The sky hung low, dark and threatening, the eventuality of the change of the season. Snow loomed on the horizon, earlier than Kela had ever known the cold weather to return to the Forbidden Forest.

She held to Cono’s promise.

Three long weeks passed before Kela saw two Sordarin warriors emerge in the darkening clouds. One led a fleogan.

Cono had kept his word! He had sent provisions for the winter.

Her manner lightened upon recognizing the couriers. Johannes had come, accompanied by Larko.

The Sordarins landed in unison with the fleogan. The supplies had been divided into two separate parcels and tied to the fleogan’s back. Johannes took one parcel off as Larko took the other.

“Larko, can you see to the fleogan’s welfare?”

Johannes waited until Larko disappeared over the hill toward the watering hole. “I have been worried about you since you were sent back.”

“It will not be for much longer.”

“It will be well if the king recalls you. There is much I need to convey to you that is disconcerting.”

“Disconcerting? What is wrong?”

“To begin, Cono had asked Turstan to see to your provisions,” Johannes said. “Turstan had seen to your needs through Twiten. A few days ago, Turstan reached out to me. He told me he had reason to suspect the supplies had not been sent since he found what had been set had not been moved.”

“What do you believe happened?”

“I do not know,” Johannes said, strain evident in his tone. “There has been many things that have been strange since Prince Falco’s wedding…the Arachnidan attack.”

“But you are here now.”

“I will not lie to you. I have wondered why King Edulf sent you back here…and Cono to the Payelaga Desert.”

She smiled. Dear Johannes, he is a true friend. “Cono has settled the matter with King Edulf. I will be called forth when Cono returns from the desert.”

“When would that would be?” Johannes asked. “A cold winds blows. Winter is coming. You are needed…”

His words faded. For a moment, Kela had no notion why. Then, she saw his eyes staring at her hand. He had caught sight of her wrist.

His face betrayed his shock.

Kela twisted her hand away from his view. “Is something the matter?”

He eyed her with hesitation. “We are friends. Are we not, Kela?”

Unsure of the words he was about to utter, she nodded.

“In all, I wonder about you, Kela. I have seen your power. I have held to the secret that it is you who is the Euchoun and will always. Yet, I cannot help but question why you are here like this.”

He reached for her arm and gently turned it. He ran his hand over the lines. “This I say because I care. I understand, truly I do, but if you are to leave here…” He swallowed hard, as if to find the words not to hurt her. “You need to cover your mark. I’m certain Cono will…but if he doesn’t before you leave, it will not bode well upon you for others to see…”

Blood rushed to her face. She lost her voice. Her hand began to quiver. Lowering her gaze, she only nodded.

“Don’t, Kela.” He pressed his lips together. “I say this only because others tend not to tell you things that they believe you don’t want to hear.” His head glanced around to ensure they were alone. “It makes me angry. Why, Kela? Why are you here? Why are you not within the castle walls?”

She withdrew her hand, gripping it tightly. “I’ve been told there are reasons for everything. It isn’t for me to question.”

Johannes shook his head. “Kela, all needs to be questioned, for all should have answers.” He reached back for her arm. “Here, let me help you with this.”

“No.” She jerked back a little too harshly. “It is mine to deal with.”

“I mean no harm to you, Kela. Truly,” he responded. “I want only to help you.”

Her temper eased. “It is fine, Johannes. I have dealt with all within my life. I will deal with this…” Her voice fell. Looking back up at her friend, she whispered, “What am I dealing with?”

* * * *

In Kela’s life, Johannes would forever be remembered as her dearest friend, closer perhaps than her siblings. He understood her and had never asked anything from her.

She, too, understood the pain within him to utter his next words.

“The mark appears upon a female when they…” Johannes lowered his gaze. “Mate, Kela. When one is given in marriage, the mark is a sign of fidelity, love, commitment to each other for the world around to see. This mark connects you intimately to Cono. Outwardly branding you if one sees. Cono has three choices to make. He could marry you.”

Listening while her heart ached, she stood silent.

“He also could set you up as his paramour. It is a step below a wife and is frowned greatly upon by the church, but is accepted. Men in the position of having an appeasement marriage…” He paused, knowing Kela understood not what that meant. “A marriage to satisfy one’s position in life. A marriage built not on love, but on the advantages one obtains due to the marriage. It is common for these men to have a paramour, more than one depending on the man.”

Kela nodded, as if she understood his words. “And the third?”

Johannes said nothing for a long moment.

She pressed, “The third?”

His eyes lowered, and then rose up to hers. “If the sign is seen upon an unwed female and no male to account for her either in marriage or paramour, the male has turned his back on her. Kela, if discovered, the law states soundly that the woman be flogged and renounced.”

His words resonated within her. She wished she felt remorse or desired penance for her actions. She had none.

She steadfastly refused to believe Cono wittingly would allow her to endure the humiliation his mark would leave. She held to Cono’s promise that he would make all right in the sight of the Great One and their world.

“There is no need to fear, Johannes. Cono would never desert me.”

Johannes took Kela’s hand and gently turned it. “I will help you cover the mark. You should do so even here. You do not know when the king will recall you and you can’t appear as you are. There are ways. You are not the first, Kela, nor the last, this has happened to.”

Watching while Johannes took his knife out from his strap, she stood motionless. Untying the strap, he cut a strip out of the leather. He formed two leather bracelets and tied them to her wrist. In the provisions, as Johannes had suspected, Cono had placed tiny stone bracelets.

“These will do nicely. Wear them over the leather binds on both hands.” Johannes concentrated upon his task of hiding her mark. “Yours may be apparent to all if uncovered, but it is easy to cover.”

“Cono will take care of this, Johannes,” she assured him, though her voice quivered with welling emotions. “We will marry. It is his wish. It was only...”

Johannes gave her a small smile. “I have no question of his feelings. I have seen the way he looks upon you. His actions say more than words. I comprehend his deep feelings for you, but it is not him who worries me. Kela...it is the king himself. Cono would have never...”

He hesitated.

She frowned. “Say what you mean, Johannes. I have no one else to turn to in this. I know not what I face.”

“It is only the king’s actions which frustrate me,” Johannes finally admitted. “You have demonstrated time and time again your skill. What reward have you? Since the Soaring, the king has seemed...odd. Why has he sent Cono to the far ends of the Payelaga Desert for a scouting mission when I would assume that your presence would be of more importance?

“If it was that important, why would not Prince Falco have been deployed? It was only with the greatest of difficulty that I was able to deliver your supplies. Where is Twiten? Where is your sister?”

Kela held no answer for Johannes. He left with Larko, with worry in his eyes.

Worry she could not alleviate, for it was within her also.

At night, Johannes’s words haunted Kela.

The daylight did little to alleviate her concerns.

She clung to Cono’s promises, but as time passed, her worries altered to a deep instinct to survive. There was no word or sight of another.

The supplies that Cono had sent to them dwindled. Her worry magnified on the health of Guilda.

She began to believe she was forgotten.