The sounds of the Keep filled my head. Feet walking to the training grounds, voices talking and laughing about plans and stories, the smell of porridge and bacon cooking over a fire... except I shouldn't have been able to sense any of this from my room. Groaning, I sat up, rubbing my temples against a headache. Opening my eyes, a line of pale orange and yellow shone over the flat horizon, giving the hazy gray light of dawn a goldish hue. Horses stood tied to posts, stamping their feet or grazing the grass, but those weren't our horses... and why did the mountains look so far away?
"Where am I?" I croaked, my throat dry. It felt like I had cotton stuffed in my mouth.
"Here, drink this," a low, calming voice said, handing me a cup. Looking up, I saw a man with a brown goatee and warm eyes. I had seen him before. Suddenly, it all rushed back. Sitting in the living room weeping. Nourse angry. Marduk trying to calm the situation. Cocoa. Waking up to people taking me from my bed. This was one of my captors!
I made to stand up, pushing the cup away, but the man placed a hand on my arm and shoulder, steadying me.
"It's okay, Thea. We're not here to hurt you," he said, pressing the cup back into my hand. "You were drugged. Water will help clear your head."
I looked into the cup. It certainly looked like water, but... The leathery feel of my tongue pushed against the roof of my mouth, crying for moisture. Taking a tentative sip, I swished the water in my mouth and swallowed. It tasted of snowmelt from mountain streams. I waited a second, and when I noticed nothing bad happening, I drained the cup, gasping.
"Here's some food," the man said, pushing a bowl of porridge with a strip of bacon toward me. I wolfed it down, wishing he had added more bacon.
"Slow down, you don't want to get sick," he said, returning with another glass of water. Taking his advice, I swallowed, preparing to ask a few questions. Who these people were and where I was seemed a good start. Also, had the man said I was drugged? When would that have happened? It all seemed like a strange, exotic dream.
"So you are finally awake. Thank goodness!" a clear feminine voice said. Turning, I saw none other than Elise walking over. Relief flooded through me at the familiar face. She would know what was happening.
"Elise? What's going on? Where am I? Did someone attack the Keep?" I stumbled over my words trying to get them out. Elise made eye contact with the man who had given me food, something being passed between them. Groaning, the man stood up, making some excuse about needing to check on the horses. Elise turned her gaze upon me, her caramel colored eyes striking. How had I never noticed those eyes before? Indeed, Elise stood and looked like a completely different person than the shy and polite servant I had gotten to know.
"Do you remember back to our conversation when you asked me to send those letters to your mother and friend?" she started.
What did that have to do with anything? "Of course. That was when I learned about your family for the first time. You had asked me if I was happy at the camp."
"What if I told you that those letters were never actually delivered? That I had orders to burn them when you were not looking?"
"Who would have ordered that? Surely not Marduk or Nourse. They encouraged me to write those letters."
Elise remained silent, her eyes drilling into mine. My stomach plummeted at what her silence implied. This couldn't be true. Marduk would not have lied or betrayed me.
"You're saying that those letters never reached my mom, that they never even left the Keep."
Elise nodded.
"But why would Marduk order such a thing? He was always asking me how I was and if I missed my family."
Elise sighed, clasping her hands in front of her. "Have you ever had someone be overly nice in order to attain what they want?"
I thought back to home and Margot who often flirted and schemed to get her wish from unsuspecting victims. Realization suddenly dawned on me.
"Are you saying that Marduk was tricking me this entire time? That he was trying to get something from me?"
"He was not trying to get something from you. The prize was you," Elise stated flatly. At my silence and stupefied look, she sighed again. "I am not who you think I am, Thea."
"What do you mean?"
"My family and I did not start out at Marduk's camp. We were sent there in order to listen and retrieve information that could help sway this war."
"You're a spy?" I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice. Bashful Elise, who could barely look me in the face or hold a conversation, actually served the opposite side?
"Pretty good act, right? Anyway, our mission changed yesterday with orders to abandon the Keep and bring you along."
