Chapter 4

　　The Raven

　　In Agamori’s hand, he grasped the leather and wood sheath housing the gift his father had made for his newest guardsman. “This is a bastard sword. It’s long enough to keep your enemy at a distance and short enough to be worked with ease in battle. This blade is to be your shadow now. It is part of you, like your arm or your leg.”

　　Presenting the newly forged steel to Daniel, Agamori unsheathed the sword and showed him the spell inscribed on the broadside. “This is Elven steel. There is no better metal for a sword, I assure you. It is blessed with the spell of glory, and through this enchantment, you will conquer all that stands against you. Father does not give a gift like this haphazardly, Daniel. This is a rare offering, and I hope you appreciate what that means.”

　　Daniel nodded his head at the elder warlock. “I do.”

　　Nicholas took Daniel under his wing over the last few months and treated him as one of his own. For the first time in his life, Daniel felt like he was part of something special and that he was loved.

　　As he wrapped his fingers around the hilt, a surge rushed through his veins, and Daniel shuddered as his hand found a new purpose.

　　He’d never used a sword before, but the weapon felt right in his hand as he swung it around in a figure-eight motion in front of him, then around his head. When he balanced it in the palm of his hand, Daniel nodded while he studied every curve and line of the only gift he had ever received from anyone. “I like the way it feels.”

　　The ancient Agamori smiled at him, impressed with how he already handled his blade. Daniel didn’t yet know much about sword fighting, but he was about to get a crash course in sparring from the battle seasoned warlock.

　　They circled each other in the clearing in the woods outside the city, and Agamori grinned his tight-lipped, superior smile before lunging forward with an overhand strike. Daniel instinctively blocked and spun away with the grace of a world-class ballet dancer performing their most perfect move.

　　Agamori pushed out his lips and nodded as he prepared for the next blow. “Well done. That’s a good start, but let’s find out what else you have in you.” With a step backward, Agamori spun around and lunged his sword toward Daniel’s chest.

　　Daniel deflected the blade with the new extension of his arm as the sword tangled with Agamori’s, and they stood face to face. A devious grin curled up on Daniel’s lips, and he quickly landed a sidekick to the ancient wizard’s gut.

　　The old man stumbled backward and tried to regain footing as he wagged his finger at the young man. “You tricky, tricky witch. If that’s how you want to play, I won’t take it easy on you anymore.”

　　Moving and spinning and striking their way across the meadow surrounded by the grass and trees of the world beyond the gates’ safety, Daniel and Agamori sparred under the warm Autumn sun. As the fading light flashed against their blades, beams of blinding colors pinged across the surrounding land.

　　When they finally had their fill of the thrill of fighting, the men slumped down breathless by the creekside and recovered. Daniel licked his lips and glanced at Agamori as he whittled a piece of wood with his knife. “The woman from my vision. Who is she?”

　　Agamori smiled to himself because he didn’t figure it would be long before Daniel asked again, and he supposed he’d suffered enough. “She’s my sister. The youngest of all Father’s children.”

　　Daniel wiped his mouth with his hand. From the way everyone avoided answering questions about her all this time, he feared he had already missed his chance to help her. “What’s her name?”

　　A tuft of white hair sprang up from his face as Agamori blew it away, then dropped his bit of wood to the ground and faced Daniel. She may be a grown woman now with her own ideas about life, but she was still his little sister, and he didn’t like a man asking him questions about her.

　　“Rosemary.” A bony, pale finger pointed at Daniel’s chest as Agamori narrowed his eyes. “Lady Rosemary to you.”

　　The wind blew through his hair, and the flowers in the meadow brought back the memory of her scent. He rubbed at the ache in his chest and whispered out her name. “Rosemary.” He blinked back at his new brother and pulled a piece of tall grass from its root. “Where is she?”

　　Agamori could sense the icy shell surrounding Daniel begin to melt, and he smirked a sympathetic grin. “She’s studying healing on Earth. Time moves differently there, but she’s been gone about a year now in our time. Too long for my liking.”

　　Breathing deeply for the first time since he saw her sweet face, a shiver traveled down his nerves, making him rub his hands up and down his arms. “What’s she like?”

