Chapter Two

                Jade was lost. As the bells tolled her natural reaction was to go to her next session, which would have been at the library to study history and maps. Unsure of what actions to take Jade wandered the empty corridors and eventually found herself at the stables, where one of the stable masters was in the middle of teaching his three apprentices. They had a war horse tethered to a post, and he was showing them how to properly medicate and bandage the leg from a cut. Jade remained out of the way and listened as he taught his lesson.

                “Protectors will not always return to us if their horse has been wounded. But when the wound is too serious for them they bring the horse here to rest and heal. When the situation arises we must be prepared to tend to the animal and get it back onto its feet as quickly as possible. Next to a Guardian a horse is a Protectors greatest asset. These animals have been intensely trained for battle and are familiar with a Great Wolf’s presence which makes them even more valuable. We must also be ready to give them a replacement, choosing the correct animal is also something you must learn. Each horse has a different personality, as you work and learn you will come to know each horse and their character. With practice you will be able to correctly judge and match a horse to the rider.

                “Now this method of wrapping is good for just about any minor cut. If the horse has been sliced with a blade then the wound might need to be carefully sewn or cauterized. As you know if a horses wound is cauterized more likely than not that horse will be retired and will be used to help train young horses for future service.”

                One of the apprentices raised their hand. “Yes Harry?” The stable master paused.

                “Why must the horse be retired?”

                “Because cauterizing a wound is often a sloppy job preformed by a Protector out on the field when there was no other option available. The horse often comes back to us and can never again reach its full potential. It’s simply not worth taking the risk.” The stable master took a deep breath. “Everything we do here is to assist the Protectors and the Guardians. Without them our way of life would not exist, our lands do not have particularly rich soil, we do not have gold or mines, and we do not have big lands for grazing animals. We have Great Wolves and we have Protectors. Our revenue and trade comes from the kings and the nobles of whom our Protectors and Guardians serve. It has been that way for generations.

                “Yes Harry, a horse with a cauterized wound would serve a normal person find after it healed. But our Protectors are not normal, they are saving and protecting important people’s lives, and to do that to the best of their capabilities they must have an animal that is also performing its best.”

                The stable master went on to explain the correct way of bandaging a wound. “Excuse me.”

                Jade turned, a stable hand stood behind her. “Can I help you with something miss Dryden?” He asked. The horse insignia was embroidered over the chest of his tunic. He was still an apprentice, but the symbol meant he would move up soon.

                “Please, Jade is fine,” she said to him. “I need a horse and packs with food for lunch.” The stable hand nodded and began to turn. “Also, don’t give me just any horse.”

                The stable hand nodded, “I wouldn’t dream of it ma’am.”

                As the stable hand walked away into the stable Jade turned and continued to watch the apprentices as they each took their turn wrapping the horses pretend wound. These people looked up to Protectors as if they were more than human. But they aren’t. I would have been one of them but we’re all human. Why a person should be defined as better if they have a wolf at their side?

                What was worse, they looked at Jade as if she were royalty. All because of the name her father had given her, all because of the legacy her family passed down, the legacy that would now be forgotten and lost with the dust because she was week. When the stable hand came back with a retired warhorse she was pleased. The horse might be retired, but it still had plenty of life and energy. It was also well trained, and after years of riding and practicing with the war horses Jade doubted she’d ever be able to ride a normal horse again.

                Jade double checked the packs and found them well stocked with a water skin and something warm and wrapped for her lunch. She gave the stable hand a silver coin and thanked him. She didn’t have to be generous or kind, but she wasn’t better than anyone, and she wished to prove that to everyone. The horse was a light mud color and danced on his toes when Jade found her seat in the soft saddle. Jade smiled and they walked out of the stable, the horse flicked his tail impatiently.

                When Jade was out of danger of running anyone over she squeezed her legs and the horse bolted forward. Jade squeezed the reigns with one hand and enjoyed the feeling of the wind in her face and the rhythm of the horse underneath. The horse ran without any persisting, and Jade gave him his head and let him go as he wished. Soon the town and the barracks were behind her, Felkor forest was to her right and the dusty road before her.

