тнє ℓαυяєℓ fℓσωєяѕ | rιѕe oғ тнe reвellιon |posting open

[*ajayred*]

I couldn’t ask anymore, or explain what I already knew, as it was that moment men came and took him away, this time without a fight. It was, however sad to say I was nowhere near getting anymore answers out of him for a while, as little did I know I wouldn’t be seeing him for quite some time.

That night, Henry and Avery went to their own little room that they share down the hall; I washed up and flopped into my bed. Sleep however refused to come to me and make my eyes heavy, instead I was doomed to a flood of thoughts and images of everything around me. One thought lead to another, and another until something entirely different then what I started with was swarming my brain.

When, finally, I was in the state between dreams and reality, I felt the strangest feeling in the pit of my stomach. As though a fluffy mold was growing inside and even though I knew I was lying flat on the bed, it seemed like the bed was spinning beneath me.

My mind had put a story to the sounds I heard, making me believe it was a dream when I pictured Henry and Avery jump on my bed and hit me with a pillow as light as air and then tried to throw me in a river that turned into hard packed earth that sucked me into a pit of feathers.

Letting out a bit of a groan, I twisted around, expecting to land on a pillow, only to feel a pain in my shoulders as I tried to do so. Pausing for a moment, I moved my hands a bit and felt they were immobilized, where I was laying smelt like dirt and I was under a heavy blanket. The ground was cold and packed and my hands where behind on my back as my face was against the soil.
Mother of me… I groaned inwardly.
There was a cloth in my mouth, however useless it was to stop my voice, it was irritating so I started to gnash at it as I sat up.
Shelves were stacked up around me, filled with crates of roots and jars of, I wasn’t even sure of what, but it looked edible. Sitting up, I worked my legs beneath me and stretched my back straight. I fumbled with the rope as I chewed through the strip of cloth in my mouth, working holes into it with my teeth.
My disheveled hair was hardly reaching my shoulders by now, just long enough to cover my neck fully and keep the cold off in the cold humid air of the root cellar.

This had to be Kyran’s doing, he couldn’t let this go easily, could he?

I questioned myself as I leaned forward and started to work my arms downward, it was possible due to having a bit of slack on the rope, once I had my hands under my thigh, I leaned back and pulled my legs through the loop of my arms. In the time I did that, I broke through the strip of cloth and was able to spit out the slimy remnants. Bringing my hands up to view in the dim light as my eyes adjusted, I was able to find the knot and once again use my teeth to set myself free with some pulling and gnawing.

After fifteen or so minutes, I pulled my hands free of the rope and stood up, rubbing my wrist and working my jaw in a circle. That was step one, next I had to find the way out, which was proving to be difficult as I began walking through what seemed to be a very large and possibly sectioned root cellar. I had taken the blanket with me and wrapped it around my practically bare shoulders. The linen night dress did just about nothing against the cool air of underground and I could only be thankful I wore a clean pair cut up shorts beneath.

I had found one room with old rusted wire holding it closed, and after hitting it with a crate a few times I was able to get in, and found a few knives due to the glowrock casting a green glow over a table a jar to the side. I took the jar and a cutting knife before making my way back into the narrow hall.

It was dark, eerie and windless, yet it seemed like I couldn’t shake the ice on my bones. It seemed as though any moment a person would jump out and attack me, or something would slither out and bite me. Trying to push those thoughts aside, I forced my mind to think of proving Henry wrong. After my brother had left, and before he went to his room, the conversation of the past advents came up, and he commented on how terrible I was at getting out of things on my own.

Saying so in the words ‘since we found out you was a woman, you have become a damsel in distress’

“I am a damsel in distress.” I said out loud, finding it odd to do so and still continuing. “And I can handle it myself.” I finished as I placed my hand on the last door.

They hadn’t bothered to even lock it. They won’t make that mistake again. I tossed the hatch open and popped my head out, only freeze at the sight.

There she is!” Screamed Lisette amongst the crowd of teens.

“Lizzy, give her your dress!” Audrey yelled, running over to me. “Everyone but you is in the court; Kyran is trying to say you ran away out of fear and cowardice. We have to get you in there as soon as possible.”

Walking out of the cellar I pulled the blanket tighter around my arms and chest. “When did you see that I was missing, and how did you know to look here?”

“Avery heard noises last night, you were gone this morning, and Kyran was happy.” Henry answered. “We put that together along with the fact the idiots left a few good imprints of the softened ground out back. So we knew where to look, it was only a matter of time before we found you.”

“Why don’t I just go like this, since we are pressed for time, and tell them what Kyran did?” I asked, lifting my hand to Lisette, who was removing the first layer of her dress.

“Kyran planted whine in your room, and scattered some of your closed. It would be easy to say you sipped one to many cups and went to explore in a drunken state.” Avery answered instead, looking around. “Can’t we talk about this later?”

Lisette hadn’t ceased pulling off the top layer of her dress and so, once it was off she was sure to pull it over my head. “Hurry, pull your arms though, it may be snug but it should be find for now.”

“So, that’s it? I wake up in a cellar, get dressed and go to court? I was drugged and kidnaped and I don’t even get to explain that?” I growled, pulling my arms through the fluted white sleeves as I walked.

“Exactly, it never happened.” Audrey confirmed.

“I am not very satisfied.” I grumbled.

“Laurel, need I remind you, you aren’t in control of anything here, and are doing good to have the tiny say that you have. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t satisfied right now; you should know I don’t leave loose ends by now anyway. “Audrey scolded.

“I’m glad you aren’t going to be my husband, if you were, I would be sure to have dinner with you awfully close to a cliff so I could push you off.” I bitterly snipped.

“If you where my wife, I would have jumped.” Audrey replied.

“How was I drugged?” I asked instead of retaliating.

“Aromatic candles where replaced with your old candles in your room.” Avery answered.

I nodded, not bothering to make a joke of how they solved it, yet didn’t find me any father. Of course, though, I was grateful they found be and didn’t really thing such things. That and I think if I had of opened my mouth at that moment, I’d have expelled some bile that belonged in my stomach do the sickening nervousness I was feeling.

To my knowledge, I was just a girl on the path to revenge and justice and Kyran, however he wronged me and others, was nothing compared to the king. So, I had very little idea why he would go so far to get rid of me, when I wasn’t directly messing with him.

Except you’re not just a girl, are you? The melodic voice rang in the back of my mind. And you know it, don’t you? That you are what will bring this kingdom to a new beginning, with or without your knowledge or help.

The words always rang truth I wanted to deny. Truth I wish deep down I didn’t know, just because of how much easier it would be if I hadn’t. Deep down I knew I had invested more into everything I ever did after my mother’s death then what I wanted to think.

It was around the time the man with the white robes raised his mallet that Audrey shoved the doors open and pointed an accusing finger at Kyran. Controlled chaos is what I would call the following events.

“This man is interfering with justice of the court!” he had yelled out like the judge himself.

That was not the plan, at least from what I thought.

“You audacious brat, who are you to accuse me? Just a boy who can’t even... “Kyran began but quickly closed his mouth once there was a loud sound and it wasn’t due to the clack of the judge’s mallet.

“Silence! For you years you’ve stolen my work and claimed it as your own, your words have no truth in this court! Neither here nor there, today you have proved my suspicions, I have several witnesses and evidence you used hallucinogenic candles in her,” he pointed to me “Room so you could lock her in a root cellar.”

“You have a lot of gall, Lord Audrey to bring something like this to my courtroom at such a time.” The man in the middle wearing the white robes said, but hardly seemed irritated.

“I am aware, Your honor, but if this wasn’t brought to light now, I am sure Sir Kyran would do everything in his scheming power to have this girls already tiresome fate thrown into a grinder to keep his selfish plans in order.” Audrey explained.

It would have been funny for Audrey of all people to call out someone being manipulative, had I not been ready to hunch myself over to finish what my stomach started in the field.

“Sir Kyran, have you any words to add?” a man wearing blue robes to the left of WhiteRobes said.

“I do your honor Wristenline. This girl is my property, I have every right to punish her as I see fit, when I see fit.” Kyran answered quickly with confidence.


It would be an understatement to say I was chilled to the bone at his words and the prospect of him having control of me, but I was unwilling to let him shatter the walls of bravery i built up. (Never mind the fact the walls where made of hay bales covered in plaster and painted to look like stone)

“I am not your property and I never will be Kyran!” I spat without the title to further show my disrespect to him. “Your honors,” I began but had no idea what I would say to these men.

The judges didn’t know that, or didn’t seem to care fine with that anyway and one of them asked; “Sir Kyran, did you marry this young woman? Or maybe sign a contract with her father?”

“No, when she was young she was branded with my Cyan mark. Therefore, making her mine to claim.” Kyran answered as he began walking my way.

My feet where sturdily flat on the ground, bare and numb on the cold marble to keep my leg from shaking. I held my hands behind my back with my shoulders straight and head held high. Kyran took in my expressionless face and gripped me by my shoulder while annoyance flash thought his mismatched orbs.

That court room was a mess in less than thirty minutes and no one seemed to care. Even the judges just watched with skeptical eyes and deep thoughts as we all tried to explain ourselves, if you could even call it that.

Everyone wanted something and it all involved me one way or another, it was like I was taking ten mental beatings at once.

Audrey wanted me to act like a lady to help further whatever plans he kept me in the dark about. Avery and Henry wanted to protect me at the times I could protect myself, and yell at me the times I couldn’t. Kyran just wanted to control me for some sort of revenge. The judges wanted to have everything dealing with me settled. With all these things swirling around me while I tried to sort myself out, it was no wonder I met a snapping point.
A clap echoed across the room and silenced the squabbling of Avery, Henry and Audrey and a judge in blue robes. The eyes in the room all glanced around until landing on the cause of the sound. My hand mark was clear as crystal on Kyran face, crimson and angry.

“You snatched me from my home, the respectable home of the Silvrins, took in my appearance and then decided to slap me onto a man’s lap and push a hot iron onto my shoulder!” I roared. “With no, right, no permission and no care or reason other than my eyes!”

