[3]

"And look at this diagram," Tina said holding the book up to Artie's face, as they walked down the dirt road, "It's completely different from the by Sir Cartnie."

"Well the music theory changed after Lenan died testing the limits of the design." Artie held out of the other book spread on the ground, "look how it changed afterwards. It definitely left a mark."

"It's going to leave a mark in my eyes," Kurt grumbled. He and Mercedes were some ways ahead already at the top of the hill, while they trailed behind. "You talk about theory over meals, by the fire, over beer, can't you just stop while we're traveling!"

"No," Tina retorted, "it's supposed to help with his memory, magic's probably a keystone."

"I have no idea what it means," Kurt said, "but you-"

"Let's take a break," Mercedes said grabbing hold of Kurt's arm, gripping it tight, "We should take it."

They settled on top of the hill, with Tina and Artie still comparing notes.

Silence fell over the group as Kurt arranged the wood for a fire when Artie asked:

"We should try doing a together and see how our magic work together."

"All four of us?" Mercedes asked lethargically. "What do you think Kurt?"

Kurt looked at Artie's earnest expression and barely and didn't even try to hide the scorn on his face.

"No." He said before lighting the fire. "Don't even bother begging, the answer is no."

"All four elements," Tina interjected quickly, "think of the spells we could do, overlaying cadences, elemental unity-"

"There's a reason I said no to the puppeteers, ballerinas, and street sweepers," Kurt grumbled to Mercedes. "She keeps going about this!"

Tina turned begging eyes towards Mercedes her grudgingly interjected "It wouldn't hurt to at least try it out, she'll stop asking then."

Tina made a noise of protest, but otherwise rather pleased as she sat back down around the fire.

On the road from town, she and Artie had talked the building blocks of elemental theory, mostly due to her expertise and his missing chunks of memory. One spell that came from the book she had taken from Ms Pillsbury's bookshop was a ward built from elemental power.

"The ward draws from nature so it's not bound to a token that can be lost." Artie explained to their skeptic companions. "It can be adjusted to ward against attacks or rain. It's like a moving tarp."

"Umbrella," Tina corrected.

"I don't I like the idea of that," Kurt muttered. "But," he added as Tina opened her mouth, "Let's try this. What do we need to do?"

"Summon the power into your hand-"

The ball of blue light flew out of his hand, and fluttered out of control around them until it struck a squirrel giving it wings.

Mercedes jumped to her feet and began to cross her chest, as Kurt turned ashen watching the squirrel test out its new wings.

"Wrong spell," Artie said sheepishly, as Tina closed her eyes. "We can try again."

Kurt and Mercedes's protests were enough to shake the leaves off the tree above them.

"It was just a joke," he said weakly.

"If something explodes in my face, "Mercedes snapped, "I won't think it's a joke!"

Kurt nodded as he reached for his arrows, and knife.

Tina looked at the growing tension and realized she had to curtail this at once if they weren't going to change their minds about letting Artie come with them.

"I was wondering about where we go next," she said pulling the map out her page. "This is the border," Tina said drawing a line with her finger on the map, "so we can either go through the forest which will take three day to cross or the mountains that will take five."

"Which one will be quicker?" Artie asked.

"The mountains."

"But you said it took five."

"She means not the land we'll face." Kurt sat down next to them, sharpening the end of his arrow. "Carmel's got a stronger border, and their new captain is certain no one without passes gets through."

Artie nodded as he sat back leaning against the tree trunk. "That's what you meant by it being trouble. Why didn't you get passes?"

Displeased, Kurt whistled a note a tiny flame appeared on his thumb. "Carmel doesn't allow anyone that's a magic user entrance unless you're willingly to change your allegiance."

"That's extreme," Artie remarked as Kurt blew the flame away.

"You haven't been in Carmel."

"Like you have," Mercedes retorted.

"I have another question, the package you got from Ms. Pillsbury," Artie asked, "would that help at all crossing the border?"

Kurt laughed, "If we want to stare them down."

"It's a farseer," Tina said taking it out of her bag, "and far as I can tell it doesn't have any enchantments on it. "Unless you have better luck."

