Didac Pavia's camp, Pharmacum Province, Arietes Orbis
Year: 4997

    Adrastea rode behind Pavia in the jumbled up group of men through the forest, staring ahead with a face of stone. Even though she never looked about her there were few things she missed out of her peripheral vision, catching the curious glances of the men around her. Deep down inside the pit of her stomach she felt a knot begin to form, but she quickly dismissed it as hunger. Of course Adrastea knew that that was ridiculous, she had only eaten the lunch Aule packed for her half an hour ago, but she refused to let her brain know the true cause of the panic that was rising. 

    Certain thoughts flitted in and out of her head. What if this truly was a bad idea? What if things did not go as planned? These questions, mixed with the warnings Cephalus had laden Adrastea with before her departure, were wiped from her mind the moment they arrived. 

    I have no use for such thoughts, she would tell herself. You will find that man, and you will kill him. To acquire Pavia's help is the only way. 

    Pavia had mentioned a Human at in the group and when Adrastea saw the recognition register in Cephalus's face she knew it had to be the same man that had killed the king and queen and tried to kill her. 

    "Pavia," she spoke up, interrupting a hearty conversation he was having with one of the men.

    "Si, mi querida?" he replied, turning slightly in his saddle.

    "That Human your man saw, a scar did he have? On the face?"

    Pavia turned forward once more and called out the name, "Abban!". Not two seconds later a figure dropped out of the trees beside them and Pavia drew the party to a stop. The man bowed his head quickly and asked, "What'd be thine wish?"

    "Did the human you see have a scar on his face?" Pavia asked, speaking in Satarian.

    "Aye," the man replied.

    Adrastea tried to hide her curiosity but it was too great a strain. Abban was a Shefro. She had never seen one before and even though she spoke their language no had ever explained to her how strange they appeared. He had slightly pointed ears like that of an Elf and dark patterns were etched in the skin on his face, on the ridge of his cheekbones and the point of his forehead. Adrastea vaguely remembered someone mentioning to her that the Shefro were born with such patterns, but they had failed to mention the bright colored sheen that enveloped the cropped brown hair of Abban. It was an orange that became more or less evident as he moved his head about, and it seemed to match the unnatural color of his shining eyes. 

    Pavia looked over his shoulder at Adrastea and barely caught the glint of awe that flitted across her face before it was quickly veiled and chuckled, his smile blindingly white.

    "A Shefro you have never seen?" he asked, amusement in his voice. "Abban, this is a new member of our group...I'm afraid her mentor has forced me never to divulge her name by pain of death, but you may call her-"

    "Aule," Adrastea quickly cut in. The name was out of her mouth before her brain had time to stop it. She did not know why she had picked that name. In fact, Adrastea knew for a fact that she had not picked it. She had picked no name at all. It just came out! 

    "Muy bien," Pavia replied, nodding slightly with a sly smile. "This is Aule."

    Abban turned to Adrastea and bowed his head politely.

    "Tá áthas orm bualadh leat," he greeted in his own language.

    Adrastea bowed her head back and replied in the same language, "Pleased to meet you as well." Abban smiled and his orange eyes lit up even more at his pleasure. 

    "You know our language?" he asked, switching to Arieten. 

    Adrastea nodded but did not reply. Although she would not have admitted it, at that moment all she wanted to do was listen to him speak. The way the words formed in a rolling manner was so different from Pavia's elegant tongue, but, in a way that she could not explain, Adrastea found it far more charming. 

    However, even though Adrastea was quite pleased to have met such a lovely speaking Shefro, her expression stayed blank, never betraying her once.

    "Is it the man you are looking for?" Pavia asked, turning back to the question.

    "If there is a long scar and if he is human, there can be no doubt," Adrastea replied coolly.

    "Ach now!" Addan broke in, waving his hand about in a dismissing manner. "Many a poor man has walked this world with a scar upon his face."

    Adrastea turned a cold glance on the man. She was not convinced.

    "Blond was he?" she asked.

    "Aye."

    "Tall and...burly?"

    "Aye."

    "With a scar and a square jaw?"

