Fiore. A land of magic and possibilities. Or at least it was.
Once a home to dozens of guilds, it was is the focal point of tyranny.
The magic had enough. Magic was bad. To many misused it for their own gain and to the personal pain of non-magic users.
A meeting of the Earth Land leaders met with the new Magic Council to see what they could do about this problem.
In a full swoop, they arrested many wizards throughout the world. Guilds were shut down. Wizards imprisoned.
Only those loyal to the Magic Council were allowed to be free - if one were to call it that.
Those not loyal were constantly on the run. Not many dared offer aid to a wizard. The punishment for aiding a wizard was far worse than actually being one. Whereas wizards were imprisoned unable to use their gifts, any none magical user were executed as a reminder to anyone that aiding the enemy would not be tolerated.

Not that many assisted the wizards. The Council and world leaders had been smart. They hadn't just rushed in and used force to eliminate the wizards. They fed propaganda to the masses. All the troubles in the world - Zeref, Lullaby, The Oracion Seis, the Exceed and many other troubles in the world was caused by magic. The Council used this to fuel the hatred of wizards. Many non-magic users had felt powerless during these events and grew to fear and hate the wizards. Not only did they spurn wizards but they reported them.

But still, there were a few wizards free. Some escaped the initial coup. Some managed to avoid witch hunts that followed, the lies and betrayals. But those that did were constantly on the run. Even five years after the initial Anti-Wizard Enactment, the few remaining free wizards were hunted. There was no rest. No letting up.

~~~
Cerith ran quickly toward the trees. He could hear the sound of his pursuers behind him. The pain in his side and the wet sticky feeling on his hand reminded him that he needed to lose them quickly. As it was, he had lost enough blood to cause him to feel a bit lightheaded. An arrow flew by, barely missing him. He just needed to make it to the trees. Of course they would have found him in broad daylight in the middle of a meadow. How could he have been so foolish?

Usually, he could stay one step ahead of his enemies by Shadow traveling - using his magic to travel through any shadow. But one needed to have a shadow to do it and it took a bit of concentration. Not to mention he was a bit drained from fighting a couple vulcan monsters. That just showed what helping people out did for you. No. Cerith pushed that aside. He did the right thing. And he couldn't blame them. They would pay a high penalty if they didn't report him. It was just bad timing that a group of army soldiers and Council wizards had been nearby. Otherwise, he would have been long gone before that caravan had made it to the next army post to report him.

Finally, the woods. Cerith stumbled into the woods. There were plenty of shadows to work with, thus taking less energy. He focused the remaining energy on getting him out of there. Anywhere but here. Dashing behind a tree, he held out his hand toward a shadow. Focusing, he cast the spell before jumping in.

“Oooo,” A blonde haired girl with green eyes pressed her face against the glass of a dress store. A beautiful golden gown hung on a manikin on the other side of the shops. The glasses of the young girl pressed closer to the window until they were glass to glass. Soon she realized her breath was fogging up the window and she pulled herself away from it, her arms falling to her side. Sighing softly her head young and the 24 year old blonde in the checkered shirt with a tank top underneath, braided hair and black jeans began her way out of town. She had gotten the supplies she needed and now she had to leave to meet up to the rest of the people.

Fiore was in shambles since the Magic Council made, well, magic illegal. Now the army was hunting bad people and wizards alike; throwing them in prison and taking them away from their homes. Sighing softly she continued on her walk. The simple thinner girl didn’t look like a wizard but she was. God Slayer magic they called it, using the wind to do many different spells. However she felt it was more important to make healing spells than anything else using the blessing of the winds. But did that matter to Council? No. According to them everyone who had a magic gift was bad.

Exiting the town, she entered the forest. Her traveling group tends to break into the smaller pairs but today she was alone. Letting out a soft sigh from her full lips she pulled her brown shoulder bag back onto her shoulder before stepping into the wilderness. Soon she would be at the campsite and they would hang out for one more night then head out in the morning.

