[6]

Puck's tip turned out to be the most helpful thing they encountered since they started the quest. It was both very vexing and somewhat expected. Not only was it good tip, it tossed in something else they didn't know.

"Is Beth who I think she is?" Kurt said as they made camp at dusk.

"The baby that was rumored to have been conceived," Mercedes said, "but it explains everything. I knew something was up."

"I don't know why you're worried about that, when it has nothing to do with our quest." Tina said as she poured over the map she had purchased. She claimed it was because she couldn't find Corcoran on the map, but suspected she did it so they wouldn't have a look at it.

Mercedes was always in rush to find Rachel and go back to the capital, but Tina was pouring in a inordinate amount of energy into ever since they left the city.

"So have you found our mysterious place, or should we let Artie doing a search spell? Wait," Kurt paused dramatically, "that's an even worse idea."

"It won't blow up." Artie protested.

"You said that, about targets you conjured up," Kurt said as he yanked down his hat over his head, "you burned my eyebrows off."

Tina looked up, the frown on her face disappearing, "You burned his eyebrows off? And you're still alive?"

"He's exaggerating," Mercedes remarked from her positioned lying on the ground her fingers interlocked over her stomach, "they were singed."

"I'm scarred!"

"The fire was your fault," Artie replied reasonably,

"Do we need him," Kurt asked, causing Mercedes to laugh, "because I swear-"

"It's a castle," Tina exclaimed from her spot, "not a person or a city. That's why we couldn't find it before."

"You mean you," Artie said poking the fire, "since none of have been able to touch the map."

From the other side of the campfire, Tina fixed him a glare that was lost in the growing darkness.

"She's trying to keep us blindsided," Mercedes muttered to Kurt, "we could still be going west."

Tina abruptly shoved the map in her bag and whistled a shielding charm before she strode off into the sparse woods.

Artie's eyes followed Tina as she passed, something Kurt was willingly to let pass as another mattered quickly concerning him.

"What's out west?" Kurt asked Mercedes, "You seemed more troubled by that now than our lack of progress."

Mercedes pursed her lips, but it was Artie who answered:

"Her home. Or at least in the parts west that aren't part of McKinley."

She looked askance in his direction but unlike Tina didn't bolt and run. "I'm from that direction, and I don't want to go back without cause." Her tone added to the growing tension around the campfire.

Something had shifted, and Kurt was struggling to figure out just what exactly.

He had his suspicions. First namely the conversation Tina had with his step-brother, the real Duke of Hudson. Kurt had known a doppelganger was there at Quinn's party but had no idea Finn was actually fulfilling the fool claim he made in his father's Hall, to find the fallen star. Something he was quiet serious about given the series of missives Kurt had received.

Second, Mercedes always been adamant about finishing the quest as soon as possible she disappeared for a brief moments in the tavern instead of keeping an eye on Artie like she said. It went against her usual behavior and as the reason opposed to his panic of seeing Tina with his brother that made himself send the warning arrow.

But least of all….

Kurt watched with a measured eye as Artie rose to his feet on the pretense of looking for more firewood, even they though they both knew he was off to look for Tina. Kurt was quite certain of one thing. Between the bits he gathered so far he was almost certain of his true identity.

Tina spun around in the small clearing, taking swipes with her knives. For a moment she wished for her sword, but it was buried in the bottom of her pack and she wasn't going back for it after she stormed out. But her knives would work well enough to dispense the growing tension in her body.

She spun around and going to the practices and modes that she had learned since taking her rites, going through the three stages of the koi , only to stop when she heard a snap of branch behind her and rustle of leaves.

Panting for breath, Tina was tempted to toss her knife, but Artie was the least offensive of others at the moment.

"You fail as a tracker."

"I'll keep it in mind when I want to pursue a new career."

He sat down at the base of the tree, the staff resting on his knees. Artie patted the ground next to him, and with slight hesitation she sat down some distance away.

They sat in silence a bit the stream of moonlight casting enough illumination in the clearly. Tina twirled one of her knives through her fingers, an action that made Artie slide a bit further from her as he eyed the action.

