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　　 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 of dawn could arrive, the Bellicose members had packed up their tent to prepare for the next day of travelling. They could smell the burnt ashes from the fire of the other camp, which was in conflict with the freshness of living wood. Once the sun would come up, their tent could be easily spotted within the forest and even they would be much easier to spot.

Kiano rolled his head around to crack his neck and loosen it from its tightness. With great effort, he stuffed the tent back into his pouch and tied it shut. 'Knowing them, they won't start moving until sunrise, giving us about an hour to get familiar with this place,' he said as he strapped his pouch back in its position.

'Maybe there's an orchard nearby or we can find some fruit,' Chrys wondered.

Kiano nodded as a reply and began to walk north. His gaze was focused to the ground, seeing everything that would make a noise under his heavy boots even with how little light the moon was still casting. The girls had to pay attention to him since his footsteps were barely audible, though the white shirt helped with spotting him.

Chrys grabbed a hold of her stomach and felt the emptiness inside. She was craving any type of fruit, except for oranges. She missed the taste of sweetness with the food they'd gathered to eat on their trip

She wanted to talk to Kiano, who was walking next to her, but refrained herself from doing so when she noticed his white knuckles in the pale moonlight. He was so focused on the road ahead it seemed that he was unconsciously squeezing into his wand that Victoria had managed to make within the short time frames they had in-between their travels.

The wand felt like a stranger to Kiano and if there was something Kiano despised, it was strangers. Unlike Alexis' pliantly flexible wand, his wand would never yield much like Kiano himself.

Victoria's father and other wand makers could all agree that Kiano's wand spoke volumes about him, even if he couldn't see it himself. Hawthorn wood—a wood known for its complexity—combined with a dragon heartstring and no flexibility made for a wand with endless possibilities and complexities. A wand so fiercely loyal to the one that won them over, it mirrored Kiano to the T.

Victoria had noticed his wand the day they first saw each other. Kiano was among the first ones to be sorted by the Sorting Hat. She remembered how quiet it was in the Great Hall while moments before, it was full of life and laughter. Many first-years and even second-years seemed to be afraid of him. She could understand why.

The Adore family was one of the most well-known wizarding families and everyone had recognised the four brothers before Kiano by their stormy grey eyes. They were kind boys, sweet boys even. Kiano wasn't like that. He sneered and glared at everyone daring to return his gaze. The bright-blue of his irises were dulled by the deadpan stare that was permanently stuck on his face.

The two had exchanged glances, though she could tell he didn't look her in the eye. Victoria's auburn-coloured hair glowed in the deepest shades of dark red in the candle-lit hall which had caught his attention. He scrunched up his nose when she only seemed curious. He then vanished out of sight after being sorted into Slytherin and joining their table.

Two nights later, she'd written to her father asking about Kiano's wand. The answers her father had given her matched her initial thoughts and she was proud of herself for making a rather accurate guess. Never could she have imagined, she'd create a replica of his wand for him eight years later.

'Look,' Chrys whispered which made the other three stop in their tracks. 'There's a village.'

Alexis quickened her pace to move past Chrys and Kiano and marched into the unknown village. Kiano followed right behind her like a protective shadow, whereas Chrys and Victoria strolled after them.

The cobble-stoned streets veined through the buildings that had a middle-ages look to it. The white, dirt-smudged stone of the houses were decorated with large rocks at the bottom at each corner of the house and arching over its doorways. At the top part of the buildings, it was decorated with wood that created mostly a square pattern.

The village was small, but very cosy in a way. The town square was accompanied with the vastest building, which had a bell tower that had struck five not so long ago. Ivy was wrapped around the premises and covered most of the structure's walls. The red tints of the roofs had faded over time to a more neutral brownish red.

From the town square, the farms on the southwest were clearly visible with trees, crops and sprouts blossoming into delicious vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Bellicose's path was suddenly blocked by a girl almost as tall as Alexis. Her broad shoulders matched those of Kiano, but her speed excelled far past his. 'Care to state your business here in Lunnlia?' she asked them with authority. 'Especially for this early in the morning?' Her light-brown hair was so elaborately braided, it wasn't easy to follow the way it was weaved through one another. There were tangles that made her hair appear fuller than it actually was, though most was neatly combed.

Victoria's eyes almost pierced through hers as she made her way past her three companions. 'We simply stumbled into your town on our journey. We got curious and took a look around,' she answered and with a fascinated look on her face, she glanced around the town buildings. 'We're in Lunnlia you say? Could you tell us more about your village?'

