Mirkwood Tavern

"We should still celebrate!" Emi announced, going through her closet to find something to wear.

"Thanks, but I think this hardly calls for a celebration." Ryder appreciated her thoughtfulness but wasn't in the mood to do anything but mope for a while.

"Of course it does! Even though you didn't make the gymnastics team at least you're still here."

Earlier that day, after the incident with Sardenus Groth, Ryder made her way to Sir Gandalf's office with Emi waiting outside in the hallway. She had no idea where his office was located so she was glad Emi came along for moral support. She kept hoping her little stunt with the big brute didn't get her kicked out of the University. Suspension for a few days she could live with…even though she knew Aragorn wouldn't be as accepting of it. According to Emi, the University had strict rules on a lot of things.

x x x

"Enter." Ryder took a deep breath before pushing open the door. Sir Gandalf was seated in his chair with multiple documents scattered on his desk. He motioned for her to take a seat in front of him while he organized his things. "This won't take long."

His words told her he'd already made his decision. What did Sard tell him? She wondered. She could imagine him lying through his teeth to make him seem like the victim. The thought of it made Ryder's blood boil.

For what it was worth, she was glad she stood up to him. The thought of not acting on her instincts would have irritated her forever. Still, she knew the consequences of her actions. A force like that toward any person was uncalled for and she didn't learn the art to intentionally hurt anyone.

"I'm sorry for what I did earlier," she said quietly. Her apology might not do her any good but she felt like she had to say it for her own subconscious well-being.

"What exactly did you do?" he asked, clasping his hands on top of his desk, waiting for her answer. He had the same curious look as the others who witnessed what she did. "According to Sardenus, you tried sucking the life out of him."

"That's absurd!" Ryder blurted without thinking. She leaned back into her seat, her cheeks warming. Taking a calm breath, she shook her head. "That's not what I did."

"Care to explain?"

"I just triggered some of the pressure points in his body so he would listen to what I had to say. I knew if I just slapped him for inappropriately touching me, he'd just laugh and not care how violated I felt."

"And where did you learn to do this?" Gandalf cocked his head to one side.

The question made Ryder uncomfortable and if she said she learned it by watching videos on YouTube it would be a lie, but one that might sound more believable than the actual truth. She averted her eyes to the floor, "I travelled around a lot when I was younger. My dad was in the military. We went on a trip to China one year…and that's where I learned it."

Sir Gandalf had a glint of impressed curiosity in his eyes. "You learned how master blocking someone's chi in China?"

It was now Ryder's turn to be impressed. "You know about chi blocking?"

"No, not really. But I've heard of it," he smiled kindly. "I know that there are several types of pressure points that when triggered can create different effects on the body such as pain or involuntary movements. In the case of your demonstration earlier…immobilize someone."

"I wasn't trying to hurt him on purpose," she replied softly. "I've never used the technique on anyone before…at least outside of my training."

"In China?"

"Yes, in a Buddhist temple on a remote area in the mountains. My dad wanted me to learn it for some reason, said it was good to learn how the mind and body worked. I thought we were going there for a vacation. But I wrong." Ryder provided more information than he needed but the words just kept flowing out of her mouth. It was like she had to answer all of his questions truthfully whether she wanted to or not. It was as if she couldn't control herself.

The monks at the temple had guarded secrets that she wasn't allowed to share with the outside world. She knew enough about the flow of energy in a human body, but she would hardly call herself a Master. Those who were true masters of the art devoted most of their lives to the study. She just got luckily they accepted her as a student. Gandalf's questions made her nervous because she didn't want to accidentally reveal something about her training that was not meant to be shared.

"I have heard from your uncle that you've had an interesting upbringing."

"Constantly moving and learning different cultures along the way wasn't so bad," she shrugged nonchalantly.

The only cons to seeing the world was never making any real friends or staying in one place long enough to call it 'home'. Attachments to things and people weren't a luxury Ryder could afford. Because of her father's military career she also matured sooner than most girls who fussed over who the hottest guy on the cover of a teen magazine was or what outfit would impress the popular boy at the party. All that changed when she entered high school and was finally able to have a normal teenage life. Gymnastics seemed like a good, normal activity to get into, away from the things her father was pushing on her to learn.

x x x

"Good thing Sir Gandalf only gave you a warning," said Emi. "I wonder what kind of punishment he gave to Sard?"

