Chapter One 

It was the third sunny night in a row in the strange desert that almost never saw the moon. A bead of sweat rolled down Cairistine’s face. Her stomach growled unhappily, from lack of food, and her tongue and throat screamed for water. But she couldn’t move. She had to stay until someone told her otherwise.  

A beam of bright sunlight reflected off of something metal in the distance, momentarily blinding Cairistine. She squinted and looked away, but the light distracted her from her firm, planted train of thought. Stand here, stay still, don’t move, became why am I even doing this? A lookout wasn’t someone who stood somewhere for 2 days and 3 nights without moving, eating, or sleeping. Cairistine thrust the blunt end of her spear into the sand. No. She had to stay here. It was her order.  

The bright light shone in her eyes again. Her stomach growled and she coughed involuntarily. Fine! she thought. She threw down her spear and took a step. Her feet carried her to the gleaming object stuck in the sand. She kneeled down and dug. After 15 seconds of digging, a sharp pain shot through Cairistine’s hand. She gasped and jerked away as a thin red line of blood stretched across her palm. She looked down and saw what she had uncovered. A shining silver blade, with a hilt that looked like it was made from pure ruby. It was the most beautiful sword Cairistine had seen in her life. A sound from the distance distracted her. A blur of color shifted on the horizon, and it seemed to be calling her name. 

“Cairistine? Cairistine! Carrie!” 

Cairistine stood up. Only one person called her Carrie. 

“Ailish?” Cairistine shouted to her best friend. 

It was only then when she realized just how exhausted she was. She hadn’t eaten or slept in 60 hours. She collapsed on the rough sand. 

Ailish sprinted to Cairistine and tried to lift her up. “Oh, you look awful,” Ailish said. “We need to get you to Sìle.”  

“But the sword,” Cairistine mumbled.  

Ailish sighed concerningly. “You’re already delusional.” 

Cairistine shot one last glace back at the sword as she leaned on her friend’s shoulders. Then, her knees buckled, and she passed out. 

Chapter Two 

GIll was a fierce hunter. The creatures of the forest feared him. He could and would catch anything. He locked his eyes on the deer hidden in the trees. He ever so quietly reached for his bow, held it up, brought an arrow to the arrow rest. He pulled back his arm…… 

and a twig snapped behind him, making him twitch in surprise, throwing off his aim entirely, sending the arrow piercing through a bush and scaring the deer away.  

“Víz!” Gill exclaimed as he whipped around to see the bored face of his friend. “Nilidh!” he shouted. “That could have been my best shot!” 

Nilidh looked at the twig he stepped on, then at the impaled bush behind Gill. “Oh.” 

Gill clenched his fists and let his anger dissolve. He had learned that Nilidh never really cared about what went on around him.  

Gill closed his eyes. Sure, the two boys had been friends since they were little, and they’d had a few bumps in their friendship, but Nilidh depended on Gill to help control things he said. And sometimes, sometimes Gill depended on Nilidh to cool him down. 

Gill opened his eyes and saw Nilidh stuffing his face with a cookie.  

“Where did you get that?” Gill asked. 

“Potámi,” Nilidh mumbled, jerking his head towards the river base. 

A rustle from the trees snapped Gill’s attention back. “What time is it?” he wondered aloud. 

“Breakfast,” Nilidh answered. “That’s why I wandered into a forest to come fetch you.” 

Gill tuned cautiously towards a bush. “No,” he said quietly. “What time is it?” 

“I think about 10 or maybe closer to—oh.” Nilidh cut himself off, figuring out why Gill was asking.  

“Nilidh,” Gill whispered. “Run.” 

He didn’t wait for his friend to respond as he bolted form the forest, hopefully escaping certain death. 

Chapter Three 

Cairistine was dreaming. She was dreaming she was on a raft in the middle of the ocean. But she was thirsty. So, so thirsty. Surrounded by water, yet none of it she could drink. She had to get to shore. She saw a small island in front of her and paddled desperately. She climbed onto the warm beach, grateful to be on land. Cairistine looked around and gasped. Every blade of grass in the jungle beyond was the ruby-silver sword. Every leaf on every coconut tree was the ruby-silver sword. The sword was buried in the sand she was standing on, in the dirt in the jungle. Everywhere she looked, the sword was there. Big, and huge, with the letter P carved on the hilt. She laid on her back, squinting at the sun, and woke up. 

. . . . . . . 

Cairistine shielded her eyes and closed them, not realizing how bright it was. Her thirst was replenished, but she was still achingly hungry. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice. 

“Eat.” 

Cairistine opened her mouth gratefully but gagged as the slimy taste and texture hit her tongue. But she swallowed, and once she did, her hunger was gone completely. She felt stronger and sat up in the cot she was in. She looked around the room. She was in the infirmary in Nëntokë, the Soturi base. Sìle, the half-blind, 16-year-old healer was rummaging around some plants in the corner.  

“What am I doing here?” Cairistine managed to choke out.  

Sìle didn’t look her way. “Ailish brought you here. She said you passed out during patrol.” 

Cairistine scoffed angrily. “Patrol? I thought I was a lookout!” 

“You were,”  Sìle said. “With Gemella. But Ailish said she found you hallucinating about a sword and that you broke the rule of staying still. Tuilelaith won’t like that.” 

“Tuilelaith won’t care. She treats me like her daughter!” 

Sìle clenched her fists. “Cairistine, she treats us all like her daughters!” 

Cairistine knew what Sìle wanted to say. Cairistine wasn’t special.  

She stood up off the cot and promptly strode out the door.  

“Where are you going?” Sìle yelped, finally turning around. “You’re not fully healed yet! Come back!”  

Cairistine didn’t go back. She walked quickly through the stone halls of the cold, menacing underground base. She needed to find Ailish.  

Cairistine entered the room she shared with Ailish, who turned around and enveloped her in a hug.  

“You’re ok?” Ailish asked.  

Cairistine hesitated. “Of course,” she lied. She didn’t know if she was or not, but judging by Sile’s reaction to her leaving, she wasn’t. She had so many questions for her friend but decided on only one to ask. “What happened?” 

Ailish sat down on her bed and Cairistine sat on hers.  

“Tuilelaith sent me to check on the lookouts -er- you and Gemella,” Ailish explained. “I went to where Gemella was, and she was still there. So, I went to where you were and I found you on the ground, talking about a sword.” 

Cairistine realized something and looked down at her hands. The cut from the sword wasn’t there. Had she imagined the whole thing? She took a deep breath, mustered all her strength, and spoke. “I really did see a sword. Maybe it was my imagination, but I saw a sword in the desert. I don’t know why, or what it means, but I also dreamed about it before I woke up in the infirmary. It has a ruby hilt with the letter P carved into it and a silver blade and I don’t know what it means, but Ailish, I have to go and find it.” 

Ailish gave Cairistine another hug. “We’ll find it. I promise.” 

“We?” Cairistine stood up. “No, no. I didn’t say anything about ‘we’.” 

“You didn’t need to!” Ailish said as she started shoving things into a bag. “Let’s go tell Gemella and Sìle and the four of us can go find your mystery sword!”  

Cairistine didn’t have time to protest as Ailish walked out of the door and to Gemella’s room.  

. . . . . . . 

“And I saw it in the desert—” Cairistine finished explaining to Gemella. 

“And we want you to help us find it, along with Sìle!” Ailish cheered. “So, what do you say?” 

 Gemella pushed a lock of her curly ginger hair behind her ear. “Of course! But I don’t know about Sìle. She doesn’t really go along with these kinds of things.” 

“Well, we’ll ask her anyway.” Ailish said, turning around to walk out the door, when suddenly, Vuller, a 16 year old who was recently given the ‘warrior’ title, appeared in the doorway. She was panting heavily.  

“Tulelaith–  Tulelaith says we’re about to attack the Machalites.” 

Chapter Four 

Gill ran out of the forest and bolted towards Potámi. He could make it in time, right? He wasn’t looking where he was running, and almost ran into Gammal, the elderly Machalite leader. 

“Ahh, Gilleathain,” Gammal said. 

Gill cringed at the sound of his full name. “Yes, Gammal?” he asked. 

“I was wondering if you would make it out of the forest in one piece,” Gammal explained. “That’s why I sent Nilidh to fetch you.” 

Oh, Víz! Gill thought. Nilidh! He had left his friend in the forest all alone. He couldn’t tell Gammal. The leader might get mad at him, and nobody wanted a mad Gammal. 

“R-right,” Gill stammered, trying to think of an excuse. 

“Well, you run along now,” Gammal said. “I have duties to deal with.” 

Gammal walked off, and Gill let out a sigh of relief. That was easy. 

Gill ran to the edge of the forest to either wait for or rescue Nilidh. He heard rustling in the bushes and stood his ground, reaching for his bow. He would be ready to attack any Arrachtaigh if he needed to. 

As it turned out, it was Nilidh who emerged from the bushes, his arms and mouth stuffed with small blue berries. 

Gill exhaled sharply in frustration. “I thought you were dead! The Arrachtaigh could have killed you!” he exclaimed.  

Nilidh looked at the berries he was holding. “There were berries! I couldn’t leave berries! Besides, I am much faster than flesh eating chipmunk demons.” 

Gill sighed. Nilidh was like this. He constantly ate anything he could get his hands on. Yet, he was still as skinny as a twig. Gill never asked, though he had wanted to a few times. 

Nilidh looked around. “Do you want some berries? I have more than enough.” 

Gill glared at the ground as if it had insulted his authority. “Yeah, kind of,” he admitted. 

“Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well,” said a voice behind the boys. “If it isn’t Teacher’s Pet and Sir Eats-a-lot.” 

Gill and Nilidh turned around, but Gill didn’t have to see him to know who spoke. “Coinneach…….” Gill growled. 

The platinum blonde 18 year old stood by the entrance of Potámi, tossing a ripe, crisp apple in the air, and wearing an awful smug sneer on his face.  

“Well, Sir Eats-a-Lot,” Coinneach mocked. “Do you want the apple?” 

“Nilidh, don’t,” Gill said tiredly. 

Coinneach’s smirk grew wider. “What are you going to do, Teacher’s Pet?” 