Kyran was quick to bark back “Why I did it has nothing to do with now.”-As he snatched my wrist which looked like a twig in his large callused hand and long fingers.

“Show me the mark.” WhiteRobes calm voice broke through the tension in the air.
Kyran tried to spin me around to show the men himself, I however had plans of my own and pushed myself away from him when he let go to grip my shoulder. Once away, I didn’t even glance back at everyone’s expectant eyes as I marched over to the platform.

They would see it anyway, with or without my compliance.

I thought as I turned and pulled back just enough of my dress to show the brand.

“Indeed, a brand of the florezied flowers.” WhiteRobes tone gave away nothing of his thoughts.

“As I said…” Kyran said with a calm voice and worried brow line.

I wasn’t planning on moving until they told me to and they didn’t so I stood there for minutes of silences while studding the expressions of the men in the room.

“Miss Laurel, you say you are from the Silvrin line, correct?” He asked me, as though I was a child he was reasoning with.

“Yes, I am.”

“Your honor, if you mean to say because of her prestige, she is one who can’t be branded without the kings permission…The Silvrins where never part of…the..” Kyran was becoming more and unsure with each passing moment.
“Sir Kyran, you don’t seem to understand. The Silvrins had long since been given anything they wanted from the Royal families; they are as good as your family and any other, under the rules written in my books. Even if things for the Silvrins didn’t go well this past decade.” He explained and then added “You had not been given permission, I know. And even if you were, this brand is inadmissible due to a scare across it, as a scare means they have been pardoned if it wasn’t rebranded.”

Kyran seemed at a loss for words, lost and confused like a lamb lost from the flock. Then the lion reared its head and angry took over his faltering words with roars.

“You’re all fools! What will the king think of this, to know his judges don’t even care to take in account this, this woman, this weaker gender, used her conniving ways to help run a rebellion. “

Where did that rumor come from? I was nowhere near ruling it, just what is happing while I I’m gone?

My mind was a bit more relaxed after my outburst, what more could they do anyway?

“The only fool here is you, Kyran. Instead of raising your voice in my court, you should improve your argument. “ Whiterobe replied, with nods of approval from the other judges following his words. “You have great strategies, but a mind like yours is not trained for this court room, you did not even know much about the brand you put on this young lady. Take him out.”

Men swarmed Kyran and just before reaching him, he swarmed me, coming at yours truly with rage in his eyes. He was indeed a fearsome man, who reduced himself into a bumbling idiot. Had he relied more on his studies in and out of the court, I am sure if I made it out of trouble, I’d have done so with a hairs width of a blade.


“And Kyran, “Whiterobes began, lifting his head from the papers he was presumably reading. “I have an idea that the phrase "weaker gender" was coined by some woman to disarm some man she was preparing to overwhelm.”

Kyran walked out of the court room on his own feet after pulling his arms free of his own men. Once he was out and the doors closed behind him, I pulled the dress back over my shoulder and turned to look at the judge.

“Miss, you have quite a few rumors going about your name right now, are you aware of them?” He asked as serenely as before.

“I am not, your honor.” I replied, placing my hands together in front of me as I stepped back.

“It seems reports have been going around you are “The Laurel flower” a flower used as the Rebellions trademark, the face of the Rebellion and such.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Went my heart slow and heavy, telling me the relaxing I felt was misplaced as I tried to process the words the man spoke. I turned my head to look at Henry and Avery, both of which seemed as confused as I.

“I had no idea…” I began, slowly turning back to the judged.

“I wouldn’t have expected you, just coming out of prison.”

Prison, how did he know I was in prison?[/i] I mentally questioned myself. One of my discussions with Audrey on the first day here was about how it was said none of these men should know I was imprison. No one was supposed to have known that but the king and Audrey himself.

Studying his face, and tracing his smile lines and crow’s-feet wrinkles with my eyes, I found him to be rather familiar, even the auburn and grey salted hair was ringing bells.

He smiled for the first time sense I entered this room after taking in my questioning expression.

I nearly lost the filter for my words again, wanting to ask him why such a crazy man such as himself was in a court room, much less acting sane. My questions must have been all over my face, as he replied to my silent inquires with an almost cherry voice.

“Everyone has their ways, Dear girl.”

My, what a small world it was for a lunatic from prison to be the high judge at my hearing.

[*ajayred*]

The moment was as short lived as it was sudden, and the main judge in the white robes was quick to hide his knowing smile and dispel the crazed look in his eye to replace it with a wise glint and straight mouth.

“Take them out now.” Whiterobes said with a wave of his hand.

“Wait, surely this isn’t the end. We have yet to hear her case and state the facts.” The man I believed to be Wristenline spoke out, stopping the oncoming guards.

“What case do we need to hear from her mouth, when we already have the facts from Sir Audrey? Surely you trust his words as your own after all his work.”

“But, this is hardly…”

“Everything is being recorded as we speak now, however nontraditional it is, there is no problem with the way this court room is being used today. “ Whiterobes interjected sternly.

“Then, at the very least, say the verdict.” Said Writstenline with a look I could only describe as friendly resentment, not so much at Whiterobes as his actions.

“Lady Laurel, under the charge of rebelling against the king, you are found Guilty.”

If I could regurgitate my heart, I would have that very moment. (That didn’t stop my heart from trying to break my ribcage)

“But, due to your softening, and understanding, as well as your contract with Audrey, those charges are being erased. “

My eyes immediately found Audrey for a second before jutting back to the speaking judge.

His eyes seemed to dance with barely restrained amusement. “Surely, you know of this contract? He surely didn’t make it without your knowledge?”

Contract. Contract?!

“Of course,” I said fluidly. “How could I not, I just wasn’t under the impression it would do me to much good.” My agreeing to know of said contracts was as big of a bluff of him saying there was one.

“Well, then, on your way.” The main judge said halfheartedly, much to his fellow judge’s irritation.

We were escorted out, much to my surprise. It was over in an instant, after such a hectic morning, and the trouble Kyran did to keep me away, it was done.

As soon as I was in the hallway and the doors closed behind us, I snatched Audrey but his shoulder and herded him to a small hall, every movement I made fueled by fury and anxiety. I was far to consumed in said feelings to wonder if I might have been overreacting.

“What contract, Audrey?” I asked with a cocked head, tight half grin and narrowed eyes.

I may have been talking sweetly, but no one would miss the venom in my tone, or the white color my knuckles took on as my gripped tightened.
“The Contract I made up that says you’re going to help the king destroy the rebellion.” He replied, prying my hand off.

“Why on earth didn’t you tell me about it?”

“I only thought of it last night, and the thought kind of slipped my mind when we couldn’t find you.”

“What about on the way, to, say the court room?!”

“Too many ears, it wasn’t safe. You knew it was going to be risky, and the contracts itself is a farce.”

“You lied to them, what if they find out?” Oh how I wanted to yell that sentence.

“They won’t. if they do, I’ll fix it like I do everything else.”


“Audrey, it is about time you start filling me on your plans. I can’t go on in the dark with one match and a trip of cloth to burn forever.”

“Look, I know you think you need to know now, you’re dealing with-“

“Everything that has happened to me with in almost two years that has happened impossibly fast is what I’m dealing with. The thing is, while I’m running none stop, I’m getting just about nowhere when it comes to knowing what is going on. Time to take the blinders off and I mean now.” I snapped.

He just stared at me, in such a manner I could feel a little voice in the back of my head say “smack that superior look off his face!”

“Not.now”

I took a hand full of his shirt, pulled him away and pushed him back into the wall to reinforce my next words. “I need to know it all, or you can bet I won’t comply. I don’t need you as much as you think I do, and if I do, I can find another way.”

“What makes you think I need you as much as you think?” he asked with a challenge in his eyes.

“You’re going to great lengths for someone you might not need-”

Before I could tack on more to my sentence, I heard the honeyed and soothing sound of a motherly ‘hmm’ and felt a gentle but firm hand on my shoulder.

“If you would, please release my son.” Said she with a tilted up chin, somewhat narrowed eyes and lips pulled up in that terrifyingly charming aristocratic smile.

Slowly I released, feeling compelled to do so despite my anger. The women carried that air that almost wouldn’t let you tell her no. Anyone around her became a yes-man as soon as she asked or told you to do something.

“Now, I think it’s rather clear, you need each other for whatever it is you both plan, to work. Violent outburst and withholding of information will add only obstacles.” She had said to the both of us.

Audrey also seemed compelled to listen to his mother’s silken words as he looked at me and nodded his head. “Then I have no choice.”
“Now, why don’t you also explain it to me, my dears?” she asked, placing a soft hand on her sons shoulder as she stepped between us.

I don’t know what my bodyguards where thinking in that moment, as we were lead down the hall by Isana, fighting ceased and growls hushed.

Why am I always being pulled along?

Was it that I was even being pulled along, or just going along? I felt overestimated and underestimated all at once. Being conflicted was something I was used to, but what was I to do about this?

“Audrey, you will explain first. I want to know what you plan on doing with this girl I have come to enjoy.” Isana said.

The boy said nothing to his mother as we neared a large, heavy looking door with vines engraved into it. No one said anything as Isana opened it and we all walked in and even as we found places to sit in what I assumed to be Isana’s room, no one spoke a sound.

Her room was luxurious to say the least, I dully noted. Rich blues and purple hues, silver, and white as well throughout her bedding, curtains and other meaningless décor.

“You boys can come in too.” Isana broke the silence, wisely knowing Henry and Avery waited at the door.

There was no hesitation and both entered, standing just inside.

“You get to start.” I said to Audrey.

He glanced at his mother and to me, closing his eyes and sighing as he leaned forward on his chair. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Why do you want me?” I asked.

“You’re a symbol of hope, and by far the most willful person I have met. Let alone the fact your trying to go so far for a goal that is foggy to even you.”

“My goal is not foggy!”