She tried not to but she smirked anyway.

Seeing this as an opening, Artie asked, "What's the horrible truth you uncovered? The Duke murdered Rachel with her bare hands and her body is hidden away in the castle?"

The smirked twisted into a smile as she continued to twirl the knife. "Rachel ran because she felt a personal betrayal. I can guess from the facts I was told, but it's in short a love affair that messed up by politics and misunderstandings."

"The Chronicles of the Scarlet Waylander in a nutshell."

"You were right though." Tina admitted, "We should have looked into the reason Rachel left, instead of thinking she left because she felt like it."

"Why didn't you ask that questions before? It's hardly unoriginal."

Tina stopped twirling the knife and stuck it back in her boot. Leaning forward she rested her chin on her knees.

"To be honest I didn't care. I was bored. I hadn't left the capital in three years." She grimaced at what she learned from others, "Kurt and Mercedes probably have different reasons."

"Kurt doesn't like Rachel," Artie observed.

"Not really after they faced off in a Wizard's duel, but there's probably another reason."

"If you weren't a Dreamwalker what did you want to do?"

The abrupt shift of the subject was unexpected as much as it was a calculated move. It was probably the reason he came out of here in the first place.

"A shadowdancer," Tina admitted, "but you knew that already right?" Artie nodded. "I suspect the tip off was the knives."

"Kurt did mention you really good with them and he's right you're amazing."

She smiled accepting the compliment, "why did you want to know?"

Artie began to nervously tap on the staff. "Shadowdancers use a type of magic similar to healing right?

Tina nodded. "I have more affinity than Mercedes at least." She looked over at him wondering how he'd react. "How many spells do you use to walk? I noticed, we all noticed, Kurt even thinks you're merefolk."

"Well," Artie said self-deprecatingly, "he's wrong about that one. Just a normal human that screwed up big time. Most of the spells allow me mobility, and rest to combat the pain that comes from it."

"Why do you bother with it then," Tina said trying to figure about why he was here. But she wasn't good at fishing for information as Mercedes was.

"A wheelchair's hardly practical for running after trains."

So baldly stated it too her aback at bit. Not just because of the details, but because she was telling him about it.

"Why do you want to know about my healing affinity?"

He leaned in nervously, "I wanted to know if you wouldn't mind learning some of them. I'm afraid of them collapsing whenever we do wind up finding the Enchantress. You never know what lies ahead."

The gap was closing between as they sat shoulders brushing.

"You trust with that? My spells could collapse just as easily."

She realized abruptly even in the faint darkness she could tell his eyes were blue.

"I trust you."

She wasn't surprised when he kissed her, she was just surprised that she didn't mind it all.

The clans didn't take well to outsiders.

As quick as the thought crossed her mind, Tina jumped to her feet.

"We probably should head back. They'll probably think a dragon has grabbed us," she pulled a strained smile, "something that's actually not much of a stretch."

Artie climbed to his feet much slower than usual, and must have thought the darkness hid the looked of pain that flashed briefly across his face when he stood up.

But Tina had very good eyesight in the dark, and she quietly hooked her arm into his and ignored his protests as they made their way back to the campfire.

The next day's travel passed swiftly once Tina let them all view the map, and progressed with little argument as it became clear where they were headed.

Mercedes stared up at the mountain in the distance with prickling sense of déjà vu coming across her. There was something uncomfortably unfamiliar with the magical signature coming off it as well. And the closer they got she recognized the signs of a trials of enchantment.

"We can't go around it?" Mercedes asked in vain that night as the camped at foothills.

"No," Tina said firmly, "we'll just have to proceed with trials."

Mercedes deflated a bit, poking at the stew in her plate, "I was worried you'll say that."

"At least there won't be any unexpected crossing with the guard," Artie said cheerfully.

"I rather battle their twenty best mages," Kurt grumbled "then face traps."

"That's why I said at least."

"Did you accidentally curse yourself with perpetual optimism too?" Kurt retorted, but there wasn't much bite in his words.

Discussion soon fell on a strategy to avoid the traps and the possible ones.

