The Last of the Firedrakes...Or so We Thought

Chapter 26: The Rainbow River

"You cannot leave me here!" I scream at Flint.

He whirls on me. "I think you've already done enough."

Ouch. I scowl at him. "She's my best friend! And I'm the only one who is truly capable of helping you."

"You lost her!" Flint belows. "You lost my only sister!" He stares at me tight lipped.

"I made a promise to you," I snarl back. "That I would protect Lilly until my dying breath. As long as I'm still breathing, that promise isn't fullfilled."

His stormy eyes flash - with what emotion I don't know - before returning to shielded rage. "We leave in an hour."

"Who's we?"

He turns his back on me and talks over his shoulder, "Rivers, Rafe, Sky, Lucas, and Asher will all accompany us."

"Fun." I head to my bedroom to prepare for the journey ahead.

. . .

We ride through green foliage of the forest on our way to Rohron.

The ride will take about three weeks. We have to endure the ride through the Deserted Plains of Eleth, and we will skim the Great Arhond Desert, on our way to Galdor.

Our spies tell us the Rebels made camp on the outskirts of Galdor, and Galdor is where the palace is.

I hope we find her.

. . .

We're stopped at Mist Falls after riding for a week.

All of my thoughts are cloudy with worry for Lilliana. We haven't heard from any of Asher's - who happens to have been bumped down to spymaster by Lucas - spies.

What if they killed her? No, no I can't think that. She will not die. We will save her.

I shake me head.

"What is it?" Rivers eyes me from across the table we snatched at the tavern we stopped at in Mist Falls. We're all gathered around a circular wooden table sipping on stale ale.

I smile. "I can't help but worry." I sneak a peak at Flint. He's stone-faced as usual. "About how I will decide which brutal way I should slowly kill those rebels." I pick at the dirt under my nails as they stare at me with blank faces. "I'm leaning towards slowly carving off their fingers with butter knives. Dull butter knives. Slow and bloody. Then feeding them to their families saying it's steak."

They stare at me with blank faces before bursting out into semi-drunken laughter. I grin wickedly and take another sip of ale. "Come on, you twats. We're loosing daylight."

They follow me to our horses and we continue on.

It takes another full five days of riding until we reach The Great Rainbow River. Stupid name for a river if you ask me but it was named after it's colorful waters.

We split and search up and down the whole bank until Lucas locates and old rickety bridge we can cross.

Judging by the thin, worn boards of the rope-suspended bridge, it won't hold very much weight.

Flint beats me to it. "One at a time, Rivers you first."

"What? Shouldn't the Princess go first?" Rivers pouts.

Flint gives him a look that sends him flying over the the bridge with his horse. Sky and Asher follow hastily with reins in hand. Lucas has a bit of trouble balancing with his brown mare and takes more time than necessary. Next is Rafe who, of course, is as balanced as a swan. 

Flint is forced to leave his large beast of a horse with me because he and his horse would be too heavy. I take the reigns on his horse and he  takes Nina and once they reach the middle, I hear a snap and then, "Danica, run!"

"Shit," I mutter as I make to sprint across the bridge. The boards crunch beneath my feet and give out, forcing me to speed up, pushing my limits to how fast even I can go with my increased Fae speed.

I can hear Asher scream, "She isn't going to make it!"

I leap the last few feet, grabbing the edge of the cliff, my heart pounding. Hoisting myself the rest of the way over the cliff, I roll into the mud.

"Well shit." Rivers says.

The seven men loom above me, peering down at my breathless form. Weeks without much sleep and rare meals have really caught up to me.

"Flint," I whisper, closing my eyes.

"What is it?" He says.

"I forgot your horse." I open one eye and peek at Flint.

"Get out of the mud." His strong jaw twitches. "We need to get going, you'll ride with me on Nina." We all mount our horses and set off. Th night turns cold and I shiver against Flint's back. Between my close call with death and my lack of energy, I'm having much difficulty summouning fire.

"For God's sake." Flint flips his cloak over my head so I'm fully covered. His warmth is contained within the cloak, keeping me warm. I eventually drift off into a light sleep, enveloped in a comfortable heat.

<3
I'm literally suffering from the worst writer's block!
It's Thanksgiving Break now so I hope to have another chapter out soon!

Xoxo,
DD