"Bring me along? Who would want that?" I asked. Elise simply nodded around her, challenging me to look and see.
I studied the camp around me. Men walked around fulfilling tasks like rolling up bed rolls, grooming and saddling horses, and dressing for the day. Campfires smoldered and cooks served the last of the food for breakfast. Across the way stood a white tent, a white flag with a golden dove flapping. Only one group had that banner.
"What does Prince Solas want with me?" I said, fear rising up. The rumors of the Prince kidnapping people who did not agree with the war invaded my thoughts. "It seems strange to kidnap someone over a few angry words."
"Did you not hear me the first time?" Elise said, pinching her nose. "We rescued you - do you not see that?"
"I'm not some helpless maiden who needs to be rescued!" I said, anger mounting. "I was fine!"
"Really? Being lied to, manipulated, and tricked into serving a cause that will ultimately end in pain and suffering for everyone means you were fine? Not to mention that after what happened on the last mission, there would have been severe consequences."
"Marduk would never hurt me."
"Really? What did you think was in your drink last night? Cinnamon?"
"Are you saying that Marduk drugged me so that I wouldn't put up a fight?"
Elise threw her hands up in the air. "It is like talking to a wall! What do I need to say to convince you that Marduk is not a good man?" I opened my mouth to tell her exactly what she could say and where she could say it when another voice broke the air like a velvet curtain.
"Thea, you are okay. I am so glad." Whirling around, I came face to face with Prince Solas himself, his hazel brown eyes meeting mine. "How are you feeling?"
I stood there, my mouth open like some kind of shocked schoolgirl. Get it together, Thea.
"Why am I here?" I demanded, crossing my arms. The Prince cocked his head, his black hair swaying against his dark skin.
"Elise, thank you for your service. You have done well," Prince Solas said, dismissing her with a smile. He turned back to me. "I came to see you a few days after our initial visit, and your mother told me you were kidnapped. We've been looking for you ever since. When I received word yesterday that Shay had seen you, we came as quickly as we could."
"Shay is here?" I asked, looking around.
"Sadly, no. She and several others are retrieving their fallen comrades' bodies and giving them a proper burial." The image of Nourse aiming an arrow at the soldier's back flashed in my mind. I looked away, swallowing.
"I have come to escort you back home," continued Prince Solas. His eyes softened. "I was also hoping we could get to know each other better." The unrequited marriage proposal hung in the air. Like I would seriously change my mind just because they stole me from my bed.
"My home is destroyed," I said flatly. "And I told you before that I have no interest in marrying the person creating this war."
"Is that what Marduk told you? That I have created this war?" The Prince spoke Marduk's name casually, as if they had once known each other well.
"I have no reason to doubt him," I replied.
"Even after he kidnapped you, torched our town, and drugged you?" spoke another voice, as if from a dream. Turning, I found my older brother, Devin, with his hands on his hips. What was with all of these surprises?
"Devin?" I breathed. All of the confusion and anger disappeared as I launched myself at him, giving him a fierce hug.
"It's good to see you too, sis," he said, hugging me back. It had been so long. Too long. Even if he fought on the wrong side and was too stubborn to realize it, he was my brother. It felt good to see him again, alive and well.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, taking a step back to look him in the eyes. The same warm brown eyes that graced my face.
"When I heard what awful trouble you had gotten yourself into, I insisted that I be put on this mission." His earlier words rang back through my head.
"Torched our town? Marduk? What are you talking about?" I said, my voice dangerously low. Was even Devin convinced that Marduk was responsible for all the bad and evil that occurred?
"The soldiers had the image of a black dragon, and they carried flags with the dragon on it. Only Marduk uses that standard."
"No, that can't be right," I said, thinking back to what Shay had said. "Shay never mentioned seeing any standards."
"She was probably too busy trying to get everyone to safety to really notice small details like that," Devin supplied. The Prince nodded.
"Marduk is also very good at hiding what he doesn't want others to know," said Prince Solas, reaching out his arms. "I'm sorry, Thea."