                As they went further and further farms and pastures rolled out on either side of the road. The horse slowed but kept a quick pace and farmers and herders both lifted their hands and greeted her. She didn’t stop but she waved back and the horse thundered on. Finally she pulled him in and he stopped, neck sweating and ear forward. He tossed his head, telling her he could have easily gone further. She patted his neck. “I know fellow,” she said. “But it wouldn’t do us both any good if I ran you into the ground for no reason.”

                It wasn’t until Jade was upon the crossroads when she realized where she was going. She pulled the reigns slightly and the horse stopped immediately. She looked upon the road before her, it branched away from the main road, and a few feet down the grass had grown over most of the old tracks. As Jade looked further where it curved into the woods she saw the branches and small saplings hanging down and growing in the road. When had she made the decision to come here? She hadn’t even realized what she was doing when she had left the barracks, but it made sense now. When was the last time she had left the village outside of training and going into the forest in search of a Guardian? The abandoned road seemed to call her name as the wind touched the branches and grass. Jade took a deep breath and urged the horse forward. They made their way around the overgrown path. Jade remembered when carts and horsemen often used to ride along this road. She used to play in the woods and watch them pass. She used to play games and try to make up stories to fit their faces.

                As the road curved once more the trees fell away and opened up to a large open space that had been cleared a long time ago. The road curved up the hill where the ruined of her home still lay forgotten and abandoned. Young trees had begun to grow and ivy snaked over the old stones, covering them and hiding them from the world. Jade slid of the horse and walked up the old drive way. Jade could remember hearing the crunch of the small rocks as carriages and horses alike approached the house.

                Memories assaulted Jade’s mind, every tree every scent and sound brought back everything she tried so hard to push down. She took of the bridle and saddle and placed them next to the ruins of the house and let him roam free. He went immediately to the small stream that pulsed behind the house where the old gardens used to grow. Jade sat upon the ruins and lay down. When she closed her eyes she could almost feel the heat of the fire seeping from the stone. And if she took a deep breath she could taste the smoke in the back of her mouth.

                Jade lay for quite some time and did not move. The horse snorted and bit at the grass that had grown to heights that would have been, at one time, completely unacceptable. Jade breathed, and breathed again, the world turned around her and continued to pulse with life. But Jade did not stir, she allowed the memories to trickle and play through her mind like notes on a piano.

                And when she opened her eyes, she knew in her heart why she had come home. She had her father’s name and wealth. Tomorrow she could set plans into motion and the road and woods would be cut back. A team of men and woman could begin to rebuild her home in the glory it was once known for. She had the means to marry a wealthy and high born man and allow her family name to pass onto her children.

                But she hadn’t come here today to envision life into this place once more. She had come here, to say goodbye.

                She ate the food that had been packed for her and shared her apple with the horse. She jumped from stone to stone across the stream behind the ruins and walked into the woods. The sun was quickly fading and the dark sky was beginning to show. She knew she had to head back soon, but she needed to do one last thing before she left. It took Jade a little while to find it in the failing light, but when she did she was sad to find the stone had been overgrown with thorny ivy and grass. When was the last time she had come here?

                Jade had left the knife back with the saddle, and she knew she didn’t have time to go back and fetch it. So she tore the ivy down with her bare hands. It clung to the stone stubbornly and the thorns tore and bit her bare hands and skin but Jade was more stubborn. Soon the stone was cleared and Jade got to her knees and ran her fingers over the engraving. Blood smeared over the words and somehow, she found it fitting that her blood should be left here, it made her actions real.

                In honor and memory of Richard Dryden and Ann Dryden, who were murdered and burned in their home. May their killer never rest, and may their dust strengthen these grounds.

                It angered Jade that she would never be able to properly bury her mother and father. Tradition rules that their bodies be burnt on a pyre and their ashes buried on their home ground to strengthen generations to come. But they were burnt before their bodies could be recovered, so they took the ash and dust from the ruble and buried it.

                Jade pressed her hand against the stone, her blood would wash away with the next rain, but she felt this was appropriate. “I am meant for more,” she said. “I am meant to swear loyalty and protect with my life. I will raise your name to what it used to be, and I will do it the way you did it, with the sharp edge of my blade.” Jade looked up at the sky, the first stars were beginning to flicker. “Forgive me father, but I do not know what else to do, and I think…I hope that I will honor your name, and bring pride to our people.” She pulled her hand off the stone and kissed her mother and fathers name.

