Chapter 1 - Clouds on the horizon "Janus!! Look!!" Kaela stood behind a rocky outcropping, leaning far over the natural parapet the stone possessed. Janus ran to her side, drenched. Brushing his soaked hair from his eyes, Janus leaned out into space as well. Down through the low clouds, in a haze, a group of shadows marched down the path. "Marauders.. look at the weapons they've got..", Janus said, knowing their destination, and more importantly, intent. "We've got to warn Schala and the others!", Kaela cried, turning away and charging across the rough stone path along the face of the rock's side. "Kaela! We can't get..", Janus said, almost not realizing his friend's depart. "..down..", Janus finished, looking at the swift figure bounding over the wet slope like a mountain cat. "..Why is she always running?", Janus thought, as he started after his friend. Taking careful steps along the slippery stones, he followed the roughly tracked path. When Janus had come around the corner of the pass, he saw Kaela's wet form standing on a stone overlooking the slope down, deep in thought. He paused momentarily in his headlong rush across the stones. How.. adult she looked, right now. Kaela's face, turned slightly towards Janus's direction, in profile, was gentle but focused. Kaela's bright eyes were closed, giving her an angelic look. The rain had soaked her hair and a single drop of water was suspended from one of her bangs, hanging in space directly above her nose. Her arms were limp, falling at her sides, her hands open to the ground. Janus reflected upon this. Inexplicably, Kaela looked innocent, yet grown up at the same time. Her silent form in front of a stormy background of rain, clouds and fog only increased her beauty, it appeared, in Janus's eyes. Unwilling to disturb such a beautiful scene, Janus had to step forward, anyway. This was too urgent for silent reflection. He quietly crept to her side, to stand next to her and behold the scene she was pondering. In front of them was a rocky dirt slope, steep and long. Boulders were strewn here and there, as if pebbles on a slippery rock. To add to the difficulty, the incessant rain had turned the side into a mass of mud, barely thick enough to stay on the hill. The fog was thin enough here to see that the end of the slope opened to a field, but the rain had turned it into a giant grass-covered bog. To Janus's right, the rock continued on, forming a geological fluke of a ridge, several leagues long, which formed a natural barrier to one side of the village. The parting of the stones was far away from the village, but the only entrypoint from this direction. Kaela opened her eyes, and looked down at Janus from her perch upon the rock. "Feeling daring, Janus? It's our only way down. And we must warn the village.", Kaela said quietly. Janus swallowed. For some reason, he was.. afraid. Kaela took Janus's hand, and stepped down off her rock. "Come, Janus.. Time's wasting and we have to warn the village. Otherwise, Schala and the others are in mortal danger!", Kaela stated, becoming urgent. Janus swallowed again, and stepped forward, clenching Kaela's hand tightly. Chapter 2 - Memories Stained "Janus!! Don't let go of my hand!", Kaela cried, as they leapt down the slope. "Try to stay on your feet!" Amazingly enough, their feet hit the mud, and created a wave, as if riding a wave of water. As the wave grew from going downhill, their speed increased, as well as their rate of acceleration. Janus suddenly felt a jolt of panic surge through him. Something was not right. Something was very very wrong. In the back of Janus's mind, a microcosm of memory blinked momentarily, and, short as it was, was enough to make him feel pure terror. "Kaela.. no.. no, I.. can't..!", Janus screamed, struggling against some invisible primal force, one that is as ancient as time immemorial. Clawing wildly for support in thin air, Janus let go of Kaela's hand, in desperation to combat this undetected foe. "Janus!!", Kaela cried, panic in her heart, as her friend careened downhill out of control. She decided instantly, that there was only one thing to do. She must stay with Janus, period. It might not be the most ideal way to get down, but.. for her sanity as well as Janus's overall safety, there was no other alternative. Bracing herself against the actual ground, Kaela took a standing jump off of the muddy wave they were riding, and tackled Janus's flailing form at the waist, falling into the remainder of the mud after the wave had passed. Holding on for her life, Kaela felt her body slam into Janus's, and then roll many countless times. For protection, she buried her face into Janus's body, to avoid getting covered in muck and unable to breathe. Suddenly aware of what must be happening to Janus, face unprotected, she tried to stop their ungraceful descent. Grasping even tighter with one arm, Kaela released the other arm and held it out from her, as well as spreading her legs out, in her best attempt to stop them. After several full rotations, which were making her extremely dizzy by now, the two bedraggled bodies stopped, much to Kaela's surprise, at the very bottom of the hill, mere handspans away from a giant puddle of dirt and mud, the very form of transportation