The secrets that Volos and Freya were hiding from Ayden nagged at him constantly. What had Volos done to end up at Hosgrow? And why did Freya always look like she wanted to tell him something, but then clamp her lips and say nothing? She always seemed to have a worried crease between her brows, too, which didn't help ease his mind.
Ayden mulled over the possibilities the many times he and Volos traveled into Shae Vale over the next several months. It seemed like Volos was trying to keep him as busy as possible, to keep his mind off of whatever it was Freya was concerned about. But, his fighting skills were sharpening as they fought humans, trolls, fairies, and other creatures gone bad. Before long, he was able to complete most of their missions with little or no help from Volos.
And, in spite of his elders' secrets, he was also having a lot of fun.
Much of the time, though, Ayden didn't enjoy their quests into Shae Vale. In this line of work, he saw too clearly the negative effects of Degus' work; once noble and beautiful creatures had become sour and unpleasant, fighting even their own kin. Stealing, killing, rampaging, everything deplorable one could think of had become common place in many of the once peaceful villages.
His blood blazed when he saw children acting in these horrific ways, following the examples of their wayward elders. Their little eyes, which should have shone with bright with wonder and joy, resembled those dark eyes of the inhabitants of the gray area at Hosgrow. Shadow dwellers were slowly taking over, courtesy of Degus.
Ayden and Volos were hunting a dead sorcerer, or a sorcerer who'd lost his powers, in a village near the elf city, Thildin. Dead sorcerers were known to be violent, having lost a part of them so important to their existence. Ayden imaged it would be like losing both hands.
The villagers here were prime examples of what Ayden had learned to loath. People of all ages watched the companions with guarded faces as they walked the streets of an otherwise beautiful village. Like Lostar, many of the buildings were made from large river boulders. Ayden tried not to think about the fact that this particular village, Ulway, was surrounded by rivers.
A crowd had already gathered along the edges of the cobbled square where the dead sorcerer had emerged. More spectators made their way out of gift cottages and dining halls. Ayden gave Volos a quick glance before approaching the wild, tooth-pick thin man. The man held a crude looking weapon.
Ayden pulled his cloak away, revealing the sword that hung at his hip. "Please, come with us now. We don't want to hurt you," he said calmly.
The sorcerer's wild eyes looked around frantically for a moment before he glared at Ayden . Then he murmured strange words, attempting a curse. Ayden felt a pang of pity. "You can stand down, or we can force you to stand down. The choice is yours," he said a little more sternly. He wanted to get this over with quickly.
As the dead sorcerer charged at Ayden with his rusty, jagged-edged sword, Ayden drew his own blade. The sound of metal on metal rang through the air as Ayden easily spun out of harm's way.
The dead sorcerer charged again, but Ayden was ready. With one swift move, he disarmed the sorcerer, flinging the man's weapon into the air. As the crude blade spun, Ayden grabbed his rope, tackled the startled sorcerer, and had him tied before the man's weapon descended and came to clattering halt on the cobbled street.
The echo of that sound died away into silence before the crowd erupted in cheers. As so many other times, Ayden felt he didn't deserve their applause; he wished he could stop the pain of others before they became dark and broken.
"Well, that was easy!" Volos chuckled as he slapped Ayden on the back.
Not able to resist a smile, Ayden answered, "Yeah, easy for you." He pulled the sorcerer to his feet and they walked through the crowd. I hope there is help for you at Hosgrow, Ayden thought. The sorcerer's face was dark and pained.
As they left the square, Jynx appeared. His movement drew Ayden's attention to the edge of the crowd; he locked eyes with a girl his age. She twirled a finger through the end of her long, brown braid as she stood next to a kindly looking elf. The excitement and hope that blazed in her green eyes gave Ayden the courage and desire to continue defending Shae Vale. There was hope for this sorcerer and for others out there. He had to keep believing that. He gave the girl a nod and a smile, hoping she'd understand his gratitude.
As they left the village, a flash of bright red hair caught the edge of his vision. Heart beating wildly, he searched the crowd. Volos touched his shoulder, making him jump. "What's up?" he asked.
"I-I don't know," Ayden replied as he kept searching. "I thought I saw someone." He shrugged and forced a casual smile. "Guess I was seeing things."
As they made their way out of the village, Ayden kept looking back, searching. He was sure, just for a moment, he'd seen his old girlfriend Isabella's fiery red curls amongst the crowd.
Chapter Eight
First Kill