EDIT: This was probably my least favourite chapter but I like it so much more now and I hope you do too!

-S

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It was nearly time. As Aidan made last minute modifications, and strapped all of their necessities to the two horses, Helenia wanted to walk around the familiar hallways once more to say goodbye. Being careful not to walk in the light, she stuck against the castle walls, blending into the shade. She decided to use the tunnel they came through. With a heave, she forced open the wooden doors and lowered herself into the darkness below, her clothes instantly blending in. Trying to find the steps, Helenia made sure to look around to see if she had company- her surroundings were deserted. She shot into the hole, closing the doors with her. There was no source of light, so she stretched her hands out to the walls, dragging her palms along them, feeling the curves of the stone. The tunnel walls were damp, which made the stones smooth and easy to trace. Helenia stuck her hand out in front of her as she neared the exit. Finally feeling the sensation of cold stone beneath her hand, she used her other one to touch her pendant, hoping for strength to pull the door open. Breathe in, breathe out. Her hands found the grips Aidan used, and mustering all her might, she pulled, clenching her teeth. There was a slight response in the stone as a slit of light made her sight return. More ready than before, she repeated her actions, pulling with a grunt. It opened just enough for her to slip through. Helenia pushed the door back into place with ease. The instantly recognisable scent of rosemary intertwined with wood, shot up and tickled her nose. Engraved wooden pillars greeted her on her way to Helenia's favourite getaway place- the library.

Helenia didn't know much of the network of secret hallways around the castle but she knew every path to the library. She could get there with her eyes closed. Pulling up an image of the castle in her mind, she located her best path and continued her journey. Every so often she would look around to make sure she was alone. The library was opposite to the grand ballroom she spent last night in. Its grandiose doors were decorated with gold and the handles were made of chrysocolla, the blue stone of wisdom and teaching; the library-keeper's stone. She pushed one open and slid through the slit. A familiar sight filled her eyes and Helenia never felt more at home. Walls and walls of books held her in tight, promising to not let go. The scent of thousands of books, from all corners of the kingdom, all in one place made her smile.

As she approached her favourite section that beheld the beloved tales, myths and legends that once dwelt in the world she was living in, she searched her favourite book. It wasn't there. Usually myths were frowned upon in the castle, so why was the book missing. Removing the thought from her head, she searched for the book of complete gemstones. She wished to know each one, recognise their colours and properties. Since she was able to read, Helenia had began to memorise each of them until she only had a few left. Sodalite- stone of intelligence, endurance and courage. From her peripheral vision she saw a shadow appear down the furthest isle, only to disappear a millisecond later. Helenia convinced herself that it was just a figure of her wild imagination, especially since she was to embark on something foreign and dangerous. Nonetheless, her heartbeat sped up and adrenaline pumped through her body. All of Helenia's senses buzzed. She immediately rose and gripped the book tightly, ready to use it as a weapon. She didn't want to use her daggers yet. On the back of her neck she felt a warm wave of air brush her and in a split second she flung the book behind her with profound strength.

"Nice aim." Aidan grunted as the book hit his chest and broke the silence as Helenia turned to face him. The book was in his arms and seemed to have no significant effect on him. She would never get used to his near immunity.

"I admire the compliment, but don't sneak up on me again." She huffed, grabbing hold of her stone out of habit. The book was remarkably heavy, so she was proud at her precise aim and strength. Aidan was correct, her stone held more power than she initially expected.

"No promises and that could've been an attacker. You just proved to me that you can think fast. Good." He replied with a slight smirk on his face. He placed the book back on the highest shelf, not having to extend his form. Helenis stood still, still unable to completely process what happened a moment ago. She let her reflexes control her and forgot about her mind which made her react quickly.

"You enjoyed that didn't you?" Helenia raised an eyebrow at him, grounding herself to the present. She scoffed at the ground and looked up at Aidan through her eyelashes, a small smirk plastered on her face.

"Seeing your instincts and senses take control, yes." His smirk widening.

