Leurheart II (Chapter 5)
#4 of Leurheart II
Chapter 5: Another Journey Begins
We had to travel in the rainforest as long as we could. Raynald explained that it might be dangerous to be too much out on the open.
We were currently travelling at the plains between the edge of the rainforest and the mountains and it was probably the most risky part of the whole journey. We would've been like sitting ducks if someone found us.
Thankfully, we found a place that was well hidden and out of sight.
The hills were just high enough, and there were some rocks covering the view too. The sky was the only place where someone could've seen us before us noticing.
We were all sitting quietly beside the campfire. Blaine and I sat next to each other and Dylan was sitting on the other side of the fire.
Raynald had gone to get some water from a nearby brook and Jaze was on the ground under the shade of a tree.
Dylan was looking at Blaine and me curiously and it started to bug me after a while.
"Why are you looking at us like that?" I asked and blinked.
"Uh, nothing... Just pondering something."
"What's that?" I said tilting my head.
"Well uh... You two, you're really a couple aren't you?"
Blaine and I glanced at eachoter in confusion.
"Yes, we are. What about it?" Blaine said still looking at me.
Dylan rubbed the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly.
"Oh, nothing... I was just wondering what it's like between you two."
"Huh?" I huffed in amusement.
"You know... *mumble mumble* You ever done that?" Dylan said and rose an eyebrow while grinning again.
"W-WHA-?!" I exclaimed but blushed furiously. I covered my face with my right hand and turned to look away still as red as a tomato. I had a tough time holding in my laughter.
"So you HAVE!" Dylan yelled and laughed.
"What? What is it?" Blaine said still looking confused.
I moved in closer and whispered it to his ear.
His ears suddenly flopped back and his eyes widened.
"Wh- what!?"
Dylan wiped some tears from the corner of his eye and took a deep breath when he stopped laughing.
"Sooo~ What was it like then?" He asked again and leaned in closer.
"You really should start minding your own business..." Blaine said still embarassed.
"Hey now, it's just a question. You don't have to anwser." Dylan said and rose his hands up.
"Well-" We heared Jazes amused voice from under the tree.
"Ever since Blaine was little, he has always had some problems 'fitting in'..."
Dylan suddenlu burst in laughter and fell on his back on the ground.
"WHAT YOU SAY!!!??" Blaine roared and jumped up holding his fist up.
"Geeze, calm down. I was just implying that you have a big dick, now what's wrong with that?" Jaze said and grinned widely again.
"Why you!" Blaine growled again.
I was simply way too embarassed and shocked to say anything. So I just settled on shaking my head and trying not to laugh.
"You shouldn't make such loud noise." Raynald said when he stepped in our view from behind a rock.
"Sound travels far on these plains, even with the rocks in the way."
Everyone quieted down and turned to stare at the fire. Raynald was right. This was a serious matter, and we couldn't risk getting caught.
"So, how much longer until we reach the mountains?" I asked carefully and looked at Raynald.
He tought for a while and lowered his head.
"I'd say it'll take about a day, maybe more." He said plainly.
I sighed and lowered my head too.
"Don't worry. We'll get there, and we will find the wolves." Blaine said reassuringly.
I just nodded.
"Alright, we'll find them..." I said quietly.
"There should be a steep path leading up the mountain side, and a cave we have to pass trough." Raynald said and drew a path on the ground with a stick.
"A cave?" Dylan asked and blinked.
Raynald nodded slightly.
"There's a cave that leads straight trough the mountain, although I've never been there before..." He said quietly.
"I've been wondering something, Raynald." I said still looking at the dancing flames of the campfire.
"What's that?"
"How can Cassandra be so powerful? I mean, you're all powerful mages, aren't you? So what makes her so powerful that she could defeat all of you?"
Raynald lowered his head and sighed.
"Well, like I had told you before. Cassandra used to be a minstrel too, just like you are now. She was extremely good at it too, and a fast learner according to Rildel. But as she later on became addicted to power, she began practicing dark magic and element bending. However, her skills as a powerful minstrel also remained, and she somehow found a way to use her minstrel talents in her dark and manipulative forms of magic too. So, she can freely transfer the power of her will and feeling into her spells. Just like you do."
I frowned and tought for a while. If someone were to use the same level of magic as Raynald and Rildel, and be able to enhance it with will power like minstrels... The results would indeed be devastating.
"So why can't you do the same things as she does? Try learning the minstrel arts?"
Raynald smirked a little.
"There are few people who can... I was amazed to hear that you are infact a minstrel. That ability is ultimately rare these days."
"So could I learn the type of magic you use then?" I asked again.
"Well, you could. And the results would be the same as with Cassandra, but learning spells and magic of this level takes a lot of time and effort. Not just a day or a week. Maybe years."
"I see..." I said a little dissapointed. There was no way around it then.
I stood up and turned to look at Raynald.
"Is it ok if I go and walk around for a bit?" I asked.
Raynald just nodded slightly.
"Just don't wander too far off. And keep a look out for anything suspicious." He said.
"Alright, I will." I said and walked out of the campsite.
The camp was indeed well hidden, and as I left it, I couldn't see the others or the fire at all.
I smiled a little as I saw someone stepping out of camp too. It was Blaine.
"Mind if I join you?" He asked and smiled when he reached me.
"Not at all." I said and held his arm.
"Let's go over there, I bet the scenery's great." Blaine said and pointed towards a rock standing on top of a hill a short distance away.
I climbed on the rock and Blaine sat down next to me. The sky was still dark, and some of the brightest stars were still shining in the sky. There were no clouds whatsoever.
I took in a deep breath of fresh air as the slight breeze went past us, making the grass beneath us sway slightly. I lowered my head and sighed.
Blaine looked at me and tilted his head.
"Is something worrying you...?" He asked and gently wrapped his arm around me.
"It's just..."
"Just what?"
I turned my head and bit my lip.
"I'm afraid... That I might lose you again. With all this commotion and-" I said but Blaine interrupted me and pressed his finger against my lips.
He turned me around and looked into my eyes.
"I promise you. I'm not going to leave you. I will climb straight up from hell if I have to." He said firmly.
I pressed my head against his chest and smiled. He wrapped both of his arms around me and embraced me softly.
"I won't let it happen again. As dangerous as all this may seem." He said quietly.
The horizon began to change it's color, from dark to bright orange. The sun slowly began to rise.
"The sunrise." I said and turned to look towards the rising golden sphere.
As it made its way to the sky and the first rays of light hit us they made Blaine's mane shine like gold when it swayed in the wind slowly. A tear rolled down my cheek and I sobbed slightly.
"What's wrong?" Blaine asked and held my shoulders.
"No it's nothing." I said and smiled while drying my tears with my arm.
"It's just that I've never been as happy as I am with you."
Blaine slowly pulled in and kissed me.
"Together we can find and end to all of this." He said when we broke the kiss.
"Hey you two love birds! We have to move on now!" we suddenly heared Jaze shouting at camp and Raynald's complaining about the noise right after.
Blaine and I looked at each other and I sighed.
"I guess we should go then..." I said and Blaine nodded.
I jumped down from the rock but before I could do anything Blaine already caught me and lifted me onto his shoulders. He began running downhill as fast as he could.
"You know I'll be as fat as a hippo pretty soon if you don't let me walk by my self every once in a while." I laughed.
Blaine just grinned without slowing down.
Whatever may lie ahead, we could overcome it, together.