By the time the sun had fully risen in the sky, the trio were underway once more. Claire made no further inquiries into Drift or the disease that ravaged it, and Draz seemed to have returned to his natural state of wit and sarcasm.
Rollan, however, still seemed troubled.
Claire was still considering how to approach the subject when Rollan announced they were stopping for the day despite there being a good solid hour of daylight left.
"Is everything okay?" Claire asked quietly.
"Yeah," Rollan replied as he pulled the gear for their tent from the back of the sled. "I just feel so out of touch. I was trapped in that form for so long that sometimes this body just feels...unnatural. Like it doesn't belong to me anymore. I forget that twenty five years have passed, that there are people like Draz who lived through the things I only heard about in hushed whispers not meant for my ears."
"You can't keep beating yourself up," Claire insisted. "What does Elysia say?"
"Time," Rollan replied with a heavy sigh, "give it time."
Claire nodded and could only imagine just how frustrating it must have been for him.
"I'm here," she said at last, "if you ever need to talk. I'm a good listener, or so I've been told."
"Thank you," Rollan said, offering her a light smile.
Twilight was settling and they had just finished the evening meal when Draz approached Claire with two long sticks in his hand.
"Catch," he said, tossing one towards her.
She managed to catch it, but only barely, and fumbled with it for a moment before getting a solid grip. "What's this for?"
"Drift isn't the magical fairy land it used to be," Draz replied. "It's dangerous, overrun by thieves and worse. There might come a time when me or prince tactless here won't be able to protect you. You need to be able to protect yourself."
Rollan scowled.
"With a stick?" Claire asked, struggling to keep her expression serious.
"Aren't we clever," Draz replied with a smirk. "I would have given you a real blade but I don't relish the idea if having any additional holes poked into my body."
"Any chance you could do something to take care of the holes you already have? Particularly around the mouth area?" Rollan inquired from his position by the fire. "You know, something to keep your lips from constantly flapping."
Draz smirked. "How about you take that stick from Claire and shove it up your--"
"Draz!" Claire interrupted. "Both of you are acting like kids. Now, what exactly are you going to show me?"
------
"Ow!" Claire protested as the side of the stick whipped against her upper arm for what felt like the hundredth time over the course of an hour. "Do you have to hit so hard?"
"If that had been a real blade and not a stick, you arm would be lying on the ground," Draz replied, an unexpected serious too his tone. Claire sighed and nodded. "Alright, back to starting position."
Claire did as he asked, spacing her feet apart and turning her body to offer as small a target as possible. It was getting easier each time, her body falling naturally into the right pose and Draz was having to correct her less and less as a result.
"Excellent," Draz said. "Now block."
He darted forward, swinging the stick one direction before quickly reversing position and bringing it full swing in the opposite direction. A feint, he had called it, and she realized his intent just in time to parry it -- barely.
"Good," Draz replied. He stepped to the left and swung the branch again. Claire twisted to block it, catching the stick were the hilt would be if it had been a real sword. Draz offered no praise this time, instead he kept moving, swinging the stick again, low and towards her knees. Claire made a valiant effort to block but felt the stinging burn as the stick made contact with her calf.
"Never let your guard down," Draz replied. "Don't let yourself be distracted by a pretty face."
"That would be a problem if I was sparing with, Alek, or even Rollan," she said with a smirk.
"Forget the sword, with a tongue like that you don't need it, you'll cut men down with mere words," Draz replied dramatically, clutching at his heart as though she had physically wounded him.
"Shut up, Draz," Claire replied, despite her words she was smiling.
"Like that's possible," Rollan said as he flicked bits of twig into the flames.
"Let's go again," Draz said ignoring Rollan's comment.
"Do we have to?" Claire asked, rubbing at her arm again. She had been excited, at first, at the prospect of learning swordplay, but now she wasn't so sure it was worth the effort.
"No, we don't have to," Draz replied with a casual shrug. He jammed the stick into the snowy ground so that it stood upright on its own. "But what are you going to tell someone really bent on harming you? Please stop, I'm tired? Do we have to? How about a spot of tea instead?"
"No," Claire replied feeling heat rise to her cheeks.
"In that case," he replied, plucking his stick from the ground, "defend yourself."
Claire was sore when she tumbled into her makeshift bed that night, sore but satisfied. By the time they had finished the impromptu training session, she had been able to effectively block a string of attacks and landed a few blows of her own upon the arms and legs of an unsuspecting Draz.
-----
In light of her success, the tiny aches and pains resulting from repeated whacks of the thin stick were easily ignored.
She lay for some time, staring into the darkness, her mind a tangled mess. When she had dreamed of returning to Oria, it had never been like this.
She had never thought it would be without Alek.
Closing her eyes, Claire tried to find escape in sleep, but the thoughts kept surfacing, rising up as quickly as she could push them down again. It wasn't just Alek who plagued her, but thoughts of her mother as well, of her father, and of a truth she found herself struggling to come to terms with.
