Page 2 of Oath of Rebellion

Actually, that might be why he was trying to build a road. But the forest needed to remain neutral and stay out of the bloody war. A robin trilled above and the summer sun filtered through the leaves, bringing peace to Knox' racing mind.

Will arched a brow. "You know I'm the best sneak here."

Knox sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he straightened. "I know, but it's risky. Start at the taverns and see what you can hear. If we can't glean any information from the drunken city guards, we'll see if we can bribe a noble or official."

Ashur said, "You know Scarlet would be willing."

Knox glared. "She has to stay out of this. She decided years ago, and so did we."

He jerked his thumb. "Go on and get some decent rest. You've earned it."

They touched the tip of their green pointed caps and rode into the camp. Knox circled around the tents, wooden cabins, and treehouses as he patrolled, his mind swirling as he thought through every scenario.

Vidrland was originally a druid settlement that had fallen into disrepair. He'd spent a lot of time with the two druids while he was growing up. They'd turned over the master warden job to him when the war had broken out, claiming to be too old to keep up.

Then Knox began bringing in the wounded and repairing the falling wooden cabins, building the structures by hand. The desperate and sick sought their aid for healing at the natural hot springs and had even started worshiping Gaiana at the druid circle.

He checked that the trees were nearly a solid wall to protect them, then strode into the heart of the Robin's base, the nest. He stopped by the lodge and checked in with their dwarven steward John, but all was well, so he headed to Olive's to seek her counsel.

****

It took a few hours, but Knox turned his horse down a well-worn path and whistled a seemingly innocent tune. He wiggled his fingers, and the air shimmered with magic.

The humans who were born with magic could either go to high mage school or they learned low magic by apprenticing, working for their limited education. Those who weren't inherently strong enough began using magic with the help of a magic item like a wand, dagger, stone, hair pin, or even a toy.

Knox had never needed a focus item though, as he'd only needed to point or wiggle his fingers. He smiled as Olive's cottage came into view in a small clearing, one wall attached to a giant tree.

He rode through the protection spell he'd placed around the area long ago, then wiggled his fingers to close it behind him. The door opened at his whistle, and Scarlet stepped out with a smile.

Everyone just called her Scarlet because of her dark auburn hair, now piled high in a messy curly bun. Freckles dotted her nose, and her green eyes matched her shirt, pants, and cloak. His sister had ignored the style of most eligible women in the nation for over a decade, always marching to her own beat.

He pulled to a stop and dismounted Ryder, leaving the reins dangling as he bounded up the stone path to the door.

"Red, you're back!" He swept her up in a hug and spun her around, making her laugh.

She pounded on his back playfully. "Put me down, you big brute. I'm too old for that non-sense, along with that dumb nickname."

He released her, grinning. "Never."

She rolled her eyes, and he followed her into the cottage where he grew up. The only home he'd known, but the past few years had left him restless. He'd long ago stopped thinking of the druid's cottage as home.

Olive bustled around the kitchen, the familiar scents of herbs and spices mingling with the stew on the stove. She was cooking dinner or making some potion or both.

She turned and smiled over her shoulder. Red hair streaked with gray, she had a few crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, but that was mostly where the differences lay. Otherwise, she could've been Scarlet's sister instead of her grandmother.

"There you are. Just in time for lunch too," Olive said, turning back to the stove. He kicked off the mud on the front stoop and ducked his head as he entered.

"I would've been here yesterday, except the Growlers were roaming and I needed to go to Vidrland first."

He and Scarlet sat at the small table, and she pushed a cup of water to him. He drank, the coolness exactly what he needed after the hot ride.

"I saw their tracks too," Scarlet said, frowning at Olive's back. Their eyes met, an unspoken worry shared. If the wolves decided to, Olive would have no defense against them. Her potions would only last so long and her wild shape form was no match for them.

The forest acknowledged the Growlers' inherent magic so they'd easily get through his protection spell. He'd learned all the druid's spells early on, learning both high and low magic spells they'd collected over the generations.

They had several shifter communities like the Growlers, but their magic wasn't well known. Most humans feared the shifters because of the secrecy and insular nature of their packs. It was another reason most people avoided the Feral Forest. None wanted to be caught by the Growlers, who were fiercely territorial.

It hadn't happened in his thirty years living in the forest, but the last attack had killed Scarlet's mother.

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