Chapter 13
The days following the prisoner being dumped outside the guardhouse and his subsequent death were quiet around the castle. Auelina's warning rang true to everyone. Lies, falsehoods, and refusing to let the royal family know any kind of information that might be helpful would not be tolerated. Lissandra had more information than she knew what to do with now. She did her best to sort through it but her meetings with Alyx became longer each day, deciding what was relevant and what was not.
When Edmond found him, it was after such a long day, on his way to his own quarters.
"Your Highness," he said.
"Just call me Alyx, for god's sake, Edmond," Alyx said.
"Is this not a good time?"
Alyx wanted to laugh. There was never a good time anymore. "What can I help you with?"
"I know that you are busy but there is one other thing that I wanted to ask of you, if we could possibly fit it in your day," Edmond said and squared his shoulders, like he was preparing for a fight.
Alyx was curious. "What is it?"
"I know that you are an accomplished fighter, but if it's no offense, I would like to teach you," he said in a rush.
Alyx was surprised. Since his initial teachings with Edward, no one else had offered to teach him or train him. He didn't think that Evander had anything to do with that, just that it had fallen by the wayside during all the events that transpired.
"No offense taken, Edmond, but your style of fighting and what I am physically capable of are not compatible."
"I spoke to Edward about why you didn't use a sword. He explained to me what happened, what was done to you. I agree, you cannot fight with a sword like my brother can and a bow tires you easily, but there are other ways. Eamon is a great warrior because he found what worked for him and stuck to only one style of fighting for his entire life. His strength is his best weapon and he taught me much, but I am a far better teacher, and far more knowledgeable in ways of fighting that he is not," Edmond said.
Pride was a good look on the young man.
"Does anyone else know of your offer?" Alyx asked. He didn't imagine Eamon or even Gael backing such a plan.
"Edward, I suppose, could guess. But no. No one else."
Alyx nodded. "We will begin tomorrow. Do not let anyone else know."
Edmond looked relieved and straightened up. "Of course, Your- Alyx. Dawn?"
Alyx groaned inwardly. "Excellent."
∞∞∞
The plan was clear and simple in Paige's mind.
That did not mean that her hands didn't shake as she ran out into the village, screaming her head off, with Kane just behind her, snapping at her heels. She was so glad that Eamon had shown her this game that he liked to play.
Except now it sounded too real.
Paige knew that Kane was smarter than he let on and the snarls and snaps at her back as she screamed and ran for the first man in a cloak that she could see were not for her, but to keep the others at bay. Paige knew that she was stepping into the middle of the enemy's home and that was the real terror.
"Please!" She screamed and ran for the first man she saw. His eyes were wide as he saw Kane bearing down on her and then she ducked and Kane flew over her, slammed into the man and then he was screaming.
Everything became a blur after that.
Paige only had one mission. Get to the tower. Get the door open. Get Evander out.
Kane stayed with her the whole way.
She caught glimpses of the simple houses catching fire from the relentless barrage of flaming arrows from Margrave up on the hill. She saw Issat and Josette bearing down on the men that were attempting to form some sort of line, she saw Alik pushing other men towards them, all three on horseback.
Paige clutched the leather bag that held the tools she would need to pick the lock.
She ducked when a man ran straight for her and slid, tumbled, and then came to a rest against one of the thatched houses on fire. A nearby growl brought her back to her senses and she jumped to her feet and headed for the tower once more.
She was within a few feet of the tower when she was knocked to the ground and then there was a large man on top of her, pinning her to the ground with one hand around her throat and the other in grasping her wrists together.
"Thought it would be this easy, did ya? Well, let's take you to Thomas, see-"
Then there was a spray of blood and an arrow was inches from Paige's face, coming to rest in the man's throat.
As the man fell, Paige saw Margrave pull another arrow from the ground next to his feet.
If she wasn't mistaken, he was grinning.
Kane was there, pushing her to move, and she turned towards the tower once more. She ran for it, the path clear for the first time. She couldn't focus on anything but picking the lock and Kane at her back and finally the damn thing popped open in her hands and she threw it away. She jerked the door open and stared at the man lying on the ground in front of her.
It took every bit of will she had not to break down into tears right there.
Evander was laying on a small pile of hay, one eye swollen shut, his face a myriad of cuts and bruises. He had lost so much weight in the time that he had been gone, Paige wondered if she weighed more than the man that was king in front of her.
"That would be a pleasant picture, to see you ride a wolf," Evander informed her. His voice was dry and it cracked and hurt to hear.
It didn't make any sense, what he said to her and all the noise around her faded away into nothing. All her attention narrowed down to Evander and how to get him up and out of this miserable hell hole.
At a loss, Paige said, "Kane would never let anyone ride him."
Evander startled, like he didn't expect her to reply. Some clarity came to his eyes once again and he stared at her for a moment before he struggled to sit up.
"Paige?" He asked, like he was afraid of the answer.
