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The combat had been going great.
Silas and some of the spiders were taking care of the youngest foe.
Aleris was far enough that the no magic area wasn't affecting her. She was concentrating on her spell. She loved the one that allowed her to call upon locust to tear apart her enemies. Some of the spiders were in range but nothing to worry about. They were eating the locusts who would dare approached them.
Link was by her side.
Nothing bad could happened.
One look to her friends informed her that the young half-orc was dead.
It was then that she sense that something when horribly wrong. She sensed his pain before hearing his small cry. Her boy, her best friend had teleported into the fray. Right beside Asha. The barbarian half-orc she was attacking.
This power, his ability to teleport, was new to him. As he transformed just a few days ago. He loved it. Link told her that it made hunting more fun. He showed her how it worked when she turned into a blink dog herself. She had to admit that if was joyous. They nearly gave Drusten a heart attack when they both teleported next to him while he was reading. They all laughted afterward.
She realised too late that Link left her side. Aleris still belived him near. She was concentrating on keeping her spell on. The wolf managed to take a bite out the huge half-orc. But… but the druid locust were attacking him too. She broke the enchantment as soon as she realised what was happening. It was too late… Link was down.
Asha taking no mind to him charged Silas on the other side of the clearing. This was the last of the combat that Aleris would remember.
She ran to her friend, tears falling from her eyes. She hold him tight, sobbing into his fur. It was her fault, he only wanted to protect her and now he was dying. Because of her, because of her spell. Her best friend were taking his finals breaths.
There was nothing she could do.
She had thought her plan to attack the half-orcs perfect. The hungry spiders would have surrely over thrown and eaten them. But it did go as planed. Only four of the giant spiders followed her. It wasn’t enough. But she was still confident. Her surprise attack as good. They never saw her. With her friends by her side Aleris feared nothing.
Her friends!
How will they react?
Courage, even if she wouldn’t say it out loud, loved Link. She will be angry at her, since Link died by her hands. It was like with Myrtle all other again. Aleris convinced herself that it was her fault. And that if she stayed more of her friends who get hurt or killed. Her mind turned into a loop of every mistakes she had ever made.
An undwarvish sound came from her. Screaming, in a combination of pain, grief and guilt, Aleris turned herself into a giant wolf.
Her mind gone.
With one last glance to her former companions, she ran deep into the woods.