Champions of Serenity :Gathering the Circle

Chapter 35

Meckin stopped in the trees at the edge of the light. He watched those within the camp, trying to determine who they were. The small woman seemed to be getting on everyone’s nerves as she moved from person to person demanding attention. The dark haired woman stayed near the largest man Meckin had ever seen, both by the fire working over a large iron pot that smelled of rabbit stew. The last two men appeared to be best friends as they spoke while they worked sharpening their weapons.

There was something about this group that drew Meckin and he wasn’t sure what it was. It felt safe, even safer than his family’s caravan while at the same time it was more dangerous than his current mission of finding the one woman who had caught his heart. Then he heard something coming from the short woman that chilled his soul.

“And I told you that Tris couldn’t have come this way. We would have heard of her before this. I say we backtrack and head north again.”

“And we told you, Shrina, we aren’t chasing down Tris right now, we are looking for that prophecy so that she won’t be able to run from us like she did before. It will prove to her that she belongs to us. And unless you know another way to Tealshire from where we currently are that won’t take us a month travel out of the way, we would be glad to hear of it.” The tall, red haired man said in a voice that spoke of rapidly dwindling patience.

Meckin looked around and took a sampling of the night air. They were at the foot of the Shadow-dream Mountains. Legend had it that a group of settlers went into a very rich valley in the Shadow-dreams about five hundred years before and after a year, completely vanished. Nothing remained of their settlement and forever after anyone traveling the Shadow-dreams vanished as well. Another legend had it that the water of the Shadow-dream River came from the gods and caused either visions or insanity to those who drank it. Either way, the Shadow-dreams weren’t the first choice of most travelers, Meckin included.

He looked back at a sudden silence within the camp and found all five people on their feet looking into the trees around their camp. He scented the air again and found no one there but himself. The half-elf pointed in his direction. “Whoever it is that is watching us is that way.”

The red-haired man called out, “Whoever you are, show yourself. If you are friend, you have no need to fear, if you are not….”

Meckin wondered about the unfinished sentence, it seemed rather predictable and not worthy of someone who had known the woman he knew as Tris. He was curious and the meal did smell good, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to take the chance of these people knowing about him.

The hiss of steel being drawn behind him made Meckin turn where he found the tip of a dagger touching his throat. The short woman was holding the hilt of the blade and she lifted a delicately pointed eyebrow in a silent question. Slowly he moved his hands away from his side and the hilt of his own sword, hardly daring to breathe for fear of piercing his skin on the very sharp dagger tip.

“I have him, Airidon. He’s alone and looks like he only has a single sword. Do you want him alive?”

A large hand closed over the woman’s and the dagger was pulled away from Meckin’s throat. He looked over and into the green eyes of the young red-haired man. He still didn’t dare move; he didn’t trust the woman with the dagger.

“Jehro?” A whole world was asked in that single name and Meckin wondered about whom it belonged to.

“He’s alone and he isn’t tainted by Handsome’s touch.” Jehro’s eyes narrowed. “He’s looking for Tris.”

Meckin narrowed his eyes at the half elf. “You are a mind reader, Elf? Then you will know if the woman I am looking for is the same one you are searching for.”

Jehro walked in front of Shrina and stood in front of Meckin. When Shrina protested, Jehro simply pushed her away, not taking his eyes from the stranger.

“Jehro, is he also looking for Tris? And what is his purpose in finding her?” Airidon asked quietly, his hand resting on Meckin’s shoulder.

“Yes, we are all looking for the same woman.” A wry smile touched Jehro’s lips briefly. “You are not the only one who cares for her Airidon, this man here gave his heart to her before she met up with us. He is a friend and someone I would want to guard my back in any fight.”

The hand on his shoulder lifted and Meckin found himself once again looking into the intense green eyes of the man called Airidon. “Any man who gives his heart to Tris is a friend in my book. Come, share our fire and we will speak of her.”

Jehro covered Shrina’s mouth as she was about to protest and walked into camp with his hand still clamped like a vise over her lips. Tyra and Fini had already returned to their spot by the fire waiting for the return of their companions. They accepted Meckin’s presence without comment.

Shægnek paused as she walked by the window and stared. This wasn’t supposed to happen yet. The Wer wasn’t supposed to join the group until after Tris was back with the five. The Wer and Shadow were to join together.

“What is it, Sister?” Shægnek jumped at the cool voice of Chaos behind her. She was supposed to be in some control over prophecy on Sandeenai, yet this one had developed its own life and was quickly getting out of her control. First Tris needed to learn some vulnerability and compassion and now Meckin was trying to join before his time.