"No, don't let-" Mercedes rolled her eyes, as Artie turned the farseer over in his hands, "never mind."

"It appears normal, and there isn't anything unusual." Kurt discreetly began to move aside as Artie unscrewed the cap over the eyepiece.

"Oh." He said dumping the contents into his hand.

"Is it a note?" Tina asked moving to his side, "or a jewel that contains a power source?"

"Nothing." Artie held up a piece of a mirror that cast bright spots of light on his face as he moved it back and forth. "Apparently it's broken."

"Not surprised by that," Kurt remarked, as Tina sighed a bit. "Good thing it didn't explode- ow," Kurt glowered at Mercedes, "that was my head!"

"Sorry," Mercedes stood up one hand on her hip. "I thought we were just taking short break? It looks like we're settling in for the night."

Tina rolled up the map. "It's already late and by the time Kurt finishes sharpening, it'll be too late to go on."

"I'm sure it will be, but dragging our feet won't mean it'll make it different."

"Which way are we going anyway?" Artie asked.

"To the woods," Mercedes said at once, "It'll be quicker even if we have to deal with traps."

"Aren't you're over thinking it?" Artie suddenly propositioned, "none of you have been in Carmel, and they probably don't know who you are."

"Are you saying," Tina said with a laugh, "we masquerade as tinkers or something like that?"

"Actually I was thinking pretending to regular travelers, but that works too."

Kurt stopped sharpening the arrow, "are you on fizz? It's not going to work!"

"It'll be fun," Tina said grabbing his arm shaking it a bit, "wouldn't you like to trick the soulless automatons?"

"Are they really machines?" Artie asked.

"If there were," Kurt said, "we wouldn't be fretting." He mimed a gestured with an imaginary wrench. "I would have dismantled before you could blink."

"They're Carmel's elite magicians," Mercedes said to Artie, "The kingdom devotes a great deal of its gold to magical arts."

"That doesn't mean they're better."

"Rachel went there," Tina said with a shrug, "instead of heading north to Havensbrook or east to Dalton."

"That doesn't prove anything though." Artie protested.

"You keep bringing it up," Kurt noticed, "You don't even know Rachel, why do you care why she left?"

Artie picked up the staff, and slowly climbed to his feet, "Everyone leaves for a reason. Knowing it might have help bring her back." He hobbled of a bit away from the group, "Where are we again?"

Tina scrambled to her feet following him, "a half days hike to Illan."

"Is it a small city?" Artie asked.

"Not particularly."

Before Tina could ask why he was curious, he gestured with the staff, along the road, "there's someone coming towards us."

"It doesn't look dangerous," Mercedes said joining them. "Not very fast though."

"I think we should head into town," Tina said quickly, "we can buy train tickets."

Artie and Mercedes turned to watch her run back to their impromptu camp, and backing up her things, then going to pack the others as well. Kurt jumped at his arrows flew into the air back in the quiver and the fire blew out on its own accord.

"Did you see a troll or something?" Artie asked.

"It's like Mercedes was saying we should use the amount of daylight we have, don't want to get behind on schedule!"

With nearly all their gear floating in the air behind her, Tina hurried down the hill in the direction towards the nearest town.

"That was unusual," Artie said to Mercedes, "does she do that often?"

"Actually," Mercedes replied watching Tina's frenetic pace, "she does."

As Kurt read through the day's paper, he glanced in the mirror as Artie held a book in one hand absently humming a spell under his breath. Under the guidance of his free hand the water swept around, coiling into a rope separating into pairs, sometimes even crystallizing into ice shapes.

While the girls were more than eager to welcome him, Kurt held some reservations rightfully stemming from the staff he carried. The only benefit was that it slowed their pace, something Kurt didn't mind since Rachel wasn't one of his favorite people.

