Cearbhail:

And now, we're only two chapters away from the end of the first arc. We end this part of the arc with Red and Olin. Hope you like the chapter.

Enjoy ^^ ...

[Mother Red]

Dear diary,

Today is December 15th. Yesterday was pretty wild. I mean, I got a letter from Mother Goose, and she pretty much told me that I was the new Mother of my coven. I guess I don't mind that, but something about it does bother me. I wonder why Mother Goose didn't just send someone else to take her place. It's not like there aren't stronger witches in York. I'm still pretty new to the whole thing, and it just seems unlikely that a Little would go straight to Hedge and then Mother in the course of a month. Oh well, I guess she knows best.

So, I've been noticing that Ashley is not here with us. I mean, I sent her to go talk to Locksley but that was days ago. I expected her to come back by now, but she hasn't returned. Maybe she got caught up doing something else? I don't know. I'll talk to her about it when I see her. She's not one for ditching her sisters when we're doing something important, which rebuilding this town is. I could use some of her healing potions right now. No one makes them like her. And she did help us set up the circles that surround the town. Vicky was impressed by Ashley's knowledge of them.

Other than all that, we're actually done with the town. These past two days, Vicky's been on overload. That nap she took was all she needed to go full-on super witch. She practically put together two whole buildings that were structurally superior to any of the ones the slaves could build in two days' time. Not to mention all of us created a much bigger port with more room for more ships. To be honest, this town looks three times better than it ever has. Tonight, we're going to party and then we're going to head on home. Hear that? That's the sound of freed slaves working off all their stress with some fun.

Mother Red.

…

"I would like to begin this celebration with a toast." Sir Eric Johnson said as he threw his pint of beer into the air. "I know the King is too… let's go with busy to come visit us during our little campaign, and I know that his orders might very well have led to the deaths of all slaves and witches within the camp, but I am an honorable man. I'd like to thank each and every one of you. You didn't have to peacefully get on our ships under threats of death, and work yourselves to near death for the sake of our lazy citizens that refuse to do their own work. You didn't have to suffer these unreasonable conditions we put upon you. You could have easily overrun our camp, taken our weapons and armor, and then overthrown our little town. You outnumbered us 3 to one at least. But I digress. You worked splendidly, and have been released from your contracts. You've been offered full citizenship among our town, if you so like. I've been offered to let you live in this town you've raised as its first citizens."

"What if some of us want to go home?" One of the slaves asked from near the back of the room.

Sir Johnson only nodded. "Any and all transport from here to the residences we stole you from will be covered. You may go home if you so desire, or you may stay here. We won't judge you for wanting to leave, but would welcome you as family." He looked at Olin when he said that, looking from him over to me, as if already knowing what Olin's choice would be. I sure hope he decided to stay here. He told me about his home and how it was completely gone. Would he decide to stay here with me? When Sir Johnson locked eyes with me, he nodded. "And I would also like to give a special thanks to our little witches. They may have created this mess, but they owned up to it and helped us rebuild it. They treated our wounds, melted the snow, and make this project a lot easier to deal with. They're alright in my book, and I will be sure King John hears of their actions in this town. They deserve some good rep for their hard work in this town. I hope to see more of it from them, to be honest."

I nodded to Sir Johnson. "Sir, I've only just begun to lead my group. You're seeing the beginning of a new age." I would prove to this town that we weren't just some crazy devil worshipers hiding in the dark corners of the town muttering curses. I couldn't wait to tell Robin and Malik about the stuff we did here. I was sure we'd be having a second party tonight.

With a nod of his head to me, Sir Johnson started slamming his pint of beer with a nearby slave's and screamed in glory. That began the whole day of nothing but partying. Even as I stood there and watched, I could already see that the former slaves were quick when it came to partying. They were intense too. I guess working as nothing but labor animals for the past few weeks must have been emotionally, physically, and mentally taxing. Nothing like beer and a day long party to fix that. Good thing we're here. We can make it so much fun.

I cleared my throat as I spun around and addressed my coven. "Girls… and the couple guys we do have, we cannot be bested by these free men. Do we have our supplies?"

"Yes." Lucy smiled as she pulled up a box filled with our tubes filled with our explosive powder. "Our fireworks are stuffed and ready."

"Will they make beautiful lights?"

"Yes." Lucy nodded enthusiastically.

"Will they blind the men with our awesomeness?"

"Yes!" She started hopping up and down, really excited for the fireworks. I had to admit, I was pretty excited too, but there was still something I needed to know before we could begin.

"Will they shatter our eardrums?"

"No, but they will be ringing for a couple days." Lucy said with a hint of disappointment. Ah… there was always something wrong with our fireworks. Last year, they dispelled gravity. I guess a little ear shattering was too much to ask for. I should have guessed.

I shrugged. Oh well, I guess we'll do this party without going deaf. I looked around for Olin, hoping that he would have joined us after being released from his service, but I didn't see him anywhere. Huh… I wonder where he was.

