Mark if Destiny

by K. T. Webb

  “We are ready to go,” Agnar said behind Honor.

  “Perfect. I will get Saige, will you help Honor onto her steed?” Gray grinned at her.

  Honor braced herself as Agnar wrapped his hands around her waist. He lifted her from the ground as easily as one would life a child and placed her atop the horse.

  Saige arrived and gently strapped Honors leg against the plush body to keep it from jarring as she rode. Honor was trying not to pout at the care and attention they were paying to her. She did not want to be a problem; she was accustomed to caring for herself. No one seemed to pay any mind to her momentary frustration as they mounted their horses and began trotting down the road leading back toward Kilgore. She had known Gray and Saige would accompany her, but Agnar was an interesting addition. He was better suited to fight in hand to hand combat should those on foot encounter any woldigo or other beasts. It seemed like an unnecessary precaution for them to send their strongest fighter with Honor. She decided it would change nothing if she questioned this decision. Learning to keep her mouth shut was one of the hardest lessons she would have to accept.

  Maris stopped them before they left the edge of the village. “We will leave within an hour. I will see you all in two days’ time. Send Rowan my love. We will be together again soon.”

  They set out with no further discussion. Honor was relieved the others had not hurried the horses on. The idea of riding at a faster clip did not sit well with her until she had gotten more comfortable in the saddle. She kept gently working her fingers into the animal’s fur. Honor could not decide if this was to reassure the horse or a nervous habit on her part. Conversation was scarce for the first few hours of the journey. There was nothing important to discuss and none of them felt it necessary to fill the silence with mindless chatter when danger could be lurking around the corner.

  The temperature was almost too cold for Honor to handle when she was not physically exerting herself. She shivered beneath the extra blankets Saige had wrapped around her shoulders all while forcing herself to move each toe and each finger. If she could still move them, they were still there. If she could still breathe, she was not frozen.

  Agnar appeared accustomed to the cold. He wore a thin layer of animal skins against his own and eyed Honor as though her rapidly approaching hypothermic shock amused him. Saige and Gray had on fewer layers but seemed far less affected by the bitter air.

  “Is it too cold for you here, your highness?” Agnar chuckled.

  Honor rolled her eyes. “Not all of us are the size of the horses we are riding.”

  Gray laughed. “Agnar, I think you will find that our Honor has a sharp tongue and a quick wit, even when she is freezing.”

  Agnar ignored the quip, returning his focus to the path they were traveling. He sighed but refused to respond. Honor offered a dazzling smile before giving her horse a nudge. The animal knew it was time to show off his skills. Frigid air caressed her face as she shot ahead of the others. Her joy at the increased pace eclipsed any pain she may have experienced from bouncing her leg against the side of the horse. Her travel companions increased their speed to match hers, and they rode along at a faster pace until the animals slowed of their own accord. Honor sensed the change in her steed’s behavior before she heard the warning whisper from Agnar.

  “Use caution, there is something ahead that does not belong.”

  Honor strained her neck forward, searching for what could be out in the inhospitable terrain. There was nothing to see. Her horse reared back causing her to cling to the plush fur. After managing to stay astride the animal, Honor struggled to gain control. Whatever had spooked the horses was lurking at the base of the mountain to their left. Images of the woldigo that attacked her just a few nights before sprang to mind. Could there be another stalking them that the horses sensed before the humans could see?

  “What is it, Agnar?” Gray demanded.

  “I cannot say. The horses sense danger nearby. We are not far from the caverns. I think it best we continue on. If there is something that threatens us, we will face it when it comes.”

  It took some convincing to encourage the horses to continue forward. Honor did not understand what Agnar meant by saying they were near to their destination, but she hoped they would not have to spend much more time exposed to the elements. Her selfish wish to be back at Kilgore sliced through her as she thought of their allies traveling on foot somewhere behind them.

  “We must identify the threat. What will become of those following us if we do not face it now? They will not have the horses’ keen senses to alert them to the danger.” Honor pulled on the reins to keep her horse in place.

  Agnar narrowed his eyes at her as though contemplating her outburst. “Saige, carry on with the princess. Gray and I will hunt.”

  Honor scoffed. “You are not hunting without me. I may not be fully healed, but I am an excellent hunter.”

  “Are you being serious right now?” Agnar was flabbergasted. “Is she serious?”

  “I am afraid she is,” Gray chuckled.

  Honor unhooked herself from the saddle. “The horses will not want to trek through this snow trying to find something that has them terrified. We will have to go on foot.”

  “You are in no shape for that, Honor,” Saige insisted.

  Honor glared at her. “I am healed enough. Saige, you can stay with the animals.”

  Agnar and Gray helped Honor dismount. She flexed her leg, gingerly putting weight on it; it felt good. She could walk with little pain. Without waiting for direction, Honor set off toward the rocky hill leading toward the mountain. She had her bow and arrows slung across her back as usual though it was much more difficult to reach with all the extra layers. Honor felt the two men flank her, keeping just enough space between them to allow them to fan out and cover more ground. Honor opted to leave the crutch with Saige despite the uneven ground. She would not be much help should they be attacked if she had to toss the crutch in order to draw her weapon. With her arrow at the ready, she crested the embankment. Ignoring the protest of pain in her leg was forefront in her mind as she crouched to hide herself from what she saw below.