I turned away from his embrace. He let his arms drop. "What about my mom? And the others in the village? Did they really escape?" I said, feeling tears rising. Not again. I would not cry in front of anyone else again.
"We arrived in time to get everyone out," said Prince Solas. "Your mother is safe, Thea. They are staying with the governor on his island right now."
So Marduk had told the truth about that part. I exhaled, feeling my shoulders sag as tension and worry seeped out.
"We need to be going," said Devin. "We don't want Marduk's men catching us."
Prince Solas nodded. "Come, Thea, let me show you to your horse."
"No." The word slipped out, unplanned, but true. I had never said anything I meant more in my life. The two men paused.
"Would you rather go back to Marduk?" Prince Solas asked. I thought about his words, about what I'd heard about Marduk and his so-called plan of protecting the cities, about the claim that he had ordered others to torch my home.
"No," I said, straightening and looking Prince Solas in the eye, "but I won't go with you, either." Neither side could be trusted, and I wasn't about to put my welfare in the hands of yet another all-powerful being. There was only one person who I could trust and rely on, and that was myself. I would not be duped again.
What I could have sworn was hurt flashed through the Prince's eyes. "Very well," he said, giving me a backward glance, "but I cannot guarantee your safety."
I crossed my arms, my stance firm. "I never asked for your protection in the first place."
The Prince's eyes flashed, but he sighed. "At least let me bring you to your horse." I followed him to where several horses were tied by a creek, and in the middle of them, his proud black mane gleaming -
"Kynthelig!" I yelled, breaking into a run. I threw my arms around his neck. He whinnied, blowing into my hair.
"You will need these items as well," said Prince Solas, handing me a sword, bow, and quiver filled with arrows. I secured the weapons and untied Kynthelig.
"Thank you," I said to Prince Solas. I might not have agreed with what the Prince was doing, but he deserved at least some gratitude for bringing me my horse. He gave a small bow, his dark hair turning silver in the early morning light.
"Take this bag, as well. It has enough money and food to help you get to where you are going. Are you sure you want to travel alone?" he asked, cocking his head. I hesitated. He had gone to the trouble of bringing Kynthelig while looking for me. But Marduk had also been kind in the beginning, giving me food, training, and praise. My gut roiled at the thought of depending on another person's word. I would not be fooled again.
"I will go on my own, thank you," I said primly. In one smooth motion, I mounted Kynthelig. "If what you said is true about my mom being on the governor's island, then I will see you there."
"Perhaps then you'll allow me to explain some things?" said the Prince.
"Perhaps," was my reply before nudging Kynthelig into a trot, heading southeast. Just as I was about to leave the camp, Devin caught up, riding a horse of his own.
"Thea, I know you are hurting and it isn't a party being betrayed, but do you really think journeying back home by yourself is a good idea?"
"Listen, Devin, you haven't been in my life for the past three years. It was good to see you again, but I'm not the same hopeless girl you left right after Dad passed away. I appreciate that you care, but I need to do this on my own. Besides, I still don't understand why you continue to serve Prince Solas." Devin opened his mouth to speak, but I held a hand up. "Nothing you say will convince me right now. I will respect your choices as long as you respect mine." Devin closed his mouth, his mood growing somber.
"Very well. But please, get home safely, okay? You might have grown up, but you are still my little sister."
I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. I could at least promise that much. Flicking the reins, I urged Kynthelig into a canter. Soon the camp was a distant speck on the horizon.
***
I was lost. Utterly and completely lost. Though I had been going in what I was sure was a southeasterly direction with the sun just in front of my right shoulder, everything on the plains looked the same. I was certain that that rock I had passed was the same one I had seen an hour ago.
The setting sun shone weakly through the clouds. A brisk wind raced across the plain. I watched the grass flatten as the wind hit it only to bounce back up. That's what I needed to do. Bounce back from this mess. I would rest tonight and tomorrow start out fresh. Tomorrow I would be home.