The girl's face broke out into a wide grin and she nodded joyfully. 'Of course I will. My name is Erin, by the way,' she said as she took the four of them on a trip through the town. Though at first glance, she'd come across a stone-faced warrior, her kind, helping, flirtatious and energetic nature bubbled up very quickly. 'This town is the first town of Telmar that many people from Archenland come across, so it's a wonderful trading post for them. It was actually created by King Lune himself in agreement with Caspian V, however, he'd given it a different name. When he sadly passed away, the people of the town renamed it Lunnlia, which is a combination of Lune's name and the word familia. Most people here are farmers, such as my own family.'

Chrys was fully emerged into the story Erin was telling, whereas the others had trouble keeping up with her. Erin seemed to have more energy than the four of them combined and asked so many questions, it was a wonder they'd managed to answer them without raising suspicion.

'What I can't seem to understand is why three girls are travelling with one handsome guy,' Erin said after showing them around town and subtly winking in Kiano's direction. The way she said it made it seem like a normal compliment, as if it was just the way she spoke.

Though Kiano didn't like the sudden, unwanted affection and glared back at her. 'Don't wink at me,' he snarled.

Alexis sighed and pushed him further along. 'Don't mind him,' she said to Erin.

Following one of the cobble-stoned paths to the southwest, it didn't take long for the road to disappear into a dirt road. The grand moon was hiding behind transparent clouds as it slowly descended towards the ocean and the first shimmering of sunlight broke through the navy-blue night sky. The heavenly canvas of the ether was painted in gorgeous pink and purple pastels around the sun and faded into darker tints of purple and the navy-blue that the moon had brought along.

'Anyone fancy some strawberries?' Erin asked out loud as she picked a few from one of the strawberry bushes, though it could hardly be called a shrub. The plants reached a little above Erin's ankle, but since they were planted on top of higher soil, they came closer to her knees. 'The first ones of this season.'

'I'll have some,' Chrys said and eagerly ate the strawberries that Erin gave her. 'Lexie, you have to try these. They are incredible, just so sweet and juicy.'

Alexis shook her head with a slight chuckle rolling off her lips. 'Not the biggest fan of strawberries. I prefer cherries.' She was gazing over the farm filled with luscious vegetables and fruits and found herself daydreaming of a peaceful life in the countryside. She startled herself when Peter's laugh echoed through her head and snapped out of the mundane dream.

Erin looked over to the trees situated at the far edge of the orchard. 'Cherry trees are in blossom season now. It'll take a few more weeks until the cherries actually start to grow and can be eaten,' she explained and retrieved a small, iron container. It opened with a screeching squeak and she took out an odd-looking piece of fruit.

'Legends say that many moons ago Lunnlia was blessed by Aslan for aiding King Lune and thereby the Kings and Queens of Old. This town and this town alone was gifted with a fruit called Wandering Stars. Only those who were born and raised here with the heart of a true Lunnlian can produce these fruits as their lands will be blessed by the heavens for a good harvest that year and an overabundance of Wandering Stars.'

Bellicose studied the fruit as Erin was explaining its heritage to them. The outside was illuminating on its own, radiating such a blinding light that they understood why she kept them in an iron container. With an arrow, Erin sliced open the fruit—the light on the outside dying until its true colour appeared which made the fruit resemble a rock—and revealed a small galaxy hidden within. The Wandering Star had an impressive colour range which was so rich, it was entrancing to stare at it for too long.

Erin cut the fruit that was the size of an apple into four pieces and gave every member a small piece. There was some hesitation before they took a bite, but they did not regret trying it.

Juice dripped from the corners of Alexis' mouth down to her chin as she allowed the rich flavours to tingle on her tongue. The sweetness stuck to her palate and teeth and she took another yearning bite of her piece.

As they enjoyed the fruit, Kiano noticed the first rays of sun breaking past the horizon and he let out a sigh, gesturing with a nod of his head to the east. 'Time to go.'

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　　 𝐄𝐃𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 his makeshift bed and sat completely frozen. Sweat trickled down his forehead which he wiped away with his sleeve. He was breathing heavily through his mouth, feeling the cold air cool down his throat and lungs as he tried to calm his hammering heart. He closed his eyes for a moment, but they flew back open after a flash of the White Witch rolled before him.

He dropped his head into his hands and let out a long, defeated sigh. He felt so tired. His body was wrecked from the long travels and his mind couldn't find any peace, even in the most serene places.

His body shook violently with cramped muscles when he startled from Florence's scream. Much like Edmund, she shot up from her sleeping position to sit up straight. She too had had a nightmare of her own.

The two sat in silence as the rest of the camp woke up, including Lucy and Peter with whom they shared a tent. 'What was that?!' Peter shrieked as he sleepily and clumsily got up, holding out his sword that was still in its holster.