Her walk seemed rather simple as she made it out of town without causing a stir that was until something came out of the shadows and knocked her to the ground. “WHOA!” Her body tumbled backwards, catching the figure that had fallen out and landed on the ground. “Oof!” Her arms wrapped around the figure as she sat up and pulled the figure up with her. “Whoa, hello, hello can you hear me?” She said softly giving the body a shake. Oh god did a dead body just fall on her?!

Shadow travel was not something one could just explain. It was also something most people couldn't handle. Everyone who had traveled with Cerith had gotten a queasy stomach. It was part of traveling. The only reason he didn't was due to his magic. Not that anyone traveled with him that often. Even when he was a member of Fairy Tail, he could count a handful of times that he took someone with him. Another aspect of Shadow traveling was time. It wasn't instantaneous as some people assumed. But it was a lot faster than any other method. It was complete blackness but that worked with Cerith. Maybe that was part of the reason people got sick. It wasn't normal. Or so he had been told. Not that he cared.

Cerith stumbled out of the shadows and literally crashed into someone. That was one downside. You can never tell what was on the other side and if you didn't have enough magic and didn't focus hard enough you couldn't control re-entry. Both of them fell to the ground. He closed his eyes with a wince - more from the injury than the actual fall. He felt someone pull him up and shake him asking if he can hear her. There was some concern in her voice. He steeled himself and opened his eyes. "No, I am completely deaf." He remarked, dryly. He pulled himself up and looked at the individual he ran into. It was a young woman. He frowned. Where was he? A quick glance confirmed that they were still in the forest. He looked back at her. What was she doing all alone out here?

He gave her a slight nod. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to run into you." His knees almost gave out but he caught himself, his hand still casually at his side holding his injury. He didn't bother hiding it. He wouldn't be able to. His shirt and hand was covered in blood. In fact, to his dismay, some of it had gotten on her. His eyes studied her. She had to have wondered what happened. He gritted his teeth a moment before deciding it would probably be faster to scare her off then to have a lengthy conversation. The quicker she was gone, the quicker he could take care of this. He could barely stand as it was.

"Listen," he said before she could reply. "I'm a very dangerous wizard." Well... to some so it was a honest remark. "Associating with me will cause your death." Very accurate and no doubt she'd know that. "Feel free to run off." He gave her a dark smile hoping that would do the trick. Of course his legs had to give right then. He fell into her - again. So much for acting tough.

His remark about being completely deaf caused her head to jerk back in surprise. Well, that was an unexpected response, especially considering he’s the one that fell onto her. Where did he come from anyway? She didn’t hear any footsteps, nor did she see a figure around. He climbed off of her and seemed to have difficulty standing. Looking down he realized that she had blood on her, and it was no small glance to realize that the blood was coming from him.

Annabelle stared at the young man in wonder, even as he tried to act evil towards her. A ‘dangerous wizard’ he said, ‘associating with him will cause death’ he said, why was he being so defensive. Her hands gripped onto her bag as she watched the young man fall to the ground once again.

“Dangerous or deadly doesn’t matter to me.” She dropped to her knees next to him and lifted him, propping him up again the trunk of a tree, “We’re all destined to die. You’re not scaring me away by acting tough. I can’t leave a fellow wizard like this, no matter how deadly you are.” A nod rose and fell her blonde head as she pushed her glasses up onto her face from the end of her nose and placed her hand gently on his. “Let me see.”

“Please, you need help and I can do it.” Annabelle’s voice was nearly pleading with him, he was injured and in need of help. Finally pulling his hand from his body, she rolled up his shirt without giving a second thought about it. Hopefully he wasn’t self-conscious about his body because she was nearly pulling him out of his shirt so she could examine the wound. Oh man that looked nasty. “Okay… Okay…” She muttered under her breathe. Waving her hand gently in the air, the air picked up speed and wind began to circulate. Soon she had what can only be described as a mini-tornado in her palm of her hand. “I can heal the wound on the outside but the recovery will be slow.” Leaning down she blew gently on the tornado which went straight to his cut.