“What is it that you want?” he asked like it was already his turn.

“I want to take down the king.”

“Kill him? Lock him away? Or just show him he isn’t great? To me, it seems like revenge, which is another reason I wanted you in my plans. “

“It isn’t revenge. Its justice”

“You didn’t know of this country’s problems until your family was thrown into chaos, don’t give me that ‘its justice’ speech. I know better. Ask your next question.” He snapped.

In haling deeply I asked “What do I have to do with your plans?”

“You’re my thump card. If I can’t get my goal within a time limit, I wanted you to go ahead with your plans on the king, so that I could do mine. “He answered quick and cold.

Dryly I replied “You’re being very vague.”

“I’m not withholding, so we don’t have a problem. I told you want I want from you, I told you why I wanted you.”

“What do you want, then?”

“I want the same thing you do. “

I decided that would have to do, I would find out sooner or later. Audrey couldn’t have planned something terrible, I was sure of it. He wasn’t an outstanding human being, but he wasn’t like the king. Deep down, I even trusted him for somethings despite the dislike I felt for him.

“Why is the king so interested in me and why didn’t he influence the court?” I prodded.

“The king can’t interfere with court. It’s the rules even the lowest of men will follow, to keep things fair. Even if he could, he wouldn’t because he doesn’t want you sent to prison again. He wants you at his side; he wants your trust, your influence. He wants you for revenge on your family and he wants to end the revolt by crushing the Rutilian hope. “

“What are you talking about “my family”? He has already killed half and ruined the other.” I frowned feeling a knot in my stomach grow.

The king of an entire kingdom felt the need for revenge on my little family? It sounded like a pathetic story book excuse to me. If he wanted that, he could have done it year ago.

“It’s… Bill.” Audrey said slowly, seeming to gauge my reaction.

I stared, expecting him to continue. Maybe I didn’t want to think about it. Maybe I didn’t have the brain power after exhausting it on my previous anger.

“He and Bill are tied together with the past, but I don’t know every detail, just that one betrayed the other, and Bill lost a bet. The king wants to collect.”

“What does my family have to do with bill?!” I growled, getting irritated that I had to even ask for the information
.
“Did you know Bill is a nickname for William? William is also the name of a certain Silvrin who was said to go missing while funding a rebellion. ” he asked in the same manner as before.

I knew he was implying something, something I felt but ignored, and something I saw but denied. Funny thing about building up walls to protect your state of mind, they can help you self-destruct.
I gazed at him with dull eyes. My nose starting to burn and throat going tense, I almost wanted to scream. So close was the one man I didn’t think I would meet, so close was part of a forgotten family. Curse emotions and their uncontrollable nature, I was tearing up.

“Am I really this stupid?” I asked, looking to Avery and Henry.

Both however, only tried to stay as far from this conversion as they could and still be in the room. They couldn’t hide their shock as much as they could their own words, however. They too where taken by surprise and it was slightly relieving.

“Let me clarify.” I said. “Bill, is very likely my father?”

Audrey nodded and began to speak, but I was quick to continue as my blood started to boil in my veins.

“Bill, the leader of the rebellion for years, is Lord Silvrin, the one helping fund said rebellion?”

“He is both yes, using the funding as a cover to keep people from thinking it was him.”

I saw a glint of sarcasm, guilt and pity all at once in the violet eyes of Audrey as he assessed me. I wanted to do so many things in that moment, all of which overly emotional. Still my mouth remained tight, jaw clenched and words unwilling to enter the dense quiet taking over the room in a heavy fog.

“Isn’t that just peachy?” I said with a shuddering voice finally.

Lifting both hands, I put them in my hair and brush back the gold locks I was now sure belonged to my mother.
Was Anya my mother? Serret and Eddie must be my brothers now. I barley even know Eddie.
Ether I was terrible at processing things or people normally don’t have to process so much in under a year, but I was so ready to blow off some stress.

“Avery, come with me. “ I said, getting up from my seat and walking toward the door. “Stay, Henry. It’s just a horse ride.”

Scooting them out of the way, I pulled the door open and grabbed Avery’s arm. No one protested, and trusts me, that was for the best. Poor Avery, even I felt sorry for him.







“I want every one of those horses brushed down and checked over before we head out, got it? No corner cutting and remember to saddle them up when you’re done.” I said to Eddie.

“Got it, “He said quickly, taking a mental note with a heavy nod. “I’m going to make ’em shine!“

I let my lip twitch upward before watching him head off to do as told, and I walked the other way.

“Bill, the last team came back from that town you sent them too, it was another success.” Ross hollered.

“Be sure to check over all their stories separately. “ I yelled back as I carried on.

It sounds untrusting to make sure the men all had the same story, but the rebellion was big and I couldn’t trust everyone’s word every time. Once I made that mistake of trusting a large group and it cost me my daughter.

“Hey, Bill, a few men are getting a little tipsy-“

“Cut them off and send them away from the rations.” I said, cutting off the woman in charge of the food and drink currently.

It wasn’t a rare occurrence for a few people to take a few drinks this late in the day, but I did not tolerate drunkenness by any means. Just as I didn’t tolerate swearing and killing, so why so many tried to get by with it, I didn’t know. I continued walking through the camp, watching people idle on the slow day, doing their basic chores or recreation as the sun began setting, forcing the cerulean sky to submit to its crimson and orange light. Even the blue of the sky that last all day fails to win against the red of the dusk.

“Have you heard about that boy, Laurence?” I heard a voice say as I passed a couple of people having a conversation idly.

“You mean the one Bill took into his close group? Yeah I have. Rumor has it he turned out to be a she.” A new voice said.

I paused, furrowing my brows and turning slightly, unsure where that could have started.

“Rumor, or your own speculation?” the first, a girl, scoffed. “You’ve always hatted how fast he moved up.”

“No, really, I mean it! Real rumors that started coming up when someone said he was the rebellions symbol.” The boy grumbled.

“And just how did that rumor spread?” I asked, stepping up to the young man and woman.

The boy, poor kid, went pale with fear and wide eyed with what I believed to be shock as he stuttered, cleared his throat and said “Through the towns my brother went through, it seems they had wanted posters up with his face….the thing was, it mentioned he was a girl. At first people thought it was a mistake, but it started to add up…” The boy visibly gulped after finishing

I could slap my own forehead if I wasn’t with other people and carrying to large sacks of medical supplies. “Thanks. Try not to take rumors to seriously.” I said curtly, feeling some emotions bubble up my throat.

It was trouble enough for her to hide the fact she was a girl from the beginning, but for her to be found out in such a way could be disastrous. Trust was hard to come by, and she was just now earning it from the others.

To think this is how they would find out. The damage control I’m going to need for this… I had begun to think, but a new thought came to mind, risky, but much more promising.

It wasn’t long before I walked into the little medical tent Anya had set up. “Hun?”

With that word, she flung the flap open, almost in vain as I still had to duck to go in. “We have some knew things, I figured you would know better than anyone what to do with them.”

“Oh? “ she arched her brow, taking a bag and peaking inside like their might be a raccoon in it, but was pleasantly surprised. “Oh, yes wonderful, similar in the other sack?” she asked, beaming.

I nodded, placing the other next to a stump and sitting down. “Anya, come here for a moment, just put that down, sit with me.”

The woman, in all her pent up energy looked at me, as though I was pulling her away from food after starving her. And I don’t mean pouting; I mean she looked ready to throw a handful of needles for a moment there before she looked curious.

“What is it?” She asked sitting across from me on a stump.

“I need to tell you something.”

“Oh, Bill, please tell me you didn’t sell that mule!”

“Why do you always jump to that? No. I didn’t sell that sorry excuse for a mule. It’s something else.” I furrowed my brows with a slight chuckle.

After mumbling something about threatening her animals, she looked back to me. “What is it, then?”

“What do you think of that Laurence boy?”

“That he’s my daughter.”

I was almost disappointed, because I didn’t get to tell her, or because I don’t know what she meant -this woman was an enigma after near thirty years of marriage.
“You think he is your daughter in what sense?” I asked, trying to map out what she knew.

“I think she is the daughter that we left in someone else’s care hopping to find again, that you didn’t think you should have told your wife about as soon as you realized it.”

It was a sting, but no one that lasted long. We had entrusted our daughter in the hands of our closest friends, hoping she would find her way to them. We had looked, but never found, then she came along by pure coincidence dressed as a young man to join the rebellion against the kingdom she grew up in.

“Don’t point fingers at me.” I said. “You never told me you found out she was a girl until I asked you about it.”

Sometimes we both learn something, while thinking the other doesn’t know, and then it turns into a little waiting game to see who would bring it up first.

“Well, you obviously know, when did you realize it?” she said, not even doubting the girl in question was her daughter.

“I, somewhere in the back of my mind knew about a week of having her around. I knew she was a girl before Ross sent her to me; I wasn’t blind to the fact. And not long ago did I have it confirmed she was Laurel. “

It seemed sudden to bring this up, but night was falling soon and I had this in mind all day. I knew Lara was my daughter Laurel, I was sure my wife knew. What neither of us knew was what to do. We had gotten Serret and Eddie back not long after we were separated, we were able to raise them, give them our love. Show them we cared, and mean while our daughter was with another family being raised, oblivious to our existence.

Our daughter, in all her strength and weakness, didn’t know who we were besides Bill and Anya. It’s a complex feeling to have, knowing the child you left behind at the age of four was back and right under my nose, not knowing I was her father, Anya her mother and not knowing the weight left on her shoulders or the things her unknown family has been doing, and suddenly thrown into it.

Relief I have my daughter back, pained at what she has to deal with so suddenly. Proud she turned out so strong, disappointed I wasn’t there to be there for her when she wasn’t. Selfishly wanting to act like her father, but not telling her.

“Dad!” Serret called out to me from outside.

Shaking off my thoughts, I sat up from the stump and walked out the flap. “What is it?”

He handed me a ratty piece of paper that’s seen better days with scribbled letters in disarray all over it.

