Oath

Arawn followed Sirona and Druid on foot to the nearest bank of the Tara River, turning over the issue. Sirona hadn’t reached her full potential, but she was close. That being said, he wasn’t entirely convinced that she couldn’t kill Anu if they met on the battlefield.
Still, it irked him. War was coming and Sirona was his secret weapon. For now, her fury was focused on the king. It was a decent start as killing the king would weaken Anu a bit.
His heart clenched. He didn’t want her facing Anu without him, without him being sure she could handle it. As they reached the bank of the river, he made plans to lure Anu to the river.
“Be careful,” he advised as she turned towards the Tara River.
She nodded and took Druid’s hand. He felt her wrapped Druid in her power before they drifted through the brilliant light of the barrier.
As soon as didn’t see them, Arawn stepped into the light and waited.
Within a few moments, Anu appeared, dressed in regal attire and smirking at him.
“How nice to see you in person, little Arawn.”
He smirked, “I am certainly bigger than your consort.”
Her eyes narrowed, “What do you want?”
He pointed north, “The river is fading, Anu. What have you been up to other than your conquest across the continent?”
Anu smirked, “It is only fading because we both know war is inevitable.”
She wasn’t wrong, but he had every intention of being the victor. Part of that meant buying Sirona enough time to get to the capital, murder the king, and return.

Sirona stepped onto the bank of Conna with a strange uncanny feeling. The air felt different, lesser, and more rigid. She felt the earth beneath her but it felt hollow and cold. Behind her, the light of the Tara River had not lost any of its glow. Druid squeezed her hand.
“Are you alright?”
She didn’t know, but she nodded all the same, “I will be. Come on.”
She led him through the shallow ravine, her nose wrinkled at the scent of smoke in the wind. They were likely very near to a town, but which town she wasn’t sure. She drew her hood and led him up the slope and onto the nearest road. Based on the hoof tracks in the dirt, there was a town east of them. She turned and led them on.
“Are you alright?” Sirona asked looking at Druid, “I don’t suppose anything looks the same.”
“Everything is oddly orange.”
She laughed, “Orange?”
He nodded, “Orange and dim, kind of old looking. Is this forest dying?”
She supposed that was a way to think about it, “Druid, you’ll have to… refrain from your usual activities.”
“You mean my softness?”
She scoffed, “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Never. Now, what about my usual activities?”
“You aren’t dressed normally.” She’d have to get them both clothes and different cloaks. She searched around and grabbed a long branch that seemed sturdy enough to be a walking stick. She placed it in his hand. “You’ll need a weapon and any goodwill is likely to be seen as blasphemous.”
Druid hummed, intrigued that under Anu’s rules it was considered that way. People considered it Arawn’s will for good in their life.
“I suppose a temple acolyte of Anu is the only source of goodwill? And what’s the purpose of this stick?”
“It always comes at a price,” Sirona said, “And—"
“Halt!” Sirona stopped walking and turned to the men. They were a group of knights bearing the crest of Conna. “Who are you and where are you headed?”
“What is your relationship to one another?”
Her stomach jolted as she stepped closer to Druid. She took his arm and lowered her head, feigning fear.
“F-Forgive us, great knights. My husband and I are simply following the path as Anu has directed us. We hope to reach the nearest temple by nightfall. We are converts from Durin. He does not speak Conna well.”
The words felt hollow and wrong in her mouth, but she remained quiet. The knights got down from their horses and came towards them.
“And what is his trade?” The knight asked, getting closer and peering at Druid suspiciously. “You are not dressed like any Durin folk I have ever seen.”
“We have persevered by Anu’s grace,” she said. “My husband is a healer by trade.”
“A blind healer?” A knight asked, “He must be truly blessed to still have skill enough to care for a young wife… No children?”
Sirona’s heart lurched, “We are recently married. Just a few days.”
The knight grabbed her by her face and lifted the hood from her head, peering down at her with a lecherous eye.
“Hm,” he huffed and licked his lips. “You are… much too pretty to be married to a blind man… Perhaps you head to the temple to become an acolyte?”
“I could never be worthy of such of thing,” she said, keeping her eyes cast away. “My husband is quite skilled, taught well. We hope to have him become an acolyte of healing through his skill and prove our devotion.”
The knight huffed and released her stepping back, “We shall see. The nearest town is half a day’s walk from here. Clara has only one temple and many ill.”
She turned to Druid, “It seems we are in luck.”
“But you will not make it there together.”
Sirona’s heart lurched as the man lunged at her. Druid turned sharply, lifting the stick and slamming it into the man’s throat.
“You dare—”
Sirona watched wide-eyed as he spun the branch and struck the next knight in the chest. Sirona stumbled back watching Druid conjure a heavy shield and strike the men until they fell in heaps. The horses seemed unbothered by the commotion and Druid sighed.
“Attacking a blind man?” Druid asked and looked back at her. “What kind of place have you brought me to?”
Sirona stared at him, “You… know how to fight?”
“Why are you so surprised? Do you think bandits care about my softness?”
Sirona huffed as he crouched and turned them over, “Are they dead?”
“No, but they’ll have quite the headache,” he cast waves of light over them, drawing something out of him before walking to their horses and taking them by the reigns. They neighed and brushed against him.
“There, there. Those mean men won’t bother you again. As soon as I can find some good apples, they’re all yours.”
Sirona chuckled, stepping over the bodies and looking at Druid.
“You’re just full of surprises.”
He grinned at her, “I’m glad I can keep you on your toes. Where to?”
“Well, we’ll have to head north to get to the capital… We’ll be passing through Gunning on this road.”
She swallowed and mounted the horse. She hadn’t been prepared to have to cross through Gunning. She wasn’t sure how she’d feel about seeing her old duchy in ruins.
Druid mounted his horse and led them forward, “Gunning is… just on the other side of Clara, right?”
She looked at him. “How did you know that?”
He smiled, “My deity is not bound to one continent. They are everywhere and anywhere they choose.”
Sirona nodded a bit in awe as he began to whistle into the air, “We should get some clothes for you as soon as possible.”
“I brought some with me.”
She eyed him suspiciously, not sure if he understood what she meant, but she didn’t complain. As night fell, they worked their way north, avoiding the town of Clara and camping on the border. Sirona started a fire to see by as he dragged his bag away from the light to change.
The night was much quieter on this side of the river. It was almost unnervingly quiet.
“What do you think?”
Her eyes widened as he walked out, adjusting the plain vest over his tunic. He was truly a man of surprises. In place of his usual mystic garb, he was dressed in boots, breeches, a tunic, and a vest that highlighted the trim of his body. He could have been a mercenary or a farmhand as he shifted his back onto his back and fastened a holster around his waist. With a wave of his hand, a sword appeared in the sheathe and he sat on a fallen tree.
“You continue to… surprise me.”
He grinned, “You don’t think I’ll have to cut my hair, do you?”
She chuckled and shook her head, “It won’t matter. You look the part… You changed your eyes somehow?”
“An illusion,” Druid said with a shrug. “It’s just to avoid the whole attack the blind man situation again. Does it look okay?”
His eyes were bespelled to be a deep brown. When he looked at her, her heart raced and she felt a bit warm. The otherworldliness that detracted from his handsomeness was gone leaving a chiseled face with a warm smile.
“It looks great.”