Her magic was peaceful and graceful, much like her. A smile moved across her full lips as she placed her hand against his cut. It was hot to the touch but she was gently pushing the window inside the wound to close it up. She placed her other hand on his shoulder to balance herself on her knees. “Just keep breathing.” She said gently. Her tactics for communicating with someone she was healing was to stay calm, collected and as gentle as she could. When you’re going through an intense amount of pain, receiving kindness helps a lot.

“I’m Annabelle, Annabelle McBride.” She needed a bit of time for her magic to work; especially considering how bad his injury was, they had a bit of time to talk. Maybe she could get him to open up.

Cerith leaned back against the tree. He shouldn't have been, but he was a bit surprised to hear her say "fellow wizard". She was a wizard also? They made sense. Who else would be out in the woods alone? He felt her hand touch his, it was soft but also used to work. With concern evident, she pleaded for him to let her help. He sighed and let her move his hand aside. He wasn't above accepting help. He just was wary about it. Besides it was a bit nasty. He didn't blink as she rolled up his shirt. Any other situation and he would have stopped it but no doubt she was wanting to help so he let it be. Besides, he really didn't have the strength to argue.

It wasn't that he was felt shame or self-conscious. Well, maybe a bit self-concious. He was a private person and not the type to just bare his chest to others. Some of his old guild mates thought it was because he was ashamed of not having a six pack or well defined abs but it wasn't that. Anyone who messed with him or touched him would feel the hard muscle underneath. He was wiry, his body built different than most and he was fine with that. He didn't have to look the part. Besides, it gave him an advantage over those who thought him weak. No. He just didn't feel like showing his body off. If people were only interested in how a man, or anyone for that matter, looked under a shirt than they weren't worth his time.

The tornado in the girl's hand caught his eye and brought his attention back to the present. His eyebrows lifted slightly. Wow. That was pretty interesting. Wind wizard? He frowned slightly. How would that help? He didn't have much energy to fight so he just watched. She hadn't done anything aggressive yet and willingly seemed to want to help. I can heal the wound on the outside but the recovery will be slow. He blinked. Heal it? Wait, she was a healing wizard? The odds of running into a wizard, let alone a healing one was near impossible - especially as he hadn't planned it. But someone had. He was filled with gratitude and mentally said thanks. He drew a sharp breath as the wind went into his cut. He held it for a moment, fighting against the pain. Her voice continued, as she gently instructed him to keep breathing. He gave a wry smile. Easier said than done. He let the air out slightly and then started up a rhythm as she introduced herself.

McBride. Interesting last name. Almost like it was a generational name versus his which had been given to him by some 'colleagues': Tenebris - or Darkness as it was roughly translated from the old tongue. What was meant as an insult he took as a matter of pride. He had long since decided that he wasn't going to feel guilty for who he was or what he could do. For that reason, he gave Annabelle his full name. Not that she probably would catch the meaning. Not many understood other languages, let alone the old tongue. And even if she did, he doubted she would tie that in to his type of magic. She would probably think it was passed down, generation to generation, like hers.

"Cerith. Cerith Tenebris." It came out clipped, his accent very obvious. Though he had been in Fiore for some years now, he had never tried to hide it. He wasn't ashamed of where he was from, though many thought he should be. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Annabelle." He spoke slowly to keep the pain from showing, though it could be misinterpreted as condescending as he showed no sign of pain. "I didn't know wind wizards could heal." He raised an eyebrow at her. "But I am grateful." He inclined his head slightly.

Guilt hit him. Would she be so willing to help if she knew who and what he was? He didn't mind who he was but she might. His jaw clenched. "You probably wouldn't be so eager to help if you knew I had dark magic." His face was impassive but he watched her closely. He knew he surprised her. Now he waited for her to spurn him.