"I'm not an animal. Don't treat me like one." Helenia rolled her eyes and started towards the gates of knowledge. He ruined her last experience in the library before their journey.

"All humans are animals." He said, whispering, as believing that the air was listening. Helenia had already walked away. Aidan quickened his pace, he was never one to follow.

"Don't tempt me. The woods hold better props." Helenia paused to tell Aidan before they left the library.

"Stop threatening me, I'm not getting scared and running off like a toddler anytime soon." Aidan tapped at his carnelian, as if reminding her of its power. For the first time, it didn't scare her.

"What are you without it?" Helenia didn't want an answer, but she did wonder who he was behind all of the strength and fire. She never wanted to rely completely on her stone, if she lost it she didn't want to lose herself.

"You need to stop pushing people away."

At that Helenia became speechless, all she could manage was a scoff. Her gaze hardened and Aidan knew better then to keep going down the same road. Helenia had come up with retorts, but they refused to roll of her tongue. She knew Aidan didn't care, she would erase the memory of him saying that if she could. If his personal mission was to soften her and take her down, she was not going to let that happen. She stormed out of the library and opened the doors with such force that they created a gust of wind.

"You searched for Myths of Faerline, why?" After her whole silent outburst, Aidan still didn't leave her be. But she knew that she couldn't lose her temper over him, it wasn't worth it. After taking a moment to breathe and compose herself, Helenia replied, still not facing Aidan.

"They all hold some degree of truth. They'll come to use at one point. We've got a journey to start." She ordered.

"Yeah, just do not let them get to your head."

*

Without uttering a word, Helenia and Aidan approached their horses. Before mounting, Helenia looked back at the intimidating stone structure of the castle. No inch of her was going to miss it and its corrupt inside. Except Moyra. She didn't even get to say goodbye. The castle contrasted against the picturesque background. Its glass ceilings reflected the rays of light. The castle's dark, brooding exterior was somehow made enchanting by the reflections. A light breeze swam through the air, bringing a few willow tree leaves with them. Around her, nature looked harmonious, the willows meandered in the air and the flowers adorning the grass blushed with colour. The tranquility and sheer pulchritude of nature made Helenia's alacrity to start the trip increase.

Mounting Alfara wasn't the hard part for Helenia, she could lift her long leg to the stirrup and pull herself up, wrapping the other one around with ease. Aidan had already hopped onto Aries and was waiting for her to tighten her reins. When she was ready, she gave him a slight nod and Aidan kicked his horse, which immediately started trotting. Alfara obediently followed and to her surprise, Helenia found that Alfara was easy to control. Her grip around her reins tightened and her legs applied more pressure on Alfara's stomach which signalled her to trot. Around them, everything was silent except for the occasional scrape of metal from the tack and the friction between leather and their clothes as they rode in unison. Only the woods ahead of them seemed to be home to different noises. Helenia could hear a plethora of birds chirping, sycamore and willow trees blowing in the wind and the horses' hooves clanking against the rocky path. It was hard to believe that it was only eleven in the morning, to Helenia it felt like a decade had past since she found Aidan standing in her room.

Green clouded Helenia's vision. It was the middle of spring- the season of new beginnings, where flowers bloom, leaves regrow and life flourishes. Pooling around the stone path were crocus flowers. The assortment of colours, lilac to lavender, yellow to orange, ameliorated Helenia's mood; it was lavish. They were some of the first flowers to bloom at that time of year, other flowers buds sprinkled the grass waiting to open their feathers and show their colours. They still hadn't reached the border to Misthaven, so no animals were yet in sight. Never seeing animals up close other than horses, Helenia was thrilled. She once read about an elegant brown spotted animal, with horns resembling carved branches and wanted more than to see them up close. Deer they were called. Adoring the flowers below her, she caught a glimpse of silver in her boot, which reminded her why she was gawking at the flowers in the first place. The sword. During the planning of their journey, Helenia was left in the dark, she had no clue where it was, and how far away. She needed to know, for all she knew, Aidan could be leading them in the wrong direction wanting her to get lost. Done with her own lack of knowledge, she gave Alfara a nudge and caught up with Aidan.

