Iris straightened and looked around, confused. The Inquisitors were running frantically, weapons ready in their hands. She couldn't quite catch what they were shouting. One of them trotted in their direction. His helmet was gone, probably left by the fire. He was frowning, and his eyes were darting in all directions, searching for a threat.

He was barely a few steps away when Iris heard a whooshing sound, and the knight howled in pain, grabbing an arrow that stuck out of the side of his neck. His sword slipped off his numbed fingers, and he fell on his knees, rasping for breath. He was right next to the cage. Iris could see the agony on his face, the blood spilling out of his lips. She screamed and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide in shock.

More shouting and the clunk of clashing steel pierced the night. Iris forced herself to look away from a wheezing and dying knight. More shady figures were fighting with the Inquisitors. Iris was staring, her mouth wide open. She was unsure what was happening, her mind still a bit fuzzy from the smoke she inhaled.

A movement caught her attention. She turned that way to see a young man running towards their cage. He didn't wear armour, just a simple traveller attire - pants, tunic, and knee-high boots.

'Well, finally!' exclaimed the beggar when the stranger reached their wagon. 'What took you so long, boy?'

'There were complications on the way,' the man replied calmly. 'A few wandering Inquisitors. Nothing we couldn't handle, though.'

'Fine, stop boasting and get us out of here!' ordered the old man. His trailing accent was completely gone now, his voice full of conviction and command.

Before Iris managed to utter a word, a young man stretched his arm toward the fire, and his hand started to glow while the flames diminished. Iris stared in awe while the stranger hovered his hand over the cage's lock. The metal started melting with a loud hiss and fell to the grass. The doors opened wide.

'All right, time to get going,' said the old man, and before she could move, he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him out of the wagon. She tripped and stumbled, her legs shaking from staying for too long in a seated position. The man put a hand on her shoulder, supporting her.

'What's happening?' Iris finally stuttered.

'What do you think? We're breaking free. That's what's happening,' scoffed the beggar. 'Jayden, shackles if you please.' He outstretched his bound hands toward the young man.

The Mage drew more light from the fire, the blaze reduced to glowing embers now. Iris was amazed as he used the radiance to form the shape of a key and started to meddle with a shackle's lock. He frowned in focus, sweat pearling on his forehead. There was a loud click, and the bonds fell onto the grass, clattering. The stranger turned to her and gestured for her hands. She raised her bound wrists, and it took him even less time to free her.

'Thank you,' Iris gasped in relief when her hands were finally free.

'We have to go, no time to talk,' said the old man grabbing her hand again and pulling her towards the trees. 'Do you have horses?'

'Yes, but not here. We had to be quiet to sneak up this close,' replied the young man leading them, expertly finding his way in the dark through the thick overgrowth of trees and bushes. The sounds of the fighting faded away behind them, as well as light from the torches. Iris kept tripping and stumbling in the dark, but the old man was right next to her, catching her every time she was about to fall. He moved surprisingly nimbly, considering his age. After a while, her eyes finally got used to the faint light of the moon. The forest got thinner as they approached another clearing, so it got a bit brighter.

Iris' breath was laboured as they stepped out of the forest and finally stopped. A woman was standing there. She was wearing chain mail, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword while she was scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. When her eyes found them, a small smile appeared on her lips.

'All went well, I assume?' she asked while they walked towards her.

'Yes, Arlo and Myrica are finishing off the remaining Inquisitors,' said the young man walking toward three horses bound to the nearby tree.

The woman raised her brow. 'And you left those two alone?'

'Oh, come now, Kara, you know it's nothing for those two,' said the beggar and put a reassuring hand on the woman's arm. 'Good to see you in good shape, my dear.'

'Same to you, old fox. I wasn't sure if you could survive a stunt you pulled this time,' she replied sternly, but her blue eyes were bright.

'Excuse me,' said Iris, finally getting her bearings and looking with confusion at all those strange people. 'Can someone please explain to me what exactly happened back there?'

'Right, I think while we wait for the rest of our merry company, we can explain a thing or two,' said the old man with a smile.

'Are you sure she's a Mage?' asked the young man.

Iris could finally take a better look at him. The moon was almost full, and it was bright enough to see clearly. He was tall and lanky. The brown hair was messily falling onto his dark eyes. He could use a good trimming, she thought. But he was not smiling but looking at her with reservation.

'She doesn't seem very sharp.'

'Give the girl a break, will you, Jayden?' the old man scolded him gently. 'She inhaled some of Church's smoke tonight. Understandably, she's confused.' He walked over and retook her hand. 'Let me introduce myself properly this time. My name is Marcus Price, and I am the leader of the Rebellion.

'Rebellion?' Iris asked, looking at him incredulous. 'You mean the Rebellion? Those bunch of insane people trying to fight the Church?'

The woman laughed. 'That is quite an accurate description, I would say!'

'Yes, this Rebellion,' said the old man unperturbed. 'You see, as you probably noticed, not all of us agree with the tyranny of the Church. Most people have no way of fighting back. That's why we are gathering people who can stand up not only for themselves but also for those who can't. I'm sure with your talent you will be a fine addition to our company.'

'Me?' she asked, flabbergasted, and pulled away. 'I'm afraid you are mistaken. I have no power. How could I possibly stand against Inquisition?'

'You are a Mage, are you not?'

'Yes, but I've never used this power! I wouldn't even know how!'

'I saw you use it twice already. Once to warm yourself and before that to save a child. And that was quite a spectacle, I must say.'

'I wasn't thinking! I...' she stuttered and then frowned. 'How do you know that anyway?'

'I was there.'

'In the middle of the night? Why?'

The man only laughed. 'So many questions. I'm afraid we don't have enough time to answer them all for now. But you should know I used to work with your father.'

