Blessings of Faith Pt. 01

The Silver Wolves had a number of emergency plans prepared for when a situation went tits up. The emergency retreat Austin had enacted was the immediate gathering and then dispersal of all Wolves in different directions. One whistle was an emergency disengagement where everyone needed to gather, and three whistles meant immediate dispersal. Their meetup locations were set between several previously utilized locations in the area. In this instance, the nearest location would take a full day's hard ride to get to, and everyone needed to ride several hours away from the initial point of dispersion to shake pursuit before heading toward the meetup location.

It had always amazed Miles that Austin could think of all these things in advance, but that was why he was the leader. He was always thinking ahead, planning for the worst, and hoping for the best. Miles looked at himself in comparison, not even able to keep one person safe.

Miles slowed down the horse, and it shook its head gratefully. The forest at this point was almost indistinguishable in any direction, so Miles searched for a spot where they could make camp. He eventually found an old dead tree that was largely hollowed out, but still stood, dry and firm. It was almost six feet across, and there was enough space to sit comfortably.

He brought Helena down gently and set her in the hollow, checking her pulse and breathing. She appeared to simply be sleeping, but Miles feared that it wasn't the case. Whatever she had done, by magic or faith, had hurt her deeply, and she needed to heal. He brushed her golden hair from her face. He tried to make her as comfortable as he could before turning his attention to making a camp.

The horses had minimal gear, but Austin had made sure to stock the basics so that in the case of an emergency, they would have enough tools to survive the night. He pulled out a tarp and affixed it overhead to provide some cover should the rain start. He didn't want to risk starting a fire, as it could be easily seen, and while the attackers didn't seem to have any horses left, he didn't want to chance it. He had some water and rations on the horse as well, but he wanted to use that sparingly as there were two here and it was only meant for one.

He only took a sip of his canteen and nibbled on some jerky he had on him, and then climbed into the hollowed-out tree with Helena. He held her gently, propping her up on him, so that her head was resting on his shoulder comfortably, and they could keep each other warm. He looked at her calm face and regretted bringing her. If he hadn't, she would never have been hurt.

He sat, holding her close, hearing her breathing. He thought about the attack, about everything that had gone wrong. When he thought about the blasts of fire though, his memory of it seemed to waffle between Helena being there, and not being there. He was sure she was there though. He looked over to check that she was there. If she's there, then it did happen. But why did he recall an explosion tearing through the Wolves? He saw Austin hit by the fire. He watched Harun collapse, trying to cover Helen. He remembered riding off with Celeste.

His memories seemed jumbled up, perhaps from the adrenaline wearing off and the exhaustion catching up to him. Miles looked again at Helena, and reminded himself that she was here, and if she was here, then she was there at the attack. He repeated this to himself over and over again, even when the scar on his chest hurt, he would just rub it and keep repeating it. She was here. She was definitely here.

***

Drovan Ilyich spun the little brass cylinder in his hand. It was no longer than any of his fingers, and as wide as his pinky. The parchment on it had burned after it had been used in the forest. Such a troublesome thing. He looked up as the doors opened to the study. Edris, his aide, had just entered and bowed.

"The operation has been completed sir. All known affiliate locations and caravans have been searched, and there is no sign of the jewelry piece. All targets killed themselves or died resisting rather than provide intel. We currently have 13 guard prisoners, with only the Silver Wolves and the priestess remaining at large."

Drovan sat back in his chair "Has any progress been made with the search?"

"Progress has stalled due to nightfall, but we have seven different paths that are being traced currently. It is unclear where they are headed, but we suspect it is to the North." Edris produced an item in his hands, "This was found at the site of the forest attack." He placed the short brand with a swirling pattern on the desk.

Drovan looked at it for a moment, "And you think someone was branded?"

Edris nodded, "There is a strong possibility. It was found amongst the bodies, so it appeared to have been used. It will take some time for it to take hold, but then we'll be able to track it."

Drovan nodded, "They definitely have it." He held up the cylinder, "No one would prepare this unless they had something precious to protect. And a priestess of devotion?" He groaned, "They may already suspect something."

