The Shell of a Man

"Look at him, Agi. He hasn't even spoken since we claimed him." The aggravated captain wiped the sweat from his brow and peered back to Teddy as he stared blankly at the path before him. "This is the mighty warlock Daniel told us about? He's going to help save our world from all encompassing evil?" The ginger haired bearded man chuckled out as he imagined the sickly looking stranger fighting alongside a man like Daniel. "He doesn't seem like much right now, does he? He looks like a strong wind would knock him from the back of that steed."

Agamori's white hair whipped sharply away from him as he shot an annoyed glance to his second in command, then he returned his gaze forward. "He's been through unimaginable horrors. He will need time to adjust to his new life here. It isn't easy for them to make the transition when they die their Earth deaths. Being reunited with his child again will be good medicine for him."

The captain looked back over his shoulder at the shell of a man barely holding on to his horse. With his vacant expression and dark rimmed eyes, he seemed out of place among the seasoned cavalry. "That sorcerer is spent, and his mind is frayed. There's no spark of magic left in him. It's a shame. He'll have no place at Daniel's table for certain."

An amused grin curled up on the side of Agamori lips as his piercing blue eyes continued watching the path ahead. He recalled his time spent with Gretchen in the woods and watching her sparring with Haldir in the courtyard. In the few short months he's known her, she went from a broken, scared young woman to a battle worthy opponent. "I don't believe that to be true at all. I know his kin well and he's cut from good, stong cloth. He only needs the proper motivation to reignite the fires inside him again."

As the tingly fingers of telepathy grazed his skin, Daniel's voice suddenly filled Agamori's ears. While Daniel briefed his High Commander on the recent happenings involving Gretchen, Agamori closed his eyes and let out a displeased breath through his nose. "Dammit, Gretchen. You must be the most impatient woman I have ever known." Then he shook his head slowly from side to side and smiled. "I should expect no less from someone like you, though, I would do the same. Such a shame you were born a woman, you have a warrior's spirit. I cannot wait to see what you can do now."

When the troop entered a narrow clearing in the woods, the sunlight was finally unleashed from behind the thick forests leafy shield. While the warm rays hit Teddy's face, his blood shot green eyes slowly found wildflowers growing at the edge of the brook beside the dirt path. As the fragrant smell of them entered his nose, he remembered playing in the garden with Gretchen when she was a little girl and how she would pick the honeysuckle from the bushes that lined the fence then push the flowers into his dark, curly hair. A thin smile rose on his face as he heard her voice inisde his head telling him that now he was pretty like Mommy. Teddy closed his eyes tightly as the bittersweet pain of his most prized memories rose in his throat.

From out of nowhere, a thump came from the trees as an arrow landed deeply into the bark. After another arrow sliced through the air in front of Agamori's face, he shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Trolls! I hate trolls!" When the whizz of another arrow was heard as it suddenly passed before his nose, Agamori yelled the order. "Take cover now!"

The men quickly dismounted their horses and found defilade in the forest, except for one. When Agamori realized that Teddy was too lost in his own grief to understand what was happening around him, he braved the arrows flying through the air and yanked Teddy down from his horse then drug him by the back of his cloak into the woods. As he slammed Teddy hard against a tree, the haunting sounds of dueling wolf howls came echoing through the trees in warning. Teddy snapped from his haze as the nearly forgotten melody of Gretchen's voice hit his ears again.

"Gretchen," he whispered. Agamori squinted as he looked Teddy in the eyes and realized that he was slowly beginning to understand what was happening.

The frenzied snarls of the wolves rang out while they ripped into the trolls and goblins as they surprised the ambushing cowards from the left. The grunts and yells of Eason could be heard as he sliced his way through the aggressing creatures with his sword.

As his senses returned to him, Teddy said, "That's my Gretchen."

Agamori grabbed Teddy with both hands by the front of his cloak as a plan came to his mind. "Yes. That is your daughter, your little girl. She put herself in danger to find you, Theodore. Will you let your first-born fall once again?"

Teddy's brow began to sweat as he started to huff quickly through his mouth. His chest rose and fell quickly under Agamori's fisted hands as his curly hair began to blow in the hot breeze he was creating with his fury. Teddy pushed his way out of Agamori's grasp then stood and walked slowly from behind the tree. As the air around them began to sizzle, Teddy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Teddy's shadow grew long across the ground as the cold, dead black of eyes of the warlock snapped open and an evil smile curled up on his lips.




As their horses drank from a small bubbling spring, Damien squatted quickly then stood again and twisted forcefully from side to side, swinging his arms around his body to stretch. He pushed his dark hair back from his face, then looked to Daniel as he stood looking down the path suspiciously.

Damien rubbed his hands together then walked to Daniel's side. "Something wrong, Father?"

Daniel crossed his arms, then cupped his chin in his hand and pulled on his beard. "Just a feeling. I alerted Agi to be on the lookout." He looked to Damien and asked, "Can you sense her yet?"

Damien looked to the ground as he reached out to Gretchen, then shook his head no. "She's blocking me. It is quite a funny thing, you know. I’m the one who showed her how to open all those doors in her mind and now the only one that remains is the one she just used to shut me out." He licked his lip then bit it back as the dull ache of his mate bond seeped through his neck.

Daniel put his hand on Damien's shoulder. "When I met your mother, she used every trick and excuse to push me away. You can't lose heart and give up. Stay the course. It hurt's you now, but when she finally accepts you," Daniel smiled and huffed through his nose, "every trial and sorrow you suffer will seem like nothing in comparison. Having your mate's love is like nothing else. It is a blessing."

Swallowing down the truth about his decisions over the past few months, Damien glanced to his father. "She doesn't trust me. Thorin was right, I've gone too far."

Daniel crossed his arms again and nodded slowly. "There's time, Damien. Life is long. When you get her back, you will need to tell her the truth about what's happening to her. She'll forget how angry she is once she's holding her son in her arms again."

Damien sighed long through his mouth and rubbed his chin. "I have to find her first."

Daniel clicked his tongue to the horses, and they turned from the spring to come to him. As he took the reins of his horse in his hand, Daniel said, "Off then, shall we."

The horses started off at a casual canter down the long forest path. They had been pushed to near exhaustion as they rode hard to catch up to Gretchen and needed a well-deserved break. Damien could start to feel Gretchen in his blood and knew they were closing in quickly. He continued to call out to her in her mind to reason with her, but no answer came.

The underlying prickly sting of jealousy burned in Damien's gut. Knowing that Eason had spent the last several nights with Gretchen was difficult to accept. The thought of them spending time together made him sick as he imagined all the ways that Eason tried to steal what was his. Damien couldn't wait for the day when Gretchen's swollen belly was prominently on display and no man could deny that Gretchen was truly Damien's woman once again.

As the veil of Agamori's thoughts suddenly covered their eyes, Damien and Daniel saw the battle that now waged around Agi's troop of riders. From the distance, the howl of wolves could be heard, and a sinking feeling came to Damien's heart as he realized who was coming to Agi's rescue. "Gretchen!"

Damien heeled his horse and took off full gallop with Daniel close behind. "Gretchen, no!"



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