The Beast and The Brain.

To my surprise Gwen brought Moss. He ran ahead of the horses, his tongue rolled out of his mouth and he kept putting his nose to the earth as he picked up different scents, most of them he followed off the path until a rabbit ran from the bushes. Each time it happened Gwen had to call him back so he wouldn’t runway away and get lost.

There were a few times that Gwen actually had to pull her horse off the path and chase after Moss. When I happened for the third time I leaned on the pommel of my saddle and glanced sideways at J. “This is a waste of time.”

J narrowed her eyes as she gazed into the woods where Gwen had disappeared. “What do you suggest we do about it?”

“Can’t you...I don’t know use your powers and train the dog? He’s such a wimp, what good will he do?”

J’s head drooped to the side and one eyebrow remained raised, “He’s a puppy Asher, yes you’re right. I could use my powers and train the dog so he is perfectly behaved and fearless, but he’s Gwen’s dog. She needs train him how she wants, and besides, I think he’s adorable.”

Moss ran back onto the road, his nose was covered in dirt and his tail whipped back and forth rapidly. Gwen followed shortly, she picked leaved out of her hair while her horse drop his head and nibble on tuffs of grass. “Sorry about that…he was digging after a rabbit.”

I rolled my eyes but J just smiled and looked down at the dog. “It’s fine.”

“I’m sorry he’s slowing us down. I would have left him behind but I’m trying to train him and I don’t get a lot of opportunities like this.”

“I understand.” J patted her side and Moss ran up and jumped on his hind legs. J rubbed the top of his head and I slowly let out a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, clear blue sky and large wispy clouds. I felt an ache in my shoulders, I wanted to let out the Beast and take to the sky. At least then I wouldn’t have any more delays from the dog.

“Let keep moving we’ve a ways to go yet.”

“You’re sure they won’t know about this path?”

We had left the main road a while ago on what looked like a deer trail, only after about three miles it started widening out for the horses to walk. It was obvious that Gwen used this trail often when she didn’t want wandering eyes. “I can’t say for certain, for the past few weeks there have been all sorts of odd people on the roads, mostly armed men. Not all of them are cult branded, but I know they must be working for them. It’s a possibility that they’ve stumbled upon this trail, they have been pretty thorough. But at least this way we are away from the public eyes should we have a confrontation.”

J nodded her head, but I was still curious about something. “What will happen if there is a confrontation? I mean I know what we’ll do. I’ll turn, J will paralyze them or something and your dog will probably hide or run away. But what will you do?”

Gwen glanced over her shoulder at me and I saw J grin out of the corner of my eye. “I’m not much of a fighter I’ll be honest. My specialty is not being seen, and helping others not be seen. I’m only here to get you safely over the border to the Wisdom.”

“So what, can you disappear or something?”

“No, I can steal the light away from a place so you are unable to see anything around you.”

I was getting skeptical. “You can…steal light?” I looked at J but she shrugged her shoulders, but a smirk was tugging at her lips. J put her hope in someone who could steal light? I was starting to wonder if her mind was fully recovered.

“Ok, so what happens when there are other Beasts? I can see just as good at night as I do in the day.”

Gwen shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. I steal the light. There isn’t any of it, so no one will be able to see.”

“I doubt that.”

Gwen’s eyes narrowed and her lips pursed slightly, she was annoyed because I doubted her ability. “Fine since you think your power is so untouchable I shall illustrate.” J tugged back on the reigns of her horse so she was further behind me.

“What are you-“

The world went black.

The world went silent.

I rolled my eyes and let enough of the Beast come to the surface that my eyes changed.
Nothing changed so I rubbed my eyes and focused, but still the world remained black and silent. My heart slowly started to speed up. This blackness was almost so thick that I felt if I reached out I would be able to grab a handful of it. I couldn’t see my own nose; I couldn’t see my hand when I waved it in front of my face. “Hello?” Even my voice didn’t reverberate it seemed to die as soon as it left my lips.

I swallowed. “Ok, you’ve made your point.”

There was no answer. I could still feel the saddle underneath me and the reigns still felt real in my hand but I couldn’t hear striker. Suddenly hands pulled me off the saddle and a soon as they came in contact with my skin the world instantly popped back into existence. The breath left my lungs as my back hit earth and a root dug into my hip. A tip of a knife was pointed at my throat and Moss stood by growling at me without conviction.

Gwen was holding the knife. She was smirking and I could hear J choking back a laugh. “Convinced?”

“Maybe.”

Gwen nodded her head and offered me her hand. Moss was already sniffing around investigating smells. “Don’t make the mistake of doubting my powers, or any other power for that matter. Just because you are a Beast, just because J is a Brain, that doesn’t make the two of indestructible. The worst mistake you can make is underestimating your opponent’s powers, no matter how insignificant they seem.”

I nodded my head and she got back onto her horse and led the way, J followed behind her. I mounted striker and followed after them. “Women.” I muttered under my breath.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“You always do manage to get me into the worst situations J. I swear it’s a gift.” Gwen sighed and Moss pushed his nose to her cheek to make sure she was alright.
“Thank you Gwen.” J said almost proudly.

We were lying on our stomachs under a very thick, leafy, and thorny bush. Our horses had been left a few miles back, away from where someone could stumble upon them. Moss, surprisingly, was as silent as a ghost when he needed to be. We were only a few miles away from the where the Wisdom lived. Just as J suspected, the border of the Wisdom’s land was swarming with Hunters from the Cult.