“Nice to meet you Cerith.” Annabelle said sweetly as she kept the pressure against his side. Watching his face cringe was hard on her. That was something she didn’t like about being their healing wizard. ‘Their’ being her group. She didn’t like seeing people in pain so it was no surprise that her expression read very clearly that she felt bad for him as he struggled with the pain of the healing process. There was no telling how much blood he had lost but it was obvious that he was having trouble functioning.

His response was rather common and she gave him a small smile. “Breathing reminds us we’re alive. That’s air. When used by the right wizard, wind can do anything.” At least that’s what her mother taught her. Her mother taught her to be kind to everyone until they decide to not be kind to you. Her father reminded her that some people need help, no matter who they are you should help them and deal with the consequences later. Why? Because everyone deserves a helping hand; her parents, no her village, we full of good people… why did they have to die?

Then he said something that surprised her to the point that her head jerked back. Her green gazed looked at him closely through her lenses before she leaned toward, leaving hardly any room between their faces. Staring at him for a long moment she pulled her head back and tilted her head to one side. “You don’t have the eyes of a killer. I’ve seen those; I know what those look like. Someone who kills for fun versus someone who kills for survival are two different people.” She tilted her head to one side as she watched his face closely.

He didn’t come off as a bad guy, “Why does ‘dark magic’ always qualify as ‘bad magic’?” That was a question she always had for someone who used what they would qualify as ‘dark magic’. They always said as if it was dangerous, if it was deadly and that they were stuck on a bad path. “Magic is magic.” A nod rose and fell her head as she gave him a gentle smile, “The type doesn’t decide who you are. Your actions define who you are. So I ask you this, are you a good wizard or a bad wizard?”

He did not expect the close scrutiny. He kept his face bored as she studied his eyes. He looked back at hers. Her eyes had an intense green in them. A bit difficult to see hidden behind her spectacles. He watched her back up and tilt her head. He almost smirked at her observation but decided to give her that. The eyes did give a lot away. He made a careful note to be careful around her. He could tell she was a kindhearted individual. But he also had no doubt she'd kick butt if she needed to.

He raised an eyebrow when she asked why dark magic qualified as bad magic. He was impressed. Most people freaked out when they heard he had dark magic. Even a lot in Fairy Tail, a very close-knit group, took awhile to get used to him and his magic. They were nice - well most - but a bit distant. Only a handful really accepted him initially and they were the reason he stayed in Fiore instead of going home. Then she asked what kind of wizard was he. He straightened slightly, his side no longer as bad of shape. It still had some healing but apparently she wasn't done. He looked at Annabelle. "What do you use for your base of good? In the eyes of the Magic Council and most of the people we are all bad." He gave a slight nod.

Leaning back he openly studied her. "Take you for example. Young wizard. Alone. Kindhearted and willing to help a complete stranger." He raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't see your earlier reaction I would assume you were naive or plain stupid." He smirked at her frown before turning serious. "For all you know I could be a member of the Council's. I could have turned you in. But we both know that's not true, don't we?" His face softened slightly. "You're not naive or stupid. You know death. Seen it up close. No doubt friend or family and undoubtedly tied to the Council's war on us." He studied her knowing that she was a bit uncomfortable. He reached up and touched her shoulder, gently. "And still you are willing to help a complete stranger out in the woods. You don't know me and you help. Yet, in the eyes of most, you are considered bad."

He dropped his hand and looked away for a second. When he looked back his blue eyes met her green. "I'm not going to say if I'm good or bad. People can say whatever they want." He smiled with a bit of mockery, though his eyes held a bit of sadness. "If you really want to know, you should observe. Or as a good friend used to tell me, 'Watch, observe, and make your conclusions.'" He looked away so she couldn't read his eyes. He pushed the brief emotion that came up aside. He shouldn't have said that last part. Brought back too many memories.

The pain in his side was practically gone. He made to move her hand. "I'm think I'm good now. The remaining will heal fine. I don't want to take all your magic." He looked at her, again in complete control of his emotions. "Thank you, wood nymph for your kindness." He gave a slight bow of his head.

