Brendisha came to with water being splashed on her face. Spluttering, the girl sat up and looked around. Nothing was there. Shaking her head briefly, she looked back towards the Bull Wolf's foot print. Or is it a paw print… She shooed the thought from her mind. Time to focus now. She looked around closely and found several more footprints. After following a set for a while, and being led no where, she stopped and touched the blade at her hip. Who's the one with the silver sword now, Kiri? She had long ago learned that the Bull Wolves actually possessed no magic, though they longed for it. It was one of the reasons they hunted humans –to steal their magic. And who's the one on an adventure? She smirked at the thought of her childhood enemy, and the look on his face when she had been chosen by the elders to collect Eripintoy.
She closed her eyes and called up the wind, the elemental magik surrounding her and telling her that there was… nothing. Not trusting this method of gathering information, Brendisha took the dagger from its spot at her ankle and cut her finger, letting several drops of blood pool on the tip. Closing her eyes for no more than a second, Brendisha pulled and stretched marks for strength, speed, and air into a long coil. She let a thin strip of magic fly directly over the blood. Slowly, a breeze picked up and swirled along her hand, carrying the scent of her blood away into the forest. Brendisha stood for several seconds, straining to hear a foot fall, or see a rustling in the trees. The Bull Wolves would be attracted to her magic.
Except for the rustling made by the wind she had called for, the forest was quiet and still. Brendisha sighed, both in relief and dismay.
"Was that really such a bright idea, Brenni?" Brendisha jumped at the voice, automatically reaching for her weapon in defense. "What were you going to do if they actually were there, hmm?" Her eyes darted around her, but she saw no one. What the... I'm SURE I heard Kiri's voice… only he would call me Brenni! She continued to glance about, and only relaxed her attack position when she was sure no one was there. How odd… Brendisha shook her head, clearing it.
"I'm not going crazy. Just tired, is all" she declared to no one in particular. "I'm fine." Brendisha picked up her bag and sheathed her dagger, and headed down the path to the forest. "One town down, 8 to go…" she sighed.
"And it only took you what, 5 days to reach it?" There was that infuriating voice again!
"Kiri!" Brendisha called "I know you're there! Come out!" Nothing happened. Brendisha stamped her foot "I SAID come OUT!" Glowering around her, she realized how silly she was being… what if Kiri did see her now? Talking to the air, getting mad at it even…
The sun was not so high in the sky, and Brendisha knew that she did not want to stay in Botcha overnight. Besides, she had to tell someone about what happened here. The prints were only hours old! Glaring at her surroundings, Brendisha assumed that the voice was only side affect of the mysterious destruction of the town. Reaching the border, Brendisha stared at the shield. She couldn't help it. She reached out slowly, and brushed the tips of her fingers against the shield. It was tangible. As she stared at it, the magik with in seemed to call to her. Something dark, sinister and alluring, was behind this. Brendisha went to rip a piece off, to contemplate later, when something seemed to smack her hand away. "All right, all right" she said to whatever stopped her. She didn't know why she was talking to thin air. "I'm leaving." She turned one more curious glance to the tattered shield before walking back down the forest path. A tangible shield… No, a tangible destroyed shield. She took a deep breath. She knew what it meant: Dark Magik. But no need to fret, love, she heard Linna's voice in her head your magic will keep you safe. Remembering that, Brendisha set her mouth in a hard line and continued onward. Next stop, the City of Linden.
Kiri sighed deeply. He knew he shouldn't have done anything so rash as to have been heard by Brenni. He was only a Watchkeeper, after all, like his brother Tiroe was. He ground his teeth. Only a Watchkeeper… while little Brenni gets to have all the fun. He could hear the lecture now.
"Kirinello, our jobs are very important. We are the guardians of all of those who seek to do good. Without us, their quests would be even more dangerous, and very little good would exist in the world…"
By this point in the lecture, Kiri's mind had always wandered off to day dreams of fighting Bull Wolves, and conquering Dark Magik. He never believed that his brother's stories about being a 'Watchkeeper'; he always thought it was something Tiroe thought up to make him jealous.
Which is why it was such a surprise when Brendisha was chosen for the retrieval of Eripintoy, and not Kiri.
"But why HER??" Kiri nearly screamed at the Elders. "I'm older! And for heaven sakes, she's a GIRL!" Linna glowered at him. Kiri quickly apologized. "I only meant that from a factual stand point, she has less stamina that a boy would. Less strength, less energy."
"But more heart." Vernan the head Elder stated simply. "Peyra is ill from the onslaught of the dark magik. All the more reason for Brendisha to throw herself heart and soul into this mission"
"Oh, don't look so sour, Kirinello. We also didn't pick you because we needed you for something else. Something only you can do" Kiri looked up at Linna, who was smiling at him. "We need you to be Brendisha's Watchkeeper"
Kiri kicked a tree as he followed silently behind Brenni. All this Watchkeeper stuff was nonsense. The tree shook slightly, sending a few leaves falling around Brendisha who looked up. Sheesh, gotta be more careful he thought to himself… for the millionth time.
He had done a good job so far in making sure Brenni didn't feel like she was being followed, but he had slipped up back in Botcha. He had almost alerted her to his presence. And that would have been bad…
"WHAT???" Kiri shouted, standing up so quickly his chair toppled over. "NO. I refuse to do that. I am not going to be subject to watching little Brenni have her adventure, and not getting to do anything! Get someone else." He turned to storm away.
"We can't" a small voice interrupted him. "It has to be you."
"What are you talking about?" Kiri rolled his eyes and turned back towards Hythia, the mystic elder. "There are other Watchkeepers. Get one of them"
Hythia laughed softly "Tiroe was right. You haven't been paying attention to his lectures…" She pulled out a silver medallion, intricately etched, and handed it to Kiri. He took the object and studied it closely.
He eyed them, with a look of disgust marring his rugged features. His bright blue eyes flashed between Linna, Hythia, and the medallion. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"
"If you had listened to Tiroe," said Vernan "than you would know that the Watchkeeper does not pick the person he or she is to guard. Its all" here, he chuckled and swept his hands out in front of him,"Magik."
Kiri rolled his eyes. "So what am I suppose to do with this?" he shook the medallion by the leather strap at them. "Bury it? Swallow it? Shove it up your-"
"Kiri!" Linna snapped. The boy immediately blushed at his outburst. It was unlike him to be so upset. "You wear it. It is a charm, that binds you to Bren. You are her Watchkeeper now. It is your job to keep her safe, to make sure she doesn't do anything too… rash."
"Stupid, you mean?" Kiri sneered. "I have my work cut out for me then"
Grudgingly, Kiri went to his older brother, to ask him for the Watchkeeper lecture… again. But this time, he paid attention. A Watchkeeper, he learned, was to stay out of sight, helping their charge through difficult spots, giving them energy to escape when in danger, or providing an invisible helping hand.
Kiri glowered however, when he learned that he was in charge of some of the more menial tasks of a quest. Making sure that Brenni had fresh water, if she was running low. Restocking her salves and herbs, taking care of any animals she may have. The boy grumbled, saying that he would not be Brenni's mother.
But he had almost failed last night. And as much as he hated to admit it, it had scared him. Maybe that's why I was so keen on helping today… to make up for the Quoin incident.
But why should it matter? He didn't even like her, anyways!
A/N: So what do you think of Kiri? R & R! Please and Thank you! 3