Remember; English is not my mother-language. Grammar mistakes can occur.

Chapter 08:

After a few weeks when Caed Nua slowly started running and bustling with visitors and labourers the steward had hired, Maryden and her merry band made their way to Defiance Bay. Minus Kana, who wanted to stay behind and learn more about the legend of the 'Master Below'. It felt a bit ominous and far-fetched, but that was enough to make the Aumaua intrigued. Aloth was somewhat glad.. not having to share his tent with the giant anymore.

"So, what did you want to ask Maerwald Edér?" the wizard blatantly asked, clearly curious as they walked on the road. It was heavily clouded today, rain threatening to overtake them but it had not yet falling. Maryden noticed herself listening in.

"I- uh, wanted to ask him about Woden. About how he died so I could see if it was true if he really fought with Raedceras and Waidwen, like the rumours in Gilded Vale told me. Perhaps by using our connection as brothers or read it in my soul I guess," the fighter shrugged. At first hesitant but then throwing it all in the wind and tell them anyway. "It was a dumb idea," he admitted.

"Sure was," Durance muttered darkly behind them.

"It's funny because I sure got my hopes up in.. I don't know. Years."

It was the first time Maryden heard Edér sound defeated, almost sad. Aloth's mouth opened and close a few times, a crease between his brows. "If there are any records of the Saints War I bet it's in Defiance Bay," the wizard declared hopefully. Edér nodded.

"I thought so too," he turned to Maryden then, an odd look in his eyes. "You've already done a lot for me already, but think you can manage to walk with me to the palace archives? The clerk and I aren't on the best terms and I would feel better if you tagged along."

Maryden nodded and smiled. "Of course.. but dare I ask; what did you do to the poor man?"

Edér laughed, though it was not whole-heartedly like he normally did. "Nothing. It's all about him not being objective and me following the wrong deity."

She silently mouthed an 'Oh' for her ignorance, but it was waved away. Guess she really had to get used to these Dyrwoodan Gods and the hate towards Eothasians. Maryden could not recall any Gods from the Living Lands since her family had not been overly religious to begin with, or just didn't want to involve her. Her father was a man who figured that the so-called Gods would not throw luck or prosperity in your lap and you had to work for it. But despite that, her being a child of Fire was almost blasphemous. Maryden tried not to remember those unpleasant times.

"Have you ever been to Defiance Bay?" She asked Aloth after a while of silent walking. The party had stopped and she hoisted her pack from her sore shoulders, relishing in the feeling of the weights loss. The Elf seemed to startle and suck in a breath, flinching.

"I-uh what?" He blabbered, which was quite uncharacteristically of him. Maryden raised an eyebrow, he was acting odd.

"Are you alright?" She inquired softly.

Aloth was a bit paler than normal, his silky black hair slightly ruffled when he took off his hood. His lips twisted in a small smile.

"Of course, merely processing some of the uh.. unusual things we've seen lately," he clarified. His eyes observed her as Maryden took out her bedroll and her tent in a crouched position, to spare her back from bending over. "And if Maerwald is to believe, you seem to have an unsure future ahead."

It was if his words were meant to rile something up inside of her, which it did but the confrontation was less scary than before. Unconsciously her eyes slid to Edér, who had his broad back to them and was hammering the robe of the tent in the ground with a small wooden hammer, a tent peg and a practiced aim. She should've figured that he would tell Aloth.

"He told me, not everything, but enough that I know you're worried and frightened," Aloth said hesitantly, almost ashamed that he knew something about her that she hadn't told him. Like gossip. "I hope you aren't-"

"I'm not mad," she clarified. And she really wasn't.

Maryden straightened herself with a sigh, rolling her taut shoulder muscles once only to find it a bit painful, so stopped trying to relax the muscles. Her amber eyes took Aloth in, who was still observing her with his own grey ones. "It's understandable, and I figured you already noticed some things along the way," she paused to see Aloth nod a single time, almost scared to admit but she gave him a small smile to reassure him. "I just, need to deal with it one step at a time. First we get to Defiance Bay, and see where this Leaden Key is. After that, I will deal with whatever fate throws at me," she murmured, getting lost in her thoughts.

