Ice-Bound Promise [Wattys 2023 Shortlister]

35

"Ylthara?" The disfigured healer looked towards his leader as he kneeled beside Únik.

"She did that on purpose." With still-narrowed eyes, Ylthara continued to glare at Únik. "I trusted you. Why? Why delay us when we're so close?"

Once more, Únik dropped her eyes. She couldn't answer. If she did, she would betray Shihiri. If she didn't, she would betray Ylthara. Either way, Únik could say nothing. She could try to play innocent. Pretend that she had fallen from the horse only due to her lack of proficiency, but she knew Ylthara would not believe a word of it. So, she remained silent.

While Bohyiris tended to her injuries, she saw him make the occasional look towards her. He could see how miserable she felt, how her eyes continued to move, unable to look at him, Ylthara, or anyone. She felt the warmth of his magic flow through her skin and the immediate pain began to dissipate. The scratches upon the backs of her hands knitted and cleared.

The pain in her side remained, though diminished, as Bohyiris rose to his feet with a sigh. He began to turn away and stopped. It looked as though the scarred man wanted to say something, but words did not reach his lips. He looked across to Ylthara, down the road towards the forest and then back to Únik.

"Why don't you want us to enter the forest? That's what I want to know." Tugging at the legs of his breeches, one leg at a time, he crouched before her, resting his hand and his stump upon his knees. "If you wanted to slow us down, you could have done any number of things. Why do something so dangerous?"

Únik avoided the healer's eyes. Kind eyes, despite his injuries. A little darker blue than Hatyara and Ylthara, those eyes seemed to dig into her as another warrior came to bind her hands. She felt like sobbing. Even if Ylthara was the liar between her and her sister, Bohyiris, indeed, all the others, were only doing what they thought was right. They thought they were stopping a war.

She liked them. Had grown fond of them, especially this kind man with the horrific scars. Now, she could feel everyone's eyes upon her and knew they felt betrayed. She had done what she thought was right. She had stopped them, if even for only a short while, from entering the forest, where Shihiri could pick them off, one-by-one.

"Yegara, Jegng." Waving a hand, Ylthara gathered a female Ice-Kin and a male Hagragng to her. She pointed towards the forest crossing the road. "Scout the forest. Stick to the road and return if you find anything."

"No! Don't!" Attempting to scramble towards Ylthara, Únik felt the hands of a warrior, holding her back by her shoulders. "Go around. Please! Just go around."

She saw Bohyiris step back, his forehead wrinkling, made all the worse by his scars. Licking his lips, he looked once more to the forest and then back to Ylthara. He could tell this was no normal fit of an enemy. He watched Ylthara dismount, holding up a hand to the two warriors she had called to, urging them to wait.

Únik watched Bohyiris step aside and she lowered her eyes once again as she saw the boots of Ylthara come into view. Betray Shihiri. Betray Ylthara. Únik's only choices. A quick glance upwards showed Ylthara gripping the hilt of that sword that appeared made of ice. Up close, Únik could tell it was not ice, but metal with a tint of blue. She wondered if she would see it even more close before long.

"Why?" Crouching, Ylthara gripped Únik by the chin, lifting her face, but Únik still would not look at her. "Stop this, Únik! Tell me why you don't want us to enter the forest? Because you're afraid we'll capture my sister?"

"She seems very determined that we go around." A few feet away, Bohyiris shuffled his feet. Únik could tell he continued to look between them and the forest. "Sounds to me she's not stopping us chasing the Lady Hatyara, just something about the forest."