“This came from a man from the last group mission.” He informed, whipping sweat from his forehead.

I listened half heartily to my son as I gazed over the paper in my rough hands. A piece in the center was torn away, but I was sure of what it said.


A girl with somewhat short blonde hair ridding a black Friesian horse was spotted galloping through a forest near the cymatilian castle I am under the impression this is the rumored Laurel flower, as she also had striking blue eyes and excellent swordsmen skills upon perusing her. There was also a young man following her, perhaps a friend or ally, but he had stayed away.

I had known my Lara was a dive-in-head-first girl, but what she was doing there was something I had expected least of all the things she could be doing.

“Who did you get this from?” I asked after a few moments of silence between us.

“One of my closer friends had been captured by the very man who wrote the letter. Upon escaping, he happened to take the man’s horse, given his own was shot down and found the letter inside the saddle bag.” Serret explain the best he could clearly.

“When did he find it, how long ago was this?” My voice was carrying an irritated tone.

I didn’t feel like I should’ve had to ask for this information, given its importance and the fact we both knew who the letter was about.

“He found it last night, when he got back. But he was on the mission for two days. “Serret explained, seeming to remember he didn’t finish his story.

“I want two groups of three searching that forest and the ones surrounding it, as soon as possible, for them both. Send Ross, Tate, and Ida on one team. “

The boy was like his mother, good at keeping hold of information, testing the grounds of me to see when he could mention it, or hint to see if I already knew or not.
“Alright, got it… I suppose you don’t care who the others are.” He stated more then he asked, so I left my reply die in my throat. “But why are you so worried about her-him.” He said, correcting himself as we were now in front of others.

“Dispatch the teams, now, Serret.” I commanded.

My son gradually looked me in the eyes, holding the stare for a moment before speaking slowly “What do you know about her, that I don’t?”

Never being one to pamper the people around me, let alone ones i had already sent on dangerous missions, I could understand why he seemed to think I was taking action before thinking much about it.

“I will tell you everything when we know what situation she is in. I want full reports from both teams about what’s going down. Everything else from there is a judgment call.”

Serret nodded, running off to gather his teams and leave me to myself. I trusted him to make the best decisions; I didn’t feel the need to dictate everything he did in the rebellion.

Now, I just needed to work out the damage control.

[.:A r i c a R e e:.]

Posting is open? Yay!

[mermaidva]

Yush!!!!!!

[*ajayred*]

The wind was nonexistent as we trekked through the muddy landscape soaked from a sudden and heavy rain that had stopped just moments ago. The forest plants were fresh and green, hinting at blue hues as they gleamed bright against the cloudy grey sky and dead fallen leaves.

My feet were weighed down with watered filled boots caked in muck; the dress I borrowed was in tatters at the hem and sagged against my arms and back at the top. I could only imagine what Avery looked like behind me as he too led his horse.

“Where are you taking me, Lara?” My captive said.

I didn’t exactly have an answer. I wanted out, I needed out and I needed to bring someone along so no one would worry as much, expecting him to talk me back to reality.

“Somewhere dry when we find it.” I answered.

“Why did you take me along?” Avery asked.

I didn’t have an answer for that ether, given Henry would have been fine too.

“I don’t know, why did you come?” I asked back.

He didn’t reply or ask anything else and I didn’t wonder why. We just walked, making our own path and studding the land I ran us off into with our tracks. There was a sloshing sound and then a grunt, making me turn around to see Avery on one knee with one hand on the ground.

“You okay?” I asked, figuring he was fine.

He lifted his hand and stood, waving me off and nodding. That was the very reason we had been walking the past half hour, going up a wet slope on horseback was dangerous and we had been going up one for a while now.

“You don’t think anyone had left behind some cabin with clothes and jars of food do you?” I asked.

“I doubt the clothes and food, but a cabin isn’t too unlikely.” He said now twice as muddy as me, I noted.

“When this is all over, I’m going to build a cabin in the woods with old clothes and hidden jars of food for travelers. “ I half heartily declared.

I was cold, heavy-limbed and sullen, but I was tired of the quiet. Avery not talking in a moment like this was nerve racking. What I was expecting? I ran away like a child even though it was good news I had heard.

“Am I an idiot?” I asked glancing back at him.

“Yes, but who says everyone has to take good news the same way? I mean, sure I would have been jumping for joy wanting to talk to them soon, Henry would have laughed and denied it for hours, and then vow to never speak to them again. We all have different experiences with our family, to hear the news they were alive…how we act would depend on how those experiences were.”

“But do you think I’m taking this the wrong way?”

“I don’t know enough about your past to tell you yes or no.”

My throat was getting sore again, but I decided to talk anyway. “When I was four years old, my family got separated because of some vendetta the king had with my father. So my Adoptive family took me in somehow. In a note, my adoptive mother said she was friends with my real mother. I thought they were ether dead, or just gone, hiding somewhere in the rebellion camps. I didn’t want to find them.” I blabbered on, hoping to give him reason to answer me.

Avery said nothing, but I knew he was listening and so I kept on.

“I didn’t want to meet them and be disappointed or worse, find a family I knew for four years to be as good as the family I knew for eleven years. And to think I met them both, been near them for so long, met my siblings and never knew. I ran out of that room to think things through…but I’ve been blank this whole time.”

“Cabin.” Avery said suddenly.

I furrowed my brows. “Really? You spout random words when I’m going into personal information?”

“No, I mean there’s a cabin over there.” He pointed to the abandoned vine covered home with siding sliding off and shingles half blown away.

In that moment, it couldn’t have looked more like a warm cottage to me and I quickly headed towards it and left my horse with Avery. I eased the door open and took a few steps inside, listening closely for sounds or whispers as the floor squeaked its defiance at me as I pressed my weigh onto it.
The inside was nicer then the outside by a long shot, despite the overturned furniture and scuffs on the floor. It had a small open closest door and two other doors I expected to be bedrooms. On one side of the room there was a table and little cook stove with fallen chairs around it.

“Well…this place is rather nice for something that seems untouched.” Avery said walking in, shoving me gently away from the door even further. “Thanks, by the way, for leaving your horse for me to tie up.” he grumbled.

“I had to scope it out.” I replied. “Thanks though.” I added as I walked to the first bedroom and placed my hand on the door knob, slowly turning and pushing the door open, only when I did so it fall off the hinges and sent up a cloud of grime as he smacked the floor.

The room was ransacked, but it seemed everything that was inside stayed inside. No fight seemed to have gone on, but someone was looking for something.

“Guess what, Avery!” I called out taking notice of the scattered clothing.

“What is it?” he called back.

“I found those clothes I was saying a cabin could have.” I replied as I walked to them and leaving my foot prints in the dust.

“Great, can I fit any? If not, is there a blanket?”

“I only see one in here. Why don’t you check the other room?”

“I’m starting a fire in the stove.”

“With what, exactly?”

There was a bang and a snap and I knew he broke a chair. Well, I suppose if the forest won’t provide dry wood, an old homestead would.

“I bring flint and steel with me everywhere.” He replied like it was the most obvious thing.

I didn’t reply and instead picked up what looked like custom made female clothing from an open wardrobe and shook the dust off. It was obviously a woman dominated closest, however boyish the clothing was, it still had feminine flare in the colors and designs. Picking up the nearest pair of pants I watched the door.

“Don’t come back here.” I hollered.

“Still working the fire.” he replied.

After changing into the pants I took a dark grey off-the-shoulder shirt with the puffed elbow length sleeves and replaced my wet dress with it. I tossed my wet boots out the door frame and walked over to the bed and picked up a short vest and pulled it on. Already I felt better in warm clothes and wondered if I should find something for Avery, then decided he would find some himself anyway when he got the fire going.

“Need any help?” I asked through the silence.

“Nah.”

It was an oddly comfortable silence as I looted the room myself. After a while, I found grey fingerless leather gloves and clothing big enough for Avery if he wanted them. I walked out of the room and into the main one, to see Avery’s back to the stove bare to the waist.

“Here.” I said tossing the rolled up clothes at him. “You know, it’s almost unfair you can do that.”

“Do what?” he asked shaking the clothes and then pulling on the dry shirt that hung slightly on him.
Clearly, it was too big despite the fact mine fit perfectly. Whatever man lived here was big. It was almost daunting, what if they came back angry to see us here?

“Strip like that, I couldn’t do that….Makes me almost envious.”

“That’s stupid.” He scoffed.

I arched a brow. “How so? You get to go bare to the waist; I can’t do that so depending on the circumstances, I’m sweaty and hot or cold and wet.”

“I don’t mean that. I mean being envious about it. You don’t see me getting envious over you for anything.”

“Because I don’t have anything you would enjoy.” I rolled my eyes.

“Well, no, but I’m sure there are some guys who wish they could the easy lifestyle of a girl.”

“What do you mean easy lifestyle of a girl?”

“Look, that came out wrong-“

“You bet it did!”

“I didn’t mean it like that; I’m just irritated from all you’re whining.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“That came out wrong too!” he scowled. “First, I mean you- not you, but girls normally have less to worry about.”

“They do not!” I growled. “Let me just tell you, I lived the life of a man, but have you lived the life of a woman? Because I can tell you for sure they both have their pros and cons, but a woman’s is not easy. More restrictions, if people find you worthy of expectations, they place them too high to reach, so many manners to learn that men don’t need to know the half of! ”

“Lara, I see that you’re angry, but you seem to be favoring your side of this.” He protested, standing from the seat. “Guys have higher expectations whether they deserve them or not, I know about the pros and cons of women, I lived with Aurora for years in places they were extremely noticeable and I can say without a doubt she had less to worry about. I worked tirelessly to eat and she just had to be around to fill her stomach! The only thing she had to worry about was where to sleep away from camp when the sun set! She had protection as long as she listened; men had to stick up for themselves.”

“I get that, but it isn’t fair!” I screamed like a child.

