The Road Home

Going home was long trip back. I had told Aurora what I had found but that I was uncertain if I could help her. We were given extra men to see the seed safely to the border and beyond. Seren told me the plan to get her home. The priestess would use her power to send Seren home from the elder grove to the Queens cabin in the Kingswood and from there the Queen would take her to the castle.

Despite my wounds I still trained every morning with Willow. Nothing else my swordsmanship got better since I couldn't move as fast. I never got a moment alone with the princess with the elfin guard at our side though we did find time to chat along the way. I introduced her and Arwen to Aurora. The three of them seemed to get along fabulously.

I was almost fully healed by the time we reached the Eldergrove. I guess it was because of how many times I had been here or how close to home we were. But seeing the place made me feel happy. I jumped off and handed my horse to one of the centaurs who would take him to the apple field. It was funny how the horses would stay there without a fence to keep them in. I headed up to the sanctuary when I saw a familiar face coming to greet me. Rose ran down the steps and gave me a hug that hurt like hell but was worth it.

"What are you doing here?"

"You said I should come here one day, I figured I would try and surprise you." She smiled and gave me a kiss.

"I would say you did. Both of us." Aurora smiled. The two of them hugged and Aurora caught Rose a little by surprise with a kiss as well. They both slid off after a few seconds as they smiled and Rose blushed a little.

"We have a surprise for you as well." I smiled.

"Really?" She asked. I took her hand and lead her to the carriage.

"Rose. This is the high priestess of the capital city." I smiled and she pulled back her hood.

"Mom?" Rose froze for a second.

"Hello sweet heart." The High Priestess nodded. Rose grabbed her and held on tightly. "Look how you have grown." The Priestesss said hugging her back.

"Lets give them a moment." I looked at Aurora who nodded. I didn't see either of them till dinner when they finally joined us.

"So he jumps to the branch and hangs on for a second and then he falls. We rush down to and when we get there he is walking up to us with a broke leg as one of the guardsmen helped him. It was crazy that he lived." Princess Seren retold the story of me falling to Rose who was the only one who hadn't heard it.

"How many times is that now?" Rose gave me a look. "Saving Tomen from the bandits. Attacked by a bear. Poisoned by goblins. Almost having your arm cut off by another goblin and falling out of a tree as big as a mountain."

"You forgot the succubus." Aurora added.

"He is really hard to kill." Willow grinned.

"Are you ready to go Princess?" The Arch magus said as she approached.

"I suppose I am." The princess nodded ad stood up and looked at us. "I will see you all soon."

"Your bag my lady." Arwen said handing Seren her traveling bag. We followed behind to see her off. For me and Willow it was more to make sure she was safe. The Priestess took her beyond the barrier and touched her arm.

"Lacus statim locus." She said and the princess vanished. In a few seconds she would be back in her castle. With that we all turned in for the night. Me and Aurora all slept in the same room and talked while Rose crashed with her mother to catch up some more.

"So we leave tomorrow morning?" Aurora asked.

"Me and you maybe unless Rose wants us to stay. I am sorry I couldn't find any of your family." I shook my head.

"You already had before we made the trip. You, Rose, Felicia. You all are my family." She smiled and touched my hand then took in a deep breath and leaned her head back.

"What is it?"

"The barrier is down." She said.

"Fuck." I yelled and jumped up throwing on my quiver and belt then grasped my bow. "Stay here do not leave." I said and tossed her my knife in its sheath. She nodded in response.

"The Barrier is Down." I yelled loudly as I ran out along one of the rope bridges. I was praying that the elves could hear me with their hearing as I ran for the Arch Magus. If someone had breached the barrier somehow they would go for her and the seed. I burst through the door to see a dark elf. I managed to catch him by surprise and put an arrow through his head. Another one dove out the window as I barley missed.

"Arch magus." I said looking at her on the floor as she coughed up blood. They had stabbed her in the gut. I saw the small chest the queen had given her on the ground open. I turned as I heard foot steps and drew an arrow but it was Ava.

"Can you help her?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Good, I am going after the bastard who did this." I took off outside and head toward the direction the second dark elf had gone and cast night eyes. I heard fighting ahead and ran down a set of winding stairs and leapt off when I was close to the ground. I saw the one who had gotten away a second ago and put an arrow into the back of their knee. Before I could fire a second shoot a figure in black armor charged at me with a shield as large as a man knocked me backwards making me tumbled down a small hill. An armored orc came at me with a two handed sword. I reached back to grab an arrow but they had feel out when I tumbled down the hill. I grabbed the first thing I could find, which was a big fucking rock, and held it up.

"Tantum funda iecit." I said and fired the rock into his face as it crushed into his face. I heard another coming at me from behind and glanced back. "Ad manus mea" I said recalling the rock but stepped aside as it nailed him in the chest plate and off his feet I got over him before he could recover and put my sword through his throat. I grabbed the rock again and flung it into the first enemy I saw and took out his knee and the centaur he was fighting finished him off and nodded. I looked for the one with the fruit but I had lost him in the chaos. I saw the one in full armor charge at me and swung his sword. I dodge and drew my own sword but hit nothing but shield which he used to knock me back.

Willow came up on his flank and he blocked with his sword and drove his shield into her face knocking her unto the ground. I charged before he could finish her off and he threw shield his shield at me knocking me back but I managed to stay on my feet. Willow had managed to get to her as she kicked herself up off the ground and held out both her swords. He drew a second one as well and looked at me. The three of us went at as we fought. Even against three swords to his two he managed to hold us off as we tried circling around him. He bashed with a metal elbow causing my vision to blur slightly but before he could finish me Willow blocked his sword and kicked him backwards.

"Arrow." She said taking a knee. I dropped my sword and grabbed one of her arrows out of the quiver and fired at his head just as he put his foot on his shield and flipped it up. I drew a second and circled right and Willow moved left. I heard the sound of a distant horn and the enemy began to retreat. A dark elf appeared beside him and touched his shoulder. I knew her. She had sent me to Tomen the night I tired to capture the succubus. I raised my arrow and fired

"Lacus statim locus." The dark elf smiled and they both vanished as my arrow passed through were they had been a second ago.

"Fuck." I yelled. "They got away with the fruit."

"Shit." Willow shook her head. "We need to go after them." Willow whistled and her horse came over the horizon towards her.

"We can't. That witch will probably take it somewhere and we can't follow her." I shook my head.

"I am still going to fucking try or at least make them pay for this attack. You check on your friends and then head home and inform the queen." Willow said as she mounted up.

"Got it. Good luck." I nodded.

"You as well." She replied and rallied the others to follow her into the darkness.