Border Crossing

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Richard took the pair of pants and nodded, dropping his others on the floor without a thought. He had never been shy . being a prince, he'd never been given that option. "I am a little put out that I was unable to protect you when the mermaid queen became upset. But I am not angry with you."

The woman held her dress against her breasts and backed toward the door, feeling for the handle on the wall. "I did what I was told. Even your slave knew her place and left when she was told. I am not stupid enough to disobey the king's captain of the guard!"

"In case you haven't noticed there is death right outside the door. In the sky, mother. There is no time for their true king to be missing!" Garrik shouted, shaking the bars of his cage. "You're no better than the monster they're fighting. Who's side are you really on?!" 

Kane got to his feet, cracking his neck as if he'd been doing nothing more than taking a long nap. He turned ice colored eyes on the hunter and smiled wickedly. "I should thank you for taking such good care of my host. You were most gracious when she tried to starve herself. If not for you...I never would have tracked her life force down."

Marine smiled at her son. "My own, as always." She informed him. "Don't worry... I'm sure his pet will continue to keep you informed about Alice's whereabouts." She added as she turned away, proving she had known everything that was going on all along.

The hunter made sure he was stood between Yena and Kane now. "What are you?" He hissed, having thought he had seen everything, until now.

Garrik shook his head, watching the blood dripping to the floor from the prince's head. "His brother is going to have a field day with you. This is going to be fun to watch." He muttered. "And here you are killing off the only one who can help you." 

"Wow. I can see now why you're hiding in the woods." Kane snorted, rolling his eyes. "It's probably best they keep the dumb ones away from other humans. Humans. I'm not a human anymore. I love it!" He clapped his hands. "I love it!"

"Silly boy... I'm not killing him. Quite the opposite." Marine purred, her ruby lips curling into a smile. "The sooner you let go of that worthless girl you obsess over, the sooner you can leave here."

The hunter's eyes left Kane's face as he looked him over. The older man couldn't forget the sight of those tiyn claws trying to rip through Yena's belly. "Does evil have a name?"

"In a clam shell like the one you placed Blackbeard in?" Garrik asked, raising a single eyebrow. "Indeed. I shall hold my breath with pleasure for that one, mermaid." He snorted. He turned his head to the wall and waited for her to move on. He couldn't have made it more clear that he was done. 

"Want to give it one?" Kane asked. "I think I'm done with this old one." He glanced to where Yena lay dying in the grass.

Garrik's words didn't seem to bother Marine and she bounced off to where she had instructed Richard to be taken. Marisol had suggested the prince marry the mermaid Queen, she simply hadn't realised that was what Marine had wanted all along.

"I think you should leave this place, creature." The hunter warned. "Evil often finds itself atop a burning bonfire."

Richard let out a soft groan as he finally came to and opened his eyes. "Mar..." He whispered. Though Marine would probably think he was calling for her, he was calling for Marisol. Not even the former slave probably knew how often he actually called for her. 

"Sure. I am done with my pet. For now." Kane chuckled, narrowing his eyes at her before disappearing into a cloud of inky black smoke. 
"Auron..." Yena's head fell back and she let out a soft breath as Kane left them. "Dread wolf watch over you..."

"I'm here..." Marine breathed, stroking Richard's hair gently. "You took quite a tumble."

Even the hunter seemed to visibly sag with relief before he dropped the knife and fell to his knees beside Yena. "So that's the father's name." He breathed, again trying to keeo Yena talking as he assessed what he needed to do to fix her.

"Mar...what happened?" Richard whispered. He tried opening his eyes but found that it hurt too much in that moment.

"Dread wolf take the bastard." Yena gasped out. She was losing the will to live. None of it mattered anymore. The last thing she had to live for was gone.

Marine saw her chance, and took it. "That silly mage of yours... She was angry about something, she pushed you over the edge of your ship during a storm."

"You're going to survive, and you're going to find this Auron and tell him that yourself!" The hunter insisted as he gathered Yena inside to begin what would take all night to save her.

Richard believed her. Marisol had been angry with him when he'd brought the mermaids on board. She'd never forgiven him it was that simple. "I am a fool. I must have been born one." He breathed.

Yena woke up days later, weak but feeling better. She had no idea that she'd spent the time pleading with Auron, the Dread wolf, to come and take her to the afterlife. That morning she was cursing him for once again abandoning her.

"Not a fool, just too trusting of slaves." Marine breathed, humming softly as she continued to stroke Richard's hair.

The hunter hadn't left Yena alone all the time she was healing. He was true to his word about protecting her, and had no idea the Dread Wolf himself was getting closer. He didn't even think the Dread Wolf was real, just an ancient deity an elf would prey to.

Richard managed to open his eyes and groaned again, not realizing blood had crept down into the whites. He couldn't see anything but haze. "I can't stay in bed, Marine. I have to do something about the sky."

"I dreamed about the wolf last night." Yena said as they sat beside the fire outside. She was refusing to eat. She saw no point. She brought nothing but hopelessness and death to others. Now literally. "It was strange because I could feel him. It's been a long time since I could feel something in my dreams."

