OK peoplez, here's the dizzle. I'm getting bored of fanfiction (hell I was bored of it six months ago!) so I sense an early end to this story – earlier than I expected. I think you're getting bored of my story too :D Anyways, If you want me to continue writing with these characters, I will think of a plotline that excites me and makes me want to write more (and I will write a couple of chapters before I start posting so you HOPEFULLY wont get late updates). If you think, "Oh, finally she's ending this torture…" then I will end it early and cease with the Circle, and finish off Survivor, and probably end up deleting my other three fanfics Anyways, onto my story, and tell me what you think in your reviews, or PMs if you must.

HAHA I just noticed that I switched to first person halfway through the last chapter That's because nearly every other story I write is written in third person… I'll change it, just not now. I'm too tired…

"Fool, what do you think you are doing?"

Seven heads snapped up to seek out the source of that harsh, unwelcome voice. The remaining mage stepped out of the shadows that had cloaked his presence effectively. Although his clothes looked fine enough, his sandy hair was tousled and his eyes were ringed from lack of sleep. The man spoke in a gravelled voice that hinted at a deep and intense longing for something.

"You think I'm going to let you go?" he continued, his face twisted into an ugly grimace that pronounced his lined face all the more. "You think I'm going to sit back and let you snatch away what I have worked so hard for?"

Through her strong resentment for this man that had caused her friends and sisters harm, Steph also felt a hint of pity. This man seemed so tired and overworked, and she knew he hated it. His voice had a tone of sincere sadness – a feeling that Steph herself had experienced to a large degree herself. This pity was the only thing keeping her from throwing a punch at the mage that moment.

"Countless nights I have sat up, planning the abduction, planning the attack for when it came. I am hungry, cold, and tired. All because of Emberglow!" He spat out that last word with a bitter hatred that made Steph wince. "Emberglow, and his prissy little mages who attend to his every whim and command. He stole so much from my people, so much from me…"

Steph's pity of this man only deepened still. He seemed so helpless, so utterly distressed at whatever Emberglow had done. The mage's hollow black eyes caught Steph's own deep blue ones. She bowed her head slightly, encouraging for him to continue. Whatever he had to say seemed important.

He opened his mouth to continue when Briar butted in. "So basically what your saying that that Emberglow needs a good kick up the –"

"Briar!" exclaimed Sandry. Turning to the man she said gently but firmly, "What exactly did Emberglow do to you?"

The man dropped his head so he was staring intently at his scuffed shoes. Breathing deeply, he lifted his head and went on. "Emberglow is the most power-hungry man I have ever crossed. He went into battle once with one of the neighbouring villages to his own home. He won the battle – as expected – and proceeded to take over it, ruling it as his own. He enjoyed that little taste of power, and wanted more." The man broke off at this point, disgusted. "His sense of domination went to his head. He decided he wanted more, and he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Two years ago, he turned on my town. Two years ago…"

At this point, his legs failed him and he sat down hard on the ground. Sandry sat in front of him, and placed a hand on his knee. "Please continue. We could help you find a non-violent solution to your problem if you just let us help."

The man looked up, showing that his eyes had begun to water. "Two years ago, he came to our town. Such a beautiful place it was. I lived in a small house with my wife and three children. There were two girls and a boy, and they all had curly blonde hair, like their mother…" He gazed off into the distance with a small smile on his face, reminiscing. For a moment his furrowed brow smoothed, and his eyes lit up with a joyful sparkle. Sandry let him be for a few moments before lightly patting his knee, snapping him back to reality. The sparkle dimmed but remained nonetheless. "I was off to the neighbouring village. I specialise in healing, you see, and my fees were low, so naturally I had lots of business in close villages as well as my own. I was helping a young girl with a broken arm when one of my friends burst in, telling me that our village was under siege. I quickly finished my job as best I could, and rushed back to defend my home and family with my life. But when I got there…"

The man broke down. He dropped his head into his hands as sobs wracked his entire body. They sat in silence for a moment, the young ones afraid to say anything that might put the man off telling them more. Finally regathering his composure, he continued, "When I got there, I found my house on fire. It was nearly burnt to the ground, and all… all I could find…was this." Sobbing again, he reached into a pocket and pulled out a small rag doll. It seemed plain enough, with brown yarn hair and a worn and frayed red frock, but just the sight of it enforced the fact that it was definitely well-loved. The whole thing was dusted with black ashes, and a lot of its hair had been charred off on one side.

