Before the large yellow sun even thought of rising over the sweet pines that lined Cyrus' expansive property, Meredee was quietly making her way down the corridors of the mansion, the smooth tiles cool beneath her bare feet. She found her way to the large doors that led to the back garden, and carefully pushing them open, she caught her breath at the beauty of the scene which greeted her. The ombre colors on the horizon, blending from dark blue night sky to a peachy white behind the tree line; the few stars remaining in the sky above; the numerous unique plants dotted over the garden that sat motionless, as if waiting for friends and guests to wander through and admire them; the silence that was soon broken by the first twitter of the early bird, followed by an answering chatter in a nearby silky oak.

Meredee closed the door behind her and took a deep breath, letting the air fill her lungs and energise the muscles that had rested so peacefully all night. But now they itched to stretch, to train, to practice the martial arts routine she'd been doing every morning since she moved to her current home on Earth. She had always wanted to remain physically fit, had wanted her body to remember the training she'd received all those years ago as a scared teenager, knowing one day it might be of use. Well, now it was, and she was no longer a scared teen but a strong, brave woman. Well, she hoped she was anyway.

Walking quickly through the garden, she reached the edge and found a large grassy area enclosed by weeping willows. She would also practice the new moves and fighting skills learnt just yesterday in preparation for the battle ahead. She wanted to fight her best, seeing as there were so many lives at stake here. She carefully stretched, then spun around, kicking high before leaping to the left, decking an imaginary foe. She was soon lost in the dance of her routine, and wasn't aware of someone watching her from the edge of the clearing.

Then she saw a dark shadow out of the corner of her eye, and the next thing she knew she was lying flat on her back looking up at Kallum's blue eyes and annoying smirk.

"What are you doing?! You're making me lose my focus!" she jumped to her feet and stepped back before he could lunge at her again.

"Hey, aren't I allowed to train as well? You seem to have found the perfect place, so I thought I'd join you," by now the sun had crept up over the horizon, throwing bright yellow light on the treetops and illuminating Kallum's blonde hair to a golden blaze.

"What's everybody else doing?" she tilted her head in a show of indecision. She actually was happy to have him as a training partner, but she didn't dare let him know it just yet.

"Roakin rudely awakened us a few minutes ago, before the sun had even risen, and they're all headed out to the field by the lake to train," he squinted against the sun as he looked up, the frown on his face clearly showing what he thought of the early hour. Kallum was definitely not a morning person.

Meredee circled him, her hands clenched as she sized him up. He grinned at her, daring her to ignore him again as she had last night. She would play along, put up a good fight if that's what he wanted. She could easily beat him and they both knew it, but Kallum was up for the challenge anyway.

So for the next hour, Meredee and Kallum trained together under the willows, the sun shining down on the beautiful estate surrounding the mansion. When they heard a loud bell ringing, indicating that breakfast was served, they slowly made their way back to the dining hall, laughter floating around them as it always did when jokes and teasing passed between the two good friends.

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"So, if we meet the Tiritian army head-on at the Field of Engedi, you think we'll have a higher chance at victory?" Jace traced his finger on the map which stretched the length of the wide desk in Cyrus' private study.

"Yes, I believe so. Not only is it a couple miles away from the nearest Cyrian village, but we would have the upper hand by coming in from Eagle's Pass on the north, the natural lay of the land blocking their sight of our army," Roakin explained in his matter-of-fact way.

They had been in Cyrus' study for the past two hours, drawing battle plans and discussing strategies – Cyrus, the four governors, a few captains in charge of the soldiers, and Jace and a few of his friends. After training non-stop between breakfast and lunch, they were all happy to have a break from the physical activity and put their minds to work.

"But are the villages far enough away from the Field? What if the Tiritians attack them like they did in our vision?" Kallum was staring out the window, but slowly walked back to the desk as he voiced his concern for the innocent civilians.

"Yeah, who's gonna protect them?" Meredee queried. "If we have all the troops in the Field, then who'll be left to help them fight?"

"Maybe you can," Lamont said thoughtfully. He rubbed his beard between his fingers as he voiced his idea, "Yes, of course! You and Kallum can lead a group of soldiers to protect the nearest villages, seeing as you already have experience in that kind of battle," he said, referring to the dream they had been given.

"Good idea, I like it," Kallum smiled at Meredee who looked as if she didn't feel capable of having this position of leadership. "We'll be fine," he stood by her side, winking as she frowned and rolled her eyes at him.