Aloth patted her shoulder in a comforting manner, pulling out of her mulling thoughts. "I think that's a very wise course of action," he spoke with a smile. Was that admiration in his eyes? Maryden smiled back and nodded.

The two returned to the task of setting up their own tent, Maryden prepared the fire as usually as Edér had ventured off to hunt together with Durance. Darkness settled on the world around her, dousing it in blackness and though it was quiet, Maryden knew that all kinds of nocturnal creatures roamed about. From wolves to mice and owls.

It started to rain just slightly, a few pin pricks of drops here and there, nothing major, but they still waited for Edér and Durance to return from the hunt. Eventually Maryden had gotten up and pace around, a bit alarmed that it took them this long.

Finally there were footsteps, and grumbling. But the footsteps seemed more than just of two people, so Maryden grabbed her greatsword and signalled Aloth to stay put but get ready to cast. The faint hum of magic in air made her skin tingle.

"Who's there!" Maryden called out, the footsteps stopped for a moment, but quickly continued in their direction.

"It's us, it's fine," Edér voice erupted from the darkness and soon followed by his being, Durance right behind him, as well as someone unknown.

A dwarf woman with black raven hair messily braided, a similar coloured stripe of paint covering her eyes, stood next to Edér. Though she just reached his waist, there was a fire in her sparkling brown eyes that made up for her short height. A white fox stood at her side with equally fierce eyes.

"So you must be the Watcher he was talking about," she gestured to Edér with an incline of her head. The said man looked a bit guilty, shrugging at Maryden's gaze of confusion as if he didn't know what was happening also. Durance was cursing beneath his breath as he put down a small doe and started to skin it.

The dwarf woman did not acknowledge Aloth as she walked toward Maryden, merely staring, observing though not criticizing. Maryden stood tall none the less, easing her hold on her great sword and sheathed it. She nodded.

"I am, my name is Maryden. And who is the woman that more or less forced my friends to take her to camp just to meet me?" Her tone wasn't meant to be suspicious, but Maryden couldn't help that she was. Her first initial response was to trust, but as life had taught her; people were to be regarded with caution. Say a lot but tell little.

The dwarf did not seem fazed by her wariness, she actually chuckled at it. Approving, it seemed. "I am Sagani, and this is my fox Itumaak," she gestured to the fluffy white creature next to her, who looked at her with pointed ears. "I was told that you can help me."

"Are you ready?" Lorath whispered to her.

His defined elven face was void of emotion, but Maryden could see the anticipation and lust for battle in his bright eyes. She felt it too in her blood, and he knew. The Pale Elf's eyes shone brighter and his fingers reached for one of his twin blades when she nodded firmly, grabbing the handle of her greatsword tighter. Lorath gave a sharp whistle between his teeth and they sprang from their cover behind a thick log.

The heavily armoured militia barely had time to react as they charged, taking them by surprise. There were twangs of bowstrings and arrows soared through the air from behind them, most of them striking their marks. In an instant there was chaos and Maryden felt her blood sing along with the blade of her greatsword.

Lorath appeared and disappeared in an out of her vision, fighting the militia with agility instead of the brute force she contained. Through the battle field, she heard cries of the dead, of shock and anger, and saw the rest of her group close in around their preys, suffocating them. There was again a sharp whistle, higher of tone than that of Lorath and she took a few paces back. Another barrage of arrows whizzed past her, sometimes barely missing and reached the enemy lines. Sometimes bouncing off steel, sometimes reaching their targets between the crooks and nannies.

Then she charged again, her boots embedding themselves in the forest floor and greatsword tightly at her side, legs propelling her forward.

Afterwards they would sing and laugh, the sound of clinging coins not a too far ahead future. It was times like this that Maryden loved her live; the thrill, the money and being outdoors amongst those she considered friends.

Smiling she looked up to Riordan who sat next to her, his once dark grey hair now getting whiter as years passed, he drank out of his tankard and did not look at her, seemingly engrossed by a story of Belfag; a huge Aumaua who looked horrifying with all of his scars, but Maryden knew no other man who was so trustworthy and loyal other than Riordan.

