Hours passed, and the sun began to beat relentlessly down on the wanderers. The newcomers suddenly realised why Roy wore that strip of cloth around his forehead!
Craig ripped the sleeves off of his shirt and slid one into his jeans. The other one, he ripped in two lengthwise. "Here," he called, handing it to John.
John smiled his thanks as he wiped his face with it, then tied it around his forehead to catch the sweat and spare his eyes.
As he did the same, Craig looked around. "We've made good time," he observed.
"Agreed," Roy said, crouching and bringing a handful of water up to his mouth. "We've gone several miles. I suggest you two stay here while I find us a place to rest for the night."
"Be careful, Pally," John said solemnly.
"I always am," Roy shot back in kind. "Watch each other's backs while I'm gone." He left them a knife each for protection.
Then Roy was gone, moving swiftly and silently as the cat he now was.
Craig sighed tiredly as he sank onto the carpet of grass. "Oh, my..." he sighed again. "I think, out of everything, seeing him like that is the biggest wrench of all!"
"You mean as much cat as man?" John asked as he got himself some water.
"Mm. That too."
"Don't forget to get something to drink," John warned. "Don't want you to get dehydrated." He smiled to hear that Craig's roll toward the water was accompanied by a put-upon sigh. Maybe this slave-spell thing didn't go as deep as Roy feared. "Well, if it's not his appearance...?"
Craig finished drinking before he replied, "It's not merely his physical appearance. He's...." He fell silent, hand running through his sandy hair, as he groped for the word. Finally, it came to him. "He's harder. Colder. It-it's like his whole life has been keyed only toward survival."
John nodded thoughtfully. "Well, he has been here a lot longer than we have...."
"John? Do you think he'll come home with us?"
"I don't know. All I know for sure, is that if he stays -- I stay, too."
Craig's nod was immediate. "Then I'll stay, too."
"You don't have to do that, Craig."
"I know. I-I want to." He looked into the water and sighed. "Look at my eyes." He blinked the feline-appearing eyes. "Roy said I could wear contact lenses to hide it... b-but I'm just not sure."
John squeezed his shoulder. "You'll be fine. If you want to go back, you go back."
Craig turned to look at him. "But if I leave... who'll take care of you?"
"Roy and I'll take care of each other."
Slowly, the blond head shook. "That's unacceptable. You need me, John. I can take care of you much more efficiently th--" He blinked, spluttering to a halt. Softly, he whispered, "J-John?"
"...Yeah?"
"...I-it's getting worse, isn't it?"
John looked into the stricken eyes. Craig had always prided himself on being stoic, on distancing himself from his emotions.
But now, everything he was feeling was plain on his face for the world to see. John held his eyes and said softly, "Yeah, it looks like it is."
Craig's slit-pupiled eyes closed convulsively and his hands flew to cover his face. John rubbed his shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Craig. This is only temporary."
"I hope so," Craig sighed, lowering his hands and opening his eyes. "I truly hope so. This... this is unacceptable!"
John squeezed the shoulder he'd been rubbing. "I can't even imagine...."
"Don't try." Craig met his eyes. "Please, John ... don't try."
Another nod, another reassuring squeeze, and John released him just as Roy came walking up. "Anything?" he called out.
Roy's fangs showed in a triumphant grin. "You two mind spending another night in a cave?"
"Long as it's not in the open," John grinned right back.
Craig nodded. "Easily defendable?" At Roy's nod, he began to smile. "Let's go!"
Roy led the way. "Once we're there, I'll get some food for us."
"Man," John sighed. "I could eat an elk, I'm so hungry!"
The cat-man chuckled. "I'll see what I can do. You start a fire."
"I will," Craig smiled as he slid on ahead of them.
John looked at Roy, trembling involountarily.
Roy squeezed his shoulder. "Only temporary, Junior."
"I know," he sighed. "I know. It's just... just... hard."
"Come on," Roy said, jerking his head after Craig. "Let's go."
Roy did, indeed, manage to bring down an elk. He cut half into strips and used some salt from his parafleche on it. Then he began to roast the rest.
"Hey, Roy?" Craig asked. "Why did you --"
"To preserve it," John answered. "Give us some food for tomorrow, right?"
"Right." Roy smiled at him. "That way our stomachs won't feast on our spines."
Craig nodded and fell silent as he turned the meat, lost in his own thoughts.
"He's so different," John whispered. "And it's like he's changing more every hour."
"Will you miss this Craig?" Roy whispered back.
John thought before replying, "To give him a chance to go home? No."
"Him? I told you, Junior, You're going home with him."
"And I told you, Pally. I am staying."
