“The minds of the animals in this area. They have been hiding from threats for years. Now let’s move,” she said with a bit more force than she was planning. Arkin looked at Legon again and smiled.
They worked their way through the thick underbrush, and sure enough it cleared to a perfectly secluded place. The ground was bare except for some twigs and leaves. It was round with more than enough room for all of them and the horses. Twenty feet above them the trees became so dense that there was barely light to see. Not even the dragon could see them from overhead now. Legon instructed everyone to place their bedrolls on the ground; there wasn’t room for a tent or a fire. Everyone agreed. They might need to leave in a hurry. The tents would slow things down and a fire could attract attention.
It was mid-day when they made camp, but within a few hours the clearing was already dark. They lay on their bedrolls in a circle with their heads to the center, trying to rest.
“How are we going to see?” Keither asked. He always forgot about magic.
“Lumanaighty,” Legon said. And with that, a violet orb of light bloomed in his palm. It floated about four feet off the ground to the center of the circle, hovering. The light was sufficient for their immediate area but ended within ten feet, the way only magical light could. The light was taking almost no energy from Legon, so Sasha wasn’t concerned. Everyone looked odd in the violet glow, their faces washed of color. It made the colored parts of their eyes look like dark gray stone. Sara and Arkin’s fair hair glowed in the light, making them both look otherworldly. There was blackness where the light ended. The thick woods did not allow any sound or light to penetrate them. They were a dot of light in a sea of nothingness.
Arkin stirred. “I have protections still in place, but what are you doing Legon?”
“I have a weak connection with animals in the area; I used the information from an eagle to find a nice place for deer to lie down for the night nearby. Also, there is an owl in the area. If they see anything out of the ordinary, or if they get frightened, I will feel it and broaden my connection with them.”
Arkin smiled widely at him and looked much better. “Passive surveillance. Very good, Legon. With the waking sleep you will never lose contact with them, but with a weak connection other magic users won’t be able to stumble on to it.”
“They can do that?” Kovos said, worried.
“To an extent. They will be feeling the emotions of the creatures around them, and if something seems off they will investigate. But with a weak connection Legon will not be influencing anything, so they won’t look.”
After that, no one looked like they wanted to ask anymore, but contented themselves with resting. Legon and Sasha began the waking sleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Fate
“Our enemies always beat us in the way we least expect it, and therein lies the problem. We toil our days away trying to find that weak spot in our armor when we shouldn’t have been fighting to begin with.”
-The Great Defeat, Secunum Renovatie
Keither opened his eyes, blinking at the ever-present lavender glow. He wasn’t too sure just how long they’d been in their hiding spot. It appeared the dragon had found something. Maybe it was them, maybe not. But there were people in the area. Legon was having a harder time sensing their surroundings as the group of soldiers searching the area had scared off all the larger animals. He was now forced to tap into the minds of rodents and squirrels. The thing that was odd was that Arkin’s spells hadn’t been tested at all. Kovos suggested that they try and check the minds of the men, but the idea was snubbed when Sasha pointed out that they may have a Venefica with them. It would be unwise to take on a large group and a magic user. Keither laid his head back down. It would almost be worth getting caught just to see light and a color other than purple. Legon breathed out a long breath.
“What is it?” Sara asked. It was good to hear a voice again. They’d been quiet for several days.