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Mantis suddenly said, "Stay with her," and walked off without the two. Harris sighed to himself. "Well, I never said I was certain about trusting her," he remarked under his breath.

<---------->

Mantis wandered through the dark wilderness, listening carefully the the forest around her much like her brother would. She dropped pieces of her armor along the way, revealing the camoflauged outfit of a scout. "It makes sense my brother doesn't certainly trust me, I'm on neither side of this affair," she thought to herself as she ducked and weaved from tree to tree. Mantis was apparently part of some third party in this ordeal. Perhaps she was hired by the true parents of the Prince, sent to protect him? Perhaps she was a mercenary, sent to destroy the Prince? Only she and one other knew.

((I just felt I needed to point out that the Prince's parents are from the Tserrian clan(I assume, since Rune was with the woman and baby John), and if Mantis was sent to protect the prince, that means she would be on one side of the affair if she was helping them. Besides, they already have Rae and Eric for that, they should know that the Prince isn't to be killed, because he still needs to learn the teachings of the clan.))

Eric leaned back against the side of the wagon as it started moving out of the cave. He grimaced as old memories surfaced.
((Flashback time))
Eric's mother wrung her hands anxiously as she heard the knock on the door. She bit her lip as she flung the door open. The young boy at the door announced stiffly, "Letter for Guinevere Beaumont." The woman hesitated for a moment, then held out her hand. The boy pressed the slip of paper into the waiting hand, and walked off. Eric toddled after his mother, who'd held the paper to her chest and sank into a chair. Tears rimmed her eyes as she read it aloud. "The army deeply regrets to inform you that your husband, James Aaron Beaumont was lost in action in the performance of his duty... and the service of his clan..." At this point, she burst into tears, and the servants bowed their heads respectfully.

((In case you didn't understand, that was when Eric's father died. Yes, he served in an army.))
<hr>
Aminta edged away from Eric and behind what seemed to be a short wall of hay. She lay down and sang, this time so only she could hear it.

"In Norowa a lady bade, a bonny lass in muckle gear, and it was soothly sung and said she was a lady sweet and fair. Them cam' fae east and west i' pride an' some cam' sailan owre the sea an' a' tae win her for a bride. But never a bride wad the lady be. She bade them gang heem an' mend their claes that they had worn in comin' sae far. She ca'd them fules, she ca'd them flaes, set stooks on them and gae them a skar. There was a man baith stoor and strang, an' he wis neemed Odivere. He lo'ed the sword, he lo'ed the sang, but aye he lo'ed the ladies mair. This Odivere fell on his knee, an' vooed a voo upo' his life, and swore b' him that hang on tree to mak' this lady fair his wife..." Aminta continued on, singing the rest of this ballad quietly.

Niamh sighed, though sister and brother both seemed to have quite a bit to over come still.

"If you don't trust your sister, then trust me," Niamh said to Harris.

"I will be alright, but I need to rest a while. Prince John and Aminta need help as soon as possible, the strengths of the enemy is gathering up and he isn't alone. I will not betray my king nor my prince and I hope that you feel the same," she continued.

Moving her hand up to the hole in her robe, covered with dried blood she felt how the wound itself was gone. Wanting to do proper healing she wished for privacy, not even now was she prepared to do anything with magic in front of others, the White Witch had taught her things that weren't accepted for protectors like her.

Harris saw through Niamh's nervousness and nodded. He moved up a tree and kept silent watch, giving her privacy. Though, the young man sent back a last message for the time being, "I trust you. The sad thing about it is, you're the only one."

Turning her head quickly Niamh looked at Harris with surprised eyes as he left her on her own. The trust he seemed to have in her warmed Niamh's heart, she wasn't sure if even Prince John trusted her fully, at least now that he had failed him.

"Mayeme, help me," Niamh whispered closing her eyes.

A cackling laugh made by someone sounding like an old woman echoed through the woods. Looking to her right an old woman dressed completely in white was standing next to Niamh. Her face was wrinkled and hidden partly under a snow white cloak. She had a white wooden staff in her hand and a devious smile on her lips.

"I was waiting for you to call me," she said to Niamh in a teasing tone.

"I am glad you came so fast, I suppose you know what I need help with as well," Niamh replied revealing the wound beneath her chest.

Not even having the time to blink with her eyes the White Witch hit her, even harder than the man that had harmed her, with her staff. The air literally flew out of Niamh as she blacked out next to the flowing water right next to her.

Opening her eyes Niamh rose up as nothing has happened. The time of the day seemed to be the same as the moment before she had called for the Witch, as if the moment in time had been removed from Niamh's life. Her wound was gone and her white robe was on her once more, missing any blood stains what so ever. Even her sword was safely hanging by her waist. Just about to turn around to walk back to Harris a light voice broke through the air.