Or at least what was left of it. If what Shay and Prince Solas said was true, I didn't really have a home to go to. Though it was nice of the Prince to convince the governor to take the village in, I'd bet he would kick everyone out once the Prince left. That's how it had always been.
How the Prince had never realized how corrupt our governor was, I didn't know. Or maybe he did know and just didn't care. Nourse's story about the Prince's lack of action in Norvik flashed through my mind. Either way, once I reached the governor's island, I'd find Mom and we'd leave. Surely there was some place that wasn't affected by this war where we could be in peace. It would be nice if I could convince my brother to come, too, but that would be next to impossible. He was just too stubborn.
Stopping by a leaning scraggly tree that had somehow managed to survive the fierce winds, I made camp, flattening the tall grass into a makeshift bed. Eating some cheese and bread from the supplies the Prince had given me, I huddled next to the fire while Kynthelig grazed behind me. It was going to be a cold night, and I didn't have any blankets. I glanced at Kynthelig, grazing with his saddle on. I'd just have to use his saddle blanket. Once Kynthelig had had his fill, I unsaddled him, using his blanket to cover me. Exhaustion forced my eyelids to close.
Darkness surrounded me in an empty void. No matter where I turned, all I saw was black, and my voice, though I shouted as loudly as I could, did not travel. A feeling of fear crept up my spine, as if I were being watched. But there was nothing. Only me and the dark.
The sound of howling woke me from the nightmare. Gasping and covered in sweat, I looked around, relieved to make out the grass below and stars above. The howls sounded again. Kynthelig snorted nervously, stamping a foot. It was probably just coyotes. I tried to block it out and go back to a hopefully more peaceful sleep. The howling sounded again, closer. Sitting up, I looked for the source of the noise. The fire had burned down to embers, and the thin sliver of moon offered little light. A growl sounded to my left.
Two shining eyes met mine in the sliver of moonlight. Picking up my sword, I stood as a wolf emerged from the grass, snarling. I whistled Kynthelig over, cursing myself for unsaddling him. Another wolf emerged from the tall grass. Howls sounded, and one of the wolves raised its head, answering back. This was not good.
Grabbing a handful of Kynthelig's mane, I swung on, legs squeezing his massive sides as he took off. With a growl, the wolves pursued. It was all I could do to stay on, my left hand grasping Kynthelig's mane and my right swinging my sword.
We were outrunning the wolves when out of nowhere a third wolf lunged, claws slicing my horse's flank. Kynthelig whinnied with pain as I slashed at the wolf, cutting its side. With a whine, the wolf let go. Blood dripped onto the grass, but there was no time to stop and tend to the wound.
We raced across the prairie, the wind blowing behind us. Kynthelig's strides, though still fast, were uneven, and his breath was growing worse. Just when I thought we were safe, two wolves appeared in front of us, darting toward Kynthelig. Even with his special breeding and training in the army, Kynthelig, my constant, unfaltering, never swerving companion started, rearing on his hind legs. With nothing to grab, I was thrown, landing hard on my right arm. A scream escaped me, but I pushed myself back up, keeping my arm close to my chest.
The wolves circled. I slashed at them, though the pain in my right arm and shoulder stopped me from a full swing. I hissed. This couldn't be the way I'd die. Not like this.
One of the wolves bared its teeth and lunged. I prepared to swing for what would be my last when an arrow hit the wolf, knocking it aside and killing it. Another arrow soon found its mark in the second wolf. The others hesitated.
Then a fiend, wearing a head wrap so only the eyes showed, roared into their midst swinging a sword, cutting and slashing at the pack. Smelling the blood and fear of their comrades, the rest of the wolves fled. The fiend turned to me, and I began shaking. Stories told on cold autumn nights around a fire described creatures who were made of darkness and who wore the skin of humans flooded my mind, and I took a step back. It was said such creatures covered every part of their body except their eyes, and no one knew what they looked like underneath their clothes, or at least no one knew and lived to tell the tale.
"Where are you hurt?" it asked, its sword dripping blood. I eyed its tall, thin form warily. Though I would have considered such creatures as mere stories only a few months ago, I had experienced enough now to not question such things.