Kurt turned the page. Figgins apparently was going to lean on the dukes and duchesses to throw their support on the anti-magic ban. With the six of the seven duchies loyalties made known in one shape or form, Hudson's answer was the one everyone was waiting for. Kurt tapped the page wishing he could alter the printed words. This ban could only mean poor things for him. He only got interested in Glee since it allowed him to express himself in a way he couldn't in his father's household, taking it away even in some minor fashion was unthinkable. Perhaps Rachel could strike fear into people's hearts in what a skilled user could do.

As the thought crossed his mind, Kurt grimaced. Or speed the delivery of the bill.

"When you were talking about sneaking through the woods, it seemed you were geared for a fight."

Kurt lowered the paper folding it as he faced Artie "Worried?"

Artie made a face glancing at the quiver of arrows on Kurt's bed. "I take it's not magic."

"We learned weapons can enhance the performance of magic," Kurt said. "Arrows are easier to use with fire, though I have some skill with sai swords."

The puzzlement across Artie's face was enough for Kurt to reach over to his bag and dig deep into the contents of his bag for the blades. He flipped them around in his hands, easily as if he done it since the day he was born. "This is for hand to hand contact, but I've been out practice. Mercedes thinks I should just stick with arrows and Tina's too good with her knives."

"Perhaps there I can be of some assistance," Artie said picking up the staff, and Kurt continued to twirl the sai swords. "I'm in need of practice as well."

Kurt smirked anticipating how this was going to end very much in his favor.

The next morning Tina was quite certain there was something wrong with her eyes when she went to pull back the curtain.

"Am I dreaming," she said to Mercedes, who was similarly shell-shocked as they stared out the inn's window. "Are they fighting?"

"It appears like it," Mercedes said "but it doesn't look like they're going for blood."

Kurt was spinning the sai swords in his hands as he tried to land a blow on Artie. Tried being the objective term. Artie was surprisingly light on his feet as ducked most of the blows, but a glance to the ground showed the slick patches of ice that appeared under his feet giving him the agility he needed to block Kurt's growingly frantic attacks. He slipped around Kurt, and tapped him on the shoulder with the staff, which only seemed to enrage him more. While it appeared to be for sport as Mercedes suggested, Kurt was growing red in the face as flames appeared in the air around him.

"They better cool off," Mercedes grumbled, "I'm not paying the inn anything."

She pulled back the curtain and turned to Tina. "But since the boys are busy, you can spill."

"Spill what?" Tina said as casually as she could, but given the stare she received, Tina realized she was failing miserably.

Time for another tactic.

Spinning around, Tina fixed her gaze on the bed knob. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what," Mercedes said hotly, "You turned whiter than a banshee and ran faster than a gnome on fire. Was that man on the horse an assassin?"

"Worse," Tina moaned sitting down on the window ledge. She reached for the spoon necklace she wore, engraved not just with her name, but her lucky dragon. As she turned it over in her hand, she reached up and loosened the bun holding her hair.

Mercedes shook herself. "Colored streaks, blue streaks" she said softly her eyes narrowing. "Tell me you hid them because Kurt would shave your head."

Tina bit her lip.

"The Cohen-Chang clan," Mercedes sputtered, "you're the dreamwalker they've been looking for! It's all over the notices."

"I'm not really a dreamwalker," Tina said quietly, "Just a potential one, but there's a high probability any child I had would be one. And," she said bitterly, "there's no need to risk such a bloodline on the folly of learning what lies outside the Clans."

Mercedes face softened as she sat down next to her. "Do you plan to go back?"

"I will eventually. There was another member of the clan with the same potential and even greater power who was taken as a young child. I originally set out to find her, but I have no chance at it." Tina said as the expertly pulled her hair back into the bun, going by touch to hide away her heritage. "They also sent him after me, and Mike will find me and I'll go back because he'll make me feel guilty if I don't." Off Mercedes's unanswered question she added, "I stayed that long under Schue's tutelage since the wards kept him away, but since we've left he's been tracking us. This is the closest he's gotten."

She waited for Mercedes to anything else, but surprisingly she just shook her head. "You honestly thought you could keep it going for this long without one of us knowing? Artie was going on about protection wards. One of them nearly blew up in my face, but he'll eventually remember the spell and they're going to catch this person."

