Song of the chapter – Crash by Decyfer Down

"You learn quickly," Zolen told Eliana as he pulled the dagger from the target, needing to use quite a bit of force.

"Thank you," she said simply. Her heart was hammering in her chest as Blaike continued to lean against the tree, watching the knife-throwing lesson with a blank look on his face. If Eliana didn't know better, she would think he was trying to prove something, as if he could stand near her and no longer be affected, unlike herself. She wondered if his experiment was working better for him than it was for her.

"Shall we continue?" Zolen looked to Harper.

"Nah. I'm done. Besides, shouldn't you work more with your protégé?" Harpers sharp tone told Eliana that she was frustrated.

"I'm no protégé, just a lucky first try. I'm sure it won't happen again."

"Pfft!" Harper obviously disagreed.

"We should put your new found skills to a greater test." Blaike spoke up from his spot by the tree. "Zolen, I believe we could use some training. Let us pack our lunch and picnic by the river. Then we can work on some offensive and defensive maneuvers. What do you say?"

"Yes, it has been a while since I've sparred with a trained Watcher. I think it is in order, let us prepare for our outing," Zolen replied, leaving the girls out of the conversation.

"And what are we supposed to do, our nails?" Harper huffed.

"I do not believe the Seers have hammer or nails for construction," Zolen replied, causing a groan from Harper.

"Not at all," said Blaike, turning to look at Eliana. "You ladies will be joining us. And you are welcomed to spar if you so choose."

Eliana remained silent, not trusting herself to answer. Blaike had obviously turned a corner on his feelings, pushing them aside. She wasn't sure she was up to hiding her emotions, but she realized that she no longer had a choice. Something bigger than her was at play.

"The caretakers should have some food prepared suitable for a picnic. I will gather what we need, you can just prepare yourselves to leave within a twinkle." Blaike instructed.

Everyone left to get ready, both girls assuming that 'in a twinkle' meant 'pretty soon'. Not long after separating to prepare, the four reconvened in the sitting room, looking to Blaike for the next instruction.

"Shall we?" He asked the group. A collective response to the affirmative had them all exiting the refuge soon after. Blaike saluted the sentries on duty at the entrance, still surprising Eliana with its camouflage. Once the gate was closed, all evidence of its existence was gone. Blaike led them back the way they had come the day before. Eliana thought to herself, in surprise, that it had only been a day since everything had changed. In one day she had gone from unsuspecting visitor to some type of lost Seer. The idea was still strange to her, and she chose to shake the thoughts from her mind, not ready to face the consequences of that revelation.

"How far is it to the river?" Harper asked, effectively breaking the stone silence they had been walking in. For all of the efforts they had taken to appear casual, the silence exposed the crack in that attempt.

"Not far," Blaike answered, pointing straight ahead of them through the thick covering of trees. "We should arrive at the river with much time before mid-day."

"I have heard stories about this river," Zolen added. "Many adventures have been had in its waters."

"Its never the same river twice, right?" Harper said, bringing confused looks from the other three. "Um...Pocahontas? The water is always moving, always new. So you never step into the same river twice, she explained.

"That is quite observant," Zolen said, seeming impressed with her statement.

Blaike just nodded his head, while Eliana shook hers. Only Harper would quote a Disney movie in that situation.

The group continued to walk among the trees, each one seemingly taller then the last. Eliana explored with her eyes, watching the breeze push the strange needle-like leaves, small birds flitting between them. The eternal garden had wound through the trees for a bit as they started, but once their trail led downhill, the garden had split onto a different path. Eliana was curious to follow the garden trail later in the day if she had the time. Casual conversation occurred here and there as they walked, mostly between the other three. Eliana didn't have it in her to banter as they were. She still felt contemplative about her situation and needed to spend time working through it.

"So, who would like to spar first?" Blaike asked as they finally reached the river.

"I'm out," Harper said. "I need a rest." She huffed while finding a rock to sit on.

"Eliana?" Blaike asked, addressing her for the first time since leaving for the river.

