Chapter Three...Eyocia

Rhosyn POV

(Flash back;) He needed to find someone and quickly. He helped Saffir walk up the embankment and went back to carry Rhosyn back up. He placed her beside her sister.

"Wait here. I am going to find help." He said. He sprinted for the village hoping to run into someone who could help them. She was badly injured, and she was his responsibility. As he rounded a cottage he ran into someone. Stumbling back, hands grabbed his shoulders to steady him.

"Steady their lad, what's the big hurry for?" He looked up to see a young man in his mid twenties.

"Help. Rhosyn is hurt. Need to help her." He gasped as he tried to catch his breath.

"Lead the way." Was all the stranger said? Graver turned and took off running to where he left the sisters. When he reached them, he saw Saffir had put Rhosyn's head on her lap.

"Whose blood?" The man asked.

"Both of ours." Saffir said. She kept a hand on Rhosyn head, stroking her face. Graver moved to her side, resting his hand upon her arm not knowing what to do. The man ran to Rhosyn side, grabbing her hand.

"We need to move now, or we could be too late." He said. Together they lifted her up and started carrying her back to the cottage.

"Saffir go get your Ma." Zerith shouted. Saffir took off looking for their ma.

"Rhosyn!" A woman's voice shouted a few minutes later.

"Rhosyn! Rhosyn!" He said urgently. Her head moved towards his voice. Grimacing with pain, "Zerith, is that you?"

"Yes, it is." He looked at Graver, "Let's move her." Together they picked her up and started towards the cottage.

"Get her into the house, quickly!" She ushered them towards a bed in the cottage. Rhosyn groaned as she was set down on the bed. Ma placed her hand against her forehead, "she has a slight fever." She turned to face Saffir, "Your young lady, had better explain yourself." Saffir gulped as she coward. "Spit it out child, I raised you better then this." Hands on her hip as she glared at Saffir. She rung her hands as she looked at the floor, "Ma I'm sorry," she started, "We disobeyed you. Rhosyn promised to show me the flowers and herbs by the river side." She paused and glanced at her sister on the bed. "I ran ahead, and I didn't see the edge of the embankment that was hidden by the tall grass. I fell down the cliff and hit some rocks. I broke my leg. Rhosyn came down after me, and she ended up slipping and rolling down the hill. She landed beside me and was fixing my leg when a lion came out of the bush behind her. She drew its attention away from me, and he," she pointed at Graver, "saved us. Helped us up the embankment and got Zerith's help. It was all my fault Ma! I'm so sorry." She broke down crying. The doctor entered the room, overhearing the story came and stood in front of Saffir,

"Lift your skirt please." She hiked her skirt up to show what her sister healed. All that showed was small marks.

"Does not seem to be broken." He stood up looking at her skeptically.

"Rhosyn fixed me up doctor." She covered her mouth as she realized she told Rhosyn secret. An eery silence filled the room.

Ma turned to Graver, "What is your name boy?"

"Gwarcheidiol Graver. I am Rhosyn's Gwarcheidiol." Ma's sharp in take filled the room.

"Can't be." She said. He husband stepped forward.

"What can't be?" Ma turned and looked him in the eye.

"The night I found Rhosyn she wasn't alone. There was a wolf curled up around her. It was badly injured and did not stir when I took her and brought her home. A few days later a man showed up at the door. Handing me a note saying she was destined for something and a Gwarcheidiol would be looking for her." They could see his face getting red, "you kept this from me for 16 years?" Graver stepped between them, "Not the place. Rhosyn needs attention." They all looked to the doctor.

"There seems to be something lodged in her back. I am not equipped to perform the necessary surgery to remove it. All I can do is lessen her pain. She may end up being paralyzed." Everyone was quiet as they absorbed the news.

Rhosyn snapped back to the present, noticing the sun was down and the moon was full as it lit the trail in front of them.

"I released the arrow and watch it landed right between its eyes. I grabbed another and released it into its chest. Hitting the heart, I instantly killed it. That is how I killed my first bear here in this realm." He said as he came to the end of his story.

"Are there many realms out there?" She curiously asked. Hope he hadn't noticed that she wasn't paying attention.

Before Graver could respond, a haunting noise came from behind them, making him turn his head sharply. Chills shivered down their spine as goose bumps raised from their skins. He brought their horses to a halt as he looked back.

"Graver, what is that sound? I feel something evil is following us," her words were laced with fear.

"They are called Jai'lan's. Formed from only the strongest necromancers." He moved closer to her as the howling's grew closer. Her blood ran cold as she saw them emerge from the shadows of the nearby trees. They were cloaked in black, floating above the ground as they raced towards them. Red eyes and horns looked at them as they reached out with their arms. They continued to make their way through the shadows of the ancient forest.

"We need to go now Rhosyn! The portal is just around the bend." Graver yanked on their horses' reins and started pulling them towards the bend. The night air became colder as the howls got closer. They kept running as fast as they could. Graver swore as one of the Jai'lan broke from the pack and swiped at the horse's rear. Rhosyn turned in her saddle and drew her bow. She aimed and steadied her hold as she breathed out and let an arrow fly. Taking one down that was closest to her. They raced around the bend and came upon a glade of autumn grass, a lone tree stood in the moonlight. Nothing more than a base, its length fallen away long ago and new saplings growing on its plateau. Only the trees were not as they seemed, they had bent and twisted, forming a ring or leaf and branch. She became mesmerized by the intricate knotwork of the tree, as something crashed into her, pulling her off the horse. She heard Graver shout her name as she felt sharp like claws dig into her arms as they hit the ground with a thud and rolled. All the air left her lungs, leaving her gasping for air. A Jai'lan's red eyes appeared in front of her face. It let loose of a howl in front of her face. Spit and slim landed on her face, making her flinch from the acid in their saliva. Her ears began to bleed from the howl. She reached for her knife that was in its attachment on her leg. She unclipped it and drove it into the skull, right between the horns and whispered, "Rhewi." Ice began to form around the dagger, quickly picking up pace as it spread out, freezing the Jai'lan from the inside out. She stared as she could see the stars from the sky through the now frozen sculpture of the Jai'lan. She took a deep breath to try and slow her breathing as she climbed out from under the creature. She started to climb up the embankment. What the hell happened, she thought as she reached the trail road again. She froze as she realized she was in front of the mystic tree. As she approached, she saw the air within the ring rippling, as if it were the face of a pond. On closer inspection she saw weathered stones surrounding the tree, expertly carved and placed meticulously to create a platform long forgotten. She reached to touch.

"Stop Rhosyn! Wait." Gravers voice brought her back to the present. She looked and saw him racing to her. Jai'lan's following closely behind him. He grabbed her as he jumped towards the portal and threw them into the portal.