    "Aye, that'd be him," Abban agreed.

    "Then where did he go?" Adrastea asked. She could see his end quite near.

    "I'm afraid that man has departed from our midst."

    "How? Was he not spotted a few hours ago?" Adrastea said in a steely voice. She had only just remembered that this charming Shefro was the very man who had declined to help Aule and Willow when they needed it most.

    "'Twas a rather large party, if I do say so meself. They were out in a flash, and no wee flash at that. I do believe they thought they had killed the wrong girl."

    Adrastea paused, trying to ignore the beautiful way he had said 'girl', and realized that she could be in even more danger now.

    "You are in grave danger, mi querida," Pavia spoke up, his voice no longer cheery.

    Adrastea narrowed her head and tilted it to the side.

    "To change oneself enough without discovery. How hard can that be?" she muttered.

    "Not difficult. Not difficult at all," Pavia answered. "Come. Cena awaits us!"

    Adrastea knew that that meant supper and wondered how Pavia could think of eating at such a time, but once again, she did not voice her thoughts.
 

              They made good time through the forest and came upon the relaxed camp just as the sun set behind the mountain peaks, the remaining men in camp having already lit the lamps. 

    "Miguel," Pavia said to his brother. "Show Aule to her chambers."

    Miguel did not reply but dismounted, handing his reigns to one of the men and walking off down the row of tents. Adrastea quickly dismounted and followed behind, trying not to look like she was having a difficult time keeping in stride. 

    At the very end of the camp there was a small wooden hut, a warm light pouring through the crack under the door and through the open shutters. Miguel wrapped on the sound wood, a melodic feminine voice calling out, "Who is it?"

    "Miguel."

    A few seconds later there was a small clicking sound and the door opened to reveal a tall and beautiful woman with olive skin and large black eyes that shown happily above a pearly white smile. She wore a crisp white blouse and a long colorful skirt, golden bracelets dangling from each wrist and two gold hoops from her ears. With her thick black hair and long contoured face, there was no mistaking her blood relation to the Pavia brothers.

    "Miguel!" she exclaimed, throwing her long arms around the solemn brother who took the embrace like a wooden pole. "It has been so long!"

    "Three hours is hardly long, Abene," Miguel answered quietly, unwrapping himself. 

    Abene scrunched up her nose at him in a playful manner and her dark eyes landed on Adrastea, who stood behind Miguel rather awkwardly. 

    "Ah, and who might this be?" she asked, brushing past Miguel and holding out a dark, slender hand. "My name is Abene Pavia. What is yours?"

    Adrastea took the outstretched hand at firmly as she could without seeming abrasive and replied, "Aule."

    "Oh what a perfectly lovely name!" Abene explained. "Come. We shall be good friends."

    She swept Adrastea right up the few steps and into the hut before she could protest and Miguel mentioned something about putting her up for a while. 

    "Ah, you shall be staying long?" Abene asked, her face alight. 

    "Well I," Adrastea started, trying to collect her thoughts. "Yes, but-"

    "But what? I am so happy to have a companion at long last. Brothers can be ever so dull you know?"

     "What?" Adrastea said dumbly. "No...I mean...MIGUEL!" she found herself calling out.

    Miguel, who had already started back in the other direction, turned halfway with a surprised expression. Adrastea was shocked herself that she had been so informal, but she quickly covered it up, running out of the hut.

    "I must find that man," she said quietly.

    Miguel nodded shortly without saying a word and turned back down the path, leaving Adrastea slightly bewildered. 

    Abene walked down the steps and stood beside Adrastea, placing one hand on her shoulder. 

    "Do not worry, mi querida," she said softly. "That means he will help you...My little brother is unlike Didac. He is a man of few words."

                The next morning Adrastea woke before the sun as usual, but unlike her regular routine she did not go for a run. As soon as she remembered where she was a cold hand gripped her heart and, like someone under a spell, she marched over to the cave where Pavia was going over a map with some of his men. She stared at him with a chilling glare and stepped up to him.

    "Have you found the man?" she asked, her voice low.

