On my character concept page, I've revealed some background and personality information on each of the characters, and I'll be posting how the guardians look in normal attire soon (well, normal forties attire). Do go have a look.

Read on:

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Chapter 11:

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The troop walked for what seemed like an endless journey. The Crux, as Ash explained, was a distance away from Marshes, and the castle was another half-day's travel after that, since they traveled by foot. Night had already fallen by the time they had reached the Crux, so they stopped to rest and tend to their wounds there. It was there they met up with Tred, who directed Yan Lin and Nerissa to the hospital tent, while the others got their own personal tents for sleeping.

But through her pains, Yan Lin found she could not rest. There wasn't any comfortable position to lie on, and her shuffling was disturbing Nerissa's sleep. After a few hours of this, she sighed and went outside for air. She spotted Sydrin standing just outside the tent, keeping watch over them like an alert dog. He watched her intently as she passed him, but said nothing.

Then Yan Lin spied Ash over buy the gate of the Crux, sitting by a dying fire pit and watching the embers fade. She decided it was her perfect chance to talk to him about the mark.

Though as she walked over to confront him, she found herself growing more nervous with every step. Every lift of her feet took a large amount of courage to achieve. She wasn't supposed to know what she knew, and she wondered what Ash would say of her knowledge.

As she neared him she could see plainly that he was distressed, which only served to increase her nervousness. He didn't look up to watch her arrive, nor gave any inclination he knew she was there, but somehow Yan Lin knew very well that he was aware of her presence.

Yan Lin stopped before him. Her heart now beat wildly like she was in danger. She reassured herself that Ash was a rational man, and would not hurt her over words. But she was still afraid of his evident angst. She knew he must be worrying for his queen, his brother, and his coming mission with inexperienced Guardians.

"Something troubles you," he observed quietly, his eyes glued to the fire. It wasn't a question, just a statement; one that Yan Lin didn't feel the need to answer.

"Well, sit down," he commanded, still not looking at her.

Yan Lin obeyed his invitation and sat down next to him gently on the large log.

"You sleep?"

"Not lately," he replied with a flustered sigh.

"Too much make you upset?"

"Far too much."

Yan Lin bit her lip, and felt it best to avoid the subject of the symbol for now.

"Can I ask, when you father die?" she asked instead.

"Three hundred and sixty-two days ago," he replied promptly. "The one-year anniversary of his death is coming and I feel no less grief than the day he died."

"You miss him," Yan Lin said with understanding.

"I wish he were here to help me," he lamented, leaning forward toward the small fire. "My heart is so heavy in his absence."

Yan Lin spotted something glisten around his neck, a glint of something shiny. It was a small pendant of silver, fastened to a brown piece of string. The pendant was a simple silver star with six points, with a white jewel imbedded in the center. The silver was dull and tarnished from a long time of wear, but the gemmed center sparkled in the starlight like it belonged among them.

"Is beautiful…" Yan Lin commented, reaching to point to the necklace. Ash frowned like she had seen something she wasn't supposed to and buried the necklace underneath his shirt.

"Thank you," he replied mechanically.

"Is it… queen's?" she asked.

He looked at her very seriously.

"I gave it to her… many years ago," he explained with a cold, even tone, like it pained him to speak of it. "She's never taken it off since."

Yan Lin twiddled her thumbs and gathered her courage once more in the few moments of awkward silence.

"Back home," Yan Lin said. "Old woman in shop sold books. She always say to everyone: 'this perfect book for you' and she never wrong. Like magic. She gave me book on Meridian."

At this, Ash looked at her out of the corner of his eye, probably suspecting what was coming.

"In book it say meaning of mark."

Ash sighed heavily in defeat, his suspicions having been confirmed.

"Have you told the others?" he asked frustratedly.

Yan Lin shook her head no.

"I want talk to you first. I think it was most fair."

"What's there to say?"

"The girls think bad of you. They think you traitor. Kadma will not stop asking me of meaning."

"Yan," Ash said, taking her hand in his, his eyes suddenly becoming sad and earnest. "I beg of you, keep your silence."

Yan Lin was surprised, looking down at their hands, his encompassing hers like a cocoon.

"Why?" she asked. "I do not understand."

"Just promise me you will," Ash pleaded, looking her straight in the eye. "Please."

Yan Lin was confused at his begging, why he was so upset by her knowing. Even still, she nodded.

"I swear it."

Ash let go of her hand and instead placed his head in his palms. Relief swelled over him, sensing she was telling the truth.

"I give you my sincerest thanks," he said with a nod. "And I assure you, if it brings you any comfort, that all will reveal itself soon enough."

He sighed and lifted his eyes to the night sky.

"Much too soon," he breathed sorrowfully.

-

"My dear," Roarke said with a sweet smile, coming into the cell with the queen. "How are we today?"

Wilona was huddled into a corner, the light that always glowed from her skin having fallen weak and dim. She had been crying, the tear stains evident on her soft dewy cheeks, even in the darkness of the musty cell corner. Her coronation dress was muddy from the wet, dirty floor, and not very magnificent at all anymore.

At the sound of Roarke's voice, she lifted her heavy head to look him in the eyes. Such sadness was in her violet orbs, a sadness that no doubt had shadowed the radiance in her once shining skin.

"My dear, don't look so gloomy," he said, handing her a white cloth to wipe her eyes with.

"Sir," his dark haired apprentice called from outside the cage. "I bring back word for you… word of the leader of the armies. He's on his way here."

Wilona's heart sank deeper than she ever thought possible, and Roarke's victorious smile could only serve to distress her all the more.