Drovan looked at Edris again, "Make sure you get rid of them. All of them. I don't want any more involvement from their temple." He glared to make his point, "And bring me the artifact."

"Of course, sir. I will see to it." Edris bowed and then left.

Drovan looked at the cylinder again, then flicked it across the room irritably, rubbing his forehead. "Fuck."

***

Miles awoke just before dawn, feeling a weight on him. He looked over to see Helena asleep, propped up against him, hand on his chest, on his heart. It took him a moment to remember what had happened. It was clearer now than it was yesterday. Helena had blocked the massive blasts of fire by herself, she had saved them all.

He hesitantly reached over with his hand and felt her cheek. She felt warm, but no fever. She was breathing evenly. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Helena suddenly adjusted her head on his shoulder, and he felt her hand move on his chest.

"Helena, are you awake? Are you alright?"

She moaned a little before slowly opening her blue eyes and smiling at him through partially hooded eyes. "It's peaceful like this." She closed her eyes again, breathing deeply. "Its warm, and it feels like, home."

A crushing weight was lifted from Miles. She was okay. He hadn't gotten her killed. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that." He laughed, "Well, not that specifically, but just that you're awake. I was afraid that you would die."

She looked up at him again, the somewhat sleepy look still on her face. "It's okay to be afraid Miles. I was afraid for you too."

The brief moment of joy fell from his face, as their situation came back to him. "But you weren't the one that almost killed me. I'm the reason this happened to you. I should have never let you come with us."

"It's alright Miles. I would have just come anyway. And I'll always protect you."

He sighed; he didn't really know what to say. He checked her again, she was back to resting her eyes. "But you're okay? You aren't hurt?"

She shook her head against his shoulders "I was just tired. But you made me feel better."

If he didn't know better, he'd swear she was drunk. "We should probably head out soon. We need to meet up with the others and figure out what's going on."

She groaned in protest as he tried to get up. "Just a little more. Pleases?"

He hesitated; this was the weirdest change in personality he'd seen since, well, since Celeste had mauled him that one night. "Um, okay, but just a minute."

She smiled and snuggled into him, "Okay."

***

Miles had extricated himself and Helena from the stump after another minute of her cuddling and cooing. He gave her some privacy as he struck camp and pulled out some food. He offered her some of the fruit, which she gratefully took and then drank some of his water. He rationed what he could before trying to make a cushion with his cloak and tarp for a second rider.

For her part, Helena seemed to be back to her normal self by the time they finished preparing. Miles had asked her if she was feeling alright again, but she insisted that she was fine. He hesitantly brought up the morning snuggling, but she just seemed to recall it fondly, saying that she was at peace in his arms. She didn't seem to think anything odd of it, which really just confused Miles more.

They struck camp and mounted up. She suggested he ride in the front as he may need to control the horse while they rush through the forest. He agreed and hoped the makeshift cushion was alright for her. Even if it wasn't, she didn't say anything.

They rode through the forest northward, setting a good pace and taking breaks every hour or so. While she wasn't complaining, she was walking a bit funny after the breaks. It was difficult to talk while they were riding as he could hear her as she spoke into his ear, but he practically had to shout back to her for her to hear him.

"Helena, how did you stop that mage?" Miles asked, during one of their stops. He knew vaguely about magic, but like the vast majority of people, couldn't sense or utilize it.

Helena seemed to consider how to answer it, "Well, it's somewhat difficult to say. Mages warp the natural elements, binding them with magic and unleashing them. That's not something faith can do." She sat down on the grass, hugging her knees as she continued. "Usually our faith connects us, but it can also be used to protect us from external influences. Often this is simply a way of keeping our believers connected to the Lady and not allowing the other gods to interfere. Magic is a similar external force, but is fundamentally different, which is why there are such violent interactions between the two."

Miles passed her the canteen as he sat beside her. "When the mage threw those fireballs, did you use your faith to block it?"

Helena took a sip and shook her head, "It's not a matter of blocking, but rather expelling the external influence. I can only remove their interference, but the natural elements still remain. The reason for the explosions was the two forces colliding, magic and faith."