"Yes. Can you stand?" She asked.
Kane pushed past her and went over to Evander. Evander threw one arm over Kane and with his help, Evander stood. He limped towards the door as Paige held it open for him.
"Where did you come from?" Evander asked.
His lips were cracked and she couldn't find a place on him not covered in dirt or blood.
"Home. That's where I'm taking you," Paige said.
"Who-?" Evander said and looked around him.
"Your Highness, please. Let's go," she begged. The tears were threatening to fall.
"Yes, of course."
Just then, Josette ran up next to them. "Up, get up," she ordered. Eros pranced and seemed to want to greet Evander but there was no time. There were men all around them, things were on fire, the ground was turning to mud beneath their feet with the blood of the ones killed.
"Remember our plan?" Josette asked.
"I can't-"
"Oh, yes you can. You have to. You have to get him back. That's why we are here. Go. Run. As fast as you can and I will be right behind you. Do not stop for anyone," Josette ordered. Her words were short and clipped and filled with a rage that Paige understood was not directed towards her.
Josette pulled out her sword, the one weapon she kept on her always. She shoved it in Paige's belt and then helped her up on Eros's back.
"Save him once more, Paige," Josette ordered and slapped Eros's backside.
Paige didn't get to say anything more before they were off, flying through men, knocking them aside. They ran past Margrave, didn't stop, and the only one with Paige was Kane.
∞∞∞
"Not sure about your plan of sending a girl off with the king," Alik said as they retreated to the forest by Margrave.
"I figured it was best to get him away as soon as possible," Josette said and wiped her face off with her sleeve.
"What now?" Issat asked. She had long since lost her horse but the three of them stole the ones from the dead soldiers.
"I will follow her. I cannot ask you for your help, you have done so much, but I will not refuse it either," Josette said.
"Oh, what's a little sport without a hunt?" Margrave asked and took the horse from Alik's hand that he had brought for Margrave.
The four of them did not look back at the village they destroyed as they ran off in the direction they last saw Paige leave.
∞∞∞
Paige did not know how long they rode, but by the time Eros slowed, the sun was setting and they were in the middle of gods knew where. She did not hear anything around them and Kane made a slow circle around them, as he always did when they set up camp, and sat down. It seemed safe.
Paige slid off Eros and Evander, barely conscious, almost fell off his horse after she was down on the ground. He stood on unsteady feet until she was able to lay him down.
"Evander, what do I do?" Paige asked, unsure of where to put her hands to not hurt him.
Shivers racked his body.
"Water?" He asked.
She stood, fumbled for one of the water skins on Eros and brought it to him. After remembering her sister nurse one of the orphans back from a stomach sickness, she cautioned him to drink slowly.
Kane crept up next to them and looked down at Evander.
"Be useful and keep him warm," Paige ordered.
Much to her surprise, Kane did as he was asked. He stretched out next to Evander and put his great head next to Evander's.
Paige stood, went through the supplies they had, and found some rice in one of the bags. Plain, she could probably feed it to him. She remembered Nell telling her that the plainer things were, the easier they were on the stomach.
Paige made the smallest fire she could, and let the water heat up while she gave Evander some more water.
"Slowly," she whispered.
He fell back and closed his eyes.
She checked back on the rice once more and returned to Evander.
It made her heart ache to see him like this. She reached for his hand but he did not wake.
"Alyx waits for you. He is doing just fine. He's great actually. The last time I saw Auelina, her belly was as big as a house," Paige whispered.
"Alyx?" Evander whispered. He did not open his eyes.
"He waits for you. He says that he cannot live without you. He might refuse to. As soon as I have gotten some food in you, we will go. We cannot wait. Is there anything else I can do? What can I do?" Paige half begged.
There was no answer.
Getting him to eat was an adventure all on its own. She boiled the rice too long and it was mushy, but it turned out to be just fine for him. His strength was failing and Paige was almost in a panic.
"Evander, we have to go. I have to get you back home," Paige said.
"I can't," Evander whispered. Paige could see that he might be right. But she refused to acknowledge that he might die out here in the woods, this good and kind man, with just an orphan, a horse, and a wolf at his side.
"Yes, you can," Paige hissed.
There were tears on his face and he shook his head. "Go. Go home. Tell him I loved him best I could."
"No," Paige said and stood across his hips. She knelt and made him sit up. Kane scrambled and got behind him, and they both pushed and pulled and then he was standing, barely. Paige was panting and sweating and she had to call Eros over to her. The horse had only rested for a few hours, her saddle hadn't even been removed, but she was still ready.
Then Paige realized how tall Eros was and how, without help, there was no way Evander could get back up there. Evander was slumped over her shoulder, she was all alone in the middle of the forest, and the stupid horse was too tall.
"Evander, help me. Please. If you die here, I'm going to die here with you. I'm not leaving you. If you die, I'm going with you," Paige begged.
"Just go."