"Not right now," she answered quietly. She needed to get a hold of herself, pull it together. The situation couldn't be changed or helped, and part of her realized that whatever Blaike had felt before, he was just trying to deal with in his own way. She couldn't fault him for that. But it sure didn't make things any easier.

"Ah, fine. But I will make sure you get training while we are here," he told her. "Zolen, let us begin!" He turned to the Fae standing just feet from him. Zolen smirked in answer, looking like a tiger ready to pounce on its prey. Blaike had a similar look on his face, making Eliana worried that the two of them would end up beating each other senseless.

She walked over to where Harper sat, finding a section of the large rock to sit on as well. The two looked on in amusement as both males put down whatever they had been carrying and readied themselves for the mock battle. Zolen began stretching various parts of his body; pressing his arms across his chest one after the other, then extended his legs, first the right, then the left. He even rolled his neck slowly, menacingly, as he glared at Blaike. A pissing battle was about to ensue, Eliana mused to herself.

Blaike made no such scene. He simply stood watching Zolen, arms crossed and legs spread in a threatening stance. "Have you finished with your preening?" Blaike asked after a few minutes of Zolen's show. "I'm quite ready to begin."

Zolen grunted in reply, walking close to where Blaike stood. Then the two males bent their knees, spread their arms and circled each other, looking for an opportunity to strike. If the testosterone levels rose any higher, Eliana believed there would be a spontaneous combustion of egos.

Shaking her head, she turned to Harper, "I feel like we are back home on campus. These guys are like two opposing frat boys in a drunken brawl."

Harper stifled a laugh, "Oh my God, you nailed it!" she snickered. "I wonder which one will attack first."

Her question was answered immediately when Zolen swung an arm around Blaike's neck, pulling and twisting until Blaike was turned around. Zolen attempted to wrap both arms around Blaikes shoulders, but as he did so, Blaike bent low to the ground, causing Zolen to tumble right over his back, landing on the ground in front of Blaike.

Grunts and groans continued to be heard as the males wrestled for dominance. As soon as it seemed one would gain the upper hand, the other would escape their hold. The two were quite evenly matched, it appeared. And if they didn't tire out eventually, Eliana worried they would be wrestling all day, and long into StarRise.

"Hey!" Harper yelled, "Are you two gonna be done beating the hell out of each other soon? I'm hungry!"

Zolen looked over to Harper, losing concentration for a fraction of a second, which was just enough time for Blaike to swing his leg in a sweeping motion, knocking Zolen off of his feet and onto his rear end. Harper gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

"Oh dang! Sorry 'bout that!" she called over to where Zolen sat scowling.

He looked right at Blaike, leveling a hard glare. "I'll have you know, if that wench hadn't have interrupted our scuffle, it would be you on your ass and not I."

"Wench?" Harper yelled. "What the he-" Harper's protest was cut off as Eliana covered her mouth. Mumbled obscenities filled Eliana's hands as Harper continued her tirade.

"Woman, bring your voice down or you will incure the wrath of the river," Zolen laughed. He seemed amused by her anger, which of course fueled her fire even more. Harper pulled Eliana's hand away from her mouth and stormed over to where Zolen now stood.

Standing chest to chest, Harper turned her head up to glare at Zolen, who was quite a bit taller. "Listen, you..." She said through clenched teeth, "I'm no one's wench. I don't serve you, ya got that." Anger filled each syllable.

Zolen smirked back to her. "No one is asking you to be a servant. I meant no harm, but when a female interrupts two males engaged in battle, what is the looser supposed to say? Thank you for causing my fall?" His voice held no anger. He looked at her like she was a mad kitten; nothing to fear and more adorable than frightening. He lifted his hand, in what looked like an attempt to brush wayward hair out of Harper's face, a tender expression on his own.

But to his surprise, Harper grabbed his arm and brushed it away using a maneuver she had learned in their self-defense class. Zolen's eyes went wide.

