“MEREDITH!” Bryna screamed hysterically, running through the front door of her house.

“What”, Meredith answered running through the kitchen door to meet her, recognising that Bryna was deeply upset about something.

“Jaden, something’s happened to him! I know it, I can feel it!” Bryna screamed, tears trailing down her cheeks.

Meredith knew that Bryna and Jaden had a sort of psychic connection, it happens to allot of psychics who become emotionally attached to each other. And she also knew that Bryna wouldn’t get into this state for nothing, she reached out and hugged her adoptive daughter, as she cried, dampening her shoulder.

“There, there tell me what happened,” asked Meredith trying to remain calm and leading Bryna to the kitchen so she could sit in a chair.

Bryna sat down trying to regain control of herself “I was just walking back from getting the herb you wanted,” Bryna started to answer, but tears started falling out of her watery, red eyes again, she rubbed them with her hand.

Meredith reached out and hugged her “And… what happened?”, she said trying to hide the urgency in her voice.

“I just felt a sharp pain on the side of my head, it still hurts now,” answered a distressed Bryna. “I immediately knew it was Jaden. And something is carrying him away!! I can feel him becoming further and further away! I have to go help him!” Bryna stressed, verging on hysterics, getting up to go to the door.

Meredith got up and grabbed Bryna before she got out of the door “No, you are not going on your own, come on we are going to get Baird.”

Bryna opened her tear stained eyes, and loosened her grip on Kirsten’s hand. She turned to her and didn’t say anything, but was given a comforting look, they were both in a state of shock.
Baird was stood at the front of the room beside Bryna, and she turned to her right to see the elder teenagers of their village, sat there with curiosity in their eyes.

“Everyone, something terrible happened this morning which we don’t know much about yet, two members of our village have gone missing; Jaden and Miles,” Baird announced, turning his face to each of them in turn. “Nobody knows for definite how, but Bryna feels that Jaden has been kidnapped, and at this moment in time he is being taken up the hills north of this village.”

“How would she know,” asked a boy of the village, he looked like he was almost on the verge of teen hood, Bryna probably would of remembered his name if she wasn’t in such a state of shock.
“Because I can feel it…” answered Bryna answered with the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cubs, glaring.

“That’s crap, how can you feel it?” replied another boy of maybe around fourteen years of age, Bryna recognised him as Edwin, son of a sheepherder.

“I CAN’T EXPLAIN IT I JUST CAN!” Bryna bellowed back with tears streaming down her face.

“Edwin, I do not want you to talk to her like that, and Bryna is a Blessed of Urcla of the Psyche,” Baird commanded looking sternly at him.

Bryna looked at Baird and could feel something different about him, she had been in such distress that she only just noticed it. There was no way she could comprehend what it was, something inside him seemed stronger, and some new wise ness he had gained, she could not comprehend it, but she knew something was going on.

“So where abouts’ was Jaden when he went missing,” Baird asked Bryna to explain to them.

“He was sent to get a herb in the forest north of our village,” answered Bryna.

“Who was the herb for?” asked someone, Bryna was too distressed to even notice who it was.

“It was for... Miles…” Bryna recalled suddenly realising something.

“And he’s gone missing as well, that makes it obvious who it was,” Dareth announced pompously, and everyone looked at him with a sudden realisation.

“It was not Miles!” answered Bryna angrily.

“Can you prove it, come on it is obvious,” Dareth replied sternly.

“I KNOW MILES VERY WELL AND HE WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!”

“Yeah me to!” supported Kirsten, placing her hand on Bryna’s shoulder.

“I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t as well,” Jace announced standing up.

“Why are we here anyway,” asked Dareth, crossing his arms against his chest.

Everyone started murmuring realising that he had a point.

“I want to recruit a group of us to travel north to find them,” admitted Baird sighing waiting for the reaction.

“How do you expect to find them!” Dareth argued.

“Bryna here can sense where he is,” replied Baird turning his head towards her.

“Oh, and we’re going to trust that witch!” snapped Dareth cruelly.

“GET OUT! We don’t want you here!” Baird hollered, making everyone jump, it wasn’t often they heard that pitch of his voice.

“Well, if any of you want to fall into the trap that witch, the village poof and that alcoholic from Gavendra has made for you, then go ahead!” Dareth clarified as he walked out and slammed the door.

Bryna sat there with her head in her hands ‘Why were they wasting this time! Jaden is being carried further and further away as we speak!” she thought to herself and clenched her fists to stop an outburst.