they had attempted to use to descend. Rolling off of Janus, she wiped his face clean, and made sure his airway was clear. A further jolt of panic shook her when Janus's eyes remained closed for several moments. "J..Janus? Janus, speak to me!!", Kaela cried, anguish and panic tainting her silvery voice. She shook her friend's limp shoulders, and, fearing the worst, she placed her hand over his heart. To her intense relief, Janus was alive, and he seemed to be breathing, although somewhat slowly. "This is insane.. Janus!! Please.. please!! Plea..se..", Kaela sobbed, her eyes welling with tears. Breathing heavily, not only from the physical hardship she had endured, but also from the panic and anxiety for the safety of her friend, she took no notice of her own filth. Within moments, the tears she was letting for Janus, who was still out cold, had eroded the mud cake that had managed to nearly cover her face, that there were easily identifiable veins of bare skin in the mud where her tears had been. Shaking her friend's unconscious but breathing body, she cried out the name of her soulfriend, until, spent, she collapsed, holding Janus tightly to herself. Chapter 3 - Storm Blows Cold Kaela's eyes opened, slowly, easing her eyebrows from the layer of dust and mud that had accumulated on her face and had come close to sealing her eyes shut. A sudden flash of panic made her bolt to a sitting position. "The village!! .. Janus!!" Looking beside her, one arm still touching, her friend lay, silent and still. A further wave of panic shook her and an uneasy to sick feeling settled in the pit of her belly. "Janus!!", Kaela cried, fearful for the worst. She grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse. Under Kaela's trembling fingers, the blood pulsed through Janus's veins with a strong beat. Janus mumbled, as if asleep. "it's a miracle!", Kaela cried out, as her heart seemingly started to beat once more. Hugging Janus's warm form tightly to her, Kaela muttered a soft prayer to Gaea, for allowing her friendship to live, along with her friend. Janus awoke, aware that he was in a tight area. Squirming, he realized it was Kaela's arms that were binding him, not chains or oppressive forces. "Okay, what'd I do now..?", Janus asked, groggily suppressing a yawn, questioning the odd yet emotional expression on Kaela's face. "Oh, Janus..", Kaela replied, in a light-hearted tone bordering on bubbly. "What is it? Kaela..?", Janus asked, confused. Kaela offered no reply, but instead hugged Janus even tighter to her body. Feeling Janus contorting his upper body around to try and make eye contact, Kaela released him, and held his hands. Without a word, she leaned forward, gently tilted Janus's head down with soft caring hands, and kissed his forehead. Raising his head once more, she gently bent forward and touched her forehead to his, mumbling something barely audible. Kaela slowly leaned back, hoping that she had communicated to Janus how she felt, without alarming him with details of their descent. Janus blinked, but questioned no further. "We must go, Janus We've lost too much time already.", Kaela said, rising to a crouching position. "Remember? The village?" Janus shot to his feet, aware of the great peril the village was in, which was increasing for every second they wasted on this lonely field, at the base of a mud-covered slope in the wake of the storm. Extending a helping hand, Janus lifted Kaela to her feet. "Let's go!", Janus cried, surging off, hand in hand with Kaela. Together, they ran towards their home, far away from the lofty peak in which there had the sighting, far away from the dangerous slope of mud, far away from the damp field in which they had lain while the storm raged and passed on, and on towards their destiny. Chapter 4 - Plainsrunning Janus stopped running, panting out of breath. Kaela stopped a few lengths ahead of him. Trying to catch his breath, Janus limped forward to Kaela, and together they sat down, taking in as much oxygen as possible. It had been a full half day that they had been running, beginning at the field below the hill where they had first spotted the threat. They had traversed a great distance already, but they were merely halfway, and it was almost night. While they were resting in the cool damp fieldgrass, Kaela thought hard. They had to alert the village sooner. Their immature legs could not carry the message fast enough back to the village, even with the advantage they had over the band of raiders. Their young bodies were not conditioned to take the kind of punishment they were inflicting upon themselves in the form of long distance high-speed running, punctuated by short breaks such as this. It wasn't possible. Kaela's eyes scanned the horizon in front of them, spotting the chimney smoke of the village in the distance, their goal. Her sharp eyes went all through their field of vision, and Kaela's gaze shifted to a hill a little ways away. "That's it!", Kaela cried, in triumph. She leapt to her feet, and offered Janus a hand up. "Hmmn?", Janus asked, curious to know his friend's idea. "C'mon! we've got to get to that hill over there before nightfall!", Kaela said, starting off. "..Why doesn't she ever explain anything to me?", Janus