For whatever the reason, Aurora was thankful that she had not been blindfolded as she was escorted through the trees. Discreetly she looked all about her, just as she was instructed by Eri to do so.
There were as many pathways and bridges as there were leaves. Finding a possible escape route would require navigating a maze. The only sure way of escape was down. But that was far, far below.
As they approached the inner limits of the tree city, there were more spiraling turns and paths woven out of tree limbs. At the end of the upward spiral, she saw the city, if one looked closely.
It wasn't so much as if houses loomed on top of branches, but that ornately decorated pathways and doorways dotted the trunks. To anyone on the ground looking up, the pathways appeared to be no more than branches and the bridges vines. The trees were the city, cleverly disguised inside the forest.
She was led to what she assumed was the center of the city. A massive burgundy tree with considerably more pathways than any of the others rose before her.
Once inside, she was quickly led down through a narrow corridor and deposited into a small room. There was only a frail looking chair and a narrow window high on the wall from which the morning light streamed in.
The guard closed the door behind her. Eri had warned her that they'd probably keep her watched so she guessed the guard remained outside. She turned to the window again, but it was far too narrow for her to slip through.
Her hands remained tied. There was nothing in the room for her to use to pry of the rope. With Eri's words in mind to study their location, Aurora kicked the chair to the window. Carefully balancing herself, she stood on the chair and looked out.
Not long after, in a tree further off, she noticed two elves forcibly taking another prisoner through a doorway. It was Lucas. Her breath hitched.
Her eyes remained fixated to the tree where Lucas had been taken. How long she watched, she did not know. The guards did not leave and neither did Lucas.
Then the door unexpectedly opened and she stumbled, lost her balance and fell back, hitting the floor hard. Looming above her, she knew without a doubt, was the Red Fox.
A red mask, exposing only his eyes, concealed the upper part of his face and hair. Briefly he ignored her and closed the door. Almost effortlessly he lifted her of the floor and placed her on the chair.
He towered before her with his arms crossed while her heart hammered erratically. Finally he broke the silence. "Trying to escape, I see. I suppose your friends are not important to you then?"
Aurora eyed him suspiciously, wondering if she could overpower him with magic and run out. But before the thought fully formed he warned, "Uh-uh-uhh. I would not if I were you. Do you know who I am?"
She fidgeted but begrudgingly answered, "Yes."
A roguish grin spread beneath the mask. "Excellent, I hate introductions. And do you know what I am going to do with you?"
She hesitated. "We did nothing wrong."
"That remains to be seen." His tone was brusque. "I know who you are, Key of Armindia."
"I, I don't understand. I don't know what you are talking about? What do you want?" She'd reared her head back as he leaned in.
"There is much that I know about you. I keep a close watch on my enemies, but I've yet to decide which you are. Sooner or later you will confirm my suspicions." He took her arm and led her out the door. They walked through a winding corridor that led to a spiraling staircase.
"Where are you taking me?"
Silence was her answer. As they climbed on, the path grew narrow until it led to a slim vertical window the length of them.
The Red Fox indicated for her to look outside as he stood behind her. Below their vantage point she could see most of the treetops. It was like touching the sky.
If she reached out, she was certain she would feel it. The leaves of the treetops acting as the soft ground beneath her feet as she floated away like the vapor of a cloud. The valleys of green beneath her dipped in the distance like waves. It was breathtaking.
"Beautiful, is not?" His voice broke the spell.
She turned to face him. "What is it that I'm looking for?"
He stepped closer. "Look beyond the trees. Do you see the mountains to the east? Through them is the pass to the Eastern Elvin Kingdoms, but we are barred from entering. Our own kin have turned their backs to us.
"Look to the west. See the dark clouds? They are the campfires of Lord Fennaris's army. They are on the move, attacking and pillaging. That is Mithoran. Or what is left of it."
Mithoran: her destination.
Somewhere out there Lily was being held prisoner. Aurora turned to him, eager for any information that could get her closer to Lily. "What happened?"
"Lord Fennaris." The Red Fox remained silent, as if that explained it all.
As she turned her attention back to Mithoran, he began, "The royal House of Rythan ruled with benign negligence. They never suspected treason.
"Lord Fennaris controlled the military and their loyalty. And when the time came, his followers struck, killing every member of the noble houses on the same night. Not even children were spared."
Aurora brought her hands to her mouth in horror.
"Does it shock you? The greed of one man?" He snorted.
"Many are afraid to oppose him. Those of us here are willing to fight, but we are not enough. Not nearly enough. He's taken our homes, lives, and freedom and we want them back! We will fight to get them back!" His fist slammed against the windowsill.
She eyed him closely. Something was missing. "Why aren't the other kingdoms helping?"
"War is a costly monster. It is perhaps why Lord Fennaris attacks Armindia, a human nation. Its riches will easily support his armies when he launches his attack on the other kingdoms. That is his goal, to rule all of the elvin lands, but the Eastern Elvin Kingdoms hope that this is a civil war and will not interfere.
