The Regal Rogue

8. Hallowgoons

It began to swirl in circles tightening around us. We heard little scuffles in the leaves and a strange waterlogged grunting noise. I grabbed my sword from my back and began to step backwards towards everyone else.

They began claiming their weapons. Serenity with her spear, Roselyn with her jagged club, and Callum with his crossbow.

We stood in a protective circle and still with silence. I felt like our heartbeats were thundering together in fearful rhythm.

Suddenly a little creature jumps through the fog clearly at me. Naturally I raised my sword and it was cut in half as it fell to the ground.

It was a slimy thing looking related to some monstrous form of frog and snake. Whatever it was it was a creature of the haunted moor no doubt. Another myth I was never told was true.

"Hallowgoons!" Callum cried in a deep voice of defense.

They seem to swarm and jump through the fog at us.
I would swing and slice at them while Serenity twirled her spear sticking them and Roslyn slamming them with the club and Callum unbelievably swift with the bow.

I was brave, but did let out a shrill cry when one shot it's long, skinny, razor tongue out at me, but missed. I could hear Serenity's cries with every impact of her spear.

"Cover me!" Serenity shouted backing off.
I thought her cowardly, but ran to defend her anyway.

She furiously dug through the supplies while I gashed the fat, lizard type monsters.

"Everybody get down!" She shouted again and I instantly obeyed without thought.

I heard several little whooshing sounds and peeked behind my hands. I saw puffs of fire go up and disappear all around us. I could hear the odd screams of the Hallowgoons as they went up in ashes.

The fog seemed to thin after a while.

We all collapsed to sit and catch our breath.
"So," I said breathily. "Hallowgoons."

Callum nodded. "Monsters of the moor. The haunted moor. They secrete fog from their skin and stab victims with sharp, poisonous tongues." He explained.
"I'm going to have to record all these creatures." I joked mostly to myself, but no one laughed anyway.

"You haven't learned much with my sister have you." Callum said mostly serious.
"Not really. I thought all magic was extinct since father had forbidden it I'd thought it had died out." I shrugged.

"Oh no." Roselyn laughed, with a bit of a dark tune. "They've survived quite well in this untouched forest."

"Grand work, Serenity, grand." I actually laughed thinking of how we just survived an attack of the oddest looking creatures.

"Shouldn't we be heading off? Crimson needs to reclaim the castle while it still stands." Callum said with irritated humor.

"Agreed." Serenity said with a nod.

We took equal amounts of supplies to carry and would take turns riding on Fey.

And so we left the hideaway sight and were silent in thought of what to expect when we got there.

"I've got an idea. Callum tell me a story." I sounded a little childish.

He gave me a strange look.

"Your story I mean. You know the most of what's happened." I tried to cover it.

He gave a heavy exaggerated sigh.
"As you wish, your Highness," He mockingly bowed, but went on."When Serenity and I were younger we lived with our aunt. One day she got sick and couldn't take care of us so we were sent to an orphanage where we were sent to workhouses to pay for our rations. In the workhouses, they beat us. They beat little Serenity almost senseless. I decided even though I wasn't any older than her I could still act as her guardian. We snuck onto a ship, not knowing where we were headed and landed here. We lived in the woods together. Until I was abducted by The Cronans." He was saying.

"What are Cronans?" I interrupted.

"Spirits that take you away in your sleep. They are said to help lost people and take them home. For whatever reason, they left Serenity. I was always thinking of how she must've felt, waking up, thinking she was abandoned. I just couldn't take the guilt. While I was back at home, I made an attempt to run away again, but was caught. I was taken into the king's court and drafted as a spy. I spent three years in training in the court and was sent here. They wanted me to make sure that the new ruler was not planning on attacking my home for more land. That's when I met you. Shortly after you had run away I was arrested and imprisoned the week you were gone and had to have met my sister. While I was there I met Rose, she'd been in prison since Desmond arrived. When Serenity was arrested I got to see her for the first time. She met Rose and then I was taken for abuse which happened often. But then you saved us and here we are." He summed it up carelessly as if it were nothing.

"So how long is this trek anyway."
I went on to ask.

"Depends on us." Roselyn said mindlessly as if she was thinking something else.

I noticed the fog getting darker signaling it was almost evening.

As if she noticed it too, Serenity said in a casually commanding voice, "We camp here for tonight."

Roselyn helped Serenity with the tent while I tied up the supplies and Callum made the fire.

When I was done, I went over to the blazing fire and sat next to Callum.

I tried to think of something to say since he didn't seem to notice me, but he spoke first.

"There's something I didn't tell you." He began, still staring into the fire.

"The story. I left something out. I didn't want to mention it in front of them." He went on slowly as if to think of the right way to say it.

"You are aware you're to be an aunt, right?" He asked.

"I am. I had overheard some guards." I just humor him, trying to keep patient.

"I fear the lad may not be Desmond's own. Gods be merciful if they find him to be a bastard."

"The guards had that suspicion also. What makes you think that? I don't understand. What are you trying to say?" I ask, really not knowing.

Roselyn squeezed to sit between us and I turned my wide worried eyes to the fire. Roselyn started chatting and Callum acted like he was listening, trying to hide his disturbed expression.

It was late now and Serenity had roasted a rabbit. We didn't ask her about it, but accepted the beer bread sandwich she'd made for us.

We kept awake what seemed forever to clean up. Roselyn, Serenity, and I made room in the half open little tent, but Callum preferred to sleep by the fire.
I think he might have thought it could start an uproar over who got to sleep next to him.

I must've been the last to sleep. It was eating me alive. What was Callum talking about?