Kingdom of Stars and Fire

Chapter 31

Aelin

Aelin loved flying. 

She loved the wind in her face, and the feeling of freedom. 

She didn't however love the cold.

 But Aelin didn't care, not when she was soaring past mountains. They had been flying all day, and were planning on stopping for the night. 

Apparently, everyone was in Antica waiting for them. 

Rowan included. 

She was less than two days away from seeing Rowan. 

The mere thought of that made her want to cry. 

Aelin flew with Borte, while Feyre flew with Kendric. And a young female, by the name Iris, had the pleasure of flying with Connall. 

Connall wasn't dead. 

He never died. 

Aelin was still shocked about that.

She saw Connall kill himself. 

Fenrys did too. 

And by now Fenrys had to have heard about Connall being alive. 

Aelin truly didn't know how Fenrys would react to seeing his brother. 

If he would scream or cry. 

They landed on top of a mountain that night, and set up camp. They were eating dinner when Aelin heard it. Connall and Feyre did too, as they immediately perched to attention, and scanned the surrounding area. 

They couldn't see much as it was the dead of night, there was only the fire in front of them, and the star light. Borte saw them drift a hand to their swords and asked, "What is it?"

Aelin said nothing at first, still searching the area for the power that she felt enter the area.

"Something's here," Aelin said quietly. She was standing, and had pulled out her sword. "Valg," Aelin murmured. At the sound of that everyone got to their feet and drew their weapons.

"There shouldn't be any Valg here. We banished them all," Aelin said, more to herself than anyone.

"The kharankui used to live in these mountains. If an army marches towards Orynth then clearly there are some kharankui got here somehow," Borte said quietly.

 Aelin heart dropped at the word Orynth. Her heart pounded, she had forgotten that there was an attack coming on Orynth. She had been a prisoner for Maeve for more than two weeks, which meant that the kharankui .....

Aelin swore. "What is it?" Connall asked, eyes still scanning the snowy mountains.

"Feyre, ask Rhys what happened to the army marching on Orynth," Aelin asked harshly. 

Feyre's face paled, as she too also realized that it had been more than two weeks. The kharankui should be upon the city by now. 

Feyre waited 40 seconds before saying, "Nothing has happened. The kharankui stopped pushing forward about a week ago. They haven't moved since." 

Aelin breathed a sigh of relief, before turning back her attention to the unknown threat.

"Should we go?" Feyre asked. Aelin said nothing and only continued to survey the area.

"Rowan is going to kill me if we don't," Borte commented. "We can go camp somewhere else. But we shouldn't stick around to see whatever is here."