10) On the Road Again

Sorry for the long wait. I'm not going to make excuses so go ahead and read:)

Once we knew where our paths would lead, we wasted no more time. We headed back to the castle and began gathering everything we needed then prepared to leave. Until Gumytrin passed out on the floor.

"What happened?" I gasped as Flegimdur gathered the unconscious elf.

"Magic requires a good amount of energy, which is why only a handful of people can use it," Marshall explained. "He has used more than enough of it today, from healing to fighting those damned chimeras. We should all rest before we leave for Gazelker."

"Speaking of which," Flegimdur grunted as we followed the vampire out of the library—the two of them carrying Gumytrin as I carried our packs. "Do you think there is even a chance that Baxter is still alive?" Marshall led us to a large bedroom with six beds, leaky walls and a couple oil lamps which Marshall Lee lighted magically. It was by no means luxurious but it was sufficient for anyone who has few possessions. I assumed it was one of the rooms for the many servants of the castle.

Marshall Lee helped Flegimdur settle Gumytrin on one of the beds. "Gumytrin said that he was linked to this village. He should be still alive, for now."

Flegimdur scoffed. "Should. How I hate that word."

"Marshall," I said after putting our packs on one of the beds. "What did you mean by 'for now'?"

Marshall sighed heavily, threw his cloak off then plopped down on another bed. "Well, his life is linked to this linked to this village. Now that the villagers have been evacuated, well, I'm not so sure anymore." He suddenly sat straight up. "Can you show me his book?"

I nodded and pulled out the book from my pocket. It was small enough that I could fit it in there with the choker. I couldn't help the shiver that went down my back when I would remember the enraged look Marshall had when he saw it. What on earth was it? What connection did the choker have with him?

Shaking my head from currently unimportant questions, I opened the book for Marshall. "This book puts the burning plague curse on anyone not human that touches it," he muttered.

"Well, it might work with goblins but unless you've got one somewhere, we might never know," Flegimdur mumbled then fell onto a bed. "Or you can stuff it in Xergiog's face."

"Xergiog?" I asked. I knew I've heard that name before.

"You know him," Marshall answered, seeming to know my thoughts. Vampires can't read minds, right? "He was the king of the goblins."

"He was a bloody coward." Flegimdur's voice was muffled because his face was buried in a pillow. "Willingly gave his subjects—every goblin man, woman and child—to the Lich. He should have been the one that rotted in that jail, not those innocent goblins."

"He was a tyrant, wasn't he?" I whispered as stories came back to me. "Xergiog, the 18th goblin king was terrible. He abused his subjects with cruel and unusual punishments for the littlest reasons."

"He gladly gave up his kingdom to the Lich when he was offered a place in his court," Marshall growled, his eyes burned red for a second but his face scrunched up in pain. When he opened them back up, they were onyx and tired. He nodded for me to turn the page then pointed at it. "There, that's the goblin word for 'link'. Then it says 'should be connected to the villagers' after that it says 'loyalty to the king's blood'."

"There's that forsaken word again; should," Flegimuder turned his head to the vampire. "What do you mean the king's blood? As in a descendant? I thought the royal blood ended after the Lich came to power."

Marshall shrugged. "We'll just have to ask Baxter himself. But for now, we should all follow Gumytrin's example." He laid back down. I put the book and the choker in the inside pocket of my green backpack as Flegimdur began to snore.

I laid down on the bed next to Marshall's. His eyes were closed and his breathing was soft. The small flickering flames in the lamps—brightening and dimming with his breathing—outlined his silvery white skin. His hair, so dark that it blended with the shadows around him, fell passed his forehead and tickled his eyelids. I resisted the urge to run my fingers in his hair—just to see if they were as silky as they looked. I wasn't sure if it is because of his vampiric blood, but he really was lovely. My eyes followed the outline of his resting form. His long arms were splayed outward, hanging over the sides of the bed. I remember having those arms around me and lifting me—corded with muscle and impossibly powerful.

"You're staring at me," he murmured, his eyes still closed. "Can't sleep?"

I felt myself flush. "I—I didn't fight as much as the three of you. I suppose I'm just not as tired."

"You should get rest nonetheless." His eyes fluttered open and he turned his head towards me. "What did Angelica want?"

