Flames danced delicately in the cold evening twilight as Marcus sat out front of his self-built spruce cabin to a simple fire. Wind tickled and bit at his ears with the chill of the Nordaran Valley. He’d sought quiet and solitude from a world he’d once loved near the frost of Jötten Mountain. Wolf Furs lining a simple white tunic and pants from a settlement half a day’s trek to the south kept him warm despite the often frigid climate.
He didn’t much like hunting nearby unless he absolutely had to for food. Most of the game he found were deer, and they were dwindling in numbers due to poaching from said nearby settlement. He’d often had to sabotage or even scare off trappers to ensure there were enough left in the valley for the wolves that prowled the night.
A snowy owl hooted softly in the distance, likely calling for a mate to share it’s latest catch of mice or the occasional squirrel. The scent of juniper and pine needles were a welcome hint on the breeze. Combined with the smell of resinous pine burning slowly in the night, he found it difficult to complain about living in the cold.
His mind raced with the years he’d spent in Freya serving as a guard. Despite seeing all the horrible things his own neighbors were willing to do, he always believed there were good people among the bad. Now, his mind couldn’t shake the feeling there was no longer any good to speak of. The people he’d once turned to for comfort were now strangely enough the ones he was at odds with. He’d handled foes great and small in his years. This was one he couldn’t quite wrap his head around: swift cultural changes.
A tear fell from his eye as his mind turned to Mary. She was the one he’d missed most. Things started going down hill the moment she disappeared. Though he knew she had a greater calling than even he could imagine, he couldn’t help but feel like she’d abandoned him. He’d seen her go from a runt living on the streets to one of the greatest academic minds in Freyan history.
Time in the Academy reminded him of Boris, the blunt but soft-spoken mage who led a complete shift in understanding of the Ley-Lines. Yet when the time came to utilize his understanding to protect those around him, he was too absorbed in the culture and lost sight of what was important. Marcus tried to warn him. Using Ley-Energy without understanding the cost brings a cosmic equalizer from the Ley-Lines.
Marcus shook his head and did his best to move on from his thoughts. Memories of lives past told him exactly what happened when people didn’t respect the use of Ley-Energy. It was the whole reason Aric and Freya, siblings who had once nearly sacrificed themselves for the other, had become enemies in the first place.
The fire crackled and he took a deep breath. Shaking his head, he felt it best to not dwell too long on a painful past. Looking upward granted him nothing but a greyscale sky and pines lining his small plot of land. Biting wind picked up and excited the fire. A feeling Marcus had nearly forgotten crept up in the back of his mind. He was not alone.
Standing from the stump he sat quietly on, he stretched his legs and back. Pain had become an every day occurrence in his older age. Still, he could hold his own if need be. Crunching of snow beyond the tree line alerted him to movement.
“Fret not, old friend. I am nothing more than a fox looking for an old companion.” came a voice as clear as day.
Marcus knew this man. He knew exactly who it was. Of all the people who could find their way into his space and not have him expel them, it would be Shin.
“How’d ye find me?” asked Marcus, turning his gaze towards his old friend emerging from behind a proud Alder tree. It was no surprise he was able to remain veiled. Marcus had seen his ability to evade the detection of enemies many times. It never ceased to surprise him how well Shin’s heritage taught him to navigate the world.
Clad in a blood red ornate silken robe with a light layer of furs beneath, a tan man with black hair tied in a bun behind his head stepped gingerly towards Marcus with his hands tucked into his sleeves for warmth. Two sleek swords were sheathed and tucked neatly into the sash if his robe. A brown satchel strapped to his lower back was bulging with survival supplies.
“I cannot say it wasn’t difficult, though I can also say that I had some help. May I join you?” he asked, stopping and waiting patiently.
Marcus thought for a moment. Shin wasn’t the kind to push himself on others. Yet here he was, knowing full well Marcus wanted solitude.
Sighing and grunting, Marcus nodded his head and beckoned him to the fire. Shin smiled from ear to ear, his heart jumping for joy.
“Thank you my friend. I had hoped you still had some patience left for me.”
Shin excitedly hopped a step in the snow, then regained his composure. Marcus couldn’t help but laugh. Shin had been one of the few people who had been a voice of reason among the Blademaster’s twisted posse. Adjusting the long slender blades sheathed at his side, Shin walked casually to the fire. Marcus began wondering what Shin needed to discuss with him.
“What do ye want Shin?” barked Marcus, his lack of patience showing in his tone.
Lifting his leg up onto a log Marcus had been drying next to the fire in the snow, Shin’s eye glinted in the way it always did when he had something up his sleeve.
“Why do you think I’m here Marcus?” he asked plainly.
Marcus cocked and eyebrow and stared at him for a moment. He was already testing Marcus’ patience.
“Because there’s some horrible thing ye need me to help clean up that you can’t.” blurted Marcus with little tact.
Shin smiled and shook his head.
“Not even close. I just came to see how you were doing.” said Shin.
Marcus sighed and sat back on his log. Staring at the fire, he pondered for a moment what to do. Shin’s grin led him to believe there was more to this than he was letting on.