"Ok, now we have to discuss the food situation." Vicky said as she started pulling out a large decorated cake from nowhere. I actually looked around for a bag or something she could have pulled it from. The only thing it could have come out of was her long wide sleeve. Vicky's always doing weird stuff like this though, why bother trying to figure it out?

"Where did you get that cake?" Brian asked as he eyed the cake with wonder.

Vicky only smiled at the comment, but it was Lucy that punched him in the shoulder playfully, saying, "Come on, Brian. We all know the cake is a lie…" Gods, I hope it's not.

…

[Olin]

Man, I wanted to go see what Red and the others were up to. When I looked over at them, they looked like they were having a lot of fun, but it couldn't be helped. Eric wanted to see me for some reason that he wouldn't discuss in the open. He was usually smiling and laughing, but the look on his face was completely serious. Whatever it was he wanted to talk about, I doubt he'd take 'no' for an answer. As soon as the party started, he walked up to me, nodding a welcome. "Hey, Olin. Come over here; I want to talk to you in private." He started walking away from everyone, heading over to his command tent. I'd never seen anyone inside it, not even the other knights. This had to be serious.

So, I followed him to his private tent. I'd never been inside before, so I didn't really know what to expect to see inside the thing. Eric held the flap open for me, gesturing me to head on inside first. I nodded and ducked through the entrance, looking around the tent for any signs of what he wanted to talk to me about. The tent looked pretty normal for what I expected to see. He had a small row of swords beside his bedroll, a small dresser filled with his winter clothing, and a few spare parts for his armor plating. There was also a leather sack. There was nothing here that I could imagine him bringing up in discussion. Why did he bring me here? Was he planning on attacking me or something? Or was it relationship advice? You know, because I have Red and he has no one.

I found out what Eric wanted when he walked over to his bedroll, reaching for the leather sack. He pulled it up, sighing as he untied it. And when he held it upside down over his hand, I saw my father's magical orb slide out of the leather bag and into his hands. Eric seemed to marvel at it for a second before looking at me. "You remember this, right?" He shoved the orb towards me, making sure I could see it in his hands.

I nodded. "Yes." How could I forget that thing? But then again, he probably didn't know if I even owned the thing. I may have found it the day he found me. Nothing he said to me afterwards ever hinted to me that he even had the thing anymore. I thought he'd thrown it away or something. I'd looked for it while spending my days in the camp, but I guess I didn't look hard enough. Eric had the orb in his command tent the whole time. Go figure; the only place I didn't think to look.

Eric looked from me down to the orb. "What is it?"

"It's a family heirloom. It belonged to my father. It's the reason my village was attacked; the reason my family was killed." I said, looking down at the orb. I wanted nothing more than to throw that thing in the river where no one would ever find it. I looked back up at Eric, seeming him looking back at me again. "My father told me to protect it, to keep it away from our enemies."

Eric frowned at hearing that, nodding like he understood. "It is a marvelous piece of artwork. I've been studying it since I took it from you. Slaves aren't supposed to have possessions, but I couldn't just throw this thing out. And now that you're free…" He paused before sticking his hand out to me, gesturing for me to take the orb. "It's yours again."

I nodded as I took the orb from him. The thing seemed to hum to life when I placed my hand on top of it. A small light started to shine off the orb, like it was alive again. Eric seemed to nod to himself, this time sure of something. "When I first met you, you were babbling some different language. You offered me this orb, and you looked at me like I was a god. But when I touched it… I felt a spark. And suddenly… you could speak English. And now… coming into contact with your hand again, I can feel its power resonating with you." Eric looked at me, smiling. "I don't know what that means, but I think it means you have some things to figure out." Eric took his hand off the orb, stepping outside the tent. "Come now, we should party."

"That's it? You think this thing has some power and you just let me keep it?" My entire village was killed for this thing, and Eric was just going to let it escape his grasp?

Eric looked back at me and then at the orb. He shrugged. "It won't work for me; only you. And God works in mysterious ways. Who am I to ignore His will when I see it in action?" He nodded to me. "God's speed, Olin. Between you and that Red girl… I can see good things in store for us down the road." He bowed his head to me before holding the flap to the tent to me. "After you."

I stepped out of the tent, looking around. Former slaves were gladly getting drunk with the knights that decided to join us. Several of Red's friends were messing with the bonfire, making it change colors from orange to blue and green, and even purple. The fire continually shifted, like it was magically enchanted or something. Probably was. Red was standing next to the little girl Vicky and Lucy, the girl that wore a lot of black and white. Red glanced over at me for a second, a warm smile bubbling up before signaling me to join her.

I looked down at the orb in my hand. Should I tell her about the orb? She had all sorts of magical abilities, and she shared that information with me. I guess it wouldn't be fair of me to not tell her about it. I sighed as I made sure I had a tight grip on the orb, running over to Red as fast as I could. Behind me, I could hear Eric chuckle to himself as I sped off. "God's speed…"

Red and the others all looked to me as I ran over to them. But, before I could get to Red, Lucy was in my face. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Huh?" I had to stop myself from crashing into her. The way she stepped in front of me like that, I almost ran over top of her.

