Excalibur

The Novice and the Master

TEMPEST SLAPPED A hand over Kane's mouth, smothering his screams. "Will you quit it?!"

Kane wriggled out from under her firm grip, forcing her back against a tree. "Lay off!"

"Stop screaming!" she whisper-shouted. "You're drawing unnecessary attention!"

"Well, I'm so sorry that my fear is a bother to you," he said sarcastically, clasping his hands together as if in prayer.

Tempest clawed at the air in front of his neck, imagining herself squeezing it. "It's just a flower."

"WHY DOES IT HAVE TEETH?!"

As if on cue the tall red rose bloomed from the dead earth, snapping at Kane's feet. He shrieked, tiptoeing across the worn out path like a bloody marionette. Tempest bit her tongue so hard she almost drew blood. With one quick motion she drew Clarent and slashed the razor sharp rose, killing it.

"It has teeth so it can eat," Tempest hissed. "What is the point of being this big?" She whipped Kane's ass with the flat side of her sword. "And having a sword if you do nothing with either assets?!"

Kane narrowed his eyes. "Where I'm from, roses are just pretty. They don't randomly bloom and try to eat your ankles!"

"The armor would have protected you," she replied, brows knitted in irritation.

Kane threw his hands up in the air, laughing. "Great! I'll keep that in mind the next time a flower tries to eat me!"

Tempest opened her mouth to snap back. A quick movement over his shoulder silenced her. Ignoring Kane's protests, she grasped his wrist, yanking him onto the path bathed in moonbeams.

"Get behind me."

Shielding him from potential danger, Tempest crept out of the light and into the shadows. Her scrutinizing gaze tracked the quick movement of whatever lurked in the darkness. When the wispy figure peered at her with swampy green eyes she bit her tongue to hold in her gasp. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten then took a deep breath. When she looked back the creature was closer and her long brown hair was slightly visible.

"Is it the vampire?" Kane asked, voice trembling.

Tempest shook her head, forcing her heartache into a cage and locking it away. "No. Come. Don't look back."

Kane fidgeted while they walked in silence. Cleared his throat. Toyed with Caliburn's hilt.

"I need to know what's following us," he said after a particularly loud crunch of leaves. "My curiosity is gonna kill me. I might look."

Tempest sighed. "It's a hallucination. If you look you'll just get hurt."

Kane's forehead creased as he stared at her from the corner of his eye. "Hallucinations can only be seen by the people hallucinating."