'My father?' she asked, surprised. It was so bizarre talking about him in the open. For the past few years, she never mentioned him, as if he was a dirty little secret.

'Yes, that's how I knew about you and where to find you.'

'You searched for me? Deliberately?'

Before he replied, the rustling behind them alerted everyone. Iris unconsciously took a step back, and she noticed the woman stepped forward, her hand already on the sword hilt.

'Easy now, it's us!' called a booming voice. Everyone relaxed visibly as two figures emerged from the bushes. The man who spoke was tall, bulky, and looked pretty much like a bear. His hair and beard were dark and bushy, his chest clad in plaited armour, his arms thick and muscular. There were two viciously looking axes hanging at his belt. 'See, Myr? I told you they'd be here already!' he said to his companion.

Only then, Iris noticed the woman walking beside him. She looked relatively small next to the giant man. The girl felt her mouth falling open while she took in the woman's exotic features. Her skin was brown with a few green shades as if she were yet another tree in the forest. She had almond-shaped eyes, unnaturally big and golden. Her long dark hair was plaited in complicated braids, decorated with feathers, leaves and sticks. At first glance, it looked like a mess, but the more Iris was looking, the more beautiful and intricate the patterns became. The woman returned her gaze and shuffled uncomfortably, straightening the bow hanging on her shoulder.

'Stop staring, little one,' she said with a luscious voice. 'It is rude.'

'I'm sorry!' Iris said and looked at her feet, feeling the blush creeping to her cheeks. She never saw anyone like the woman standing before her.

'Myrica is one of the forest people,' said Marcus obligingly. 'Myr, dear, don't be offended. The girl was just surprised.'

'Figured,' scoffed the woman. 'Let us not dally here any longer. We dealt with the Inquisitors, but there might be more of them nearby. We must move.'

'Right you are,' agreed Jayden, bringing horses towards them. There were three of them. They were not large, like the ones used by the Inquisitions. Iris noted those were some of the breeds used for work mainly. The horses were smaller but sturdier, their legs shorter but visibly firmer. They were suitable for long trips and carrying heavy burdens. 'We'll ride double,' he added, handing the reins to the large man and to the woman called Kara.

'Come, girl. You'll ride with me,' said the woman hopping on her horse and stretching her arm to Iris. She hesitated only a second but accepted the hand and let the woman pull her up behind her. Iris didn't feel like she had much choice. She was not staying all alone in the middle of the forest at night.

'Let's get out of here,' commanded Marcus. 'Myr, take the lead, dear.'

The exotic woman rushed her horse forward, and they rode deeper into the forest.

The horses managed surprisingly well, finding their way through the night. Iris was holding on to Kara's waist and trying not to fall. She never had problems with riding but doing that with another person was not her favourite way, especially because she had no control over the animal and could not see upcoming hurdles. What's more, she was dead tired, and she felt as if she could fall asleep any second.

'Are you alright back there, girl?' asked Kara shaking her off her sleepiness.

'Yes, I'm good. And my name is Iris.'

'Fair enough. I'm Kara. Hang on just for a little bit more. We are almost at the camp. I'd hate to see you fall off the horse and break your neck after all the effort we put into bringing you in.'

'Uhm... right,' Iris replied, unsure if she should feel grateful or offended by her words.

Despite assurances that their destination was close, the forest around was getting thicker and darker with every passing stride.

When Iris could no longer see the night sky, she asked, 'Are you sure we are going the right way? It seems soon there would be no way at all.'

'Yep, that just means we are almost there.'

Myrica stopped her horse and hopped down. Others followed her and dismounted too. Iris grimaced as she massaged her stiff legs. There was a thick green wall of entwined branches, vines, and bushes with surprisingly big thorns right in front of them. It didn't look like they were going further anytime soon. Iris looked at her companions. No one seemed to be troubled by the sudden roadblock.

Before she uttered a question, Myrica crouched, just a step from the thicket. She took off her leather gloves and put her palms flat on the grass.

'Si ono defensiore silvestre,' she recited in a strange language, her voice alluring as if she was a bard singing a ballad. 'Si veno im pacem. Si dicit nulla nocere im natura nec creatura am hoc silva. Sapien et modi antiqua sancto, ostende mihi viam.' Her hands started glowing with pale green light, and it spread slowly to the knotted plants in front of her. With a rustling sound, they started disentangling and backing away, revealing a way leading deeper into the forest.

'Come, before the passage closes,' said Myrica ushering them to move.

Iris closed her gaping mouth and followed others. When she passed Myrica, who was waiting for them all to go first, she noticed her golden eyes were shining brightly with the otherworldly glow. The woman looked at her, her face serious, with no trace of a smile.

'Move quickly, little one, or you will be left behind. And this deep in the forest, intruders are not treated kindly.'

Iris felt a shiver running down her spine. She hastened to catch up to Kara, who raised her brow.

'Are you scared?'

'No,' she lied, shrugging, although her hands shook a bit. 'I just... never seen anything like this before.'

'Not many humans were ever lucky enough to witness the magic of the wild,' said the woman patting Iris on a shoulder reassuringly. 'But don't be afraid. You are safe. No one wishes you any harm here.'

Iris bit her lip and kept silent. It was all happening too fast. Just a few hours ago, she made her peace with her upcoming death. But now, suddenly, she was surrounded by this most bizarre company. Iris had no idea what she was doing here and what awaited her, but she found herself strangely fascinated.

After a short walk, the trees started to thin out, and she could see the starry sky again. It was slowly getting brighter, indicating the dawn was near. The air filled with voices of many people, the clattering of tools and the crackling of many fires. When the trees disappeared as they reached the clearing, Iris' eyes opened wide.

Photo by mskathrynne from Pixabay