His response about her made her eyebrows rise in surprise. He was analyzing her like she did to him; however he did have a point. Her desire to help people, no matter who they are, was probably something that was going to get her into trouble somewhere in the future. The team always warned her about her kindness and that it was bound to get them into trouble. Cerith was making the same point they were but, he seemed to be going about it in a much kinder fashion.

“I’ve seen a lot.” She responded softly in a whisper. “But my gut feeling has never stirred me wrong. And,” Her green eyes flicked up to him as her full lips curled into a gentle smile. “I have a feeling I’m not wrong about you.” She said with a nod.

When he mentioned that she shouldn’t use all of her magic she nodded a gently removed her hand from his side and pulled back down his shirt. When he bowed his head, she returned the gentle bow as well before climbing to her feet. Once he was up she tilted her head. “Listen Cerith,” Her voice was soft and gentle, just like when she was healing him, “Your internal damage is pretty bad. If you don’t have a safe place to stay, I’d like you to come stay with my group. At least for the night so you can heal properly; and we have food.” She said with a grin giving her bag that was around her shoulder a small pat. “I just picked up some stuff from the town and we have enough to feed another person comfortably. Please.”

Her big green eyes stared up at him as if begging for him to join her. He wasn’t safe by himself, and probably wouldn’t be able to get a comfortable night sleep. For wizards these days, running left little time for sleep and eating proper meals. This something as important as being in a group can help the survival of all the wizards; however it was still a risk.

Cerith watched Annabelle as she rose. He gave a slight nod as she mentioned still having some internal damage. That was true. Though, she had done a good job. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of her group. She wasn't alone after all? That was good...well or bad depending on how you looked at it. Being in a group meant safety in numbers. However, it also made hiding more difficult. The offer was tempting. Not only would it be good to be around some other wizards but it would be a good way to get more information. Though he had no issues being on his own, it was nice to occasionally meet up with others. Not to mention, she was offering a free meal. How many times would that happen?

Who was he kidding? Annabelle might accept him and have no issues with his gift but he doubted that the rest of her group will. Very few found his magic acceptable, especially with the hunt for wizards. A lot of wizards blamed him and others like him for the Magic Council's crackdown. If they didn't practice dark magic than the others would have been fine. He looked up at her almost ready to refuse. Then he saw her eyes. The green eyes implored him to come. He sighed. How could he refuse? She did heal him and it was a free meal. And he could use some rest. Even if the others didn't like him, he knew Annabelle would probably not let anyone bother him while he was her guest. That meant at least some rest - well... depending on her group.

"Alright." He inclined his head. "I'll come. Though, I hope your party has no issue with you bringing back wizards." He smirked. "Otherwise, it could be a bit awkward." Ha. That was going to be an understatement.

He mentally chastised himself. These could all be good wizards. There were several in Fairy Tail. Maybe Annabelle was with a group that was more accepting. Still, he had learned long ago to be realistic. He made a motion with his hand. "After you, my lady."

He followed her as she made her way into the woods. He kept alert but no one was around. The birds were singing and overall the forest was quiet.

“Alright.” Did he really just say ‘alright’? Her green eyes expended and she reached forward grabbing on his hands in both of her as she beamed at him. “Great! A good meal and a save nights rest will do you wonders.” Realizing she was getting a bit over-excited she let go of his hand and bounced back from him. “Sorry…” She said innocently, her hand running along the back of her head. “I’m just glad to know you’ll be safe tonight.” Her head rose and fell with a nod as she shot him a bright smile.

The walk through the forest was quiet and peaceful. The birds chirped over-head and Annabelle found herself bopping along as if it was music. Feeling as though the silence was getting to the point of uncomfortable she opened her mouth to speak before she saw a figure coming around the corner. “Aaron!” She called out waving her hand.

