Erivale: The Lost Princess

Chapter 21: Part 2

The dining tent was awash with the furious sounds of everyone's voices. It was the embodiment of fear. Every voice in this tent was afraid. We thought we had more time.

I stared at Guinevere, who sat across from me. The soiled soldier's coat was replaced with a fresh blanket, and her face had been wiped clean. She clutched a bowl of warm soup in her hands. I had never seen her dainty fingers so dirty in my life. Dark dirt was imbedded under the nails, and angry red scratches covered the backs of her hands.

As much as Guinevere had been quite the nuisance since I had been within the palace, I had to respect her courage to travel through the country alone and wounded to find us and warn us about the army. Without her, we would have died, and our ravine would have turned into Ild Vann, just as Arne had said.

The forceful clearing of a throat began to draw everyone's attention, and shushes rang out amongst the crowd. Zora was stood at the back of the tent in front of everyone. "As many of you have heard, and the reason we have collected you all here is to discuss our plans now that the Ithican army is coming."

A few gasps rippled amongst the crowd. For some, this was their first time hearing of the news. After Guinevere had told us, Zora had called an immediate meeting in the meal tent.

"The Ithican army is only a day's ride away, and thanks to Princess Guinevere, we will meet them with force. Tomorrow we have war."

The meal tent erupted in sound once again, but I didn't hear any of it. War? I thought we would move camp like they did when Heinrich attempted to ambush their first headquarters.

I wasn't ready for war, a war they would expect me to lead them into.

I blinked a few times as Zora's face focused in front of me. Her hand was on my shoulder, and she was calling my name. Apparently, she had been trying for a while. "They need your encouragement. Say something to them."

I was directed to where Zora had been standing. I wanted to speak and tell them that everything was going to be alright, that we could do this, that we would win, but how could I say that if I didn't believe it? How could I expect them to do this if I couldn't even do it?

"I-I'm sorry, I can't," I whispered and tried to move to the side of the tent to make my escape.

Zora grabbed my arm on my way out, halting my movement. "Where are you going?"

"I can't do this, Zora. I can't go into a war, let alone lead them into a war." I looked back to all the faces staring at me, staring at their hope. I felt like a fraud.

"Yes, you can, Amberleigh," she said sternly. "Stop letting your fears dictate you."

"It's not that simple, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm more of a danger to them all, and well, I don't want to kill anyone."

"You do know what you are doing. You've been doing it since you first stepped foot in Erivale. I can't guarantee you won't kill anyone. This is war, and war comes to us hand in hand with death, and some people just need killing."

I wasn't sure if I believed any of her words at that point.

I didn't say anything for a while, and after a few minutes, Zora tugged on my arm, "Come on." I didn't have much of a choice other than to follow her back into the heart of the tent. Zora directed me to sit and then beckoned forward Gerard, another Faun named Sten, Sven, the Liltu woman chained with Arne, Arne himself, an Ursa I had never seen before in the camp, and a woman decorated in shells – I assumed a Syreni. They stood before me in a fragile line.

"Amberleigh, please close your eyes." Zora moved to stand behind me. I felt her fingertips as she held my head. They were producing a faint crackle of magic that tickled my temples where her skin met mine. I took one last look around the tent and at the faces lined up before me before closing my eyes.