Mercedes tuned them all out her mind fluttering back to the perilous trip she had taken on her own. Bewitched mountains were a good way to ensure even further protection of a kingdom security. Normal mountains usually deterred normal travelers, as magic users often had their ways around such things. But bewitchments were quite popular to deter all types of users. Using traps to test both mentally, physically, and magically. Although she was going with a group this time, she felt as frantic as the first time unnerved at the sight before her.

"It could be worse," Artie said in response to the faces Kurt and Tina were making, "we're not even storming a castle."

"I don't even want to think about that." Tina moaned, "knowing Rachel it could be endless."

"But do you really know her?"

"You keep asking that question in different ways," Mercedes said, "I'm not sure if you're doing it to be annoying or you don't like our answers."

He made a show of considering, "both."

It was a conversation she remembered as the four of them traveled to the base of the mountain only to stop short by the usual suspect.

"What," Mercedes said as Kurt ducked behind a tree, "is your problem now?"

"What are you children doing here?"

The soft rumble of the voice caught them all off guard as a giant towered over them her expression fierce and unforgiving. She patted her club menacingly against the palm of her hands, as the giantess narrowed her eyes at them and snarled.

Mercedes gulped, and knew without a doubt that this was a very bad idea.

"More tea?" Beiste asked, glancing at the pot, "I think its tea."

Tina politely held out her cup, with the others refrained.

She had been on quite a few interesting adventures along this quest but sitting inside a giant's home, a half-giant no less was something she never thought would happen.

It was Artie who got them here as he offered an explanation Beiste seemed to take on with stride. Tina would dare say the giantess doted on him, but that might have been a stretch given she seemed kinder than appearance deemed.

"I did recall a young enchantress coming this way. The companion with her got the impression we needed to duel each other." Beiste nudged the club resting against the wall. "I may not know much about magic, but no one tells the Panther what to do."

Tina made a show of blowing her tea as Beiste pulled up a chair next to him. "But what are you four doing out here? There's a border patrol two days south from here."

"We're looking for that enchantress you said passed by, because we reason to believe she didn't go all the way into Carmel," Kurt said.

"And it's easier to cut through the mountains," Mercedes added

"It be easier to go the long way around," Beiste replied, "you're asking for trouble, I have a tough skin against magic, but the stuff that comes off the mountainside makes my hair curl."

"What kind of magic?" Artie asked.

"Don't know, don't care, but I wouldn't mess with it. But there's a castle on the ridge that lights up at night."

"A castle!"

"I take it," the giantess said amused, "if you're that excited by that, you'd be over the damn moon about a shortcut."

"Shortcut?" Kurt eyebrows were raised, "what do you mean by that?"

Kurt was kissing the ground, when Tina was gently placed on the summit edge by the helpful giant.

The giantess had carried each of them up the mountain, batting the wards and spells with her club as she made her way. Kurt apparently was a bit difficult since he had a thing about heights.

"Thank you," Tina said.

"No problem, just tell who's ever up there to stop with the fireworks. I thought it was dragon up there before I got a closer look. And look out for your friends, it looks like something wrong with him."

Kurt stood up hastily, coughing into his sleeve.

"Good luck."

Tina waved as Beiste descended the mountain grateful for not having to climbing all way up to get this far.

Below them nestled in the valley between the mountains was the castle, surrounded by gardens in an unusual systematical shape.

"No bridge in sight," Artie commented, "and it's quite a fall."

"Don't worry about," Kurt muttered rubbing his hands together, "let's do this in style and storm the castle."

"You've been saying that for a while," Artie asked, "am I missing something?"

"We usually do this sort of thing," Mercedes said, "climb buildings, scale rooftops, or at least they do, I'm not suicidal."

"There's probably about several levels deep of spells, if you can see the light at night," Artie asked, "and you want to attack it head on?"

"Why not?" Kurt shrugged.

He laughed as he leaned against the rock edge, "You guys are fun."

"I'm serious," Kurt retorted.

Tina and Artie exchanged glances, and she smiled.