The blonde haired boy turned his blue-gray eyes from the ground up to the direction of the voice. A smile instantly moved across his face as he hurried towards the two. “Annabelle! His voice filled with life and giggles as he bounded towards the two. Screeching to a halt, Aaron quieted down for a moment and observed Cerith. It took a moment, a long silence before the blonde haired boy smiled brightly to him. “Hello, I’m Aaron.”

“He’ll be camping with us tonight; he needs a safe place to stay.” She said with a nod to her friend.

Aaron seemed to understand as he nodded and the three started to walk towards the camp area they had set up. “A fellow wizard isn’t a bad thing to have around. Maybe you should stay!” He said brightly. Aaron was a chipper child, the youngest of the bunch under Annabelle by about three years and their newest member. If it wasn’t for the group finding him, he would have been captured by the magic council and the army. But he wasn’t thanks to the small group and he was forever in their debt.

He heard the person before he saw him. Cerith came to a halt as the blond boy came into view. A child. In the woods. Cerith wondered if this was a trap. Though he had never seen it before, he had heard of the Council using people seeking help to trap wizards. Thankfully, this boy seemed to chipper to really need help and Annabelle knew him. Cerith relaxed slightly as she greeted the boy. Cerith noted the child's name in his head. He meet the scrutiny without blinking, keeping his face as impassive as ever. Not that it helped. The boy just grinned and introduced himself.

Cerith resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Some people were far to trusting. The fact he knew Annabelle and she him probably meant that this Aaron was a wizard - or a child of one, which in the Council's eyes was just as bad. It was a shame one so young had to hide. Thankfully it looked like he had a good attitude about it. Not that it won't get a bit annoying after awhile. Cerith continued to study the young man as Annabelle replied. He didn't bother introducing himself. That would come. Not that it would matter. The boy would not recognize him or his name. Annabelle didn't and she was older.

They started to walk again. Cerith hung back slightly. He hadn't spent a lot of time around children. Most parents kept their kids away from him and he was far to busy going on quests to be around some of the other guild members' kids. He raised an eyebrow at Aaron's invite. Very friendly bunch. He was a bit concerned that they might be too trusting. "Are all of you this trusting?" He asked, his tone a bit cutting. He didn't mean to cut, it just came out that way. But it didn't seem to bother Aaron. Cerith listened to him go on about how wizards can be trusted and not everyone in the group trusted. Cerith listened while at the same time minding his surroundings.

He saw it just a moment before it came. "Watch out." He called as suddenly the ground shot up around them. A stone wall entrapped them. He moved into a defensive position as a young man elevated himself on the stone. Another person stood at his right.

Both individuals glared down at them. "Annabelle." The young man said narrowing his eyes. "Who is this?" There was no warmth in his tone.

Aaron gave a small laugh as they walked. “Not normally but if you came with Annabelle than you can’t be all bad besides, it’s not us you have to worry about its…” His words were cut off as the walls of earth surrounded the three.

Annabelle placed a small hand gently onto Cerith shoulder to let him know it was okay. She moved in front of him in a protective manner. “He is an injured wizard who needs a place to stay and some food to eat. Before Savile could argue she let out a small sigh. “I did a small job in town for a clerk and earned some extra money; I used it to buy extra food and there’s no reason we cannot help him. What’s one night going to hurt?” She asked innocently with a small laugh to her voice as she attempted to smile her way into Savile’s face.

The other figure pressed into the Earth seemed to glow red. “Annabelle you know how dangerous outsiders are. How many times have we had to pull your ass out of trouble.” The voice was that of a females, strong and stern and it was no surprise that she seemed really ticked off.

“Kelsey you’re not coming out to save me, I’m saving someone else who is in need. Plus he’s injured…”

“You used your power didn’t you?”

“He was hurt!” She barked at the girl. “He was hurt, a fellow wizard was hurt, and I couldn’t walk away from that. He still has some internal damages that will heal better if he can get a good night sleep.” The group seemed surprised that she barked at them. Her green gaze looked at the imprint of the man that they considered their ‘leader’ of their little group simply because he was always the one who came up with the best ideas. “Please Savlie.”

