{Plentiful Woods}

  I wake with a start, another nightmare lingering somewhere deep within my mind as it completely alludes me for the moment.

  I wipe a hand down my sweaty forehead as I take a few deep breaths to help sooth the tension inside me, vaguely wondering why I'm tucked in one of Grim's makeshift sleeping bags with the hood up on my cloak.

  Oh yeah, because we have a unsuspecting addition to our marry band of travelers.

  I slowly sit up into a sitting position, tucking my knees up to my chest as I look around our small campsite we quickly assembled before dusk yesterday.

  The moon hangs low in the sky, signaling it's probably sometime around four in the night. A small fire that mostly consists of embers sits in the middle of our camp, the two prone bodies of Grim and Dare across it from me as they snooze away under their blankets.

  Arveldis stands off to the right of the little clearing we're in, head hung down as she sleeps in a horses usual standing position.

  Ron's nowhere in sight, probably out catching a early morning snack.

  I wryly roll my eyes, looking over towards the left where Roxie should be stationed seeing as she's apparently on watch at the moment.

  Opening my mouth to shoot her a jab about being up late, I immediately snap it shut as I take in the empty log we deemed 'watchers chair' yesterday.

  I straighten up in alarm, arms tensing.

  Where'd she go? She's not one to just....disappear without a word.

  I carefully scan the surroundings for her, ears perked for any noise outside of the camp circle.

  Nothing.

  I look down at my lap in confusion, a odd feeling of despair unexpectedly growing within my gut along with a sudden spark of questioning.

  Which must be Ron.

  Standing up, I grab the scabbard next to my blankets that contains my sword, quickly looping the belt part around my waist before buckling it.

  Grim stirs in his slip as I walk towards him, turning over to his side before pulling his blanket back up over his shoulder.

  I guess 'royal wizard' doesn't particularly mean 'alert sleeper.'

  Kneeling next to him, I gently grab his shoulder, lightly shaking it when I don't get any reaction. Dare suddenly sits up, looking over at me with wide eyes as she looks completely ready to face anything that may be happening.

  Grim snorts before his eyes flutter open, foggy with sleep. "Wha-what is it?" He questions as he sits himself up, obviously a little confused as he rubs his face.

  "Roxie, she's missing." I mutter, Grim's eyes immediately widening with worry as he looks the campsite over himself. Dare following suit as she stands up.

  "What? How can she just be missing like that?" Dare muses, tapping her chin as she walks towards the abandoned log.

  I stand back up, keeping my hood in place as I walk over to join Dare. She's examining the ground around the fallen log, face scrunched in concentration.

  She points to a set of tracks that lead off into the woods from the log as I stop next to her, the small imprints the sure sign of Roxie.

  "Well she wasn't taken at least." Dare says making me almost jump in surprise as her voice penetrates the thick silence. "It looks like she simply....left." Dare shrugs, obviously not caring much about the predicament.

   "A bag of provisions are gone." Grim suddenly says from his kneeling position next to his pile of bags, face slowly clearing in realization.

  I step towards him, a sense of urgency filling me from out of nowhere. "What is it?" I quickly ask.

  His eyes go up to his right, head tilting upward as he looks towards that one specific mountain in the distance that sits completely isolated.

  The same mountain I noticed Roxie kept looking towards yesterday; the mountain that has the supposed 'healing' element at its peek.

  The air seems to leave my lungs as I come to the same conclusion Grim has.

  Roxie is going to attempt to claim that fabled healing...thing.

  "But why, why would she of all people think she could get that?" I question out loud, receiving a confused look from Dare as she obviously doesn't get what we've concluded.

  Grim shrugs, solemnly packing a few loose articles up. "Sometimes one can't resist the idea itself and that's what draws them in, that's what....kills them: Desperation" He sadly shakes his head.

  "I'm afraid it might already be too late for her. She relieved me from my watch an hour early, which must be more than three hours ago." He looks down. "Three hours she's probably been hiking there, and it would only take about that much time to get there on foot from here I'm afraid."

  My chest squeezes, eyes clinching shut as I refuse to believe she would just pick up and leave us to go chasing after some....fairytale.