Gill clenched his fists, seething with anger. He took a handful of berries from Nilidh, determined he was going to pelt that arrogant, conceited, self-absorbed jerk with the fruit until someone stopped him. In fact, he was about to, but Coinneach tossed his apple in the air once more, and an arrow shot through the clearing, catching the apple in midair and pinning it to a tree.  

Coinneach and Nilidh looked to Gill since he was one of the only Machalites trusted with a bow. Gill went up to the tree to inspect the arrow. 

“It’s not one of mine,” he observed. “It doesn’t even look like one…. of…………ours…….” 

Coinneach caught on first. 

“Soturi attack!” he shouted. “Everyone into the base!” 

Time seemed to blur as Gill was pushed into Potámi by the crowd of others patrolling the area. Coinneach entered last, securing the entrance behind him. Everyone was talking over one another, demanding an explanation, or expressing their confusion. Coinneach did a head count. A look of concern crossed his face. 

“Hey!” he shouted over the noise.  

Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. 

“There were supposed to be 14 people out on patrol, not including myself, Gill, or Nilidh. So, why do I only count 12?” 

Here you go, Gill. Go be a hero and save someone! Gill thought. He didn’t listen to what the others said. He rushed to the entrance of Potámi, bow in hand, unlocked it, and ran outside, hearing what might just be his last teasing from Coinneach. 

“Teacher’s Pet, WHAT do you think you’re DOING?” 

. . . . . . . 

The outside camp was swarming with Soturi. Gill quickly ducked into the bushes. He had to rescue who was left.  

When Gill was younger, he always wanted to impress everyone. Every single Machalite needed to see just how special he was. When he was ten years old, the day he got his bow, he learned the hard way that not everyone needed to be a hero. 

His right arm throbbed. 

No! He shouted at himself. Thinking will just make it worse. 

He trekked through the bushes, trying not to make a sound. Who could be stuck out here? He certainly didn’t pay attention to everyone who went inside, but he felt like he should know. 

Suddenly, he heard a yelp that sounded familiar. Gill rushed towards the sound to find one of the lost Machalites. 

Hazelnut colored skin, tall, young. It was Aashton, the youngest Machalite yet. He was only 14, but very skilled with a few daggers. He was confronted by a Soturi around Gill’s age. She had long auburn hair and fierce green eyes and a wicked sharp sword pointed right at Aashton.  

Gill stayed in the shadows. Aashton clearly saw him, but the girl didn’t. Sadly, one of her friends did. 

“Cairistine!” the other one shouted. She shot an arrow heading straight towards Aashton’s head as soon as the first girl turned around.  

Gill, not quite sure why he was moving, decided to tackle Aashton out of the way. Pain flared in his shoulder, and he looked to see that the arrow had grazed him pretty badly.  

Suddenly, out of the blue, the other lost Machalite appeared behind the second girl, pulled out his sword, and Gill squeezed his eyes shut, already nauseous from the pain in his arm.  

“Vuller!” the first girl shrieked. Gill heard her running off. 

After a few beats of silence, Aashton shook Gill’s good shoulder to get his attention. 

The other Machalite helped them up, and Gill immediately recognized him. Kòman, a shy, dark haired boy who Gill would have thought never in a million years would have actually killed someone. 

“I feel kind of bad now,” Kòman said, looking at his sword with a terrified expression.  

“Dude!” Aashton exclaimed. “You saved our lives!” 

“Not to be the pessimist here,” Gill groaned. “But you also probably sparked another reason for the Soturi to hate us.” 

Kòman sighed. “Yeah, probably.” 

They walked back to Potámi, careful to be quiet if there were more Soturi. But Gill couldn’t stop thinking about the one Soturi girl. The one who survived. It felt like she mattered. Or something. 

Gill wondered if she felt the same way about him. 

Chapter Five 

Cairistine scolded herself all the way back to Nëntokë. He was a Machalite. He was her sworn enemy. She was supposed to hate him. No matter how cute he was. No matter how important it felt like he was. Not knowing what to do, she filled herself with resentment and hatred towards the Machalite who killed Vuller. Well, not yet. Vuller was in awful shape, but still alive.  

“Hey.” Ailish waved her hand in front of Cairistine’s face. “You ok?” 

“Yeah,” Cairistine responded, looking at the ground. “Just…. worried about Vuller.” 

“All of us are.” Ailish muttered.  

The girls looked ahead, in the direction of the 6 strongest Soturi who were carrying the cot Vuller was in. 

“It must have been hard, seeing Vuller get injured,” Ailish said. “You must have wanted to help.” 

Cairistine clenched her fists. “The only thing I wanted to do was strangle that stupid Machalite as soon as he ran away!” she grimaced. 

The two walked in silence the rest of the way. 

. . . . . . . 

When Cairistine got to her room in Nëntokë, she collapsed on her bed.  

“Today was exhausting, wasn’t it?” Ailish said, stretching her arms. 

Cairistine only answer was a tired grunt. 

“I don’t think Tuilelaith is going to let us have dinner. She’ll probably be too busy helping Sile with Vuller.” Ailish sat on her own bed and yawned. 

Soon after, Cairistine fell asleep. 

Her dreams were filled with the ruby sword again. However, one dream stuck out like yellow on black. 

Cairistine was in a large forest at night, surrounded by trees. She walked further into the dense forest to discover a clearing. A clearing where a ginormous tree stood. It must have been 50 feet wide, but not very tall. When Cairistine looked at the air surrounding the tree, her breath caught in her throat. Tiny orbs of light bobbed around its vast canopy of leaves. Cairistine was at the Great Tree of Insight. It offered wisdom and understanding to anyone who sought it. But it was extremely hard to find. No one had ever seen it in person. And yet, here it was, seeming so real, Cairistine could almost touch it. She wanted to run back to dream Nëntokë and shout ‘I’ve found it! I know where it is! The Soturi can win the war!’. But she stayed put. She studied the tree’s bark. It was rough and brown, like normal trees, but with the orbs of light, it seemed to glow. Then she saw it. The ruby sword was stabbed in the very middle of the tree where there was a large indent that appeared to be the right size for a person to lie in. Cairistine walked to the sword, grasped it, and pulled it out. The tree shot blinding light everywhere. Cairistine squeezed her eyes shut. A few moments later, she heard heavy breathing. She opened her eyes to see the panicked, confused face of a girl with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Then, the girl vanished, and Cairistine was left to seeing darkness.  

“Cairistine…….” 

A voice floated in the darkness. It was calming, the darkness. It pulled Cairistine away from all her worries and expectations.  

Suddenly, she was bombarded with images she had never seen before. Her sitting with a Machalite. THE Machalite. Not the one who injured Vuller, or the one she found all alone, but the other one, who sacrificed his safety for the younger one. Gemella running away, sobbing. Sile, smiling, which was an extremely rare occurrence. Ailish, shouting at a group of people, another rare thing to see. And that blonde girl Cairistine saw just before, staggering tiredly out of the woods. 

Then everything returned to darkness again. 

“Carrie!”  

Cairistine woke up with a start. Ailish was shaking her shoulder. 

“W-what?” Cairistine mumbled. “What is it?” 

Ailish looked terrified. “Vuller.” 

. . . . . . . 

Sile stormed out of the infirmary. “If she’d stopped loosing blood, I could have saved her,” she groaned. 

Cairistine went numb. “Vuller’s dead?” 

“She died last night,” Sile explained. “I did everything I could!” It sounded like the last part was more to herself than to Cairistine and Ailish. 

Tuilelaith walked out of the infirmary as well. “There will be a burial at noon,” she said. The leader looked like she had been crying.  

Cairistine swallowed another sob. 
Tuilelaith’ s eyes filled with anger. “We will figure out another way to ambush the Machalites and to make them pay for what they have done.” 

That made Cairistine realize. If she hadn’t confronted the young Machalite, the other one wouldn’t have saved him. If the other didn’t save him, then Vuller wouldn’t have attacked them. And if Vuller hadn’t attacked them, the third one wouldn’t have showed up.  

Vuller’s death was Cairistine’s fault. 

A tear rolled down Cairistine’s face, and she shoved aside Sile and Ailish, ran through Nëntokë, and up to the surface to cry. 

That’s when she saw the ruby sword, lying in the grass. Not an illusion, not a dream. Completely real. 

Cairistine dried her eyes and knelt down. Ignoring what her instincts told her, she touched it, and a beam of light shot upward, and surrounded everything. When the light cleared, Cairistine wasn’t at Nëntokë anymore. And she wasn’t alone either. 

Chapter Six 

Gill was in the infirmary when he was zapped to a forest. 

Qullire, the Machalite’s healer, had been carefully bandaging Gill’s shoulder and muttering to himself, ‘What did you do?’ as a rhetorical question.  

“Qullire, really, I’m fine,” Gill had sighed. 

“No, you’re not!” Qullire had said. He had gestured to Gill’s shoulder. “Look at this! Do you know how deep of a wound this is?” He had taken off his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It’s not actually too deep, but it’s still a bad wound.”  

Gill had stood up off the stool he was sitting on and was about to leave the infirmary when he had seen a flash of light and was transported to somewhere else. 

Gill now found himself in a forested area in the middle of a group of four Soturi who looked just as confused as he was. There was the Soturi who had confronted Aashton. If Gill remembered right, her name was Cairistine. With her was two blonde girls, one of which who looked very displeased, and a girl with intensely curly red hair. Gill looked around. Thankfully, he wasn’t the only Machalite. With him was Nilidh, Aashton, Kòman, and… Gill sighed… Coinneach. 

“Where am I?!” the angry blonde shouted. “Cairistine! Where are we?!” 

A part of Gill wanted to defend Cairistine and yell at Angry Blonde. Cairistine wouldn’t know what had happened. 

Other Blonde beat him to it.  

“Cairistine wouldn’t know!” She turned to Cairistine. “R-right?” 

“Hey!” Gill interrupted. “I’d love to get answers, but can we introduce ourselves? Because I really don’t want to keep calling you Angry Blonde and Other Blonde in my head.” 

The girls all looked around, probably realizing it wasn’t just the Soturi. 