“If this world was fair, we wouldn’t be here and the cymatilian kingdom wouldn’t be ruining other lands! You’d be sitting pretty with your family, and I wouldn’t regret leaving mine behind only to return to a massacre!” I could see the anger flash through his eyes, but I didn’t stop.

“Just because it isn’t fair, doesn’t mean we can’t make our lives a little more filled with fairness. Like when you found out I was a girl and you treated me like it, Why couldn’t you treat me like me?”

“Because the “you” I knew was a lie!”

“Is this a lie?” I waved down to myself. “Have I really acted any different than I did when you knew me as Laurence?” My voice took a calm I didn’t know I could carry.

He glared at me, trying to keep his mouth closed at he let his eyes talk. I was sure he wanted to say yes, and I was waiting for it.

I have been angry enough to hit people, Henry a prime example. The thing was, I didn’t want to resort to that, regardless my body moved on its own and I marched up to him with my chin high.

Breath…breath…think. You’re being too emotional over this. I tried to reason with myself.

“Maybe it is.” His words laced with cold betrayal had sent me closer to the edge then I have been with him ever.

“No one understands why I had to lie about that? Don’t you get I wouldn’t have got this far if I hadn’t? I wanted to tell you all! I felt sick to my stomach lying to my friends. Why does that not matter? That I hate that I had to do it and did it for a goal they all had?”

I never got to hear his answer. He walked over to the room I raided while I stood where I was. Moments later he came out in dry pants and thrown an old pair of boots at me.

“Oh, now you won’t talk to me?” my voice cracked.

I pulled the boots on anyway as he did the same.

“Well?!” I yelled. “Don’t I deserve an answer? “ I knew that struck a chord, because as soon as he pulled his boots on he stood up with balled fist and drew a breath.

I don’t know what he was going to say, but the way he looked at me told me it was going to hurt. I never got to hear that from him ether. There was a pound on the door, one more and Avery took my elbow and shoved me in the closet, slammed the door shut on me and locked it.

I was just about to yell when I heard a voice that reduced me to a five year old.

“What a nice hide out.” Kyran said and proved it was possible to hear a grin.

“She isn’t here.” Avery barked.

“Of course she is, let me guess…that closest?” I could see him point through a crack in the wall.

“Why would she hide in such an obvious place?” Avery growled back.

I felt my heart speed, if it wasn’t already. I placed my hand over my mouth and sunk to the floor. Feeling along the floor, I found a small string and pulled it, a chunk of the floor going up with it to reveal a little hide-away.

“Take the boy back; I’m going to enjoy this.” Kyran’s commanding attitude took on a lighter tone each word.

I didn’t have much time to react, but I still did. He pulled the door open and lowered his hand as though he knew exactly where I was and the first thing I did was shoot up and grab his arm and jerk down. He overbalanced and stumbled forward as I shot out between him and the door frame. He was quick to turn and seize my wrist, then point to Avery.

“If you do anything, I hurt them instead of you.”
“If you do anything, I hurt him instead of you.”

I heard his voice cover over itself with a memory that I couldn’t forget again.

“This is perfect you know? Coming here of all places. I bet it felt real safe until you got into a fight.” Kyran gave a deep cackle.

Numbly I walked at this side as he held me tightly by my elbow while wearing that wicked grin of his. It barely took a few steps to leave the house and as soon as we did, I could see the sun was losing to the moon.

“Should I brand you again, just to remind you of how it went?” Kyran coldly jested, but there were only a few horses and twice as many men, so he obviously couldn’t.

“You’re a twisted man, Kyran.” I replied with as little emotion as possible.

He frowned. “Of course. That’s what this world and my family has done to me, you will be warped in due time. I can’t wait to see the results.”

I slowly shook my head as he pulled me to a horse, snatched up my wrist and proceed to tie them.

“Warped in due time? Kyran, what little you know about me.” I said looking down and watching him tie my wrist together. “I’m just real good as hiding it.”

I kept my hands in fist and put as much room between my wrist as I could, trying to keep my heart as calm as I was keeping my face and voice.

“Why won’t you look at me? shouldn’t you be spitting fire and glaring daggers about now?” Kyran asked dispirited. “After all, you lost.”


Stop running from the cat and they lose interest, stop talking back to the troll and they keep their insults to themselves. I knew those words for a long time now, always echoed from my now dead mother when I was teased by the boys. It was always harder to do then say. Avery wasn’t even putting up a fight, and I was almost glad for it.

“Who says I lost?” I asked slowly as I looked up at him and I slowly put on a grin of mock confidence.

He frowned and glared, not seeming to know the best course of action to take with my sudden relaxed confidence that was working on him better than I had hoped.

“You make me fill pity for you, undeserved pity.”

“General, where do you want this?” Asked a voice behind Kyran.

“Want what?” Kyran growled, turning from me and getting a puff of green powder in his face.

Before I even knew who the person was, I was running away and trying to slip my hands out of the rope. I dared not glance back until I freed myself and when I did I saw Ross and Tate fending off men and Ida tripping them with rope she pulled around their ankles.


“Guys?!” I all but screamed as I stopped and turned back.

“You didn’t think we would leave you, did you?!” Ross grunted out.

“Ross, was Laurence always a girl?” Tate asked as he began tying a man up.

“He didn’t know?” Avery asked as though he wasn’t sitting on a man and tying his wrist behind his back.

“I’m no jabber-jaws!” Ross explained as he tossed a tiny sack onto a man’s face, which exploded into green dust and made him sink to the earthen floor.

“Where did Kyran go?” I asked noticing he wasn’t around and the man hit with green powder didn’t faint, but got dizzy and was still awake.

“You didn’t tie him up!?” Ross went wide eyed. “I thought you did, I had to turn away as soon as I hit him!”

I felt a jump in my heart and fear race through my blood. Where could he have gone? Surely not far in the havoc, at least I had hoped. The man was a general and even with all his personality flaws he was strong against many things.

“Nevermind him, someone help me here!” Ida growled as she started dragging a man inside the house.

“What are you doing?” I asked jogging my way to her.

“I’m gonna tie them up and lock ’em in.” She explained. “They’ll be able to get out, but when we’re long gone.”

I took a hold of the man’s vest and pulled while I eyed the forest. “What if Kyran sneaks away or goes back to get more?”

“We ether find him while he’s ditsy or we hope they don’t find us.” She answered.

“How did you find us?” Avery asked from outside.

“An informant found us after seeing you, so we knew where to look. “Tate said.

“Girls, Leave the man, we need to be on our way back to the camp, we don’t know who might come looking for these men or how close others are.” Ross said as he peeked into the door.

Ida didn’t question, she released the man as I did and was walked out the door as though we weren’t just dragging a person inside.

“Should we find Kyran?” I asked.

“Yeah, we can search once around the house, he shouldn’t have been able to go very far.” Avery answered me as he checked over the saddle bags.

“Alright, you-“Ida points to me “-come with me, we can check over there.” She pointed to the side of the house.

I nodded once not even masking the suspicion on my face as I followed her around the corner until Ida spun around.

“Your friend Falon, how close where you with her?” she asked.

“Um, well pretty close. Why?”

“She scares me.”

“Well that’s a random revelation, Ida.”

“She’s too nice; I think there something wrong with her.”

“Well, you aren’t exactly a peach yourself.” I frowned.

Ida frowned, glanced around and turned away to walk again. “I mean it, it’s nothing like everyone else was; she is taking it all so well that It’s weird.”

“Why are you telling me this now?” I asked, hoping Ida wasn’t getting at something.

“I needed to tell you before I forgot. “ Ida growled. “But when we get back to camp, you need to talk to her. I think she’s taking the healing process in the wrong direction.”

“what’s wrong with taking it well?”

“She isn’t, that’s the thing! It isn’t how people work!” she snapped, eyes speaking from experience. “When things like that happen, they show signs of brokenness even when they heal, but she went right back to a good little girl so fast it’s like she is hiding something she needs to let out.”

I took in her words, wondering if she was phrasing them differently then what she meant, like so many other times. “Alright.” I replied. “I will.”

Even I thought she took the process well, like maybe I was missing something.


I wish she was here. I thought as we searched the left side of the house and a bit of the forest. It was still muggy and chilled, the temperature dropping quickly as though nature was willing the sky to bring down ice and snow before it’s time. Instead, it only let little droplets of rain fall, cold but not frozen into snow.


“We can lose them in forest.” Ross barked out to the others as he rounded the corner.

“Loose who, the rain clouds?” Ida quipped.

“The men on horseback Serret had just seen.” Tate replied steadily, appearing next to his twin.

“Serret is here?” I perked up, felling my heart speed. “oh my word I have to tell him something!”

“Later, did you hear him? Men on horseback are coming this way!” Ida shoved me forward. “Go get your horse!”

Shaking my head I ran to the cabin and leaped over the man before skidding into the bed room with the broken door. I had earlier found a leather cloak like with short silver fur, hoping to use it later.

“I’m coming!” I yelled as I forced my legs to move as fast as they could in the short distance given in the cabin until I leaped out the door. “Where’s my horse, Avery!?”

“He’s already up there, check the back!” Tate replied instead.

I did as told; darting out back to see a little horse shred with its wall facing me the way I came up to it. Never have I regretted going to my horse until that moment. My face met the hard chest of Kyran and made me back up instinctively as I held my nose and looked past the welling tears rimming my eyes from the pain.

“What… a surprise.” He grinned sluggishly; his eyes were red and swollen, green dusting around his face in smears.

I opened my mouth to call out, but a hand belonging to a man who was supposed to be slow and dizzy slapped over it as another gripped the back of my neck.

“You won’t speak a word, you brat.” He growled out.

I glared up at him, took my bitten-to-the-nub nails and tried to dig them into his arm before jerking my head up and biting him. Before he could jerk his hand away, I pulled it down roughly and spun around him on my heel and slipped in the mud. Onyx, my dear horse was right behind me and I rammed into her shoulder, making her jostle and pull away in shock, taking with her the post she was tied to and collapsing half of the rotten shack onto the both of us.

