A short woman came into view about twenty-five paces away standing under the Spirit Rak's pulsing indigo light. Tangled strands of long silver hair that caught the moonlight framed her dark eyes and wrinkled face. She wore the traditional robe of a Shaman, pulled loosely over what looked like bedclothes. Her icy stare matched the capabilities of the Elemental Spirit she called.

Ceres whispered. "The Shaman... The Darkness has her as well."

Waithe whispered back. "And she appears none too happy that you--"

He grabbed Ceres and jumped to the side as the Shaman flung a bony hand forward, delivering an attack. A blue streak of coldness, only just visible in the night, flashed past them. It encased a small bush in a killing freeze and left a path of shimmering ice particles in its wake.

Another of the Free-Fighters assigned to Ceres leaped atop a berm wall and leveled a crossbow at the Shaman. The bolt only made it halfway to its target, having fallen to the rocky ground encased in ice. The Shaman smirked as she formed her own projectile made of ice, suspended in the air before her. With a flick of her fingers, she launched it. The fighter gasped as he fell back off the berm, a spear of hard ice protruding from his chest.

Standing, Ceres held out her arms. "Lyr! Come to me!"

The sparkling light blue light of the Elemental Water Spirit appeared immediately above her. She lifted an arm and a swirling column of water lifted from the river, bending toward her foe.

The Shaman smiled, almost laughing out loud and seemingly amused by it all. With a motion of her hand, a layer of ice spread over the water column. Frozen solid, the column splashed back down into the river. Another attempt by Ceres to form a kinetic water attack produced the same result.

Another ice spear appeared before the Shaman as her smile faded and eyes narrowed. The spear raced toward Ceres, but shattered against the rocks as Waithe pulled her behind an earthen berm.  

Clavis joined Ceres and Waithe, his brow raised and eyebrows pulled together. "How do we fight this Shaman?"

Ceres responded, peering over the berm. "She is truly powerful. An idea I have to use her powers against her. But I need a distraction."

Waithe pointed with his long knife as he turned toward Clavis. "You go left. I will take the right. But be wary of her attacks."

Ceres put her hands on the shoulder of each of the men. "I only need a moment. Be careful."

With a nod, Waithe and Clavis dashed out, running to flank the Shaman. They let out loud battle cries to get her attention. She looked left, then right, at first confused. Deciding on one, she launched an ice spear. Clavis dove out of the way, tumbling down the side of an ore pile, as it whizzed past. She turned her attention to the other attacker, launching multiple ice spears at Waithe. He ducked down behind a berm, ice pelted him as the spears shattered against the rocks. Changing her tactic, the Shaman brought forth a blue streak of the coldness and directed it toward Waithe's position. Layers of ice and frost formed near him as he huddled down, shivering from the encroaching cold.

Seeing Waithe's plight, Clavis jumped up on top of an ore pile. He put two fingers to his tightened lips and let out a loud whistle. "Witch! You be so ugly!"

Waithe shook his head and groaned, then peered back over the berm. The insult was weak but effective enough. The Shaman wrinkled her nose and turned her attention toward Clavis. She paused for a brief moment, seemingly unsure as to how to respond. Three ice spears took form before her. With a flick of a finger, they sped toward him. Clavis' eyes widened as he dove to the side. He cried out in pain as one of the spears impaled his thigh, then he tumbled down the ore pile.

While Waithe and Clavis took on the Shaman, Ceres utilized the Magic through the Spirit Lyr to lift droplets of water from the soggy ground behind the Shaman. They hovered as more joined, forming a shaft of suspended rain that glinted in the moonlight. Ceres pulled her face tight, waiting for the right moment. When the Shaman renewed her frigid assault on Waithe, Ceres clapped her hands together and the droplets pelted the Shaman, soaking her.

The Shaman's eyes grew wide as the water froze around her, forming a thickening shell of ice. Her cries ceased when the ice covered her face and her struggles stilled as more water droplets added to the mass. Eventually she fell back with a thud, entombed in a thick case of clear ice.

Ceres jumped up and addressed the Spirit once linked to the Shaman. "Rak. Come to me!"

She closed her eyes and concentrated as the Spirit pulsed its indigo light while floating toward her. Black mists of the Darkness boiled up from the light and swirled in an angry turbulent spiral. Ceres gritted her teeth and raised trembling hands in pitched struggle, but the Darkness would not relinquish the Spirit. Instead, twisted black claws reached out for her.

Waithe came to her side, whispering, "Open your heart, daughter. The Darkness abhors the light within."

With a deep breath, the tension in her face released. As her hands moved together, the Darkness dissolved into the night.

Ceres smiled up at the Spirit, now shining with a gentle steady light. "You are now free of it, Rak. Go in peace." The indigo light disappeared.

A pained grunt caught her ear. "Clavis!"

She raced over to him. He grimaced as he clutched his thigh, a shaft of ice still protruding from it. Blood stained the rock around him. Waithe reached to grab the ice.