"Not wanting to alienate whoever becomes the ruling faction, they sit back and wait. They will not even trade with us out of fear. So we create those opportunities.
"We had hoped to form an alliance through Armindia's Protector, but he is on a different path now. Armindia is vulnerable and without a leader. Lord Fennaris is using this to his advantage, which brings us to you." He stared at her then out onto Mithoran, calculating potential risks and threats.
"If the other kingdoms won't fight, why won't they at least shelter you as refugees?" The solution seemed so simple.
"They would risk Lord Fennaris's wrath, and endanger their people. You see we are not only outlaws in the eyes of the usurper Lord Fennaris but to the other elvin kingdoms as well. We are hunted on both sides." He turned her to face him, his voice bitter. "Do you know what that is like?"
She shook her head, only now beginning to comprehend the magnitude of the danger they faced on her quest to find and rescue Lily.
"Further to the west is Ilsurni Castle, the ruins of it that Lord Fennaris has transformed into a fortress. Beyond that is the Labyrinth, a dangerous wilderness of his own making. To the north are the Mirzan River and the borders of Armindia. To the south are the deserts. We are trapped, but we fight on. We do what we can to survive." Cold determination frosted his voice.
Aurora remembered Tezaro's words and uttered them softly, "And so you steal."
"And so we survive!" The Red Fox became fierce, seizing her by the arms boring down at her with contempt in his eyes. The spring of fear in her eyes quickly calmed him and he released her. "I will not harm you. You need not fear me; afterall, I need your help."
Before she continued to search his eyes, he led her back to the room where he had found her. With an easy shove, he pushed her onto a chair then leaned against the wall studying her. "Will you help my people?"
Aurora shrugged trying to conceal her turmoil at what he'd revealed to her. "You either lied or told me only what you wanted to me to know. I'm not stupid."
"I should hope not." He pushed off the wall then squatted on the balls of his feet before her. "But I have not lied."
"If that's the case, then what do you want with me then?"
"I thought I'd made that obvious. We need your help."
"You mean you want to use me." She countered.
"Yes, but at least I'm honest enough to admit it." He stood, walking around her. "You're going to find that once it is known who and what you are there's going to be a long line of people wanting, as you put it, to use you. Some will be subtle; others will try sympathy to manipulate you and plea with you. But the end will be the same. Who will you be able to trust?"
She snorted. "I am not who you think. I certainly cannot fight off an army for you single handedly."
He wasn't dissuaded and leaned in on her left ear. "Oh, I'm sure you'll be the new ruler of Armindia. You already keep interesting company. You are what the Consul has been waiting for years to return. Trust me."
"No, trust me! I have no power here. I am not the key and I am definitely not about to rule some kingdom."
"And I told you before, I have my suspicions about you."
"Then why didn't you shoot me as you did my friend?"
"If I'd have had you shot, then I would not be able to speak to you now, would I? You are quite valuable to me, and at the cost of repeating myself yet again, no harm will befall you under my care. Do trust me, will you?"
There was that word again. Trust. "We seem to be having issues with trust at the moment," she indicated to her bound hands.
"A regrettable necessity, but allies should be treated better. Fine, I'll give you what you want as a sign of good faith and you'll give me what I want in exchange."
"How so?"
"You are no good to us here. I will grant you your freedom," he raised his hand to stop her interruption, "as well as that of your friends. All I ask is for your support against Lord Fennaris when the time comes. Surely, he is no friend to you?" He smiled as if he knew more than what he was letting on.
"Right now I don't exactly have a fondness for you either. And how can you be certain that I will help you once you free us?" She could have kicked herself for having said that.
"You will do what is right. But again, as you said I'm not stupid. We will keep a close watch on you. And if needed we'll ... remind you about this exchange." He smiled at the thought of just how close a watch he would keep on her as Lucas.
He turned to leave. "The guards will escort you back to your cell."
Aurora jumped from the chair. "What?"
"Oh, do not fret. I am not going back on our little arrangement. You'll be released first thing in the morning. I'm afraid your mage friend is still under the effects of the poison." Lucas remembered feeding Owen the small vial earlier. "He'll be recovered by then." He opened the door to leave.
"Wait!" She dared a few steps closer. "Earlier I saw your guards taking one of my friends into another uhm, tree building. Is he okay? You have to promise me he is unharmed or no deal." She was hardly in a position to negotiate but she needed to know if Lucas was fine.
Her concern pleased him but he composed his face before turning to her. "The elf that was with you? I still need to speak with him again. You care about him?" She nodded slowly.
"I knew you were loyal. Yes, the fool is unharmed...mostly." Once again, he absent mindedly rubbed his jaw where Eri and Delrynn had punched him.
"Are you certain?" Her eyes pleaded with him.
"Positive." It was an off-handed comment as he turned away. Without another word, the Red Fox departed her cell attempting to hide the smirk on his face from his prisoner.