Eleven
The dim firelight glowing in the cavern's thin tunnels was barely enough to illuminate the floor in front of them as Ellegra guided Faine down the turns and twists of the corridors. They held their hands out to feel along the walls, her fingertips grazing against cracks and drizzles of water every so often, Faine stepping on her heels if she lingered too long or moved at a slower pace. What she found odd, however, wasn't that she could hardly see a thing, but that she didn't need her hands or eyes at all. It felt like a magnet pulling her in the direction of Tamshie. She knew it with every fiber of her being. They rounded another bend.
She didn't want to linger on it, but the more hesitant her footsteps became and the more hairs stood up on her arms, the more appreciative she became of Faine's presence behind her. He hadn't said anything since they'd entered the caves, but his breathing and quiet footsteps assured her that he was still there, that he hadn't left their deal to save Tamshie in order to save himself. She pondered the weight of the purse on her hip, debating on whether or not she would actually give up her and Tamshie's only means of survival. Tamshie had been completely right before— there was no way for a woman to earn a living in this kingdom. Especially fugitive women.
"So this is your plan?" Faine growled behind her. "Walk through the halls looking for your friend until someone finds us?"
"She's here," Ellegra whispered defensively. She knew it. She felt it.
"Yeah? Well, it'd be nice if she'd give us a little something to go off of."
His tone of hard annoyance grated against her nerves. She glared over her shoulder at him."Like what?"
Voices erupted in great booms further down the hall.
Ellegra retreated several steps, her back coming to bump against Faine's chest. His hand pressed to the small of her back and nudged her forward again. "Like that."
She didn't hesitate. Blood raged in her ears and coursed angrily through her veins. Every flare of pain she felt and every aching throb dissolved into the roar that pumped the pain away. Her ankle no longer screamed in agony when she set weight down on it, her head didn't pound when she breathed. She pushed off the ground in a dead run towards the racket. Faine stayed close on her heels, his sword in his hand. Ellegra raced down the halls, turning in the direction of noises. She passed door after door of prisoner cells, pulling her lip between her teeth and gnawing on the plump skin each time a pleading cry begged for her to stop. She wasn't here for any of these girls. She was here for Tamshie.
Faine halted, his hand clamping around her wrist to hold her back. She turned to glare at him, wrenching her arm from his grasp, but the look on his face made her reconsider. His eyes narrowed at something over her shoulder, the burning heat of his hand growing hotter on her skin.
The second she turned on her heel, a deep pang of hopelessness rooted itself in her chest. A dark puddle flowed from one of the doors, dribbling into a pool that collected just barely in the center of the corridor. Its metallic odor cleared every other thought in her head.
Faine beat her to saying what they both knew. "Is that—"
"NO," she barked. She rushed towards the door and ripped it open.
The darkness of the room wasn't what appalled her when she stepped in— it was the blinding smell of stagnant blood that made her arm instinctively curl around her nose and mouth and forced a groan out of her throat. Her eyes watered, but it was no longer from the smell. The shape of a body lay crumpled in the corner. Ellegra stepped towards it, kneeling to roll it over. She needed to know if it was Tamshie, to see if her chances of ever going home were truly shattered. She needed to know whether she had to keep fighting or if she could throw herself to the ground and give up, let Cilas and his pets find her. Blowing out several breaths, she pressed her hands to the stiff flesh and pushed, her fingers slipping over wet blood. The body gave way with a thud against the ground.
Ellegra muffled a sob of relief.
The dark, curly hair matted with blood was not naturally red. The jawline that was barely discernible and smeared with blood wasn't soft and clefted, but sharp and studded with coarse hair. Her heart slowly picked up into a normal rhythm. She sat back on her heels, wiping the back of her bloodied hand against her face to erase the fact that she was crying. She couldn't remember crying so much over one person, let alone a servant. But Tamshie wasn't just some girl who was employed to follow orders and wash her clothes. No, now she was the only person Ellegra called a friend, the one person who understood her in more ways than she sometimes understood herself. When Tamshie's mother had first brought her daughter to the palace, Tamshie carried something with her that Ellegra had never seen among anyone else: true, unencumbered respect for the royal family. Ellegra had stood with her father in the great hall, her face slightly dirty from running through the fields to get here. She'd been sparring with one of the soldier's sons, a stable boy who wanted to be just like his father. She'd raced all the way around the castle, past the carriage that brought Tamshie and her mother to the castle, and up to her father's hip, bowing slightly in his presence as she turned to watch the two women striding toward them.
"Merna," the king had said warmly. The woman bowed, the king gingerly taking her hand to brush his lips lightly over her skin. "We hope you had a wonderful holiday. The queen sends her regards. She and my youngest son are in Asaan on business." His eyes swept towards the younger girl, who stood gawking at Ellegra in awe and a slight mixture of confusion. "This must be your daughter." He smiled, chuckling as she bent her knees and lowered her head in a bow.