"Do you even know where the sword is?" She asked, cursing at herself for not asking earlier. His expression was blank, staring ahead while he smoothly rose in time with Aries's trot. Behind his mask, he was probably calculating.

"Vaguely." He replied, god she hated his short answers. Why didn't he want her to know?

"Care to tell me?" She asked, Aidan's plan to irritate her had worked. Helenia eyed him until he finally turned to her.

"To the northeast border between Cordinia and Misthaven forest. When we see signs of sand coloured stones, we know we're near." Something didn't feel right. If the sword was said to be so close to Cordinia, then why had they never tried to retrieve it before. Maybe they tried secretly, but knowing how many connections and spies the king had, that would have not slid past him. Then the realisation struck her. When we see signs of sand coloured rocks... his words echoed in her mind. Her book stated that if there was a presence there at a specific time and year, a gateway could open to another dimension, a rival dimension that wanted war on Faerline. Of course, it was just a myth, but many people had dismissed them before and their future was not extremely bright. In her opinion, the mention of another dimension didn't seem to have any truth to it. But she believed that it stood for something.

Misthaven forest had also been mentioned in various chapters and they all had one thing in common: the magical aspect. Helenia knew the myths of Faerline inside and out and she also knew that in a world like the one she was living in, anything was possible, so it was her natural instinct to assume the worst. Helenia had imagined creatures from nightmares, coming to attack them. She had created scenarios for each legendary specie and how she would deal with them. Like it or not, she had to inform Aidan. No matter how much she despised him, she needed him as protection. In a swift movement, she made Alfara get closer to Aries, so that she was less than an arms length away from Aidan.

"Get back." Aidan said quite spitefully.

"What happened to you? As much as I'd like to lead my own way, I will not, but there is a reason I caught up." Helenia said, eying the horizon. Viewing the flowers earlier, she had let her guard down. That could not happen again. She was once again thankful that her fire agate was near her.

"And what reason could that possibly be?" He asked, giving out a small laugh. Helenia knew that he probably wouldn't believe her, but she still decided to tell him, even if it would ruin the already bad image of her he probably had in his mind.

"Very funny. Myths." She said, eager to get to the point.

"I'm not playing your guessing game." He chortled while Helenia scoffed. "You know, I'm smarter than you think, I can name your myths." She wanted to reach out and strangle his presumptuous nature. Instead, she started tapping her reins to release some of her irritation.

"Perfect." She said a little too harshly, but she hoped that he knew, it would help both her and well, mostly her. A part of her always had to rely on him as he knew the outside better than her, everyone did. She didn't want to admit it, but she would probably fail without him. She was never taught how to start a fire, hunt, or survive in the wild.

"Sand stones: magic gateway to another land, once a year, specific time. Misthaven: enchanted forest, and whatever daft creatures live in it. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Aidan listed. She was slightly impressed. Especially since before he nearly teased her for searching for the book.

"How do you know?"

"You're not the only person who reads. I did some reading before we left the castle. I don't know if I believe in them; they seem far-reaching." He stated while Helenia looked at him puzzled. That's why the book was missing, he took it before their journey. He suddenly seemed a bit more open to them. She just couldn't figure him out, no matter how hard she tried. It was like he had two fronts; his true front and his castle front. Rarely she was able to see a bit of his harsh demeanor slip, beside all of the arrogance and wish to frustrate her. Looking at him now, she saw a strong male leading his horse with, passion? The sight made her chuckle under her breath.

"What?" He asked, sharply turning his head to face her. His features were less harsh than at the beginning of the day. Maybe he wasn't the only one that could make someone vulnerable. His greek nose was not flared like usual and his lips were not sewn together in a tight line.

"You don't strike me as the reading type." Helenia replied, trying to prevent a laughing fit from escaping her. She felt a bit more relaxed after their revelation.

"What type do I strike you as?"