"The same thing I did," I sighed. Why are you wasting your time with me? What is so interesting about me?

"Which would be…?"

Flushing even darker, I turned my head towards the ceiling. "The book—she wanted to know who it had belonged, who wrote it. She demanded to see it."

"How did she know that you had it?"

I wondered for a moment. "After you and Flegimdur went inside, Gumytrin asked to see it. He wanted to know if it hurt elves as well. It did."

"And that is probably how the Court found out." An eerie silence followed his words, interrupted only by Flegimdur's snores. "That black necklace…"

He paused. I felt a lump on my throat. My skin chilled and I daren't steal a glance of him.

"Put it on."

I blinked. "What?"

"It'll protect you from the Lich's eyes. The others and I are already protected but you are not—"

I bolted straight up and fixed him with a glare. "Wait, then why did you keep me with you? Why did you let me stay with you if all I was going to be was a liability?"

He frowned at me. "You have that necklace—"

"You had no idea that I had it until Tamara's library!" I protested. I jumped to my feet. "What do you know of it?"

Marshall's eyes stared at mine, then to my mouth, my throat, to my waist then back up to my mouth. I shivered. He tried to hide a smirk. "I know that you should not let anyone else know that it is in your possession. Not even Gumytrin or Flegimdur. Put it on then cover with a scarf or some cloth."

"Why?" I demanded.

"Curious little thing, are you?" he mused.

I was fuming. "You may have been around for a millennia but I will not stand being treated like a child—"

One second Marshall was sprawled on his bed, the next he had pinned me against mine, my knees bent over the side. His eyes had a dangerous red glow in them, sending shivers down my back—whether from fear or something else, I wasn't sure. His breath sent small puffs of air on my mouth—smelling like strawberries and I had no doubt that his mouth would taste the same. His black locks tickled my forehead as his fingers laced with mine and kept my hands against the bed. The intoxicating scents of pine needles and wine radiated from him, making me dizzy.

A boyish, mischievous grin pulled at his lips. He leaned in, his coarse lips barely touching mine. "Do you remember the first night we met?" he whispered alluringly.

I could feel his hard chest distractingly pressed against mine. Images of the night of Urgic's death flashed into memory; the soldiers stripping me with their eyes, the rotten smell of the ogre's breath, the sound of a cloak billowing with fists pounding on flesh on the background, Marshall's arm around me, Marshall ripping the ogre general apart, the wall against my back, his lips on my neck…pine needles and strawberries…

"Do you really think of me as a monster that would that to a child?" his voice growled deeply against my ear.

My eyes fluttered closed and shivers ran down my spine as his lips brushed against my cheek. He traced down to my jaw line so very slowly. He nuzzled his nose against my ear, his lips pressed against the skin just below. He dragged his mouth lower against my skin, down to where my blood pounded against the side of my neck. I felt his lips part—his ragged hot breath puffed against my neck—and his fangs grazed my flesh. My body trembled under his.

"M-Marshall—"

My breath came out as gasps at the feeling of his body against mine. His lips left a white-hot trail on my skin, searing where he touched and yearning where he didn't. My thoughts stopped making sense as his fingers traced my sides and gripped my hip. He trailed light butterfly kisses down my throat. He wrapped his powerful arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his hard body. I grabbed onto his broad shoulders as he lifted me to the center of the bed. My mind seemed to stop functioning altogether as he clambered on top of me, his soft lips still attached to my neck. I buried my fingers in his silky midnight locks and stifled a groan as his fangs pressed against my pulse.

"Fionna…" he growled against my skin. His voice was rugged and deep. His large hands splaying over my body.

He pressed his forehead against mine. I found myself mesmerized as I watched his eyes—sunset scarlet fading to midnight black. Centuries of emotions and experience gazed back at me. His eyes held me as he leaned closer. His fingers cupped my face, his thumb brushing my bottom lip. His traced my chin then my cheek, my temple then slid his fingers into my hair.

Marshall flinched, his eyes flashing red. He held me close and buried his face into the crook of my neck. His breath was shallow, as if he was running from something. The strong and powerful vampire began to tremble against me. "This can't be happening," he muttered. "Not her…"

His word's snapped me back to reality. "Marshall?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing—I didn't want to believe it.