"The world can't depend on you if you die, now can it?" Marine breathed, pressing a cool hand firmly to Richard's chest to keep him from sitting up. "Rest."

"Is that not a good thing?" The hunter asked. "Do you think he watched you? Perhaps...misses, you?"

Relief and warmth flooded through him and Richard laid back, closing his eyes. "Marisol." He breathed, allowing darkness to wash over him. 

"I do not think anyone cares." Yena admitted, touching the edges of her hair. It had grown back out. She found herself wondering when it had done such a thing. She'd never noticed. "Why are you so nice? Do you not see what I brought unto the world?"

Marine was obviously less than happy at hearing this, but allowed it to pass. Her women had orders to kill the mage is she was foolish enough to stray back onto the water.

"I see you were victimised." The hunter replied. "That you were so scared when I found you that you wouldn't even speak to me."

Garrik was pacing the cage, his stomach in knots. He'd seen the sky through a porthole and knew it could only mean one thing. In some shape or form Kane was back. He had no idea what this meant for Alice.

"And why should you care, shem?" She asked softly. "Your kind pokes at me with sticks and throws rocks at me. "

"Is she busy?" Marisol suddenly appeared inside the cage with Garrik, her violet eyes glancing around quickly. "I don't have much time before the merwhore knows I'm here..."

"Have I ever done that?" The hunter replied gently. "Forgive me, but I actually think i've been pretty good... Left all my poking sticks in my woodshed..."

"She is busy with the prince right now." Garrik said softly, trying to make his voice as soft as possible. "You're taking a big risk coming here."

Yena actually smiled, even though it was a ghost of one. "You stabbed me with a knife." She said softly. "That counts. Right?"

"I know." Marisol was nodding her head in agreement. "But I had to tell you in person. I found Alice... She's safe, for now." She breathed. "She returned to the court of her dead husband, and... Well... She was arrested and held responsible for his death. That... Isn't even the bad news."

"A knife isn't a stick, or a rock." The hunter replied with a grin of his own.

"Take me to her." Garrik said firmly. "I'll fix it." He seemed rather desperate, wild eyed. He could barely keep his voice down. 

Yena poked out her tongue at him, her stomach growling as she stole a peek at the stew he was making.

Marisol was shaking her head. "I can't bring you back through the fade with me." She breathed. "I think they're going to trade her to Kane in exchange for immunity from his armies."

"Oh, I'm sorry... This stew ain't for girlies who make fun of lonely shem." The hunter replied, though he was again smirking.

"We can't let that happen!" This time he was yelling. He didn't even hide it. He couldn't help it. His chest was aching. "Tell me how to get to her. I'll do it on my own, screw your magic." 

"I'm sorry you are so lonely." Yena said softly. "If I thought the Dread Wolf would listen to me, I'd ask him to bless you with love of your own."

"I don't want that to happen either." Marisol assured Garrik, quickly trying to calm him down. "It would just kill Richard if something were to happen his daughter." She added, letting that little piece of information slip without meaning to.

The hunter laughed quietly and shook his head. "I had my love, don't think I have it in me for another."

"What?!" Garrick hissed, lowering his voice. "How the hell is that possible? And why haven't you used that against him? Are you insane?!" 

"What happened to her?" Yena asked, half expecting her to say he had made his love into stew.

Marisol groaned quietly, realising she had said too much. "Now do you see why he so protective of her?" She asked softly. "Did the Queen bring any news of Richard with her? I... I can't reach him since I left his ship." She confessed, wringing her fingers together in worry.

The hunter's smile was all too sad. "A hunter had no right loving the Princess he was supposed to be protecting." He breathed. "She was the elder sister of her family, but her little sister married first and became a Queen... for a short time. I loved her... but she could not love me. I was her revenge, dallying with someone such as myself was the ultimate insult to her family, who were also my employer at the time."

"Richard hit his head on a rock when he fell off their ship. He was bleeding from the eyes when I saw him. He is here. With her. I'm sure she's feeding him full of all kinds of toxins." Garrik said with a sigh. "Bad news all around it seems." 

"I see why you live alone. People are terrible. Sticks and stones come in the form of words and actions too, don't they? Do you miss her? It would seem to me you'd be glad she was gone." Yena said softly.

"What?" Marisol seemed devastated to hear this. "I... I told him to marry her..." The young mage was shaking her head before burying her face in her hands. "I never meant it!"

"I miss her every day." The hunter confessed. "But she made herself quite clear, and married the prince of a tiny kingdom somewhere in the north."

"As badly as he was injured...I'm willing to bet he will die first." Garrik said without looking at her. "If that makes you feel any better." He added, dropping himself onto his cot.

"You lucked out. Humans smell bad. And they are all worthless. Marry a dwarf. At least you will not have to wonder whee she will be. Just search in the dirt somewhee..."

"Why would that make me feel any better?!" The young woman sobbed near hysterically. "Would knowing Kane will force Alice to marry him before he violates her again make you feel any better?!"

"Really? You think it okay to look down on a race like that, after what you say you've been through?" The hunter chastised.