    "We have not found him. However, we have found out who he is. At least, who he works for."

    "Who?"

    "The Grapevine," Pavia answered. "Which means it will take some time to find him. The humans have always been private in their ways, but the Grapevine is an organization that should not be taken lightly."

    "I know what it is," Adrastea answered coolly. 

    Pavia smiled and then shifted his dark eyes to her long hair. In the dim light she had seemed different and now he knew what it was.

    "You have colored your hair," he said matter-of-factly. 

    "To change oneself does not only consist of ones name," Adrastea replied. "When do we start looking for the human?"

    "Miguel has already started. It will take some time. You must be patient."

    Adrastea did not like that word and hated even more to follow it, but she had no other choice. She would find that man, no matter how long it took.

    Pavia's men worked diligently for they hated the Grapevine as much as any thief organization that was being outdone, but still it took a very long time. Days piled up into weeks, and weeks piled up into months, until finally a year had passed and several attempts on the part of bounty hunters had been made to find the missing princess. Unfortunately for Adrastea, none of them were connected with the Grapevine or knew anything about the man with the scar.

    That is until one day...
   

              Abban rode swiftly through the camp and leaped off his horse in front of the cave before it had even stopped, dashing inside where Pavia, Miguel, and Adrastea were standing around a map discussing their next plan.

    "Pavia!" Abban breathed heavily, bowing his head politely. "Down in the valley...A large clan of humans are making their way up here. 'Tis nothin' too difficult, but I recognized one as Butcher."

    "Butcher?!" Pavia exclaimed, snapping his head up. "Truly?"

    "Aye!"

    "Finally mi querida, we have something!" 

    Adrastea looked calmly over at Abban with folded arms, contemplating the news. 

    "Butcher you say?"

    "Aye. He be a member of the Grapevine," Abban replied.

    Pavia and Miguel looked at Adrastea, waiting several minutes for her to reply. She had felt that the moment was coming, but she had never known it was this close.

    "Then let us meet our guest," she finally said, sheathing her long dagger.

           The woods of Pharmacum Province, Arietes Orbis
           Year: 4998

    The woods were silent and cold. Not even an owl could be heard through the dense undergrowth of the forest. Even the wind had fallen short and all Adrastea could hear was the shaky breath of the men below, waiting impatiently for something to happen. They were all deathly pale, jumping at even the slightest sounds and not daring to move for fear of being struck dead.

    Somewhere in her cold heart Adrastea felt pity for them, but they had brought it upon themselves. They wanted the reward that came with finding the lost princess, but they knew not what the price would be.

    Down in the underbrush she could see Butcher waving for the men to stay low. He crouched down and brought the blade of his sword up, moving forward with slow and deliberate steps. The dark shadows of the trees towered high above him, the full moon creating long, ominous shapes on the forest floor. He had no clue what was lurking in them, silent and deadly.

    Pavia was waiting in the underbrush just ahead of Butcher and his men formed an invisible wall, encompassing the humans in a deadly prison.

    As Butcher slowly crept forward Pavia brought his hand up, signaling for Miguel to throw the first dagger, a particular favorite for ambush.   

    They all watched silently as Butcher jerked his head around just in time to see one of the men tense up and fall backwards, clutching something buried deep in his chest, then Pavia gave the next signal and the bandits opened fire on the humans. A flash of light zipped through the air past Butcher's head and embedded itself in the chest of the second-in-command who was hidden behind a large bush. There was a quick gasping, choking sound and seconds later his limp body fell to the ground. Shouts and screams rang out through the whole wood and Adrastea watched cruelly as Butcher's men began to panic, abandoning their hiding positions and rushing for the valley below, only to be cut down by another wicked blade.

    "STOP YOU COWARDS!" Butcher yelled, grabbing the sleeve of one of the bandits. "STAY AND FIGHT!"

    The man thrashed about and tried to get away from his leader's strong grip, panic and fear written over every inch of his body. Butcher looked around him again, seeing the quick flashes of light that flew through the air, burying themselves in anyone who dared make a move.