Baird’s face returned to its usual colour from the beet red it went after his outburst, and assumed his normal tone of voice “If anyone wants to join this rescue mission then please stay here, despite what Dareth says, two members of our village have been captured for reason we do not know, and we do not know if they will come back for more if left.”

They all sat there in silence and then started murmuring to each other.

“Leave if you do not want to come,” Baird decreed pointing towards the door.

There was a few second of murmuring before some decided to leave the room, followed a few at a time, until the numbers of the room decreased dramatically.

Bryna watched anxiously, she didn’t even care how many came as long as she could get to Jaden. As the room silenced she looked up to see who was left, the tall lanky figure of Jace was stood with one hand on his hip, his blonde hair flowing just below his eyelids, usually she thought he was quite good looking, but she didn’t notice it with her mood at that moment. To his right stood the broad figure of Giren, the only fighter in the village apart of Baird who could have a good chance against Kirsten who still had her hand on her shoulder.

Lastly to her surprise stood, Aallen, Jaden’s old friend, he wasn’t as tall as Jace, or strong as Giren, but he would probably have some use.

“So this is our rescue group,” Baird declared walking across the room “Not only are the five of you of the most talented in the village, but you also seem to have the most compassion and courage, which I am proud to be your instructor.”

They all looked at each other; Bryna felt a little smile stretch her face, which she felt guilty for.
“Go now and get some sleep, I expect you all near the mill of the village at about seven o clock tomorrow all packed and ready to go.”

“What! We need to go now!” Bryna panicked, they can’t wait longer, Jaden was fading further and further away from her clairvoyant perception with every hour.

“You are not going anywhere before you get some sleep,”

Bryna turned around in surprise to see Meredith stood behind her, she didn’t notice her ever entering. She looked round the room and realised it was the middle of the night and they all looked quite tired, they couldn’t be expected to travel now.

“Ok, I understand… I am sorry,” she apologised looking at Baird.

“That’s ok, now remember, seven O’clock tomorrow morning.”

Bryna hugged Kirsten as they walked out the door, both were in a state of shock, even though Kirsten was better at hiding it she was just as upset as Bryna, but Bryna could actually sense his presence drift off into the distance, whereas Kirsten couldn’t.

Bryna and Meredith walked towards their house, Meredith with her arm around Bryna’s shoulders, in which Bryna appreciated the comfort. As they strolled through the corridor, Meredith led Bryna to her room.

Bryna walked in and looked at the bed which would have normally been occupied by Jaden, and felt another tear roll down her cheek.

“Now you get some sleep, you’ll need it for tomorrow,” Meredith said, embracing her then leaving the room.

Bryna climbed into bed and shut her eyes, but there was no way she make her mind sleep, every time she closed her eyes she could feel Jaden’s essence being pulled further and further away from her. ‘This is stupid!’ she thought, ‘Everyone’s going to sleep while Jaden’s is pulled further away’.

A few minutes later Meredith emerged through the door, Bryna turned her head towards her, glad for the attention span away from her terrifying thoughts. Meredith walked towards the bed grasping the steaming mug, Bryna recognised the aroma as Heartsease, a sedative herb.
“You will never be able to get to sleep without this, drink, you need your rest,” Meredith commanded, holding the mug towards her.

Bryna knew better then to object and deep down she knew Meredith was right. She sat up and grasped the mug into her hands and drank down the bitter taste.

Meredith stroked her head and walked out the room.

She awoke again by Meredith from a dreamless sleep, she gazed around the room, and realised it was still fairly dark outside.

“You have an hour till you’re meeting Baird and the rescue group,” Meredith informed.

Bryna sighed, and reached inside her physic self for her connection to Jaden, he was quite far away now, but they had seemed to come to a halt, but due to the long distance she couldn’t tell if he was conscious or what he was feeling… at least he was alive.

“Oh shit, one hour! I need to pack!” she exclaimed sitting up from her bed.

“No, you don’t, I have already packed everything for you,” Meredith informed warmly, motioning her hand towards the packs of bags on the floor.

“Are you sure you’ve packed everything I will need?” asked Bryna.

“Yes, I am, trust me, everything you’ll need is in there, I’ve been on this planet longer then you have,” Meredith

“Sorry… yes I know,” Bryna answered.

Meredith reached her hand over the anxious Bryna and stroked her hair, tucking it behind one ear. Bryna looked up into her eyes, and finally noticed the tired expressing and bags under her eyes, she realised she probably didn’t get any sleep last night, she must have had lots of time to pack her bags.