“Look at this, you idiot!” Kyran howled and once again shocked me with his reflexes by snatching the rope around Onyx’ neck.

“Let my horse go.” I grunted as I kicked a chunk of wood out of my way and into his shins.

The rain was suddenly pounding down hard, taking whatever words Kyran planned to speak right out of his mouth.

“Lara!” Ross yelled out seemingly close. “Hurry up; I can hear the hoof beats!”

I could see the grin on Kyran’s face before he spoke. “Hard to run from family problems, isn’t it? Those men are after me because of my own. But I’m sure you will be a replacement for me, won’t you?”

Onyx was rearing up and neighing, tossing her head and stomping her hooves, but Kyran hardly seemed to care or notice and he gripped her mane.

“Ross!” I yelled out as loud as I could, hopping he would come quickly.

I didn’t have a weapon and I shouldn’t have to risk fighting in this condition, even if he was drowsy. I did it anyway and threw myself forward, but he was already swinging up on the horse and kicking her flank. My heart had not slowed once since I saw him, but if it was possible for it to beat harder, it was.

Without thinking I took off after him screaming out “Onyx! Return! “

I could hear her protest in neighs and snorts, but it stopped as I grew tired and she got farther away from me with that despised man on her back. Her loyalty was at a test she couldn’t handle and my willpower to keep moving in the direction she left ran out.

My face scrunched up and I let out a single sob before turning back, already drenched knees down once again in the rain so heavy I couldn’t see a tree until I was within ten feet of it.

“Lara!” I heard the distant calls off all my friends.

“Here! I’m here!” I screamed and then jumped when thunder crackled across the darkening sky.

“Where?!” Tate sounded more distant.

“Kyran took Onyx!” I cried. “I hear you!”

“Here they come!” Ross yelled.

“We can’t leave her!” Ida screamed, she too sounded distant.

“I’ll find her, you guys go ahead!” Avery yelled out even farther from the rest.

“NO!” I yelled. “You’re too far, I will find my way back, so keep going!” I hollered over the thunder.
The sky went from dark to bright in flashes that brought forth cracks and boom of thunder. The tree tops leaned and swayed with the wind, as though they wanted to turn their backs away from the pelting rain that even the canopy of leaves couldn’t slow down.
“Avery, go, Ida, Tate you also!” Ross demanded. “I’ll find her, go now!” he shouted. “If we get separated, head for the cave we passed on the way here near the south!”

I ran ignoring the pain in my side and burn in my chest toward Ross’s voice and the tall silhouette I believed to be him on a horse.

“Just go!” I screamed out, or rather tried but it was cracked and hollow.

The mud was caking my legs and my hair clung to my face in a matted mess over my eyes, my heart pounded painfully, my face pricked by the hardness of the water falling from the sky as I began to slow.

“Go…just go...” I whimpered to myself.
Moments afterward, a tree snapped and fell near me sending up water, mud and everything else on the forest floor and into my face, while the pure shock of it made me take the wrong step. Hitting a moss patch I slide and slammed into the ground and then I kept sliding, hitting every rock, tree and branch on the way down what I assumed to be a hill. When I stopped, I just laid there, face up and eyes half open. It all felt like fantasy or some bad joke gone wrong. I brought most of this on myself, I was sure.

“My father got me that horse.” I gasped and put my arm over my eyes.

I only knew I was crying when I did so, as the rain stopped washing it away and I could feel the warmth of the salty drops. Moving my arm and placing my hands over my eyes, I peeked through my fingers up at the sky. So little of it had shown between the tree tops that swayed, that I almost believed the skies were cloudless, at least until bolts of lightning shot through them, giving them a temporary glow and redefining their shape.

Clearing my throat, I sat up slowly and inspected myself for injures and because nothing felt broken or sprained I got up to my feet. The rain hadn’t let up any and my sight was limited, thankfully I knew I couldn’t have been too far from the cabin, and if I found it I would know which way to go.
After a good twenty minutes of trudging through a flooding forest and only able to see with each flash of lightning, I was ready to sit down and wait the storm out under a rock while I let out frustrated tears. It was so cold and everything hurt, my ribs especially made it hard to keep going, breathing having been made painful. It was obvious I was bleeding somewhere on my head, my back was scratched up; my arms may not have had as many layers of skin anymore.

“Run!” Came a voice from the darkness.

“Who…?” I questioned, trying to see past the storm, trees and the nighttime darkness around me.

“It’s coming!” Screamed a man with a vicious bark following.

“Avery, can you move?!” I couldn’t tell who said it, but I heard the words clear.

“I’m fine, just go, I’m right behind you!” he replied in a pained voice. “Before the castle guards get you!”

I opened my mouth to call out, but I heard a deep thunderous bark and white flash across the trees not far from me.
What was that?
Hearing the blood rush in my ears I took quicker steps to the way I heard the voices, they could have needed me and turning back would do me no good.

“It’s coming again!” Yelled the silhouette of a man moments before something large and white flew passed me and knocked me to the ground.

I let out a shout of shock as a wolf walk walked out from the trees in front of me, hackles raised and lips pulled back. My breaths came out unstable as I tried to piece my mind together as i was fearing the worst for the comrade, I could only think the castle guards caught up to the group and a pack of wolves came with the commotion.
This wolf was solid black with yellow eyes and flattened ears. The first time I had seen a wolf, I was seven and it was at a fair in a cage as a man went on about the species and what to do if you encountered them. You would be surprised what information comes up when you might lose your life. Standing up very slowly while facing the wolf I began backing away hoping it would turn its attention elsewhere. I couldn’t be so fortunate. It lunged and I did the first thing that came to mind and yelled out deeply, my voice only drowned out by the howl of another wolf.

“Go!” I said deeply and firmly, trying not to think of the other wolf that howled.

The wolf sunk down and began backing away from be before it turned and fled, like I was just a rat not worth the fight. I couldn’t know what that meant, as my knowledge on such things was limited to that one day at a fair.
“Lara?” said a disbelieving voice that went joyful the next. “Lara, thank goodness!” Avery exclaimed limping for me.
He had just appeared out of the trees it seemed, suddenly in my view amongst wind that blew the rain sideways with leaves.

“Where the others?” was the first thing out of my mouth as I ambled over to him.

I almost broke into tears as he shook his head and replied. “I told them to go on ahead, I don’t know where they are at this moment. I was hobbling a few horses to slow them down and then I heard you shout.” he frowned, his mouth tight. “We need to get to that cave we are supposed to meet at.” Each of his words grew weaker and more fragile each time he spoke.

I wasn’t about to ask about what cave and just tried to reach his side before he passed out. We probably both needed some physical support from the way we held our selves up.

I reached his side and flipped the cloak over us both to provide some coverage, the fur side up as it was muddy and soaked from my fall down the hill. He put his arm over my shoulder and I put my arm around his, he felt even worse than I did, his body sagging and his head lowered, breathing shallow.

“We’ll be alright.” I whispered and I believed it.

Getting lost in the forest in a storm while a wolf pack was near wasn’t the end of the world.

“Yeah, I know. “He rasped.

“What happened out there?”

“A pack of wolves….men showed up when we were trying to over a flooded creek…chased us here…”

I stopped dead in my track when I heard another howl that was followed by many, closer than the last. “What happened to you?”

He didn’t get to answer me because he became dead weight and closed his eyes. I grunted as his sudden heaviness almost brought us both down.

“Get up! Don’t do this now!” I cried out with fear, frustration and worry.

I looked up to the sky, tossed my head back and took a deep breath, so deep it expanded my bruised rib cage and sent a jolt of pain through my body as I gritted my teeth and adjusted our position where I was dragging him by his vest. I walked, having no idea where I would be taking us or which was which in the assaulting rain and violent wind, beautiful sparks of lightning and horrifying claps of thunder. My legs grew heavier with each step, shoulders screamed its protest. Even my teeth and jaw hurt from how I clenched them during the trek.
Just when I felt I would fall down with no more energy to give I saw a cave slightly up into a hill. I could have snag out of joy if had the energy to do so. My muscles where at their limit, and pushing it hard I soon fell to the ground at the mouth of the cave I hoped Avery and Ross meant.

“Avery…” I whispered, trying to stir him.

No reply. I leaned over and put my head to his chest. Thump, thump. Lifting my head, I closed my eyes and sighed.
“please…”

Still no reply, so I sat up wincing, grabbed his vest and pulled him toward me, scooted myself back and repeated until he was out of the rain, but still where the light that flickered across the sky could reach him.

I am so not letting you live this down if we leave here alive. I inwardly nagged.

Hearing a rumble I twisted around to look into the cave that was nothing but shadows.If there’s something in there, I need to know before settling down. Avery can’t fend for himself right now. I rationalized to myself and staggered to my sore feet and walked along the wall, using it as support.

I went further into the dark, willing my eyes to take in everything it could with no light making its way in so far to the cavern. The cave was shaped like a ‘J’ from what I felt with my hands and the way I had to turn to follow it. When I was going to turn back and retrace my steps, I felt something besides rough rocks and slick moss. I felt something smooth and hard that lite up in a feint green glow.

“yes!” I squealed as the light moved up to the top of the cave. Thank you glowstone, for forming here. Finally something going good. I thought and even better I heard voices echo through the cave.

“How did he get here?” It was Ida’s voice that echoed through the cave.

I turned around to leave the little hollow of glowstone I had found and opened my mouth to call out to her, but the words caught in my throat. Pure white and snowy fur was the first thing I saw before the tears began to strain my cheeks as I registered what it must’ve meant and I slowly looked up directly into pale blue eyes speckled with flecks of rainbow.

“Grab him, let’s go, this cave could have some remaining wolves.” Ross’s voice ricocheted trough out the cavity.
The ears of the large wolf pricked and turned toward the noise moments before head followed. it took every ounce of my being not to call out for help, but instead of risking their lives, as the tears fell from my face I covered my mouth and backed up to the cave wall. I might have wondered how I could have missed such a large creature, but the answer was on the other side of the cave tunnel, where there was something akin to a den filled with white fur and tattered cloth.