Tina shrugged. "You're not going to tell-"

"No." As Tina started to smile, Mercedes added, "but when this all catches up with you, you'll have to tell them. But I can help you out."

She tugged out the map that was sticking out of Tina's bag. "It'll add extra time but," She traced the opposite direction towards the countryside. "If we catch a train here, and take another, we might be able to lose the scent."

"Thank you." Tina said quietly.

"Don't thank me yet you never know what's lie ahead of us-"

One of Kurt's sai swords flew through the window causing them to both to jump for cover. Brushing aside the glass, Tina tentatively looked out the window.

"Sorry!" Artie called from outside. Kurt was somewhere nearby fuming furiously, shaking off the ice that covered his sleeve, "He missed!"

"I won't this time!" Kurt roared, "do you know how much I trouble I had to go through to get from the elves!"

"Theft?"

"Come on up here!" Mercedes yelled trying to head Kurt off, "we got a change in plans."

"What time did they say the train was?" Tina asked as she shuffled her bag over her shoulder.

"A half click," Artie replied flipping through a book. "I don't have a watch." He said as Tina glared at him.

"Hold on to mine then," Tina said tossing the pocket watch towards him. He caught deftly with one hand, as he shuffled the book back onto the bookshelf.

"This looks beaten up," he muttered, before glancing over at her.

Tina kept looking out the doorway of the shop, one hand running her necklace as she stared out into the streets. She had been had doing it ever since she all but shoved him in the direction of the shop. Although Artie was sure the book shop was nice alternative than cooling their heels outside the station. He was slightly disappointed she was seemly distracted.

"There's the book I wanted," Tina said suddenly, grabbing him by the arm. Artie let himself be dragged through the aisles with Tina, patches of ice appearing and disappearing under his feet as she desperately looked for something that wasn't a book.

"I don't think you'll find-"

They went out the backroom, boxes of books flying out their path as exited out the backdoor into the alley.

"Windows, windows," she muttered looking, letting go of his arm. As he got the blood flowing back again, he realized she was looking at him intently.

"Can you jump? Or better you, we can separate, I'll get on the roof-"

"Wait." Artie held the staff in front of her blocking her path. For a moment she looked like she was about to jump around it, but thankfully she hesitated.

For this Artie was grateful. The use of several extensive spells made an improvement on his mobility. But none of the spells he could remember could stop it from feeling like glass ramming into his legs just when he walked. He imagined running after her would be a doomed venture.

However the alternative was to lose her and he couldn't have that either.

Artie held up her watch that he somehow managed to hold on to, "don't we have a train to catch?"

Her eyes widened, "that's perfect!"

Once more she grabbed him the arm, and dragged him out the maze of alleys, towards the direction Artie hoped was the train station.

"What was it called?" he said breathlessly dropping the spell as they pushed their way through the crowd towards the platform. She slowed her pace, noticing him hobbling after her.

"The Calendia."

They stopped at the edge not seeing the train, but the crowd of people with luggage on one end seemed promising.

"Looks," Artie said panting a bit leaning on the staff, spelling a numbing charm against the shoots of pain in his leg, "like it hasn't come yet-"

A train rolled passed them, its name emblazoned in gold.

"Shards," Tina swore.

Artie saved his breath for a spell, as they hurried to catch it before it sped up.

As they chase after the train the back door of the caboose flew open, and Kurt nearly fell over the rail as he ran out.

"You idiots," he roared as Mercedes came out after him. "You're the ones who booked the train! How can you miss it!"

"Yell at them later," Mercedes said, "toss the bags, and get up here!"

Tina tossed her bag, hitting Kurt in the chest, he snarled at her, but didn't respond as he caught Artie's bag as well.

"Hang on," Tina said grabbing on to his hand once more. She hummed something soft under her breath and she jumped into the air. They both flew up into the air, and for a moment Artie wondered if this flying felt like when a sudden gust of wind blew in the opposite direction and they hit the side door of the caboose with a hard thud.

Artie blinked back the stars that filled his eyes as Tina moaned rubbing her head. "That's going to leave a mark."