thought, almost annoyed, in the back of his mind as he raced off again, his body complaining in ways he had never seen before. Chapter 5 - Flame of Mercy Kaela had reached the summit first, Janus fast behind. Together they rested their tired aching bodies on a smooth flat rock that was at the summit. The whole while, Kaela's bright eyes were in action, analyzing their immediate surroundings. In sync, her mind was working double time formulating a plan for her intentions. It was imperative that the village be warned! After regaining her breath, Kaela leapt off the rock and immediately set about gathering the scrub and dead foliage that had accumulated there during the dry season. Janus, after recovering temporarily, stood up and followed Kaela's lead. Janus now off the rock, Kaela started piling the scrub onto the rock in the tallest formation she could manage. By the time she had declared it sufficient, they had emptied the entire top of the hill of dead fauna and had begun scavenging the base of the incline. Sensing her friend's confusion and thirst of knowledge, Kaela explained: "We've got to alert the village of the situation, and since it's almost nightfall, we can't run any farther and we're too slow as it is, we're going to have to resort to a different tactic." Janus nodded, wanting to know more. "What we'll have to do to alert them is use the one universal danger signal: Fire. This pile of brush is piled high enough that it will be visible from the village, and also high enough to show that it is not a normal campfire. We must wait until dark, because this will burn quickly and then go out very fast." Janus nodded, getting the idea at long last. They were to warn Schala and the others by setting ablaze the dead scrub in a signal fire, to alert them to be on their guard. But.. what if they didn't see the fire or misinterpreted it? By the time Janus fully comprehended the plan, nightfall had crept upon them, and dusk was only a few reaches away. Kaela produced her flint firestarter, and had set it down on the stone. Then, she had instructed Janus to help her clear away anything flammable, other then themselves, away from the whole area, since if the pile toppled while on fire, they could cause the whole hill to be set on fire, which would certainly alert the village but would also reduce the whole area to a blazing inferno. By the time they had completed that task to a passable level, it had become so dark that Janus was hitting bare dirt, for lack of seeing where he was going. Kaela strode around the rock until she found her flint, and struck it against the tinder. Within moments of the first flame, the entire stack was on fire, feeding the ravenous force of nature that had been unleashed upon it. Janus and Kaela had to step back a distance, as the heat was far to high for them to remain in such close proximity. "It's working, Janus! It's working!", Kaela yelped in delight, proud of her success. Their, she corrected herself, their success. If it hadn't been for Janus, she would have never been able to gather so much dead stuff, and it would have taken her far longer to complete the tasks they had finished. With a loving sparkle in her eyes, heightened by the lifesaving glow of their signal fire, Kaela turned to her friend, who stood silently, watching the dancing flames as if mesmerized. "Oh, Janus.. I don't know what I'd ever do without you.", Kaela said softly, before embracing Janus. Together in the light of the fire, they stood, warmed by the fiery signal as well as the warmth of their hearts, as all around them rush and panic reigned. Chapter 6 - Message in the Dark "Oh, goodness! Look!" Schala's bright eyes turned away from the pinpoint of light in the distance to the guard who was patrolling the area. Since Kaela and Janus had left for perimeter watch, she had spent her evenings on this hill, the highest point of the village, to hope, hope that they would be safe, two children so far away from home, alone, on a security mission. Although she had since become Janus's sister again and had resigned from her position as surrogate mother for her younger sibling, that did not stop her from worrying about her brother and his dear friend. Old habits are heard to break, and Schala was no exception. She had learned to let him do as he pleased, but no amount of education would quell the emotions inside her heart. So, in solidarity she would ascend this hill to watch dusk fall, and to be watching them, far away as they may be. Her eyesight was very keen, and there were a few times that she could have sworn that the saw figures moving across the plain. Tonight, however, it took not an eagle to detect what she saw. The guard ran up to join her, to see what had bothered her. His eyes widened as he took in the distant pyre, then he turned to Schala, visibly shaken. "Janus and Kaela were on perimeter watch. Something must be wrong. That's a signal fire they set. That's a fire deliberately set on the highest hill on that flatland." Schala nodded, her anxiety growing with every word the guard spoke. "We've got to alert the council about this!", the guard said, turning to dash to the village. Schala turned to walk back down, but stopped. Something was there. something was calling