"See there?" he said cheerily. "Seems everything's working out our way. Ash is on his way to join the party—with the Guardians no doubt, and he probably thinks they'll do him some good. We'll make them see different, won't we, dear? Now we don't have to track down Ash to kill him… he's on his way to his own death right now…"

-

"Kadma, can you hand me that pillow over there?" Halinor asked as she made the cot up on which she had slept. Kadma seemed to not hear her, for she was busy watching Ash very closely out the window of the large tent.

"Kadma?" Halinor asked in wonder. "Anyone home?"

Kadma turned to the pillow on the floor and tossed it to Halinor with contempt.

"Whoa!" Halinor said as she caught it in midair. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"How much do we know of Ash?" Kadma asked her. "Can we trust him to tell us all he knows of what we are getting ourselves into?"

"Why not?" Halinor said as she smoothed out the wrinkles on the blanket. "He's been right so far."

Kadma went back to looking out the window, not realizing that Halinor had snuck up to join her.

"Scared, perhaps?" she accused, making Kadma jump in surprise.

"I told you before," she said harshly. "I simply don't find it comforting to go invade the dark castle when Ash might be leading us straight into a trap."

"I thought I was the worrywart," Halinor laughed. "To answer your question, I trust him fine. It's you I'm having trouble with."

Kadma looked at Halinor with offense, her mouth open to say something, then she shut it again as Nerissa came back to the tent.

"Hey ladies, it's time to get going," she informed them.

"If you hate me so much," Kadma accused, ignoring Nerissa and getting in Halinor's face. "Why did you help me back in the Marshes?"

"Why help a bum on the street with a few bucks?" Halinor retorted. "It's sympathy for those less fortunate than I."

Kadma glared at her with disgust.

"You're comparing me with a bum on the street?"

"Why not?" she said snottily. "There's enough in common between you both."

"Look who's talking?" Kadma countered. "I'll bet that your daddy makes less in a year than a beggar on the corner market."

"Why you--" Halinor said, lunging for Kadma angrily.

"Whoa!" Nerissa said, grabbing Halinor before she could do anything to Kadma. "Did I come at a bad time or what? You ladies need to cool your jets!"

"Her first," Kadma insisted, crossing her arms. "She gives a new meaning to 'hothead'."

"You shut your mouth, Miss 'Poison Oak'!"

"Com'on, stop this!" Nerissa commanded. "Both of you! We're supposed to be a team here. We're in uniform, for crying out loud! Your constant bickering isn't helping anything."

"We'll work together," Kadma agreed hastily. "Doesn't mean we have to like it."

"I couldn't have said it better myself…" Halinor said.

"No," Kadma countered. "You couldn't have."

With that, she stormed out, leaving behind an even angrier Halinor and an even more flustered Nerissa.

-

As they set out, everyone more or less felt a little uncomfortable, with one another, and with the anxiety of what was before them. The thought of being captured or killed seemed more than their nerves could bear. Halinor especially, complained of wanting to go home now, but she was readily ignored. She didn't want to admit it, but Kadma now had her worried.

"It's time to go save another person's life, Halinor," Nerissa encouraged her as they trailed behind the rest of them. "We were chosen for this, and only we can do it. Doesn't that make you feel important? I know it makes me feel important."

Halinor walked in silence next to Nerissa, considering her words for several moments.

"Yes, it does for me too," she agreed. "I just can't say I've risked my life before."

Nerissa laughed.

"You may not realize it, Halinor, but you already have risked it twice! Once at the mutiny at the Crux, and once at the Forbidden Marshes. You're a regular daredevil!"

Halinor smiled, and actually felt better.

"Time to whoop some tail?" Halinor asked hopefully.

"Time to whoop some tail," Nerissa agreed with a broad smile.

"Tred, go back," Ash commanded once he spotted his brother sneaking in amongst his men.

"I'm in the military too, Ash!" he argued.

"I'm not going to say it again," Ash warned over his shoulder as he walked beside Sydrin.

"You're going to have to, because I'm not listening," Tred said stubbornly.

Ashlee stopped walking. Sydrin did as well.

"Shall I?" Sydrin asked his closest friend.

"Do it," Ash commanded, then continued his walk. Sydrin turned and pulled out his largest arrow, and pointed it at Tred.

"Syd, don't you dare," Tred said, shaking his head. The guardians stared with gaping mouths, not believing that Ash had truly given his friend permission to shoot his own brother.

"Hold still," Sydrin commanded, then lowered his aim and let the arrow fly. It found its home in the ground beside Tred's foot, but not without pinning his pant leg down with it.

Sydrin simply turned continued on as Tred struggled to pry the thick stake of an arrow from the earth with no success, yelling furiously to their backs.

"You're just going to leave him there?" Cassidy asked Ash.

"Of course not," Ash said, smiling at his cat-eyed friend as if they shared a common joke. "Sydrin will be back for that arrow."

"Most certainly," Sydrin agreed. "It's one of my good arrows."

"Didn't you make that out of Thrind wood?" Ash asked him as if they were two simple boys making lighthearted conversation over tea, and it only served to thoroughly confound the girls.

"Oh, no, out of Forleb wood, actually," Sydrin replied. "I always did say Forleb was the best…"

"You do say that, don't you? It's the strongest at the very least, I'll give it that."

"That's a given, most definitely."

The guardians looked to one another, exchanging surprised looks and seeing them reflected right back, but nevertheless walked on in silence.

"ASH!" Tred called from behind him. "You can't keep me out of combat forever! I'll show you someday! Mark my words—you'll see! I'll be better than you someday! YOU'LL SEE!"

Halinor looked back to Tred, who was still struggling with the stake, and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the lad. She would have given anything to exchange places with him right about now, as the looming dark castle on the hill began to appear over the horizon.

She had a very bad feeling about this.

-

Things will start to get exciting now, like Ash says: "All will be revealed soon enough." For now, please review.

Signed,
--RedRogue