"Serves you right," Kurt grumbled tossing her bag at her, before he stomped off.

"Something the matter?" Artie asked looking through his glasses for any breaks.

Mercedes rolled her eyes in the general directions Kurt flounced out in, "Still upset about the ice," She helped them up, "are you two alright?"

"I can manage," Tina said as she touched her arm, "nothing seems broken. Did you find a compartment?"

Kurt was sharpening arrows again, and purposely ignored them as they sat down, placing their bags away. Artie promptly sat down by the window and began to cast numbing spells the moment he got settled. He wasn't sure his exhaustion from the spells earlier weakened them or the pain was greater than usual but it wasn't working.

The girls were discussing something over the map talking in quiet whispers. They weren't going south anymore but the reasons why for such a change weren't discussed. Since Kurt seemed unwillingly to press them, Artie left the matter slide, he was here for the journey and not the destination after all, particularly when no one knew where this would end up.

"Is he asleep?" Kurt asked after some time. Glancing over where Artie sat curled up on the end of the compartment.

Without looking up from her book, Tina replied, "Yes."

"Good." He leaned forward to the girls, "there's something I want to say. Something's wrong with him."

Mercedes looked unconvinced as he continued, "Hear me out. He seems nice enough, but between not knowing certain things, bad taste in clothes, and eagerness to come with us. I come to the conclusion he's an undine."

"Merefolk?" Mercedes exclaimed as looked up from her book.

"Are you on something?" Tina chimed in.

"It makes sense. He can't walk well, he has no memory of relevant things, and he has odd mannerisms. You read, haven't you heard the fairy tales?"

"That's ridiculous though," Tina shutting her book, "an enchantment like that is very costly."

"I don't know," Mercedes added, "if anyone knows about being enchanted it's Kurt who managed to insult nearly every witch we ever met."

He scowled at her but it did little to deter her amusement.

"If you think that," Tina asked, "why tell us and not him?"

"He'll say he doesn't know. You must admit there has to be some truth to it." Kurt added thoughtfully, "do you think if we push in a lake he grow a fish tail?"

Tina looked at him as if he had grown a tail himself before she stormed out the compartment. "I'm going to see if there was a snack car."

Mercedes turned to him as the door slammed shut behind her.

Kurt crossed his legs looking out the window. "I didn't do anything."

They sat like that for some time, Mercedes staring at him and Kurt staring out the window neither budging from their stances while Artie snored softly in the background.

Finally when he couldn't take it anymore, he stood up clearing his throat. "She's taking too long, I'll go see if she needs help."

"You do that."

Kurt left the compartment and wondered down the main train in searched of his comrade, when he heard her voice down at the end.

Raised as in anger.

"Hey," he said closing the distance only to face a pair of women, who while not identical were wearing the same red dresses with white piping. The blonde one was holding a furiously bound Tina. Kurt was already recalling spell when the other pointed a wand at Kurt.

"Why do we always have to this hard the way?"

She flicked the wand and Kurt's vision went black.

Artie bolted awake as Mercedes slammed open the door.

"What's going on?"

"Tina went out to get some food and hadn't come back," Mercedes said, "she might have gotten lost. Kurt hadn't come back from finding her either, I thought he would be back."

"Not here," Artie gingerly climbed back onto the seat, picking up the staff.

"Shards," Mercedes swore.

"Tina might have run into someone she knows," Artie added.

Mercedes tensed and she averted her eyes. "That's not good."

"That she's gone, or that you're not going to tell me anything?"

"Don't get up," Mercedes said quickly Artie began to move in that direction. "We can find her."

"I told you I can handle-" The train went to a screeching stop, bags falling to a crash around them.

"Not good," Mercedes muttered as she slid the door open. "Shards, the lights have blown. Where's Kurt when you need him?"

She hurried out the compartment towards the caboose.