“Nothing, Chaos, just watching as the prophecy unfolds. What brings you to my library?” She tried not to betray her distress at having things get so far out of her control. She kept reminding herself that this was Serenity and Father’s prophecy and if he was taking a hand, then she wouldn’t be able to control it all.

“I was just wondering how things were going. Are they any closer to reaching the temple yet?” Chaos watched Shægnek closely; something in her voice didn’t ring true.

“No, they are just entering the Shadow-dreams, as you can see for yourself.”

“Isn’t that Meckin with them? I thought he wasn’t supposed to join until Tris was with them.” That was it, the prophecy had gotten out of her control and she didn’t like it. That meant that Father was taking a hand and he had better be careful from here on out as to what he did to effect it.

“Yes, that is Meckin and he isn’t joining them yet. Shrina will make sure of that….watch.”

Shægnek prayed she was right and that she hadn’t lost control, not yet. There was still so much to do before the Circle could meet with Dreybrenic.

The fire was only glowing embers in the bottom of the stone lined circle that Fini had created. Shrina was standing her watch, lovingly sharpening one of her daggers. Her gaze drifted over the sleeping camp and to the form of Meckin. He had spoken of Tris like she was some kind of goddess he was worshipping. Tris was still just a girl yet she had all but Fini drooling over themselves trying to get her attention. It made Shrina sick. And then this love stricken puppy tries to come into camp acting like he is the only one whose life was thrown into chaos because Tris had passed through it. Who did he think he was?

Making sure that Airidon or Jehro didn’t wake, she made her way silently to Meckin’s form and stared down at him. He woke almost instantly and she watched as he held back a snarl. She was curious about him, he was more than he seemed and it was useless asking Jehro what it was, he was too caught up in his own secrets to share with her.

“I don’t know what your game is, Meckin, but I’m not buying it. If Tris ran from you, she must have had a good reason. I think it would be better if you just kept on going to wherever it was you were headed before Airidon and Jehro decided to take you under their wing.”

Meckin sat up and looked at Shrina. He took a deep breath and smelled the jealousy on her as well as her anger. He didn’t know why she was angry, but he did know it wasn’t directed at him as much as at herself.

“I don’t have a game, Shrina. I am simply looking for Tris so I can get some kind of answers from her. I don’t know why she left me and I don’t know why she left you. But I do know that she is a young woman who is alone and who is being hunted with a passion unrivaled by the one you call Handsome. And if I can protect her, even a little, then I am going to do it.”

Shrina turned from Meckin and stared into the embers of the fire. She started as it flared for a moment over a handful of pine needles. She didn’t have to look to know that Meckin was sitting next to her and she kept her gaze on the fire.

“I didn’t trust her, Meckin. She asked for trust and I couldn’t give it. So she left us. They don’t talk about it, but I know they still blame me.” Shrina waved her hand toward the still sleeping figures of her friends. “We are looking for something that will help prove that she does belong with us. If we find it, she can’t run anymore.”

“And I don’t figure in with your search, is that it?”

Shrina nodded, not bothering to look up. “I like you, I don’t know why I like you, but I do. You seem like one of the good guys in this world, but sometimes I can’t help myself when I feel someone or something is threatening my goals in life. And right now, you are a threat and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Thank you for being honest with me, Shrina.” Meckin threw another handful of pine needles on the embers and watched them flare to life and then smolder to death. “You are leaving Nasinih for Catira soon. That means if Tris is still on Nasinih, she will be alone. I will stay here and continue looking for her. Perhaps, one day, we will both find what we seek.”

Shrina looked at Meckin and nodded. She held out her hand to him, palm up. “I look forward to that day, Meckin.”

The rising sun found Shrina still sitting by the fire, small sticks now burning in the embers. She was alone and Meckin was gone. She didn’t offer any explanation and started that day’s journey with many thoughts chasing themselves around her mind. She only hoped she had done the right thing where Meckin was concerned.

“I am impressed, Shægnek. You called that one on the head, but it isn’t how I would have expected Shrina to react.”

“Of course I called that one on the head, Chaos; I am the goddess of prophecy. And you don’t know the heroes half as well as you’d like to think you do. Maybe if you spent a little more time paying attention to them and a little less trying to trip me up, you would learn that.”

Shægnek didn’t allow him to see the relief that she had guessed correctly that it would be Shrina who drove Meckin away. She was also surprised in how it was handled, but she wasn’t going to let Chaos know that.

“Forgive me, Sister, I didn’t mean to imply that you had lost your touch. I will take your advice then and watch all of the heroes a little closer, not just Tris.” Chaos bowed to Shægnek and left the library to think about what he had just seen. Serenity was sneaky, but was she sneaky enough to set him up through one of her more wild choices of heroes?