  A snowy valley sprawled between the hill they stood on and the base of Mount Crystalline. What could only be described as a herd of woldigo were milling about blindly in the daylight. Should the wind shift and send their scent toward the beasts, there would be no way Honor and her friends would survive the fight. Gray sank to the ground next to her, but Agnar stood tall. He knew the vicious predators could not see them and ignored his instinct to hide.

  “Do you see that movement just beyond the creatures?” Agnar pointed toward the foot of the mountain.

  Honor held her hand above her eyes to shield the sun as she squinted into the distance. Agnar was right, there was something other than the woldigo moving about in the valley. The longer she stared, the more certain Honor became that their movements were distinctly human. The hairs on her body stood on end. Were they about to witness a slaughter? As much as she wanted to call a warning to the morons who were walking straight into the mouths of a pack of dangerous predators, she also did not dare draw attention to her own group. Anticipation hung in the air; the travelers strode into the middle of the herd. Honor gasped when instead of attacking, the woldigo excitedly wagged their tails and rubbed against the humans. It was impossible for her to reconcile the terrifying memory of the snarling animal that broke her leg with the joyful interaction she was witnessing.

  “Well, I never,” Agnar breathed. “Every woldigo that came near Frosthaven was aggressive and starved.”

  “We need to talk to them. If those animals are tame or trained to follow these people, we could use their numbers in the coming battle,” Honor insisted.

  “How do you propose we get their attention? While those beasts seem unlikely to eat us, I would feel more comfortable if I did not have to walk directly into the middle of a pack of woldigos.” Gray was putting on a brave face, but Honor could tell he was visib
ly shaken.

  “I do not think you need to worry about how to approach them, Gray,” Agnar’s voice rose an octave.

  Honor followed his gaze to the valley. The humans had crossed through the pack of animals and began ascending the low hill as the three of them spoke to one another. The woldigo followed them like an army of blood-thirsty hunters. Both Agnar and Gray adopted defensive positions, but Honor did her best to appear friendly. The approaching strangers could be enemies or allies depending on how they perceived the interloping trio.

  “You appear to be a long way from home,” the thick northern accent lilted toward them on the breeze.

  “I am. But my friend here is from Frosthaven, do you know it?” Honor kept her voice even.

  The woman glanced between Honor and Agnar. “We know it, but we have never been to the villages this side of the mountain.”

  “You come from beyond Crystalline?” Agnar queried.

  A simple nod was all he got in return; the woman kept her focus on Honor. “We have come to reclaim what is ours.”

  Her discomfort level rose at the words. Honor did not have time to become entangled in a land war with people beyond the farthest reaches of the north country. “I apologize, but I am unsure of your meaning. What do you believe belongs to you?”

  The strange woman laughed, coaxing guttural laughter from her travel companions who also appeared to be female. “You misunderstand. I do not mean ours as in that which would belong to my people alone. I mean ours as in the people of our world. The people of Alderwood.”

  “Many in the north do not consider themselves to be part of Alderwood, it surprises me you do,” Honor probed further.

  “It is foolish to think of Alderwood as a single kingdom ruled by a selfish man. When the north disassociated with Alderwood, it was more a separation from the ridiculous idea that any one person could claim sovereignty of our world.”

  Honor was beginning to like the woman. “I cannot believe your timing is by chance, how did you come to hear of our cause?”

  A smile revealed teeth that had been filed to a point. “The wild magic calls to us. In the north, creatures still remember who they are, and nature still grows freely. But things are changing. We can feel the magic draining from our bones and some beasts have gone dumb. We have come to join the fight for all of Alderwood before it is too late.”

  “I am Honor, one of two illegitimate children of King Junius. It is my destiny to unite Alderwood and bring an end to the man who would call himself my father.”

  “I am Varya, child of Alderwood. It is my pleasure to help you realize your destiny as I fight for mine.”

  Honor nodded to her travel companions. “This is Agnar of Frosthaven and Gray of Ternion Forest. There are more of us coming on foot, and hopefully even more from all over Alderwood. We are on our way to the caverns at Kilgore where Renata, the Oracle awaits us.”

  “I have to ask about the woldigo. How did you tame them?” Agnar asked.

  Raucous laughter erupted once more. “Things that are wild should remain that way. We have not tamed the woldigo, we simply understand one another. They will not hurt us if we do not threaten them.”

  Honor was skeptical. She tried to recall if she had made the animal who attacked her feel threatened prior to the event. Other than stalking it, she could not think of anything that would have made it feel that way. For the time being, she decided she would trust that Varya knew what she was talking about. The newcomers followed their trio back to Saige and the horses. To ease the fear coursing through their steeds, Honor had asked that the woldigo not follow them beyond the valley. Varya left a few of her companions behind to travel with the creatures to Kilgore but she wanted to join Honor for the journey.