"Young master Harris has taken quite some liking into you..." the voice of the Witch cackled as it slowly faded away.

Shaking her head Niamh felt suddenly some object at her feet. Looking down she could see a black crystal ball. Picking it up and looking into it she could recognize the scenes played in it immediately. The power that had nestled itself into her body, giving her an insight in the moves of the man who had attacked her, were now inside the crystal ball, keeping her safe from his harmful mind.

"Harris? Um.. I think we can leave now," she shouted hesitating a bit.

Harris jumped down from his tree punctually. He silently noted that Niamh was back in shape. Rather than wonder why, he simply nodded. He had seen stranger things than Niamh's instant recovery while studying nature. In fact, he stated as he pulled out his bow, "Watch out for tree nymphs. We hurt one tree in one of these nearby hollows, we might upset them."

<---->

Meanwhile, Mantis neatly crept along a stream's side, pulling a crossbow from the surrounding brush. She only had one bolt. It was all she would need.

Eric, snapping out of his trance like state, looked over at the prisoners. The Prince had been rather quiet, as had the girl. Craning his head, he saw that the girl had crawled back over the little wall of hay again ((meaning after singing her song behind the hay wall, she crawled back over to John, Eric, and Rae's side)), and dozed off next to the Prince. He frowned, and creeped over the wall of hay, asking, "Vaughhan, are we there yet." "We certainly are." he replied, halting the horses. "Oi, you two, we're here." The girl snapped awake, looking around nervously. She bit her lip, probably realising where she was after her deep sleep, and wrapped her cloak more tightly around her.

John, who had had his arm around Aminta, had gone into a trance, which he was jolted out of, rather unpleasantly, as he heard the two men speaking. He looked over at Eric. "Where," he said, in the most polite voice he could muster, "is here?"

Rae tensed up, ready to get out of the cramped carriage. Rae was about to make a snarling comment, but decided better of it. She simply looked over at the prince and then had to look away- because the world seemed hiss "kidnapper" at her. And she thought, like its a bad thing... but she knew it was.

"This is the village of the Tserrian Clan," Eric told John calmly. "You see, you were born to a Tserrian clan woman, not the queen of Riedalburgh. But, your mother gave you to the king one night, in exchange for the promise that when you turned 16, you would be brought here to be taught the ways of your clan. Rune will tell you more when he arrives, but he must take... a safer path, so that your friends will not find us. And your friend, Matfur, I think? She'll remain with E'tono. He'll decide what to do with her."

((I'm wondering if it would be possible for Niamh and Harris to find Matfur. That might turn the tide a little. *pokes Silja*))

((Mentioned this to Anubis already, but I was just thinking it's meaningless to go and find Matfur if we can't "find" Sir Isaac. Maybe we should just head towards the new place where John and Aminta are? Feel free to PM me so we can discuss about this, or take Niamh with Harris straight to, or at least on the way to a new destination, either way I'm okay with everything mentioned above *pokes back*))

Harris led the way, his ears seeming to prick up as he took in the sounds of nature and tread lightly. He suddenly stopped at one point, his back to a tree. He then took a suddenly turn, murmuring, "This way." The young man weaved between shrubs and trees, avoiding roots with his feet until he heard a stream. The sounds of the stream and Niamh were all he heard, suddenly. Animals had fallen quiet, or left this area.

This doesn't feel right, Harris thought as he crept now, pulling out his bow and notching an arrow without a sound. He listened, hearing a few birds in the distance, but a hush ahead near the stream. It was unnatural. Some one was there, taking watch. The young man slowly strafed, moving to the side and peeking between trees so as not to be noticed. He knew he was disturbing nature, himself as a few butterflies became restless on a huge mushroom nearby. Then, he saw something. A figure waiting in the gloomy mist near the stream, holding something made of steel. He threw himself down on his knees, avoiding a crossbow bolt that imbedded itself in the tree behind him, just beside Niamh's head. The buttflies scattered, frightened by the sudden movements around them. He pulled back and loosed his arrow, judging his mark's movement. Harris walked up to the fallen stranger, and recognized her.

Mantis stared up at her brother, shocked as she clutched the arrow embedded in her arm. "You'll have a hard time killing anyone for a while," he commented as he passed her, leaving her behind. "I was sent to kill you!" Mantis called back. "You did a poor job of it, and did especially poorly by telling me," Harris said calmly as he continued.

((Liv, as I said in UJ, I'm going to be going to New Jersey for a couple of days. If you guys need to, feel free to control my characters.))

[Yay, we're dying. ]

"I don't believe you," John said, shaking his head, feeling a bit shaky himself. "If that's true, why didn't you just come to my fa... the King, and ask me to be brought here?" He paused. "This kidnap thing is doing my head in..."