Chapter 2

Rashn

"So, you've returned, is it done then? Are they all dead?"
"Two of them are, but their resistance woke the boy. He fled forcing my sister to give chase while I remained to finish the job."
"No, the job is not finished until all three of them are dead. Go now, ensure that your sister finds and kills that boy."

Rashn was running for his life. All around the forest loomed in darkness, every shadow threatening to reach out and capture him. He knew these woods, he had walked their trails, he had spent years in their wooded embrace. Yet tonight, for some reason, they betrayed him. Nothing looked familiar, nothing seemed right. It was as if the very trees themselves had joined the chase and were slowly drawing him into the noose.

No, Rashn tried to fight back the tears that welled up just behind his eyes, this isn't happening. They aren't… they didn't…

He choked on the words as he ran, there was no lying to himself about what he had seen. His parents were dead and whatever that thing was that killed them was after him now. And it sounded like it had found him.

"Rashn." he could hear it calling him from somewhere behind.

I'm going to die, he thought as the tears began streaming down his cheeks, it's going to kill me just like it killed them…

"Rashn?" It called out again, was that worry in its voice, "Rashn, are you ok?"

The creature was just above him now as he ran. He could feel the wind off its wings as it drew near, each powerful gust threatening to knock him over. A hand reached through the darkness and gripped his shoulder.

"Rashn!"

"Noooo!" he cried, turning his head away arms raised to cover his face, "No please!"

"Rashn! Wake up, it's ok!"

He lay there for a moment before opening his eyes. It was silent now save for the occasional crackle of a nearby fire, its embers having burned down enough to cast a dull glow on the small clearing. It did not matter, he didn't need the light to see that the figure looming above him was not a winged monster threatening to rip him apart but instead Alden, a worried expression etched across his face.

"I'm sorry," Alden said, "but you were beginning to thrash about in your sleep… I wasn't sure if you were ok or if…"

"I am fine Alden," Rashn said as best he could in common. He took a deep breath allowing his body to relax, "Just having bad dream. Bad dream happens."

"Well yeah but normally people's hair don't change color when they have a bad dream…"

Rashn sat up, swiftly pulling a lock of his hair down into his vision so he could inspect it. For two months, the mop on his head had been stark white, a hint of the sorrow and fear that lay just below his surface. Now though a bright red-orange curl hung there illuminated by the firelight. How had he passed from winter into summer?

"It…" Rashn looked for the words, "It is happening sometimes."

Alden shook his head, "No, that doesn't just happen to people."

"No, but it is be happening to my people."

"Oh," Alden regarded him for a moment, "Well it is a hell of party trick. I'm sure it'll make you a big hit at the next village we visit. Especially with the ladies."

I hadn't thought about that. Rashn worried. If word gets around about an elf with a foreign accent and hair that can change color it'll be like telling them exactly where I am…

Alden's eyes widen, "Woah, there it goes changing again."

Both watched as the color receded, leaving the strand of hair as white as it had been the day before. Even though he could only see the one strand he knew the reaction had spread across head. Rashn sighed in frustration.

Do I have such little control over my own emotions? How am I supposed to stay hidden if my own body betrays me?

"You don't look happy about this…" Alden's worried expression had made a return.

"No," Rashn looked down, "Not happy. Devil will find me."

"Well," said a third voice, "You can either shave your head or I can teach a little trick I use to keep myself looking so young and handsome."

Rashn and Alden looked to the edge of the clearing as Dravid entered the perimeter, two large bears plodding behind him. The old man was smiling, a sheaf of papers under one arm and a large spy glass, he had called it a telescope, slung over the other shoulder. He sat on a log near the fire and stowed the telescope in his bag. Both bears approached the fire and sat on their haunches, slowly they brought their front paws up together and held them there.

"Alright you two," Dravid said as he produced a few apples from his pack and tossed them over to the two large animals, "There you go. Happy now? Good. Go on, we're not going to break camp for another few days so you're good to keep foraging till then."