"I don't know," Ryder shrugged.

And she really didn't care. Unless more girls stepped forward with a confession, there was a slim chance he would get expelled. He most likely got off with a warning and put on probation for the next month like her. All she really cared about was Sard remembering what she said the next time they crossed paths.

After her meeting with the Headmaster, the tension in her shoulders lightened. However, Gandalf made it clear that her uncle would be informed, so she didn't necessarily get away unscathed. The next time she saw Aragorn, she trusted that he'd have the time to cool off before their dinner tomorrow evening in Mirkwood Village.

Not making it on the gymnastic team ruined the rest of her afternoon. Because the afternoon was already off to a bad start, Ryder's nerves got the best of her and she made mistakes she normally wouldn't have in the tryouts. Comparing her tryout to the rest of the girls, it was like they were preparing for the Olympics. They had perfect forms, long legs, and strong landings. Her performance was sloppy.

"What are you going to wear?" Her roommate made her way across the room and peered in her closet.

"Whatever is comfortable."

Emi frowned. "You're no fun."

"It's freezing outside!" she chuckled. "And we're only going to the Village. It's not like we're headed out to the city."

"Better the Village than Mirkwood Forest. And those are really the only two options we have."

"Why is that? Why aren't students allowed to leave the campus without permission? That seems strange don't you think?" she asked curiously. "I mean, we're practically adults and of legal drinking age."

Back at New York University, students were allowed to go off campus whenever they wanted. Students didn't have to worry about campus security tackling them down for leaving the premises or having their parents called like in high school. If a student decided to skip a class, the instructor could care less because it was the student wasting his or her scholarship or parent's money, which had no effect on their salary. They taught those who wanted to learn.

The teachers also barely paid attention to the individual faces in their classrooms. She never even saw the Academics Dean around. She only knew him on paper when she got the notifications of making it on the dean's list for her academic excellence. There was definitely a lot more freedom at her old school…and missed it.

"Think about it? Where could we go?" Emi scoffed on the idea of venturing outside the Village. "There's nothing around for miles. If you also haven't noticed, we're surrounded by a forest with the only road leading out of this place barely wide enough to hold two cars passing by each other. Then, once you get to the actual paved road to the city, it's another how many miles until you see the first line of buildings?"

She had a point. They were pretty secluded. The only time students freely left the school was on weekends when parents, guardians, or their servants picked them up. That's how rich most of them were. They had others driving them around so it wasn't that surprising when Emi told her not many had a driver's license because there was no need for one, herself included.

It was also rare for a student to have a car of their own on school property because of the school's policy and the distance from the school to the nearest city. Ryder remembered the car ride from Aragorn's mansion was at least forty minutes away. Imagine how long it would take to walk.

"Well, what about the forest?"

"I told you Sir Gandalf forbids it."

"Yeah, but...why is it so…forbidden?" She wiggled her fingers at Emi as if to spook her. Ryder didn't believe in urban legends. Most of it was told to scare the local residence from doing something stupid or getting lost in an area not meant for wandering people. She respected the legends of each culture and tribe, but it didn't mean she had to believe in them. "I'm sure students have gone in there without anyone knowing."

"Yes, but honestly, I think it's to protect the students. A couple of years ago a girl went missing and was found unconscious deep in the woods. When she woke up in the medical ward she couldn't remember a thing; not why she went there or what happened after. The other weird thing is…" Emi looked hesitant to tell her, "she had a long gash on her arm when she was brought back. It was a big scene in the quad."

"A gash? Like she fell on a branch?"

"No…" the ginger-haired girl shook her head, trying to recollect the event. "It didn't look like she fell and tripped on anything. The cut was more precise than that—clean. Lucky for her, the wound wasn't very deep."

"How could you tell?" Ryder asked curiously. Were they friends? Did the girl tell Emi what the doctor told her about her wound and what might have happened to her? Could it have been some kind of wild animal attack?

"I had a class with her but we barely spoke." Emi walked over to her small closet and unfolded a piece of cloth hiding a long square box. She brought it over to Ryder's bed and unlocked it.

"What…are those?" Ryder looked puzzled at its contents.

"Knives, of course," Emi rolled her eyes with a smile. "I collect them." Ryder gave her a disbelieving look.