“Cut the bullshit Shin. I’m not interested in cleaning up other people’s messes anymore.” scowled Marcus.
The fire crackled and grew fierce. Marcus’ frustration was bleeding into the land around him. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Rage seemed to be all he felt anymore. More than once in his life he realized he had more in common with Aric than he’d thought. Shin placed a hand on his shoulder gently and shook his head.
“I’m serious Marcus. I know you don’t want people around, but there are plenty of us who miss you for who you are, and not just you cleaning up our messes for us.”
Marcus thought for a moment. It had been a long time since anyone had just asked how he was doing. Even when he lived in Freya, most people’s conversations were about something they wanted from him. He couldn’t tell if it was refreshing or hurtful that Shin was here telling him it was just out of the pleasure of his company.
Opening his mouth as if to speak, Marcus paused. He had no idea what to think in that moment.
“You all right, Marcus?” asked Shin.
Marcus looked him dead in the eye and searched for his intentions. Long ago he had learned the eyes are a window into the soul. The Ley-Lines often nudged him and told him the feelings stirring within the other when he really looked. Shin smiled. Marcus felt a strange calmness within him. His intentions were simple. Make sure his friend was faring well.
Tears began to fall from Marcus’ eyes and he turned away from Shin. Stepping over the log, Shin sat down and gazed at the fire with Marcus silently for a moment. Marcus began to weep quietly. Neither said anything as the twilight faded into the still darkness of night. Shin sensed the logs were burning low, and stood up to retrieve more wood.
Marcus wiped his eyes and pointed towards a shack to the side of his home. Opening the door, Shin retrieved several pieces of firewood and brought them back to the fire. Placing some on the ground, he stoked the fire with more hardwood. It slowly began to crackle and burn as the night continued on.
“How have you been Shin?” asked Marcus, wiping tears from his eyes.
His heart felt heavy and light at the same time. Something was stirring within him that he hadn’t felt since the day he left Freya. Catharsis.
“Oh, I’ve been doing just fine. Since the Pangean Syndicate dissolved I’ve had a lot more free time. Been doing a bit of exploring looking for adventure and stories worth hearing. I’ve many new ones, both from my own exploits and from others. I’d be happy to share them if you’d like.”
Marcus pondered for a moment. Shin was a fantastic storyteller. His passion for dramatics was surprising considering how calm and collected he was in every other facet of life. Yet this time, he wasn’t in the mood for a story told by someone else.
“I’ve a better idea my friend. Not far east of ‘ere there’s a curious cave system. There are carvin’s and pillars that seem purposefully broken. Seemed like someone was tryin’a hide somethin’ there. Care ta adventure with me to it in the mornin’ and make our own story?” offered Marcus.
He’d been in the caves many times before, but had always found it a bad idea to venture in alone. That had never scared him before, but a cave system like this was tricky and he knew another person could be the difference between coming out alive.
Over the years he’d learn to navigate a multitude of different of environments safely. Naturally formed caves were a different story.
“A cave? Hmmm…” Shin pondered for a moment, his hand scratching his stubbled chin.
Snow began to lightly fall and Marcus gazed at the tree line. One of his favorite times to meditate was during a decent snowfall. It tended to quiet the constant rustle of trees, and with it his mind.
“I don’t want to burden you my friend, and I doubt you have a place for a second to rest their head in your cabin.” pointed Shin at Marcus’ cabin.
It was true that Marcus had never intended to have visitors.
“We could figure somethin’ out mate. I’ve got pelts, blankets and some room on the floor. Not the most luxurious, but it’d get the job done. ‘Sides, I know how long a trek it is to Flykra. I wouldn’t have ye makin’ that haul this late at night.” offered Marcus.
Shin laughed and nodded his head in agreement.
“That would be perfect. Such is how I typically sleep to begin with.”
Marcus pondered for a moment and pursed his lips. Now that he thought about it, that pretty much was how Shin slept any other time they’d had to travel. Shrugging and smiling, Marcus stood up from his stump.
“Well it’s settled then. And lucky for you, I made a wonderful Potato and leek soup earlier. I can throw it back on the fire inside if ye’d care for a bowl.”
Pointing to his cabin, Marcus beckoned his friend inside. He bent down and picked up the spare fire wood to stoke the fire for warming the house and stew. Shin grinned ear to ear. Hopping in place he didn’t even try hiding his excitement.
“And you’re sharing your food?! I truly missed you my friend!” exclaimed Shin.
Marcus cocked an eyebrow at that. He knew that Shin had seen his share of hardships in life, but excitement at sharing food seemed odd, even for him. What happened in the world in his absence? His heart grew heavy. This was the first time in a long time he’d even thought about it.
Leaving the fire outside to dwindle, they retreated into the comfort of the log built cabin. It was simple in design, but remarkably sturdy. As they reached the front door, Shin stopped a moment and ran his hand gently along the treated wood.
“Tempered Spruce? A fine material my friend.” complimented Shin as he opened the door for Marcus.
A pleasant warmth and aroma escaped the door as he opened it, exciting Shin even more.