Roy grunted and moved toward the cave. "Crazy," his voice floated back. "Always said he was crazy, now I've got proof...."
John smiled as he followed Roy. He didn't mean that, John realised. Roy was just blowing off steam.
It never crossed his mind to wonder how he knew what Roy was feeling.
That night was spent peacefully, with no visits from Brianda. The three of them kept watch in shifts.
When dawn broke, Craig woke both sleepers. They cleared the cave of their debris and had a meal of salted elk and some fruit they found growing nearby. They cleaned themselves in the river and were soon on their way again.
There was very little conversation today. The long days of walking and strain of the quest were taking their toll.
At last, they reached a rise. Roy, on point, climbed it and scurried back down, smiling. "There's a cabin and a small farm down there."
John looked at each of them, and felt hope detonate in his own chest as it did in the others. "You think that's the mage?"
"Only one way to find out," Roy grinned, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "You two want to come with me or wait until we know for sure?"
"We're coming," they said together.
Roy'd been expecting that answer. His headshake was gentle and his "...crazy, both of you...." was muttered fondly. "All right," he said finally, "but stick close and so as you're told." He turned and stuck his finger under John's nose. "Both of you!"
John held up his hands. "All right, all ready!" he laughed.
Craig shook his head, chuckling. "A world away from LA, and he's still senior partner!"
"And don't you forget it," Roy jibed good-naturedly. The tiredness of the last few hours seemed to magically lift.
John felt it, and let it cheer him. He didn't stop to question how he could feel it.
Together, the three skittered down the hill and made their way toward the cabin, Roy taking point.
Suddenly John lay his hand on Roy's shoulder, stopping him behind a bush. Craig stopped as well, and both turned to face him. "John?" Craig asked, reading the puzzled expression on his face.
"Junior?" Roy asked as John's eyes began to widen.
"LOOK OUT!" John shouted, shoving Craig to the side and diving to shield him. Roy instinctively leapt in the other direction, hitting hard and rolling.
A fraction of a second later, a powerful energy beam hit where they'd been standing, incinerating the plant they'd been standing behind.
"You two all right?" Roy called.
John rolled over, groaning. "I think so....Craig?"
He groaned and raised onto his knees. "What... hit...me?"
"I did," John sighed, sitting up. "We were being fired on."
"It came from the cabin," Roy growled as he walked over to them.
Craig scowled toward the building. "We've got to get in there. If the mage is in there..."
Roy nodded. "You two stay here."
"What?" John gasped. "Where are you --"
"Craig's right -- we've got to get in there. One alone is the best chance we've got. So I'm going."
"Why you?" John asked. "You're the only one who knows this place--"
"I'm also the one with feline speed, senses and agility," Roy pointed out. "Plus I'm an experienced fighter. I know my way around magic."
"He's right," Craig pointed out in a soft voice. "Right now, Roy's the best chance we've got."
"I don't like it," John grumbled.
"No one said you had to," Craig placated.
With a frustrated sigh, John stepped aside. Roy squeezed his shoulder, then set off for the cabin.
The pair watched him go -- keeping low to the ground and varying his path -- weaving and dodging, trying to confuse the beam.
"It's working," John grinned. "They're so confused they don't know what to do!"
Craig looked at him. "'They'? Who's 'they'?"
John frowned. "The people in the shack -- two of them. Roy's bizarre behaviour's confusing them."
"Hold on -- just how exactly do you know this?"
"I can feel it!" he frowned at Craig. "Can't you?" At Craig's slow headshake, he paled as his eyes widened. "Craig -- you don't think --"
Craig nodded. "I think we've found out how you were enspelled."
Roy reached the cabin and heard two voices within. One -- a woman's -- was screaming for the other to "Do something!" The second -- a male - - was hollering back for her to shut up and let him think.
Roy couldn't stop the smile. The pair sounded like they were married.
Moving as swiftly as he could, Roy dodged a bolt and used his powerful legs to shoot himself up and forward -- through the cabin window. He hit the ground rolling, coming up into a defensive crouch.
The older woman screamed when she saw him. "He's a Fel!" she wailed, running behind the older man.
Roy spread his hands. "Wait -- I mean you no harm!"
The man's wrists pulsed. "Then why are you invading our home, spawn of Brianda?"
Before Roy could answer that, the man unleashed another bolt toward his chest.
Roy dodged the beam with all the speed he could muster, ducking and rolling and coming up with hands spread. "Now, hold on! Wait a minute! We're not here to hurt you!"
Slowly, the man lowered his hand slightly. "Then why are you here?"
"I've been enspelled. By Brianda. So have my two friends. I know I can't return home, because of the spell, but maybe they can! We need the mage's help to break the charms and get my friends home!