"Your Majesty, this is my daughter Tamshie," said Merna. "She is an exceptional cook and well-mannered. Queen Elise said she had a position open for a child and asked me to bring mine. I completely understand if the job has been filled, I—" The king held his hand up and waved away the woman's worries.
"Oh, no. She is a lovely child, and I'm sure she will do well with my daughter." He turned to Ellegra, trained still at his side. "You were born with brothers, sweetheart, and for that your mother and I are very grateful. But it seems you've been absorbing their... aloofness." The four of them chuckled. His smile grew wider. "Tamshie here will be your personal maid as well as your friend. Behave, be kind, and be fair, and the two of you shall hopefully grow to be like sisters. Merna, I trust you will show your daughter the ropes."
The woman dropped low again. "Yes, of course, Your Majesty."
"Good. Thank you." And with a smile and a low bow in their direction, he left. Merna took her daughter and left, the girl staring strangely at the muddied princess behind her.
"Princess," Faine grunted darkly. The sudden chill in his voice made her skin prickle with bumps and momentarily ignore his ignorance. She couldn't take her eyes off of the body in front of her. She knew by now it wasn't Tamshie, but a trader. But her blood continued to run cold through her veins and her heart continued to slam against her ribs.
Woven between the man's fingers were long strands of red hair.
Tentatively, she reached out and pulled the knotted locks from his hand. Careful to maintain a sense of balance, Ellegra rose to her feet and retreated from the room, her eyes still fixed on the hair even as Faine stepped toward her. His face hardened in concentration when he saw the blood on her hands and the streaks under her eyes. "What happened?"
Forcing herself to look at him, Ellegra swallowed around the lump in her throat and closed her fists. "It's the trader's, not mine," she said. The realization of the blood staining her didn't bother her as much as she knew it should have. Instead of racing to scrub it off her hands, she looked up at Faine with a glare of steel. "I told you not to call me that." It felt odd to see him smirk in such a grim situation, and the gesture both reassured and frustrated her. Faine pointed at the ground. A trail of footsteps headed off in the opposite direction further down the corridor. A sudden burst of hope burned inside her chest. "She made it!" A smile broke out on her face.
A grimace flashed over his features as he tilted his head. Straightening, he frowned and turned back towards her. "I wouldn't be so sure. Look." He pointed a long finger down at the tracks. Ellegra moved to his side, so close she could practically hear his heart thumping inside his chest. "See the sets of prints? One of them is clear and defined, a little slanted. The other set is nothing but dragged-out lines. And next to it..." He didn't continue. His finger fell on the small spatters of red drops clumping in the sand.
Ellegra's mind reeled. The hair in the trader's hand. The footprints. The blood. All of it was Tamshie's, this she was certain of. But Tamshie wasn't dead. Somehow, she just knew that if her friend were truly gone, she would feel it.
The dampness in the air suddenly clung to her and froze on her skin. A breeze wafted down the corridors, pushing the stray hairs from her face. She still held the hair in her fisted hand, scared that if she let go, she would find herself alone.
They followed the tracks with cautious footsteps, whipping down bends and creeping through the shadows. Faine took the lead, sword in hand, while Ellegra followed behind, her sword back within her grasp. The coolness of the hilt soothed her, and as much as she wanted to think otherwise, she was more than grateful for Faine. Without him, the chances of finding Tamshie were slim if nonexistent. Even if he was here for the money, his presence was partly something that kept her going. Without his constant nagging, degrading comments and irritating name-calling, she wasn't sure how far she would have gotten on her own. Tamshie was the last piece of home Ellegra had. Without her, Ellegra was nothing but a spiteful rumor and criminal. Tamshie was the last piece of truth.
Faine pointed at something further ahead. "I see them!" he shouted.
Them?
As much as the word puzzled her, she didn't have time to dwell on it. Shouting voices stirred behind her as more traders caught sight of them. The sound of more swords being unsheathed sent a spike of heat down her limbs that pushed her faster. Her eyes narrowed on the back of Faine's head, but she risked a glance around him and immediately felt her heart stop. Tamshie. Her red hair blew like a flag behind her as she ran away. Another figure marched with her, gripping her around the waist. The thin frame was too frail to be a man, but Ellegra wouldn't take her chances.
"Tamshie!" she screamed.
For a split second, the other girl turned, her eyes catching Ellegra's. Then she was pulled away, and blinding sunlight burst through the tunnel.
Faine reached back and seized Ellegra's hand, pulling her up with him. They rushed out into the light, the heat once again scorching their skin. Faine braced an arm against Ellegra's chest, catching her before she dove off the edge of the cliff. Hundreds of feet below them, the canyon floor stretched out for miles. For a split second, they felt as if they were seeing the entire world in one glance. Orange light beamed down on them with a cloudless sky hanging above them.
Traders bit at their heels, emerging just as Ellegra caught sight of Tamshie again, running down a walkway on the wall that led down to the ground.