"Ok, then Skyfali and I will lead 1000 soldiers through Eagle's Pass while Lamont and Trymiar stay here with the rest in case Haemon and his troops come through the North pass. Captain Derek, you will go with Kallum and Meredee to show them the way and help them in any way they need it. Jace, Emily and the rest of the Earth men and women will come with us to the Field of Engedi. Is everyone clear?" Roakin summed up the plans and made sure everyone knew exactly what their job was. They all nodded their heads in agreement. "Good. Kallum, I suggest you leave this afternoon to be in position for tomorrow. You will take the short cut to the villages through Tarsus Forest. The rest of us, we will leave at first light on the morrow."
"Yes, sir" "Good plan" "Should work fine" "We'll be ready shortly," this last remark was from Kallum and Meredee who were already striding from the room to make preparations to ride out that afternoon.

30 minutes later, Captain Derek and his retinue of soldiers were waiting at the main gate to Cyrus' mansion while Roakin gave Kallum and Meredee last minute instructions. The soldiers' horses were impatiently stamping their hoofs, the dust rising as the sun started its westward trek across the sky.

"So, if any of the Tiritians attack the villages, you know what to do."

Kallum nodded solemnly as Meredee gave Emily one last hug.

"We'll see you soon. Stay strong," Emily reassured the younger woman with strength she herself was still trying to find before the dreaded battle.

"May God go with you," Cyrus waved them off as they leaped onto their horses and started heading towards the forest.

"Alright, so I guess we keep on training before tomorrow?" Jace queried once the last of the soldiers had disappeared into the shadowed tree line.

"Yes, although I'm not sure there's much more to be done. You all have gained the skills required for this battle faster than I anticipated," a smile crossed Cyrus' face, in contrast to the frown he had been wearing most of the day. "Why don't you take the afternoon off to relax? I might spend a few hours in prayer in my garden," Cyrus smiled before walking off down one of the hedge-lined paths.

"Sounds good, maybe we should do the same," Emily linked arms with Jace and nodded towards the lake. She had been wanting to do some exploring and walk around the edge of the lake ever since coming to the beautiful new world.

"Ok," with a smile he agreed.

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"Are we there yet?"

"Kallum, do you have to be such a little kid?" Meredee rolled her eyes before glaring at Kallum. They had been quickly walking through the forest on an oft used path for the last hour now, and once Kallum had exhausted his supply of jokes he started getting annoying.

"Aw come on, it's ok to have a little fun before things turn serious," he winked back.

"We should make the first village in another 40 minutes or so," Derek said in response to Kallum's question, not understanding the joke.

Meredee nudged her horse forward when he stopped to nibble on some grass. They were surrounded by amazing trees that she had never seen on Earth, golden sunlight filtering through the leaves illuminating everything it landed on, and the forest floor was covered in ferns that were so much more luscious and green than Earth's counterparts. She would have loved to stay there a bit longer and explore, examine the delicate flowers that grew on fallen tree trunks, and listen to the many different birds that flitted amongst the tree branches.

But they had a job that needed doing. She couldn't understand Kallum's easy-going attitude towards the whole thing. Wasn't he even a little bit scared at what they might come up against? Sure, they had fought the bad guys and won in the village, but that was in a dream. Real life would be a totally different ball game. Not a game at all, in fact. Maybe his joking manner was his way of coping with the stress, his way of distracting himself and everyone from the serious situation they were in.

Meredee kept reminding herself that God was on their side, and no matter what happened, it would work out how He wanted.

Suddenly, a piercing sound reverberated through the tall trees around them. Their horses reared up as the noise stopped, then rang out again even louder. To Meredee, it sounded like a horn or siren, but she wasn't able to tell from which direction it was coming from. She looked around wide-eyed as Derek called out sharply, quieting his horse as his soldiers did the same.

"What is it?" Kallum shouted over the near-confusion.

"That is the call from the sentries," Derek replied. "They're stationed along the path through Eagle's Pass and onto the Field. They must have spotted danger....maybe it's Haemon's men...."

Fear started coursing down Meredee's spine and her heartbeat picked up speed. Another loud horn blast echoed around them in the forest, this one louder.

"That must be Simon, the sentry at the western outcropping of the forest. It must be something bad. We need to head back now!" Derek called, turning his horse around and starting to head back down the path they had come. All the soldiers followed suit, and soon their entire group was thundering through the trees in a race against time. What had happened? Had Haemon's army arrived sooner than expected? Were they even now fighting Jace and Emily back at Whale Lake?    

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OH!!! 8-o Has the battle started already? They had such a good morning and peaceful ride through the forest only to be called back for an emergency!! what do you think it is?
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked this chapter :)