Cairistine’s eyes filled with anger when they locked on Kòman. In one flash of movement, Cairistine drew her sword, leapt at Kòman, and successfully pinned him down. 

“Woah!” Other Blonde yelped. “Carrie, what are you doing!?” 

“He’s the one who killed Vuller!” Cairistine snarled. 

Angry Blonde’s hand went to a belt around her waist, which was adorned with small bottles of plants. Other Blonde drew two long daggers. 

Kòman was not in a good position. He was lying on his back, with no apparent weapons, with four angry Soturi ready to attack him.  

Gill did a double take. Three. Three angry Soturi. Red-Head stood back, studying Koman’s face with so much focus. She wasn’t pulling out a weapon or joining the other girls. She simply stood and stared. 

Gill saw Kòman looking back at her with the same expression. 

Red-Head’s eyes went wide. “Stop!” she shouted at the other girls. 

Cairistine whipped around. “Gemella, he killed Vuller.” 

“Vuller was one of your closest friends!” Other Blonde finished. 

“Just-just stop!” Red-Head said again. 

Cairistine hesitated but let Kòman go. The other girls backed off. 

Kòman stood and walked slowly over to Red-Head. 

“I’ve seen you before,” he said carefully, as if he was still figuring out if that was true. 

Red-Head smirked. “You think?” 

A look of realization crossed Koman’s face. “No.” 

“Hi,” Red-Head said to him. 

“How?!” Kòman was starting to smile as well. 

Aashton cleared his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but I think I’m speaking for all of us when I say, what is going on?” 

Kòman shook his head. “It’s nothing.” 

Gill looked at the other Machalites. They all knew Kòman was the type of person who kept secrets. A lot. And never explained. 

But the Soturi started interrogating Red-Head. 

“Gemella, why would you defend him?” Angry Blonde asked. 

“Is there something we should know?” Other Blonde inquired. 

Cairistine just looked at Red-Head with betrayal in her eyes. 

Red-Head looked from Kòman to the Soturi. “Um,” she said. “Later.” 

The Soturi and Machalites stood in complete silence for a long while. 

Gill cleared his throat. “Hi,” he said. “I’m Gill. I’m going to introduce the other Machalites if you Soturi don’t mind.” He thought for a moment. “Please don’t try to kill us,” he added. “The small one is Aashton, the one constantly eating is Nilidh, the mysterious one is Kòman, and the self-absorbed jerk is Coinneach.” 

Coinneach scoffed. “I’m not self-absorbed! I’m quite humble, for your information!” 

Cairistine looked at the ground. “I’m Cairistine,” she said simply. 

The other girls introduced themselves.  

Red-Head was Gemella, Angry Blonde was Sile, and Other Blonde was Ailish.  

Gill looked around. “Well,” he said. “What are all of us doing here?” 

Cairistine looked up and at her friends. “It’s my fault. I saw the ruby sword and touched it.” 

Sile said, “What ruby sword?” at the same time Ailish asked, “It wasn’t an illusion?” 

“No,” Cairistine answered Ailish. “It was real.” 

“Is it this thing?” Nilidh asked unexpectedly, holding up a silver sword with a ruby hilt.  

“Yes,” Cairistine said, then it dawned on her. “Where was it?!” 

“On the ground,” Nilidh answered.  

Cairistine was about to snatch the sword from Nilihd’s hands, but Gemella got to it first.  

“If you touched it and it transported us here, then I don’t think you should touch it again,” she explained. 

“But” Coinneach said. “Why are we here? And where is here?” 

Aashton suddenly stumbled backwards, clutching his head. 

Gill automatically reached for his bow, even though there was no apparent danger. 

Coinneach steadied Aashton before the 14-year-old could fall.  

“Are you ok?” Coinneach asked. 

Aashton nodded slowly, but his eyes were now a sickly shade of yellow instead of their normal mahogany brown. 

Then he collapsed. 

Sile was the first to move. She pulled out long grass-looking leaves from a bottle on her belt, ripped them apart and pressed them to Aashton’s temples. 

She must be the Soturi’s healer. Gill thought. 

Aashton opened his eyes again and spoke. His voice sounded like 50 voices overlapping, but what he said was clear.  

“Enemies forced together, 

Trying to save the world from each other, 

Come forth right and swift, 

For only two weeks’ time you travel with. 

Save the world from an evil weight 

Or magic will take over and it will be too late. 

Join together two broken hearts, 

Family pride torn apart. 

By ending a feud, you save the world from doom. 

Do this before the final day at noon.” 

Aashton returned to normal. “Ow,” he whispered, touching his head again. 

“So,” Nilidh said. “We’re stuck together.” 

“And we have to save the world from bad magic,” Ailish continued. 

“And we have no idea how to do that,” Cairistine added. 

“And we have to do it within a week,” Coinneach said. 

“Or else everyone will die,” Kòman finished. 

“Wonderful,” Gill muttered. 

Chapter Seven 

And right on cue, it started raining. 

Sile helped Aashton lean against a tree and gave him something. 

“Eat this,” she instructed. 

“It looks like a grape,” Aashton remarked.  

“It is a grape.” 

“Why are you feeding me a grape?” 

Sile looked at the Machalite with challenging expression. “Are you questioning my healing abilities?” 

Aashton shook his head quickly, then winced in pain. 

“Then eat the grape,” Sile said. 

Aashton popped the fruit in his mouth, ending the conversation.  

Cairistine still couldn’t figure out why everyone already seemed to trust everyone else. The Soturi were in the presence of a murderer. And even worse, Gemella seemed to trust that murderer very well. Cairistine clenched her fists. She didn’t understand why the sword transported Machalites as well as Soturi. She was glad Ailish and Sile were with her, though. 

Cairistine pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked around. She saw Gemella talking to the murderer, Sile checking on Aashton, and the three other Machalites talking in hushed voices.  

Wait, she thought. Where’s Ailish? 

Cairistine walked away from the others and deeper into the forest.  

“Ailish?” she called. 

Soon enough, she found her friend. 

Ailish was sitting on the forest floor, her back against a tree. She seemed to be blinking back tears. 

“Ailish,” Cairistine said, catching her friend’s attention. “Are you ok?” 

Ailish looked up. “I—yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Cairistine sat down. “What’s wrong?” 

Ailish took a deep breath. “Everyone seems so trusting already. What if someone betrays us or—I don’t know.” 

Cairistine threw her hands in the air. “Thank you!” She noticed Ailish’s expression. “Sorry.” 

“Also, the prophecy that kid gave,” Ailish continued. “Have you ever heard of anything like that happening? Someone giving a prophecy, I mean.” 

“No,” Cairistine admitted. “That was kind of weird.” 

The two girls sat in silence for a long time. Cairistine kept thinking how they were going to go about this thing. She thought back to her dream about the tree. Did it have to do with Aashton’s prophecy? And if so, what? 

Out of the blue, a Machalite emerged out of the trees. It was the one Cairistine couldn’t stop thinking about. Gill? 

“Hey,” he said.  

Cairistine blushed, then quickly looked away. “What are you doing here, Machalite?” 

“Oh, just. Y- you know. Two people missing- and- and cryptic prophecy, not- not too good to go together….” 

Cairistine rolled her eyes. The Machalite kept rambling on and on.  

Cairistine stood up, and Gill stopped talking. “Why are you staring at me?” Cairistine asked, though it was a hypocritical question. But it wasn’t her fault that his dark blue eyes seemed to glow in the sunlight. 

“Why are you staring at me?” Gill retorted.  

Cairistine looked down. “I asked first.” 

“Ok, but I asked second, and 2 is the best number.” 

“What? Why?” 

“Because math. Do you want me to explain?” 

Cairistine scoffed. “Machalites,” she muttered to Ailish (but still loud enough for Gill to hear). “I’ll never get used to them.” 

Gill shoved Cairistine’s shoulder playfully. “C’mon! You’ll learn to love me!” 

Cairistine shoved him back, maybe a little too harder than she meant to. 

“Ow,” Gill whispered, taking a step back and rubbing his shoulder. 

Ailish stood up. “You know, you guys look like a couple when you do that.” 

Cairistine and Gill simultaneously turned bright red. Cairistine backed away very quickly. “No! No no no no no no no no no no no!” 

Gill just stood there.  

Cairistine dashed behind a tree and collapsed to the ground. 

“Gonna—back – bye!” Gill stammered, disappearing through the trees the way he came. 

Cairistine’s brain and heart were at war. Her heart shouted, Gill, come back! while her brain scolded, WHAT WAS THAT???  

Once Gill was gone, Ailish spun around towards Cairistine. She smirked evilly. 

Cairistine scowled. “Don’t you say anything!” 

“You…..” Ailish whispered. 

Cairistine shook her head fiercely.  

“Like…….” 

“Ailish!” 

“Him….. YOULIKEHIMYOULIKEHIMYOULIKEHIM!!!!!!!” 

Cairistine jumped up and clapped her hand over her friend’s mouth. “Shh!” she scolded. “These woods are not soundproof!” 

Ailish pushed Cairistine’s hand away. She looked at the ground and smiled. “I can’t believe that you—I mean, I think that I—no, this isn’t about—” She covered her mouth and squeaked excitedly. 

Cairistine sighed. “Wonderful,” she muttered to herself. She closed her eyes. 

“Carrie,” Ailish said. 

Cairistine sighed, not opening her eyes. “I’m not hearing anymore of your teasing!” 

“No. Carrie, look.” 

Cairistine opened her eyes and saw that Ailish was staring in awe at something floating in front of her. As Cairistine got a closer look, she saw that it was a tiny orb of light. It looked exactly like the ones in her dream of the Great Tree of Insight. “What is it?” Cairistine asked. 

“I have no idea,” Ailish replied. She reached out a finger to touch it, but it floated away into the sky before she could. 

Cairistine watched it fly away. 

“We—uh. We should probably get back to where the others are,” Ailish said, still in awe. 

“Yeah,” Cairistine agreed.  

As the two walked back, Cairistine couldn’t help thinking what the little light was. It was now getting early in the afternoon, so bright sunlight shown on everything that wasn’t blocked by trees. But the tiny orb had to have come from somewhere. 