The lights flickered on, but otherwise ceased in movement. He suspected they had a bit a time before it started up again. Artie glanced at the bags tossed in the compartment, and cast a shrinking spell, tucking his companions' shrunken bags into his own, just in case. Hobbling off the train Artie found Mercedes not far from the caboose exit holding up a fine silk scarf. "This is Kurt's," she whispered, "he'd never…"

"I'm sure he's fine." Artie began, only to stop when Mercedes shrieked causing him to place his hands over his ears.

"Get it off, get it off!" she jumped around.

Blinking, Artie he looked at her closely and saw a frog hanging onto the scarf despite Mercedes's attempts to shake it off. Only when Mercedes reached for her hammer did the frog jump out of reach onto a tree stump.

But instead of moving further, it just stayed in one place staring at the scarf in Mercedes' hand almost as if…

Artie looked back at the scarf than to the frog a connection being made.

"Mercedes, I think the frog's Kurt."

"What!"

Artie pointed at the frog with his staff. The frog didn't move staring at them unblinkingly before it nodded.

"You got cursed again," Mercedes said exasperatedly through her hands into the air, "what's with you and ticking witches off?"

The frog-Kurt croaked making a sound that sound admirably like disdain.

"We don't have time for this, Tina's missing and-"

Kurt croaked jumping up into the air again.

Mercedes flinched ducking behind Artie, who peered on unperturbed. "He knows something."

"Of course he does," Mercedes said miserably, "This always happens. He gets his nose into some trouble and I got run around and try to fix it and I'm really bad at restorative spells."

"It's a common Type 440," Artie murmured.

Mercedes stared while Kurt croaked.

"Bestial Enchantment," Artie said quickly, "They are the usual spells and charms, but a kiss works just a well."

Mercedes eyes darkened. "I am not kissing a frog! And it doesn't always work."

"Well these are complex, and it'll take some time to find the proper way to undo it since knowing the magical signature would be much similar-"

"Which we don't have time for," Mercedes interjected.

"Correct, and we certainly can't keep him like this, I don't speak frog."

"Okay," Mercedes said slightly taken aback, "what do we do?"

Artie leaned down coming face to face with frog-Kurt. "You said this happened before?"

"Kurt got himself turned into a ferret," Mercedes said pressing the bridge of her nose, "had to use charms of all sorts to get him back not mention pay a hedge witch-"

There was a flash of light as Kurt reappeared, his face curled up in disgusted.

"A little warning!" he bristled wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, "would be nice. I think I'm going to be sick, you wear dwarf made clothing!"

"The reason it didn't work the last time," Artie said standing back up, watching in interest as Kurt flounced about, "is because Kurt likes guys. You lacked the necessary ingredient for the spell."

"Say that again," Mercedes scowled, "and I will cut you."

Artie just shrugged as she went to calm Kurt down. "What happened?" Mercedes asked, "Tina's missing, you were turned into a frog-"

"And time stopped on the train," Artie added.

"That too," Mercedes added, "did you see anything?"

"I was looking for Tina like I said," Kurt said ruffled, "and I ran into a woman ranting about lizards and jewelry, and then next thing I knew her dark twin rolled up and waved something at me, and here we are."

"So no Tina?"

"No, but," Kurt pulled off the lapel of jacket pulling out a strand of hair, "I think this might be helpful. You know any tracking spells?"

Tina rubbed at the rope at her wrists, glaring at the man on the other side of the table.

Across the deserted tavern, a pair of identically dressed witches sat at a table, the bitchy dark haired one discreetly pointing a wand at her. Her companion merely beamed at Tina as if they routinely abducted people of trains, spelled them senseless, and tied them up in enchantments. Or rather, Tina considered the very skilled way they cleared out the tavern, perhaps they did.

"If this is your attempt to convince me to go back home," Tina said to Mike, "You're doing it wrong."

He didn't seem insulted though he looked quite worryingly at the rope. Looking over at his shoulder, he waved a hand at the witches, who stood up and wandered about making sure to keep the tavern deserted.

"It's a bit extreme," Mike admitted, "but you're getting too good at disappearing and running away. You did it for three years after all."

"I didn't want to be caught." Tina leaned back against the booth trying to put as much difference as possible between them, "you almost convinced me to go back once, but that was before I realized you were on their side."