Ceres held up her hand stopping her father. "Nay. The cold helps control the bleeding. Allow me."

She sat down cross-legged and put a hand on Clavis' shoulder. After closing her eyes, the silver light of the Life Spirit Anu appeared above her. Shimmering sparks of Magic, all the more bright in the night, swirled down to cover his injured leg, shrouding it in light. Clavis looked on wide-eyed in wonder as the ice spear slowly backed out of his thigh. Once out, it fell to the rocks, fracturing into shiny pieces. He pulled in a deep breath as the wound closed. Ceres opened her eyes as the Magic faded away.

Clavis smiled and tilted his head toward the young woman who healed him. "I truly be honored. Twice has a Lady of the Order healed me."

She smiled back. "And twice have you come to my aid, my dear Clavis. Grateful I am to you."

Waithe grinned at the young man. "'You be so ugly'? That be the best insult you could come up with?"

Clavis shrugged. "The best I could think of at the moment."

Ceres' jaw dropped. "The Shaman! Father, she will not be able to breathe!"

Ceres ran over to the ice covered Shaman and knelt beside her. Ceres looked up at her father, imploring with her eyes. Waithe grabbed a rock and smashed it into the thick ice over the Shaman's face, tentatively at first and then with more force. Eventually, the ice cracked away. The Shaman's lips hung parted, unmoving, and her open eyes were vacant of life.

Ceres' eyes moistened as she leaned against her father. He put an arm around her. She grieved even for an enemy.

He whispered to her. "I am sorry, my dear Daughter." He raised his eyes up to the smelter. The sounds of battle had faded. "Our part be done. Let us take our leave."

*****

Another day, in another bed, in another cottage. Waithe sighed. This one sat near the river, but downstream of the smelter and not far from Dr. Galen Ren's clinic on the north side of Welde. They were back nearly where they had started.

Ceres laid on her side on top of the covers. She had not even bothered to take off her boots since arriving just before dawn. He had managed to get a few hours of sleep but suspected she had not. Clavis snored in another bed across the room while his sister Alina tended to him.

Waithe sat down on the edge of her bed. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I am not hungry." She did not look up at him.

He stroked her hair. The events of last night had so deeply disturbed her.

She spoke softly. "I feel it in me, Father. The Darkness whispers to my heart, so righteous seem the words, so justifiable. I fear it may one day take me." She took a deep breath. "So eager was I to rush into battle, to oppose Scias and Raste and all who support them. But that also is the way of Darkness."

Before Waithe could respond, Graham burst into the cottage, a huge smile on his face. "A great victory won! All thanks to you, Lady Ceres. The smelter now lies in ruins and much gold and silver did we gain."

Ceres sat up but did not look directly at Graham. "How many died, director?"

He paused, taken back by her question. "Um... Ten of our brave fighters."

"Two of that number died protecting me, and nearly was there another." She motioned to Clavis across the room. "Do you not grieve for those that sacrificed their lives?"

Graham pressed his lips firmly together. "Of course. They died in the cause of freedom and honor them I shall."

"How many of Scias' soldiers died?"

"Many more than our losses." He held his chin high, seemingly proud of that statistic.

"I killed a Shaman. I know nothing of her or her circumstances. Many of the soldiers were just young men caught up in Scias' conscription, sons and brothers of the people you claim to fight for." She looked up directly into Graham's eyes. "Do you grieve for them?"

He raised his voice. "They made their choice! My Lady, this be war and men shall die. We cannot allow Scias to destroy all that be just. What else would you have us do?"

Ceres lowered her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I do not know. But no longer shall I be a soldier in your war."

*****

The next day started with a brilliant sunrise that washed the sky in orange and red, seemingly cleansing away yesterday's woes. Waithe and Ceres gazed silently at the colorful display as they sat on the porch. Alina opened the door and with a smile, motioned them inside. The pleasant smells of a hot breakfast greeted them as they entered.

Ceres stared straight ahead as she pushed the eggs around on her plate. "Were my words with Graham too harsh?"

Waithe put down his fork. "Harsh they were. The director makes difficult life and death decisions in an imperfect world, but I believe he needed to hear your words. In such times of war, a leader who does not grieve be at risk of becoming the very monster he fights."

Alina clenched her jaw. "He sends men to their death but hides himself!"

Clavis put his hand on his sister's arm. "'Lina, we talked about this..."

She wrenched her arm away. "Twice I nearly lost you! If not for this Lady you would be dead."

Ceres' lip quivered as she cast her eyes down. Waithe knew the unpleasant thoughts that struck her now: if not for her, Clavis likely would not have been in harm's way at all.

Clavis said, "Alina..."

She shook her head. "You have done enough. Let someone else take up a sword."

Clavis sat in silence for a moment, staring away, then said, "I cannot abandon the cause. What would I do?"

Ceres said, "There be other ways to serve. Those ill, lonely, or abandoned, they need help too. Join me at the clinic today. Perhaps we may find a new purpose."