Emi took one out of its grooved holding place and gave it to her roommate to examine. The steel or whatever it was made out of was light and had carvings on the hilt. It was beautifully crafted and even though Ryder didn't know much about knives, she could tell this would easily slice her head open.

"This definitely doesn't look like a letter opener. I guess we all have our secrets, don't we?"

"I guess we do," Emi agreed with a smile. "My father's friend made these for me as a gift when he gave me permission to attend Mirkwood University."

"Permission?"

"Yes, well," she looked embarrassed, "my father's a little overprotective. He wanted me to resume my lessons closer to home. Mirkwood University is also a pretty exclusive school. It's not like most universities."

"An overprotective father who lets you collect sharp objects?" Ryder raised an eyebrow.

"Ironic…isn't it?"

"I don't have to sleep with my guard up, do I?" she asked jokingly.

Emi shook her head, "Only if you promise not to use that chi blocking technique thing on me."

"Deal."

x x x

On their way to Mirkwood Village, Emi explained the wound the girl received had to be from some kind of knife from the way the cut was made on her arm. Whether she inflicted pain on herself or if someone else did, remained a mystery. The school kept tight-lipped about it. The memory loss of the girl was also never recovered. Shortly after the incident, the female student transferred to another school and was never heard from again.

"That's definitely a story that'll keep people out of the woods," Ryder commented.

"Enough about old tragic stories," Emi dismissed the subject with her hand. "Let's enjoy tonight after completing our first day in one piece. I know it's not the ending you hoped for, but let's make the best of it."

"Sounds good," she smiled.

The two girls walked arm-in-arm as the sun slowly sat over the mountains. It was a beautiful and calming sight. Secluded or not, they had the best view in the area. Many students were already in the Village having a good time and hanging out with their friends after the long day. The street lamps turned on and the restaurants, pub, and shops were brightly lit and full of chatter and music.

It almost resembled a festival. The students were out of their uniforms and some of the faculty was walking in and out of the different decorated doors, buying food or trinkets to bring back. The pub was especially the loudest. Surprisingly, there were dogs, pigs, and sheep walking around as well with their owners. Ryder raised a curious eyebrow at the sight.

"You get used to it," Emi smirked, seeing her perplexed expression. "There's a farmland on the other side of the Village. Most of the people here are farmers and sheepherders."

"Oh, I believe it."

"C'mon, let's check out the pub." Emi pulled her by the wrist.

"It looks kinda crowded…" Ryder resisted Emi's quick strides while she dragged her along.

In front of Mirkwood Tavern was a big window that showcased the beer clinking, loud laughter and singing of its customers. Ryder wasn't so sure if she wanted to partake in their merriment. She still felt out of place in her new surroundings.

"It'll be fun, I promise," her roommate smiled. Emi's emerald eyes twinkled in the light.

Stepping inside, her smile grew wider. No one really paid attention to them while they stood in the doorway soaking in the atmosphere. It was much louder inside and more inebriated people than Ryder imagined.

"Take a seat anywhere you can find it, loves!" the bartender called out. He was a short, husky man with short, curly hair and a long beard braided down to his chest. "The usual?" he asked Emi.

"Yes, two please!" she nodded back with an excited smile. The bartender returned the nod and got two glasses from the shelf.

"The usual?" Ryder wondered curiously what her new friend's usual drink was. She didn't expect her to be a regular here, but it now makes sense why she was so adamant about making this their first stop, if any.

"You'll like it. It's a beer exclusively brewed the Village. I get it all the time."

Ryder eyed her. "I never guessed you for a beer chugging kind of girl. Wine or a mixed drink, maybe. But then again…I wouldn't have imagined you as a knife collector either."

"Speak for yourself! Pressure Point Master," Emi playfully elbowed her. "So, what's your preferred poison of choice?"

"You really want to know?" Ryder smirked.

"Let me guess…" Emi looked thoughtful for a moment, "An apple martini?"

"An appletini?" Ryder scrunched her nose. "Only if it was at some uptight cocktail party I was forced to go to."

Emi laughed. "I'm never good at guessing people's drinks. So what is it?"

"Whiskey."

"Really?" she looked shocked at the blue-eyed girl.

"I like shots. Crown. Jack. Jameson. Very good friends of mine. As a mixed drink, I'll usually order them with coke. Or a shot of Jameson mixed with a honey liquor. Don't like rum much. I think Captain Morgan is gross. And Fireball. Yuck! I'll drink vodka tonics sometimes, too. Oh, and cranberry vodkas. Or just a shot of Grey Goose," Ryder laughed because she knew she was rambling. Drinking mostly with the boys at NYU, she held her own and even outdrank some of them under the table.

