Part 4: Something Wicked
Part 1: Cloaks and daggers | Part 2: Secrets in dark places | Part 3: Sweet Little Nothings
Aubrey squinted, frowning, into the deepening darkness beneath the naked branches of the woods which separated the city of Cobalt from the range of mountains known simply as "The Wall". No one crossed them, and those who did never came back so there was precious little information on what lay beyond them - outside of what tattered, bloodied pages had survived the eons to tell of the people of Entwilde's ancestral home. The mage shook herself, sighing as she turned her eyes skyward, her breaths a gray steam in the chilled air. The scent of snow which had seemed so far off when they'd entered the forest was now so strong she could almost taste it - but their destination was close enough at hand that she was fairly certain they would escape the worst of the storm.
If only she could have told the twins as much, sighing again as she turned her dark eyes back to the dirt track upon which they had been traveling for the past hour. Skoll shifted behind her, a questioning tensing of muscles as the mercenary waited for even the most minute indication that Aubrey needed something. When the mage remained still and facing forward, the taller women sighed herself and relaxed, hands shifting further forward to clasp more securely against the other women's stomach, as much for warmth as for reassurance.
It had been like this since they'd entered the woods that morning - what was usually a voluntary and comfortable silence between them had become an enforced one. As Cressida had said, the forest was enchanted, but she had not expected anything as intrusive as having not just her voice stolen from her, but also her body. The further they had gone, the less the mage could do or say to guide them. When noon had arrived and she could no longer so much as point, Skoll had relinquished Sulkfet's reigns to her and they had been traveling like that ever since. The frown which turned her blue, chapped lips downwards now had become an almost permanent feature after her meeting with the spirit of Entwild. It wasn't until the morning after their meeting that she realized he'd left her one final surprise. The sun and sword seal of royalty curled in earth brown relief around her left eye now like a very old tattoo. Her eye itself had also taken on a slightly more yellow hue, honey-hazel even in dim light and nearly gold in daylight. While creating and maintaining a simple glamor to return both eye and face to normal was a simple task, it galled her to need do it at all, fingers always reaching subconsciously to trace the hidden edges of the mark. She had a few ideas as to why the branding had been necessary, but it didn't mean she had to like it, sighing yet again as she gave herself a mental shake and turned instead to glance back at Hati and his horse Fafnir who followed behind them. Their eyes met briefly and he only nodded, Aubrey unable to keep herself from smiling softly as she turned back, grip tightening on Sulkfet's reigns ever so slightly.
Dimming skies, chilling air, endless forest, and absolute silence - yet they trusted her to guide them. And so she would, voice or no voice. It happened when they began to round a blind corner, a soft shiver of electricity making Aubrey startle, drawing Sulkfet to a stop just as the mare snorted and began to do so on her own. There was a barrier here - no, more like a rip in reality, and one that stretched unending in either direction for as far as the mage could sense, eyes narrowing. She probed it lightly with her mind, a slow and appreciative smile beginning to curl her lips. It was a portal of some sort that would automatically transfer any who entered it to some connecting point further long the trail, entirely skipping what felt like a mile's worth of land. It was subtle - only another mage would ever sense it was here and even then only one who knew what they were looking for would be able to temporarily flip the "off" switch, Aubrey not unsurprised when the knowledge slowly bubbled up from the recesses of her mind.
She wondered idly what else Cressida had "left" for her even as Skoll shifted, leaning forward now to speak directly in her ear.
"Aubrey?"
She responds by turning her head just enough to smile and offer the Merc the reigns - she would need both of her hands for this. It was very much like playing cat's cradle and had she ever known a child's string game would become an integral part of her mage craft she would have spent more time at it, brows furrowing now as she tugged and shifted each line of encantations with care. It was obvious when she'd gotten it right because the air began to shimmer and the road gained a faint but obvious glow, Skoll needing no further encouragement as she nudged her mare forward. Aubrey's skin prickled almost painfully as they crossed the threshold, but whatever spell had bound her came just as suddenly loose and she gasped, both in surprise and relief.
"Aubrey?" Skoll quirried again, more concerned this time as she drew Sulkfet to a stop once more, Hati drawing up along side them with an equally questioning expression.
"We're here." the mage announced brightly, the twins breaking into startled and pleased grins.
Neither of them had realized just how much they'd missed the creaking, rusty rattle of the slender women's voice until that moment.
"Where is here?" Hati asked even as they turned to view the rolling estate that stretched out to their right, Aubrey scoffing as they nudged their horses forward and to the narrow, winding drive that would lead them to the immaculate and gate-less hedgerow surrounding the main building.
