Mystic

Chapter 12

So excited from last night's adventures, the group was planning their next raid the next day. They scanned the villages near them on Neve's map, deciding where to take their next step.

Neve mentioned a city called Catarion, a few day's ride from here. She said she knew the city quite well, saying her and her parents would visit there during the warmer seasons to stock up on items they couldn't find in the far north. That was enough to convince everyone else that it was the perfect place to raid. With Neve's previous knowledge of the city, they'd be in and out in no time.

Given it had worked so well last time, each member of their group had taken on their previous assignments, prepping in what ways they could to do it faster, better, and still get out alive.

Using what little materials she had found, Taryn had managed to craft a few more explosives. Neve was still teaching Zeph how to sword fight, promising him that if he did well enough in their lessons, he could help Taryn distract the guards. Andre helped however he could, helping Taryn find raw materials in the forest to craft arrows and explosives, teaching Zeph how to wield a sword when Neve was too tired, and cooking dinner for the three of them when everyone else was too exhausted to even stand.

Thankfully though, Andre seemed to be much more awake and present in whatever he was doing, which probably meant Zeph wasn't keeping him up as much at night. Though the kid had a gift, she could only imagine how hard it would be, especially seeing the death of the people you love. And so, she hoped that at least for now, his visions were subsiding, even if for a little while. Then, Andre could get some rest, and Zeph wouldn't have to wake up screaming in the middle of the night.

Taryn was a little ways from camp one day, practicing her archery. She pulled the arrow back, taking a deep breath as she focused on the tree in front of her.

"Hey," Andre's voice said behind her.

Startled, she jumped at his voice, letting go of her arrow as she watched it shoot into the air.

"Next time, can you wait until after I've shot the arrow to talk to me?" She said, turning around to face him.

"If you didn't know I was here, that's on you," He said.

The two laughed and Taryn slid her bow over her shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," He said simply. "Neve and Zeph are off doing their thing, I had finished the last of my jobs, thought I'd go and find you,"

"You want to watch me practice shooting arrows for the rest of the day?"

"Do you have a better idea?" He said.

"Alright," She took her bow back off her shoulder and grabbed one of her arrows, lining it up directly to the tree in front of her.

"So where did you learn archery?"

She let go of the arrow, watching it stick perfectly straight into the bark in front of her. "My-- my father taught me," She said. It felt weird to call him her father. Lucien had always insisted on her, Calinn, and Ophelia calling him by his first name. Any mention that he was their father got him all flustered. Taryn could remember the look on his face perfectly. His cheeks would turn red, his eyes nearly wide open. She would ask what was wrong and he would insist everything was fine. He wouldn't look her, or anyone around them for that matter, in the eyes until they had moved onto a new conversation and he had calmed down.

"Your father, huh?" Andre said, snapping Taryn back to the moment.

"Yeah. He taught me how to use a sword, staff, bow, crossbow, even a mace."

"Impressive, must've been nice being a noble,"

"I mean, I didn't have to worry about where my next meal was coming from, but my family and I... let's just say we don't get along very well. My brother and I hardly even spoke to each other, and I tried to avoid my mother at all cost." She shook her head, wiping some tears from her eyes. "Sorry, I don't usually talk about those kinds of things."