"I will die first."
"Please, Paige. Go."
"No!"
The scream that tore itself from her chest seemed to bring Evander back to his senses. He reached one hand out to the pommel and looked up at Eros. "You're too tall," he informed her.
She knelt.
Paige really did cry then. She swung up on the back of Eros's back once more and again, they were off. She decided then and there they would not stop. She wasn't sure how far away home was, or how far Eros could even go without stopping, but getting him off of the horse felt like too much of a risk.
∞∞∞
Two days later, Paige changed her plans. They were not been able to ride the entire time, it was simply not possible. She thought by now that Josette and the others would have caught up, but she underestimated Eros's abilities to run when she urged her to. Paige couldn't read a map and she was afraid to approach any of the villages they came close to.
They were deep in the forest when she finally stopped. Evander wasn't any better than before, but he wasn't any worse off either. Consciousness came and went and he sometimes spoke to people that weren't there. Their supplies were dwindling and if she didn't stop soon or get home, they would surely die.
She made a spot for him on the ground and helped him lay down. Kane laid down next to him and soon, both were sleeping.
Paige laid out a map and leaned over it, the campfire helping her to see. Overhead, it was snowing, which was exactly what she needed.
"If I weren't so stupid, I could do this," she muttered. The lines and the letters made no sense to her and she wished more than anything that they would straighten out and that she would be able to read what was being said. She didn't know how long she sat there, staring at a map that made no sense to her, soothed by Kane and Evander breathing deeply, Eros dozing off on the other side of the fire.
"A stupid girl wouldn't have made it this far," a voice said.
Kane and Paige were on their feet immediately. Paige pulled out Josette's sword and the growl from Kane was not a welcome one.
"Call your wolf off. We have met already," the voice said. He sounded as tired as Paige felt and her vision was beginning to blur and a fever pricked at the back of her neck and made her head ache.
"Who are you?" She demanded. The sword in her hand was not steady but it wasn't fear; she was past that. This was exhaustion.
A man so large and imposing stepped out of the forest and the growls were turning to snarls and barks from Kane. He had a scar on his face and his cloak was lined so well that it made him seem even larger.
Paige blinked and then lowered her sword. "You are the man from the village. You helped me with Josette."
"You seem to be trading sick people in for sicker ones," the man noted. He knelt by Evander and put a hand to his forehead and frowned.
"Not on purpose," Paige said.
The man tossed a bag at her feet and she knelt and opened it. There was bread and cheese packed in it and a hunk of meat. She tore into it greedily and wondered how she could get some into Evander.
"Don't feed the wolf. He's big enough to take a bear down and can fend for himself. Come, up on that great beast of yours," the man said and gestured at Eros.
"We just-"
"I know, sweet. But they are on your tail and I can only fend off so many," the man said. Paige noted that there was blood on his cloak when he stepped closer to the fire and he limped. When he helped Paige with Josette, he did not have a limp.
"You've been following us?" Paige asked.
"For a day and a half now. Up. You must ride hard for your borders."
"Do you know how far?" She asked but did as he asked. She got up on Eros and pushed to the very back of the saddle. If she remembered correctly, this was how he was able to attach Josette to her so that she did not fall as Paige directed Eros.
Gingerly, he helped Evander up.
"Half a day. Do not stop. The ones in purple follow closely. They have begun to notice me killing their friends."
"How unfortunate for them," Paige said bitterly and arranged Evander once more on her shoulder. The man considered Evander and then took his own cloak off, created a kind of sling that had Evander leaning into her, secure.
The man smiled up at her. "Try not to turn too cold, king-savior."
Then they were gone once again.
The last glimpse that Paige had of him was him standing by the fire, watching her ride away.
∞∞∞
"How far ahead could she be?" Josette gasped. She had opened up the wound on her shoulder, not to mention the latest one to her ribs.
"On Eros? She could have been home days ago," Margrave said conversationally, as he slit the throat of a dying man. It was just the latest in skirmishes they were engaged in.
"If she is not, I fear for her," Issat said.
"I believe that girl is tougher than any of you give her credit for," Alik said and swung up on his own horse.
Once more, they picked up her trail.
∞∞∞
Paige was not familiar with exhaustion like this. Her brain was not processing things correctly. She didn't understand how they had traveled so far in such a short amount of time. Then she would look up at the sky and note the position of the stars and realize they had been going much farther than she realized. Eros knew her way home, so Paige stopped directing her, let her ride them home.
Then the sun was rising and she could see De Loughrey castle in the distance. Eros had slowed considerably in the last few hours and Paige did not urge her on. She loved this horse more than she thought was possible, this horse and this impossible wolf, her only companions on this long ride home.
"Kane!" She screamed. "Kane, go home!"
He was nothing but a black streak, heading straight for the barracks.
The sweetest sight that Paige had ever seen in all her life was the stampede of horses and people pouring from the castle, running straight for her.