The White Rose

8. Out for Blood

She glances behind her to see the angry faces drawing closer, gaining on her as she struggles with her inflamed ankle. She's not going to make it beyond the village, especially since her horse resides between her and a sea of furious bodies.

Nura's pulse flares as she realises she's trapped and alone, not even Rephas' hand in hers is here to guide her. The soldiers have moved on and no one will stand between her and a Witch's death.

Nura twists around a corner, the squat homes closing in on her as she sprints through shadowed alleys. She loses their fierce gazes for a brief moment but she knows it's only a temporary respite.

She keeps going, losing herself amongst the homes, getting turned in circles until she doesn't know which way to go to get back to the cabin. She sucks in deep breaths, willing herself to keep her head on straight. But she can hear their shouts as they join her amongst the alleys and the air is becoming thin.

Something shifts beside her and Nura cries out, but her voice is muffled behind a palm and she's dragged through a doorway. Nura struggles, sending an elbow back into her attacker who grunts but tightens their arm around her waist.

Her eyes are wide as a couple of men run through the alley, past where she is, and continue through the homes. Her attacker loosens their hold once they've past and Nura spins around.

She comes face to face with the Ice Elf.

"What are you doing?" she demands, breathing heavily as she leans against the wall, her knees trembling.

The Ice Elf tilts his hooded head. "Helping you," he replies.

Nura lowers her head, her chest heaving with each breath. "Thank you."

"I think it's time to leave, Nura."

"Leave?" Her head snaps up to glare at him. "I need to find Rephas first. I'm not going anywhere without him."

The Ice Elf reaches into his pocket with a gloved hand and takes out a slip of paper. "Your husband told me to give this to you."

"What?" Nura snatches the paper from his hand, opening it with trembling fingers.

Don't look for me. Nura presses her fingers to her lips as she reads those words in Rephas' script. It's too dangerous, Nura. All I want is for you to be safe and to accomplish that you need to let me go. A sob wells from her lips. I should have told you about the things that happened to me before I came to the Hold, but I was terrified that if I involved you, then you would be a target too. Taliondil has promised to protect you. He will get you somewhere safe. Trust him, but no one else. I'm sorry, Nura. Know that I love you and will always love you. Please live your life away from this darkness.

The letter ends. Nura flips it over, searching for anymore writing, anything to explain to her why all of this is happening. But there's nothing and Nura is left with icy hands and emptiness.

"He's all I have," she utters, tears dripping down her cheeks. "He's all I have." She slips to the floor with the note pressed to her chest, her heart withering like a flower in Snowfall.

She doesn't know how to accept this, how to process it and move on. She can't. She won't.

Nura refuses to accept it.

"The cabin," she whispers. "There has to be something more at the cabin." She stands and faces the alley as she clings to the letter.

"Nura," the Ice Elf – Taliondil – hisses.

"I'm going back to the cabin," she says, resolve hardening her heart.

"Nura, no."

She doesn't hear him as she darts back into the alley and runs into the heavy silence of the village, the villager's search for her having moved on.