"We can't—I just can't…" Marshall's voice, though muffled against in my skin, came out as heavy, desperate and so raw. He pulled me closer against him as if I could never be close enough.

Warmth suddenly drained out of me as he lifted himself up, avoiding touching me at all. He stared down at me in agony and fury. "Marshall—"

Marshall groaned. "The sound of your voice…saying my name…" He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes. His fingers clutched the covers on either side of me. "You should sleep," he said, his voice sounded clipped.

"Wait—" I wanted him to stop talking. I wanted to pull him back to me. I wanted to know what was so broken up inside him that he would retrain himself from touching me. I wanted to put those pieces back together. But he muttered something under his breath and I slipped into unconsciousness.

"Rise and shine!" I heard Gumytrin exclaim.

I grumbled and rolled over. How can anyone be so cheerful as soon as they wake up?

"She's quite the sleeper isn't she?" Flegimdur's voice mused.

Irritation snapped my eyes open. Gumytrin was beaming down at me while Flegimdur had an eyebrow raised. "Now that you're awake," Gumytrin said cheerfully, "you should hurry and get ready. Marshall has found where Gazelker is and is preparing the horses as we speak. Flegimdur and I will give you some privacy."

I smiled numbly as the two of them filed out. Marshall. Flashes of the previous night were welcome and unwelcome. I felt empty at his rejection, drained by that vampire. I slightly slapped my cheeks and splashed water on my face to wake me up. I don't need this. I've never had to deal with such a thing before, but that is no reason for me to mope about. I made a face in the mirror and prepared myself to meet the boys outside.

A thick blanket of snow covered the ground and slight chill nipped at my nose as I stepped out. Marshall Lee, Gumytrin and Flegimdur were tending to their horses. Mochro clopped over to me and nuzzled his long snout against my shoulder. Snow powdered his back and neck. He shook himself like a dog, sending flakes all over me.

"Mochro! Stop!" I shrieked before the horse stopped.

"Fionna! Hurry, we have a long way to go!"Gumytrin called.

All three of them were looking at me trying to stop my horse from shaking his head. My gaze involuntarily locked onto Marshall. His deep black hood covered his head, making his frame stand out against the snow. His scarlet eyes glowed underneath and met mine. They widened slightly then looked away. The emptiness came over me again, threatening to overwhelm.

I distracted myself with Mochro's leather saddle. I climbed onto his back after checking that my green backpack was strapped securely in front of me. "How far are we to Gazelker?" I asked Flegimdur.

"Quite a distance to travel," he replied. "But these horses—even yours—would make it there by half the time needed—if all goes well."

I raised an eyebrow. "If?"

To my surprise, Flegimdur smiled genuinely at me. "Don't worry, the Court won't be able to find us. Gumytrin is good with spells." He urged his horse ahead and led the way for the rest of us. I followed after him. Gumytrin trotted beside me as Marshall brought up the rear. I glanced over my shoulder and found him staring at me. His glowing red eyes faded to black and disappeared in the shadow of his hood.

The village itself had become a ghost town. As the last villager to leave its borders, I turned and took one last gaze at the neat rows of shops and homes then up to the castle perched on the hill, over-looking the village like a stone sentinel. The sun was halfway through the sky when we stopped to take a break. We had left behind Terrafoire hours ago and the ride had been quiet except for Flegimdur's grumbling complaints and Gumytrin's occasional need to point out certain things along the way.

"You see those eight pointed leaves?" Gumytrin pointed at a small shrub with leaves of a variety of shapes. "Those are called—well, I'm not sure there is a word for it in the human language but they have great medicinal purposes. They grow just about anywhere in Aaa and are equally effective on each of the races. But beware the shrub it grows on. Make sure to count exactly how many points are on the leaf before you consume it. The one with eight will heal almost all physical injuries but some of the others can have the opposite effect."

"Does each leaf of the same shrub have different effects?" I asked, unable to stand the silence and wanted to Gumytrin to continue.

"Yes, the one with eight will heal just about any physical injury—just soak it in water and drape it over the wound for some time. The single pointed one, though not delicious in any sense of the word, will keep your stomach from growling for a long time. The one with two will keep you energized and quenches your thirst. The third is an antidote to just about all kinds of poison—the stronger the poison, the more you would want crushed in your drink. However, the four pointed on is a lethal poison—I would stay clear of those if I were you."