However, Cairistine’s thoughts were abruptly stopped as she and Ailish entered the clearing where the others were and were greeted with chaos. 

Chapter Eight 

NIlihd was the type of person who cared about one thing at a time. And currently, three people disappearing was not that thing. It wasn’t his problem, why should he care? However, his thoughts of why the ruby sword was so special came to a stop when Gill walked to where the others were with a strange look on his face. 

“What happened to you?” Nilidh asked. 

Gill gulped. “Uhh.. nothing—fine.” 

Nilidh looked at him flatly. “Ya sure?” 

Gill rolled his eyes. “Well—nothing—need—know.” 

Nilidh picked at the bark of the tree he was leaning on. “Really, because you’re glitching again….” 

Gill crossed his arms, flustered. “No—not!” 

“Yes, you are.” Nilidh thought back to his friend’s weird quirk. When Gill was nervous, he glitched, or skipped words in his sentences. In his mind, he spoke fluently. But he didn’t. 

Nilidh studied Gill. “You’re also pale….and flushed……at the same time.” 

Gill looked at the ground and didn’t answer. 

Nilidh peered around some trees and saw two of the Soturi talking to each other. The nice blonde one, Ailish was saying something to the other one, whatever her name was. From what Nilidh could see, Ailish was saying something along the lines of ‘You like him,’ 

Nilidh looked back at Gill and smirked. “Oh. OHHHHHH!” 

“Don’t you dare say anything about this!” Gill muttered. 

Nilidh shrugged. “Nah, it’s fine. I–,” he stopped. 

Gill cocked an eyebrow. “You?” 

Nilidh stood silent for a few moments. Then he turned around and strode to the center of the clearing. “I’m hungry. Who brought the food?” He looked around and smiled, though it came from concern. “Wh- where’s the supplies?” 

Everyone went quiet. Nilidh froze. 

“Umm… nobody brought supplies,” Gemella muttered.  

Nilidh stared at the ground. Don’t shout in front of a large group of people! His conscience whispered. He didn’t listen to his conscience. 

“NO ONE BROUGHT SUPPLIIES!?”    

Gemella scoffed. “Well, no one knew we would get trapped here.” 

Nilidh glared at her. “That’s no excuse! No one had food on them ?” 

Coinneach avoided eye contact as he slowly pulled out an apple. 

4.  

4 seconds of dead silence. 

Nilidh leapt at Coinneach, shouting, “GIVE ME THE FOOD!” 

Coinneach kept the apple an arm’s length away from Nilidh. “NO! IT’S MY FOOD!” 

That’s when the apple seemed to fly across the clearing and into the trees, never to be found again. Nilidh turned to see Gill lowering his bow. 

“Now look what you made me do,” Gill said. “I just wasted our only source of food, and a perfectly good arrow.” 

Nilidh huffed and crossed his arms. He turned his head towards the trees and saw that amid the chaos with the apple, he didn’t notice Ailish and the other one come back into the clearing. 

Coinneach glared at Gill. “Teacher’s Pet, that was literally our only food!” 

Nilidh clenched his fists, letting anger pulse through him. “I will eat one of you if I have to!”  

“Guys?” Aashton said. 

Gill rolled his eyes. “Nilidh, you’re being dramatic. We’re not going to die because we lost an apple!” 

“Guys,” Aashton said. 

Nilihd didn’t say anything, and Gill glared at him. “Come on, there’s bound to be berries or something in this forest!” 

“Guys!” Aashton shouted. 

They all looked at him. 

Aashton looked at his hands. “I’m glowing.” 

Sure enough, small particles of light surrounded him. Aashton himself seemed to be emanating light. 

“The orbs of light look like what we saw in the forest,” Ailish said to the other one. 

“You saw what  in the forest?” Gill yelped. 

Aashton shuddered and his eyes began to glow. 

Nobody moved. No one spoke. They just watched as Aashton stood still. When his eyes returned to normal, he looked at Kòman and Gemella. “You’re twins?” he said.  

Chapter Nine 

Gemella’s face paled. How did Aashton figure it out? What had just happened?  

Everyone was staring at her and Kòman.  

“What?” Gill said. 

Kòman looked at the ground and Gemella glared at him. “Oh, so it’s up to me to explain this? Thank you ever so much.” Gemella sighed. “I guess we aren’t getting away from explaining.” She closed her eyes, memories filling her mind. “Yes. We are twins. It’s a long story. But I guess it starts in the city of Easton, a city that’s probably somewhere near here—” 

“Wait!” Gill stopped her. “You know where we are?” 

Gemella shrugged. “Not really. It just feels familiar.” 

Koman’s voice was barely a whisper. “Gem, we’ve been here before……” 

“Gem?” Sile asked.  

When Kòman looked up at Sile, he blushed. “Uh… yeah. Nickname.” 

“Can you continue with your guys’ depressing backstory?” Cairistine asked. 

“Oh, right,” Gemella said. “So, in Easton, every married couple raises children. Then, when their kids are old enough, they get put on their respective side of the war. 

Sile’s eyes went wide. “There’s a city that’s near here………that ISN’T IN THE WAR!!???” 

Gemella and Kòman nodded simultaneously. 

Gemella turned to Kòman. “What do you mean, we’ve been here before?” 

Kòman looked down. “This is where—” his voice broke, and he cleared his throat. “Where we were when we were taken.” 

Gemella inhaled sharply. Memories flooded her mind. She remembered her and her brother collecting twigs. Then the warriors came out from behind trees and bushes. The Machalites took Kòman and the Soturi took Gemella. It had been so long ago. She and Kòman had just been little kids. 

“The only thing that trips me up,” Ailish said. “is the fact that you two look nothing alike. Well, except for your height maybe.” 

“Yeah,” Gill agreed. “It’s the hair color that throws it off.” 

Kòman messed with his jet black hair. “To be honest, yeah, it’s kind of weird why it’s so different.” 

Ailish crossed her arms with a pensive look. “Like, if you two were characters in a book, and the author made your characters, and halfway through plotting the book, decided you would secretly be twins, but the author didn’t want to change your appearance.” 

Everyone looked at her.  

She shrugged. “Just a thought.” 

Gemella turned to Kòman. “You’re right. This is where we—” 

“I’m sorry!” Nilihd interrupted. “Are we just going to completely ignore the fact that Aashton just combusted into light, and then spouted a secret that literally no one else knew?” 

“That’s the definition of a secret, Sir Eats-A-Lot,” Coinneach muttered. 

“SHUT UP COINNEACH!” Nilihd shouted. 

Kòman stepped closer to Gemella. “Nilihd has two emotions,” he whispered to her. “Dry cement and rage.” 

Gemella snorted a laugh. 

“Seriously!” Nilihd said. “What just happened?” 

Aashton stepped back. “I don’t really know what happened myself.” 

 “Wonderful!” Cairistine shouted. “If you don’t know, then how are we supposed to!?” 

“I don’t know!” Aashton snapped back. “I was just saying, so that if you asked me anything, you would know that I don’t know!” 

Nilihd crossed his arms. “Well, that’s not helpful!” 

“You think I don’t know that!?” 

Gill threw his hands in the air. “Ok! Everyone! Listen!” 

Everybody went quiet and looked at him.  

Gill exhaled sharply. “Just listen.” He closed his eyes for a few moments. “As much as it pains me to say this, Nilihd is right. We’re all hungry and need food. We’re all tired and confused and Machalites and Soturi aren’t typically forced to interact with each other.” He opened his eyes again. “No offense.” 

Gemella had to admit it. She was hungry and tired, and it frayed her nerves. “Why would that offend anyone?” 

Gill’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know! I was just trying to be polite BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT’S NOT WORKING!” 

“Well, I for one, am leaving!” Sile shouted. 

“What?” Kòman asked.  

Coinneach scoffed and rolled his immaculate blue eyes. “Typical Soturi. Fight, loose, plot, fight again, loose again, plot some more.”  

If looks could kill, Sile would have slaughtered Coinneach. “What did you say?” 

Coinneach looked at her flatly. “Oh, come on. The Machalites have picked up on the Soturi’s ‘battle tactic’. You fight us, then you retreat. Then you ‘plan’ to fight us again.” 

Ailish clenched her fists. “Well maybe the Soturi retreat because the Machalites are too wimpy to fight!” 

“How would you know that?” Coinneach retaliated. “Are you the leader?” 

Sile stepped between them. “I’m not talking about going back to the Soturi, I’m talking about leaving the war entirely!” 

That got everyone’s attention. The only sound was the slight breeze rustling the tree leaves.  

Sile glared at Gemella. “You said there’s a city that’s not in the war? I think I might go join that city.” 

“Sile, you can’t!” Cairistine protested. “You’re a healer! What if Aashton passes out again or what if someone else gets hurt or—” 

“Then it’s your problem!” Sile snapped. “Maybe then you’ll see how it feels to spend seven years studying plants and herbs and ‘natural’ remedies, and for it to be all for nothing, because every person you try to save either ends up dead or worse than they were before!” 

Everyone was speechless. 

Sile sighed. “Cairistine?” 

“Yeah?” 

Sile looked at the ground. “Tell Tuilelaith that the Soturi need a new healer.” 

Then she turned around and walked out of the clearing, into the trees and what Gemella thought was the general direction of Easton. 

Chapter Ten 

“Well, that just happened….” Gill said. 

Cairistine stared at the ground. “I can’t believe……” 

A minute of silence passed. No one spoke. 

“No one’s going to stop her!?” 

Gill looked up, startled at the person who spoke. “Wh-wha?” 

Kòman narrowed his eyes. “No one’s going after her?” he repeated. 

Ailish looked ahead. “She made her decision. It’s her choice if she ever wants to come back.” 

Coinneach opened his mouth to say something, but Cairistine turn on him. 

“This is all your fault!” she shouted. 

“My fault? What did I do!?” 

Cairistine looked astonished. “What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO!?” 

Coinneach stood up straighter. 

Cairistine reached for the hilt of her sword. “You cannot say it isn’t obvious! YOU ARE A JERK! NO ONE LIKES YOU!!!” 

Coinneach unsheathed two throwing stars, which Gill had completely forgotten he had. “Oh, like you’re one to talk! You almost killed Shorty- er- Aashton!” 

