The ground shook with the approach of Berkos' army. We froze, watching the shadows flicker as they crossed the wooden bridge above us. The rotten planks bowed under their weight. Rocks skittered between the planks, blanketing us in dirt. I held my breath.
The rumbles seemed to last forever. I closed my eyes and felt like the ground was shaking long after it had stopped. My body trembled. We stayed hidden, cramped behind the curtain of reeds until Arrow was certain the danger had passed.
"I don't like hiding," Boris grumbled, peeking through the long grass.
"We don't have a choice for now," Arrow said, kneeling beside him. "They're here, we're here, and we're not ready for a fight. I just hope we're not going to the same place."
"Do you think they could be heading to the Grove?" Boris asked.
"It's hard to say. We know they have some spies, but thankfully none that are within the camp. Berkos' men could simply be heading back to the castle," Arrow said.
"We can hope." Boris nodded.
"It may be our only hope," Cale grumbled, pulling cloves out of a small leather bag and stuffing the edge of his pipe. It hung limp in his mouth after a sharp look from Arrow warned him not to light it.
"Don't be so sure, Cale. Alex is back, and that means something." Arrow offered me a smile.
"You're right, I almost forgot. Men, let's show her what we do with our traitors." Cale grunted, grabbing the weapon at his side.
"Since she's not a traitor, but our hero, we don't need to worry about that," Arrow said, holding his arms out to calm the other men. "Why don't we all get some air? The army's passed, and we won't be leaving until this evening so we can guarantee safe passage. There's no need for us all to squish under here."
The men looked at each other and grinned. It was as if Arrow had given them a gift. But really, he'd given the gift to me: he might have just saved my life.
Boris was the first to step out of the confines of the bridge and stretch towards the sky. He nodded to Arrow for guidance. "What do we do now?"
"Whatever you want, my man," Arrow said, slapping him on the back. "Hunt, fish, play cards. Have at it; just be ready when I call...and stick close to the bridge. There's no guarantee that someone else won't be following them," he said. "Now go."
I watched as man after man filed out from the under the bridge, slapping Arrow on his back as they passed him. Whatever hope they had originally wanted to place in me found a better place on his shoulders.
Staying tucked into the shadows under the bridge, I watched Arrow systematically grab each man's bag, lining up the packs near the water's edge. He tested the straps, peeked inside to count supplies, and even wove long strips of waxed grass through any tears.
The more I watched, the more it seemed clear: he cared for these men. This was his team, and he took that responsibility seriously. I thought about the full bag that he'd given me that morning. He had felt the same for me. He had accepted me, even after I'd told him the truth.
My stomach turned over, a swarm of insecurities plaguing me. What had I ever done to deserve that trust? The reality was, up to this point, I hadn't deserved it. But that would change. That had to change. I'd made that decision when I climbed back down the mountain. Rejoining Arrow came with a commitment that I couldn't back out of now.
I leaned back against the edge of the bridge and watched the couple dozen men that had joined Arrow. It was an odd collection. Older men with just as many scars as wrinkles sat at the river's edge, sharpening the tips of their swords with rocks. Younger, more boisterous men took turns using a slingshot to knock down the birds circling above. And out of sight, but just on the other side of the bridge, Cale sat, smoking his pipe. Clove smoke swelled and wafted around the corner of the bridge. He was closer than I wanted him to be.
I ducked deeper under the bridge and untied the shirt sleeve protecting my wounds. My leggings peeled back slowly, sticking to the dried blood. I gasped and looked away when I saw my shins. Puckered holes spotted my legs, and a jagged gash crossed just below my knee. I should've grabbed the vines, but I didn't want to appear weak, not with Cale around the corner.
I picked out a few sharp rocks indenting my skin and threw them down by the river. I rolled my leggings down and leaned back, watching the particles of dust slowly descend through the rays of light passing through the bridge beams.
Arrow turned when one of the rocks I threw narrowly missed him. "Hey, Goldy, no need to attack me."
Oh crap, I hadn't meant to do that. "I, uh, I wasn't," I stammered, looking away.
"It's a joke, Alex," he said, tossing his head to the side. "A bad one, but just a joke." He sat next to me. "You know, you didn't have to come back."
I wrapped my arms around my knees and raised my eyebrows. "Really?"
"No you didn't. So why did you?" He searched my face.
"I don't know," I said. "These past few days have thrown me for a loop. I've been lost in the woods, beaten by guards, practically drowned in the river, and then you throw me into a rebellion I'd barely heard of." I took a deep breath. "I guess it just all piled up, and then when you wanted me to be the hero for everyone, it was too much."
"I'm sorry. I could've handled it better. And I should have. But how do you tell someone that they're the hero everyone's been waiting for?" he asked with a small smile.
"Probably the same way you tell someone you're from a different world," I said. "You don't unless you're forced to."
"Yeah, but I shouldn't have forced you into this." He tossed another rock into the water.
"You didn't force me to come back today. When I was up there and saw the army approaching, I didn't really think about it. I didn't have a choice. I couldn't let them hurt you, not when I had a chance to stop it."
"Even if we're not real?" he asked, pausing before tossing the next rock.
I let out a deep breath. "I don't know what's real anymore. These cuts on my legs tell me that it's not as simple as I first thought. That's why I came back. I couldn't risk being wrong. Do you think they'll forgive me?" I nodded towards the men, who kept their backs to me.
"Give them time. It's hard to be introduced to the hero, abandoned, and saved all in one day. It took me a while to get used to it too."
"But I came back. That kind of redeems me a little, right?" I cocked my head to the side and threw a pebble at him.
"You don't need redemption. You just need to be yourself. You're more charming than you give yourself credit for."
"What?" I wanted to argue, but the sudden thumping in my chest stopped my words.