  Roxie; the levelheaded, clear thinking - over thinker of this group. I can't just believe she'd do that. Why would she need to?

  Though I can't deny the way she's been transfixed on it, how she seemed more distant yesterday.

  Fairytale healing object. Sounds completely crazy, like something a nut case would dream up. But we're literally in a fairytale - I'm something from a fairytale. Maybe she then assumed that would be real too?

  "Lets go get her then." I point out, hardening my voice as I look back over at Grim.

  Dare seems to suddenly put two and two together, eyes widening once again. "Um, hate to break it to you, but like Torion already said, she's probably already begun the hike up the mountain. There's no way to get to her unless you want to die too." She tells me, sounding more like she genuinely doesn't want me to risk my life than snobby as her choice of words would apply.

  Grim begrudgingly nods in agreement with Dare, almost making my jaw drop in disbelief.

  I step closer to Grim, opening my arms up. "So you're just going to condemn her to death? Leave her to die just like that?" I rant, a sudden flash of heat running through me as my voice raises in anger.

"Now, now, Callon. Don't work yourself up about it." He frowns. "I'd like to go find her, really I would. But miss Dare is right, once you step foot on the mountain you've already been condemned wether you realize it or not." His voice falls to a whisper. "That mountain is cursed."

  I walk back and forth in a small line, probably wearing a dent in the ground like something off a cartoon.

  Why do I even care so much? I loath Roxie and her rich friends, not once did I ever talk to her during school. She doesn't care about the less fortunate, she showed that the day she watched me defend the school nerd in the courtyard. She doesn't care.

  So why do I?

  I shake my thoughts off for now, my mind already made up.

  "Fine." I deadpan, turning back towards the fallen log as my eyes already work to pick up every small detail.

  "I'll find her myself." I state, walking off towards where the footprints lead off to.

  I can feel both Grim's and Dare's surprise behind me. "Callon, don't be rash about this." Grim speaks up. "We're being hunted and who knows when they might catch-" He abruptly stops, making me stop in my own tracks.

  I look back over my right shoulder, eying Grim from the distance.

  "You know what, I can see I won't be able to talk you out of it, so I'll simply agree with you instead." He shakes his head like he can't believe he just said that.

"Just be careful and return back as soon as possible we'll be waiting here for your return." He waves, a small smile growing on the corner of his old lips.

  Roxie gives Grim a incredulous look, baffled. "Huh? You're just going to let him go like that? And not let me go?!" She huffs, crossing her arms as she takes a seat on her pile of blankets like a five year old that just got scolded.

  I meet Grim's eyes for a split second before facing frontwards again, feet moving onwards.

  "More stubborn than a old dwarf that just had his flask stolen. Just like his father." I hear Grim mumble to himself as I walk through the beginning of the forest, eyes focused on the tracks.

  I pick up my pace until I'm running, not even the snow or dark surroundings hindering my movements as I seem to practically glide over the ground rather then touch it.

  As cheesy as that sounds.

  There's suddenly movement through the trees on my left, a flash of familiarity hitting me in the gut.

  Ron.

  He steps in line beside me, his legs stretching with each large bound he takes, red eyes steady.

  Not even bothering to try and figure out where he's been throughout all this - because duh, he is a wolf even if he does partly talk - I keep moving.

  We pass through the forest, hurdling fallen branches and trees. Not stopping once as adrenaline courses through my veins like hot fire.

  I come to a skidding halt in the snow as we abruptly break out from the cover of the forest, a large open meadow spread out from here to the mountain that now stands tall in front of me.

  Breathtaking.

  Speaking of breathing.

  I bend down over my knees as I take a few body shuddering deep breaths, heart thumping painfully hard in my chest. I let a few gasp-like-sounds out of my mouth as I sudden dizziness hits me, vision swimming for a few seconds.

  How fast was I even going?

  "What was that?" I look over at Ron who's now sitting at my feet panting, his red eyes meeting mine.

  He blows a snort out through his nose, shaking his head.

  Right....

  I look up at the sky, my hood down after falling back during my little.....run.

  The sky appears brighter, the moon as low as it's going to get.

  That only took...about an hour?

  Wow, I must've been booking it. I didn't even know I could do that. Which might be why I feel like passing out right now.