Cairistine drew her sword. “You DID kill Vuller!” 

“I didn’t!” 

All eyes turned to Kòman. 

Kòman looked betrayed. “We are in the midst of a war!” he shouted. “Lives are going to be lost! And if you don’t remember, this Vuller person injured Gill!” 

Gill gingerly touched his bandaged shoulder. How had he forgotten about his own injury? 

“Death is worse than injury!” Ailish yelled. 

Gemella stepped in front of Kòman. “Sile said Vuller died of blood loss!” 

Ailish clenched her fists. “And how did she start losing blood in the first place!?” 

Aashton’s yelp of pain shut everybody up. 

He staggered next to the tree he had been sitting by, his hands at his temples. 

“Aashton, are you ok?” Gill asked. 

Aashton’s breathing shallowed and he collapsed to his hands and knees. 

“This is exactly why Sile shouldn’t have left!” Cairistne shouted. 

Gill rushed to the young Machalite’s side. “What’s wrong? What’s happening?” 

Aashton looked up at Gill, his eyes an eerie, glowing purple. 

“That’s not normal,” Gill said warily. 

“Thank you ‘Master of the Obvious’!” Nilihd snapped. 

Gill stood up and turned on Nilihd. “Speak for yourself, Mr. ‘Is this the sword?’!” 

“Stop!” Aashton said. 

Gill turned back to him. Aashton’s voice sounded overlapped, like when he had given the prophecy. 

Aashton eyes glowed brighter. “Stop fighting!”  

Then his eyes turned black. “No.” His voice was deeper than usual. “No, let me feed on it!” 

Gill took a nervous step back. 

Aashton’s eyes glowed purple again. “Stop! While you still can!” 

The purple light went out of his eyes like a candle being blown out, and he collapsed, unconscious. 

Gill looked warily at everybody in the clearing. 

“Um,” Nilihd said. “How is it already sunset?” 

Gill blinked. “What?” 

Nilihd pointed through the trees.  

Most of the leaves and branches blocked it out, but sure enough, the soft, orange light was visible, and the sky was dimming. 

“How?” Kòman asked. “Wasn’t it noon, like, 2 minutes ago?” 

“Viz!” Nilihd said. “That means I missed lunch!” 

Gill looked at his friend incredulously. “Aashton was just……I don’t know, possessed? And you’re thinking about food!?” 

Nilihd bit his lip. He put on a steely expression. “I’m going to go look for berries in the forest.” 

Gill narrowed his eyes. “I’m the one who sug—” 

Aashton shuddered in his sleep. 

Gill took a deep breath, remembering how freaked out Aashton had been about fighting. “Fine,” Gill told Nilihd. “Go.” 

Nilihd walked out of the clearing without another word. 

“Well,” Coinneach said. “We’re going to be here all night, so we better set up camp.” 

Cairistne opened her mouth to say something, but Coinneach glared at her. “By that,” he said. “I mean build a fire, so we don’t freeze to death.” 

Finally, everybody agreed on something. 

. . . . . . . 

Gill couldn’t sleep.  

After the sun had set and everyone else dozed off -Soturi on one side of the clearing, Machalites on the opposite- Gill quietly snuck into the forest. 

He found a tree with a thick trunk and shot an arrow. It hit the tree with a muffled ‘klunk’. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked himself. 

“Shooting arrows at a tree,” he answered. 

He sighed. “But why are you HERE? Why did you get dragged into this crazy quest?” 

He shot another arrow. “I don’t know. But…. yeah, what do I have to offer?” 

Another arrow into the tree. 

“Cairistine was the one who started this whole thing. She touched the magical sword. Ailish can fight with daggers and will probably do something productive.” 

Another arrow. 

“Gemella and Kòman were meant to reunite. Sile left. Nilihd and Coinneach—ugh! They’re practically useless!” 

A fourth arrow. 

Gill spotted movement in the bushes. A small rabbit quivered under the leaves. Gill knocked an arrow. This could make up for the deer he missed the other day. 

“Not to mention everything happening with Aashton….” he whispered. 

He closed one eye, aimed carefully, and— 

“Gill?” 

“Gah!” Gill flinched, startled. The rabbit bounded away, and the arrow struck the ground. 

“Darn it!” he said, throwing his bow to the ground. He turned around. “Aashton!” 

Aashton stood a few feet away from Gill. 

“Everything ok?” Gill asked, turning towards the tree he’d shot at. 

“I needed to talk……” Aashton said. “And I thought I should find you. You’ve always treated me like a little brother.” 

Gill nodded and yanked two arrows out of the tree bark. “What’s up?” 

Aashton took a breath and sat down. 

Gill tried pulling the third arrow out of the tree, but it stuck. 

“I think……” Aashton said. “I think……something’s wrong……with me.” 

Gill dropped his hands from the arrow and looked at Aashton. “What makes you say that?” 

Aashton put his arms around his legs and stared at the ground. “Come on. All the glowing stuff? The prophecy? What happened a few hours ago?” 

Gill sat down next to Aashton. “You’re positive nothing like that has ever happened before?” 

Aashton shook his head. “Although……” 

Gill looked at him expectantly, waiting for more. 

Aashton closed his eyes. “I have had strange dreams.” 

“Oh?” 

“Gill, have you heard of the Great Tree of Insight?” 

Gill’s eyes went wide. “You’ve been having dreams of the tree?” 

Aashton opened his eyes and nodded. “Basically, I’m at the tree, and it’s hollowed out. So, I go inside it, and then it glows yellow. And then I wake up.” 

Gill looked ahead. “Strange.” 

Aashton nodded again. “And a few hours ago, when I passed out, I had the same dream. But one thing was different. Instead of the tree glowing yellow, it was purple.” 

“Like your eyes,” Gill muttered. 

Aashton cocked an eyebrow. “My eyes were glowing?” 

“You didn’t know that?” 

“No!” 

Gill thought for a minute, then gasped. “Your eyes were glowing yellow when you gave the prophecy and when you figured out Kòman and Gemella were twins. Does that have anything to do with……” 

Aashton shuddered. “I don’t know.” Aashton closed his eyes again and took a breath. A silent tear slid down his face. “Gill, I just………. I want to be done with this. I want to home.” 

Gill put his arm around Aashton’s shoulder. “I promise you. I’ll get you home.” 

Chapter Eleven 

Cairistine woke up early in the morning, before all the others. At least, that’s what she thought. As she looked around, pleased that all the Soturi were accounted for (minus Sile), Cairistine noticed that the Machalites were not. Gill and Nilihd were nowhere to be seen. Cairistine’s eyes passed over Koman and she filled with anger. She couldn’t believe that Gemella had never told her that she had a twin. And a part of the Machalites no less! And he had killed Vuller!  

What Koman had said last night rang in Cairistine’s mind. ‘We’re in the midst of a war! Lives are going to be lost!’. Cairistine caught herself wondering how many Machalites the Soturi had killed. How many her friends had killed. The annoying blonde Machalite was right. If Gill hadn’t shown up, Cairistine could have killed Aashton.  

A sick feeling twisted in her stomach. She hadn’t killed anyone before. Would it have been worth it? She and Aashton were innocent, being forced to do stuff their whole lives. Everyone was innocent! Gemella, Ailish, and Gill, Nilihd, Coinneach, and even Koman. Why were they doing this? Who was the real conflict between? 

A rustle from behind Cairistine pulled her from her thoughts. She stood up, walked close to the edge of the clearing, and almost smacked into Gill, who bolted from the trees. Nilihd ran into the clearing simultaneously, from the opposite direction. 

“What’s going on?” Cairistine asked, backing up.  

Some of the other Soturi and Machalites were starting to wake up. 

Ailish rubbed her eyes. “Wha-?” 

Gill was panting heavily. “We all need to run for our lives!” he said. “Either that, or hide as quick as we can, because–” 

Nilihd cut Gill off. “I found berries!” 

Gill looked at Nilihd incredulously. After a few seconds of silence, Gill said, “Scratch that, we’re sacrificing Nilihd.” 

“What!?” Ailish and Nilihd said at the same time. 

Nilihd turned on Gill. “But……berries!” 

Gill glared at Nilihd. “THE WORLD DOSEN’T REVOLVE AROUND FOOD!” he shouted. 

Coinneach smiled thinly. “I love drama,” he muttered.  

Gill and Nilihd looked at him.  

Coinneach raised an eyebrow. “Why’d you stop? Keep going!” 

Cairistine glared at Coinneach. She was disliking him more by the second. 

Gemella stood up. “Gill, why do we have to run?” 

“And why are we sacrificing Nilihd?” Ailish added. 

Gill took a deep breath. “Arrachtaigh.” 

All the Machalites shot to their feet. Aashton unsheathed two daggers. Coinneach immediately had his throwing stars at the ready. Koman’s hand went to his side, hovered for a second, then his face fell. “I don’t have a weapon!” 

“Arrachtaigh?” Cairistine repeated. “Is that, like, a codeword?” 

The Machalites looked at her.  

“You don’t know what—” Nilihd began. 

Gill cut him off. “Ok.” He made eye contact with each Soturi. When his eyes landed on Cairistine’s, she blushed and looked away. 

“Arrachtaigh,” Gill continued. “are extremely dangerous. When I say ‘run’, you will all run. Out of this clearing. As fast as you can. Like your life depends on it. Because it does. And you don’t stop unless someone gets bitten.” 

Ailish looked confused. “What? Why–?” 

The bushes behind Gill rustled. “Never mind!” he said quickly. “I’ll explain later! Run!” 

Coinneach took off first, then Gill. Cairistine followed. 

She quickly caught up with Gill. “Why are we running? Why are they so dangerous?” she asked between breaths. 

Gill looked ahead. “Arrachtaigh are venomous, flesh-eating, chipmunk resembling demons.” 

Cairistne ran faster, hoping against hope that her friends were behind her. 

“They look like spiky chipmunks,” Gill continued. “and they have huge fangs that release a deadly toxin when in contact with human blood.” 

Cairistine’s eyes went wide. “And you said they eat flesh?” 

“Oh yeah, that too.” 