"You're the next Dreamwalker," Mike said firmly, "the clans need you sooner than when Kenja passes."

There was sympathy in his eyes, the same sympathy that almost persuade her that he was seeing her side of things. See that Tradition was stifling the Clans and that new ideas, new blood was needed to keep the Clans strong. But he was a Traditionalist just like all the rest, right down to liking chicken feet salads.

"If you're not going back now," Mike said trying a different tactic, "when do you plan to go back. A year, two years, five? What are you doing risking your life learning Outlander magics?"

"I happen to have a talent with Glee," Tina said roughly, "and I'm willingly to cultivate it to bring it back to help-"

He held out a hand. "That is what so important you'll betray your people? Yor5u very presence among them upsets the balance our clans!"

Resentment was coursing through Tina's veins, not only due to his words but that fact that she knew most of what he was saying was coming out of the Elder's mouths. Words he said without little thought to what they mean. If he even paused for a moment to consider what he said, he'd known why she left in the first place.

"I rather the Clan than myself." She stood up at the table. "Let me go or I'll make this hard for you and your hired mercs."

"What happened, Tina," Mike asked quietly, "Why are you quick to turn your head? You're even dressing like them, what other things besides magics have you taken up?"

"Santana, boss man!" The blonde witch chirped before Tina could reply, "Look what I found! Isn't he cute?"

She gleefully came back into focus tugging along with, to Tina's surprise, Artie.

"You know him," Mike asked before Tina could school her expression.

Artie shook his head minutely, even as the dark haired witch yanked Artie away from her companion fixing him with a death glare.

"No." Tina said softly, Mike frowned as if he didn't believe her.

"Is this who you're traveling with?" Mike asked, glancing between them, "is this the reason you won't come back?"

"What are you talking about?" Tina said hoping her voice didn't catch. Behind the witches, she saw Kurt slowly rise from behind the bar, drawing back an arrow as he took aim, "are you implying something about my honor?"

Mike's face was flushed with embarrassment and as he stammered out an apology fire laced arrows cut through the air. Mike jumped back to avoid it and lost his balance and fell backwards over the booth. Ignoring him, Tina darted through the tables, trying and failing to undo her binding. The enchanted rope remained tight further inhibiting her ability to move as well as her magic.

In the meantime, Artie used the distraction to tug himself free of the witch and knock her on the head with his staff.

"Where did the other one go?" he muttered as Tina tried to push him forward.

"Never mind that, let's go."

"Wait," Mike called as scrambled over the table. "I didn't hire you to-"

Artie yanked Tina to the side as dark lightening slammed into the floor next to them. Wood splintered into air as the dark haired witch rose to her feet, her eyes flashing dangerously as she waved her wand.

Tina muttered to Artie, "You really shouldn't have hit her on the head."

Artie ignored her hummed a spell. An ice wall rose up absorbing the shock on the next spout of dark magic.

"You're a Gleek," the witch hissed, as more black magic flew across the deserted tavern, "I know what to do with you!" She whipped around pointed the wand at him. The witch yelped as one of Kurt's arrows caught skimmed across the top of her hand.

Kurt ran around the table already drawing another arrow, his flushed face with exertion and rage. "You turned me into frog, my complexion can't handle transformations!"

"You said you put him to asleep," Mike called from the other end of the destroyed room.

"Details, details," the witch said with a shrug, "Did you really expect me to keep a promise? And by the way," she added to Kurt, "that scarf is tacky."

Kurt eyes flashed in rage, and he tossed the bow to pull out the sai swords.

"Don't," Tina whispered to Artie, as Kurt leapt off the table, "let him do this or he won't forgive you."

He swung out at the witch, but the blade struck a violet shield with a ringing noise.

The shield dissolved and formed into long blades in each of the witch's hands. "My turn."

A hammer twirled around like a boomerang knocking the blades out of her hands.

Tina looked over to see Mercedes standing on the table smirking despite the nasty cut on her face.