  Perfect.

  Sure it wasn't like Flash fast - that'd be awesome though, but I'd definitely say I beat earths fastest track time in existence.

  I straighten myself out, chest moving as I breath through my nose in a attempt to calm it down, eyes back to scanning the distance as my legs threaten to wobble out from underneath me.

  Come on Roxie. Where are you?

  My breath hitches as my eyes land on a figure that's moving at the base of the threatening looking mountain, a cape fluttering in the soft breeze.

  How'd she even expect to get up there before freezing to death anyway?

  I step forward despite my exhaustion, immediately looking back when Ron stays seated.

  Turning around, I face him.

  He makes a distasteful face as he stares out at the clearing, and I suddenly remember how uncomfortable he felt when we passed through that smaller field yesterday.

  He must not like open areas.

  "Suit yourself." I turn back around, moving my feet in a fast jog as I head out towards the middle of the meadow. A feeling like....vulnerability sneaking up my spine.

  Okay, maybe I don't like them either.

  I pick up my pace a little more, eyes repeatedly glancing to the left and right - the forest that now surrounds me.

  I instantly feel better as I reach the base of the mountain after at least five minutes, large boulders littering the ground along with smaller ones.

  Your typical mountain base I suppose.

  I look up the mountain side, spotting Roxie's bright red hair blowing around her head not too far up.

  I can make it.

  Finding what looks like a worn goat path, I carefully maneuver my way up. Dodging bad foot holes and loose rocks.

  Remind me, why am I doing this again?

  There's finally a short straight stretch ahead, a wall of rocks along both sides so it looks kinda like a half tunnel.

  I pick up my steps as I spot Roxie at the end of it, resting against the side as she holds her hood up with both hands, face red from both the cold and the exercise.

  I open my mouth to call out to her, only to be cut off as a howling gust of wind comes out of nowhere, literally making me slide forward as it hits my back.

  Roxie closes her eyes from ten feet away, pushing herself closer against the side as she fights the wind. Cloak along with her hair fluttering wildly in the wind.

  My chest seizes as I suddenly catch the unmistakable sound of something cracking.

  Roxie loses her balance as the wall she was leaning against abruptly breaks off, her eyes widening in horror as her body begins to fall along with it, arms flailing.

  I lunge forward, somehow making it across the ten foot gap in time to grab Roxie's small hand before it completely disappears from the side.

  The wind dies down, everything growing....unnaturally quiet.

  Roxie dangles thirty feet in the air, her right hand tightly grasped in mine as I brace myself at the hole in the wall, right shoulder pressed against the wall to help support her.

  Is saving her going to become a daily occurrence nowadays?

  She stares down a full ten seconds, frozen in place after nearly falling to her death. Probably imagining her body broken and battered on top of those many boulders down there.

  The bag of provisions she'd been carrying smashing to the cold ground.

  She slowly looks up, her frightened green eyes glistening with unshed tears meeting my own pair of orbs three feet above her.

  I stare at her face, time seeming to go still.

  A flash of warmth once again runs through me like the other day, a weird sensation following closely behind.

  Mentally shaking myself from my sudden bout of stupor, I brace myself, pulling my straining arm up so I hoist her over the edge of the wall.

  Her feet land on the ground and she instantly falls against me in relief, face angled up so she's staring up at mine. A unrecognizable look on it.

  I hold her up against me, arms wrapped around her so there's practically no space between us. Feeling her tremble. The close proximity reminding me of yesterday when she fell down the tunnel. How...nice it felt.

  I instantly tear my gaze away from her plump lips I'd somehow been staring at for who-knows-how-long, taking a step back from her as I unwrap my arms from around her.

  The loss of contact making me feel...cold.

  Come on Callon, get those hormones in control.

  I shake the cold shiver away, redirecting my eyes to the broken wall as I pretend to look it over like I actually care to figure out why a hunk of rock decided to crumble.

  Forget about how you felt. It's not important.

  Roxie takes a few slow breaths, her jaw trembling as she glances back over the side, hands now rubbing her upper arms.

  "C-Callon," I look back over at her at the sound of my name. "W-What are you doing here?" She questions, honestly looking confused.

