The two misfits figured that by now, the wall would be crawling with soldiers, all thanks to a certain Nefari's antics. Side by side, they wandered through the forest, searching for anything that might help them.
Zora would have been more annoyed at Jurauk, but he had brought her food. So his adventure wasn't completely for nothing.
"What are we looking for?" she asked aloud. Jurauk glanced at her, pausing his whistling.
"Good question. Not sure if I have an answer."
Zora growled in frustration. "We're just pacing around! We've got no weapons or any other supplies. How the hell is this supposed to work?"
Jurauk smiled, revealing his pointed fangs.
"Besides your teeth and talons."
The smile vanished.
She glared hard at a patch of dandelions, irked by their cheery yellow petals. They seemed to wilt slightly beneath her wrath. Frustrated, she kicked a few pebbles, sending them skittering across earth, startling a few squirrels.
Zora was embarrassed to hear her voice crack with her next few words. With each passing hour, she was starting to see just how severe her situation was. "This is ridiculous. I -I don't understand why all this has happened."
A cackling voice within her head responded, "It's all because you decided to kill your father."
"He deserved it!" she snapped.
"You talking to me?" asked Jurauk, eyeing her warily. Zora blinked, realizing that she had just blurted it to thin air.
"Forget what I just said." She sighed. "I just wish...I were a boy, you know?"
"It sucks."
Despite herself, Zora couldn't help but smile. "So what if there's an occasional brawling? Girls are treated equally in wherever you're from. But not in Etharia. Words aren't the only things used to hurt us. We're treated worse than trash. We have no worth, except for the possibility of bearing a son."
"I had no idea." Jurauk sounded sincere. "I assume your father is the one who had these mindsets implemented? It's a good thing you killed him."
"Not quite," she admitted bitterly. "If anything, Gregori is worse. I truly fear for the women who must serve him. Even my half-sisters may not escape torture. The Queens are just as vulnerable."
Warm hands engulfed her shoulders. Disconcerted, Zora glanced up to see Jurauk staring at her fiercely. "No one deserves this injustice. I swear to you, I will send your brother so far into hell, he will not even attempt to crawl his way out."
Her heart soared. "That's good to know," she whispered. Her steps felt lighter now. The dwindling sunlight and the pressing darkness didn't feel so ominous. Pushing aside a few low branches in their path, she was about to open her mouth to remark about the strange acrid smell of smoke when she was yanked to the side.
A hand was clamped over her mouth. She was kicked and was about to bite when a soothing voice murmured, "Shh, it's just me." Zora calmed a little and quit struggling. Jurauk released her, his arm lingering against hers.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. They were huddled behind a wall of bushes. Twigs and leaves dug into her skin. He held one finger to his lips, and with the other, he pointed through the brush.
Light flickered off the tree trunks as it grew brighter, sending the shadows into a writhing mass. Voices drew closer.
"Dammit, Boris," snarled a man. His shadow danced along the leaves, elongating it into an unrecognizable creature. "I told you we should have stayed on the path!"
"Hey, I was only following your orders!" another retorted. "You were the one who suggested that we stray to find a short cut!"
The two argued back and forth, and as they rounded the bend, Zora saw that they were sitting on a wagon cart being pulled by twin horses. One man held a flickering torch, which explained the smell of smoke.
"Great," groaned Boris. "Lorez, we're lost. How are we going to get this cargo to Etharia?" He gestured at the wagon.
Lorez shrugged, but Zora saw him biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Soon, brother. I imagine we are close to the forest's edge by now."
Zora jumped out of her skin when she felt a hot breath on her ear. "This is our chance," murmured Jurauk, his gaze trained on the passing duo.
"You mean to take on their guises and leave them here in the forest?" she hissed back. Jurauk glanced at her apologetically.
"It's us or them. Besides, my people never venture this far from Ledzemok. We prefer to get our food from nearby villages too foolish to request protection from larger kingdoms."
The humans stopped talking. "Who's there?" shouted Lorez. Zora glared at Jurauk, who merely smiled before standing up with his hand raised.
"My good fellow, I apologize for not showing myself sooner. I hid simply because I thought you were Nefari."
Boris grunted. "Those things don't exist, boy. If anything, it'll be a wolf that snatches you up when you're not careful. What are you doing out here?" He looked at him suspiciously. "You ain't some sort of bandit, are ya? That's mighty brave of you, coming without anyone else."
One moment Jurauk stood by Zora. The next, the two men were on the ground and out cold. Jurauk dusted off his hands, turning back to Zora. "Hop on."
She cautiously rose, pity piercing her heart. "Can we at least drop them off at the forest edge? I feel awful, leaving them here for the dead."
Jurauk rolled his eyes, but he was already slinging Lorez onto the wagon cart. "Human women and their softness," he grumbled. Hiding a smile, Zora clambered onto the bench next to him. He gripped the reins and snapped them, sending the horses clopping.
The wagon rolled along, the ever-darkening woods pressing in. "Do you know where you're going?" asked Zora.
"No idea, ha!"
"This is ridiculous. I bet you don't even have a plan on what we will say."
"You know me so well."
With a sigh, Zora twisted around to lift the tarp covering the merchants' goods. She hissed in surprise.
"What is it?" questioned Jurauk.
"There are a bunch of red bundled sticks. I think they're explosives!"
Jurauk nearly fell off the bench. "And those idiots had torches attached to the wagon? Quick, snuff them out!"
Zora did as he said, blowing out the flames. She scrunched her nose when she accidentally inhaled the smoke. "Done."
At last, they emerged into open air, after disposing of the two men behind a bush. The sun had already whispered good night and had pulled her covers over herself. The moon could be seen, just waking up from a deep slumber. Stars blinked at them curiously, perhaps the only beings who witnessed their actions.
Jurauk guided them onto a path leading to the mighty gates, guarded by dozens of men. They stood erect, armor glimmering the starlight, swords sharpened and ready for skewering any hazards. The portcullis remained stationery even when the wagon stopped.
"Name and business?" called a name from an unseen point above the gate.
"Boris and Lorea!" shouted Jurauk, voice echoing. "We come in peace to sell our goods."
"What are these goods?"
"Ex –"
"Sugar cheese!" Zora butted in before Jurauk could ruin their cover. "We have sugar cheese." She annunciated each syllable carefully. They held their breaths.
There was a pause before the voice replied, "You may pass. Best of luck with your merchandise. The weaponry storage will be beside the army barracks in Paderico. Continue north, and it should be the third town you pass through."
"Thank you, good soldier," said Zora in a pleasant manner. With a rumble, the portcullis was lifted just enough to let them and their cargo pass. The moment all four wheels were inside Etharia, the portcullis dropped with the bone-rattling thud, and Zora was home.
hey everyone! so sorry for the late update >.< life sucks. anyway, hope you enjoyed this and are anticipating for what's to come!
Discussion Questions: Why do you think Zora said "sugar cheese"? Why were they directed to a specific town?
I really need to stop with this cheese business...