Quietly she sung a few notes under her breath, and the loose stones by their feet flew towards the castle only to vaporize as it hit a ward.

"Shards," Mercedes whispered as Kurt turned the color of milk.

"Still want to storm the castle?" Artie asked.

"Shut up." Kurt said without single note of conviction. "You come up with a plan instead."

"We storm the castle," Artie said as Kurt glared at him, "by breaking the ward around it."

"I see," Kurt said flatly, "tell me more."

Mercedes turned towards Tina. "This is going to take a while. Shall we try a few experiments of our own?"

"Thought you never ask."

The girls slid down the mountainside, Mercedes riding a wave of stone while Tina flew down after her. Still on the ledge Kurt paced around alternating between pushing Artie off and letting him walk him through whatever scenario he was talking about.

"What's do I know about Rachel?" Kurt echoed, staring out at the castle. He watched as together as Mercedes and Tina tried to smash through the ward, both with pure magic and the landscape around them. Each of their effort failed despite their enthusiasm, the rebounds lighting the air around them. "She's loud, obnoxious, I was glad to see her disappear."

"Other than that what do you think of?"

Being part of something special makes you special!

"Stars," Kurt whispered as he stared at the gardens, thinking of the gleaming illusions Rachel filled the room when she was making a grand speech. Stars were a metaphor for what they could be, what they could do together with just the five of them, but that was before Quinn and Puck came and ruined the dynamic of the group…..

Kurt stared hard at the gardens, suddenly scrambling up the mountain side for a better view as it suddenly clicked "Stars! 'Cedes! Tina!" He yelled waving his hands, " aim for the corners of the garden! It's weak spots of the wards!"

"How you figure that?" Mercedes yelled back up the mountain.

"It's shaped like a star!"

The girls exchanged looks and Tina jumped into the air, gliding over to get a better aim at the other side.

"Brilliant," Artie whispered, "that's a shape I wouldn't have thought of."

"Rachel has a certain a vanity," Kurt remarked trying not ruffle his feathers too much at the boost of his pride of figuring it out first, "we just have to see in the points are weak enough to be affected."

The sudden burst of light from that side gave evidence Tina had managed to disrupt the base. Evidence that was followed up swiftly by the rippling of the ground some distance away. Another corner was taken out by a cascade of ice, as Artie slide down the valley, patches of ice appearing under his feet.

Kurt watched as the three of the lopped around each other aiming for a corner to strike next. For moment it was stalemate as wall of ice kept blocking Tina, until Mercedes aimed a few well place strikes with her hammer that causing them to jump apart while she took out a corner.

"Hey!" Kurt yelled jumping down risking scuffing up his boots, "Leave a corner for me!"

Kurt drew back an arrow, reciting a spell and struck the outlying garden wall with a fiery arrow.

At once the outline of a dome filled the sky until it shattered, wisps of magic flying everywhere. With the disappearance of the dome, the castle and garden remained, but a bridge had suddenly emerged in the wash of magic at the of the mountain ledge.

Joining his friends on the bridge, Tina once again tried her test. The rock flew nearly striking a statue on the bridge.

"And," Tina grinned, "we're in."

"I think given that ward," Artie said tapping the staff on the stone as they crossed the bridge, "we should be careful, there might be more since it's clear Rachel prepared for-"

Artie disappeared from view in a puff of smoke.

"Yeah," Mercedes remarked as Tina cleared the air, "she's prepared alright."

With the clearing of a smoke, revealed a set of carved stairs that cut underneath the bridge.

Kurt summoned a ball of fire as they hurried down the stairs, only to find Artie sitting on a landing, clutching his head.

"Are you okay?" Tina asked handing him the staff.

"Well enough." He rubbed his fingers searching for blood. "Looks like we found a shortcut."

Peering further into the tunnel, at the end was two tunnel holes. Catching sight of Kurt's expression, Mercedes interjected, "no, no splitting up. We're going together."

"Why not?" Tina asked, "It would better to try all our options."

"It's better to have someone you can trust at your back," Mercedes continued as Artie climbed back up to his feet. He was making a gesture to be quiet that Mercedes ignored as she turned to Tina. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"There is when everyone's lying to each other!"

