The last we had known of our party, they were on the their journey to the home of Kava. To face against the witch of the west, or better known as Kava’s mother. The choice has been made and sometimes the difference between right and wrong is just who’s behind choice.

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The drow and the Vigilantes set up camp together and I was in the small group that stay back from their space.

My mind was racing with the thoughts and the dread of facing my mother, the same woman who had no second thoughts about attacking her own child.

As I settled my horse in for the night, I just took the moment to focus my thoughts. I needed to be all there for the fight. The deeply ingrained cuts that marked my back ached as if they could remember that night as much as I did.

The night was filled with planning, sitting in my father’s tent with the Vigilante himself, the tribe elder, and my father. For once, it felt good to be considered as an equal among these men. I had the most knowledge and I would be the most valuable to this working out.

After much debate, we had a plan. A few of the army would go to rescue the slaves and others, and the bigger part of the army would take the castle.

Just as I was about to go to sleep, I was grabbed by the arm. It was Dijen. He spoke to me briefly of a plan to have him falsely bring me in for the bounty on my head.

I had to admit, it was a good idea. With the plans set in motion, sleep didn’t come to me. Mostly it was fitful, but it was hard to just stay asleep.

The morning came swiftly and the camp was packed up as fast as it was set up. We headed out, and my mind was only focused what was ahead of me.

Having the army with me made me confident in this, but there was something in my heart that dreaded this moment. When we finally made our way to the gates of the castle, I got off my horse.

It was just Dijen and I in front of the gates, and I took in a deep breath. When he looked at me, he smiled only a bit. I cleared my throat before speaking.

“Ready to go?’

He nodded and started through the open gates and up to the door. We were let in by a servant and lead to the main waiting area.

As I waited, I took notice of the portraits that hung on the wall. One of my mother and her siblings with their parents. I touched my cheeks when I saw that I did look like her.

My anxiety was building as I heard echoing steps coming down the left stairwell. I stood beside Dijen as the doors swung open and my heart was almost in my throat.

For most of my life, this woman was my monster. She was the boogeyman, the one under the bed and the one that wanted me dead. Suffice to say, meeting mummy dearest wasn’t the best time in the world. Though I had to say, when I had come up on the fly that I was getting married to him, it froze my mother and shocked Dijen.

Before things got too nasty, I created a ball of light and placed it into his hand. I had to handle it on my own for right now.

She was just about ready to attack me, but I sent out the matching beam of light and I could hear the screams and shouts of the men charging

The panicked look that came over her face was amazing as her and my aunt disappeared in clouds of smoke. I could hear the incoming footsteps of the guards, so I made a dash to the stairs that I knew would take me up to the rooms.

There was a part of me that knew that Moriz and Yvrgav would be behind me in this. The steps were winding and familiar, but my mind was set on one thing.

My mother’s room.