"And you're so blissfully unaware," he said, coming closer, reaching for my face. My cheeks warmed where his fingers brushed my skin. "It's as if the golden dust they created you with fell over your face."
Did he mean my freckles? I blushed and threw another rock into the water.
"I'm glad you're back, Alex, more than you know." He stood and moved to check on the other men.
"Me too," I whispered, watching him go.
I plunked more rocks into the river, watching the splashes ripple out, and then leaned back and closed my eyes. The sleepless night caught up with me instantly.
"Hey, Alex, wake up," a deep voice whispered in my ears. "It's almost time."
I smiled at the voice and flipped over to my other side. The deep tones sounded like a dream. A wonderful dream that I didn't want to lose.
"I have food," he sang, and the scent of warm bread made my mouth water.
My smile grew, and I slowly opened my eyes. I grabbed at the roll dangling in front of me. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep, but it wasn't night yet.
"Ah, I knew that would wake you," he said, sitting by my side, biting into his own roll.
"You think you know me so well," I said, propping myself up onto my elbows.
"I'd never claim that, Goldy. But what I know, I'm happy to use to my advantage." He winked and then nodded towards the men playing cards by the river. "Do you want to join them?" he asked.
I looked at the men, a tight circle enclosed around a small fire. Shadows danced across their faces as they laughed. I shook my head and took another bite. "Not tonight."
"All right," he said. "In that case, come with me. I want to show you something." He stood and pulled me up next to him.
"Where are we going?" I asked, brushing the rocks off my pants.
"To get a better view of the fireworks. They're almost ready to start."
I looked over my shoulder and saw a red wave swell up over the mountains. How had the day disappeared?
Arrow pulled me away from the bridge, towards the trees swaying in the breeze. The rocks crunched beneath our feet as we made our way into the darkness.
"You can climb, right?" he asked.
I rubbed my hands against the rough bark and smiled. He had no idea. I didn't bother answering and scurried past him to the top, staring in amazement when I crested the canopy. In a few moments, he made it to the top and sat beside me.
"This is beautiful," I said, watching the sky transition to twilight. In all the sunsets I had seen here, this was the first I really took in. Stars sprinkled the sky, and the song of crickets filled the background. "Thank you for this."
"I could say the same to you."
"You know what I mean. It seems that since I've been here, we've been plagued by one danger after another."
"And you don't think we are now?" he laughed.
"Sure, I guess we are, but for a moment, I can breathe," I said.
Right on cue, the first firework streaked the sky. A burst of red erupted followed by gold and blue sparkles. I gripped the branches beside me.
"All of this is for the queen?" I asked softly.
Arrow nodded and picked at the leaves. "It's just a small tribute for all she's done."
"And even with her locked up, you still continue?"
He gave me a sad smile. "It seems strange, doesn't it?"
I shrugged and twisted the leaves by my side. "I don't think I'm qualified to say what's strange here."
He chuckled. "Good point."
I scrunched my face and threw a leaf at him.
"No, these displays are just a reminder of what she's done. When King Helio and Queen Elin ruled, this kingdom was different. It flourished."
"How so?" I asked, looking back at the sky.
"Everything was different. We traded with all regions, there seemed to be something to celebrate every night, and most importantly, peace filled everyone's heart," he said choking up. "Elin did that. She gave us all a piece of hope. This is just giving a little back to her."
"With fireworks?" I asked. "It seems like an odd tribute. Don't get me wrong, beautiful...but odd."
He laughed. "I suppose if you didn't know her. But," he sighed, "this is perfect for her. She loved fireworks. They were always her favorite way to end each occasion. So this, even though we can only save enough for a month of each year, is all worth it."
I watched Arrow's face, noticing the softness that came over him when he talked about her. "She sounds amazing." The leaf snapped between my fingers.
"She is," he said, glancing up at the stars.
"So tell me," I said, brushing the broken stick off my thigh. "Why are we really doing this?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, turning my head to see a blue flame shoot across the sky.
"I mean, you've been through so much. How come nothing's happened before? Why now?"
"That's simple. We didn't have you before." Even in the darkness between fireworks, I saw his smile.
I scoffed and looked away. "So just like that. Boom, I'm here, and now we're going to act? It's more than that. I can see it in you when you talk about responsibility and the queen. What motivates you? Not the rebellion, but you. Is it the queen?" I asked, holding my breath for his response.
"The queen?" He gave me a strange look. "Sure, I'm devoted to her, but it's more than that."
I exhaled, surprised at the relief that washed over me.
"Berkos had my brother," he said.
"Oh Arrow, I didn't know. We'll get him back, I promise," I said, reaching for his hand.
"Had."
"Had? I'm so sorry." I folded my fingers between his.
He looked down. "I meant what I said back at the tavern. I won't let any of their lives go to waste."
"I won't either. Look, I can't promise that I'll be the hero you've been waiting for, but I can promise you that I'll do my best."
"That's all I ever wanted, even if I went about it in the wrong way. When you arrived, all I could think about was freeing Lockhorn and bringing back the way things were before. I wasn't thinking about you, and I'm sorry. Our freedom won't mean anything if it comes at the cost of yours. Help us, and I promise to help you."
"You have my word."
He squeezed my hand and pointed to the next firework. I turned away but not before I saw him wipe tears from his eyes.
We sat there in silence, content to watch the fireworks race across the sky. Blues, greens, and reds streamed in perfect succession, each chasing the next across the horizon. When the last firework faded into darkness, Arrow slipped a package into my hand.
I looked at the glittering lights rolling around my palm and the soft shadows lighting Arrow's face. I licked my lips, waiting for courage to surface, to grab the moment.
"It's time to go," he said, breaking my thoughts.
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