If Lucy noticed she was almost run over by me, she didn't show it on her face. "What are you going to do? Are you going back home? Staying here? Moving in with us? What?"

I had to think about that. I could go home. Eric knew where I lived, I think. I should have asked him when I had the chance. But… looking at Red, I couldn't help but feel that I already had a home here. These people had become my family in the short month I had known them. I couldn't leave them any more than I could leave home. Man… this sucked. I couldn't decide.

"Perhaps, now isn't the time." Vicky said as she looked over at me. "The decision does not have to be immediate. I am sure your knight friend will transport you back home when you feel the time is right." She spoke so certainly that I had to agree with her. Eric could take me home whenever I wanted, as long as he was still around anyway. There were other knights on that ship, some of which I saw on a daily basis. One of them would know where I was taken from and how to get back there. I guess I didn't have to leave right away. I was having a lot of fun here.

"There is something in your hand." Vicky looked at the orb in my hand. She looked from it over to me. "What is that?"

I had to shrug at the question. I still didn't know what the thing was, or what it could do, or why my village was attacked trying to get it. "It belonged to my father. I don't know what it is."

Vicky looked pulsed as she looked at it. "Can I hold it, please?"

I shrugged and held it out for her. She took it from my hand like a hungry child, her eyes wide and dilating. "OOH…" She cooed as she started rubbing her face on the orb. "This feels nice." She folded her legs underneath her, settling down onto the sandy beach. "This will take some time to divine." She looked up at me, nodding. "You should talk to Red while I attend to figuring out what this thing is." I continued to look at the little girl as she ran her fingers across the orb, smiling from ear-to-ear as she played with it. "My precious…" She hissed as she turned away from us. Huh… that's scary, and I'm not sure why.

I looked over to Red. She looked just as intrigued at Vicky as I did just a second ago. "Well, that's not something I ever see." She said as she looked over at me. Then she smiled and wrapped her arms around me. We kissed. And we kissed. And someone lit some colorful explosive powder that exploded over our heads. When we finally finished kissing, Red and I just looked in each other's eyes for a second. We didn't say anything for a few moments. We enjoyed each other while the 'fireworks' exploded over the river, lighting the water with colorful waves and sparks.

As the sun set across the harbor, the witches started playing with colorful lights. Illusion magick I guess is pretty useful when it comes to making a lot of noise and light. Some of the witches manipulated the water so that it would dance in the sky while more explosive fireworks lit up the sky. The lights reflected on the dancing water, making the night so lovely. Sitting with Red next to me as we watched the sky dance with light and color, I couldn't help but feel like I didn't need to leave just yet. I've only just begun my life here, why give it up just yet?

Looking over at the orb in Vicky's hands, I realized that I couldn't go home just yet. Dad wanted me to protect that orb. I couldn't live up to that promise if I took it back home. And I couldn't just leave it here with Vicky. She hadn't put the thing down in the five hours we've been partying. She hadn't even moved from her spot. I've seen just how focused and obsessed she can become about something. I'm guessing that orb will be her next obsession. Perhaps I should keep it away from her. I didn't want to see her becoming too attached to the thing.

"Man, Vicky is like a pet dog looking at her master's steak the way she's been looking at that thing all night." Lucy said as she sat down next to us. She looked over at me. "I tried to take it from her for a second, just to feel whatever it was she was feeling, and she almost bit my fingers off."

Red chuckled to herself as she looked over at Lucy. "You know how she is. Give her two weeks, and she'll be over the thing."

"I don't know… it's a weird thing." I said, looking over at Red. "That thing can do a lot of stuff, but only if I'm touching it, I guess."

"Really?" Vicky's loud scream made me jump back. She was suddenly in front of me, holding out both of her hands, offering me the orb. "Please, touch it. Make it work." She pleaded with me.

I really didn't think this was a good idea, but it's hard to fight Vicky's puppy dog pout and whine when she wants something. So, I groaned and reached out for the orb, putting my index finger on it. The orb started to shine like it always did whenever I touched it. And Vicky's eyes just widened to all hell. She squealed happily as she clasped one of her hands over top mine, keeping it locked on the orb. "No way…", she shook her head as something in my mind whirred. "I never would have guessed." She looked up at me, smiling. "I'm just going to sit right here for the next hour, just ignore me."

"Can I take my hand…"

"No." She replied simply as she started to hum to herself, still paying no attention to me but to the orb.

I shrugged as I looked over at Red. "I'm sorry, but I think Vicky's going to force me to marry her."

"Just your hand." She replied.

Red only rolled her eyes and placed her head on her shoulder. "She can keep your hand; I just want the rest of you."

"Can I have a piece of you too?" Lucy said from beside me.

My only response was a groan. When did I become the center of attention in this story? Wasn't this kind of situation that Spanish guy's thing or something?

Cearbhail:

A little short, I must admit, but I was originally going to add Malik's end to the first arc. It's a little too long, so I broke them up. I'll finish up the arc in a week or so. See you then.