Em lead the way as the men slowly trailed behind her across the open plains. Dastan walked beside her, with the men following in single file. Each footstep they took made their bodies ache, they had been walking non-stop for days. Nothing was in sight but open green hills. Gwaine held the reins to the horse that Edvard sat astride, his grumbles were the only thing that could be heard.

Dastan had noticed that Em had grown silent since leaving the village. He missed her witty remarks and wondered what occupied her mind. Em constantly kept track of which way the wind blew and for any scents of unwelcomed guests. Being out in the open was dangerous, they had no place to seek refuge or battle advantage if they were surrounded.

The ground beneath them slowly transformed away from lush grass to rocky pebbles. The crunching under their boots sounded louder than worship bells, echoing into the distance. Away in her thoughts, Em didn't notice her footing as a large stone rolled away under her weight. Stumbling to the left Dastan was quick to catch hold of her waist to keep her steady.

"Careful" He whispered in her ear as she looked up at him. He noticed the weariness in her eyes and the dark circles forming from lack of sleep. He could feel energy surge through his body as his arm reluctantly fell from her side.

"You should rest," Dastan told her, but she merely shook her head and continued walking. Her uneasy steps made him worried as he caught her several times until they agreed on a ten-minute respite. Groaning, the men gladly collapsed onto the ground, resting their aching feet whilst gulping the water in their skins.

Leaning against a small boulder beside her Em massaged her forehead in hope to reduce her forming headache. She hadn't gotten a proper rest since she left the village as her head slowly jerked downwards. Her eyelids grew heavy as she struggled to remain awake. Her eyelids only closed for a brief second before Dastan gently nudged her awake. Removing the sleep from her eyes she noticed the men already back on their feet to continue forward.

"Ride on the horse with Edvard. Get some rest" Dastan informed her as he assisted her onto the horse in front of the old man. Smiling at his thoughtfulness she allowed her hand to caress his cheek before handing the reins to Gwaine.

"How much further shall we walk in this wilderness?" One of the soldiers shouted towards the front. Dastan paused not knowing the answer as all eyes slowly drifted upwards towards Em. A sudden breeze blew allowing her hair to float over her shoulders. Closing her eyes and breathing in the summer scent of flower and pine, Em glanced down in the direction of the soldier.

"We will reach the edge of the kingdom but noon tomorrow" She informed as many of the men cheered. Though Em knew it would not be what they expected. They continued throughout the night and into the morning. Dastan requested that Em remains on the horse with Edvard to keep up her strength, yet a soft smile would pass her lips as she knew he cared.

As promised they started to make their way up a tall hill only to come face to face with the edge of a forest. Shocked they noticed the woods stretching out for miles either side. Murmurs began to form as Dastan gently shook Em awake. Grumbling under her breath she winced whilst awkwardly dismounting.

Once her feet hit the ground she fell onto her back groaning and covering her eyes with her forearm. The soldiers all snickered as Gwaine rolled his eye trying to convey annoyance though his eyes glistened with laughter. She wasn't used to aches of horse riding as she slowly flipped herself back onto her feet.

"I thought you said we'd be reaching the edge of the Kingdom?" Gwaine questioned as she just scoft nodding towards the forest before them.

"We have." She casually spoke whilst dusting off the dirt from her breeches.

"You don't mean in there? Surely!" Edvard questioned slightly terrified. The men glanced in the forests direction feeling thick essences in the air. The trunks of the trees were charcoal black, twenty meters high with dead leaves splattered against the forest floor. No sign of anything living. As they drew nearer towards the mouth they slowly noticed an old cobblestone path leading away into the darkness, a fog trail hovering in their air. The old road leading into the main city.

"There is a reason no one can find the kingdom gentlemen. It remains hidden, safe, within walls of magic." Em informed them.

"The map doesn't go any further" He muttered wondering how he would lead these men through a forest laced with magic. Em drew closer and placed a hand on his forearm in comfort.

"You won't need the map" She whispered to him as he watched her intently, his eyes softening to see the truth in her words.

"Where does this road lead?" Quarin asked uneasily.

"It was once the main road that led into the heart of the city. But now I would assume it would only lead you to your death. Come! This way" Em softly spoke, her voice full of memory and sadness. She left no time for arguing as they did as they were instructed and followed her into darkness. Dastan walked with his sword drawn in his hands, two steps behind Em, not trusting what could be lurking in the darkness.

"So uh....what type of magic did you say was um......in this forest?" An uneasy voice asked from the back of the group.

"Before the destruction of the Castle, the rule of Asreldion placed a spell over the kingdom to protect it from Zal-Kath. Its magic is to repel darkness and lead anyone astray to ensure the castle remains hidden." Em spoke as they began to slowly climb down a steep slope. One foot at a time angled sideways, Em caught Dastan when the rock gave way under his foot.

"What do you mean, lead astray?" Gwaine questioned grumpily.

"Can you not sense the magic in the air? It's designed to create illusions in your mind. Make you go mad and lose your way" Em bitterly informed as she crossed her arms over her chest and angled her body way from the group slightly.