    Adrastea sat quietly, a small smile creeping over her lips. Finally, she thought. Finally we are getting somewhere.

    "Please!" one of the men begged, getting down on his knees. "Please Butcher! Save me!"

    So brave, Adrastea thought mockingly.

    Butcher looked down at him in disgust let go, bringing the blade of his sword down in a quick, effortless blow, striking the bandit across the shoulder, chest, and stomach. The man looked up at Butcher with shocked eyes and he held out his hand, reaching for the help that would never come, and then crashed into the thick layer of ferns covering the forest floor.

    "WHERE ARE YOU?" Butcher shouted angrily, ignoring the chaos behind him. "SHOW YOURSELF! ARE YOU TOO AFRAID TO FIGHT FACE TO FACE?"

    Quickly Pavia signaled for his men to stop and the noise ceased, the bodies of all the humans scattered throughout the wood. Butcher stood alone in the night, surrounded by the dense forest and the blood soaked turf.

    Now, Adrastea thought, standing from her crouching position on the limb of the tree. Now it is my turn.

    Breathing deep Adrastea stepped off the tree and landed in a crouching position, not five yards from Butcher. The man nearly fell back in surprise and Adrastea looked on in amusement as he brought the blade of his sword up and stood in a fighting stance, watching as she stood up.

    "Who...Who are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice confident.

    Adrastea stood there, a dark shadow behind the light of the moon, and all Butcher could make out was the casual way she stood and the two antlers that protruded from her head. She knew full well that that was the thing that caught his attention.

    "Where...Where is the Princess?" Butcher continued.

    Adrastea did not answer.

    "WHERE IS SHE?"

    "The recompense must be considerable, for the lives of many were lost," Adrastea replied.

    Her voice had grown quite low in the past few years and she knew it, figuring it was an advantage.

    "Tell me, what has his Majesty bargained with now? The Kingdom? Such is what it would take to bring back the dead," she asked when Butcher said nothing.

    He just stood there, dumbfounded, so Adrastea took it upon herself to make another move, slowly walked forward and stopping only a yard away in a pool of moonlight. There she stood as cold as stone. Butcher could see the hatred and anger pent-up inside her and Adrastea knew it. She hated this man and what he stood for and she was not about to let it stay a secret. 

    "You work for the Grapevine," Adrastea said, getting to the point. "The man with the scar. Where is he?"

    Butcher hesitated, then realized it would be foolish to lie.

    "Sa...Salmo...At least, that's the last place I saw him last," he answered, his eyes shifting to the dark figures around him.

    Adrastea stared for a moment then turned on her heel, walking out of the light to the ring of men. She had no more use for such a coward.

    "What do you wish to do with him now?" Pavia asked as she brushed passed.

    Adrastea stopped and looked back at Butcher, narrowing her eyes. He looked so very pitiful for a bandit, standing there with sagging shoulders.

    "He is your prisoner. Do with as you wish," she said, turning to walk away.

    Pavia grabbed her arm and raised a dark eyebrow, a small smile playing at the side of his mouth.

    "You are not leaving mi querida, are you?" he asked.

    Adrastea rolled her eyes and yanked her arm away, looking at him with a bored expression, crossing her arms.

    "That, Pavia, is of no concern to you," she replied.

    "But you forget mi querida, that you are a precious flower that grows only in my garden."

    Adrastea sighed and tilted her head to one side as Pavia grinned. She was glad to be so close from escaping his annoying presence.

    "And you forget Pavia, that I am not a flower, but a weed. I can grow anywhere, and without your help," she said.

    "Ah, but you are far too beautiful to be a mere weed that grows on common soil!" Pavia replied, nudging her chin.

    Adrastea snapped her green eyes at him like two tongues of fire. She had had enough. 

    "Alright, alright!" Pavia laughed, raising both hands in defense. "But remember, I only keep your secret if you keep mine. Consiguelo?"

    "Entiendo," Adrastea replied coolly, walking into the dark woods.

    She was leaving. Finally. The man she was searching for no longer seemed a mere shadow that she could not touch. He was within her grasp and Adrastea would never let go.