                She rested her forehead against the stone and whispered one last thing. “Or may I never return.”

                She rode hard on the way back, the horse eagerly replied, though he seemed sluggish from all the grass. When she finally returned to the stable the apprentices gave her disapproving looks. But the horse nudged her shoulder as she left and she smiled and patted his nose. Jade walked the grounds and even from here she could hear the commotion from the dining hall. It was the middle of dinner, but Jade was not hungry, so instead she went straight to her room and locked the door.

                She poured water into a bowl and cleaned her hand then wrapped it in a clean cloth. She hoped the thorns weren’t poisonous or else she would have to take a trip to the physician. And she wished to see him as little as possible, for each time she went she knew he wanted her to speak to the elders of her sickness. But that was not possible. She would not be seen as weak.

                Jade lay awake and stared at the ceiling as the night progressed. The dorms were filled with voices and laughter and the occasional song, but soon the evening bell rang and the quiet grew. Jade was thinking long and hard. She was going to leave, but without the grant from an elder or without purpose she was forbidden to leave. It was spring, and the river was full and too dangerous to cross anywhere but the bridge. The guards wouldn’t let her pass unless she had a letter with an official seal and signature. She could risk going through the forest and over the mountains but the Rangers patrolled those lands and getting past them would be a difficult thing. Besides, she was forbidden to set place in that forest again, if anyone saw her going into those woods she would be punished, and not softly. The last time someone tried to enter those woods without leave they were flogged.

                Jade rubbed her palms over her eyes and groaned softly. She needed to rest. Tomorrow would come and tomorrow would present itself with its own solutions and problems. So she closed her eyes and did her best not to think about it.

                Jade slept through two of the morning bells, something she had ever done before in her life. But she was exhausted, both mentally and physically. She took her time getting dressed and opened her shudders to let the warm morning light fill her room. The days were slowly getting warmer, and Jade found herself excited for the long summer evenings. She turned to the maps spilled over the desk and ran her fingers along the borders and counties and outlying countries. The map and facts of each county was engrained into her mind and yet while she knew so much of them, she was ignorant. She knew the palm trees of the south were unique, but she had never seen one with her own eyes. What did a coconut taste like? She would never find out unless she left Felkor, and that was forbidden. Yet Jade found herself caring less and less.

                Our way of life is dying, Jade thought. Less and less are chosen to become apprentices, and even less are chosen by the Great Wolves Something has to change, our traditions need to change. My father saw it. He was working to change everything until someone killed him. He had visions of this land expanding and becoming more independent. He knew that everyone should have the chance to pair with a Guardian and train to be a protector. My father knew that one’s greatness wasn’t determined by their genes or bloodline. Anyone can learn to wield a sword through determination and training.

                Jade curled her hand into a fist against the parchment. We’re dying out. She left her room irritated and angry, and seeing the other apprentices and elders made it worse. They are all blind. She wasn’t even hungry, her emotions made her stomach churn and her thoughts left a bitter taste in her mouth.

                I have to leave. Jade stared out at the pastures where the horses grazed. The horse she rode yesterday was grazing contently on the green grass. I don’t care if they banish me as punishment. I will not return until I’ve brought honor to my father’s name. I will prove to them that a Guardian doesn’t make a person great.  

                “You look like you’re going to kill someone.” Jade startled and turned.

                Gregor stood with his wolf who stared at her silently, head slightly turned as if he was curious. She looked at Gregor and ignored his wolf.

                “Maybe I could.”

                He nodded. “Aye, I wouldn’t doubt it.” He walked up to the fence and leaned his body against it. A piece of grass stuck out of his mouth awkwardly while he chewed on it. “So what’s your plan now? Thought about what craft you will go into or what man you’ll marry?”

                “I’m not getting married.” Jade’s face when red with annoyance. She was still young, she still had things to see and people to protect. She wasn’t about to settle down and have children.

                “So what then?”

                Jade wanted to tell him that she was leaving, “I’m thinking about joining the Rangers.”

                “Really?” Gregor looked shocked, as he should. “I thought you’d be too proud to join their ranks. With your bloodline and name you could have a comfortable life, why would you choose to live your days in the woods?”

                “They have honorable jobs Gregor. Without them protecting our borders more Great Wolves would be stolen from our forest and sold like dogs to the highest bidder. I would be proud to protect the wolves and I’ve never had any problem being alone in the wilderness.”

