you know!” Said Cal as he marched inside.

The awkward couple immediately pulled away from each other.

“I expect it from you Talib,” he continued. “But Sorceress Norelle, are you really going to let him corrupt you like that?”