her. Turning back, Schala experienced a warm aura of calmness envelop her, as the distant blaze seemed to grow in magnitude so that it was touching the sky. Schala softly smiled. "Oh, Janus.. Kaela.." She then turned and walked into the village square, towards the council tent. Chapter 7 - Clouds Rolling In "Only one thing is clear. Kaela and Janus are trying to warn us of something. We do not know what it is, so we must prepare for anything and everything. Whatever in Gaea's name is coming at us, we must be prepared for them." Celin, the youngest of the council of elders was speaking. Having the appearance of an older man but being in fact a young healthy man, Celin had made it into the council for his leadership skills and sharp mind. Schala realized she was staring at him and admiring his features, and blushed and looked away. Hold on a minute. What was she doing? She was no longer tied down to taking care of Janus. It was her right to be whom she wanted to be now. However, this wasn't the time or place. This, in fact, was an emergency meeting of all able-bodied men, council members, and certain of the women. The other women, those who were mothers or were elderly, and the children, were in a separate tent preparing to leave the village and vanish into the forest, like shadows. The surrounding trees had infinite numbers of hiding places where the villagers could simply blend in with the surrounding environment. It was there, that those not able to fight would go, in hopes of the best. In hopes that there would be something remaining to fight for when the smoke cleared. Schala woke out of her contemplation at the realization Celin had begun speaking again, and it was in her best interest to listen. "We know what the probable route our threat is taking, being that it was Janus and Kaela's perimeter site that we're being alerted from. They will be traveling the ridge, all the way around. In that way, they will come from the river side. We must make full use of our resources there. Several of our expert scouts have gone out to set traps to slow them down, as I speak. There're a few log traps set along the main paths, so the most important thing to do is do not try and leave by a main route in the forest in the event we have to flee." "There will be two untrapped routes, but they lead away from the battle line, not through it." "It would be logical that Kaela and Janus are staying at their perimeter after setting that signal, so we cannot expect them to arrive until the scheduled time." "Celin..", Schala said, almost meekly. She was interrupting, something anyone rarely did, let alone while a council was in progress. "Yes, Schala?", Celin asked, either unaware of the rudeness of the situation or ignoring it altogether. "I know how my brother and Kaela think, and if I'm right, they would have been running as fast as they can here to warn us, and they would have set that fire to warn us even faster then they could carry it themselves. They most assuredly are on their way.", Schala said, with as much conviction as she could find inside. Celin pondered this for a moment. This was an interesting factor, that could cause some difficulty. What would happen if two thirteen-year olds ran into the middle of the battle? Why, they most certainly would be in mortal peril, being for the most part unarmed. To his recollection, Celin did not remember them taking any weaponry, in fact very little of anything, aside from a small dull shale knife and a flint firestarter. A flint knife would be no good in combat. "Well, if they return after we've already engaged in battle with our threat, their lives will be in danger. They're unarmed, Schala..", Celin said, anxiety colouring his smooth baritone inflection. Schala nodded solemnly, aware, too, that her precious siblings were vulnerable. Schala paused. Since when did she begin to associate Kaela as a sister? Well, with her relation with Janus, she might as well be. She was, after all, the only other family Schala had, excluding her dear blood brother. "Schala, I need you to do something. Go to the hut you share with them and return with any weapons you can find.", Celin directed, getting preparations for the two youngsters in motion. If he could get their arrival in a timely fashion, they could actually benefit this conflict. Schala nodded, and left the meeting, anxious about the safety of her siblings. When she arrived at their hut, she lit the lamp, and for the first time realized that aside from her own flint dagger, there were no weapons to be found. Kaela's bow and Janus's sling had disappeared. Upon returning to the council with her dagger, she reported this to the elders. Celin frowned, visibly disconcerted. "What could they have done with them?", Celin asked, more thinking aloud then asking anyone in particular. "It doesn't matter. We must prepare for this!", Celin said, changing tack. His voice grew more powerful as he began issuing emergency orders in preparation of the unknown. Managing to get a watch task that took her away from the immediate village, Schala climbed back up the hill. In the distance, a minuscule glow was visible, the embers of Janus and Kaela's efforts of warning. "We understand.. Thank you, you two.", Schala whispered, her