Chapter Twenty
Rain?
Nara glanced up, it was hard to see the sky with the thick bush of branches blocking the view. She got a glimpse of the dark clouds. Nara looked at the prince who started to stride over to his kind. Her brows creased, her bottom lip trembled, she sucked it in between her teeth. Her control was slipping away.
“I cannot go back” she whispered in a barely hearable voice. Calemir stopped and glanced back at her. Her expression became hard. “If I go empty handed the king promised harm to my family.”
“That is not my problem. I promised you an army, but I did not say when I’ll send my men.”
The king should’ve known better, elves where bound by their words but it didn’t mean they couldn’t go around them. They were masters of finding loopholes in words.
“I beg you. I will do anything you want me to do” Nara pleaded. She would kneel if she had to, anything for her family was worth it.
“I said no” Calemir growled, irritated at her stubbornness. He didn’t care if her family were held hostage or on the brink of death. He held no sympathy.
Nara let the dagger fall to the ground and then dropped to her knees even though it hurt to be in a demeaning position especially in front of an elf. “Have mercy on me. Please help me. Even twenty of your men will be more than enough. The king will let my family go. I am willing to be your slave. I will become anything you want me to be just, please help me.”
Desperation painted itself on her features, her eyes told him she was willing to grovel beneath his feet if he just says the word.
Then it dawned on Calemir why Lorenz had sent her in the first place. He chuckled without humor and spoke. “He sent you to seduce me?”
Nara flinched at his words.
“Get up” Calemir snapped as he yanked her by the arm, pulling her to her feet. Goosebumps broke over her skin. She trembled when their eyes locked. “Listen. There is no glory in war, there are no victors, but its victims and murderers” Pain deep within him carved his features when he said the next words in a strained voice. “It offers agony and takes everything you hold dear then it haunts you, day and night. The battles follow you wherever you go until your mind becomes nothing but a battlefield itself.”
He let go of her arm and stepped back from her. Nara froze as she stared at him.
Calemir took a steady breath and calmed his voice. “If you actually care for your family then find another way to save them. Run with them to a faraway kingdom as soon as you can. That’s is the only way you can protect yourself and them.”
Dejected, Nara watched his back as he strode toward the creek. She had followed them, and she failed. Her quick mind now overwhelmed, failed to come up with a brilliant plan to save her family. Resentment toward king Lorenz grew more within her. Should she follow the prince’s advice? Recalling his words and the anguish behind them and on his face.
Was that what he went through?
If so, it terrified her if she was to experience what he had, what the war would bring upon them. Exhaustion and bleakness weighed on her. She closed her eyes briefly. She had to leave this place. Unbelieving as it was, he was letting her go. He didn’t want her as his wife as she didn’t want him as her husband. She scoffed. They were the least in that sense. They hadn’t exchanged vows as traditional marriages were typically conducted. They didn’t have a wedding period! Although, how marriage is supposed to be performed and such was something she found no interest in or concerned herself with, she still wouldn’t call themselves married.
Finding the matter dreary to think of, Nara focused on another issue. I must find a way to save Ingrid, father and mother.
“My horse” Nara explained when she caught up with the prince who stood at the edge just a few paces away from the creek.
The prince kept silent. Nara moved past him and walked to the other side where the horses were grazing all the while feeling the watchful eyes of the two other elves. She was carefully not to lose her footing on the eroded and smoothed boulders across the shallow clear waters. When Nara reached Luckily, she patted him. She looked at lord Finn who was leaning on a bunk of a tree chewing a stem of a leaf, his eyes tentatively watching beyond the trees. There was that eerie calmness in the air again. She breathed and exhaled slowly. Thirsty, and thick skinned to care, she squatted near the bank of the creek and stretched her hand letting the water glide over her fingers and cupped her hands bringing water to her dry lips and drank. The cold water wets her dry throat. She drank more until her thirst was quenched. Her stomach rumbled in hunger, causing a burning sensation to travel up into her sternum. Either elves are total creepers, or she was suddenly becoming deaf because she did not hear nor see lord Finn walk toward her. “Here, have a bite.” Nara eyed the fruit in his stretched-out palm.
“It’s not poisoned” Finn added.
Her stomach rumbled again, embarrassingly loud. Finn’s lips curled, giving her a glimpse of his perfect smile. “You sure you don’t want it?”
Reluctantly she grabbed the ripe fruit and bit into it greedily. “What? Have you never been hungry before?” Nara lifted her chin, her voice challenging when Finn kept staring at her.
“You are an interesting person” he replied casually, cocking his head. His features turned cryptic. Nara followed his gaze to whom he was looking at intently and found it was the prince and the lady elf together speaking in quiet tones. The lady had a sad look as she spoke softly unlike the man beside him who his features remained hard even as he was talking back quietly. The lady hung her head as a soldier would when acknowledging a mistake and asking for forgiveness. The prince jaw eased. The woman lifted her head muttered words confidently.
***
“Fog!” Finn shouted after going very still and so did everyone upon hearing his words.
What fog? Nara was confused as she glanced around, she didn’t see any.
“Everyone stay clear from the fog and follow me” Calemir ordered as he swung on top of the stallion carrying water bags made of some tough animal hide.
What’s going on? Nara watched the elves move with urgency. Panic strung her. She picked up her dagger and stood in a defense position.
“What are you waiting for, do you want to die?” Finn’s snarl had her spinning on her feet. He was seated on his horse. Something wet splattered on her forehead, and then it began to pour nonstop. Thick fat raindrops fell, drenching her.
“Get on now!” He needed not to tell her twice, his tense features were enough to prompt her and obey. “Stay close.” Finn was already moving, maneuvering through the compact pathway with precision like the others. Nara tried to keep up although it was getting harder with the rain and trying not to be hit by a branch. She glanced back. There, Nara saw it, spreading quickly behind them, and in all directions. Her eyes widened when she saw the dark shadow amidst the grey blanket that seemed to trail them. The shadow resembled some sort of creature she had never seen before. With a form of a human but with wings instead of hands.
Nara focused forward, and spurred, everything moving past her in an almost complete blur. In the middle of crossing a creek, the horse abruptly reared up with a loud shrill of agony, and she almost fell. Nara turned and slashed at the shadow hovering over and clawing at Lucky’s back. The dark shadow dissipated back into the fog. The horse was wounded although not too seriously, blood trickled from its thighs were, it had been clawed. Another dark shadow caught her eyes as she kept on forward. It charged on the sidelines and looked like it was readying itself to launch. And it did. Nara ducked as the creature leaped, it’s winged claws missing her head an inch. The creature landed on the ground in a noiseless tumble. She pulled the reins and galloped the opposite direction. Her sixth sense fired, she knew the shadow was unto her. She took a turn and dashed, forcing her to break from the formation entirely. Her heart pumped with both energy and fear as she stayed clear from the fog, knowing there were more of them lurking inside the greyness.
The beating rain sent a cold shiver through her wet clothes to her bones. Big pools of puddle had already formed from the unceasing rain, and the water splashed under the plunge of Lucky’s hooves. Nara had no idea where she was heading, but she knew death wasn’t an option. A sudden, other two same looking ghostly creatures materialized each side and teamed with the other and chased her. She was surrounded from each corner. Her eyes searched frantically for an escape, and as she took a second too long to lose them, they charged at her.
***