"But you seemed shaken after that, and the mage kept attacking. Is magic stronger than faith?"

She sighed, "It's not about strength, but more of how it is used. The mages can manipulate it and then let it go, almost paying it no heed once it's been formed. If it is unmade, it barely affects them. Faith used to expel an external force is active and takes enormous strength to maintain. But for us to be connected to one another and the Lady, this is passive and barely requires a single thought."

"But you mentioned using it against influence from the other gods as well. Wouldn't that be active and difficult to manage?"

She smiled a little, "Quite the opposite. It would be active to force your faith into someone else's and require a huge number of priests for the gods to be able to exert any amount of strength on other's believers. For those resisting, it would be like standing before a gentle breeze because we are all connected and draw strength passively from each other. Perhaps if that breeze could become a howling storm, it would require more active defense, but the resources necessary to bring that amount of strength to bear would seem unwisely spent in such an endeavor."

Miles sat in contemplation, digesting what Helena had just told him. He looked at her guiltily again, "It hurt you, didn't it? Expelling that magic?"

She placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, "Don't feel guilty, I placed myself there." She smiled at him, "And it didn't hurt, it just exhausted me." Miles wasn't sure if he really believed that, having seen her face turn ashen after the first blast.

"Please don't do that again," he asked quietly, "I don't think I could live with myself if I put you in that kind of danger again."

She leaned her head gently on his shoulder, "I don't know if I can promise that. But I will try." That answer didn't make him feel much better.

They resumed their travels, trying to have the occasional conversation while riding. She told him about her childhood and growing up in the temple, but as the day wore on, she grew tired and just rested against him, holding him tight around the waist and occasionally humming something.

By the time they arrived in the correct area, it was already afternoon. They had transitioned into grasslands for a while before heading back into a sparser forest. Miles slowed down as he knew the general area but wasn't positive exactly where the camp had been. As it turned out, he needn't have worried about it as he was found by Helen.

Helen led them through a few thickets before coming to a larger camp site. Allen and Harun were already there, getting a fire going and constructing some makeshift tents. They embraced each other happily, glad to see that everyone was unharmed. They had no way of knowing when the others would arrive, so they planned to stay until the following afternoon and then set off for the next nearest gathering location, hoping that any stragglers would know where to go.

They didn't have much in the way of supplies, so Helen and Miles headed out to find some game. Allen took care of the water, bringing back several pots of it to boil over the fire. Harun stayed on lookout at the camp for anyone else coming in while Helena helped gather fuel and looked after the fire.

By the time Miles and Helen returned with some rabbits and vegetables, Samir and Celeste had returned. Miles wrapped her up in a warm embrace and held her for a while.

Samir offered the two saddlebags he had grabbed from the caravan, which contained a lot of the camp necessities like cooking supplies and food. They hoped that Austin would return with more supplies, but they made do with what they had. They talked through what had happened, but Samir was mostly quiet, indicating that they should wait for Austin for a full debrief.

***

Miles sat next to Celeste by the fire, having just finished some grilled rabbit. He chuckled, "Pretty crazy, right? I never thought I'd ever see a mage. Especially not one shooting at me."

"Yeah, I'll be happy to never see one again" she groaned, leaning back on her hands and looking up at the darkening skies. "Sometimes I wonder about this life" she contemplated, seeing the first of the stars shining. "Wouldn't it be nice to, I don't know, run a bakery or have a farm?"

Miles turned an arched brow to her, "When was the last time you ever made bread?"

"I could learn" she shrugged.

"And that would be enough for you?" He was actually curious if she was being serious now.

Her lips pursed in consideration. "Maybe?" she looked back at him unsurely. "Would that be something you want?"

Miles looked at his feet, considering it. "I really hadn't thought about it, I always wanted adventure and to see the world, but I guess" Miles stopped abruptly, seeing an impish grin on her face out of the corner of his eye. "You're fucking with me again."

"No, I'm totally serious." Her smile belied those words.

"You would absolutely lose your shit with the first customer and kill them."

She chuckled, "Yeah, and then we'd have to flee the town. Probably kill a few guards on the way."