After a pregnant silence, the man turned to the woman and growled, "You and your 'they're-gonna-murder-us-in-our-beds'."
The woman raised her chin. "Well, how was I to know they were questing!"
"Oh, be quiet and get us some food!" He turned back to Roy. "I can feel the energy of magic around you -- you speak truly. Let's go talk to your friends." He held out a hand. "I am Arin."
"Roy," he said, shaking the hand.
"My sincerest apologies," he said as they walked out of the cabin.
Roy chuckled. "None needed. I was wed at my home." His face fell. "That spell effectively ended my marriage."
Arin stopped and studied him. "Because you are Fel?"
A sad, slow nod was his reply. "Brianda said it was for life. I can't return home like this. I'd frighten my wife, traumatise my children -- not to mention I'd effectively be out of a job."
"What was your profession, Roy?"
"I was a fireman/paramedic." Seeing he didn't understand the word, Roy explained, "I took care of injured souls until medical help arrived." He spread his arms. "But look at me! I can't fight fires cause fur burns fast. And can you imagine injured people's reactions to a Fel?"
Arin nodded slowly. "I see your predicament, my friend." He looked around. "Where are your friends?"
"Here," John called as he and Craig stepped from behind another bush.
Arin reached out and mentally scanned them. "Ah, yes... this one is part-Fel and has a slave-bond. I take it neither are his natural state?"
"You take it right," John sighed.
He nodded. "And you, dark-hair -- you are an emotion-taster."
Roy frowned. "A what?"
Craig nodded. "We found out how she enspelled him. John's an empath."
John nodded slowly and said to Arin, "And it's not my natural state, either."
"Well, come here, then. Let me ascertain if there be aught I can do."
Obediently, the three gathered round Arin. He raised his hands over each of them, breathing words in a language long dead.
When he lowered his hands, it was John who asked softly, "Well?"
Arin opened his eyes and looked at each in turn. His expression told the entire tale.
"No," John whispered tightly. He gripped Craig's forearm and repeated it almost at a shout, a shade of panic in his voice.
Arin held up a hand. "I can't break them completely, but I can break them partially."
"Just not enough for us to return home," Craig observed with glum finality in his voice.
"I'm sorry," Arin whispered.
Roy sighed. "Okay, so tell us what you can do."
A nod, and Arin pointed to Craig. "I can break the slave-bond, but he will always be one who will obey first and think later. You must forge loyalties so tight with him that it will be you two he will obey."
Craig nodded. "I can live with that -- my eyes?"
"The Fel-spell I can do nothing about," Arin sighed.
Craig stood up straighter. "Then do it."
"I will do them all at once." He turned to John. "You, sir, have been the least changed. I cannot remove the thought-tasting, but I will give you controls so you do not lose your sanity or your self in the mass of emotions you will feel."
John nodded. "And Roy... what about Roy?"
Arin turned to Roy, who met his eyes unflinchingly. "Evil has tainted him. He broke enough of the spell to regain partial control, but he is still motivated by evil."
Silence fell at this shocking revelation. "B-But... but he helped us!" John stammered.
Roy shrugged. "Couldn't let her get to you."
Arin smiled. "And that, my friend, gives me hope that the remnant of that spell can be removed. The Fel spell, though--"
"I know, I know. You can't do anything about." Roy sighed. "Okay, all right. Break what you can, already."
There was a slow nod. "Stand together," Arin ordered.
"Wait!" Craig gasped. "We-we still aren't from this land! We barely know the customs... I still struggle with the language...."
"I will help you," Arin said, and he told them exactly what he had in mind.
They conferred for a moment, then stood in a line, Roy and Craig flanking John. "Do it," they said in a triple-voiced chorus.
Morning arrived and Arin and his wife watched their new friends mount three horses that would take them exploring. After the spells had been broken, they had had an impromptu party celebrating the Fel's return to full goodness.
"Will they be all right?" his wife asked in a worried whisper.
Before he could answer, the Fel walked over. "How can we ever repay you?"
"Take care of each other, and come visit. It gets lonely."
He smiled a fanged grin as he turned back and climbed onto his horse. "It's a small payment, well met. We'll return when the moons are full."
"We'll be waiting," Arin smiled as they rode away.
The spells had been successfully broken, and the new spells successfully cast. Roy, John, and Craig now seemed as dreams to the trio.
Arin put an arm around his wife as they watched them go.
Ry the Fel warrior.
Jair the emotion-taster.
Cray the warrior-servant.
"Will they be all right?" Arin repeated his wife's question, then answered it with a smile.
"As long as they stay together and take care of each other? They'll be just fine."
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