A scream was released into the air as one of the traders lunged at Faine, another one throwing himself full-force against Ellegra, arms of iron latching around her torso. In an instant, she was airborne, her arms wrestling with the man's to get free. They grappled for leverage against each other. His fist cocked back and smashed into her jaw. Her hand reflexively curled into fists, but the other couldn't. Instead, her fingers tightened on her sword's hilt. The ground was rising, getting closer and closer, ready to meet them with eager hands. Gritting her teeth, Ellegra threw her fist up, barely catching the tip of his ear before he moved his head. With a clear shot, she thrust her sword up into his chest, wrapping her legs around him and straddling his waist. She turned their intertwined bodies until he was positioned under her, motionless with a thick stream of blood spewing from his mouth and flying upward onto her face. She braced her knees against his stomach, clutching on the back of his shirt. She felt as if she were riding a pillow through the air, soaring rapidly to the bottom. As the ground approached, she balanced on the dead man's body with her toes. Just before the hard floor met them, she leapt off the trader's body, diving into the sand and rolling head over heels.
She heard the crack of her rib before she felt it. The pain that exploded in her side and stopped her breath sparked stars in her vision. She wrapped an arm against the swelling left side of her rib cage. Tears rushed to her eyes.
"Ellegra!"
The sound of Tamshie's cry broke through the rush of noise in her head. Rolling onto her less broken side, she pushed herself onto her knees. Her breaths came in gasping heaves as she staggered to her feet. Her vision blurred and narrowed several times before focusing on Tamshie's bright head of scarlett hair bobbing away. Picking up her sword, Ellegra charged after them, one arm still curled against her side, the rib grating against her lung with every step. Her ankle threatened to give out.
She didn't hesitate when she reached them. Every muscle inside her braced for impact as she flung herself against the other figure. Pain made her head spin and more orbs of light speckle her vision. Ellegra landed right on top of her, straddling her hips and holding the tip of her blade mere inches from her eyes. Sharp, crystal blue eyes widened up at her. Ellegra felt her brows knit together in confusion. Steeling herself, she moved her sword towards the girl's left ear, pushing the matted dark hair away, revealing a knotted, warped ear that looked as if it had been burned. Confusion churned inside her. She had waited on them in the bath houses. Now she was here, trying to steal Tamshie away? Anger rose inside her throat and burned in her eyes. Ellegra raised her sword. The girl cried and turned her face away.
"Ellegra, no!" Tamshie screamed. "She's my friend."
Ellegra snapped her head to look at Tamshie. "What?" Her suspicions didn't lessen in the slightest as her eyes scanned the blood caked on Tamshie's forehead.
"She's been helping me. She saved me."
"No, that's what I was doing." She huffed a deep breath and winced when searing pain stabbed into her. She slid off the girl and onto all fours, coughing and wincing with every jolt.
"Ellegra?" Tamshie clamored to her side. "What's wrong?"
Tamshie's fingertips lightly probed along Ellegra's back, scared to touch her in fear that she would only cause more pain. Ellegra tried to no avail to take full, painless breaths, heaving ragged gasps that gurgled in the back of her throat. She shook her head, the only way to speak. Every breath brought on new waves of throbs and aches. She curled an arm around her midsection.
"You okay?" asked Faine breathlessly, rushing towards them and bending to her level, a hand on her shoulder. Ellegra gave a slight nod, but Faine wasn't convinced. He turned to Romi. "What happened?"
Romi's face changed several shades of red, looking back and forth between him and Ellegra before seeking help from Tamshie. Ellegra struggled to her feet, Romi and Tamshie jumping to help stabilize her. "I'm fine," she croaked. A wave of coughing brought on more pain. Ellegra curled up tightly and winced.
"She fell," said Tamshie. She pointed a blistered finger up at the ridge where Ellegra had fallen from.
"I'm fine," Ellegra urged again, this time holding down the need to cough. "I just need to catch my breath for a second."
"From up there?" There was no hiding the surprise in Faine's voice. He gazed up at the cliff, measuring the distance to the ground. "That has to be at least two hundred feet. I'm impressed, princess. At least I know you can handle your own."
Tamshie froze, staring at Ellegra in a mixture of fear and panic. He'd used her title. "I already told you I could, and I told you not to call me that. Can we go now? I'm sure there are more traders coming."
"Guards trade shifts at moonset," Romi said. All eyes turned to her. They had forgotten she was there. Her eyes lingered on Faine for a moment too long, and he coldly narrowed his eyes at her.
"How would you know?" he demanded. He took a step closer to her, towering over her more than he had Ellegra. She was much shorter than the two of them, almost smaller than Tamshie. She coiled back.
"Does it matter?" Ellegra snapped. "We have to go. Now."
Faine sheathed his sword and helped Ellegra with hers before wrapping her arm around his shoulder. They hurried as fast as they could away from the gaping cavern in the cliff.