                Gregory shook his head. “Doesn’t suit you, I thought you’d want to see the world.”

                “I guess you don’t know me that well.” Jade felt her pulse quicken.

                Gregor spit and turned. “You’re right, I guess I’m mistaken. Good day to you.” Gregor and his Guardian left and Jade watched them leave. Gregor had spoken close to Jades heart, that man is disconcerting sometimes. Jade didn’t know much of Gregors history, just that he was always in the background of her life, like some estranged distant uncle. She liked him, or so she thought, there was never any reason not to like him.

                But another thing crossed Jade’s mind, the question that Gregory asked. Others would be asking it also, they would keep asking it, and they wouldn’t stop until she fulfilled what she said. The sooner she left the better. She could only lie for so long. Jade looked back at the horses once more, the brown war horse lifted its head and looked at her like he knew what was going through her mind.

                I need to leave, tonight if possible but I cannot delay. It will only become harder. Jade walked away from the pastures, she had to prepare for there was much to be done. She walked out of the barracks and into the village. No one took special notice of her, and for that Jade was thankful. The physician’s home was not far from the barracks, but every moment she walked the streets was another moment she felt that she would be discovered.

                She tapped on the door with her knuckles and resisted the urge to look over the shoulder. The door opened a few moments later. “Oh, Jade, I wasn’t expecting you, please come in.”

                Jade slipped into the house and Marcus closed the door behind her. “I know I didn’t send word ahead of me, are you with anyone?”

                “No, not at all I was just going over a few of my books. Please come in.” He led her to his office and she sat down while he put away a few of his books. Marcus was getting old and yet he seemed just as strong as ever, he had two apprentices who were training under him and would eventually take his place. The house was empty though, and that’s how Jade wanted it.

                “You’ve heard the news?” Jade asked.

                He nodded his head and sat down. “Yes I’ve heard.”

                “This doesn’t change anything. You are still sworn to secrecy on your own blood.”

                Marcus nodded again. “I know child.” He looked down at the finger where she had made him spill his blood and seal his words. “Have you had any problems? How are you feeling?”

                Jade sighed. “The fit came to me again when I went to the woods.”

                “How much blood?”

                “Same as always.” Marcus nodded his eyes deep in thought. The sickness was a puzzling one, and one that frustrated Marcus over the years. There were no other symptoms, no other signs that anything was wrong with Jade, only the fits and blood that appeared whenever it pleased.

                “Why don’t you tell the elders child?” Marcus asked, “If they knew of your troubles-”

                “-if they knew of my troubles I would have been disbanded sooner. I would have been shown pity. I would rather die than be shown pity because they think I am weak.”

                Marcus shook his head. “No one thinks you are weak Jade. But if they knew that a sickness plagued you, they would…”

                “They would do what Marcus? It wouldn’t change anything. What’s done is done, and nothing will change it.” Jade pulled a piece of parchment towards her and grabbed ink and a quill. She began to write while Marcus watched her silently. He wanted to tell someone for years about the sickness within Jade, but his blood kept him silent. And she knew he only meant well.  He silently sat and waited for Jade to finish her letter and when she sealed it with wax she gave it to him.

                “This is for my Uncle, tomorrow you may deliver it to him, but not before. You are still sworn to secrecy Marcus, and I will forever hold you to it.”

                He took the letter and looked at the red seal. “You’re leaving.” He wasn’t stupid, he saw it Jade’s eyes and the way she stood.

                “I am.”

                “Jade that is forbidden, you will be banished, your name put to the dust and disgraced. What of your father?”

                “What of him? He is dead and I am here. It is my name now and I will do with it as I please. There is nothing for me here, no glory, and no honor. My father raised his name by the sharp edge of his sword and I will do the same.  I will not be married off or forced to wander the woods protecting the beasts that should have protected my back. I was born to save lives.”

                “So what will you do? Will you become a sword for hire? You are not a Protector, you have no wolf, if you go out into the world you will be treated like the rest, worse even because you are a woman. They won’t care that you can handle a sword. You will have no proof, nothing to back your name or word. You will starve because no one will want you, and when you’re cold and alone you will think of home and you will not be able to return. Is that what you want?”