  Yeah, yeah.

  I shrug, motioning her down the way we came up. She takes one last glance up to the top, hesitating a moment before taking a step down the correct way.

  "Finding you. Why else would I be on the side of a supposedly 'cursed' mountain?" I bite out, feeling angry all of a sudden.

  She flinches at my sarcastic remark, hanging her head down in shame.

  "I mean, I wake up, find you're not here. Then Grim goes on to say you're attempting to climb to the top of this mountain for some fairytale mojo healing stuff." I spread my arms out. "So what else was I supposed to do? Leave you to die - which you would have seeing as I just saved your life...again." I feel my jaw tick.

  I blow a breath out, preparing to add more. "And what the hell were you even thinking? Why would you even think of trying to do this - alone none the least, while it's freezing cold to you, and when it's apparently futile anyway?"

  She opens her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. "What would possess you to do that?" I look her up and down. "You don't look like you need any healing mojo, so why-" And that's as far as I get.

  Roxie wheels around, making me stop in my tracks as she gets up close to my face. Expression hard.

  "Why? You want to know why, Callon Bates?" She hisses, her old fire rekindled. "Maybe it's because my life isn't as peachy and perfect as you think. Maybe I'm not the perfect person you think I am that has everything handed to her on a silver platter."

   Her face falters, a tear slowly sliding down her cheek as a soft gust of wind blows her hair around to frame her face.

  "Maybe," her voice cracks. "Maybe it's because I've got a baby brother who's lived in a hospital half his life because he has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy that he doesn't deserve one bit!" She yells, turning her face away as the tears begin to flow from her eyes.

   I feel stuck in place, her words that were laced with so much raw pain echoing around in my head.

  "Maybe it's because I feel like I don't deserve to be able to do everything I can when him and so many other unfortunate children and adults don't get to enjoy life because of something they have no control over." She takes a step back.

  "Maybe I came up here hoping that maybe, maybe I could finally find some miracle that could help people back on earth." Her voice fades, her shoulders slouching.

  "But I guess it was too good to be true." She walks forward, heading down the way we came without another glance back.

  I feel completely flabbergasted. Not even once did I think Roxie actually cared enough about something - or someone, that she'd risk her neck just to see if it was possible to find a cure.

   Wasn't I just saying how she was a horrible person?

  How wrong I was.

   I stare at her back as we climb down, looking at her in a completely new light. A diamond in the rough I suppose.

  We step down onto solid ground, the wind whistling high above us.

  I thought Grim and Dare said once you stepped foot on top of the mountain you were dead meat?

   So much for.....Oh crap.

  I may have spoken too soon.

  I take in the five soldiers sitting atop fine steeds at the edge of the forest two hundred yards away, a sinking sensation growing in the pit of my stomach.

  They've found us.

  Roxie stares at them with wide eyes, fear returning to them.

  I pull my hood back up, eyes never leaving them as my hand automatically lands on top of the hilt at my hip. The cool metal reassuring.

  But what are we supposed to do against five of them? Well trained soldiers.

  I scan the edge of the forest for Ron, not finding any evidence of him. Yet a feeling in my gut tells me he's somewhere near.

  They stare over at us, leather armor and all, red capes. All five from the other day when we were at the town.

  How though?

  The one in the middle suddenly raises his hand up, the other four - two at each of his sides, immediately reaching behind their backs as they pull a bow out. Expertly knocking a arrow each.

  Oh snap.

  He slices his hand down, the archers reacting by letting loose of their bow strings. The arrows released high into the air as they prepare to fall back down.

   Right onto us.

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A/N

   Hello!! So I apologize profusely for not updating in like....forever. But I've decided I'm just going to be writing what I feel like at the moment instead of making myself write a chapter for each of my books every week.

  It was actually stressing me out.

  So anyway! Another little Callon/Roxie scene up there. 😏 Hm, wonder what that's leading up to. 😆

Questions:

  1.) Did you totally not expect that little revealing about Roxie's life back on earth?

2.) What's going to happen now that they're being attacked by the bad guys?

  VOTE! ⭐️⭐️ It'll surely help me update quicker. Comment!

Maggy