Maryden turned her eyes back to the fire, threatening to be engrossed in her thoughts but a firm hand placed itself on her shoulder, squeezing it firmly. She instinctively knew it was Riordan and let her weight lean a bit against him. His hand travelled to her other shoulder, holding her against him in a securing and comforting way as a father would to do with his daughter, grounding her as he took another swig of his beer. Maryden sighed contently and let her head rest on his shoulder and her eyes fall close as she listened to Belfag's rumbling voice and Riordan's breathing.

Life was good now.

Maryden wiped the blood from her face, breathing quite harshly through her teeth. Bending, she grabbed a piece of cloth from one of the bodies and wiped her sword with it before sheathing it.

"Have we just-?" Aloth apprehensively murmured. As if he could not believe what had just happened.

"We have," Edér answered, voice quiet.

"Come on," Maryden commanded, motion for the party to follow her. The urge to flee the scene making her walk faster than she normally would. Itumaak barked and ran out ahead, ears perking and his once pristine white fur was here and there smudged with red. With blood.

Images of how those who ravaged the shipwreck attacked them out of desperation, rather wishing to die than to talk about it, flashed in her mind. She had felt into one of their souls during the fight, a young lady who was not even an adult. Maryden had seen her life; how the girl was born in poverty, with no roof above her head. Spit upon and humiliated in the streets of Defiance Bay, struggling through each day, only to end so violently by her hands.

Peregund looked at them hopefully as they approached, wringing her hands in barely contained nerves. "You're back! Well, have you found anything?"

"The looters are dead, the supplies and whatever is left are yours," Maryden said, her voice monotone. The Orlan captain jumped from foot to foot, clearly grateful.

"Thank you, thank you! Here, have this for your efforts," the Orlan pressed a rather heavy purse in her palm, clearly filled with coins. Maryden did not want to take the blood money, but found herself doing it anyway. They needed the gold for repairs and she refused Tumbler's money at Gilded Vale earlier. With resentment she tied the purse to her belt.

After saying their goodbye's, the party walked over the bridge of Defiance Bay, the clouds crying above them in the form of rain. The off-white walls and bright red roofs a stark contrast to all the green and earth-tones Dyrwood seemed to favour, almost royally, but inside the grotesque walls there was the complete opposite of it. Refugees littered the streets at first, the poor huddled together, hungry eyes regarding her and her party. Most of them victims still of Waidwen's Legacy.

Guards were tense, hands on the hilts of their swords almost constantly, even if they ascended a few stairs to a more richer part of the city. There were still beggars, but more in the quiet dark corners and mostly out of sight rather than within arm's reach. It pulled at Maryden, the desperation and need coming from not only these people but the entire city itself. It was like a heavy weight slowly settled upon her the further they ventured inside Defiance Bay, strangely draining her stamina.

Maryden had no idea that so many souls packed together would have this effect on her and with a trembling hand she wiped her wet hair out of her face for the lack of a cloak.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sagani looked up at her, her paint somehow not getting smudged or washed off by the rain. The party stopped and Maryden felt on the spot, thus she nodded.

"It's the city, right?" Aloth asked, sympathy lacing in his voice as his eyes were a mere twinkle underneath his dark hood.

"I can deal with it," Maryden defended herself, not willing to have that sympathy today. She know that she could, but she had to acclimatise to it. Trying to filter it. "Eventually," she finished, not wanting to be hostile to those who just wanted to help her.

"I know a place here where they don't ask questions, come on."

How Aloth knew such a place was beyond her, but after crossing a few alleys and entering the Copperlane District they entered a small inn called the Goose and Fox. It was dark, small but almost devoid of patrons. Those that were there sat in the corners or near the hearth at the far end of the room. The innkeeper, an Aumaua with dark skin greeted them, twirling a tiny pewter cup in his enormous hands but did not drink from it. He smiled at them.

"Here for a drink?"

"Yes, and five rooms please," Aloth began but was cut off by the man.

"I have three left."

The elf blinked a few times and turned around, clearly pairing them. Finally he shrugged, taking his loss. "Okay, fine. Three it is."

After ordering their drinks and a hot meal the party sat down on a table at one of the corners of the inn. It was a round table, a few chairs and at the wall and corner a couch. Maryden sat down on the couch next to Edér and on her left Sagani. Her fox laid down at her feet. Durance sat smugly between Aloth and the dwarf. The few patrons that were in the inn often shot glances in there directions, more of curiosity rather than ill will. At least, Maryden hoped.