"What of the ones with five, six and seven points?"

"The five-pointed one, when consumed, will put you into a deep sleep—for many days in fact. The six pointed one will erase your memory of the past hour or so—the memories can be returned if you consume the three pointed one within six hours. The one with seven points is the most peculiar one. It hardens like metal once plucked. You can shape it any way you want while it is still connected to shrub but once plucked, it hardens."

"The shrub certainly has very many useful effects. All eight kinds of leaves grow out of the same shrub?"

"Certainly," Gumytrin replied. "The individual leaves are usually called by the number of points by the other races but the shrub itself is called the Utility Bush."

"A very fitting name," I pointed out.

Flegimdur suddenly stopped. Gumytrin froze beside me and the lack of hooves hitting the ground told me the vampire stopped as well. I could feel the tension rising from the three of them. My hand immediately found Miltiades's hilt as I warily looked around. Nothing. What were they worried about?

Mochro neighed nervously. I patted his neck as Flegimdur and Marshall dismounted. They gave their reins to Gumytrin then disappeared into the surrounding thicket. I opened my mouth to ask the elf a question, but he smiled and placed a finger over his lips. He handed me one of the reins and pulled his hood over his head. He motioned me to do the same and to follow him.

I pulled my hood over my head and followed after Gumytrin. We trotted in a slow pace, pulling the now empty horses behind us. Suddenly, I heard voices in the road ahead. Ogre voices. My body immediately tensed, scaring Mochro. Gumytrin placed a hand on my shoulder and continued ahead. What in all of Aaa is going on?

We followed the turn of the road and saw them. Two sickly green massive ogres were in the middle of the road, feasting on the carcass of some poor animal. I gagged at the stench of the rotting flesh. Unfortunately, they heard me. The ogres turned their ugly faces towards us. My grip on Miltiades tightened, ready for a fight but Gumytrin brought his horse between the ogres and me.

"Hallo!" he hollered to them cheerfully.

Is he mad? I thought to myself.

"Wonderful day, isn't it?"

Yes, yes he has lost his mind.

The ogres looked about as confused as I was. I glanced towards the trees on either side of the road. Where did Marshall and Flegimdur run off to?

"Who the 'ell are ya?" The larger of the two ogres growled.

Gumytrin beamed. "Wary travelers. And who might you handsome devils be?"

I gave the back of his elven head an incredulous look. Perhaps he hit his head a little too hard the previous day. I felt the urge of hitting him again.

The smaller ogre jumped to his feet and pounded on his breastplate. "We are guards to the inescapable prison of Gazelk—"

The larger ogre pounded him in the head. He then turned towards us and flashed a predatory smile. "You may know us as the last living creatures you'll ever had the misfortune to meet."

"Is that so?" Gumytrin said, suddenly serious. "Before we engage in any…violence… could you answer one last question?"

The larger ogre laughed, not noticing the change in the elf's tone. "'re ya gonna whelp out un last wish?"

Gumytrin drew his spear. "Is that the Gazelker emblem engraved upon your armor?"

The smile fell off of the ogre's face. "'ow the 'ell did ya know tha'?"

The monster charged. I drew my sword but Gumytrin held up a hand. Flegimdur appeared and immediately beheaded the smaller one. Before the decapitated head even hit the ground, the larger ogre pinned down by Marshall Lee. I couldn't see Marshall himself because of the cloak, but I knew his eyes were burning red and dangerous.

"'ow dare yeh attack us?" it roared, trying to twist out of the vampire's grip. "I am Veyk, guard of Gazelker! We oughta—"

"Guards?" Flegimdur laughed, crouching down by the ogre's head. "Guards don't travel far from whatever it is they are charges of. And everyone one knows Gazelker stands in front of the Pillars in the West, eight days from here."

The ogre growled but stayed silent.

"Maybe, he's not a guard," Gumytrin contributed then pointed. "I see no reason for a guard to carry around a bag like that."

I followed where he was pointing. There was a large bag beside the corpse they were devouring—the same color as well. As if thrown on the ground, packages and envelopes had spilled out of the open flap. "A messenger?"

