The Wyvern's Gift

Chapter Four

The sun was blinding in the early morning as the group made their way out of the tavern. The rest of the inn's guests were sleeping off hangovers. Tucked away under warm blankets, they were blissfully unaware of the pain that awaited them. Weylyn was making his pain known to every twittering bird.

"They would make an excellent breakfast," he muttered. A bluebird swerved to avoid his head and he swiped at it. "What gives them the right to be so cheery?"

Evander laughed, only wincing a little. "You're acting like a child. More so than the actual child,"he said.

"She's not doing so great," Haelyn snickered from where she was seated on the ground in front of a small fire. A blackened kettle rested in the flames.

Behind them, Evanora was curled up in a ball on the ground. Both hands were clamped over her ears and her eyes shut tight. She had yet to say a word all morning. Even Yophiel had only managed to drag a few grunts out of her.

"Don't worry sweetheart," Haelyn said loudly. She bit down on her lip to stop a laugh when the three drinkers flinched. "I've got just the thing for you." Three cups were lined up in front of the fire waiting for the boiling water. Haelyn tipped a sprinkling of green powder into each cup.

"I wouldn't trust any drink from you at this point," Wren told her. He'd sat in the space next to her where he fiddled with an arrow point. The quiver on his back poked over his left shoulder next to a silver tipped bow. He'd thoroughly checked each weapon on his person while he waited for the others to make their way outside earlier that morning.

Haelyn rolled her eyes and smacked him with a stick she snatched off the ground. "Do you want to leave before midday or not?" The kettle began to whistle and she let Wren lift it out and fill each cup halfway. "It's just a remedy to help with their hangovers. It won't cure it, but at least we'll be able to be on our way." A minty smell wafted from the three cups as the tea steeped.

"Mint makes me nauseous," Weylyn whined.

"That's unfortunate for you then," Yophiel snapped in a whisper. He glanced at Evanora then back to Weylyn. I told you to get to bed."

"You're not my father," Weylyn scoffed.

"Lucky me," Yophiel shot back.

"Would you two stop bickering?" Haelyn sighed. "Take these." She handed a cup to each of them while Wren handed the third to Evander. She packed her things while they drank and by the time they were ready to go, the sun had fully risen.

"Alright, just a reminder, when we're in the forest I am in charge. You move when I say, talk when I say, breathe when I say," Wren dictated. The arrows on his back shifted as he gestured at the nearby trees. "This is my home, you are guests."

"You say that like none of us have ever been in the forest before," Haelyn said.

"Besides, we have a map.It can't be that bad," Yophiel said, rolling his eyes. "Speaking of, can I see it again?" He held his hand out to Haelyn.

"You have it. I gave it to you before we went to our rooms," she answered.

"I thought you did but  when I checked this morning it wasn't in my things."

Wren clapped his hands between them to grab their attention. "We don't need a map, I am the map."

"Then we don't need you," Evanora muttered as she walked by them. The brothers followed right behind, still looking more than a little haggard. The tea had done enough to get them moving. It would be a while longer till they were fully functional again.

Wren hurried to get ahead of them. Without a map they would need him to point the way through the dense trees. Only a few steps in and the path was gone. The branches laced together overhead to block out all but a few sunbeams. The shifting leaves made every twig and rock look alive.

They did their best to keep to the overgrown trail Wren directed them to. Roots snaked underground, buckling the ground where they broke through. Evanora had the most trouble getting over them. It slowed their pace considerably.

"What's with this plant anyway?" Evander's voice was a blaring siren in the dark woods. He shrugged sheepishly when Wren sighed loudly.

"Imphillus amarus, more commonly known as wyvern's gift, is somewhat of a cure all," Haelyn bagan, pausing to grab a purple flower from a bush. "It only grows in a wyvern's nest until it's vacated. Naturally, this makes it nearly impossible to get a hold of. Many believe that if you're sick enough to need it, you've been cursed by a god."

"Then, the prince was cursed?" Yophiel asked. The knight reached a hand out to help Haelyn over a fallen tree.

"I doubt it, it's more likely someone poisoned him," Evanora called back. "I heard the guards talking about catching someone from Helnafer last week. You just know their king would do anything to weaken Thal."

A shadow passed over them, the sound of wings echoing over the area. Haelyn looked up expectantly. Her shoulders dropped when only a bird passed by. The cuckoo bird's bright blue and yellow wings cast shadows over their faces for only a moment and then it was gone.

"If he's only been poisoned, can't they use an antidote?" Evander asked.

"If we're going out to find wyvern's gift then he was probably poisoned with wyvern's blight. They grow off the same stem and look almost identical," Haelyn explained.

A second bird went by, Wren watched it with some interest. It landed in a nest and he ignored it after that. "Are you lot going to talk the whole way? I'm so sure I asked for silence," he snapped. He tapped a tree trunk with his bow and looked back at them.

"We're just trying to get everyone on the same page here," Haelyn called back to him. Even still, she lowered her voice. She paused to pull a handful of leaves from another bush and started braiding them together by their long stems. "Not that any of you need to know how to tell gift from blight.I'll be handling that part."

"As long as I can get you past the wyverns," Weylyn poked her arm. "They're not just going to let you near their nest."

"Really? I had no idea," Haelyn gasped.

"I didn't expect you to honeybunch," he cooed, ducking to avoid the pebble she chucked at his head. "Don't worry, I will devise an expert plan to sneak you past and straight to the nest. They'll never see you coming."

Up ahead, Wren groaned loudly. There were some scattered laughs and they went silent. The only chatter for a while after that was in hushed tones. They finally stopped not long after sunset and began to set up sleeping bags.

Evanora looked at her oversized bag with a smile. "At least I won't be bunched up like a caterpillar trying to keep warm."

"The fire should keep us warm enough," Evander scooted closer to the small camp fire Wren was tending. "And it'll ward off anything curious, won't it?"

"Most likely," Wren answered. He turned away slightly so his face was hidden. "But there are some things that enjoy a warm fire."

Evander shuddered and peered into the growing darkness. He spotted Haelyn sitting only just within the light cast by the fire. "Aren't you worried about what's out there?"

"No, not really," she said, sounding a bit distracted. Her olive green eyes were pointed upwards towards the canopy of leaves. Every breeze that rustled them made her sit up straighter.

After half an hour of watching her, Wren smacked down a stick he'd been twiddling with. "What are you looking for?" he snapped.

Haelyn was quick to answer, holding her hands up defensively. "Nothing, just trying to see the stars. I can almost-" A roar cut her off.

All six of them jumped to their feet. Both Wren and Yophiel drew their weapons. Evanora's hands glowed a bright orange. Evander hid behind Weylyn who was looking around so fast his head was likely to fall off.

"What is it? Are we going to die?" Evander shouted.

"Only if you keep making such a racket," Wren hissed. His hands on the bow were steady as he turned slowly. "Anyone see anything?"

"Guys, it's fine," Haelyn was standing to the side looking up excitedly. She had her arms open wide. A shadow passed over her and her smile grew. The clashing of wings and branches grew louder as something hurdled through the air towards them.

Wren dove at Haelyn to knock her out of the way, but the ball of lilac scales beat him to her.