                Jade shook her head, “You’re wrong, you’re all wrong. I don’t need to hold the name to prove myself worthy of protecting someone.”
               

                She left Marcus with her letter. He checked her body, and still said there was nothing he saw that was wrong. With that in her mind she knew she would leave tonight because if she delayed it would be worse. Jade returned to the barracks and her room, she closed the door, sat at her desk and made her plans. She would back only the necessities. The letter she wrote and left with Marcus took care of a lot of her problems and worries. With her official signature they would honor her wishes, despite the fact that she would be banished. Her father’s land and wealth would be given to Roy, and she knew he wouldn’t not squander or waste the gift. In a way, it was her apology to him for what she was about to do.

                Jade packed a map, despite the fact that she had the lands memorized like a brand in her mind. She picked three pairs of durable clothes for different weather, a cape and riding gloves. She picked out her most durable boots and counted out enough money for her to survive off of for a while. It might be a while before she got picked up for a job but Jade knew that she would endure, it was in her blood.

                As the day wore on she grew restless, everything was set, and she was surprised it wasn’t more difficult to prepare for such a journey. She had very little possessions, anything precious to her family had been burnt in the fire that destroyed her life. What she needed to procure next needed to be done in the quiet of the night, while everyone slept and suspected little else.

                So she slept through the afternoon, knowing she would not sleep again for a while and when the evening bells tolled she woke and dressed. She listened through her door while the apprentices scrambled around their rooms and talked before they would sleep for the night. Jade waited patiently while her room grew dark and cool. Her heart beat surprisingly steady despite what was about to come.

                Finally, a few hours past the last evening bell Jade gathered her things. She turned and looked back upon her room one last time. She relived her memories in a blink and said goodbye. Jade was careful to move along the hallway, the old wooden floors tended to squeak when one least wanted them to. And though Jade knew she was allowed to be out past curfew now, the less people that saw her, the better.

                Jade stopped in the doorway and looked out upon the empty courtyard and walkways. She wore dark clothes, and kept her movements light. Years of training would help her achieve the very thing that was forbidden. Jade moved from shadow to shadow, and while her legs told her simply to spring for the stables. Her mind and discipline told her to wait. The process was agonizingly slow but Jade knew she was invisible; she would only be in trouble if a Guardian sniffed her out.

                When Jade finally made it to the side entrance of the stable her heart was pounding and the adrenaline was flowing. She closed the door quietly behind her and the smell of oats, hay, and leather filled her senses. There was something about the smell of large animals that brought a sense of peace to Jade. The horses were quiet and some nickered softly and snorted when Jade passed by them. It was dark, but not dark enough for Jade to need a lantern.

                She found the brown horse she had ridden before, when he woke and caught her sent he approached his stall door. Jade fished out a half of an apple and fed it to him. He munched contently while she went to the tack room. She ran her fingers over the saddles and found one that suited her. Jade pulled down a bridal and blanket and threw a pair of saddle bags over her shoulder. The horse was still standing at his door waiting for her when she returned. She pulled him out of his stall and he stood quietly while she fashioned and tied the saddle and secured all of her gear.  When she finished Jade stood next to the horse and closed her eyes. In her mind she went over all that she had brought with her.

                She opened her eyes and stroked the horse. “Now you stay here, be ready to ride hard when I get back.” She patted his neck and walked back through the stable and out the side door. There was only one last thing that Jade needed before she could leave. She needed weapons.

                Stealing was a great offense, but Jade knew that she was leaving anyway, nothing could make it worse. The blacksmith was closed and locked for the evening, the warm fires left to die until they would be reheated in the early morning light. The swords here were among the best, the steel was sent from the king as a small token for the services the protectors provided.

                Jade needed a good sword. She needed something that would not fail her. She knew the training racks would be easier to raid, but they were dull weak blades, and Jade wasn’t pretending anymore. Like a ghost she scaled the wall and slipped in through an upper window. Blades and knives were stored and laid out before her. If Jade had graduated as a Protector she would have been forged her own blade, one that fit her fingers and was made for her. Jade took a few minutes to find a sword with a good weight and make. She fitted the scabbard across her back and searched for a good knife. This was an easier choice, and lastly she took a bow and a quiver of arrows. With everything secured to her body Jade unlocked the front door and slipped back into the courtyard.

