From the Ashes (A School for Good and Evil Fanfic)

Part 19

The crisp wind whipped against Anadil’s face as they ascended the mountain, heading straight for the ominous caves already visible up above. Hester trudged beside her, still bruised and burned but determined. It was visible in her set jaw, in the fire within her eyes, as if she somehow knew they would succeed, that they would rescue Dot and bring the Society to justice.

Hester let out a gasp, clutching her chest.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she reassured Anadil, setting her jaw and soldiering on.

"This was a bad idea," Anadil mumbled, pushing her hair out of her face.

They had left Sherwood Forest early that morning. Anadil had tried again to convince Hester to stay, but the injured witch wasn't having it. So Anadil had performed another haphazard spell to speed up Hester's healing, and they were off. They had picked up a few daggers from Robin Hood's old, abandoned hideout just in case they needed to fight, which seemed likely. It had taken almost all day to reach Mount Ingerthorn, which had taken a toll on Hester's lungs, still recovering from the smoke.

"You need me," Hester retorted stubbornly. "One person against the entire Society is not a fair fight."

"Neither is two," Anadil observed.

"I just can't lose you, okay? Not knowing I couldn't have done anything to save you."

Anadil felt tears rising again, but she blinked them away, shoving her emotions down. She had cried enough, shown enough weakness yesterday to last for a few centuries.

"You have the audacity to say that after all of the times you've almost died on me?" Anadil asked, raising her eyebrows.

Hester didn't respond. Anadil looked up and realized that they were nearing the caves. Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure she was ready to return to this place, the place where her mother abandoned her, the place where the people who had raised her had been slaughtered mercilessly before her eyes. But she didn't have a choice. One of her best friends was in those caves. She couldn't let them take Dot from her, from both of them. They had denied it as many times, but Dot truly was an essential part of their coven, the part that brought out the best in both of them, the one who was loyal, no matter how many times her friends betrayed her. She couldn't lose Dot before she had the chance to say she was sorry. 

They paused at the entrance to the caves, which were surprisingly unguarded. Anadil went over the plan in her head. She would go left, while Hester would go right. The two of them would reach the Society's prison at staggered times, so if one of them was caught, the other could complete the mission. Hester had protested to this at first, but had eventually given in. Her protectiveness was sweet (sweet?) but sometimes Hester seemed to forget that Anadil could take care of herself.

Anadil took a deep breath and turned to Hester, forcing her usual mask of indifference onto her face. "You'd better not die," she warned. "Or I'll find my way to hell just to kill you again." She raised an eyebrow. "Sound familiar?"

Hester grinned; her crooked, perfect grin. "How romantic." She turned away, striding down the right tunnel.

Anadil just stood there for a moment, trying to calm the tornado of emotions surging inside of her. She closed her eyes, thinking of all the reasons she was doing this: for the good of the Woods, and possibly a bit of revenge. And for her friends. Friends. A few years ago, she would've scoffed at the term. Friends are for the weak, the witches who'd raised her had said. But now she knew that wasn't true. Friends made each other stronger. Loyalty wasn't a liability, but a motivation. And she'd do anything in her power to save them.

With one last deep breath, Anadil turned to the tunnel on the left. Then, keeping the thoughts of her friends in her mind, she ventured into the dark.