The bears happily picked the apples up in their jaws before lumbering back out into the woods. Dravid glared at Alden, "I hate that you taught them to beg like that."

"It's funny." Alden shrugged, "So what were you saying about Rashns hair?"

"Well, he would probably cut a very impressive figure with his head shaved," Dravid said as he began to leaf through the papers, making notes on a few of them, "it's not a common sight for a young elf like him to go around bald. It might make him stick out just as much."

"What is trick?" Rashn asked, Alden and himself leaned forward eagerly as though a great secret was about to be bestowed upon them.

"Walnuts."

"Walnuts?" Rashn asked.

"Yes," Dravid looked up for a moment, "Walnuts can be used to make an effective dye that will darken your hair for a few months, but if you use it regularly the effect should make your hair dark enough to cover the changes it appears to be capable of."

"Ha," Alden laughed, "No wonder your hair doesn't match the salt and pepper look of your beard. How old are you really?"

"Old enough," Dravid said, "I'll show you both how to make it in the morning. Don't scoff Alden you may not need to use it, but it is useful knowledge to have."

"Thank you," Rashn bowed his head appreciatively.

Dravid smiled at him then turned his full focus on Alden, "Come here boy, for that old remark you're going to chart the stars I tracked tonight."

Alden began to protest but a look from Dravid cut his objection short. He muttered under his breath but did as he was told. Rashn watched the two for a moment. Though they maintained they were not related they still acted so much like father and son. It was obvious they did not share a direct family connection however, Dravids skin had an olive tone while Aldens was pale white. Their faces too seemed to contrast each other, the older man with his dark hair beginning to recede and squarish face boxed in by his short graying beard, the younger though had long blonde hair that was tied back and a round face that failed to produce even the smallest amount of stubble. However, there was one thing they shared; a series of identical tattoos seemed to wrap around both their bodies.

The tattoos appeared to be made up of a series of runes, though the language and purpose were unknown to Rashn. The string of runes began on the left temple and ran down that same side of the face, curving under the chin and around the back of the neck before wrapping back to the front and down the center of the chest where it disappeared beneath their leather armor. The same lines seemed to also be tattooed on the back of both hands which wrapped around their wrists and up the arms before disappearing into their sleeves. From what he could tell the tops of each foot also began a string of runes which he assumed wrapped around the legs similarly to the ones on the arms. He had only seen these because Alden liked to walk around camp barefoot, but he assumed Dravid had a similar tattoo on his feet as well.

Rashn had not asked about the tattoos when he first met the two. In fact, he did not say much of anything at first, they had told him. Apparently he had stumbled into their camp covered in scratches and bruises and stared into their fire. Alden had thought he was daft, but Dravid had been able to recognize that Rashn was in shock. The first few days with them were a blur now. He could barely remember being told when to eat, when to drink, and when to sleep. Slowly though the simple routine began to help him regain his sense of self and soon he was full of questions for his new traveling companions.

Which way was it to the Silver Grove? Had they heard any news coming out of the Ostoroth estate? Why were there suddenly two moons in the night sky? The answers had not been what Rashn was expecting. Where? Who? Um, they had always been there. Somehow, that night he had ran had taken him extremely far from home. Farther than should have been possible, though he had grown up on the strange stories of his homeland he just never thought he would become part of one. When he began questioning Dravid and Alden about themselves, they became just as confused as him.

"We're Shields," Alden had stated as if it should have been obvious, "Protectors of the people? First defense from the terrors of the sky? How do you not know any of this?!"

Dravid held up a hand to calm the boy, "You've never heard of the Shields of the Falling Sky then?"

Rashn shook his head, "No."

Dravid nodded though his expression seemed doubtful. Regardless though he began to explain, "Alden and I are Shields of the Falling Sky. It is both the name of our order and our positions within it. While the seven great kingdoms focus on threats within their borders, we of the eighth kingdom focus on threats to the whole of Coriah, specifically the asterin. I assume you're also unfamiliar with them?"