                Halfway to the stable she froze in the shadow of a pillar as two elders walked under one of the walkways across the courtyard. Jade’s breath froze in her lungs and her heart pounded in her ears. She didn’t stir until she was sure they were long gone. She couldn’t help herself, she ran the rest of the way and the brown horse lifted its head and greeted her when she approached.

                Jade’s hands shook as she secured the sword to the saddle and strapped the bow and arrows across her back. The long knife easily strapped around Jades waist. She took the reins and led the horse out. She slipped across the open paddock. The long grass slapped at her as she jogged across to the other side. She opened the gate and urged the horse through and then secured the latch behind her. She pulled herself into the saddle and squeezed her legs.

                The horse lifted his legs and jumped forward. She had the hold him back for some time, he danced and tossed his head, wanting to be set loose but Jade knew that if anyone saw a horse and rider bolting from the grounds it would be cause for more suspicion. Jade threw the hood of her cloak over her face and until they were down the main road and away from prying eyes Jade held the horse.

                Finally when Jade felt it was safe, and when she couldn’t take it any longer she gave the horse his head. He danced and then took off. Jade tangled her fingers into his mane and leaned over his neck, she would never get tired of the thrill that came from this feeling. Jade could close her eyes and imagine she was flying.

                Jade took the main road and headed south, towards the river, towards the border and her freedom. She let the horse run hard before she pulled him back into a more reasonable pace that could be kept longer. Jade tried to keep her thoughts clear and focused on the task at hand but she knew, the panic that was rising in her chest confirmed what she was doing. There was only one last obstacle in her way, and that was the border itself. Jade knew that she somehow had to get herself over the bridge, to cross the river itself this time of year would be suicide.

                They galloped across field and down the main road. The stars and moon lit the way and the breeze held itself back. As the hours passed Jade had an unsettling feeling of being watched and pursued. She stopped the horse several times to look over her shoulder and listen, but there was nothing behind her but quiet homes and fields.

                Even the horse underneath her gave no hint of being spooked over followed. His ears remained forward and alert, as Jade crossed one of the creeks she let the horse stop to drink. She checked once more over her shoulder. The hill that rose up behind them was covered with grass and wild flowers. The moon was high and gave off a natural glow to the world around her.

                “Something isn’t right,” Jade spoke to the horse in a soft voice. “I can feel it. Deep down I know there is something out there.” The horse drank and Jade kneeled in the smooth stones along the bank and watched the hill. The horse snorted and backed out of the water and Jade spun on her toes. The knife slipped from its sheath with a smooth ease and her fingers molded around its grip.

                The great wolf made little noise as it crossed the stream. The horse backed up behind Jade as the wolf approached. It showed Jade its teeth, but made no other threat. Jade kept the knife between her and the wolf. The horse remained at her back while most others would have run, as it was trained to do. The wolf stopped and dropped its head to watch Jade with glowing eyes. Jade didn’t move, and so the wolf didn’t either.

                “Who do you belong to then?” Jade asked aloud. In the darkness it was hard to tell, but if the wolf was here then it’s bonded could not be far.

                “He belongs to me.” Jade spun again to face her opponent. A man walked from the shadows like a phantom and approached. “Not very wise to show your back to a great wolf.” Gregor stopped a few feet away, Jade looked back over her shoulder the wolf stood still as stone. In the light she could not see the scaring that marked him as Gregors.

                “I swear to you Gregor for your own safety you will let me continue on. Or else one of you will bleed tonight.”

                “Put the knife down Jade, if I were here to stop you I would not have come alone.” He lifted his hands to show he was unarmed and approached. The great wolf also back away and lapped at the water as if he had nothing better to do.

                Jade didn’t move, how was she to react? “Stop me from what?”

                “Leaving.”

                Jade narrowed her eyes. “I’m not.”

                “No? You threaten everyone that approaches you?”

                Jade swallowed. “Why are you here?”

                “To help you.” The world was silent. Jade had nothing to say, she couldn’t say anything. Gregory filled the silence instead. “You don’t remember much of me I know, you were a small girl when your father and I were close friends. I swore to him many years ago that I would always help him. Now that he is gone I must help you, because you are his blood and name, because I believe in what you stand for.”

                Jade swallowed again and lowered the knife, her instincts were telling her to trust him. Her instincts were usually correct. “What is it that I stand for Gregor?”