"So that means we can share a bed, dwarf," Durance drawled. Sagani waved her hand in front of her nose.

"Whoo, you need to brush your teeth. Otherwise you can fell people with just a shout!"

The party laughed at her waving off the priest, who shot a remark here and there, but did not seem gravely offended. He left before dinner, muttering about some whores that he needed to find and ventured back outside into the onslaught of rain. Though he might be filled with hormones, Maryden thought it was just a façade, testing out those who travelled with him.

Sagani seemed a nice woman. Mother of five children of which two died early due to sickness, and married. At that fateful night at camp, she had told Maryden that she was to find a deceased village elder named Persoq. She wanted to find his soul, tell him about how the village faired and how important he was between the trade of Massuk and neighbouring villages. It was an old village tradition, searching the souls of the deceased, and now she was willing to travel along with Maryden so that she could in time find her elder.

"So, where are you from?" Sagani later asked, swallowing a big lump of meat before talking. "You listen to our tales, but-" the dwarf left the question hanging, her dark observing eyes taking in the Godlike, who could not not answer it.

"I was born in the Living Lands, a place far north of here."

"That's where trolls live, right?" Aloth gasped. Maryden nodded, smiling a bit at his reaction. The meal and company helped her headache and the suffocating sensations she first experienced when entering Defiance Bay, it was now bearable.

"Among others, yes."

"I heard you have werewolves, giant insects and people eating plants!" Sagani blabbered all of it out in a rapid pace. Maryden chuckled at her almost child-like enthusiasm.

"Yes, yes and yes, though luckily I haven't encountered the first. When you do it tends to be fatal."

"It's mountainous right? With rich soil, a few settlements here and not but not a real power like Aedyr or Dyrwood. What is it like?" Edér asked genuinely interested.

Maryden thought of it, instantly remembering her family and why she ran away, she shifted on her seat trying to still her heart that was beating furiously against her ribcage out of anxiety. "It's like you said. The air is thinner than here, but the ground is more fertile. We have forests that seem like there is no end to them. It takes months of travelling before reaching the ocean. It can take weeks before reaching a neighbouring village. Some are nomads, but most communities stay in one place."

"Like yours?"

His green eyes were kind, curious, eager to know more like Aloth and Sagani, but also slightly apprehensive. As if Edér felt it was a subject she did not often talk about. Maryden felt her heart hammer and flinched when a small wet nose pressed again her hand from below the table. Itumaak whined at her, she petted the fox who was slowly warming up to her. Edér was fond of him either, wanting to pet him so bad he often had to hold his hands to prevent himself from doing it. Yet the fox did not want him to. It would only take a matter of time.. Edér would say.

"Maryden?"

She blinked and glanced around the waiting gazes. "I.. yes, we remained on one place. It was a community of about 80 to a 100 people of mixed ages, but more elders than children," she quickly replied, trying to stray away from the emotional questions. She did not want to be reminded of her family or Riordan, those chapters were closed.

Edér searched her, observing, and instead of questioning further (though she could see them lingering in his gaze) he merely smiled warmly, comforting. "It sounds very calming, that type of life."

"It can be."

After dinner Maryden decided to retreat to her room, shared with Sagani who kept drinking downstairs along with Edér and Aloth, Durance had yet to return from his 'endeavours'. Secretly Maryden had wanted a room by herself, not wanting to disturb Sagani's rest with her own nightmares and restlessness. But she figured that no one wanted to share one with Durance, which was understandable. The concept of hygiene was still lost on the priest, no matter how much Aloth nagged him about it.

'Note to self; tomorrow a trip to the blacksmith and armourer,' she thought when pulling off her brigandine armour and hung it to dry near the small stove inside the room, still wet from the onslaught of rain before they arrived here. The armour was clearly damaged and almost over-used. She wanted to have it checked along with her greatsword so that she could rely on it again. The last fight at the shipwreck one of the looters managed to bruise her quite nastily with a pike, she did not want to tempt fate any further.

Undressed to her smalls Maryden shivered and went to the washing basin in the corner that she had asked for. A real bath was a bit too expensive, much to her chagrin. But at least it was warm water now instead of freezing. She briefly thought about Caed Nua, and how it faired there.