Pushing the heavy blankets aside, Claire sat up just as the tent flap swept open exposing her to a rush of cold air and a glimpse of the star littered sky beyond before a dark form filled the space.
"Claire?"
"Rollan, is that you?"
"Did I wake you?" he asked sounding anxious.
"No, what's wrong?"
"I'm not quite sure, maybe nothing, but... I can't explain, you have to come see for yourself," Rollan said.
Claire frowned, but didn't question him further. She simply tugged on her discarded boots and ducked through the opening.
"What is it?" She asked, her breath escaping in a long stream of mist.
"Look," he said leading her to the edge of camp and pointing in the direction they had just traveled from. She saw nothing but rolling hills and a handful of tall trees standing out stark and black against the sky.
That's when she recalled something Rollan had said the day before.
"I thought you said there wouldn't be anymore trees," she said, her voice quiet.
"So you see them too," Rollan replied, letting out a relieved sigh. "I thought that maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me, or that this cold finally got to me and I was starting to hallucinate."
"Where did they come from? Were they there when we passed earlier?"
"No," Rollan said with a shake of his head. "I just don't get it. It's like they sprouted up when we weren't looking."
"What's going on?"
They turned to see Draz rubbing sleep from his face with the palm of his hand as he approached.
"We're trying to figure out where the trees came from," Claire said.
"Huh," Draz replied, "I'll be damned. I've never seen that before."
"Are you going to share, or are we just supposed to read your mind? Though, I imagine if we tried, it would be a short but dull endeavor," Rollan said with a smirk.
"This guy," Draz replied shaking his head, "trying so hard to be clever like me, it's cute really."
"Draz," Claire said sharply.
"Right," Draz replied, "don't you recognize them?"
"I mean, they're trees, who wouldn't recognize a tree," Claire said trying hard not to sound as exasperated as she was starting to feel.
"They're not trees," Draz said.
"I'm not sure if you're seeing the same thing as us, but those are definitely trees," Rollan replied.
"Oh, well, if the prince says so then it must be true," Draz drawled before burying both hands in the deep pockets of his pants.
"Stop playing games, Draz, it's late and cold..."
"Alright, alright," Draz replied, "it's your old pal... what did you call him? Rin? Seems like he brought some friends along with him. Guess he took a liking to you. Must've been following us ever since we left the forest. Never heard of that happening, but I've come to accept that nothing happens quite like it should when you're around, Claire."
Claire wasn't sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment and decided it was better to assume the latter. "But why?"
"Beats me," Draz said, "why don't you go ask him?"
Claire rolled her eyes. "You're impossible sometimes, you know that?"
"Only sometimes?" Rollan muttered.
"What can I say? It comes naturally," Draz replied with a smirk. "Can I go back to bed now? I need-"
"Much as I hate to interrupt," a voice called from the darkness. "I'm afraid your little adventure ends here."
Claire turned and saw a figure emerge from the shadows into the dim ring of light being thrown by the dwindling fire. As the orange glow of the flames threw the stranger's features into sharp relief, Claire felt her breath catch in her throat.
Benjamin.
But how had he found them in the middle of nowhere?
"I guess that answers that question," Draz replied with a heavy sigh. He snapped his fingers and the glowing embers they'd left to die in the fire pit flared to life. Flames spiraled ten feet into the air accompanied by a mighty thunderclap as the sudden influx of hot air came into contact with the frigid cold of the night.
Benjamin projected an air of boredom as he regarded Draz. "Are you finished showing off?"
"Just getting warmed up," Draz replied, flames leaping between his fingers. He started to step towards Ben only to pause when more figures stepped from the darkness, surrounding them. Rollan turned, stepping forward so that Claire was between him and Draz.
They all wore the same dark green cloaks pinned at the right shoulder by a silver clasp fashioned into the form of a bear. There were six in total, Ben included, and Claire couldn't help the feeling of dread that had begun to creep over her.
"You brought some friends," Draz said. "I'm flattered, are you that intimidated by me?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to accomplish my mission, I don't let silly things like pride get in the way," Benjamin replied as he strolled casually around the fire. "As much as I would love to bring you in, Haval, you are not the reason I am here. I do not know what your connection to Miss Belmont is, and you've been nothing but a thorn in my side, but I shall turn a blind eye to your presence so long as you do not interfere."
"Interfere with what, exactly?" Draz asked.
Claire felt her pulse quicken as her heart leaped into her throat.
As though sensing her mounting anxiety, Benjamin turned his gaze towards her. "Claire Belmont," he began. "I, Benjamin Harcourt, am under orders issued by King Nicolai Desmaris himself, to bring you before his majesty to be tried as a criminal."
"On what grounds?" Rollan demanded. "Claire has done nothing wrong."
"Perhaps you don't know your friend there as well as you think," Ben smiled. "The charges are as follows: espionage, conspiracy against the crown, and treason. I suggest you come quietly, Miss Belmont, for the sake of your friends."