eyes dancing with the glow of the frantic activity in the village. Chapter 8 - Leaf on the Stone Janus awoke. The cold morning air bit at his lungs as he brushed the dew off his bare skin. Standing up and stretching, he contemplated the charred embers of their desperate signal of the eve past. A small patch of green caught his eye in contrast to the dull grays and blacks of the cinders. Unscathed from the blaze that took place on that spot, a small green leaf sat, under a pile of dust. Janus tried to reason how this leaf could have escaped combustion given the condition it was next to. Somehow this untouched leaf meant something to Janus. Gingerly taking it into his hand, Janus examined it. It was simply a tree leaf, veins obvious against Janus's gentle touch. Janus touched it to his forehead softly, and then replaced it back down onto the stone. The sun was just rising, and the clouds were only beginning to give way to its splendour. Kaela stirred, awakened by the sun's vibrant rays. As she blinked and sat up, she realized Janus was not lying beside her but had not woken her. Instead, he stood, silently, with his hand touching the rock, palm down on the surface. Kaela stood up and began tending to her own morning rituals, barring those that required water. Once she had completed her ablutions, finished by brushing her ebony hair with the bone comb she had in her tunic, she gently approached Janus, put her hands on his shoulders, and leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Janus's hand slowly lifted off the rock to reveal a small green leaf. Janus turned his head, as Kaela straightened up her upper body. Nodding, Janus silently agreed with Kaela's unspoken suggestion. With the sun becoming higher and higher in the sky, banishing the clouds from the celestial realm, the pair left in a relaxed jog to their home, leaving behind a charred rock, ashes and cinders, and a gift from the forces of nature. Chapter 9 - Dust Clouds Schala sat down in their hut, pausing to catch her breath, from the frenzy of activity. She was now one of the few remaining women in the village, and in order to earn this "privilege", she had to work harder then she ever had before. It was a rather hot day for the season, and sweat beads were accumulating on Schala's brow. She had just finished helping the others fortify the barrier that had been hastily erected across the main gateway to the village. The village would be hard to defend, since it was barely barricaded, and if the enemy used any kind of fire weapons, they were doomed, since the whole settlement was made of organic material. Celin himself had grabbed a stone hoe and helped dig a trench behind the waist-high wall of dirt that encircled the village, a symbol of the village's harmony of the ever-continuing line. Once the trench had been completed, a fully-grown man would be at chest height to the crest of the ridge. From that depth, ranged attacks were masterful, but melee was sheer foolery. Celin's plan was that the defense force would divide into two. A group of melee defenders would sit in the trenches, to make a surprise thrust as the first wave of besiegers came on. The remainder would provide ranged support, each having a quiver of many finely-honed stone-tipped arrows, hidden behind corners and inside huts. Schala prayed that one of two things would result: Janus and Kaela would arrive before they came, for then they could flee to safety, or they would return once the host had either been defeated or had risen victorious, for then their trained senses would alert them to stay away. If the latter, Schala hoped they would arrive after the defeat of their threat, for she would surely die in defeat. Schala shook her head. Thinking like that would not produce any kind of positive result. She reflected, that morbid as it sounds, she would die for this place. Schala loved this small community too much to live with it destroyed. Schala tried to drive all thoughts of the outcome out of her mind, and stood up, ready to help once more with the defense. Schala's hand brushed something solid as it fell to her side. Oh, yes, I nearly forgot, Schala thought. Since this morning, she was armed. She had a bow within reach at all times, often on her back, and she had a stone dagger strapped to her waist. It felt.. evil, to be carrying such weapons. Schala shifted the daggerstrap around on her waist, and lifted the light quiver onto her back, making sure her bow's drawstring was not under the quiver. She strode out, nearly colliding with a running figure. The figure lost its' balance as it swerved to avoid Schala, and tumbled to the ground in a cloud of dust. "Celin!" "Schala, there's trouble!! Our scouts have reported something! Everyone's getting into position! Hurry!", Celin said rapidly, in an urgent state. Schala ran to her post, behind one of the huts, and waited behind cover. Her heart was pounding, not from her sprint, but from the tension that seemed to have instantly permeated the air when she had run into Celin. Schala's mind was racing to match her heart, with two divisions in her thoughts: Battle, and her dearest siblings, whom their location was unknown. The air seemed to have increased in temperature, yet there was no discernible