　　“What’s she like?” While he tried to compress someone as wonderful as Rosemary into a few words, Agamori blinked away and shrugged his shoulders. “She’s just beautiful in every way. She’s got the loveliest way about her, and she’s always kind. Always smiling. Just the purest kind of soul.”

　　The breeze shifted the grass across the meadow in waves like the water Daniel stood by every night before going to sleep, and he smiled at its beauty. “I knew she would be.” He moved his hand to his chest and felt his heart race, knowing he would no longer exist at all if it weren’t for her. “She saved me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Rosemary.”

　　Huffing out through his nose at the young man’s admission, Agamori poked at the dirt with his knife as Daniel looked at him. “When I was ready to die. When I gave up and was ready to let my Master take me, she came to me. She asked me to save her. That’s why I stepped into that portal and came here.”

　　Agamori pushed his white hair off his shoulder and nodded as a soft sigh left his nose. “Did you tell father?”

　　Daniel did his best not to question an Elder like Nicholas or the plans the Fates had for him, but the nagging feeling she was in trouble ate at him. She was constantly on his mind. “Yes, but he didn’t seem concerned. I mean, he can look into the future, right? He would know if she was in danger.”

　　A smirk crossed Agamori’s face as he slid his knife through the soft wood. “Just because he can see the future from time to time doesn’t mean he can change it or that he’s even supposed to. The Fates allow him to see things to be aware of the disturbances in our world, good or bad. They don’t want their choices altered because a balance of power must be maintained. If he were to go running to his children every time he felt a shift, I’m sure he’d be exhausted in no time, and it would change nothing. Some things are out of our hands, and we must trust that it is for the best.”

　　The sinking feeling started in Daniel’s chest as his fears about Rosemary took him over again. “So, he will do nothing at all? He’ll just let whatever is about to happen to her happen?”

　　Clicking his tongue at the implication his father didn’t care about his children’s welfare, Agamori rolled his eyes away. “And do you know when and where this event will occur? Or even what the danger is?”

　　Nicholas was kinder to Daniel than anyone, and he owed him his confidence. He shook his head and sighed in frustration, then tossed the blade of grass he was fidgeting with into the breeze. “No, of course not. I don’t mean to appear ungrateful. I just feel like I was meant to help her, and I don’t want to fail.”

　　After pushing himself up from the ground, Agamori held out his hand to Daniel and helped him stand. “Rosemary is on her own path. It could be tomorrow or a hundred years from now, but we can’t change what’s going to happen or not happen to her. All we can do is be here for her when it does.”

　　His arms wove across his chest, and his nose wrinkled just a bit as Daniel shook his head defiantly. “I don’t accept that, Agi.”

　　Agamori smiled a narrow grin, and a cackle vibrated through his nose when he pushed his hand into Daniel’s shoulder. “I’m glad you found us, brother.”

　　His chin came to a point as his lips pulled together and whistled to summon the horses. When his brown stallion came to his side, Daniel grabbed the saddle horn and kicked his leg over the horse like he’d done it all his life. The more time he spent training the young warrior, Agamori realized Daniel was indeed something special, and Fate must truly have something great in store for him.

　　***

　　Daniel only had Rosemary on his mind, and it kept him sober no matter how much he drank at the evening gathering. The air was warm, but an icy hand kept itself on Daniel’s shoulders, and he knew deep in his soul, wherever she was, she was in danger.

　　A faint wailing swept through the hall, and a sickness rose in Daniel’s stomach as his whole body shivered. When the gentle flaps of Raven’s wings beat against the air, still thick with tonight’s meal, it made one final caw before it landed on Nicholas’ shoulder.

　　With a tremor that everyone noticed, Nicholas raised his hand, and the bird placed the scroll in his fingers, then pulled a piece of meat from his plate and flew away again.

　　It was a small scrap of a note that Nicholas read, but it seemed to take an eternity to process the words on it. Every second that went by made the pounding of Daniel’s heartbeat a little louder in his ears.

　　A horrible look of pain that only a man who truly loved a woman could make took over Nicholas’ face. When he closed his eyes, fat drops of tears spilled down his cheeks, then he sniffed them back and rose to his feet. “Get some sleep, my sons. We ride for the kingdom of Eliphas at first light.”