Meredith turned around and lifted herself of her seat on the bed and walked towards the door, “Well get dressed then, I have cooked you a warm meal before you go.”

Bryna didn’t feel like eating, but she knew her adoptive mother knew best, and she’d obviously been to great trouble that night to make sure she set off as prepared as she could today.

Bryna and Kirsten hugged as they greeted each other at the village mill, they were now out the state of shock and feeling better that they could now set off to rescue Jaden.

“Now you girls remember all that I taught you about herbs and magic, because now is a time where they will come into good use,” Meredith said, wrapping her arms around both.
Baird strolled along towards them, in an enviously energetic way, considering it was early in the morning, “Morning” he nodded his head at Kirsten and Bryna, then at Meredith, “As the only girls, you two will be sharing a tent,” he announced dropping a sack in front of them.

Bryna gazed at Baird, feeling the same feeling she felt last night. There was something different in him, a development of his charisma, like a shadow, but not dark, full of radiance. She could feel it in Jace too who was stood behind him near Giren. She closed her eyes and delved into her power, the purple well deep inside her, and directed it towards the presence inside them. It felt like nothing that she’d ever felt before, and instantly knew it could only be of the spirit world. She tried to delve into the source, confront this power, and find out what its incentive inside them was. The void of the power was of deep shaded jade, dappled with cavernous navy blue, with undulations of grey; as she delved deeper and deeper inside she began too get lost in the intensity of energy, and a emergent of mist swept her psychic vision. She knew now that she was no longer in control of what she was seeing, and she could sense a very powerful spirit, maybe even a god’s presence, sending these pictures into her mind.

As the mist started clearing, it revealed three human figures and she recognised Jaden in the middle, but his form had a luminous green glow, so light it was almost white, and she felt an amazing dominating power leering inside him. At either side of him stood Jace and Baird, who were glowing in the same dark jade, navy blue and grey contrast as the void of the presence inside them. By now the mist had cleared and she saw to her horror that the ground underneath them was covered with monstrous beasts that she had never seen the likes of before, they were minute in comparison to Jaden, Jace and Baird who seemed to be floating above them. She could not distinguish their structure or features, for their size, but she could feel the menacing monstrous nature of them, and the motion as they moved around each other like a swarm of maggots.

Suddenly her viewpoint changed and she was at more of a distance and was viewing the three of them at their side, but opposite them on her right where another group. There must have been nine of them, all glowing with the same power as Jaden, but there was something more dark and sinister about theirs, but in the middle someone stood out. He was glowing with the same charisma as Jace and Baird, but had a sinister blood red tone to it, as she tried to concentrate on the silhouette, she felt a jolt as the scene started to fade away into the distance...

“Bryna.”

Bryna snapped her eyes open to have Baird, Meredith and Kirsten staring at her with confused expressions. The vision was over, but what did it mean?

“Are you ok?” asked Meredith.

Bryna stared into space her head spinning with thoughts about the vision she just had, she had never had a spontaneous vision like that before. She snapped herself out of her thoughts and turned her head to her right slightly towards Meredith, “Yeah… I’m ok, sorry about that, just tired.”

Baird looked at her suspiciously and turned around to talk to Jace and Giren, Bryna turned to the suspicious expressions on Kirsten’s and Meredith’s faces, and forced and smile of normality.
“You sure you’re ok? I don’t want you travelling on this rescue mission if you’re not fit for it,” asked Meredith.

“I’m fine!” retorted Bryna, “Anyway, how you suppose they find him without me?” asked Bryna stubbornly.

Meredith shook her head “Ok.”

“Ok! Is everyone ready?” asked Baird’s raised voice.

Bryna turned to the rescue group; first was Giren’s tall and muscularly corpulent form, stood there with his rucksack in russet-beige tunic, and blue cloak, with a sword hanging from its scabbard, his face had a stern and determined look to it, obviously a very valuable member of this mission.

To his right stood the lanky form of Jace, with the fair, slightly frizzy hair running just past his jaw, with deep sea blue eyes, with a bow and arrow strung to his back and sword strung to his waist, maybe not as good a warrior as Giren or Baird, but she always got a light feeling from him, he was good at heart.

Stood a few meters, almost timidly was the shorter form of Aallen, with his scruffy mousy brown hair, carrying a bag, with a belt that held a sword and extra dagger, which almost seemed unfitting. Despite his appearance she could not shake this gut feeling inside her that he would be useful.

She turned her head back to her left, and there stood the commanding figure of Baird in his tunicand grey cloak, and a broad sword, which justified his figure.