source of heat. Schala unslung her bow from her back and drew an arrow, but did not fletch it. Something deep inside told her that it would not be needed. Her arrow hand fell to her dagger, still holding her arrow, as if the blade was magnetic. Schala replaced her arrow in her quiver, then drew her blade from the sheath. She had never considered her small flint dagger a true weapon, but more a tool that served a utility. Woe to the being who dared change that for her. Suddenly, a crashing noise was heard in the distance. In Schala's vision, over the roof of the hut before her, a tree fell over in the lush canopy that was present in that direction for as long as can be seen. Schala turned, and saw several of the men of the village, including a youth, hiding behind another hut, each with a bow in hand. She paused, and reflected how the scene before her seemed so.. evil.. so unnatural.. She had gotten to know the youth slightly, and the sight of him clasping a weapon with intent to harm made her blood run cold. Was this what they would be reduced to? Chapter 10 - Arrows in the Forest "What was that?!" Janus's cry of alarm was muted by the cacophonous descent of a tree somewhere in the forest. Kaela grabbed Janus's hand and ran towards the edge of the forest, her shaded face a dreadfully grim mask of determination. Mere lengths from the edge of the foliage around her, Kaela froze. She turned and tackled Janus to the moist undergrowth. Moments later, an arrow embedded itself in a tree above their curled bodies. "I guess our signal worked, Janus." Kaela whispered wryly, untangling herself from Janus. "What're we going to do? We're not pinstickers!" Janus began, in panic. He was just shot at by his own people. Kaela gripped his hand and squeezed tightly. "We'll find a way in. Trust me." Kaela whispered softly. She led Janus, crawling away from the arrow's vicinity. Janus stole a glance above the foliage, and thought he saw a flash of familiar blue, but he returned to his earthy altitude lest he attract more bowfire. One arrow at a time is enough. Kaela led Janus around to a shady corner of the forest, completely around to the back of the village. There were armed guards crouched in defensive positions at every point of the village's perimeter. Kaela knew they were there. She had gotten to know Celin slightly, and she knew how he would defend this place. Janus kept on taking a peek above the foliage line, and it annoyed Kaela since she didn't want her friend to gain another hole in his head, so she grabbed his tunic at the shoulder and hauled him down rather hard. With an apologetic tone to take the bite off her actions, she explained rapidly; "Janus, you're going to become a target again if you don't watch out. The villagers are going to shoot at anything that moves. I don't want that to be you. They won't take any chances." Janus nodded, slowly, understanding barely suppressing his desire to see home again, to look for Schala. Oh, but if he only knew for sure that she was all right... Chapter 11 - Clearing of Times Gone By Kaela led him farther into the forest, still crouched and crawling. In what seemed an eternity, aided by the fact that when half-prostrated you cannot cover much ground in any short length of time, they reached a small clearing. Kaela stood and jogged over to the far side of the clearing. Janus recognized this place as the clearing they had spent their final day in the village before going out on watch. Had it only been several nights ago? Kaela had reached the other side of the clearing, and with the agility of a cat, sprang up, latching onto one of the strong branches with her arms and legs. She hung there for a second, then motioned for Janus to come over to where she was. Janus seemed to still be standing on the other side of the clearing, with his head in space. One of the few things that bothered her about her dear friend was his behaviour sometimes during crisis situations. He seemed to have his mind on something else, totally content to let her do all the work. She often took charge, so she shouldn't blame him entirely. She reflected that recently she had automatically taken control of the situation so much that it was almost that Janus didn't do anything without a direct order to act from her. Janus jogged over, as Kaela scaled herself onto the treebranch upright, and then reached up for the one above her. With a bit of a leap she grabbed onto the second branch, which was beginning to enter the dense canopy that was so characteristic of these forests. She repeated her cat-like contortions, so that she was straddling the branch. She approached the trunk, then reached up into a hole in the tree's thick body. As if out of nowhere, she produced Janus's leather sling, and let it drop. Janus caught it in his hands, and it was several moments before he recognized it as his. She then climbed up the trunk, and reached for a high branch. Unhooking it from a near-invisible stump of a branch, Kaela collected her bow and then found her quiver of arrows in the same place. "Janus! Catch! And don't catch these arrows upside down, or else we'll be removing your foot from the grass.", Kaela said, half-joking, to catch Janus's attention. Dropping her bow, she watched