Victoria threw the seeing stones again and hissed with impatience. She had gotten lost and came to a giant cliff of stone. Her sisters must have laughed hysterically when they saw her angry fit of stomping around the cart. The stones told her to continue north.

The witch sighed angrily and decided against using her magic to fly above the cliff. She had no idea what was up there and would still need her cart. And if she used her magic to bring it with her, then her youthful body might lose many years to her use of magic.

Turning her chariot and goats around, she backtracked to the fork in the road that had led her to disaster. Rubbing the ring on her left hand, she heard the voices of her sisters shrieking, "Hurry up! You aren't the only one seeking the star anymore!"

Victoria yanked the reins harder. Travelling by goat, she thought to herself, was not the greatest idea she had conceived in hundreds of years. As she silently fumed, her cart reached a hill. From her spot atop the land, she could see dark shapes moving from across the plain. They were very far behind her, but seemed to be moving North at a steady pace.

Eyes narrowing, the wicked woman pushed her goats almost to the brink of death in an attempt to reach the oncoming horses.

Edward spied in the distance a cart carrying a figure that he perceived to be female. He held contempt for women and determined that he would ignore her, kill her, or give her to his men if they should cross paths. When the distance between the two groups measured to a few hundred feet, the cart stopped and aroused suspicion in Edward.

"Boy, stay back a few paces. James, pull to the front! I will bring up the rear. If anything should happen, attack without mercy." Michael, alarmed by his announcement tried to catch a glimps of the woman before Edward's horse blocked her from sight.

"I said, stay back. Do not dare to disobey me," were the eerily calm words that left the dark man's mouth. Michael could instantly tell that something had spooked the man, and that his words should be taken seriously.

Edward brushed a hand through his long hair before tying it back with a black velvet ribbon. He had hoped to disquise himself if the woman recognized him and started trouble. Soon, the parties clashed.

Victoria smiled as the first few men approached. One dismounted and introduced himself as James in a gruff manner, almost eyeing her in a distrustful manner. She was unnervingly beautiful and he didn't like the combination of her looks with her stance.

With the speed and precision of a cobra, she flicked her wrist forward and tapped his nose with a glowing finger. She felt some wrinkles forming, but they weren't too noticible to her pleasure.

James felt the control over his own body slip away. A force filled his mind, and his eyes grew foggy. Through lidded grey eyes, he watched his hand grab his sword. His rampage was bloody and unforseen. James had killed three men before the others approaching had caught on.

Edward snarled as he watched the carnage. His chief gaurd would never have conducted this on his own. Magic coursed through the air as he breathed in deeply. Gesturing for Michael to stay behind him. He unsheathed his sword and kept it close and out of sight.

Michael's eyes widened and he gulped loudly as he viewed the wickedly grinning woman as she laugh maliciously.

James plowed through the last man with absolutely no control over his own body. He could feel his own grasp on reality slipping. His soul broke free from her gasp and floated onwards, viewing the scene with sadness before joining the heavens.

Victoria felt him die through her connection and hissed. Controlling his dead body would take more power than she had wanted to expend. Just as she was about to drop her charms, a sword sliced the head from James' neck.

She felt some pain from the connection and hissing, looked up at the tall man dressed in black on the black horse with almost black eyes. She smiled again, showing almost pointed teeth.

"You will pay for disturbing my travels." She brought her hands together and let an orb of green magic build. As she sent it hurling towards the angry man's figure, a second horse flew in front of it. Without warning, the orb exploded.

Victoria was hit by some of her own magic and staggered back a few steps. "What have you done, you silly fools?" She shouted angrily. As she looked up, she saw that the two men on their horses had fled and were already out of hearing range for her startled cry.

"You will," she huffed angrily under her breath as her sister laughed through her ring, "Pay for that!"

Edward had taken the initiative to move the two under the cover of trees as rain broke from the heavens, drenching the grass in its life saving liquid. Michael was still very dazed from the short fight that had just occured and barely registered that Edward was yelling his name.

"Michael, you better make sure you pay attention to me next time. Luckily, something you did worked back there or I would be dead. You could say that your debt had been repaid."

"What do you mean repaid? What have you done for me?" Michael had not meant to be bold, he just had not been thinking. The next thing he knew, he was face down on a bush after having been pushed from his horse by a hard hand.

"I didn't kill you the second you ran. Now we are even." Edward said with a trace of respect. "Now what in bloody hell did you do back there, boy?"

Micheal frowned when the older man resumed his habit of calling him "boy". He stood and shrugged slightly, "I really have no clue. All I can recall was this pin I have heating up. Maybe it's charmed." Michael examined, with caution, the afore-mentioned flower. The thundering of rain above the trees was the only sound for many minutes. Each man was caught in his own thoughts.

Edward was thinking of how long the rain would detain him from continuing and if he still needed Michael. Perhaps he should keep the boy along for protection.

Michael was thinking how hungry he had suddenly become.

Off in the near distance, a star felt the beginning of rain and was soaked to the bone in a matter of minutes.

She had never felt rain before and its only benefit, she thought, was that in the rain, no one can tell if you are crying.