Chapter Two

"To bring forth your strength you must first clear your head" explained Ethedir

Focusing on the silence of the grassland Polaris sat in the field listening to the sound of the grass swaying and feeling the wind blow across his face. It felt good to be in the outdoors again, he couldn't wait for his brother to see him now. Ethedir walked around the boy measuring his latent ability. The boy couldn't focus all he could think of was marching up to his brother and embracing him on his birthday. He wished Arwen would just walk out of the forest right now, his brother was the only thing he could focus on.

The wolf had Arwen focusing on its every move, surely it couldn't fight anymore but it still didn't fall. The wolf shifted its gaze to a tree not far off from where they stood and then collapsed. The odd moment intrigued the boy and he couldn't help to wonder what lied by the tree. Marching over carefully Arwen slowly peeked over. By the tree laid a tiny cub, it was grey and white pup sleeping. An urge to throw up hit the lad, he had just taken a mother away from her child. The wolf had only acted that way to save her young pup and he killed her for it. He was a hunter he should be used to taking a life of an animal, but he had always killed creatures when they were alone. Never harming a flock or herd, it was always a feat that was too hard for him to do since losing his family in the fire. It became a hard concept to do for the young lad but he knew he had to find a way to keep his brother and himself alive. This wolf pup was now alone in the world with no one to care for it and it was all Arwen's fault. He knew what he had to do.

Alaric stood there watching everything in the shadows, he saw the courage the young lad had and the natural intuition. He would let the boy solve this problem, so he turned around and headed back to Ethedir and Palaros. Alaric looked up to see his faithful companion still soaring in the air. Maybe it was time to introduce her to the boys depending on what Arwen chooses to do with that cub.

"Was it wise to leave him like that?"

A voice Alaric was all too familiar with over the years, his only other companion that understood him aside from Ethedir. Why worry about the boy? He is a gifted young one in many ways he doesn't know yet he'll be fine Alaric thought

The voice responded Ric he may be gifted but he is still undirected you need to guide him better

Alaric walked out the forest and saw a marvelous sight.

Ethedir and Palaros sat together in the grassland chanting a spell that caused all the moisture in the air to become visible, it was a sight to behold seeing little water bubbles swirling gently around. "carissimi obsecro te ut aer aqua inter nos, et ineamus fœdus, ut sit lux" is what was coming out of their mouths repeatedly like a mantra. Alaric knew the language of the dalish well as it was only right to study the word of his friend's people.

"Dear air I call upon you to bring the water around us to the light let it be one with you and us"

Is what the two were reciting, watching magic unfold was always wonderous. Arwen walked out of the forest, gazing around in awe his brother was outside and water bubbles danced around him.

The water bubbles began to fall, Palaros got up and began walking to Arwen grinning his cheesy smile with his long wild hair dancing like a campfire as he marched.

"Happy birthday brother!" Palaros cried

Arwen broke into a run and tackled his brother to the ground, tears streaming down his face happy that his wish finally came true his brother would live. A yelp came from Arwen's shirt and he backed off his brother, out popped a little wolf

"this is Masan, he's a new addition to our family" Arwen proclaimed

The pup yelped with excitement. Alaric walked up to the boys and hugged them tight

"you made the right choice in keeping the pup" he said

"a fine choice indeed" Ethedir chimed in

"now you both can complete the pact that binds and join us in your new lives".

"New lives?" Palaros questioned

"yes, if Arwen agrees to the pact, he can accompany us to Mabia and receive training as a knight like Alaric to become your personal guard" Ethedir answered

"what pact?" Arwen chimed

"the pact of the mage and his knight, the bond of servitude. The knight bonds his life to his mage so if the mage falls the knight falls with him" Ethedir continued "the knight can perish and the mage lives on signing a new pact if he wishes, this means the knights are expendable while the mage is an invaluable piece of the knight's lives".

Those words stunned the boys they didn't know how to respond to this source of information. Either join a pact and Arwen is tied to his brother as a lifeline or lose the only family he has left. The choice was a simple one to make.

Alaric came back that evening with a long cloak that had the fur of the mother wolf attached to it that night for Arwen as a birthday gift. The boy needed to toughen up for the road ahead and this cloak would be a reminder of the start of his journey. They all sat by a fire, the two men told stories of their adventures to the boys. It was a peaceful night they all enjoyed, hopefully a first of many they shared. Masan playing with a piece of meat Arwen wiggled around him, Alaric thought it was time he introduced his friend he whistled and swooping down came a beautiful white owl.

"This is our friend Iliana, she was an owl I was given during the pact. The animal's life bonds to the knight and they become kinetically connected." Alaric explained

Iliana stared at the boys her eyes full of wisdom to share, Masan stopped playing with the food and walk up the majestic owl.

Iliana began to growl, it was too blinding to even look at and when the glowing started to fade where the owl stood was a woman with platinum hair. Masan jumped into the woman's arms and she giggled with delight as he licked her face. The boys stood up in shock right before them an owl had turned into a person.

"what is she?" Arwen question

The woman looked at the boys then opened her mouth "I am Iliana, the beastman of Sir Alaric"

Palaros knees buckled and he fell back on the log, "so beastmen are real? I've heard of them before but never thought they were real" Palaros said

"We started from the pact of the first mages, though we started from magic we still live grow and love. Why should we not have families and continue our species?" Iliana responded "Even if the knight and the mage perishes, we still carry on with our lives. This little one will join our ranks once you two have bonded this little one and gain the ability to shift."

"But before that it is time to tell Arwen the whole truth Palaros" Ilana continued

Palaros looked down and sighed he knew she was right, and it was about time "Arwen take a sit this will be a long story".