The man squeezed his eyes shut as his face contorted into a painful grimace. He tightly clenched the doll in a hand that shook. Tears rolled out from under his closed eyelids as he continued in a pained whisper, "I lost so much that day. My home, my friends… my family… and Emberglow was solely responsible. He could never do anything to repay my loss, even if he wanted to. That is why my comrades and I" - he swept an arm around at the unconscious men – "were seeking revenge. They are from close by villages who have also suffered Emberglow's wrath. And we must avenge the deaths of our loved ones…"

Sandry stared at the man with saddened eyes. "I know you wish to take out all of your… despair on Emberglow, but that is not the answer. And releasing your resentment on his children was a horrible move that should never have been resorted to."

Steph nodded her agreement. "By taking his life, you will be just as bad as he was when he was responsible for the deaths of others. A life is not worth a life, and two wrongs do nothing but deepen the guilt."

The man surveyed Steph. "You have been affected by Emberglow's wrongdoing." It was not a question, but a statement.

Taken aback, Steph inclined her head. "How did you know?"

"I am not just a physical healer," the man explained, "but a soul healer too. I learn to read emotions, feelings, auras and such."

"Yes. He… he did something awful a while back, but it is something that seems petty compared to the misery he has put you through. I have considered my revenge, even planned it in my head as a dream that would never come true. Yet through all this, I knew that having him gone was not a solution, but it was me running away from my fears."

Nodding slowly, the man replied, "I guess that makes sense." Getting to his feet, he brushed off the seat of his trousers.

"What are you doing?" Briar asked suspiciously.

"I have decided to let it drop, just this once. I will let Emberglow be, and pray to the gods that he will not destroy another town, or I will come after him." He glanced down at the smiling doll in his hands with a small glimmer of hope in his eyes shining through his tears. "You children have taught me something very important today, and I thank you for that. I must be heading off, and I leave you with my deepest gratitude."

"But where are you going?" Steph asked.

Placing the rag doll back into his pocket, he smiled slightly and shook his head, heading off through the trees in silence.

Feeling her own eyes well up, Sandry sympathised, "What a poor man! He didn't deserve any of what Emberglow gave him. He's been through so much pain…"

Briar kicked a stone. "All those in favour of returning to Winding Circle?"

Daja glanced at Steph in concern, but with a hint of amusement in her black eyes. "Uh, Steph? You do realise that there's an arrow sticking out of your arm."

Suddenly remembering her wound, the pain all flooded back into her upper arm. "Thanks for reminding me," Steph snapped sarcastically, dropping to her knees and clutching her arm just below the arrow.

Briar came and inspected the arrow closely. "Daja, come over here. I think if we worked together we could get this thing loose without much hassle."

Steph grimaced at the thought of the arrow pulling back out of her skin. "Are you sure we have to do it right here? Can't we, say, go back the castle and knock me out with some potion before you do it?"

Briar raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's either we take it out now, or we walk all the way back to the castle just to get my sleeping potions, and risk letting the wound get so infected we'll have to remove your arm."

Steph's eyes snapped wide open. "Do it now!"

Daja and Briar both knelt down at Steph's side. Breathing deeply as one, they reached out with their magic. Gently sliding the arrow out of place together, they managed to remove it without any mishaps besides a few yells of pain from their patient. When the arrow was completely freed, it dropped to the ground with an almost inaudible thud.

Steph glanced down at her arm to see a few fat, crimson droplets of blood roll down her arm. "Well, that didn't hurt nearly as much as –" Suddenly her eyes zoomed out. "I feel… woozy…" she muttered before her arm gave way and she dropped to the ground.

Crying out, Rose dropped to her older sister's side. "Steph!" Kneeling close to the bleeding wound, she examined it closely with her magic. "Oh no…" she breathed.

Just before Steph fell completely unconscious, she heard Rose mutter, "The arrow was poisoned." Then the darkness ate away at her vision until she saw and felt no more.

Behind some thick trees and bushes, the eyes of the female archer glinted with satisfaction. Completely hidden from the view of the alarmed teenagers by dark shadows, she turned and walked away, shrugging her bow higher up her shoulder.

Oh no! Another cliffy! Well, seriously, I didn't plan it. I'm a bit tired - well, a lot tired, I've been getting hardly any sleep lately – and I just watched two hours of Full Metal Alchemist. Oh well, at least this chapter came faster than you expected, I bet D Now tell me people, do I suck at emotional chapters? This was supposed to come out emotional, and I don't think I pulled it off :S And OK, it shall now be an autumn treat, although I'm in the middle of spring… (grumbles about the stupid laws of physics and stale pudding) Is it just me, or does this chapter seem really fast-moving?

P.S. Did you know that the word "cliffy" was in my Microsoft Word dictionary? I didn't know it was a real word! Well, that just shows what I know…