“Ley-Tempered spruce mate.” bragged Marcus.
Shin looked puzzled.
“Typical tempering wood is simply treating it with heat, whereas Ley-Tempering is a much more intimate process. Not only do ye create a flow of energy that heats the log, it increases it’s density. This cabin’ll be here for generations, even if I’m not.”
Marveling at the small cozy home, Shin gazed around the room while Marcus placed more wood on embers in his fire place. It was a remarkably small abode, basically a single room with a kitchen. Despite being built by hand it was as sturdy as the mountain it was built aside. Shin had no idea Marcus was capable of such architecture.
“You never cease to amaze me Marcus. Resourceful to a fault.” mused Shin as he pulled his sheathed blades from his sash and placed them leaning near the front door. Next to Marcus’ bow and blade. Unstrapping the satchel from across his back, he gingerly set it on the floor as well.
Marcus grunted a half-assed response, lifting the lid on the cauldron suspended over the fire by a steel rod and chains. Savory potato stew tickled Shin’s nostrils yet again, this time with even greater fervor. The embers below the cauldron slowly turned to a small steady flame as Marcus cleaned a wooden bowl and spoon for his guest. He had only whittled one set for himself.
“How’s Nidia doing?” asked Marcus, clearing his throat as he cleaned. Shin knelt at the hearth and admired the smell.
“Trade with the Emirate opening has bolstered her business exponentially. But she still talks about how the artifacts she gets just aren’t terribly interesting compared to what you used to bring her.”
Marcus finished cleaning the bowl in a small wash basin connected to two crystals. A sapphire jutted from the top of the basin with a copper rod, held in place to create a water stream directed below. A quartz crystal embedded at the bottom of the basin absorbed the grey water and converted it back into energy for the local ley-line.
With little time he was back at the cauldron and dishing up a bowl of stew for Shin with a large wooden ladle.
“I’m sure. I doubt traders from anywhere are bringing her artifacts that tell the tales of previous empires fallen before our own. Let alone handed to her by a descendant of one of them.” mused Marcus.
Shin smiled as Marcus handed him the bowl of stew. Without hesitation Shin dug right in with a heaping spoonful with a slurp. After one bite his excitement couldn’t be contained.
“By the Ley-Mother Marcus, this is fabulous! How did you manage something like this out here?!” lauded Shin through mouthfuls of stew.
Raising a hand in thought, Marcus pointed at a cupboard and came back with a hunk of crispy bread. Handing it to Shin, he pointed at the stew.
Shin needed no instructions. Dunking the bread in the stew, he let it soak for a moment only to take a bite larger than his mouth. Straining to chew, Shin looked at Marcus with grinning eyes.
“Bloody hell mate, that’s a bit much. Don’t go chokin’ ‘cause I know how to work with what I’ve got.”
Shin chewed happily despite the struggle. Marcus watched with a cocked eyebrow and a smile as his friend devoured the meal.
“I’m glad ye enjoyed it. That’s a typical dinner for me. Nice and hearty, but balanced to keep energy for the work it takes to survive alone.”
Sitting in a simple wooden chair, Marcus monitored the fire as Shin ate his dinner. Thoughts of the past faded away as he tried to enjoy a rare moment in the present. Surviving alone in the wild was a great distraction from his mind, but it didn’t sooth his soul the way spending time with a dear friend did. Even if that time was simply watching them enjoy a meal.
As Shin finished his stew, Marcus stood and retrieved a clay pot he used to store leftovers for the morning. Ladling the rest of the meal into the pot was easy. Though he was used to there being more left over. He would likely still have to cook for them in the morning.
Shin brought the bowl to the sink and cleaned the dish and spoon while Marcus removed the pot from the fire to cool.
“Can ye fill the bowl for me and pour some water into the pot? Should help make cleanin’ easier after it cools down.”
The two set about cleaning up after dinner and setting up a small bed of furs near the fireplace for Shin to sleep. Though it wasn’t a bed of goose down like Marcus enjoyed, he likely would stay far warmer near the flames.
“Alright mate, sleep however long ye like. I’ll have to figure out breakfast in the mornin’ anyway which’ll take a bit more time than usual.” explained Marcus, patting his friend on the shoulder as he sat atop the furs.
Shin smiled and made himself comfortable among the furs. Stretching out, he let out a sigh of contentment and appeared to be at great ease.
“I’ll take you up on that Marcus. Don’t hesitate to wake me up if you need help with anything though. I am a guest, not a freeloader.” offered Shin.
Marcus chuckled at the thought of Shin being a freeloader and made his way to his small bed of down. A warm woolen blanket welcomed him as he rested his body. It was the first time in a while his bed truly felt comfortable.
“Will do, mate. Get some rest. We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”
What kind of day it would be, Marcus couldn’t be sure. Adventure was always about the unknown. Perhaps that’s what excited him most about it.
Shin waved his hand in the air and yawned. Pulling a wolf fur over himself, he smacked his lips and laid his head down on a deer hide pillow.
Within the hour the two were fast asleep.