"You might want to check on your friend," Mercedes said jumping of the table, gesturing for the hammer to return to her hand. "She didn't look so well."

"Brittany!" the witch cried out, dropping her guard as she ran out.

Mercedes slumped forward, as Tina climbed back to her feet.

"Guys, let's go before she's finds out I'm bluffing!"

Mike weakly called out to stop them, but Tina ignored him as they ran out into the village courtyard.

"Wait." Artie paused tapping the ground and yanked the staff back as a claw stretched out of the ground.

"Whatever you're thinking," Kurt said frankly, "it's a bad idea."

"Aren't you curious about what wards there are?"

"No."

"How did you guys," Tina asked Mercedes quietly, as Artie convinced Kurt to break up the wards around the tavern, "get here in the first place?"

"We caught a ride; I take it," Mercedes added dryly, "that was the guy who was tracking you?"

Tina nodded.

"You can tell us everything on the ride."

Finding a thumbless wagon driver, and after dropping a number of coins to take them to the next village, they each took turns in trying to undo the enchantments around Tina's bounds with Artie having the most success.

"Who was that man?" Kurt asked counted his arrows, "it seemed like he knew you."

"And old friend."

"Who hired people to capture you?" Mercedes replied trying to keep her balance as the wagon swayed about.

Tina shrugged, holding her hands up as Artie spun his hand around the spell. "It was just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding of what exactly," Kurt asked, "the witches that were intent on cursing us?"

"It wasn't that bad."

The charm shattered, and feeling was restored to Tina's hands. As she rubbed the chafed skin Artie moved back to the other side of the wagon, leaning against the frame.

"You say that," Kurt said, "when we have no idea of what's going on."

Tina looked to Mercedes who looked away similar unconcerned. Sooner it seemed had finally caught up with her.

"The streaks in your hair mean something, don't they?" Artie asked.

Kurt's eyes widened. "Dreamwalker!" he exclaimed at once, and like Tina had feared he began to sputter a number of fancy tittles and accolades that blew past Mercedes and Artie. At each mention, Tina sunk lower and lower in the wagon embarrassed by what she was afraid he was about to reveal next.

"You're the most important person in the Clan other than the chieftain, and I made you make me tea!"

"Ah," Artie said with a nod, "it explains everything, people always run from their past it Type 124 of quest types."

The other two had turned to stare at him, but Tina was relieved that he was he making something up to distract them.

"The one thing we haven't considered in thinking about why the enchantress left in the first place."

"Why do you think what made Rachel go to Carmel is so important?" she asked quickly before Kurt or Mercedes could bring it about her past.

"According the map you are excluding the twelve kingdoms on the continent, and before then you stayed in McKinley, She could be anywhere."

"We got it on good word she's there," Kurt said but Mercedes snorted.

"No we don't, we got the word a stalker whose information may very well be out of date." She hesitated, "we might have to go directly to a source to find out why."

Kurt's eyes grew wide in alarm, "You're not implying-"

"Yes," Mercedes said firmly, "we find Duke of Hudson, Lady Fabray, and Knight Puckerman. One of them will have answers we might need, hopefully one of the first two."

"That's a horrible idea," Kurt said at once. He sat back gesturing wildly accidentally striking Artie on the head. "Bad idea, let's not do it."

"You'll have to give a better reason than that," Artie replied.

"You don't even know them," Kurt shot back.

"What he means is," Tina added, "that if we don't know for sure why waste our time? Even if Rachel's in Carmel we don't even know where."

"We're on a quest, looking for a person none of us can stand," Kurt roared, "why do we have to be rational!"

"Because we're going in the wrong direction anyway," Mercedes pointed out, "our driver you graciously tipped is on something."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kurt said glancing at the man perched on the driver's seat, someone how managing to hold the horse's reins despite a lack of thumbs.

"I think," Tina wrinkled her nose, "I smell cough syrup."

"Fine!" Kurt huffed, as if his decision was the one they needed in the first place. "We find them, but how are we going to manage that? We can't just stroll up to their estates."

"Don't worry," Mercedes said with a small smile. "I know someone."