"All you is saying is unfamiliar."

"Hmm," Dravid considered Rashns words for a moment, "I think this is more than just a difference in regional dialects. Where are you from boy?"

"The Silver Grove," Rashn said hopefully, "home of the Summer Court."

"Silver Grove?" Alden questioned, "With a name like that sounds like maybe it could be somewhere in or near Foran, we are near its borders right now."

"No," Rashn shook his head, "never hear of this Foran."

"Ver'sil then maybe, it is the ancestral home of the elves after all, little bit farther but still a possibility."

Dravid turned and stared at Alden, "You think, in the state he was in, he wandered from Ver'sil across the Flooded Steppes and survived passing through the warring kingdom and into our camp?"

Aldens brow furrowed, "You make me sound stupid when you say it like that."

"Funny that," Dravid said before turning his attention back to Rashn, "Look, I don't think you're from Foran or Ver'sil. I don't know where you hail from, but it's clear you're not from any of the known kingdoms."

"Could he be a monster from the Desolate Waste?" Alden looked at Rashn and feigned a gasp, "Or a lycan from the Festering Isle then?"

"You're an idiot Alden," Dravid looked at the boy dumbfounded.

Alden crossed his arms, "Listen to yourself, 'not from any of the known kingdoms'? There are only eight kingdoms on the entire disc. He'd have to be from somewhere other than Coriah, he'd have to be…."

Both men slowly turned to stare at Rashn.

"He'd have to be extraplanar…" Dravid said thoughtfully.

Aldens eyes grew wide as he stood and began pacing, "Could he really be though? Even the Shield scholars say the concept is theoretical."

"We know other planes exist, so it is possible." Dravid said as he began searching his pack for something, "We've just never had confirmation of a person crossing between them."

"Um, explain please?" Rashn was lost.

"Here," Dravid said as he pulled out a small metal rod that was forked at one end. He tapped it on a stone causing the metal to hum for a moment, "Now you."

Rashn took the object and tapped it on the same stone. Silence.

Dravid nodded to the rock, "Again, harder this time."

Rashn did as he was instructed but the rod remained silent.

"That doesn't mean anything…" Alden said quietly as though he doubted his own words.

"Please," Rashn sighed, "Tell me what does mean."

"It means you're very far from your home." Dravid pulled out a large sheaf of papers and turned to a blank page. "We might be able to help you, but first we need to know about where you're from."

Rashn nodded, "Ok, but you help me after, agree?"

"Agreed."

Rashn was able to tell them most of what he knew about the Silver Grove with only minor interruption from Alden now and then. He felt somewhat ashamed when they asked more about the lands beyond as he was unable to really tell them much.

"I stay mostly in family estate and in surrounding forest. House of Ostoroth newer in court, our family not always have high standing. Only two generations, I would have been third."

"What's the last thing you remember before everything changed?" Dravid took a moment from his writing to look Rashn in the eyes, "You were in quite a state when we found you a few days ago, so if you don't want to talk about what happened you don't have to, but it may help us to help you."

Rashn thought about that night, the scream, the blood, the fear, "I will try."

He told them how he had been awakened in the middle of the night by a scream from his mother, "She never make that sound. I rush downstair and see father, head lay in blood near body. Mother scream again, tell me run. She fight woman, no, she fight monster with wings. Monster stab mother. I ran, it chase. I know forest better than that devil, but some point everything changed. Everything wrong."

For once Alden did not interject, instead the three sat in silence as Dravid finished recording Rashns ordeal. It gave him time to reflect on what had happened, but now he had questions. Who would do this to his family and why had the Rose Guard not protected them? The Rose reacted to his fathers will, they would not have just let someone in like that, they would not have let father fight alone… Unless father had not seen the monsters as enemies. Had he invited those devils into his home? If they were fast enough to surprise and slay father, he would not have had time to alert the guard. With his death the Rose Guard would have become dormant.