"That brooding, strong, action type." She eased her way back into teasing mode as he snorted. It's what she expected since he was the army general and possessed the stone of carnelian. It was hard to believe he çould deprive himself of action long enough to read a book. To her, he belonged on a battlefield, his hair a mess, splattered in enemy blood. Right on the frontline. Or in the armory, day and night, alone with his beloved weapons.

They slipped back into silence, less awkward than before. The further they rode into the woods, the easier it was for her to breathe. The air had a modicum of sweetness and every time she breathed it in, she felt as if it revitalised her body. Helenia ended gulping the air in, feeling rejuvenated by the second. A part of her was bored, no conversation, the same scenery around them, and no other animals in sight. Looking down at Alfara, her mane was an immaculate chestnut colour all swept to one side and untangled. Lightly, she stroked Alfara's neck, the horse perked its ears forward. The sign of approval brought a smile on Helenia's face. In one day, she felt more emotion than she had in years.

Looking up, she realised that Misthaven forest was in front of them. It looked different, more dense and more green. The colours were more defined, eye catching. Something was going to happen in Misthaven, it wasn't a normal forest. Worry spread onto Helenia's face, her lips became almost non-existent and her eyebrows curved downward. She glanced in Aidan's direction to see his Adam's apple bob up and down- he was nervous too. The audacious general was feeling distressed. Not a good sign. Thinking the same thing, they halted at the border between Aestelle and Misthaven forest. So far, no soul had seen them, they were completely isolated from the rest of the world. Helenia's drifted off into the darkest of places. Maybe the quest was just a trap, a trap set by the king to destroy them because they knew too much. She so desperately wanted to ask Aidan what he thought, but she knew that he wouldn't understand, the King's right hand.

"Ready?" He asked, maybe she could make him understand. She searched his eyes to try and find out how he felt. Nothing but tenacity.

"I don't have another choice." When Helenia mentally prepared herself, she touched her fire agate and prayed for it to give her enough strength and courage to stay alive. Taking a deep breath, she kicked Alfara. As the horse's hoof touched the dazzling green grass of Misthaven forest, Helenia looked back one last time, saying her last goodbye. The castle was now nothing more than a speck in the distance, unable to help her.

*

Misthaven forest was different than the last time he saw it. Now it became more swallowing and somehow deeper. This mission wasn't going to be simple, that he knew. He also knew that they were going to have to risk their lives for this but he was afraid that she didn't know that. She was intelligent but naive, seeing all this for the first time. If anything happened he needed to make sure she didn't go rogue. Eyes wide, Aidan watched Helenia as she entered the forest. Her demeanor had changed, she had tensed up, sharpened her senses and became serious. He realised she knew how dangerous the forest was, but it could have just been her stone. She didn't know how to control it, or to what extent it could aid her. Her pendant could be more fatal than the woods themselves, but regardless she managed to look assured. Put together.

She intrigued him even though she was stubborn and her childlike annoyance got the best of him sometimes. He was positive that the feeling was mutual, he was the only company she had but he could see how much she wanted to kill him. Helenia was deadly smart and cunning, he could see it in her eyes every time he looked at her. It complemented her hatred for him. That was her deadliest weapon, more powerful than any stone; it was permanent power. He'd seen her before, deceiving and charming up to guards and he knew that he shouldn't get too close, but this mission would make that very difficult. Dragging himself away from his thoughts, Aidan followed her, quickly catching up, he couldn't let her take the lead.

The atmosphere in the forest was different. There was a thick sense of something unfamiliar, yet something so sweet. The air around them seemed crisper, every scent of nature defined. The picture was almost too good to be true.

He hoped that the myth was in fact just a myth. He did not need a rival dimension filling his already full plate. It didn't bother him much, the myth was nothing short of ridiculous. But Helenia seemed more bothered about it. How could such a sly and intelligent girl believe something do ludicrous that it was laughable? His mother had said that every myth is constructed from a true story. So what was the legend of Misthaven really based on?