"Isn't it obvious? We're at the home of the man who would be king."
Aubrey squinted, frowning, into the deepening darkness beneath the naked branches of the woods which separated the city of Cobalt from the range of mountains known simply as "The Wall". No one crossed them, and those who did never came back so there was precious little information on what lay beyond them - outside of what tattered, bloodied pages had survived the eons to tell of the people of Entwilde's ancestral home. The mage shook herself, sighing as she turned her eyes skyward, her breaths a gray steam in the chilled air. The scent of snow which had seemed so far off when they'd entered the forest was now so strong she could almost taste it - but their destination was close enough at hand that she was fairly certain they would escape the worst of the storm.
If only she could have told the twins as much, sighing again as she turned her dark eyes back to the dirt track upon which they had been traveling for the past hour. Skoll shifted behind her, a questioning tensing of muscles as the mercenary waited for even the most minute indication that Aubrey needed something. When the mage remained still and facing forward, the taller women sighed herself and relaxed, hands shifting further forward to clasp more securely against the other women's stomach, as much for warmth as for reassurance.
It had been like this since they'd entered the woods that morning - what was usually a voluntary and comfortable silence between them had become an enforced one. As Cressida had said, the forest was enchanted, but she had not expected anything as intrusive as having not just her voice stolen from her, but also her body. The further they had gone, the less the mage could do or say to guide them. When noon had arrived and she could no longer so much as point, Skoll had relinquished Sulkfet's reigns to her and they had been traveling like that ever since. The frown which turned her blue, chapped lips downwards now had become an almost permanent feature after her meeting with the spirit of Entwild. It wasn't until the morning after their meeting that she realized he'd left her one final surprise. The sun and sword seal of royalty curled in earth brown relief around her left eye now like a very old tattoo. Her eye itself had also taken on a slightly more yellow hue, honey-hazel even in dim light and nearly gold in daylight. While creating and maintaining a simple glamor to return both eye and face to normal was a simple task, it galled her to need do it at all, fingers always reaching subconsciously to trace the hidden edges of the mark. She had a few ideas as to why the branding had been necessary, but it didn't mean she had to like it, sighing yet again as she gave herself a mental shake and turned instead to glance back at Hati and his horse Fafnir who followed behind them. Their eyes met briefly and he only nodded, Aubrey unable to keep herself from smiling softly as she turned back, grip tightening on Sulkfet's reigns ever so slightly.
Dimming skies, chilling air, endless forest, and absolute silence - yet they trusted her to guide them. And so she would, voice or no voice. It happened when they began to round a blind corner, a soft shiver of electricity making Aubrey startle, drawing Sulkfet to a stop just as the mare snorted and began to do so on her own. There was a barrier here - no, more like a rip in reality, and one that stretched unending in either direction for as far as the mage could sense, eyes narrowing. She probed it lightly with her mind, a slow and appreciative smile beginning to curl her lips. It was a portal of some sort that would automatically transfer any who entered it to some connecting point further long the trail, entirely skipping what felt like a mile's worth of land. It was subtle - only another mage would ever sense it was here and even then only one who knew what they were looking for would be able to temporarily flip the "off" switch, Aubrey not unsurprised when the knowledge slowly bubbled up from the recesses of her mind.
She wondered idly what else Cressida had "left" for her even as Skoll shifted, leaning forward now to speak directly in her ear.
"Aubrey?"
She responds by turning her head just enough to smile and offer the Merc the reigns - she would need both of her hands for this. It was very much like playing cat's cradle and had she ever known a child's string game would become an integral part of her mage craft she would have spent more time at it, brows furrowing now as she tugged and shifted each line of encantations with care. It was obvious when she'd gotten it right because the air began to shimmer and the road gained a faint but obvious glow, Skoll needing no further encouragement as she nudged her mare forward. Aubrey's skin prickled almost painfully as they crossed the threshold, but whatever spell had bound her came just as suddenly loose and she gasped, both in surprise and relief.
"Aubrey?" Skoll quirried again, more concerned this time as she drew Sulkfet to a stop once more, Hati drawing up along side them with an equally questioning expression.
"We're here." the mage announced brightly, the twins breaking into startled and pleased grins.
Neither of them had realized just how much they'd missed the creaking, rusty rattle of the slender women's voice until that moment.
"Where is here?" Hati asked even as they turned to view the rolling estate that stretched out to their right, Aubrey scoffing as they nudged their horses forward and to the narrow, winding drive that would lead them to the immaculate and gate-less hedgerow surrounding the main building.
"Isn't it obvious? We're at the home of the man who would be king."