Cairistine shrieked as she looked to her right and saw one of the demons in question running beside her. She looked back and saw over a dozen more trailing the others.  

Nilihd and Ailish ran side by side, Ailish brandishing a dagger at the little monsters, though that probably didn’t do anything to ward them off. Aashton was behind them, daggers in hand. Gemella and Koman were last. To Cairistine’s relief, everyone looked ok, if not a little shaken.  

Coinneach fell back to come up on Gill’s left. 

“We don’t have to be running!” Coinneach said to Gill. “Let me go back! I can take some toxic gremlins!” 

“Oh please!” Gill shouted. “You wouldn’t know toxin if it came up and bit you!” 

Almost on cue, Gemella screamed bloody murder. Cairistine’s heart froze, and her stomach dropped. 

Everyone stopped running and whipped around, expecting to see her writhing in pain. But much to their surprise, it was Kòman who was collapsed on the ground.  

No one was more terrified than his sister. 

“We need Sile!” Ailish said.  

“But she left,” Cairistine said. “How would we—” 

“I’m going to get her,” Ailish snapped.  

“I’m coming with you.” Nilihd said. 

Ailish backed away. “Nilihd, it’s too dangerous. Sile could be halfway to the city by now and—” 

“That wasn’t a question. I’m coming with you,” Nilihd insisted. 

Ailish didn’t object, and the two ran off. 

Koman’s eyes were already glazed over. “Oh…. wow,” he said wearily. “That’s……ow!” 

“It’s still on him!” Gemella screamed. 

Gill ran over and, using his bow, smacked the hideous creature off Koman’s leg. 

All the other Arrachtaigh had seemingly disappeared. Cairistine took her eyes off Koman and saw why. 

Aashton was glowing yellow again. The aura around him shone brighter as Gemella helped Koman to his feet. 

Aashton smiled, but it wasn’t creepy, or insincere, like the night before. It was a genuine smile. “And so it begins!” he said. His eyes returned to normal, and he stopped glowing. But just like when he gave the prophecy, and figured out about Gemella and Koman, he didn’t pass out. 

Koman’s knees buckled, and he fell to the ground again. The wound on his leg wasn’t bleeding. That made Cairistine shudder. 

“Are you ok?” Gemella asked her brother. 

Koman smiled. “Yeah. I’m fine! I—” He blinked quickly and shook his head. “I’m fine…… is Gill’s bow supposed to be on fire?” 

Gill looked at his bow, which was, in fact, not in flames. “You’re hallucinating,” Gill said. “That’s not a good sign.” 

“No,” Koman said. “Listen, I—” He coughed and took a shaky breath. “Wow. That’s…. painful.” 

Gemella knelt next to Koman. “Gill, do you know how long it takes Arrachtaigh toxin to……” she trailed off. 

Gill shook his head guiltily. “I don’t know exactly. But, a while. He’ll be ok if Sile gets here soon.” 

“My ears are burning,” said a voice behind them. 

Cairistine turned around. “Sile!” 

The Soturi healer stood with Nilihd and Ailish behind her. 

“How did you get here so fast?” Cairistine asked. 

Sile looked at the ground. “I hadn’t actually left yet. I spent the night in the forest.” She looked around. “Now, who’s in danger?” She glared at Nilihd and Ailish. “All these bozos told me is ‘come quick, we need you!’.” 

Cairistine and Gill both gestured to Koman. 

Sile’s eyes went wide, and she drew in a quick breath. “What happened?” 

Coinneach looked at her flatly. “Well, since it seems that Soturi don’t know what Arrachtaigh are—” 

“Arrachtaigh!?” Sile shouted. She smacked her forehead. “No no no no no! Are you kidding me!?” 

“Sile?” Cairistine said. “What is it?” 

Sile dropped to Koman’s side. Koman was practically unresponsive, staring at the ground. Sile snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. He only reacted after a few seconds, drawing in a breath and blinking. 

Sile huffed. “Slowed reflexes, unresponsive state.” She looked up. “Has he shown any signs of hallucinating?” 

Gill nodded. “He thought my bow was on fire.” 

Sile stood up and closed her eyes. “Wonderful,” she whispered. She helped Koman stand up. “Can you walk?” 

Koman took one step and passed out. 

Sile sighed. “I have bad news and I have worse news.” 

“Is he dead!?” Gemella shrieked. 

“No. He’s not dead.” 

“What’s the bad news?” Gill asked. 

Sile turned Koman so that he was lying on his back, then stood up and faced Gill. “I don’t have an anti-venom with me.” 

Everyone went quiet. 

Cairistine’s mind was racing. A healer? Not being prepared to heal? 

“And the worse news?” Coinneach asked hesitantly. 

Sile closed her eyes. “It’ll take me a week at most to make one.” 

Gemella let out a choked sob. 

“He’ll survive until then, right?” Cairistine asked. 

Sile didn’t answer. She turned back towards Koman. “You should continue on your quest. You only have 2 weeks.” 

“No!” Gemella shouted. “Leave my brother? He might die!” 

“I know,” Sile said. “I understand that you’re worried, but you really should go.” 

Gemella opened her mouth to say something, but Cairistne put a hand on her shoulder. “Gemella, Sile’s right. We don’t have much time to do this. Whatever it is we have to do.” 

Gemella took a shaky breath. “Ok.” 

Cairistine looked to Ailish and the Machalites. “C’mon. Let’s go.” 

The group walked further into the trees, leaving Sile and Koman on their own. 

Chapter Twelve 

“He’s going to die, he’s going to die, he’s going to die, he’s going to die!” Gemella sobbed. 

The group had found another clearing to take shelter in after they had spotted a few more Arrachtaigh.  

Ailish knelt next to Gemella. “Gemella, he’s going to be ok. Sile is going to fix him.” 

Gemella shook her head. “You heard what Sile said before she left! She can’t heal anyone!” She looked at the ground with emptiness in her eyes. “I just got him back and I’m going to lose him again…”  

Gill looked up at the sky, nervousness twisting into a knot in his stomach. “Guys, we really need to figure out what to do about this prophecy…” 

Coinneach crossed his arms and scowled. “Who made you the leader?” 

“No one!” Gill mumbled. ‘I mean-, I’m just—” 

“He’s just saying that we should do something soon!” Cairistine shot. 

Gill looked at her, surprised. 

Cairistine was silent, then she went back to soothing Gemella. 

Gill’s mind was racing. Why had Cairistine defended him? Didn’t she hate him? Should he thank her? He blinked and shook his head. Stupid feelings. 

“Gill’s right,” Aashton piped up. “I have a feeling something important is going to happen soon.” 

Gemella shook Cairistine and Ailish off her and stood up. “W-what if-,” she stammered. “What if the prophecy will help Koman!? What if we fulfill it and he’s saved?!” A hint of a hopeful smile shown on her face. 

Aashton shrugged. “The prophecy didn’t really mention anyone getting saved…” 

Gemella’s face fell.  

Cairistine stood up. “Well, what does the prophecy say? What do we know?” 

Gill thought for a minute. “‘Enemies forced together, trying to save the world from each other’. That’s obviously us, the Machalites and Soturi.” 

Ailish caught on. “‘Come forth right and swift. For only two weeks’ time you travel with’. That’s saying that we have two weeks to do whatever is needed, right?” 

Aashton nodded. “‘Save the world from an evil weight or magic will take over and it will be too late’. That’s pretty self-explanatory.” 

Coinneach spread out his hands. “But we don’t know what this ‘evil weight’ even is.” 

“Magic,” Aashton replied almost immediately.  

Everyone looked at him.  

He flicked his eyes to the ground. “Evil magic.” 

“How do you know that?” Gill asked. 

Aashton didn’t answer immediately. “I don’t know. I just do. Evil magic is trying to envelop the world and we need to stop it.” 

Ailish clenched her fists. “And where was this information a day ago!?” 

Aashton backed away. “I- I don’t know! I just figured it out now!” 

Gemella broke the two up with her gasp. “The next line of the prophecy is ‘Join two broken hearts, family pride torn apart’. That’s got to be Koman and I, right!?” 

Cairistine started pacing. “Maybe Gemella’s right. Maybe we had to reunite her and Koman and then the war will be stopped?” 

“No.” Nilihd finally spoke up. “If that were the case, then the war would be over right now.” 

Cairistine shrugged. “We’re stranded in the forest. How do we know if it’s over or not?” 

“Both of your ideas are wrong,” Aashton said. “It can’t be Gemella and Koman. If the sword transported them both to the same place, the prophecy wouldn’t give us two weeks.” 

“Besides,” Coinneach added. “The next line is ‘by ending a feud, you save the world from doom’.” He turned to Gemella. “You and Hermit- er- Koman haven’t argued once since we got here.” 

A desolate look crossed Gemella’s face. “N- no. It has to be about him. He has to survive!” 

Cairistine put a hand on Gemella’s shoulder. “And I’m sure he will.” 

Gill raised both his hands. “Let’s all take a breather and try to think about what to do.” 

After a few minutes of silence, Aashton spoke. “I know what we need to do.” He stood up and closed his eyes. “I know how to find it!” 

Gill cocked an eyebrow. “Find what?” 

Aashton grinned. “The Great Tree of Insight!” 

. . . . . . . 

“What!?” Coinneach shouted. “But that’s a myth!” 

Aashton smiled wider. “No! It really exists! And I know exactly where it is!” 

Gill put his hands on Aashton’s shoulders. “How do you know this?” 

Aashton hesitated. “I don’t know exactly, but I think…” He paused. “I think it has something to do with the prophecy.” 

Cairistne stood up. “Which part? What line?” 

Aashton shook his head. “Not like that. My powers. My glowing eyes!” He stepped away from Gill and looked hopefully at everyone. “I think the tree has the answer.” 

“Great,” Nilihd said. “So………where is it?” 

Aashton closed his eyes again and touched his temples as if he had a headache. “East.” 

Coinneach held up his hands. “Wait, how do you know this? How are you getting this information?” 

Aashton shrugged again. “Something inside me is………giving me insight. I don’t know who or what, but it’s helping tremendously.” 

Ailish finally spoke up. “Like a gut instinct?” 