Finally she turned towards one of her best friends Kirsten, in her tunic, which she resized herself to be well above her knee (which many of the village disapproved of, but she found it comfortable), from the waistline dangled a short-sword and dagger. Her shirt was long-sleeved, and she’d customised each sleeve with pockets to hold a hidden dagger, a leather cord over her shoulder lead to a pouch in which she kept emergency bandages, and other items. And finally with a bow and arrows attached to her pack, she’d been customising these clothes for a while, and now it was her first time to try out using them, and she certainly looked the part.
It was with that Bryna realised that how can she judge the party, when out of all them she was probably the least prepared, she was not very good at fighting, and she could heal, and maybe make a shield, and a few other things but nothing really that useful in combat, but she could sense the whereabouts of where Jaden was.

“I’m ready,” she replied.

Aramis, a village farmer and Jace’s uncle, who also looked after the village horse, walked over offering Jace and Kirsten their horses. Kirsten greeted her maroon mare by wrapping her arms around his neck, and started loading her packs over its back.

Meredith grabbed Bryna’s arm and motioned her away from the others, and revealed a book from her cloak.

“This is a book which has been carried down from generation to generation of my family, way back, my ancestors were warrior witches, who helped the elite of Sharma. In this booklet are many spells which you do not need tools, just words, written in the ancient language that Sharma has forgotten, maybe even the language of the Gods.”

Bryna looked up at her in surprise.

"Unfortunately me and my mother didn't possess the gift that the other women of my ancestors did, and I couldn't bare any children. But you have, yours is slightly different though, maybe even more powerful. Whether your my flesh or blood or not, I love you just like your my own and I would be proud to call you my own."

Bryna looked into her eyes and felt tears well up in her eyes, and wrapped her arms around her, "Why not Jaden, he is allot more Gifted then me? If it is because you think that he is not coming back, then he is!" she exclaimed mildly, with a determined look in her eye.

Meredith parted from the embrace and gripped her shoulders with her hands "Jaden's magic is different, his comes more naturally for him, if he learnt those spells in the book, he would eventually be able to just do it with his mind anyway."

Bryna looked at the book in her hands, she could feel that it was ancient, for every woman of Meredith's ancestry left a part of her essence with the time they had possession of it, she could feel so many experiences and memories from it, and it overwhelmed her. "I don’t know what to say... Thank you."

"Hand it down to whichever daughter is not only most capable, but of good heart... That is why my mother did not give it to my sister," she paused, with an almost painful look on her face.

"She was gifted in the way to use the book, but she had a cruel heart, which is why my mother handed it down to me instead in the hope I would have a daughter of spirit I can trust with the book, but my sister out of outrage... cursed me so that I could not have children... but you are my daughter," she explained looking her in eye.

Bryna looked at her almost shocked, she never knew her adoptive mother had a sister, in fact she had never been told much about her past, she was about to ask questions, but she was interrupted by the Aramis.

"Ere's 'ur 'orse, better hurry up, everyone looks ready," he announced, holding Bryna's gelding by the reigns.

Bryna got up with a smile to greet her favourite horse. She ruffled her mane and stroked form her ears down to her nose, she jolted up her head to touch noses with her.

She turned around to see Meredith holding her packs and started loading them onto her geldings back, as she finished her and Meredith wrapped their arms around each other one more time,"Start at the beginning and don’t rush your way through, can be very dangerous to start with the more advanced spells before you have mastered the basics."

"Ok, thank you, and I will bring Jaden back," she whispered back.

"I hope so."

Jaden awoke, gazing at the ceiling, totally confused, about the pain his head or when he got to sleep, or how, he lay there looking at the gloomy grey blocked ceiling, and suddenly became aware of his surroundings, this wasn’t his room! He bolted up and found himself in a plain room of grey stone walls, and floor, with a bed in the middle, but what he immediately turned his attention to was the man sat on a chair near him. He was dressed affluently, in rich red cloak, with golden edges, which draped over the arms of the chair revealing a black shirt, black trousers, with one o his feet rested on his knee as he was leaning back. He had brown well combed short hair, which was joined by a short, but stylish beard and oak tree brown eyes which had a friendly twinkle in them. Despite his appearance, Jaden’s senses told him he was not to be trusted.

“I was wondering when you would be up,” he receipted, almost warmly.

“Where am I?” Jaden asked, cautiously.

“You will find out soon,” he answered with a certain assertiveness that almost gave Jaden the creeps.