"Let's have a look inside those packages, shall we?" Flegimdur said and picked up the bag.

"Gumytrin," Marshall's voice called from under the hood. I couldn't see any part of him. It is afternoon—the sun past its peak but still quite high. "Come over here and work your magic."

"Magic?" I gave the elf a questioning look.

Gumytrin smiled. "Yes, I have a couple tricks that would come in very handy. Oh, and I am sorry that you had to unknowingly join me in being a distraction."

I blinked at his manners. "Oh, it's quite alright. What magic are you going to do?"

Gumytrin offered me his arm. "Come and see."

"Halt!"

Veyk stopped and yanked the chain around my neck. I lurched backwards and bit my tongue, making tears sting my eyes. We stopped at edge of what looked like a small camp of ogres. Most of them were large with thick mail and armor. Some were eating, most were drinking and a couple others were wrestling on the ground. Every now and then I could see chained human prisoners get thrown about or rushing to give their captors whatever they demanded. Rage filled me and a struggled to keep it contained.

Another ogre—roughly the same size as the ogre that had me in chains—thumped towards us. "Who are you and what possessions do you have on you?"

"I am a messenger fro' Gazelker. This," Veyk yanked me up to my feet, "is a little girl I foun' runnin' around."

The other ogre bent down to my face level. I held my breath, hoping not to faint from the awful odor of the creature. I bowed my head, hiding behind my bangs and giving myself a smaller look. I looked down at myself. Once this was over, I really was going to give that good-for-nothing Flegimdur a piece of my mind—the jerk shoved me down a muddy river bank to make me look like a runaway child. My clothes were caked with mud and littered with dirt and debris. I silently cursed myself for giving up cloak during our little plan—I was shivering uncontrollably.

"She doesn't seem injured. Show her to the captain and he'll decide what to do with her," the ogre grunted dismissively.

"Didn' yeh hear wha' I jus' said?" Veyk growled impatiently. "She's a girl."

It took quite the will power to keep myself rolling my eyes.

"O-oh," the other ogre stuttered, his voice suddenly smaller.

"We sho' find somewhere the others won' hear," Veyk whispered. "You kno' a place?"

The guard laughed. "Yeah, this way."

Soon, the rough laughter of the ogre camp disappeared. The guard trudged ahead, occasionally glancing back at me and snickering. I stuck my tongue out at him every time he turned back around. The ogre led us into small clearing. For effect, I began to struggle fiercely against Vyek's grip.

The ogre turned around with a foul smile on his face. I froze—it was too much like the look Urgic and the soldiers from Terrafoire gave me the night I met Marshall Lee. My knees began shaking and it was not an act. Vyek's grip on was firm but not forceful—I could have broken away if I had wished so. But fear kept me still. The ogre stepped towards us.

Then Vyek collapsed.

The ogre blinked its ugly yellow eyes. "What—?"

Before it could even finish his sentence, he was pinned against the ground, squirming in pain. Flegimdur had him in an iron grip with the arm twisted behind him. He struggled to keep the ogre pinned on the ground until he decided to hit it in the head with a rock.

"Don't knock him out, Flegimdur," Marshall said from somewhere behind me and Flegimdur dropped the rock, the ogre barely conscious but still groaning in pain.

I was rooted to my spot, unable to make myself move. Why in all of Aaa was I frozen now? Was it because that ogre reminded me Urgic that one fateful night? I shouldn't be afraid—Urgic is dead. I watched Marshall Lee rip him apart. I watched him get dismembered. I watched his blood splatter and run down the alley, its rotting stench coming back to me. I am not afraid of Urgic. So what I am so afraid of?

A flash of red. Whatever it was snapped me out of my frozen state. I jumped back, Miltiades drawn in a split second. My grip was iron but slackened when I determined what that flash of red was. Marshall Lee had his hand in the air towards me. With a shock of guilt, I realized that he had moved to place a hand on my shoulder—a comforting gesture. His face was expressionless, but his glowing red eyes—offset by the shadow of his hood and setting sun splashing reds and oranges in the sky behind him— showed that my wrenching away had hurt him.

"Fionna?" Gumytrin asked placing my cloak back around my shoulders.