"How do you know so much?" Edvard questioned. She seemed to know extent knowledge on magic and history. In all his years he couldn't think of a single book that held enough knowledge about the past. Yet this woman in front of them seemed to know all the answers.

"I read about it.....In the book of Ilłánöî" She whispered, her tone sharp closing the conversation. No one said a word after that, they knew what she spoke was true. The power of the thick air began to slowly invade their thoughts and make their body grow weary. Dastan who stood behind her frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder making her jump slightly.

"You alright?" He asked as she only nodded. The further they walked the darker the rings under her eyes grew and the more her eyes seemed to become lifeless. Going deeper into the forest, round bends over logs, and across pathways, they keep winding further into the forest. It seemed that the trunks of the trees grew darker and began to blend into the shadows, as the men often found themselves starting to bump into one another.

Soon the light from above them began to fade and the quiet was so deep that their feet seemed to thump along while all the trees leant over them and listened. Occasionally a slender beam of the sun had the luck to slip in through some opening in the leaves far above. But this was seldom, and it soon ceased altogether.

Dastan's ears strained to hear any noise of life within the woods. Scuffling of rabbits or squirrels, the flap of a bird's wing. Yet the piercing silence made him grow uneasy. His mind felt foggy and heavy yet he continued to wipe the mist from his eyes. He noticed the longer they remained concealed by darkness the soldier's eyes began to glaze over.

Looking forward once again Dastan was shocked to see Em. Her cheeks her sunken in, her skin a ghostly white. She was panting harder, sweat beading down her face as her knees collapsed under her. He went to reach out and hold her closer only to be shocked to see his bony fingers. His skeleton beginning to pierce out from under his skin.

"Dastan!" Em shouted out to him. Yet it sounded blurred in his ears. He felt a something shake him as his eyes snapped open to see Em slowly form in front of him. Em watched as the fog faded from his eyes. He let his fingers caress the warmth of her cheeks and curl in her long braid. Drawing her into a tight embrace caught her unawares. She couldn't prevent the heat burning her cheeks as his hand trailed down her spine holding her firm against him.

"We must keep moving" She cleared her throat, pulling away, refusing to look into his eyes. Glancing down at his hands he noticed they were normal, no bony fingers, no skeleton piercing his skin. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed that none of the men were aware of what had just occurred.

"What happened to me? Why did I see....?" Dastan whispered uneasy unable to finish his sentence. Em turned back to him, rubbing his shoulder in comfort.

"It's the magic in this forest. Don't believe anything you see" Em informed him but loud enough for the rest to hear. The wood would try and trick them and lead them back out, instead of further in. The horse carrying Edvard started to snort and pound its hooves against the ground.

"Dastan! What is the beast doing?" Edvard snapped grumpily as Em was the one who dashed to calm it. Slowly brushing its mane and whispering in its ear, it began to calm down. Making camp, Em quietly gathered the firewood whilst the men unrolled their sleeping mats. Dastan strained his ears to hear the soft sound of the word 'Fære' escape her lips. The wood caught a light and soon burned in a blazing warm fire of a deep red.

Outside where the light touched, the woods became pitch-dark. So black that you really could see nothing. They all kept warm by surrounding the fire and sleeping closely as Dastan took the first watch.

*********

Crunch. Snap! Crunch! Snap! Glancing at his feet Dastan saw raw bones as his pathway as he had to cover his mouth to prevent a loud shriek of disgust. The sound of tapping, like a rock being thrown against a cave wall, was echoing throughout the darkness. Slowly making his way towards the sound, a light was shining. The cave grew thinner as both hands guided over the rough texture for guidance.

Soon he was walking sideways before being blinded by light. Covering his eyes and withdrawing to only hit the back of the wall, he realised the way he came was sealed off. The light soon dimmed as he found himself in a courtyard made of white stone. He didn't recognise the place before him as he turned around to find his bearings.

"Dastan!" A weak voice whispered as he turned to see his sister. Running to collect her in his arms her body began to shake.

"What have you done?" The voice croaked as he pulled away shocked to see Em. She let out a violent scream slipping through his fingers as darkness consumed him.

*********

Dastan awoke with a sharp jolt, struggling to see the group through the limited light. Yet he wasn't the only one whose mind seemed to be tortured. He noticed all the men constantly turning in their sleep, some muttering and those near he could see the strain in their foreheads. Em was three feet to his right and he couldn't see her but he knew she had a nightmare as well.

Sitting bolt upright and rubbing her forehead she seemed to be silently sobbing. Slowly rising to his feet his sat down beside her and placed his hand on her lower back and rubbed soothing circles through her shirt. Instinctively she reached for her dagger and pushed him back placing the knife against his neck.

"Are you alright?" His deep soft voiceasked as she only nodded removing the blade from his skin. Dastan made no moreto get up as he laid on her sleeping mat gazing up at the blocked canopy.Eventually, Em gave in and laid back down next to him, taking in the comfort ofwarmth beside her as he let his fingers entwine with hers.