it fall and bounce off several branches, Janus's eyes following it intently. At the last second he ducked his head, as it ricocheted off his noggin, onto the ground. "Ow!" Giggling, Kaela decided that she better descend a little before dropping her quiver, since the arrows were sharp and could hurt Janus if they fell upon him. She descended two levels, her nimble toes gripping against the branches for support as her hands guided her body down straight. Janus had recovered from the mishap and was rubbing his head, watching his friend's progress earthwards. She was so nimble and agile, as if she should have lived in the trees all her life, instead of the village that they were currently unable to approach without being shot at. She managed to reach the bottom layer of branches, the quiver slung around her shoulder. Kaela lied down on the branch, slinging the quiver down her shoulder to rest in the crook of her arm, as she gripped the strong branch with all four limbs. Gingerly extending a hand down, she passed Janus the quiver, which he took and handled without incident. As she jumped down to the soft earth, rubbing her hands which had at one time supported her weight as she had to swing back to a branch with her feet, Janus asked something that she was waiting for. "Kaela, why are these here, in the clearing? I thought we left them in the hut..?" "Janus, dear," Kaela began. She could understand why Janus was confused. He had to know that she had put their weapons there, in case of any harm to the village, they would still be accessible. "I stashed them here, without anyone knowing, just before we left." "That's why I disappeared momentarily. If I hadn't, we would still be unarmed and unable to approach the village without having a few of these in places they shouldn't be.", she lifted her quiver for emphasis. Janus nodded, slightly hurt by his friend's stealthy actions but grateful to have something for protection in his hands. "Now, let's get moving. We're going to the village. But we're going to have to wait a while.", Kaela said, as patiently as possible, without losing the imperative meaning of her words. "Wait? Wait for what?", Janus questioned, wondering what his companion had in mind. He wished he could see Schala.. He wished she was here.. Anywhere but.. the village.. Chapter 12 - Where have all the flowers gone? Schala gasped silently as the youth not far from her suddenly grabbed at his bow, drew a quiver, and fired at the foliage. "What happened?!", she asked, startle by the very act of violence in such a seemingly innocent person. "I saw something move in the trees. All of our people are either here in the village or on their way up the mountain. That wasn't a friend." The youth said, almost unsure of what he was saying himself. He adjusted himself a little, as if asserting his courage. All remained silent for a while. The wind rustled the trees, and blew a gentle cold breeze through the village, sending a soothing feeling to the hot, sweating would-be combatants contained inside. Schala gripped her small stone dagger, and prayed that she hoped she would not have to use it. She said a quiet prayer, asking that Gaia protected her siblings from danger, and that they were as far away from here as possible. She was about to open her mouth to speak, when the cry came from the far side of the village, along the perimeter trench. The cry of war came loud and clear over the hot dry air, as the archers around Schala drew their bows, and the row of villagers in the trench before her readied their weapons. Out of the corner of her eye, Schala thought she saw a quick flash of black and blue against the green foliage, but she suppressed the idea, hopeful that those two were as absolutely far away as possible. The enemy host drove forth from the trees, in a concentrated arrow, the air gyrating madly with their chaotic battle cry. The bowmen all around Schala drew and fired, as the enemy came closer. Their numbers began to decline, but in such a slow rate there was no measurable toll. As the first wave of marauders reached the perimeter, they were quite surprised to find armed men spring up and take swings at them. The melee was fast and furious, as each side sustained heavy casualties. Blood of the defense and attack ran freely, mingling together in the dry dirt. The front lines drew back, as the archers began their volley once more, the target area clear of their own people. The command was given to draw back, and the archers fired, in a rear view fashion. Schala ran with them, afraid at the magnitude of the attack and the harsh penalties incurred from it. She stopped behind a hut, with two other villagers. They ran back eve more, and frantically beckoned to Schala to hurry with them. The reason came clear to Schala as she was suddenly cornered by two of the enemy. They drew nearer to her, and she brandished her dagger against them, but their advance was unstoppable. One of the pair raised their weapon, an arched blade of the likes Schala has never seen, above its head, with dark intent. Mere moments later, he was found to have a difficulty processing his plan of action, as there was an arrow lodged in his temple. A stone came from a likewise unknown source and beaned the second