“No,” Aashton said, pondering. “Like, hidden information that I always had, but never realized.” 

Coinneach narrowed his eyes. “So, we’re basing everything we’re doing off of Shorty’s ‘hidden knowledge’!?” 

Gill was shocked. “Do you have any other plan? This is our only lead!” 

Coinneach clenched his fists. “Then I’m leaving! You can figure this out on your own!” 

Ailish scoffed. “You said Sile was weak for leaving and now you want to do the same!?” 

Coinneach glared at her. “I’m not weak. I’m going back to the Machalites.” 

Gemella stood up. “No! No one else is leaving!” 

“YES, I AM!” Coinneach shouted.  

Before anyone else could protest, he bolted from the clearing into the trees. 

Cairistine spread her hands. “Anyone else planning to leave!?” When no one answered, she put her hands back down. “Good. We’re already dropping like flies.” 

. . . . . . . 
Seriously, Gill needed something from Sile to make him sleep.  

He volunteered to keep watch in case they ran into any other Arrachtaigh or other creatures. After everyone else had fallen asleep, he sat by the fire they had lit, stocking it, and looking into the trees for any threats. 

He sighed to himself. Why was he chosen for this quest? Of all the people in the Machalites, why him? Why couldn’t it have been someone useful, like Qullire? Then there would be two healers. Gill brought nothing to the group. He was a cowered who couldn’t keep his own emotions in check.  

He looked over at the sleeping form of Cairistine. She was a fighter, an indispensable warrior. She was everything. 

Gill blinked. Why was he thinking like this? He needed to focus on where he was right now. He closed his eyes and took a breath. He needed to do something to get his mind off his self-pity. 

He walked into the trees, looking for anything that posed a threat. He found a squirrel sitting on a tree branch. 

Gill stopped and drew his bow quietly. If he could catch the squirrel, maybe he could prove he was valuable to the group.  

He knocked an arrow, then paused. The last few times he had tried to hit something, someone caught him off guard and he lost his aim. 

He looked around. “Anyone lurking in the shadows?” 

No one answered. 

He rolled his eyes. “Good. Now I’m just talking to plants.” 

Gill knocked his arrow again and aimed at the squirrel in the tree. He pulled his arm back and- 

“Hey, Teacher’s Pet.” 

This time, Gill aimed correctly, but the sound startled the squirrel, and it bolted down the branch, out of range from the arrow. 

Gill straightened and took a few deep breaths. He turned around to glare at Coinneach. 

Coinneach smirked. “Oh, sorry. Did I scare away your catch?” 

Gill clenched his jaw. Coinneach always knew how to get on Gill’s nerves. Coinneach wanted a reaction. It was best if Gill said nothing.  

But that was so hard. Gill wanted more than anything to punch Coinneach in his stupid, stuck up face and— 

“Gill? Coinneach?” 

Gill turned around. “Aashton?” 

Coinneach turned too. “Shorty?” 

Aashton stood, looking confused at Coinneach and Gill. “Why are you out here?” 

Gill cocked an eyebrow. “Why are you out here?” 

Aashton shrugged. “I heard a noise and went to investigate.” 

Gill nodded. “That was probably me, talking to plants.” 

Aashton and Coinneach looked at him. 

Gill sighed. “I have problems.” He turned on Coinneach. “But what about you? Why are you out here? I thought you said you were leaving!” 

Coinneach frowned and looked at the ground. “I did.” 

Gill narrowed his eyes. “So why are you back?” 

Coinneach glared at Gill. “I couldn’t leave.” 

Gill chuckled wryly. “What, you ‘missed your friends’?” 

Coinneach huffed. “No, I. Couldn’t. Leave.” 

Aashton tilted his head. “What do you mean?” 

Coinneach sighed. “It’s best just to show you…” 

. . . . . . . 

Coinneach led Gill and Aashton to what seemed like the edge of the forest. 

Gill looked flatly at Coinneach. “What is here that is so special you couldn’t leave?” 

Coinneach rolled his eyes. “Try.” 

Aashton looked at him. “What?” 

Coinneach gestured to where the trees dissipated. “Try to leave. Try to walk through the trees and leave.” 

Gill glared at Coinneach. “Try to prove you wrong? Gladly!” 

Coinneach crossed his arms. “Go on, Teacher’s Pet.” 

Gill clenched his fists and walked to the very edge of the trees. He hesitated, then ran.  

It felt like running into a stone wall. A flash of blue surrounded the outside of the trees, forming a dome miles wide above the boys. 

Gill rubbed his shoulder. “We……can’t leave.” 

Aashton stepped forward and put his hand against the blue barrier. “The forest forbids it.” 

Gill gave Aashton a confused look. “What do you mean?” 

Aashton looked up. “The trees say they can’t let us go. Not yet. We have to fulfill the prophecy.” 

Gill’s eyes went wide. “The trees…… say?” 

Coinneach sighed. “We have to save the world before we can leave!? How are we supposed to do that!?” 

Gill turned on Coinneach. “That’s what you’re focusing on!? AASHTON CAN TALK TO TREES!” 

Aashton grabbed Gill’s arm. “You can’t hear them?” 

Concern filled Gill’s mind. “No, Aashton, we can’t.” 

Aashton looked down. “Oh,” he whispered, barely audible. 

Gill sighed. “It’s ok.” 

Coinneach narrowed his eyes. “No, it isn’t! We’re stuck in this stupid forest because of stupid magic and the stupid prophecy and this stupid, stupid—” 

Gill glared at Coinneach. “Chill.” He looked at Aashton. “We’ll figure this out, ok?” 

Aashton nodded, then blinked, recoiling. His hands went to his temples. “Wh—what?”  

Before Gill could get a chance to catch him, the boy collapsed. 

“No!” Gill said. “No! Not right now! This is the least convenient of times!” 

Coinneach stood over Aashton. “Something’s wrong.” 

Gill resisted the urge to shout. “Can you tell what it is?” 

Coinneach took a step back. “I …. I don’t know. It’s just…… something’s off.” He looked up at the night sky covered by trees. “It’s like when Aashton’s eyes went purple.” 

Almost on cue, Aashton stood straight up and grinned maliciously. His eyes were jet black, no sign of color anywhere in them. He chuckled, then looked straight at Gill. “You’re running out of time, little heroes.” 

Aashton’s eyes returned to their normal brown and he fell into Gill’s arms. 

Gill looked at Coinneach and for once didn’t want to punch him in the face. 

Coinneach’s expression reflected Gill’s exactly. Stone cold terror. 

Chapter Thirteen 

Sile took a deep breath. “Ok,” she said to herself. She stared at the ground. “How the heck am I going to do this!?” 

Koman shifted in his sleep. 

Sile frowned. It hurt, seeing him in pain. She hadn’t even known him for a week, and she already felt as if he was one of her closest friends. 

She paused. Tuilelaith had once told Sile about a feeling called love. 

Was this it? 

Sile blinked. She couldn’t be thinking about this now. She had to help Koman. 

Sile stood up and paced the forest floor. “I need mixture of burdock, yarrow, and lavender and that needs to sit for a day.” She looked at Koman. “But I also need something to counteract the poison long enough for me to finish the antidote.” 

She closed her eyes, trying to remember what she had learned when she was with the Soturi. What counteracts poison? 

Sile snapped her eyes open as a blossom of hope burst inside her. 

Plantain. 

Sile knelt down next to Koman and felt his forehead, hot with fever.  

Whatever Sile was going to do, she had to do it quickly. 

She stood back up and looked out into the dense forest. 

“I’ve got this,” she said to herself. “I’m going to save him.” 

. . . . . . . 

As Sile was trekking through the forest, a flash of orange caught her eye.  

She blinked and shook her head. “It’s probably just a bird,” she muttered.  

She knelt to examine a plant, and a fox butted up against her arm. 

Sile flinched, startled. 

The fox looked up at her with dark mahogany eyes. 

Sile reached out a hand to pet it. The fox nuzzled its nose into her hand. 

She smiled. “What’s a cute little thing like you doing out here all alone? Don’t foxes usually travel in groups?” 

The fox sniffed the air, then bounded away to the left.  

Sile’s heart sank as her mind went back to stressing about Koman. The fox was a nice distraction, but now it was gone. 

She looked at the leaves of the plant she was examining. It wasn’t what she needed.  

After a few minutes, she started walking again, thinking about what to do. 

If Sile couldn’t get the *plant name to counteract poison* she needed, would Koman survive until she had the antidote? And even then, what if she did the antidote wrong? Would Koman’s death be her fault? 

Of course, it would, her mind scolded her. He’ll be another failed attempt at helping people, just like Vuller and everyone else you killed. 

Sile was so caught up in everything, she almost tripped over the fox.  

She looked down at it. “I thought you left….” 

It was almost as if the fox spoke to her. She felt its answer in her mind. You need help. I come to help you. 

The fox ran to the left again and looked back at her. 

Sile followed the fox. 

. . . . . . . 

The fox led her to a pond. Why there was a pond in the middle of the forest, Sile had no clue. 

The fox padded over to a plant by the edge of the water, sniffed it, then looked up at Sile. 

Sile knelt down and pet the fox’s head. “If you’re my little helper, I’d better give you a name. How about…” she trailed off, looking at the plant the fox has sniffed. 

It was plantain. 

She smiled and looked at the fox in amazement. “How did you…” 

The fox’s brown eyes made her voice catch in her throat.  

The fox nuzzled her hand again. I leave now. You no more need help. 

Sile frowned. “But… where will I find lavender? Does this forest have burdock? What about yarrow?” 

The fox tilted its head. You will find. I must go. 

Sile stroked the fox’s head once more. “You still don’t have a name…” 

The fox closed its eyes. Thank you for following. Goodbye, friend. 

Before Sile could say another word, the fox burst into small particles of light. They floated up to the sky, mixing with the beams of sunlight shooting through the trees.  

Sile felt a tear run down her cheek. “Goodbye.” 

She looked down and picked a few leaves of the plantain. 

She looked around. The fox had said she would find the other plants she needed. 

She stood up and walked around the edge of the pond.  

Just as the fox had said, the lavender, yarrow, and burdock were clumped together, as if they wanted Sile to find them.  

