The Grey Blood #2

Forsaken Lands

The woods feel more welcoming to Oliver than the capital ever did or ever will. Amongst the trees, the curling mist, the ice clumped in the underbrush, he finally feels like he can draw in a full breath. This place was his grave for four years, a grave he clawed his way out of. He lost and found himself here.

"I forgot how big the world is," Adrian says as he settles himself opposite Oliver in the opening of the train-car, the trees sluicing past them as the train chugs along the tracks.

Oliver just hums.

"You were out here right at the beginning of it all," Adrian continues, clearly not catching onto Oliver's aversion to conversation. "What was it like?"

He exhales, his breath coming out as a cloud of white that's quickly swept away by the train's forward momentum.

He'd been beyond the walls for over three years when he met Sam and Galya. It was simple before then. There was no one to care for and no one to care for him. He was alone in a world of monsters. He spent a long time being lost and spent a long time not even realising he was lost.

"Quiet," he replies, his voice rumbling from his chest.

"Sorry for disturbing you," Adrian mutters and moves to get back up.

"What made you come here, Adrian?" Oliver asks as he reaches into his pocket for the slim metal container that he pops open. He runs a tongue over his lips before sliding the cigarette between them, letting it rest in the corner of his mouth. Adrian still hasn't replied as Oliver's face lights with the sharp glow of the match, silver eyes betraying nothing of the anger that simmers just below his skin.

Adrian sits back down, resting his forearms on his bent knees with his back against the carriage door. "I realised the truth."

Oliver tilts his head, urging the man to continue though he knows nothing he says will absolve him of what he did.

"Every time my mother has tried to save our family, one of us have died. My father, my brother, nearly me as a child with the Ruga flu." Adrian's chin lowers, his gaze becoming faraway. "She never told the rest of our family, but I know Alicia stole the medicine to save my life that Ma refused to waste money on buying."

Oliver flicks his cigarette, not surprised that Alicia would place herself at risk like that to save a member of her family. Bleeding heart she is. "Then why did you follow that woman if you knew she was capable of such cruelty?"

"It was after the war. I asked my ma how in all the Light we managed to get elevated to nobility. She told me everything Alicia had done. I couldn't look my sister in the eye after hearing the truth, but the crimes she'd committed couldn't be undone. Then our pa was killed and Alicia was exiled and Ma told me it was her past deeds catching up to her. I hated Alicia for what I thought she had wrought. I didn't know of the hand my mother had in it until I asked Sebastian when we were settling our deal with the racetracks. He told me everything the grand duke had done and that my mother had helped him."

Oliver stands, flicking his barely smoked cigarette to the mud outside. "I'm glad you found the truth, Adrian. But I will say I'm finding it difficult to forgive you for giving up Alicia to the grand duke as you did. And if I'm finding it difficult, I can't imagine Alicia will offer forgiveness any easier."

Looking up at him with glistening eyes, Adrian's face is etched with torment. "I don't want her forgiveness. I just want her to know she still has a family."

Oliver tilts his head as he looks down at the man who is so desperate to repair the pieces of something he helped shatter. Oliver knows the feeling, but he won't let Adrian hurt Alicia again. "Indeed, she does."