right between the eyes, as the first crumpled to the ground. Schala found an opening, and, finding strength where she had never looked before, used her blade to maximum effectiveness and taught the foul thing a lesson in swordplay. "SCHALA!" The cry came from behind her, a familiar one, as she whirled around to see two stopped figures running towards her, ducking the stream of arrows that went almost unnoticed around her. One of the figures had a very recognizable mop of hair that she recalled, making the match in her brain, was the same as her own. "Janus! Kaela!", she cried, and embraced the two children, as they met her, behind the relative insecurity of the hut. Letting go, she suddenly remembered they were in the midst of a battlefield. "We've got to retreat!", she cried, echoing the sentiments in Kaela's eyes. Together once more, the three ran back, signaling to the bowmen to hold their fire until they could seek a safer path that evaded the paths of arrows, into the forest, to regroup. Chapter 13 - Bravery in Council As the remaining force of defenders drew back, the bowmen covering their flanks, a regroupment was staged, deep within the forest. The invaders, in a strange move, did not rout the villagers, but contented themselves with merely capturing the village itself, as if they reasoned that the villagers would not dare strike back with the loss of their home. Bringing up the rear of the retreat, with some of the wounded, were Kaela, Schala, Janus, and Alfador, their family once again complete. Schala was helping the youth that had been across from her at the beginning of the siege to walk, and Janus and Kaela were assisting a wounded man to stagger away from the field of battle, both of them by his side. In a clearing hidden far away into the forest, all remaining defenders reunited, to think of some kind of plan. Celin was the only elder there, and hence the one in charge. All but two of the other elders had left before the siege, to guide the folk that had been taken away from the village before any sort of violence occurred, and, with great grief, they were lost in the initial strike. As Kaela, Janus, and Schala drew up to the assembled group, some of whom sported serious wounds, Celin spoke of plans, and asked if anyone had any ideas. Kaela motioned to Janus to let their charge sit down, did so, and then released her grip. She slowly stepped forward, through the crowd of people, some sitting, some standing, some prone with pain. She paced herself to advance towards the general centre slowly, either for dramatic effect, fear, or to avoid stepping on anyone. "Celin.. I have an idea.." Kaela said, with such softness, yet everyone heard, such was the stillness and silence of the assembled group before Celin's query. The crowd parted around her, to the stump that Celin was standing on. Celin jumped off, landing next to Kaela, and waved her to take the chair, or stump, as it were. Kaela lifted herself onto the stump, and rose to her full stature. She cleared her throat with definite nervousness, aware that every pair of eyes in that crowd were trained on her. "Their leader is their weakest point.. It is there we must strike.." Kaela said, almost a whisper. Janus's blue eyes reflected the courage that he was witnessing, and a brief sparkle of hope twinkled with the sunlight. "They outnumber us heavily.. It is imperative that we strike their heart.. instead of trying to sever their many limbs." Kaela's voice rose in volume to an even tone, inner strength building within her. Kaela's graceful hand lashed out to point at a wounded man near the perimeter of the gathering. "Witness our host's threat! We must not allow ourselves to be reduced to a lifetime of pain and suffering, or a shortly-approaching end entirely! Will you allow those you love to be defeated?! Will you allow all your efforts to live a decent and gentle life to mingle with the fire and filth of our invaders?!", Kaela's voice rose in a sharp crescendo, ending nearly at a shriek. The resounding response shook Kaela's slender frame, nearly causing her to lose balance, but she stood firm; "We must make a strategic strike. If you choose to accept my plan, we shall show our 'guests' the true meaning of fear." Kaela drew everyone close around. "We will surprise them on three fronts. One group will give them what they expect, and want: Direct melee from the forest to the village. One group will attack from the river, at their backs. A final group will possibly be the most effective: Archery. Let us besiege them with a rain of wooden shafts. Janus rose with reluctance, amidst much murmuring. "Kaela..? What about the leader?" "That will be my responsibility." Kaela said, in a voice that bordered either indifferent flatness or passionate restraint. "Kaela?! Alone! You.. that's dangerous!" Janus cried, running to the base of the stump. Kaela jumped down into the small space generated by her friend's approach. "I'm coming with you!" Janus said, a sure tone of panic colouring his voice. From somewhere, Schala rose and joined the pair in the centre. She bent onto one knee behind Janus, and hugged him by his shoulders. "No, Janus.. You're needed elsewhere.." Kaela said, in an effort to blunt the hurt in Janus's eyes.