Florence grinned after Peter's attempt to protect them with his unsheathed sword, barely able yet to stand well on his two feet. 'Good, you're awake,' she said as cheerfully as she could make herself to be. 'The sun's up, we have to get moving again.'

'Thankfully, now we know that when there's danger, Peter will be there to protect us all with his unsheathed sword,' Edmund retorted.

Peter grunted as he started to clear up his pillow and blanket. 'Next time just nudge us awake,' he said grumpily and got out of the tent.

Lucy exited the tent next and Edmund made Florence look at him. 'We'll talk later about those nightmares of yours,' he whispered to her before following his sibling's lead.

The camp was packed up within mere minutes after the initial shock of waking up from Florence's scream and Raiden guided the others further into Telmar's forest.

Aiden was last in line together with Harry. He rubbed his eye to get rid of the sleep sand that made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open. 'I barely slept,' he told his friend. 'When we finally do reach the Western Wild, I won't be of much use against whatever is waiting for us there. I'm exhausted.'

'I think we all are at this point,' Harry replied. 'I found that it's usually moments when I'm feeling like this and I end up in a fight, that I'll fight back the hardest.'

'It's moments like this when I wonder why I have to go through all of this and not someone else,' Aiden muttered, the hopelessness evident in his voice.

'Because someone else couldn't do what you're able to do,' Harry repeated what he'd told himself over and over again during the last few years.

At the very front of the group, Eustace and Peter followed Raiden's tour as he led them through the forest. They found it remarkable that he still seemed as energetic as before, though Raiden was no stranger to long journeys through these areas.

Their attention piqued when Raiden's voice turned into a yelp. Within a split second, Raiden's foot slipped away from underneath him, but he got caught before he ever touched the ground. Parts of his face hit metal that was somehow tied into a net as he twisted his ankle that was stuck in one of the square holes. The air was squeezed from his lungs when Eustace and Peter tumbled on top of him.

The one trap seemingly triggered other traps as six more nets were revealed from in-between the grass. Lucy squealed in fear the moment a net swooped her off her feet and she fell into a messy heap with Caspian, Florence and Edmund. Her cry of despair bounced off the trees and fled into the forest. She cramped her fingers around the thin metal string and pulled herself back onto her feet to free herself from the suffocation.

Florence followed Lucy's lead and together with Caspian and Edmund, she stood up. Her foot slipped into one of the holes and she collapsed onto the bottom of the net after losing her balance. She winced in pain from the scraping of her leg against the cutting metal, which had ripped the fabric of her trousers and the skin underneath it.

Caspian and Edmund steadied themselves as well as they could and helped Florence back into the net. She softly brushed over the abrasion on her leg and hissed at the stinging sensation that followed her touch.

'We have to clean it before it gets infected,' Caspian said as he eyed the wounds on her leg.

'With which supplies?' Florence asked shyly and leaned back against the net.

Lucy sat down next to her and retrieved a small bottle from her belt. 'Open your mouth,' she ordered and opened the bottle in her hands which contained a red liquid.

Florence obliged with doubt in her mind and looked rather surprised when Lucy only gave her one drop from the liquid. It tasted odd and yet nice, though overall, she couldn't say what it tasted like. The burning in her leg disappeared rapidly and even the abrasion slowly healed. While Florence had never experienced this herself before, she'd seen how Alexis healed Charlotte's forehead and so her initial surprise and shock was rather short-lived.

Charlotte had settled in her net together with Hermione and watched Harry try to figure out his situation with Aiden in their net. She pulled on the metal string and was surprised to see how flexible it was, and yet she couldn't break it off.

She heard Peter's attempts to break the metal with his sword go over in vain and she sighed out in frustration. Though, that frustration vanished with the wind when the forest came alive in front of them with the howls of wolves and ear-scratching cackles of creatures she'd never seen before. . .

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Hii everyone!

This chapter was really difficult for me to write. I was stuck for a hot second, as meetings aren't my forte and I have to get used to writing Erin, our newest addition.

What do you think of her so far? I'm so excited to get to know her better as I'm writing this book. Jocelyn, if I'm not portraying her well, please send me a PM so I can fix the things that need fixing :)) I love her so far and I think she'll do great things in this story!

We're finally getting into some more drama yaaay. My favourite part ever to write is drama, I'm all here for it and I'm so excited about it. Also, I've reached the 15 chapters already! With my previous two apply fics, I had already 3/4th done, but well--can't say that about this book lol.

I love all of you so much, thank you for reading this chapter whiee

xx Theresa 

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