A Whisper to the North

Chapter VI ✠ Seven Lost

"What happened!?" One of them asked her.

"We're about to find out. Let's ready the horses!" Una shouted as they all began to jog.

When they exited through the back of the castle, Una's stallion had not been saddled yet. She didn't care.

"Yvar, help me up, please!" Una said, standing close to her strong horse.

You could see that the horse sensed her Fear, so he began to blow air loudly through his nostrils. Una pulled hard on the reins to steady him since he was acting uneasy.

"It's okay, boy!" Una said as Yvar took her leg and pushed her up on the bare back of the horse.

"Okay, let's go!" She pulled her horseback, giving Yvar a salute of thanks.

"Where to, my liege?" Year said, mounting his stallion.

"To the river, hurry! We must catch them!" Una said as they propelled into a canter down the slope of the hill and into the valley.

The silver of her sword reflected the sunlight, and she feared that it would cause attention. Never had she ever gone through the kingdom on horseback like she was, in a full gallop. Never had the entire gate been opened, only one side. She was surrounded by her soldiers too. Their weapons ready to impale any who defy them.

After a short ride, they made it to the river edge, where they could see a few bodies floating freely in the current. They were caught on fallen tree trunks. In the distance, Una could see the boat. It was not going very fast, for the wind was stagnant this day. It was rare that there was no wind, and Una couldn't help but think that the Gods were on her side, watching out for them.

Their sail could not pick up, so they were only carried down the river by a gentle current. It appeared that no one was on board, that was until a group of men swam over to the boat. That was when Frey's group came out with swords and chopped the hands off the men trying to board the boat. Terrible screams were echoing through the valley.

"Archers!" Una called out to her men.

They were on horseback, but they could get a better angle to hit the group as they tried to defend their stolen boat.

"At will!" Una declared.

Suddenly a storm of arrows struck the boat in proximity. One by one, the bodies fell as they were being pelted with arrows. She counted five of them in view who had fallen.

She had not seen Frey's body yet. When the firing ceased, more swimmers ran out to the boat. As they boarded, you could hear a girl scream at the top of her lungs. Una suddenly listened to the scream silence. It rang out through the valley in an eerie dissipation. Only the sound of a lonesome bird overhead could be heard.

"That's everyone." The swimmer said as Una followed the boat along the shore with her horse.

"How many!?" Una felt eager to hear.

"Seven." The man said.

Una felt her heart nearly burst; they had killed them all. Worst of all, they had killed the son of the man who killed the King so long ago.

"Frey..." Una whispered to herself.

Una let her head hang low, and she released her reins, allowing her stallion to take her wherever he pleased. Una knew that now Frey's father would be back. Then she remembered that Frey and his group got lost, so how could his father learn to come here? There will be no evidence.

"Burn it," Una said, lifting her head.

A horseman came and galloped up next to Una. He had a gleam in his eyes, and it was not contentment.