Seeing my apprehensive stare, the fiend uttered a sound and pulled its head covering off, revealing blond hair and a completely regular human face.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," the man said. "I forget that most people aren't used to not seeing faces."
Dizzy with relief and the fact that I survived, I dropped to my knees, my left hand clutching my right arm. The man knelt beside me.
"Mind if I take a look?" he asked, reaching for my arm. Ordinarily, I would have refused, but given the circumstances...
So much for being dependent only on myself.
He held my arm gently, looking at the wrist and shoulder. "It appears you have a sprained wrist and a dislocated shoulder. Easy fixes, though that shoulder will hurt."
"Just do what you need to," I gritted out, hissing through my teeth. Who knew an arm could hurt so much? The man took off his pack and rummaged around, pulling out cloths. He wrapped my wrist, instructing me to not use it for a few days. Then he touched my shoulder.
I cried out as the feeling of fire rushed down my arm and across my shoulders. I hunched forward.
"You need to relax. Take some deep breaths," the man instructed. I obeyed, filling my lungs several times. "Now lie down on your back and focus on something else."
"You really expect me to lay down in front of a stranger?" I asked, hissing through my teeth.
"You have a dislocated shoulder. Do you plan on popping it back in yourself?"
Right. I slowly eased myself on my back, careful not to bump the wrapped wrist. I watched the swirl of clouds above my head, catching pockets of stars.
"Now this might sting a little, but it will feel better after," the man said. He grabbed my elbow. "Take a deep breath in." I did so. "Now exhale slowly." As I let the breath out, the man pulled my arm down. Pain raced down my arm before a soft pop! sounded. The pain instantly felt better, like after a sliver is taken out. I breathed with relief and started to sit up.
"Whoa, take your time. I'm going to make a sling for your arm," the man said, standing and rummaging back through his bag.
"Thank you for your help," I said as he fashioned a sling around my neck, "but I need to go." Though he had been only nice, I wasn't about to stick around long enough for him to hurt me. Never mind the fact that he just happened to be wandering alone in the middle of nowhere in the dead of night. Where had he come from? Why was he by himself? Where was his horse? It was better that I get away from this situation before something worse happened.
The man snorted. "You are in no place to go anywhere. Your arm is healing, you have no supplies, your horse is injured," for each item he listed he held up a finger, "and all you have is a sword. How are you going to hunt or find food?" I looked away, annoyed that he was right. Fine. I'd rest and let this stranger look after me tonight. But I was leaving, alone, in the morning.
"Fine. Can you at least tell me your name?" I asked, sitting up. If he was going to rob me blind (of course, I really didn't have anything to steal aside from Kynthelig and my sword), then I should at least know what name to curse.
"Jax, Ranger of the Wilds," Jax said, looking up into the distance and sweeping a hand slowly through the air. I rolled my eyes. Great, a showman. But a ranger? If what he said was true, then I should be safe enough for the night.
"Thea," I replied, holding out my left hand. Jax shook it. Using my left hand as a brace, I stood up, grunting at the extra effort. I walked over to Kynthelig and examined his injuries.
Several long scratches marred his side, but they were shallow and had already clotted. Still, they could get infected.
"Do you happen to have anything to prevent infection in that bag of yours?" I asked Jax.
"Certainly, but you should rest. Let me care for your horse." I stopped him with a glare.
"My horse, my responsibility," I ground out. Jax shrugged and handed me a tonic and rags.
"Sorry, boy, this will hurt," I told Kynthelig as I reopened the wounds. He flicked an ear back, his flank shivering, but he stood still as I cared for him. Only after carefully cleaning inside and around the wounds and applying the tonic did I lay back down, exhaustion weighing me down.
"Did you need anything else, my lady Thea?" quipped Jax. My lady. My mind flashed back to Elise and the Keep, but I squashed such thoughts quickly, burying them inside.
"Yeah, never call me 'my lady' again," I said, closing my eyes.