"Ah, so you have some knowledge in self-preservation. Let us put that to the test," he mused as he circled her. Harper's hands went out in a similar stance, the scowl still present on her face. Eliana stood up, not thinking the whole thing was a good idea at all.

"Come on guys, let's just eat..." She offered, holding up the picnic sack they had brought. "Please?"

Blaike walked over to stand next to her, quite entertained by the scene before them. "Ah, let them go at it. It's been building between them, do you not think?"

Eliana shot him a look. She had felt that as well, but the fact Blaike was addressing the tension between their friends and not the situation between them left a bad taste in her mouth. "I suppose so." She huffed in response. "There have been a lot of things building," she added, hinting at their own tension.

He looked down at her, a more serious expression on his face. They locked eyes for a moment, the same sense of connection Eliana had felt right from the beginning of her time in the Ferlands. In the background they could hear the names Harper was calling Zolen, which just caused him to laugh.

"Oh, you think I can't get out of your hold, huh? Watch me!" Harper was shouting, but Eliana was unable to pull her focus away from the Watcher's eyes. They were piercing her heart, and her soul, and she found it hard to breathe.

Eliana wanted to say something, to try to ease the sense of loss she had. The situation felt bleak, and out of their hands. Blaike appeared to feel the same, his mouth opened about ready to speak. A large splash interrupted their moment and brought their attention back to the present. Harper had fallen in the river.

"What happened?" Eliana shouted as she ran to the river's edge. It was a rushing white water, being pushed along faster than she had realized when they first arrived. Harper was being carried down river quickly, there was no time to explain.

Zolen took off running along the river's edge, a determination clear on his face. He was fast, faster than anything she had ever witnessed. Eliana heard a gasp escape her mouth in shock.

"The Fae are known for speed," Blaike stated at her surprise. "He'll be able to reach her." He shrugged, not seeming concerned about the peril Harper was in.

"Should we help?" Eliana wondered aloud, not really knowing what to do.

"You'll be needed after he retrieves her. I believe she will have more anger than a Serval in captivity," he mused.

"Why aren't you more concerned!" Eliana accused, frustrated by his casual tone.

"Because, although the Fae and I have...frustrations with one another, I know him to be a capable warrior. He is skilled in many areas, fast and strong. He will reach her and pull her out of that river like a soggy animal."

Eliana took a deep breath and returned her attention to the river in front of them. Harper had been carried out of sight quickly, Zolen following on foot nearly as quickly. The minutes spent waiting for any sign of either of them seemed much longer. Then, without warning, Zolen broke through some of the low lying brush, Harper cradled in his arms, headed back to their spot by the river. Eliana breathed a sigh of relief, putting a hand over her heart to steady herself, then rushed over to meet them.

"Are you alright?" She called to Harper. Her friend had her head leaning against Zolen's chest, now soaked, eyes closed and teeth chattering.

Harper didn't answer immediately, her body shaking with cold. "We have to warm her up," Zolen said. Blaike brought over the blanket they had used to picnic on and wrapped it around Harper, simultaneously taking her from Zolen and carrying her to a sunny spot near the rocks they had sat on earlier. He sat with her, rubbing her back and arms to warm them up. Slowly her chattering began to slow down.

After a while, Harper looked up at Zolen, staying silent for a moment or two. Her eyes held a sense of gratitude as she started to speak to him.

"How..." she said, shaking her head, "...stupid could you be!" she ended up yelling. "What is wrong with you!" She added as she pushed herself up from Blaike's hold and standing chest to chest once again with her Fae rescuer.

"I...am not sure what you mean," Zolen answered with confusion. Eliana and Blaike stole a glance at each other. His eyes seemed to say, 'See, angry Serval' And despite the tension of the day, and the hole in her heart, Eliana could hardly stifle the laugh that threatened to escape.

"I mean what the hell! I'm hardly a match against your strength, you could have gone a little easier on me and, oh, I don't know, NOT knocked me into the freaking river!"

"You challenged me to not let you out of my hold, is that not what you wanted me to do?" Confusion still clear on Zolen's face. He looked to Blaike and Eliana for help, but none was forthcoming. Blaike just shrugged.