“Why am I here?” asked Jaden.

“You hit your head and we found you wounded on the floor, we’ve been looking after you” he answered

.
“Yeah right, do you think I’m stupid?!” Jaden snapped.

“I see there’s no fool in you.”

Jaden pushed the covers off himself, and was just about to get out of the bed, when he felt the terrible pain in his neck, and felt this red energy around him. He gasped for air as he turned to the man and saw him with his hand firmly directed at him, he was using magic!

“He obviously thinks I am weak!” Jaden thought, almost smiling, as he reached for the green energy inside him, and aimed it towards its target, he felt incredible convulsions of pain throughout his whole body as he collapsed onto the bed.

“This castle is completely magic proof, except for mine of course,” he explained with a threatening red flame flaring from his finger.

“What do you want from me?!” Jaden snapped, with fortitude in his eye that was rarely seen.

“I will let your friend come in to tell you,” he answered.

“Friend?”
The man stepped out of the room for a second and walked back in leaving the door open, Jaden just stared at the silouhette in the doorway.

“Here is a friend of yours I believe…”

At first all he saw was a shadow in the door way, but then as the figure immerged Jaden stared jaw open wide in shock.

“Miles…”

"Whats going on?" exclaimed looking at Miles with a vague hope in his eye.

Miles turned towards him with a smile on his face, he'd obviously been drinking, Jaden could always tell by his posture and the way he moved himself. There was something different about him, everything, the look in his mysterious eyes, which you could delve into for hours without completely reading what they said. Jaden, had always found it hard to read Miles, there was obviously some sort of shielding he used, and Jaden had never thought much of it before, he wasn't nosey and he didn't see it as fair that he could see inside people anyway. But usually Jaden could still get a vague sense of his feelings, but now, there was nothing.

"I can see what you mean, he sure has anger," the man remarked, unmoving.

"Yes, I know he does, I wouldn't fail you now, would I?" answered Miles, smiling into Jadens eyes in his usual way, but this time it gave Jaden a different feeling.

"Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" Jaden snapped.

Miles turned back towards him, "Jaden, this is one of my good friends from Gavendra, Lord Shayam, Shayam, this is Jaden of Jaladhar.”

This was supposed to be the point where Jaden was supposed to shake hands, but neither of them moved. Jaden was also wondering why Miles hadn’t added his Gifts at the end with “Blessed of Thranae of the Weather, Sephane of the Earth and Urcla of the Psyche”. But Jaden didn’t comment, he didn’t want Shayam to know about his power.

“He also has some sort of power doesn’t he?” asked, Shayam, “He tried to use it on me,” he said turning to Baird.

“He is a witch, who has learned to manipulate some energies, but not really a Blessed,” answered Miles.

Jaden looked at Miles, who didn’t look back, what was Miles playing at? Why was he lieing?

“Well I guess I will leave you to carry it on from here,” said Shayam as he got up out of his seat.
“Will do,” answered Miles, looking at Jaden as Shayam walked out of the door.

Jadens last hope of this all being some act of Miles was squashed when, Miles face was still in a malevolent smile when Shayam had left the room.

“So do you want some wine,” asked Miles reaching for the jug with two goblets in his hand.

“I don’t want anything from you,” Jaden answered.

Miles looked up and for a second Jaden thought he looked quite hurt, but then his grin appeared again as he started to pour into both of the goblets. He started to walk towards Jaden with the wine in his hand, “You know I would only do what I thought was best for you.”

“I don’t know what to think of you, never had really.”

Miles moved towards him “Why would that be?” handing him the wine.

“Cause you’re the only person I have ever been unable to read,” Jaden answered, starting to gulp the wine, hoping it would take the worry away from him

“That’s because I am a Blessed of Parnitica of Defence, don’t tell anyone though,” he looked into his eyes “Do you want me to lower them so you can? He asked, looking him into the eyes.
Jaden looked at him, he was feeling drowsy, and he suddenly felt this change in Miles as he opened up his aura to him, Jaden had to concentrate, there were so many thoughts they were hard to all take in. His head started spinning and he felt nauseous and drowsy.

“I’m sorry Jaden,” Miles said, his eyes sincere as he moved towards him.

“You put something in my wine didn’t you… Miles there must be another way…”

“Jaden I love you I am sorry, I am trying to do whats best for you,” he answered. his eyes sincere.

Jaden looked him in the eyes, and the next thing he knew they were kissing. Jaden cut away as his consciouness faded.

“I’m sorry Jaden…”

© Richard Turner