Chapter 13

Merlin

It's the first time I actually called Lancelot using my title. It felt weird but he had to know it was serious. Kathlin spent quite a bit of time with Liath and Damien but she preferred for Aria and myself to take care of her needs. Physical ones anyway. She took care of her father. Rumours got out and children whispered that it was Kathlin's fault her mother died and her father broke.

Lyra took a leave from Kathlin's side to beat them up. Kathlin suffered a lot during that time. That was unacceptable. 'Merlin?'

'Come in, Lancelot.' I admitted him in. Aria took all the children out today to find some relief from the stress and grief of the last month. But we were still looking for Safira's murderers. It was too much to ask Kathlin if she could… know.

'You wanted to talk about…' He began.

'What happened after Safira's death.' I continued for him. He stiffened and his eyes filled with guilt and pain. 'I can understand that you were grieving but that was not the way to do it.'

'Yes.' He agreed, lowering his eyes in shame.

I didn't let up. 'Unacceptable. Especially when you had a daughter to care for. You abandoned her in her own suffering and she refused to care for herself. She spent the entire time ignoring it and making sure you were alright. Did you know that?' I demanded. It was hard… I was dreading another bout of endless crying from her but after the first two weeks, I was hoping for it. But no, she tore herself to shreds instead.

'Yes, I know.' He admitted, almost looking away from me all together now.

'Good, it can't happen again.'

His eyes met mine instantly, there was nothing but unwavering resolve in there. 'No, it will never happen ever again.' He swore. I smiled and nodded my understanding.

Damien

'Kathlin? What are you doing?' I asked her quietly in the dark. I could still recognize her flaming hair. What was she doing up so early? Or late?

'You shouldn't be up, Damien. Go back to sleep.' She whispered back. But her light tone was dark.

'Where are you going?' I demanded, if I hadn't been up reading with Liath, I wouldn't have heard her. Kathlin shifted her eyes away and then looked back at me but I already saw the small bag and her bow and arrows. How can she just leave without telling anybody?

'I'm just going to train for a bit.' She excused herself.

'Liar.' I murmured. I knew she was lying. I could see it. 'Tell me the truth, Kathlin.'

Didn't she trust me? I waited. 'Swear you won't tell any of our parents or any knights and protectors or…'

'I swear.' I answered instantly. She had to tell me!

'I'm going to find the people who killed Mother.'

I stood still. The night wind was suddenly like ice. I stared at her then at her arrows. She wasn't joking. She didn't say it but I knew she really was going to kill them. 'You know where they are. Why did you say anything?' I asked. Isn't it better to leave it to Uncle Merlin?

'No, I want to do this myself.' She persisted stubbornly. Her eyes were harder than my stony blue ones.

'Kathlin, if you go, you're going to die.' I warned her. Please don't go. I can't let her just go. But I swore not to tell…

'You don't know that.'

'But I'm usually right.' I countered. 'I'll go with you. We should call the others. If we're together, you'll… have a better chance.' I reasoned with her. This was the basic of strategy, Father taught me and Geoffrey gave me books.

She was quiet then, silent. I waited. I could tell she was thinking. She knew I was right. 'You must think I'm a monster.'

'What?' I asked in surprise. Why would I think that? Kathlin is the nicest person ever!

'I'm going to kill people.' She muttered, ashamed. I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. She stood straight, her body hard but then she turned soft and hugged me back.

'I don't think you're a monster. I think… it's just your choice. It's okay. You know that.' I told her, trying to make her feel better.

'Thanks, Damien.'

I smiled at her and grabbed her hand while she carried her bag and her weapon. 'Let's go call the others before someone notices we're gone.'

Wolf

It was just dawn. Mom… would she have woken up by now? I hope not. She always worried when she didn't find us sleeping in our beds. If she woke up later then we might be back in time so they wouldn't notice. Vira frowned too and I knew she was thinking the same thing. 'Vira, hide.' I hissed, grabbing her arm as she was flying forward.

She gasped as her wings shaped the air wrongly but I held her tight and covered her mouth. When she was flying normally again, we hid in the tops of the trees. The camp was there as Kathlin said it would be. There was a man keeping watch but the others were waking up. Vira flew back a little and nodded to me that she saw our friends coming.

I cupped my hand over my mouth to give the signal. They'd follow the sound. I snarled loudly, like a wild animal. My cheeks turned pink. I hated that. An animal. They made fun of Vira when she cut her hair to look like mine once and I bit one of them. They hit me and then Vira came in too. Someone said… we fought like animals. Mom was so angry. But not at us.

I started out of my day dreaming when I heard the men talking. 'Just the forest waking. We'll just stoke the fire.'

I watched the guys down there. Which one killed Kathlin's mom? She was really nice to us. She even pulled a few pranks with us. Which one did it? Is Kathlin going to kill everyone? I didn't know like she did but I did choke when Vira grabbed my shoulder and dragged me into the tree. I hit my wing on the tree trunk. 'Sorry! Sorry!' She whispered quickly, eyes wide. Oh sister…

'I'm okay.' I smiled at her, looking at the faces of my friends. Lyra, Daemon and Damien brought their new swords, made of metal special by Aunt Gwen and Uncle Elyan. Nuala and Liath stayed close to Kathlin, like bodyguards.

'Kathlin, you don't have to.' Akvai whispered, touching her shaking shoulder, her bow was already drawn and her arrow notched expertly but… she was trembling all over. Was she scared? I'd be scared to kill someone too… unless it was Vira or someone like that in danger.

She dropped her bow but only to look at him. 'If you saw your father, would you kill him?'

Vira and I froze. Akvai froze too, his hand was in a fist. His dad… was the one who kidnapped Mom and gave her scars that wouldn't heal and still caused her nightmares. The one who broke Aunt Morgana but we weren't sure what that meant… 'Yes. But you can wait. Until you're older.' He gritted out. Vira touched his arm and he seemed to get better.

'But I won't.' She breathed and I saw tears streaming down her face. The big fat kind that hurts but doesn't make you sob and stuff. Daemon's eyes softened while Lyra's widened and Nuala and Liath hugged her. Damien tried to wipe her tears away but they kept flowing. 'I know exactly who did it. I know how he did it. I know he's not even sorry.' She raised the bow but Vira stopped her.

'Wait.' I called while Vira took her bow and ripped out the feathers with her teeth, a blush on her face. She hated feeling like an animal too.

'What are you doing?' She asked quietly but I didn't answer. Vira was smoothing out her feathers. I did the same, plucking two with a small wince. Our wings were sensitive. Four feathers. Two from me, two from Vira. We handed them with the arrow to Kathlin. She stopped crying.

'Our feathers will help your arrow fly.' I told her gently. Faster than any archer I've seen, she fletched her arrow and notched it in her bow. She didn't tremble this time. Her eyes were absolutely fearless, the shy girl was gone. Kathlin was a strong warrior like the ones me and Vira saw in our memories, passed down by the stars.

'Thank you.' She murmured softly, her voice steady. She let go of the arrow. Our feathers shaped the wind… and flew straight into the heart of the man. No chance of missing.