“Hey,” I sobbed out softly to get the wolf’s attention on me.

If I were to die, I would be glad it happened to keep people I cared for out of harm’s way. The white beast did what I wanted and turned its opal eyes to me and took a closer, making my knees buckle beneath me as my heart pumped fear through my veins. My back scrapped down the wall as I went down, but that pain was nothing compared to my fear and I pushed myself further up against it.

“No…oh please no...” I whimpered softly, though I doubted it would do any good.

It wouldn’t understand even if it wanted, but it seemed like the only thing I could do with a Fortian wolf that was eight foot tall while I was trying to avoid being eaten and still keep my friends safe.
The colossal wolf shifted its paws again, moving in towards me; it’s back rubbed against the top of the cave as it leaned its head down to me.

I turned my head away as quick as I could; closing my eyes and waiting for anything I thought might come when the wolf figured out what it wanted. It breathed in my scent and exhaled it back at me, trying to determine what I would be good for if not a snack.

They were supposed to be myths; lies and tales spun by adults to keep children and unwelcome people out of the forest. A legend, fable, extinct animal and every other name it had, was in front of me, proving it all wrong.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw a large muzzle open and show off the glistening white fangs as sharp as they could be, the suddenness of it made me let out a strangled scream as it yawned in unison.

Panting, I started rubbing my face and eyes. “That’s… it?”

It only curled up and laid its head down on my lap, not so much as a pet does its owner, but a mother does its pup that was too playful when it needed to rest.

[mermaidva]

Thoughts on the last chap?

Awesome!!! Who was it?! I MUST KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[katomorakwarrior]

Yeah. A cliffhanger.
Just what I need.
............
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...
..
.
So? Who is it?
We'll bug you until you tell us?
Really.
We will.
Who is it?

[mermaidva]

Yeah. A cliffhanger.
Just what I need.
............
..........
........
......
....
...
..
.
So? Who is it?
We'll bug you until you tell us?
Really.
We will.
Who is it?

I agree

[.:A r i c a R e e:.]

Yeah. A cliffhanger.
Just what I need.
............
..........
........
......
....
...
..
.
So? Who is it?
We'll bug you until you tell us?
Really.
We will.
Who is it?

I agree

HAHAHAH I THINK I KNOW.... Okay, probably not.... Red always turns my suggestions into something else... ._. xD

[*ajayred*]

Sleep had taken me without my knowing, but when I woke up I was immediately fully aware and looking around the dark cave for the fearsome wolf that lived in it. Slowly I moved my hands up the wall behind me as stood, hoping to find a glow stone to light the cave. The wolf would see me regardless of the light anyway, but I couldn’t see anything without it.
As the glow moved from one rock to another, slowly illuminating the cavern, I saw the wolf wasn’t in the part of the cave I was in and so I made my move. Sluggish and pained, I stepped into the shadows of the tunnel, keeping my hand firmly on the sides of the burrow walls as a guide and support.

Very few thoughts went through my mind as I lugged my body once again through the cave, most of which involved getting out of the miserable place that I might have been able to enjoy any other time. My mind was focused and my body was struggling to keep up.

It wasn’t long before I reached the morning light that shown into the mouth of the cave and could see the storm damage to the surrounding area. Tree limbs scattered over the ground and most of the trees where nearly leaf bare. The ground was covered in puddles that reflected the sky, as though if you were to walk over them you would fall from a cloud. So close I was to deciding on sitting down at the cave and waiting, thinking maybe the Fortian wolf was nothing a dream, part of a delirium I had due to the storm and the pain.
Only I couldn’t let it go, I couldn’t let myself do that no matter how hard it was to breathe or walk, not when the wolf might have been real, and my team might have been close and camping down not far from here.
I slid down the small slope to the soggy land, slow as I possibly could as I held my breath and strained to keep my eyes open. After regaining my footing and pulling myself up to lean on the nearest branch I could find, I began my trek. I won’t go into details about how miserable I felt in the wet boots or the aching muscles on the trudge I went on until reaching the higher part of the forest that held fewer puddles and more thicket. However, I will add I knew I was entering a calm insanity each step I took. I heard huffs, I seen white from the corner of my eye at times, could feel something watching me. The point of fear in my body had dispersed, replaced with irritation and impatience. Was this wolf stalking me? What could it possible earn from this when it could have eaten me last night when I was alone and confused?

At last, I came to the edge and leaped off- mentally of course. Stopping on a dime when I saw the white flash, I turned and looked right into the Fortian wolf’s opal eyes with my blue orbs, intense and ready for a fight.

“What do you want with me?” I growled. “I have nothing for you! I’m tough, sinewy meat with many bones to crunch through, and I know I don’t smell any better than a skunk!”

The wolf only stared on, neutral in posture and calm in its snowy face.

“I’m taking you no place you’d like…” I shook my head and swallowed down the dry lump in my throat.

The wolf made no move and no sound, but it did look away uninterested. At least I knew at that moment I wasn’t completely insane, that or my imagination was beyond vivid.
I had been ambling along the animal trails as soon as the sun gave the morning light to the sky, and walked until the sun was above me. By that time, I was incredibly tired, even weaker from hunger and decided it would be best to take a seat on a damp long to let my feet dry off. The Fortian had not once stopped following me, not once had wondered out of my view. The irritation I felt was replaced with curiosity. It had yet to growl at me or show aggressive behavior, had yet to come closer than five feet. I almost felt like it was testing me, trying to get me used to it slowly and not scare me off. Many stories, rumors and legends said that fortian wolves were intelligent and calculating, but this was yet to be fully proven, until that day, that is.

On that log, slumped over I gazed over the land for the Fortian, willing to try something new. I whistled softly and loudly for a bit, clicked my tongue and did everything else I knew to attract a dog. She came no closer until I began whistling a tune I remembered in a dream, the first dream I had with Kyran and my faceless parents. She lowered her head and padded her way to me a bit at a time until we were face to face.

“You’re a weird one…”

Without evening meaning, my hands found their way up to her cheeks and disappeared in her pure fur, as she closed her eyes.

“I suppose you plan on following me then?” I asked, feeling a strange feeling in my gut.

The wolf closed its eyes in bliss as I began moving my fingers through its fur before lowering its body to the ground and plopping its head across my lap.

“You know this forest more than me, maybe I should follow you.”

There I was, in who-knows-where, with a wolf large enough to ride. If I hadn’t of ran away, i probably would have been set up somewhere with Audrey to help his plans along. If I hadn’t of ran after Kyran for my horse, I would have been with my team, I might have been back at the rebel camp and talking to my new found parents.
The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to scream and cry. So I stopped thinking about my stupid mistakes and thought more about the king. Had I married Audrey-that sentence alone creeps me out- I would have been related to the king. Audrey’s father is the kings brother, so the king would have became my uncle. At home, my mother would always talk to me about the royal family, but how could she put them in such a good light if she knew what they did to my real family? Maybe the king had tried to make everything seem like it was for the good, or maybe Isana had been on our side. Either way, I had learned quite a lot about the royal family.

The king wanted me close in the family, I remember Audrey saying. He wanted to use me as a way to gain acceptance from Rutilus. He had years to think his schemes up, I’m sure he had the time to find the kinks and pull them out, so I couldn’t sabotage it without knowing how it works.

“Maybe I’m overestimating this man…”I wondered out loud.

The possibility was there, but seemed slim. I hadn’t actually known much about King Adrian. Revenge on him has been my goal, but Kyran has been the one to put fear in my bones. Thinking back on it, the king may have not have even been the one to poison my mother. He might have ordered it to happen, but why? What could she have done or found out? Perhaps it wasn’t my family she was trying to find, but the plans the king was making. If that were true, why would my father accept the marriage?

“Something isn’t matching up….”

I continued to think about it all, coming up with more questions than answers and prolonging the time I spent thinking, which in turn gave me the distraction I needed from exhaustion and pain as I began to amble through the forest again, eating berries I knew to be safe to return to me lost energy.

My clothing soon became dry, and the mud that was splattered on me started to chip off, but I knew what I looked like just by imagination.

Locks of my hair where matted, even after I shook some of the dirt out, my face felt crusted, and the back of my shirt was stiff and grimy. Yes, I was a sight, and I didn’t even have to see myself to know.

“Now would be the time to find that “house for travelers” I mentioned.” I said to the wolf.



Chapter 32

The day was like most; slow with many things to be done. Guidance was given and worries weighed down on everyone’s shoulders. I had begun plans on the siege, with an open mind for ideas yet not many had come up to me. Still, we prepared for what I already had planned out and everyone was okay with that. The normal daily chores where done with the addition to a little more packing up, so the day seemed to take even longer.
I wandered around, helping where I could before I moved on. Sitting in a tent going over papers felt wrong. I built a rebellion; I couldn’t watch it from behind a desk. Helping out with the work helped me get closer to the people, something I learned in my younger years.

Younger years…Back when things weren’t simple, but easier to handle even if they held stress. When I could walk into the castle with a high held chin and grin at the aristocrats as I passed by. When I could ask Adrian how he felt about my plans for the house I was going to build, or best Kyran in a game of cards while Anya laughed on. When my father would lead me through town and tell me I could help many people, just by applying what I learned from them in my leading.

Before Kyran began to enjoy others sorrows and pains.
“Let him up, Kyran, he only bumped into you.” I said taking my fellow man by the arm and pulling him back.
“A slave like him should stay on the floor if he can’t find the brains to walk.” Kyran sneered. “You defend him?”

“I do, as I would anyone.” I seriously answered. “Move your foot.”

Slowly Kyran took in my gaze and took his foot off the poor man’s sleeve and let him scramble away. The slightly upturned lips of Kyran made me think of him in a new way from that day on.

Before Adrian planned to build up the kingdom he would rule.

“I can do this, William! It’s perfect!” Adrian explained, plopping a book down on my lap.