There it was out, the words that been hanging over her for days. The words floating around them finally addressing the elephant that had being journeying along with them on their quest.

"Everyone has their secrets," Kurt said at once.

"You only say that when you don't want to tell a thing," Tina spat, "it would have been nice to know that you're Finn's brother!"

"You're kidding!" Mercedes exclaimed.

"I am," Kurt said steely, "I had to get away from the duchy, after Finn was clearly the favored sun despite him looking for a star," his lip curled bitterly.

"You know how much time we wasted jumping around because you're afraid of being found out?" Mercedes asked, "We could have gone straight to your brother instead transpiring across the kingdom!"

"You've been saying that for ages, Tina scowled, "why are you so eager to get this over with?"

"Maybe we shouldn't do this under all this rock," Artie offered up but was ignored as Kurt interjected:

"There's a reward isn't there?" When Mercedes didn't say a ward, as the pieces fell together. "The King offered you something if you brought Rachel back?" Kurt asked quietly, "he offered you something when you arranged things with him from the start? Didn't he?"

"My skill is near enough to Rachel but I just deal with a different set of magics," Mercedes said tersely as Tina looked away, "If she came back I would have someone to compete against and you don't know how much I had to struggle to get up here. I have to either make a name for myself or go back home which is not an option."

"And you have this in mind when it was all about the team," Tina muttered whipping around to the group, "I'm glad I know now. You're using us to get up higher, he's using this quest to avoid his personal issues, and you-" she halted at Artie was looking on with some confusion.

"He's the Wizard Abrams," Kurt said quietly. "He's a childhood friend of Finn and Puck, I knew him by reputation though."

Tina looked confused while Mercedes frowned.

"It's just a title that's been overblown," Artie replied absently tapping the staff on the stone stairs. "It means nothing."

"You're lying," Kurt retorted, "you know much more than you should about things. You took extra care to address people by tittles. So either your memory's coming back or you never lost it at all."

But Tina had fixed him with hard stare. "When?"

"The farseer wasn't broken, it was charmed to jar my memory, and it did." Artie said as Tina's closed her eyes. "It was easier to go along and pretend otherwise because it made it easier, than explaining everything to the fullest," He cleared his throat, "and they do say every road is paved with good intentions-"

"If you lied about that," Tina interrupted, "how I do I know everything else wasn't a lie?" Before she could let the words hang over then she whipped around to Kurt, "and how did you know it was him. You weren't just making fun with the merefolk comments?

"That was my biggest hint," Kurt said, "The accident he had meant he couldn't walk and I only started to put it together when Tina told me about the spells."

Artie sunk onto the stairs, making a face. "What did you tell him? That was private."

"What a pickle," Mercedes retorted dryly as Tina strode away from the group but still close enough to still be in the conversation. "Why didn't you tell us who you were? Why go through the charade of pretending to be a hapless sorcerer?"

"It didn't change anything," Artie replied. "And I guess like the rest of you I running away from something as well, and no," he said to Kurt who had flashed the ball of fire into his face, "I didn't sell my soul to walk, it's about eight levels of spells, and-" he tapped at the gemstone around his neck, "supported by this."

"It matters," Mercedes said firmly, "because since you arrived you put everything into question. Why we were going after Rachel, why did she leave, why couldn't we take up the role Rachel is going to fill?"

"I never asked that," Artie pointed out.

"Forget me being a noble," Kurt said, " forget about Mercedes having her eye on different dragon caches, and Tina's ability to worm information out of people, you knew all of them much better than we did! Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I hadn't had this much fun in years."

As Kurt opened his mouth to protest, Mercedes held up a hand.

"Wait," Mercedes interrupted, "what exactly do you know, because I'm really confused right now."

"I know for a fact this is a trap."

"How?" Tina asked stiffly.

Artie pointed the staff towards the tunnel, where bespectacled woman stood before them looking rather menacing despite her carrying a glowing badminton racquet.

"Sparkles." Tina swore, as the enchantment snapped around them like a cage.