Cerith didn't like these new two. He kept his posture rigid and defensive as he listened to them discuss. The girl was hard to see with all the red but the male he was able to examine. Typical arrogant wizard. Cerith had no doubt if either of these two knew what he could do they would quickly get rid of him. As it was, he wouldn't be surprised if they refused him now. He glanced slightly to the left as Annabelle defended him and herself. Apparently, she had gotten in trouble with them before. Knowing how she was wanting to help him, he wasn't surprised. He lifted his chin and stared at this Savile.

Savile stared down at the stranger. He didn't trust him. He didn't like him. And Annabelle was getting very frustrating to deal with. She was going to get them all caught if not killed. He shook his head. "Annabelle, Annabelle, Annabelle." His tone was not kind. "You are to naive. What if he did that purposely to get wizard compassion? Or, assuming he's one of us, he is obviously fought with Council guards. Now you've lead them here."

Cerith narrowed his eyes, not at the jabs at him, he didn't care. "If you are any true wizards you would have scouted us out and the area before confronting us." His tone was dry and dismissive. "If you had, you would know that no one followed us. Makes me wonder if you guys even know what you are doing or if you are just playing survival." He smirked and lifted his chin.

Savile narrowed his eyes. There was something about this stranger. He scrutinized him. He turned to Annabelle. "Tell me, why is this stranger so important? Why are you willing to risk everyone's life, including yours, to help someone you don't know." His eyes narrowed and he gestured to Aaron. "Is this stranger more important than Aaron? Or any of the rest of us?"

The tussle between the two wizards was heavily heated as Cerith pointed out their lack of scouting. A small smirk played across Annabelle’s lips but her hand placed gently on Cerith’s shoulder as if to indicate that he needed to calm down. However Aaron seemed to find it amusing that the seniors of their little group were getting shamed upon by the new comer as he was stifling a laugh at Savlie’s narrowed eyes.

“Savlie, please. I know I’ve gotten into some tight situations before.” A small cough left Kealsey, and Annabelle quickly corrected herself. “Okay more than a few times but I’ve never brought anyone back. Look we rotate night watch anyway, just keep an eye on him when he sleeps but let him sleep.” She pleaded with the ‘leader’ of their little group as she gave Cerith’s shoulder a small squeeze. “I’ve see his magic, he appeared in front of me. There was no noise around so I know he wasn’t running. It’s a form of teleportation magic.”

A small sigh left Annabelle as she removed her hand from his shoulder and stepped in between Savlie and Cerith, “I’ll take responsibility for him. Even if it means I have to stay up all night to make sure he doesn’t do anything foolish.”

Aaron stepped forward as well, “I’ll split the shift with Annabelle so she can sleep. I can prevent a non-magical person from causing us any harm despite how young you think I am.”

Kealsey watched the seriousness of her comrades and turned to look at Savlie. What would he honestly think?

Savile studied them. A teleporter? Nice. That would make a nice addition to the team. His eyes narrowed. Though, he didn't like the look of this guy. He seemed a bit to alpha for Savile's liking. Savile had no intention of letting someone else weasel their way into leadership of this little group. He was the leader and that would be it. Thankfully, Kealsey was on his side. They had been together the longest before bringing in Aaron and Annabelle and got along nicely. There was no issue adding Annabelle or even Aaron - though both could be a pain. Especially Annabelle. Aaron... he was manageable. He knew they were waiting on his response and he let them. This was power - others hanging on your words. Then the stranger had to ruin it.

"Well, I guess that's settled," Cerith said. "I appreciate you letting me stay the night." Cerith's got a slight smirk at Savile's look. The guy had obviously not liked him there. He probably would have even let Cerith stay but he waited to long. Now Cerith was going to stay - if only to annoy this Savile a bit before finally leaving. "Unless of course you think I'm too much of a threat for four wizards," Cerith added with a slight mocking tone.