“Do what?” I laughed. “Cripple me?”

“In that book, it holds the key to my kingdom, my perfect kingdom!” He replied, giddy like a little boy.

I chuckled and looked down at the book, smile faltering as I read the words. “Your father’s journal?”

“He won’t need it. And the man is crazy, but he knows his strategies. It just needs some tweaking. “he said quickly, trying to convince.

“Adrian…it’s not what we planned, using your fathers ideas…”

“I am not using his ideas, I’m using them a base for my own. And it isn’t in your place to tell me how I’m going to run a kingdom. We aren’t kids anymore.”

“But at what cost?”

“William, there will always be sacrifices to be made.” He replied to be calmly, despite the frigid look in his eyes.
Before Anya became the object of suspicion.

“Your fiancé is hanging around a lot.” Kyran said, almost jokingly.

“I would think, since she will be living here with me for a while…” I said slowly, reading through my book.

“Yes, but she still leaves and comes back at the same time every day. Do you already have her on a schedule?” he laughed.

“She and her mother have snacks together, for bonding.” I replied, arching my brow and lowering the book. “Are you watching her?”

“I have only happened to see her a few times, and noticed the times, it’s not strange.”

I nodded ones and lifted my book up once more. “well, try to not do that if you can, she might get the wrong idea.”

“so, you know how much about her, exactly?”

Snapping my book closed I looked him hard in the eyes. “Kyran, what is this about?”

“Could she be giving away information?”

“Of course not, Kyran!”

“How can you be so sure? You have only known her half a year!”

“I think that is plenty of time to know she isn’t a spy or anything.” I scoffed.

“Man, your blinded! She has the wool over your eyes and rope at your feet!”

“Then you must have salt in your eyes and chains at your ankles, what nonsense are you trying to start now?” I growled.

“Look, my friend, she is a dangerous woman, I am sure of it.”[/i]

Before I was blamed for a falling kingdom, and worst of all, came face to face with the man who believed I was at fault.

“It was you! Your fault! You stole it!” The king bellowed as he stormed into the cell block.

“I’ve stolen nothing from you!” I jerked forward in those retched chains as he stood just out of reach.

“You’ve stolen my kingdom! Loyalty you took from me with lies!” he accused.

“The only thing I took from you was what you gave me.” I replied calmly with seething anger.

“A slithering snake you are…trying to take what was mine.” The crazed man had the gall to say.

“I took nothing from you. You only lost many things, one being sanity. “I growled.

“No, young man, I had not lost sanity, the world just hide it from me, like it will for you in due time.” He whispered in a moment of clarity.

Yes, these few things out of the many that happened were the biggest turning points that brought me to life as a rebellion leader. Sometimes I still wonder what I could have done, what I could have seen earlier to stop the unfolding events that lead to havoc or how I could have missed the clues then that seemed so clear now.

While I thought about my past, I saw a group putting together bombs and made my way over to them. “Is everything working out?”

“Oh, yeah so far so good.” The man smiled as he worked his hands into the greenish mixture used for the shells. “Here to help?”

“If you’ll have me,” I smiled and took a seat before taking up grinding the powders.

We joked back and forth, but that morning I had thoughts I couldn’t shake. Serret had a good team, they understood each other well and could anticipate each other’s moves, they weren’t exactly predictable and they kept them safe on most missions, but it was different when they were on any mission involving Kyran or Adrian. Kyran could expect the unpredictable with the tiniest of previous clues. Adrian, had he been around, could very easily make a person think he knew more than enough to know their next move and make them rethink it to what he really wants.

“Bill?” the man called me, Jarred I believed to be his name.

Pulling myself out of my own head I looked to see I was done and most of the bombs were made.

“You seem worried, you can leave this to us, and we almost have it.” Jarred said with a smile that reflected feelings of understanding, as it was no secret Serret was my son and he was on a dangerous mission.
I returned the smile and shook my head. “No, I can help with the last bit; you’ve already done more than me.” I said and continued helping them until we finished.

“Now where do we put them?” Jarred asked as he put the last bomb on the paper.

“Soon as they dry, I want them all packed in the hay crates and then divided between the three smallest wagons before the sunsets; don’t leave any of the scraps behind ether.” I directed as I handed a round lumpy greenish bomb to the young boy who was helping Jarred.

“Miss, I can carry that for you-“ The boy started as he stared past me.

“I’ve got it, I’m fine.” Aurora said quickly, if not a tad snappish.

She no longer hid her bulging belly, and as time went on it was easy to see she was carrying a child and shouldn’t lift things that were very heavy.

“Bill, where do you want me to put the sap-traps?” Aurora asked as she held up a sack that couldn’t have been more than twenty pounds, but looked bigger then it weighed.

“Put them with the smoke bombs, they’ll show you where.” I said as I waved over the group packing up said bombs.

I glanced up at the hole in the cave roof and could see the glimmer of the sun nearing the middle of the sky. It wouldn’t take much more to get everything ready to leave, about the time everyone was done with their jobs the sun would be setting and we could go on our way to the palace.

“Why so few sap-traps?” The young boy asked, to which Aurora explained the sap expands over the ground quickly and far, best used for trapping, not chasing and confusing people, so they wouldn’t need a lot.
It was normal and calm, not a problem was arising until there was a strange yell echoed down one of the tunnels.
“Prepare the med tent! We have an injured team on their way in!” yelled one girl as she ran back in from a cave tunnel.

“Who’s team?” Aurora asked urgently, putting the sacks down.

“Serret’s!” the young girl called out as Ross appeared in the shadows of the tunnel. Sullen and filthy with mud and blood smeared from head to toe.

Behind him, Ida had her hand on his shoulder, supporting herself as she tried to support Serret. That was three. My heart started to speed and I began a stride to them. Then there was Tate, with Avery on his back. His eye was swollen, his jaw bruised and his face scratched up and that was just what I could see from far away. They all looked similar in their mud-caked clothing and faces, but I could tell Avery would need the most help. Then I realized Laurel wasn’t there. Anya’s med-team was there before I was, hurrying them along into the tent

“What’s going on?” Eddie asked, running up and taking hold of my shoulder.

“Your brothers and his team are back, hurt. Go find Anya’s assistant.” I explained and demanded, trying to move the younger man out of the way.

“Wait, where is she?”

“The pond.” I grunted, continuing on my way as my heart raced.

I love my children, each and every one of them the same, but the feeling of not knowing where one is when another is already hurt by the same thing after them both is sickening and cold. My little girl had not been with me for a majority of her life, she may not have even remembered me, but it doesn’t take long for a parents love to slide over and stick to their hearts like tar. Four years I would remember for the rest of my life is all I need to love her and feel the same about her as I do my others.

Avery himself was like a son to me, and I felt for him what I did for Serret but in this moment, more urgent.

The icy feeling came from inside-out from my bones to my skin as I walked into Anya’s tent and saw Avery, lying on the cot with an open shirt, revealing the ten shades of red and purple bruises up and down his sides and chest.

“What happened?” I asked as I neared the cot.

“We found Laurence and Avery in an old cabin, Kyran had caught up with a few of his men, but we subdued them and lost sight of Kyran, Laurence and I went looking for him, but couldn’t find him until Laurence went to get his horse, where he saw Kyran and went after him.” Ida explained as she wrapped her calf with gauze.

“The worst rain storm ever came over head, made it harder to see and hear, and so we got separated. The palace guards’ where catching up to us and while fending them off, a pack of wolves showed up.” Ross said slowly, sitting on a stump having his shoulder wrapped by Falon.

She hardly seemed dazed by tending to the injured.

Tate then added his part as he held a reddened rag to his side. “No one got out unscathed…But as everything was settling down, men running and the wolves retreating, Avery got separated from us again, Later we found him at the cave we planned to meet up at. No sight of Laurence.”

I clenched my jaw tight and shook my head. “I shouldn’t have sent you out there. I’m sorry, it was reckless of me. “ I felt no apology could would add up to it.

“Sir, with all due respect, they either might have died or been took back to the king if we hadn’t gone, even if we did so later or earlier something else could have happened. We knew the risk.” Ida stated.

A silence took over the tent as everyone tended their wounds solemnly; I had helped Anya with Avery as she began to wrap up his torso, due to a large gash over his back. I was propping him up when he weakly gripped my shoulder in what I thought to be pain.

“Lara…did she make it out?” he croaked with his forehead resting on my shoulder.
It wasn’t hard to find it understandable Avery knew about Lara’s secret. Frankly, how she hid it for a year from so many people was what shocked me.

“Make it out from where?” Tate questioned in confusion.

“Cave…” I heard Avery mutter blearily.

“It was only you there, Avery. “ Ross gravely answered.

“No…she was there…Lara was there after the wolves…” Avery rasped lifting his head, trying to look though one good eye.

Keeping him steady as Anya finished bandaging his torso, I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Lara was there, with you? Do you know where she went?”

“The cave…she was in the cave…”

“The cave?” I asked gradually.

Ida went wide eyed and clenched her shirt as tight her knuckles went white. “You mean the one you were waiting at?”

He nodded slowly, seeming to find agony in that very small movement.

Ida scrunched up her face for a moment, as though she’d scream. “Stupid, so stupid. “ she shook her head. “We were so close!”


“Don’t worry, Ida…” Falon tried to comfort her with a pat on hand, only to have her own hand slapped away.


“I knew I should have risked the cave.” Serret rebuked himself.

I held myself back from the black swirling emotions I felt trying to root and pushed away the thoughts that agreed, because I know in truth, had I been there I wouldn’t let anyone go in that cave, I would have gone myself.

“We have to go back!” Ida all but yelled, facing me.

“You can’t all go back in your conditions.” I sternly replied. “I will take one of you when you’re all taken care off.”

Before any could protest, I stripped my cloak off and rolled up my sleeves before I went and sat down next to Tate and grabbed a clean wet rag and placed it to his side. “Explain a bit more of what happened, from start to end.”