"Ahh! Men, they are all the same no matter what land, or planet or freaking alternate universe you are in!" Harper threw her hands in the air, then turned to walk over to the picnic sack. She picked it up, opened it and pulled out a block of cheese, taking a massive bite. Then, sack still in hand, turned and marched into the forest.

"I'm done! Let's go back!" she yelled over her shoulder.

"I was wrong," Blaike said "She's not an angry Serval. She's an angry Locelor. Good luck, my friend," he said to Zolen as he clasped his shoulder. Zolen still carried the face of a male who had no idea what had just happened. But the three of them gathered what items were left by the river and began walking back to the refuge. Eliana realized that although they didn't have the lighthearted picnic by the river that Blaike had proposed, the tension from earlier had been lifted nonetheless. She was still unsure of the next step, but his efforts to ease their interactions warmed her heart. They would just have to figure out how to navigate the new layers added to their situation.

Their walk back seemed longer, as all return trips seemed to be, especially those that were uphill. That was the case back to the refuge, a slight uphill grade which one felt more than they saw. Harper appeared to remember the way, as she led the group, not wanting to interact with the others after her ordeal. Eliana walked toward the back of the line, taking her time and enjoying the outdoors. Each had grabbed some of the food from the pack and ate as they hiked.

Harper mumbled her irritations to herself, while Zolen kept his distance from her, shaking his head the entire time. He had met his match in Harper, to his dismay. Blaike continued to carry an amused expression, Eliana noticed, but said nothing about the situation at the front of the line.

After a while of quiet walking, Blaike slowed down to walk alongside Eliana. She wondered why he felt the need to do so, until he addressed it directly.

"I'll be leaving at StarFall tomorrow," he stated abruptly, causing Eliana to halt her hike and stare at him.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"You are in good hands with Zolen, as you've seen today," was his only reply.

"No," she said, as she took a step closer to him, looking directly at him and silently challenging him to speak truthfully.

Blaike took a deep breath, then looked down, away from her pointed gaze. "I must. It is time, and I am needed for other tasks."

Eliana sensed his hesitance to address the real issue. She decided she was the one who had to open that door. "Tasks that don't include watching over me."

His eyes found hers once again, "Yes," he answered her quietly, honestly. "Distance is needed, I believe."

"She said 'discouraged' not 'forbidden', Blaike. It isn't a law." Eliana reminded him, referring to Aine's correction from the night before.

"It doesn't matter. My feelings are unimportant. Our feelings do not matter. What matters is restoring the land to what it should be. That is the task I've been given, the task of a Watcher. I must honor it."

It was the closest thing to a confession of feelings toward her that Eliana felt she would get from Blaike. Even though his words were filled with resolve, his tone hinted at regret. Theirs was a lost opportunity, and Blaike wouldn't take the risk to the survival of the Ferlands.

"What will you do?" she asked, choosing to leave their feelings alone, an effort to not make things worse than they already were.

"I must gather the Watchers and prepare," he told her.

"For what?"

"It is quite apparent that we will be making an attempt at taking back the lands from the dark forces, now that you have arrived."

"Me again. Why does everything revolve around me being here in the Ferlands..." Eliana mumbled, mostly to herself.

"Only time will tell, but both the Fae Queen and the lead Seer felt that it was significant. There is some purpose for it, Eliana." Her heart felt as if it was broken, hearing her name pass his lips, "And we all must do what we can to save this land that we love. It is time."

The time had come, it seemed, but the question remained; the time for what.

〰🖤〰

Blaike is leaving, running away from whatever it is that was going on between them. His status as Captain also creates the need to get the others gathered, so his journey is also required of him. Heartbreak over the "if only" possibilities is just as strong as any other heartbreak. Eliana will continue to learn about her role in the Ferlands, now from Aine's instruction.

Thank you so much for reading!!

Crash is Eliana's new reality closing in all around her. She's overwhelmed and unsure, and she will continue to have to make decisions as time marches forward.

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