Savile narrowed his eyes. Can't back out now. "He can stay the night." He said ignoring Cerith and looking at Annabelle. "But he's your responsibility. ANY issues and I hold you responsible." He stared pointedly at her. "Don't make Kealsey or I have to come in and clean up your mess." He waved dismissively at Cerith. "And he can stay only for the night." He waved his hand slightly and the earth barricades around them dissolved back into the ground. Turning, he leaned toward Kealsey. "I don't trust him," he whispered. "Keep an eye on him if I'm not around."

His assumption that everything was okay surprised the group, even Annabelle’s head jerked back slightly in surprise. Wow he was forward wasn’t he? Her gaze turned back to Savile questioning his reaction to Cerith’s bold statement. Savile was never one to like overly dominate personalities and this newcomer she had brought by seemed like someone who wasn’t afraid to put a foot forward. And that, in itself, was something that Annabelle actually admired.

When the walls dropped and they were free to go, Annabelle beamed, “Thank you Savile!” Her voice was a bit too excited which caused the ‘leader’ to roll his eyes and Kealsey seemed to match the look before disappearing to the campsite. A long sigh of relief left her as she ran her hand through her blond hair and turned her innocent green gaze to Cerith, a gentle smile moved across her face, “Well that went better than I expected.”

“I agree,” the peppy young man responded next to them as he stepped forward. “Come on, let’s go. I’m starving!”

A nod rose and fell Annabelle’s head as she patted the page next to her hip. “And I got some good food for tonight. Tonight we toast to a fellow wizard who is safe and sound.” She gave both the boys a wide grin before they continued towards the campsite.

The site was simple; no tents, just blankets, a roaring fire with a make-shift grill over it made from earth and a few other campsite needs. The blonde hurried over to the small table that was made and began to pull things from the nearly endless bag. Soon she had vegetables, meats and other assortments sitting out. “Okay…” She said with a grin as she rolled up her invisible sleeves. “How do you like your steak cooked Cerith?” She called out to him as she began to season the meat.

Savile started to walk away when he heard Annabelle call after him. He just rolled his eyes. She could be very annoying sometimes. Shaking his head he walked away. He had other things to do though he wasn't going to go far. Someone had to keep an eye on them. Annabelle was to naive and stupid. If he and Kealsey hadn't taken her in she would have undoubtedly been arrested long time ago.

Cerith watched the two walk away. Cheery bunch. He glanced over as Andrew spoke. His eyes smiled slightly at his enthusiasm. He followed Annabelle into the camp. It was actually fairly nice considering they were roughing it. Sure there was no shelter but it was summer time and it worked. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything that would be considered shelter either. In fact, other than an occasional cave, he slept outside. But, that was fine. He was used to it. It brought back memories of his childhood. There hadn't been a lot of shelter either - so you managed.

While Annabelle started getting the ingredients out of her back, Cerith went over to the fire and added another log. He turned and examined the camp once more, but this time from a defensive standpoint. Despite his...hesitation, Savile was a bit intelligent on placing. It was a nice small clearing, not to big to be noticed but large enough to settle. It was a bit on a slope so you had a slight high ground to use if someone came at you - assuming you saw them coming. It wasn't perfect but it would do. Though, his eyes narrowed slightly. This did look more like a permanent setup than a temporarily spot. The built table, the stumps for the stools - there was no way they would drag that with them. They no doubt had been here for awhile. That wasn't always the safest - or smartest thing to do.

He looked up when Annabelle spoke. "Any way is fine," he said coming over. You ate what you needed. It was something he had to remind himself after the Magic Council came down. In a way it was almost good. He had been getting a bit soft. Sure, he kept a lot of his habits with him when he traveled but some things he had grown accustomed to being in a guild. Especially, when everyone else - including his few friends - did it. "Did you want help?" He inquired. He might be gruff, he might be a bit "uncivilized" but he could be a gentleman if needed.

When she handed him some vegetables and a knife he took it and started cutting them up. "So, how did you team up with the group?" He asked.