Guilt pitted my stomach as Marshall Lee turned away from me and crouched down by the ogre. I muttered that I was okay to Gumytrin and listened to the interrogation.

"You have something we are looking for." Marshall had said it silently but the malicious intent in it hit the ogre with full force. "And you are going to get it for me no matter what."

The ogre whimpered in compliance as Flegimdur instructed him on exactly what he would do. It was Gumytrin who had thought up the plan—the ogre was to walk back into their camp, get Baxter and then leave without being noticed. I had thought this a good plan until I saw the all the other prisoners at camp. Baxter was not the only prisoner that needed to be rescued.

"Wait," I managed to say as Marshall forced the ogre into its feet. "What about the other prisoners? The ones that the ogres are using as slaves? We can't just let them be."

Flegimdur made an unamused face and looked over at Gumytrin. "Didn't I say she would make that claim?"

"So you've thought about the other prisoners and purposely decided to not upon it?" I shot at him.

"Yes, we did—well, at least I did."

I flinched at his immediate and blunt answer. "Why? Because they're human?" It was an unfair question, I know, but I knew it was exactly why. It was written all over his arrogant face. Gumytrin wasn't exactly denying either.

Flegimdur winced but his face became unreadable. "I'm quite sure that you wouldn't want me to answer that question, love."

"Don't call me that," I snarled.

Gumytrin sighed. "Enough. We knew from Vyek that Baxter was captured in a village and became a prisoner along with the villagers. Fionna, as much as we want to save the other prisoners, we just can't. We cannot possible challenge that many ogres. What are we to do with the villagers after we—if we can even rescue them anyways? We can't keep them with us."

I fumed, not giving up. "And you think that is more than enough reason to leave them behind to suffer at the hands of the ogres then while making the humiliating trudge to Gazelker?"

"You make it sound so hard with your choice of words," Flegimdur muttered, the annoyance returning to his voice. "That's just unfair."

"Because it's the naked truth?"

He shifted uncomfortably and looked away. "That does not change the fact that we can't save them."

"Then why bother?" I whispered softly but I knew all three of them could still hear me by the way each of their shoulders turned towards me. "Why bother trying to stop the Lich and his Court? Why bother trying to save Aaa from his tyranny?"—why bother saving, protecting and watching over me?—"Why bother doing such a feat that would benefit the whole land when we can't even save one small village?"

"We aren't heroes." The reply chilled me. I wasn't certain which scared me more—the answer itself or the one who delivered it. "It's not worth the risk," Marshall continued.

I stared defiantly at his crimson eyes. "And saving Terrafoire was?"

The vampire stayed silent but stared intensely back at me. His words don't make any sense to me. All three of them had proven they were heroes in the way they rode into Terrafoire and fought off the chimeras, Angelica and Meemow, and leading the villagers to the safety of Eyllis'isal. What exactly did he mean they weren't heroes?

I could feel Gumytrin and Flegimdur trading anxious glances somewhere I couldn't see. I turned towards them, ready to give them a piece of my mind when I saw their expressions. Gumytrin had a shocked and worried face while Flegimdur looked about ready to go to war. Both had weapons ready and pointed at me. Marshall took a step forward threateningly yet protectively, which confused me even further. Are they going to attack me? I jumped back into something though I recall empty space was behind me.

"Careful there, lassie," a scratchy voice ground out from behind me. I whipped around, swinging Miltiades, but the sword flew out of my hand and I found myself pinned to the ground and spitting out dirt. "Attacking me without proper introduction? How indecent. Vampire, you should really teach your pet more manners before she meets more members of the Court."

I struggled against the weight pinning me down. "The Court?"

"That's right, lassie. Unlike you, I do have manners. Allow me to introduce myself as a valued member of the Lich's Court; Xergiog the last King of the Goblin Race. And I have been dying to meet you, dear Fionna."

I had planned this chapter to be much longer to keep the story moving, but I figured I've kept you guys waiting long enough.

Again, I'm so sorry that this took so long to update and I'm sorry that the updates will probably take a while from now on. But I promise that I won't give up on this story.

Thank you for those who have waited and stuck with this story for so long and I beg you to to be patient.

No, Fionna and Marshall Lee did not kiss in this chapter, though things did heat up. I'm NOT saying that they won't in the next chapter...

Review;)