That's why they didn't help mother, or rush to protect me. They were bound to father, without him… we were defenseless.

Eventually, Dravid finished writing and carefully placed the notes in his pack, "I'm sorry for what happened to you," he began, "but most of us Shields are no strangers to loss ourselves." Rashn noticed Dravid glanced over at Alden, the boy had grown despondent was staring down at the ground. The older man reached out and placed a hand on friend's shoulder. That seemed to snap Alden back into the moment.

"Uh, yeah," He agreed, "Lot of us lost our families, so we know how it feels. Um, if you ever want to talk, you know, about it and things, we'll listen."

Rashn smiled as he found a level of understanding he hadn't expected from Alden, "I thank you. It mean much to me."

"However," Dravid continued, "Something else happened that night, somehow you were pulled from your world into ours. Most likely it was the moment you realized the forest looked wrong. That's what saved you for now."

"For now?" Rashn asked.

"If you traveled between planes, even accidentally," Dravids tone grew grim, "Then your enemy could possibly do the same as well. That's not your only danger either. The seven kingdoms answer to the High Seat of Coren and they only teach of three planes - Coriah, the Nine Hells, and the Abyss. Your existence, and description of your home, proves there could be a fourth."

"But should they not be happy of this discovery?" Rashn questioned.

"You'd think, but no." Dravid was going through his pack again setting a few items aside as he did, "Shields don't answer to the High Seat. We also don't answer to the mountainborn. Our kingdom of Svalynn remains separate as protectors of the people of all kingdoms. We can't be bound to any ruling body of government because if a day comes that the powers that be betray the people, we most protect them from it."

"Our position," Alden added, having regained most of his composure now, "allows us to observe the High Seats actions as a neutral party. While they haven't overstepped their bounds, they do brand some of those who contradict them as heretics. They wouldn't hurt you, but they would denounce as much as they could and that would just paint a large target on you for that devil that's hunting you."

"What I should be doing then?" Rashn asked.

"Well," Dravid gathered up the items he'd been picking through and dumped them in Rashns lap, "we're going to teach you how to survive. This is your gear now."

Rashn was nearly buried by his newfound possessions. Among them was a bedroll, a few sets of clothes, eating utensils, a coil of rope, a water skin, a torch, a small box containing flint and steel, leather armor, two short swords, a long sword, and a bow with a quiver of arrows.

"How… How all this fit in such small bag?" Rashn asked in disbelief?

Dravid laughed, "It's called a bag of holding, and it can hold a lot more than that." He tossed a backpack over to Rashn, "Most of that should fit in there, everything else you'll carry on your person."

"I know not what say."

Alden leaned over and whispered, "Say thank you."

Rashn bowed, "I thank you, both of you."

"Not so fast." Dravid stood over him, "I'm going to treat you like a shield apprentice for as long as you travel with us. That means you're going to train with those weapons every day and you'll spare with Alden and I until you're black and blue. We're also going to cram as much as we can about this world into your head so you don't stand out so much. If you're committed, we'll make you a force to be reckoned with."

Dravid was honest, the last two months since that day had been tough, more so than Rashns comfortable life had prepared him for thus far. Every morning while the two shields slept, he read though the books Dravid laid out for him, the old man had quite an extensive collection of books in elvish. When they woke up, he would practice sword and bow forms. After lunch they would spare, which for the first several weeks meant knocking Rashn silly with sticks. But slowly he was beginning to hold the two of them off. In the evenings he would rest while the two of them charted the sky and compared their star charts to the ones from previous nights.

As he lay there now, he watched as Dravid put a few more logs on the fire. Alden was muttering under his breath at his punishment but even so, he still seemed to enjoy charting the star locations. Rashn knew now why his hair had changed. The nightmare had brought on renewed fear of what happened that night to his family. But these shields had instilled him with something he had not had before. A newfound will to fight. Though small a fire had been stoked within him. The flames would grow, and with them his winter would begin to thaw.