She plucked them from the ground, then paused.  

Lavender never grew next to burdock, and yarrow to lavender. Where had these plants come from? 

Sile looked to the sky, thinking of how helpful the fox was.  

It had to be magic. There was no doubt at this point. 

Sile looked at the plants in her hand, the exact things she needed. 

She started walking back the way she had come, back to Koman, back to what she hoped was ‘love’. 

She turned back to look at the pond. “Thank you, Atlas.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chapter Fourteen 

When Nilihd woke up in the morning, his first thought was, Man, I’m hungry. We need more food. 

He was the first awake. No one would care if he was gone. In fact, they would probably prefer it. 

He clenched his jaw. No one was ever going to give him a chance to explain. 

Not that he wanted to. 

Then the group would judge him. 

They would ask questions.  

Nilihd didn’t like questions. 

They would be along the lines of ‘why?’ or ‘does that mean you’re dangerous?’ or ‘what horrible thing did you do?’. 

No. He didn’t like questions.  

‘Nothing!’ he would say in response. ‘It wasn’t my fault! I didn’t do anything!’.  

But no one would believe him. 

They’d think he was a monster.  

Gill didn’t even know about it. What would he think? 

Gill was the closest thing Nilihd ever had to a friend. If Gill knew, would he reject Nilihd? 

Probably.  

Who would want anything to do with someone like Nilihd once they found out? 

Nilihd sighed. He needed to go find something to eat. 

He walked into the trees, looking for a berry bush. 

He found Gill, Aashton and Coinneach. 

Nilihd wrinkled his nose. “What are you three doing out here?” 

Coinneach rolled his eyes. “Well, now all the Machalites have joined the party of ‘what the heck is going on!?’!” 

Gill put his hand on Aashton’s shoulder. “Are you sure you’re ok?” 

Aashton nodded.  

Nilihd cocked an eyebrow. “What all happened?” 

To Nilihd’s surprise, Gill glared at him.  

“Last night, Aashton….” Gill trailed off. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” 

Gill, Aashton, and Coinneach shared a knowing glance. 

Nilihd’s heart pounded. What were they keeping from him? 

Why were they keeping it from him. 

His breath got quicker, and he started to back away. 

Gill looked up from the ground. “Nilihd, you good?” 

Nilihd bit his lip. They were trying to mock him. They hated him. Everyone hated him. 

He was a monster.  

Nilihd bolted from the trees, past the clearing and into the forest. 

He collapsed next to a tree.  

The whole world was against him. 

If anyone found out— 

A rustling in the trees snapped Nilihd’s attention back. 

Ailish walked slowly through the undergrowth, a concerned look on her face. 

Seeing her made Nilihd’s resentment and confusion melt away. 

Ailish sat down next to him. “Are you ok?” 

Nilihd couldn’t answer. He couldn’t find the right words. He felt tears sting in his eyes. “Everyone hates me…” 

Ailish took both of his hands and for a second, his heart stopped. 

Ailish locked eyes with him. “That. Is not. True.” 

Her startling ice blue eyes sucked Nilihd out of his toxic anger. 

He was here, in the forest, with Ailish. And that was ok. 

A soft breeze rippled the leaves above them. 

A couple days ago, when he and Ailish were running to find Sile, they hadn’t said a word to each other, but it was almost as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking. Ailish wanted to get her friend back, and Nilihd wanted his friend to survive. 

Now, in the forest, when they were alone, it was different. No one was in danger. No one needed word that someone was dying.  

It was peaceful.  

Tell her, Nilihd’s mind chanted. Tell her. 

But if he did, and she hated him… that would break him. 

Ailish brushed her thumb against the top of Nilihd’s hand. “Do you want to explain a little? Of why you thought everyone hated you?” 

Nilihd took a breath. “I….” he sighed. “Gill was mad at me. That never happens. He and Coinneach and Aashton are keeping something from me.” He narrowed his eyes at the ground. “They know something I don’t and…. and what if they think I’m not responsible enough to know or – or that I won’t care or—” 

Ailish leaned forward and kissed him. 

Nilihd stopped breathing. 

Ailish looked at him. “I’m sure they don’t think any of that.” She smiled. “And if they do, I’ll tell them they’re being jerks.” 

Tell her! Tell her! Tell her! 

Ailish started to stand up. “I’m going to go back to the group. If you want, you can stay here for a bit and—” 

“Wait!” Nilihd grabbed her wrist. 

A look of concern crossed Ailish’s face. 

Nilihd took a breath. “Sit back down. I have something to tell you.” 

Chapter Fifteen 

Cairistine opened her eyes to bright sunlight drifting through the trees. She sat up and looked around. A flare of panic filled her as she saw she was alone.  

She stood up, drawing her sword. “Who’s out there?” she shouted. She shifted her feet, ready to spring at anything that dare threaten her friends. 

A sound from the trees caught her attention. She crept closer, her sword at the ready. 

A flicker of movement, and Cairistine leapt at the thing in the trees, pressing her sword’s blade against it’s throat. 

Gill looked down at the steel dangerously close to him. “….Hi….” He glanced at Cairistine. “I would appreciate it if you don’t decapitate me this early in the morning.” 

Cairistine lowered her sword and felt her cheeks warm up. “Oh. It’s you.” 

Gill let out a breath and blinked. “Were you…. expecting someone else?” 

Cairistine didn’t answer. Why did she feel so embarrassed? She cleared her throat. “Where is everyone?” 

Gill pointed the direction he came. “Coinneach and Aashton are over there. I think Gemella is too. I passed her while walking back here.” He pointed in the opposite direction. “I think Nilihd is over there…” He paused for a minute, looking around. “And I don’t know where Ailish is, but I assume she’s with Nilihd.” 

What? 

Cairistine narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, assume?” 

Gill swallowed. “You…… don’t assume?” 

Cairistine twisted her sword. “No.” 

Gill’s mouth formed a silent ‘oh’. 

What did he mean? Why was Ailish with Nilihd?  

Ailish. Her closest and first friend within the Soturi. With a Machalite. 

Cairistine clenched her fist. “I’m going to go find them.”  

Before she could storm off, Gill grabbed her arm. “Wait!” 

Cairistine looked back at him, then flicked her eyes to his hand near hers. Her heart pounded. 

Gill blinked and let go. “Nilihd seemed pretty upset the last time I saw him. Maybe we should leave him – or them, if Ailish is with him – alone.” 

Cairistine sighed. “But…..” She couldn’t think of a good excuse. “Ok…” 

The two stood in silence for a few seconds. 

Gill cleared his throat. “So! Um….. how are you?” 

Cairistine cocked an eyebrow at him. 

Gill flicked his eyes away. “Just trying to make conversation…” he mumbled to the ground. 

Cairistine couldn’t help herself. She sighed. “Awful!” 

Gill tilted his head.  

“I’m awful!” Cairistine repeated. “I’m a horrible friend! I can’t do anything helpful for this quest! I don’t know what I’m doing!” She slumped against a tree and put her face in her hands. “I try to help Gemella and Ailish, but it seems like they’re shrugging me off. I don’t know what to do.” 

Gill sat next to her. “You’re not awful.” 

Cairistine uncovered her face and looked at him. “You don’t understand.” 

Gill shrugged. “Try me.” 

Cairistine looked out in front of her. “When I was in the Soturi, when I was a little girl, I tried and tried to be perfect. 

. My mother abandoned me by the Soturi base before I can remember. Tuilelaith, the leader of the Soturi, took me in. I was like her daughter. That’s when everybody else started to get jealous. Tuilelaith praised me for my skill with the blade, and other girls took that as a chance to tease me.” Cairistine’s face grew hot as she retold her childhood. “ ‘You aren’t worth more than the steel of your blade’ the girls said. ‘You mother never wanted you’ and ‘When you stop—” Cairistine’s voice broke. She cleared her throat. “They told me that when I stopped fighting, I would be nothing. That I was only useful as a warrior. That I couldn’t be anything else.”

Gill blinked. “I……” He looked at the ground. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say. I’m…. not great at consoling people.”

Cairistine wiped away a tear. “It’s fine. Most of the time, I’m not either.” She looked ahead. “Some people have physical scars. Some people have mental scars.” She shrugged. “Guess I have a mental one.” She smiled at Gill. “You?”

Unexpectedly, Gill pulled down the collar of his shirt to reveal a long, twisted scar from his shoulder down to his arm.

Cairistine’s smile fell.

Gill shrugged. “Seven years ago, there was a bear that was attacking the Machalite base. Being the stupid ten-year-old I was, I thought I could singlehandedly fight it.” Gill chuckled. “As you can see, it didn’t go very well.”

Cairistine blinked. “That sounds…… not fun.”

Gill laughed.

It was nice, being in the forest with Gill, being in the moment, laughing about past experiences.

Cairistine looked out at the trees. “Thanks.”

Gill tilted his head. “For what?”

Cairistine shrugged. “Letting me vent, not deserting me, not being an absolute butt-face.”

Gill smiled. “You’re welcome. I take pride in not being a butt-face.”

Cairistine chuckled, then stood up. “Weirdo…”

Gill stood up as well and grinned. “Says you.”

Cairistine met Gill’s eyes and for once, didn’t hate it. His navy-blue eye seemed to sparkle in the morning light.

To her own surprise, Cairistine smiled and hugged Gill. Gill stepped back a bit, then hugged her back.

“Aww!” a voice said behind them. “It’s nice to see you two bonding!”

Chapter Sixteen

Aashton smiled at Gill and Cairistine awkwardly hugging.

When they saw him, they separated immediately.

Cairistine blushed and looked at the ground. “Aashton! I didn’t realize—”

Aashton shrugged. “I tend to sneak up on people.”

Gill nodded. “It’s terrifying.”

Aashton smiled shyly. He never realized it was terrifying. He just thought it was startling at the most.

Gill walked over to Aashton and put his hand on Aashton’s shoulder. “Not because I want to know, but because my moral judgement got the better of me,” he sighed. “where’s Coinneach?”

Aashton chuckled. “I left when he started to throw another fit at the trees.”

Cairistine tilted her head? “Why was—”