                He stepped closer and looked Jade in the eyes, in the dim light she could barely make out his eye color, his wolf breathed quietly behind her. “Change.”

                “So how do you plan on helping me then?”

                Gregor whistled for his horse, which appeared from the shadows. He went to the saddle and pulled out an envelope and handed it to Jade. It was sealed with the crest of the elders. “What’s this?”

                “Something to get you across the river.”

                “I cannot accept this.” Jade tried handing the envelope back. “If I use it they will know you helped me, they will-”

                “-they’ll what?” He pushed the envelope into Jade’s hand and held it there. “I am a retired Protector and elder, they can do nothing to me now that will bring me harm. I have lived my life freely, and now I give that freedom to you. Live your life Jade Dryden, make your own mistakes and learn by them, but whatever you do live, and do not regret the path that has been given to you.”

                Jade’s hand shook as she grasped the paper between her fingers. This was the key to her freedom and it was being handed to her openly. “Gregor I…” He took the reins of the horse that had come to him and Jade put the knife into its sheath.

                “Take the horse girl, she is young still and fit to serve a true Protector. She will serve you well in your travels.” Jade could do nothing as Gregor moved Jade’s saddle bags and belongings to the mare, this was too much. This was too easy. Jade had to be dreaming, she must be. Gregor was an elder, they lived by tradition and yet he was helping her break everything they stood for.

                “Why?” She whispered.

                Gregor paused and gave her a smile. “Because you deserve it, now leave, you’ll want as much space between this place and you as you can get.” Jade hugged him around the waist.

                “Thank you.”

                He stood still as stone, and then patted her shoulders. “Go child. May the wind carry you and the sun show you favor.”

                Jade swung onto the mare and quickly adjusted the stirrups. “What’s her name?” Jade asked.

                “Chance.”

                Jade nodded, “Goodbye Gregor and thank you. Somehow I will repay you of this debt.”

                She squeezed her knees and the mare bolted through the creek and up the opposite bank, and within a heartbeat they were soaring across the fields.

                Jade was inside a dream, it was the only logical explanation, and yet she refused to wake up. “If this is a dream then may I sleep forever.” Chance rode smooth and easy, whatever Jade asked of her she complied without hesitation. This was a Protectors horse, it was her horse.

                The night was quiet and Jade came across no other soul. And when she finally approached the river crossing the morning light was just beginning to touch the horizon in a cool pink glow. The horse shook out a deep breath and Jade stroked her neck. “We’ll get more acquainted when I have time to chat.” She promised the mare.  As they got closer and closer the roar and gurgling of the river filled her ears. Jade could have sworn it was the most beautiful sound. It was the sound of her escape.

                The trees thickened on either side of the road and the undergrowth grew more tangled. Then the trees dropped away, chopped down to open up visibility Jade was suddenly in the open. She looked straight ahead as the bridge loomed before her, and the large gate, the last obstacle that stood between her and the world.

                She slowed the horse to a leisure walk and leaned back in her saddle. She would appear relaxed, even if her body felt as though it were about to burst. The two guards on duty stood to attention when they saw Jade approaching. They wore light armor and the spears with swords belted at their waists. She thought it must be some cruel torture for these men to guard a gate and bridge that they would never cross.

                “Halt there.” They held up their hands and Chance stopped. Jade fished the envelope from the pocket in her cloak and held it out to the guards as they approached. There were no words spoken, no questions, the man broke the official seal and read whatever was written there. She wondered what story Gregor had made up. She wondered what he wrote that would allow her to pass.

                The man handed his partner the letter and looked at Jade. “We’ll see you again in three days.” They walked to the gate, each guard turned a wheel on either side of the gate and the large metal bars slowly swung open. Jade’s heart pounded fiercely in her chest and as she urged Chance forward she felt that everything slowed, that time itself had paused to witness this moment. The horse hooves clapped against the stone and Jade could feel the mist of the river against her face. The bridge stretched on forever and when she reached the other side, two more guards opened the other gate.

                Then she was there. She was upon solid ground, upon soil that would otherwise be forbidden to her. As the gates closed behind her it kept all of her discipline not to turn and look. Jade kept her eyes forward and watched as the tree line drew closer. And as the road began to curve and trees began to hide her from view, Jade squeezed her legs. They ran.