J closed her eyes and when she opened them I felt an almost electrical buzz in the air. I looked at J and saw that she was watching the men closely. When I looked at them I saw them differently than I had before. Colors rolled off them like when I use my powers as a Beast. Some even looked alive with electricity, on top of that it was as if I could smell their emotions. I breathed deep through my nose and let all of it in, nothing like this had ever happened before, and I wondered briefly if my powers were strengthening or if J was just messing with my head.

Most of the men were simply bored, hungry, and tired. A few were wishfully thinking of female company, and one or two were actually taking their job seriously. I looked at J, and surprisingly colors were rolling off of her as well. So my powers must be strengthening then, because if J was messing with my head she wouldn’t let me see her like this.

J was focused on the Hunters. She was trying to see what would be the best way to proceed. Yet all I could look at and think about was her. Her color was light green, just like it had been when I tracked her in what felt like forever ago. Yet, underneath that, were other colors, not just her scent but I could smell, and almost feel her anxiety. She never showed it, but she was actually nervous.

J glanced at me and just like that it was gone. The colors disappeared and everything was back to normal. “Are your eyes stuck?” she hissed.

“Don’t be nervous.”

J raised an eyebrow. “Why on earth would I be nervous?”

“I don’t know…”

“If we are going to go, we better do it now J.” Gwen whispered and Moss flicked his ear as if to agree with her. J and I both looked up, the guards had walked away, leaving a large gap in their ranks.

“Is it a trick?” I asked.

J shook her head, “I don’t think they know we’re here. We just got lucky, Gwen you’re up.” Gwen nodded her head and signaled something to moss he dashed silently forward and disappeared without a sound. None of the Hunters even saw him.

“Alright, J you grab my shoulder, Asher you grab J’s shoulder and don’t let go. You’re bringing up the rear and if I tell you to do something you do it. We move when I say.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t say anything. J grabbed onto Gwen’s right shoulder with her left hand and I went to grab J’s shoulder, but when I did J’s right hand gripped my hand instead, and I gripped it back without hesitation. I would analyze the situation later, right now I was focusing on not getting caught and killed.

“Move!” Gwen hissed and all of us jumped to our feet at the same time I bolted forward. Gwen was in the lead, followed closely by J, then me still gripping tightly onto J’s hand. As soon as we were on our feet the world went black, only this time, it was as if we were in our own little bubble. The blackness closed around us like a fog, but it never touched out bodies, but beyond Gwen, J, and I there was nothing. How could Gwen know where we were going if we couldn’t see in front of us?

Everything was silent, dark, and it made me uneasy. How did J know Gwen wasn’t a traitor? She could just lead us in a circle while the Hunters closed in on us. We were easy prey like this. J gripped my hand tighter, as if she knew I had the urge to let go at make sure we weren’t being betrayed.

Our feet continued to eat up the ground underneath us, every once in a while a low branch would swoop out of nowhere and nick my check. I swore multiple times but it seemed that J didn’t notice or didn’t care, she was looking straight ahead. Gwen didn’t have any hesitations about where she was going, and I suddenly wondered if he powers allowed her to see around her while everyone else stumbled around in darkness, it made sense we were connected by touching Gwen.

Finally after some time Gwen stopped, we were all breathing heavily. J didn’t let go of Gwen and I didn’t let go of J’s hand. We all stood still while Gwen caught her breath and looked around. To me it seemed she was simple watching the darkness, but the way her eyes darted back and forth I knew she could see perfectly fine. After a few minutes she finally seemed content. “Alright, we’re clear.” Then just like that, we were surrounded by woods and moonlight and the sounds of distant shouts and birds singing.

J let go of Gwen’s shoulder and and her grip loosened in my hand, but I held on. She turned around, looked at our hands then looked me in the eyes. Actually she glared at me, like she was offended that we were touching. I would have reminded her that she grabbed my hand, but I didn’t think it was good timing. So I cleared my throat and dropped her hand. J turned around, “Are we over the boarder?”

“By at least a half mile, we better keep moving though. They might try to push the boundary, I don’t care how long the Wisdom has been neutral, they’ve never wanted anyone as bad as they want you.”

“I agree, we keep moving…are you sure you’ll be alright on your own?”

I raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be fine.” Gwen replied and just then Moss popped out of the woods like a silent predator. I was impressed that he could switch between fearful dog to stealthy guard in a moment.

“The money is in my horses’ saddle bag, all of it. Take care of the horses, and if you don’t see us in a year, release them.” Gwen nodded her head.

“I’m confused.” I said plainly.

“Gwen isn’t going any further. The deal was to get us over the border, and she’s done that. We go on alone and she crosses back over by herself.”

“But how will we cross back over the boarder without her help.”

“We’ll be fine; you better go Gwen, before they wise up.”

Gwen nodded her head and held onto Moss’s collar. “Good luck to the both of you.” And then, they disappeared. There was nothing but black fog in front of me and as I watched it began to slowly go back the way we came from. We were silent a moment as we watched the black move through the woods.

“Yea know…she’s pretty awesome.”

J glanced at me sideways then shrugged. “Yes, I suppose she is isn’t she?”