"Okay…remind me not to play any drinking games with you."

"Here you go, lassies," the bartender placed their two beers at the end of the bar.

"Thanks Dellard," Emi smiled.

"A pleasure as always," he gave a short bow with his head then turned to the waiting line. "Okay! Who's next?"

"Look! A table just opened. Let's go!" Emi skirted fluidly past the people aiming for the same table. She sat down with a victorious grin while the others frowned on with disappointment. Ryder carefully carried her full glass in between people who were shoving to order at the bar and finally made it to the table without a single drop wasted.

"How did you do that?" Ryder asked Emi after she sat down.

"Do what?"

"It's like you walked right through those people." Ryder looked back at the mass of bodies and the narrow opening she had to squeeze through.

"Practice," the ginger-haired girl winked.

By their second beer, Ryder began to feel its effects. It had been a while since she drank anything alcoholic so her tolerance was at a low point. She also didn't eat much before going to the Village. But even with two beers back home on a night like this, the alcohol barely registered in her system.

Whatever was in this beer probably had a higher percent count than most beers she's had and didn't care. She felt happy and light. The horrid first day she experienced melted away. Even Emi joined in on some kind of tavern song Ryder never heard of before—and not that she knew any.

"Can we join you ladies?" a voice said behind her.

To her surprise, it was Declan carrying a pitcher of what looked like the same beer they were drinking and two other friends in tow. He wore a black buttoned-up shirt with the top two undone, showing off some of his chest hair and dark jeans. Both friends were equally as handsome.

"Umm…" Ryder turned to Emi.

"Sure," Emi replied with a shrug, "the more the merrier. Pull up a seat." And they did.

"Thanks," Declan smiled, sitting next to Ryder. He placed the pitcher and their three glasses down. One friend sat next to Emi and the other grabbed a stool from somewhere and sat at the end of the table, which wasn't very big to begin with. "These are my best mates, Luka Murray and Colin Byrne. Boys, you know Emi and this other beautiful girl next to me is Ryder Grayson. The girl I was telling you about."

After the introductions were made, Ryder turned to Declan. "And what exactly were you saying about me?" she furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity.

Declan grinned, "The entire University is talking about what happened between you and your new friend Sardenus Groth."

"Great. What? That we're best friends now?" she said dryly. Ryder suddenly felt sober so she took a big chug of her beer, finishing it on accident.

"There's plenty more where that came from." Declan quickly refilled her glass along with the three empty ones on the table. Emi declined saying she was going to get some water instead and stood up, heading for the bar.

"So, what did happen between you and Sard?" Colin asked. He had wispy dirty-blonde hair with brown eyes and a scar on his right eyebrow. His built was similar to Declan's, wearing a plain shirt and black jeans. "I heard you knocked him out."

"Far from it," Ryder shook her head. "I just put my magic touch on him and told him how he's a pig who shouldn't touch me." She casually took another sip of beer as if the incident wasn't a big deal.

"People said he looked shaken up…and pissed off about it," said Luka. He had greenish-gray eyes and brown hair down to his shoulders. He wore a fitted shirt with long sleeves and dark jeans like Declan.

"Sard's an ass," Declan added, taking a good swig of his beer. "He deserved whatever you did to him. The girls at school feel like you stood up for them."

"Really?" Ryder was skeptical. "And how do you know?"

"Because instead of dreading walking past him all the time they now look more confident with a serves-you-right attitude when they see him. Sard's been lying low since this afternoon."

The knowledge that something positive came out from what happened made Ryder feel a little better. She hoped the girls Sard's been an inappropriate jerk to will remain confident and remember that no guy has the right to make them feel like a play thing.

"I wonder what's taking Emi so long?" She scanned the bar from her seat. Emi had been gone for some time so she started to worry.

Declan stood up to get a better view through the crowd since they were in the corner of the pub. He sat back down, smirking, after spotting her. "She's talking to someone at the bar." Ryder also stood up to see.

Her roommate was indeed talking to someone at the bar. A guy, in fact. Ryder couldn't really see what he looked like because his back to was her. All she saw was he had long blonde hair past his shoulders tied back in a low ponytail. Emi nodded and smiled at whatever he said. It looked like a conversation between the two of them and the bartender named Dellard.