  Agnar allowed Varya to climb onto his horse behind him. She accepted the offer but looked more uncomfortable than Honor had ever seen anyone look. Saige climbed on behind Honor, freeing her horse for a pair of travelers from the north, and Gray allowed a young man to join him. Once they were all ready to go, they took off at an accelerated speed. There was a lot of ground to make up before dark. If they kept a steady pace, Agnar was confident they would reach Kilgore before the sun had set completely.

  Thankfully, the rest of the journey was uneventful. Upon their arrival, Honor led them into the caverns. They had to leave the horses outside because they were too tall to walk through the tunnels. They would find a way to have them join the rest later. Honor had no idea what the plan was to accommodate all those who were already on their way to Kilgore, she hoped Renata had thought of those details.

  Juniper was the first to greet her when she reentered the living area within the Kilgore caverns. He welcomed her as an old friend with a fierce embrace and a peck on the cheek. She offered introductions all around before setting off in search of Renata and Legacy. As she rounded a corner, a familiar voice reached her ears, but it did not belong to either of the women she sought. Lord Mahuron stood in the courtyard with Soren, Renata, and Legacy. They were talking intensely about a secret weapon.

  “Anything you care to enlighten me on?” Honor asked.

  “Honor! What took you so long?” Legacy rushed to her side and took her hand. “Lord Mahuron brought us a young man who wants to spy for us within the Makt.”

  “Oh?” Honor found herself suspicious once again.

  “Yes, come meet him!” Legacy bounced on the balls of her feet as she pulled Honor toward the small crowd.

  Many people had arrived in the time she was away. The number who had joined their cause impressed Honor. Lord Mahuron and Soren had done their jobs recruiting willing fighters quite well. A Makt soldier would be an excellent asset as they prepared to invade Pallisaide. When she came to stand next to Soren, multiple things happened at once. Realization dawned as her eyes fell on the young man who had drawn the interest of her sister. The next thing she knew, Honor had drawn a dagger and held it to the throat of the supposed Makt spy. Silence fell over the crowd.

  “Honor?” Legacy questioned her actions.

  “How dare you?” Honor pressed the blade into the soft flesh until a tiny droplet of blood appeared.

  He did not move, he did not dare because he knew Honor would not hesitate. She could not fathom what would make Ash believe he could show his face around her after what he had done. She had limited time before the rest of her group wandered into the courtyard. Her thoughts immediately went to Saige. How would his poor mother react to seeing him again?

  “How did you find us?” Honor demanded.

  Ash blinked as beads of sweat formed on his brow. His throat moved against the dagger as he responded. “I befriended a guard in Goldenlark. We were drinking together, and he told me of the Resistance. He urged me to join.”

  Honor narrowed her eyes, refusing to moving the blade even as a tiny cut formed beneath the edge. “Oh, and you decided hopping sides before suited you enough to do so again? That seems to line up with your history of poor judgement.”

  “Honor?” Legacy’s voice held a sternness not present moments before.

  Honor continued her questioning. “When I was told Lord Mahuron had secured us a double agent, I would never have guessed it would be you. You make me sick. What made you think the Makt would let you go so easily after what they did to your father?”

  Signs of panic began to show in the traitor. His eyes darted around the crowd, searching for someone to come to his aid. Those closest to them trusted and respected Honor enough to refrain from physically pulling her away. They, too, wanted answers, and she would make sure they got them.

  “Do you even know what you did? Do you know there is not a single person left alive in Milltown? Did you help them with the slaughter?” Honor demanded.

  “I had no idea what they would do,” Ash choked on his words.

  “Your mother is here. She has been grieving you as though you were dead. Yet, here you stand, acting as though you will be the savior of our cause. You make me sick.” She took care to emphasize each wo
rd of the last sentence.

  “How was I to know you would even be here? After I left camp, I . . .” Ash caught himself mid-admission.

  “You what, Ash? You assumed we would all be dead?” Honor practically screeched the words through her ill-contained rage.

  “Calm down, Honor. Who is this young man?” Lord Mahuron looked between the two.

  “I will not calm down. You do not understand what you have brought here, the danger you have introduced to our people. Ash grew up in my camp in Ternion Forest. He betrayed us, and because of his actions hundreds of people are dead.”

  “Is this true?” Legacy questioned the terrified young man.

  “Yes,” Ash whimpered as his expression fell grievous.

  “What made you join our numbers? Regret?” Lord Mahuron spat.

  “I made a mistake,” Ash said with conviction.

  Honor had not removed the dagger from against his throat. He was nervous, he was shaking, but he was not apologizing for his actions. She did not trust him. It was as though they were frozen in time. Honor refused let him off so easily, he needed to be held accountable for what he had done.

  “Ash?” Saige’s tortured voice rang out behind her.

  “Mother!” If nothing else, he was good at pretending to have a heart.

  “Honor, release him, please,” Saige implored.

  “I am sorry, Saige, but I cannot do that. You know as well as I do why. He may not have slaughtered and burned the bodies himself, but he may as well have. Innocent people, children, babies, murdered. And for what reason? He needs to answer.”