'Perhaps finally a bath then,' she longingly wished.

Drenching the cloth she cleaned herself thoroughly, enjoying the warmth but sharp contrast of the frisk air around her resulted in goose bumps. Lastly she washed her hair, bending over the basin with a small bare of soap. It took a while but it felt nice to have all the knots and tangles out of her wild red locks. Instantly she braided it, the fringe around her face combed back so that it would not bother her.

She dressed in a somewhat clean tunic that was too large for her, making another mental note to visit the launderer in town. Her bed, one of the two in the room, was cosy, warmer than the one in Gilded Vale and she blew out the burning candle on the night stand, dousing herself in darkness aside from the light of the streetlamp just outside her window. Thick fat drops dripped down the glass, the wind howling around the building.

Adjusting herself Maryden sighed, her mind feeling heavy as she tried to close her eyes and sleep. Listening to the rain for Gods knew how long as she felt herself slowly sink into a light slumber, breath evening out and heart slowing in a steady rhythm. It was trance like, but strangely peaceful where the whispers were just at the back of her conscious.

There was tuck again at the back of her skull, this time gentle and cooing rather than forceful and slowly her mind bared itself to the outside world. More easily and a bit more controlled than ploughing straight in like the previous times while her body itself was asleep. Maryden picked up snippets of souls in the rooms around her and downstairs, some troubled, others young and naïve. A few dark and a handful joyful. She never grazed them for long, merely observed.

Maryden was too late to react and wake up when her control slipped, images flashing before her eyes like a bad film. Crackly, bright and distorted at times, chaotic. She was amidst a small group, the exact number difficult to pin point since they were all faint blurs. The air was static with magic, her heart thundering against her ribcage and her breathing almost laboured when she felt panic rising up in her for an unknown reason.

There was a low almost inaudible rumble ahead of her that pulled her gaze towards it. She could see light, a bright light surrounding a man amidst metal clad soldiers. The light was soothing, forgiving but yet made her feel threatened, scared. The low rumble intensified, the ground beneath her feet shaking along with it. The shades around her stepped back, hands raised out of fear and to protect themselves. They gasped and she felt her own breath hitch along with them as suddenly all of the air was sucked towards the radiating man, imploding.

Then he and the militia around him were suddenly engulfed in bright red and orange; a violent blaze that overwhelmed the light he himself had been emanating. The peaceful sensation was instantly gone paving the way for terror and whilst the explosion had been blinding, it was dark and horrific at the same time.

Maryden was thrown back by the blast wave and the silhouettes around her screamed before vaporizing. The ground was unforgiven as the remainder of her oxygen was pushed out of her lungs. She could not look away from the cloud that rose up in the tumultuous sky as chaos swirled around her.

Then footsteps. A person walking towards her dressed in a tattered and burnt robe, holding a staff of which the reflection of the runes shining bright in his coal black eyes. Behind him the cloud formed briefly into a woman, equally as enflamed but not so much on the forefront of her focus than the man. The man suddenly closed in, reaching out to touch her-

With a start Maryden shot awake, her breathing hard and sweating profusely, but before she could recover hands grasped her shoulders pressing her down on the mattress with force.

Durance hovered above her, wet hair clinging to his scar ridden face that was close to her own. His eyes nearly bulging out of its sockets and the scent of alcohol was heavy on his breath. He seemed enraged, mental as his fingers dug into her skin through her tunic.

"You see now, Watcher? You do, do you," his voice contained barely constricted anger as he bruised her.

He shook her once, harshly, before his hands travelled a bit more up; the tips resting on the base of her neck and the palms pressing down on her chest. It felt constricting, as if he wanted to strangle her so Maryden struggled, but the priest used his weight and probably some kind of spell for her strength was drained. She was exhausted.

"You've witnessed it," Durance whispered now, lowering himself a bit, nose almost brushing hers. He obscured the faint light coming from outside the window. His face barely visible in the darkness that was all-consuming but his eyes shimmered. A light burning in them. His final words made terror twist inside her guts, especially when the tips of his fingers pressed down on the base of her throat.

"You finally saw the Godhammer."

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