| the traitor returns, part I |
[May. 24th, 2006|04:59 pm] |
I smiled at Jakob and gently removed my arm from his grasp. Cyrus was standing a few feet away, watching me with a frown on his face. Clearly he could not hear what Jakob and I had been discussing, and was not impressed with being left out of our conversation. Will had already starting moving towards the mountain pass with Fynn following. I put my hand on Jakob’s shoulder and looked into his eyes.
“We’ve trusted Will this far,” I said. “I see no reason to mistrust him now simply because he’s not going the way you would choose.”
Jakob continued to look uncomfortable at the situation. I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment, searching for nearby spirits. I located a few rock spirits nearby and smiled to myself.
“I’ve asked the rock spirits of the mountain to warn us of any danger in the pass,’ I assured Jakob. “We’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure,” Jakob conceded, starting off down the path where Fynn and Will had already gone.
I waited for Cyrus to catch up and trailed after my friends. The Dyrel soldier was unusually silent as we walked, his eyes staring at the ground or wandering aimlessly around the rocky landscape. I wondered what was on his mind.
“Are you all right?” I asked him.
He looked up quickly, his face flushed from embarrassment, before lowering his eyes once more. “Fine, my lady.”
I frowned and hit him playfully on the arm, hoping to encourage him to talk. He looked up the path at our companions, then back at me again, and sighed heavily.
“I guess I’m not used to this,” he admitted. “I’m a soldier. I see an enemy, I fight him, I kill him. But now, now there are enemies appearing out of nowhere, controlling the air. I can’t fight what I can’t see! How am I supposed to protect you, Lady Leila? How do I make sure you fulfill the prophecy?”
I found myself unable to answer his questions, simply because I didn’t know. The questions had plagued me as well, many times since coming to this strange world. How was I supposed to fulfill the prophecy, governing the trials and leading the lands? I didn’t even know what that meant!
“Do your best,” I said to both him and myself. “That’s all anyone can ask for.”
He looked at me, and a smile spread slowly across his young face. He nodded sharply and clasped the hilt of his sword.
“I’ll protect you from whatever those Huryl dogs throw at you, my lady. I swear it.”
I couldn’t help but be amused and flattered at his enthusiasm. I looked up the line of my companions and felt a weight form in my stomach. How far would they go to protect me? Was I really worth their lives? I felt Clothis’ sword on my back and shook my head slightly. They swore they would protect me, and I would do all I could to look out for them.
Our encounter with the Faerie Queen had delayed our journey slightly, and so by the end of the day we were within sight of the Huryl city but still several hours walk away. The rock spirits had found nothing in the mountains that would threaten us, save a few young lions. I turned their presence to our advantage, asking the animal spirits to guard us as we made camp.
I kept a close eye on Fynn, far from his forest home, watching for any of the signs of weakness he had displayed on our last quest. To my surprise, he seemed stronger than ever and just as energetic. I saw the Fynn I had first met in the woods so long ago, yet I still worried how long this would last. Without faerie magic to sustain him, without a connection to the forest, would he vanish without a trace?
“Leila,” Fynn called, motioning for me to join him.
We were camped in a small alcove off the main path, and I walked over to the opening where the Woodwalker stood. He grinned and pointed down the mountain where the Huryl city could still be seen in the fading twilight.
I had half expected the capital to be a series of tents, like the nomadic Tyrzel we had encountered in the desert. Instead, I saw a fortress. It was surrounded by a high stone wall with watchtowers placed at regular intervals. The gates were tall and wooden, reinforced with metal bars. I could not see the buildings behind the walls, but a great citadel rose out of the centre, its features bleak and without decoration. It reminded me of a prison, and I shuddered at the thought.
“I’ve never seen the capital,” Fynn commented. “I’ve never been this far from the woods.”
“How are we going to get in there?” I asked despairingly.
Fynn laughed and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. “Don’t worry, little milkmaid. I suspect Will knows a way.”
I glanced over my shoulder to where Will was slowly sharpening his dagger, a look of extreme concentration on his face.
“Jakob doesn’t trust him anymore,” I remarked softly.
“But you do?” Fynn asked.
I nodded. “I know he’s the reason I’m in this world, but I’m glad I’m here. He may be a thief and a traitor, but he’s a friend.”
“That’s all that matters, isn’t it?”
I bit my lip, my eyes still on Will. I heard Fynn laugh in a low voice and held me tighter in his arms. I turned to face him and found his eyes already on me.
“Always questioning,” he sighed.
“What about you? Now that you’re free, what will you do?”
“Follow you, of course,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation.
I blinked in surprise at the conviction I heard in his words, and felt myself starting to blush. I broke free of his hot embrace and took a few steps away into the night air. I was flattered but at the same time I wanted to scream at Fynn to go away, to live his newfound life and not to waste it on me.
“Leila,” Fynn said softly, misunderstanding my actions.
“It’s late,” I told him, struggling to control the emotion in my voice. “I should get some sleep.”
I heard him turn and walk away without another word. Taking a deep breath, I spun around to rejoin my friends only to find Will standing directly behind me. I gasped and he held a finger to his mouth.
“Shhhh,” he whispered. “We must talk.”
He took my hand in his and pulled me to the other side of the path, far from the flickering firelight that sheltered our friends. He moved with determination, and without any signs of his usual madness. Once again, I saw the wounds on his wrist and the doubt that was surfacing in Jakob began to trickle into my awareness.
When we were safely out of hearing, Will released me. I stood silently as he licked his lips nervously and wrung his hands before him. I wondered if perhaps this was another symptom of his curse, a brief moment of rationality dangled before his eyes only to be quickly snatched away.
“What’s your plan?” I asked carefully.
His head whipped up, his eyes locked on mine, and I saw the panic behind them. He was like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, watching death approach. I thought of my brother’s last moments before pushing the imagery firmly aside and focusing on the little man before me.
“To get us into the city?” I added helpfully. “The acorn is there, isn’t it?”
Will relaxed visibly and nodded. “The acorn is with the king, in the citadel.”
“How will we get there?”
“You must trust me, Leila. I will bring you there, but you must trust me.”
His madness seemed to have completely vanished, and he stared at me intensely. I found my resolve wavering, wondering why he was being so insistent. Jakob’s warning echoed through my mind.
“Will, what’s this about? You’re behaving like-“
“A normal person?” Will finished the thought for me, arching an eyebrow. “I know. It will pass, it always does. Please, listen. I don’t know how much time I have.”
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, running one hand through his shaggy brown hair. I watched him, wondering what he could possibly have to say that was so difficult to get out.
“Leila? Is everything okay?” Jakob asked, coming towards us with a torch in his hand.
Will lowered his eyes and began to mutter under his breath. Jakob held the glowing torch higher against the darkness, glancing suspiciously at Will as he did. He moved the light to illuminate my face, and I squinted against the sudden brightness.
“We’re fine,” I assured him.
“Come back to the fire, both of you,” Jakob said, taking me by the arm and leading me across the path. “There could be Huryl scouts out.”
I looked at Will over my shoulder and he raised his head. His eyes were large and pleading, repeating his request to me as he followed me back to camp. I lay down on the cold ground and turned over to face Will, who was still watching me.
“I trust you,” I told him softly.
He smiled hesitantly before rolling over to sleep. I lay motionless near him and the snoring form of Cyrus, wondering what the morning would bring.
***
Apologies, dear readers, but this chapter ended up being longer than I expected. I will post part two tomorrow. In the meantime, please feel free to comment on this chapter. Until tomorrow! |
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