Emi finally caught Ryder's gaze and signaled to give her a second. Ryder nodded and sat back down. A few minutes later Emi returned not bothering to sit. "I have an early class tomorrow so think I'm going to head back."

"Are you okay?" Ryder asked, standing again.

"Yes," she smiled. "The water helped."

"You girls are leaving already? We just got here," Declan teasingly whined.

"Stay," Emi told Ryder. "I'll be fine walking back on my own. I've done it plenty of times before," she smiled, reassuring. "The boys can walk you back."

"After the day I had, I'm pretty exhausted, too. I'll go with you."

After much protesting from the three boys, the girls said their goodbyes. Declan said he looked forward to seeing Ryder in class, which made her blush uncomfortably. Once outside in the cool air, Emi wrapped her arm around Ryder's.

"What was that about?"

"What was what about?" she asked clueless.

"Oh, c'mon," Emi rolled her eyes. "Declan is clearly interested in you."

"What?" she laughed at the idea. "I just met him this morning in one of my classes. Yes, he's handsome…but I need to focus on my studies." His charm was hard to resist but she didn't know what kind of guy he really was and how many hearts he broke over the years he's been at the University. "He doesn't strike me as the long lasting relationship kind of guy."

"Well, yes…that's true," Emi hesitantly agreed. "But once he takes an interest in someone, he gives it his all."

"What do you mean?"

"Declan is popular among the girls at school. That much is obvious. He's handsome, charming, an athlete, he's also pretty smart with high marks even though he seems lazy about his studies most of the time."

"And all these things obvious about him, except for the smart part," Ryder grinned.

"My point is," Emi stressed, "girls like to throw themselves at him, which, if you ask me, is pathetic. No one wants someone desperate for attention. He gets into relationships with girls because it's what they want—not what he wants."

Ryder was still confused. "So he likes to lead girls on? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, no. Well, no…not exactly. Of course he shows some kind of interest in them, otherwise he'd be a total jerk like Sard and we all know one Sard at MU is plenty. I just meant that his relationships normally don't last long because he can't fully commit himself. But—if he shows the first signs of interest, it's more meaningful."

"Okay…so you're saying that because he's the one showing interest first, we have a better chance of making things work between us?"

"Exactly," Emi smiled.

"That sounds wonderful and all, but like I said, I need to concentrate on what's important to me right now. I'm not interested in any type of relationship or people thinking I'm romantically linked to anyone. I just finished my first day here and look at what's already happened. I just want to focus on one thing at a time."

Emi gently squeezed her hand. "I understand perfectly. I just wanted you to be aware of how he looks at you."

"Did you two ever…date?" Ryder inquisitively asked. A part of her wondered why Emi was giving her so much information on the boy she only met this morning.

"Oh, goodness no!" Emi looked sick at the idea. "Of course you wouldn't know because I haven't mentioned it and I'm sure he hasn't either, but we're sort of…related."

"What?" Ryder laughed in disbelief. "You and Declan Finn are related?"

She rolled her eyes, "I said sort of. By marriage."

"You don't seem very happy about it?"

"It's not that," Emi sighed. "We only found out when we both started at MU. Our fathers ran into each other during the open house for new students and their parents. Many in my family opposed the union that happened with his family, my father included, so you can imagine what family gatherings are like."

"Sorry to hear," Ryder said sympathetically. "Can I ask why your family was so against the marriage?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," she wearily answered, "not of noble birth…hiding a pregnancy in the stables…running away together—that sort of thing."

"Wait—" Ryder stopped walking only a few feet from the school's main entrance. "Are you saying this happened like…decades ago?"

"Believe it or not, the animosity has span throughout the ages."

"Wow…" Ryder was lost for words. Emi's family had been holding a grudge on Declan's family since the Middle Ages from what it sounded like.

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with the present. Declan and I don't believe in that 'you're a commoner and I'm a noble' type of attitude. It's like saying, 'I went to a University while you spent your days on a farm,'" she rolled her eyes again. "It's the modern world. Anyone should freely love whomever they want."

Ryder smiled. "I agree. Hey, by the way…who were you talking to at the bar?"

"You'll meet him soon enough," she replied with a wink. "Let's get inside."

x x x

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