"Then we'd just be back here, hiding in the forest." Miles lay back on the ground, folding his hands behind his head.

She sighed, "Yeah, seems like a lot of work just to be back here." She tapped her feet idly on the ground. "I'm glad you're alive."

Miles sat up again, putting an arm around her. "I'm glad you made it as well."

She lay her head on his shoulder, "You can't die anytime soon, okay? I just started to remember your name."

"I'll do my best." They sat there for a while, looking into the fire.

They had all hoped that Austin would arrive today, but as the sun had set, they thought it unlikely that he would come before tomorrow. Watch was determined by drawing lots, which was just a collection of short twigs of various lengths that Helen held in her hand. Allen drew first watch, Celeste second, and Harun third. Helena had been exempted from the process.

Celeste approached Helena after the lots were drawn, "Priestess?"

"Helena" Helena corrected.

"Priestess Helena" Celeste began again.

"Just Helena" She chided again.

Celeste hesitated and then continued, "Helena, it will get cold tonight, and while we have the cloaks, it would still be a bit uncomfortable for you to sleep alone."

Helena smiled at the consideration, "I'll be alright Celeste, it's not my first time roughing it on the trail."

Celeste still fidgeted, "But, we have some room, and it would be more comfortable for you. You could sleep next to me. It would be infinitely better than sleeping alone."

Helena glanced at the tent that Miles had set up. It was enough for three people, though perhaps a bit tight, and it would be better than her current spot under the tree. "I suppose it would be warmer," she admitted. "It's not an imposition, is it?"

Celeste shook her head, "Of course not. Please, I insist."

Helena gently smiled and nodded her head in thanks. Celeste led her back to the tent, where she pushed Miles unceremoniously to the right to a grunt of protest. Helena lay down on the left with her cloak draped over her while Celeste cuddled into Miles' arms and fell fast asleep.

***

Miles awoke at dawn, having had a far better night's sleep than last night. What he did notice though, was that on his right arm was no longer Celeste, but Helena, whose face was resting on his chest, her right hand reaching across him to rest on his heart. This was disconcerting enough, but he realized there was another weight on his other arm. His eyes glanced over and caught two emerald eyes staring at him. He glanced away quickly, and then glanced back as they continued to stare at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but she pinched his mouth shut. He was having flashbacks of that time in Crownhaven. Her eyes weren't mad, they weren't glaring, but they were starting to get a little crazy.

Celeste removed her fingers from her mouth, and settled her head on his shoulder, mouth dangerously close to his ear. She didn't say anything though, just breathed deeply and settled there. He could see from the corner of his eye though that she was still staring at him, and he began to involuntarily shake a bit. She quietly shushed him, which honestly just made it worse.

What seemed like hours passed by, though it was likely only minutes, and Helena gave a little moan as she woke up. She slowly opened her eyes to see Celeste smiling somewhat tensely at her.

"Good morning." Helena yawned unworriedly into his chest, rubbing her cheek against him. Her hand playing over his heart, right next to Celeste's face. "It's so peaceful here."

Celeste's eyes shot to Miles' questioningly. He just shook his head and shrugged, having no real answer for what was going on with her.

"I can see why you love it so much." She sighed resignedly, and slowly sat up, stretching languidly. She smiled back at them, her eyes hooded in contented bliss, "Thank you for letting me sleep here. I'll go freshen up." And then she left, leaving a very worried Miles stealing glances at Celeste, who was still staring at him.

Miles tried to speak again, but she silenced him with a finger over his lips, and slowly rose to lay on top of him, gently placing her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She lay there for a moment, and then began to slide down his body, reaching his pants, where she slowly opened them.

Miles didn't move at all as she exposed him to the cool morning air, but groaned when he suddenly felt her warm mouth on him. It wasn't aggressive, like he thought it would be, but instead soft and gentle. She took her time, slowly twirling her tongue and gently bobbing her head. He lay there, amazed at the sensation and her gentle ministrations. When she felt him begin to twitch, she simply continued until he throbbed in her mouth, and she swallowed softly. He breathed hard while she languidly ran her tongue over him and pulled her mouth from him.