Defiled

by Elskidor Xell

  Lonewolf waved her on. "Well, be that way if you must. Teasing me. Off with you now." Lonewolf winked at her then took a more serious tone. "Bell, listen. You should go on to Magwhen. Everything is under control, and if I need you, I will send for you. And by the way, -"

  As Lonewolf spoke, Bella flashed to a memory of waiting in a secret tunnel under the lower corridor of Magwhen's keep and listening to voices above. With Lonewolf’s voice in the background, she made out the foggy memory that had been a mystery to her.

  "It's astounding what people will do for a few coins. Help trap a couple dozen of the Overlord's bodyguards. Leak your little plans. There is no such thing as loyalty if it can be bought."

  She recalled what she had heard down there that day. His voice and Laelliandir's were crisp now.

  "You betrayed me!" Came the voice of Laelliandir.

  "I know. And I'm sorry because I like you for all you have done. None of this would have been possible without you. I mean, I'm good. We all know, but without you, this wouldn't have been possible. You've outdone yourself, my lord."

  "Why? What are you getting out of all this?"

  "A dead High Queen and King for starters. Dead by your hands for another. Mixed with your alliance with Tragmont, who sent you here to execute the Overlords, and we have ourselves no more pesky rebellion, no more pesky Overlords and one of the greatest powers on Murnia. Power enough to bring down the elven walls of Tragmont."

  Bella’s sudden recollection hit her hard, and as she looked at Lonewolf, she knew what had happened that day. What the? You? There he stood, still rambling on about her returning to Magwhen, and she was lost in a trance. She didn’t want to believe it, but while she didn't remember everything, she realized how she’d been lied to and manipulated.

  "So, what do you say?" Lonewolf finally finished. Bella tried to focus on a response but had nothing. Finally, she spoke.

  "I don't know. Aye. Maybe it is for the best. Markus keeps saying-" She paused as she clenched her eyes to fight back the throbbing in her head and to escape random visions returning to her. Not now! Stop! She begged in silence.

  Lonewolf noted her facial expressions and knew something was wrong. He recognized the signs of her headaches from before. "Are you all right, Bell?"

  She opened her eyes and nodded. "Just tired. I keep pushing myself." As he answered, she got yet another vision, slightly more detailed. This time she was in a bed while the High King, Neighraellium, dangled a red orb in her face, and Lonewolf watched as he addressed Neighraellium.

  "I don't care. We'll see in due time, but until we get to Tragmont, Bella and Luminear are in my care. You aren't doing anything depraved to them."

  "You keep reminding me of this, and I have kept agreeing to do this, but look at yourself. You are destroying a young girl’s memories. Warning me not to do anything sick and depraved is very ironic. Just your way of more service pay? I miss the days where you only wanted me to pay you in coin. You complicate my life."

  As Bella refocused on the present, it seemed Lonewolf and Neighraellium Javalla were far closer than she had ever realized and had conspired to take over power and go to war.

  It was you all along. She stared now at Lonewolf in disgust, and a tinge of terror seized her. You miserable sards corroded my mind? The sight of him made her want to vomit. This is false? Can’t be true.

  "Bella? Do you need to come in and rest?" Lonewolf, now nearly certain she was relapsing and remembering things he needed to stay buried, coaxed her.

  Bella shook her head. "No. Markus, Fern, and you are right. I’m going back to Magwhen. I shouldn't have stopped by." Bella squinted in pain and rubbed her temples. This isn’t happening. Wolf isn’t capable of-

  "Bella? You look like you are about to fall over. Come inside. Have a rest, will you?" Lonewolf insisted, but Bella couldn't even pretend any longer.

  The pain in her head was too much to bear. She grabbed the side of her head with one hand and squeezed her eyelids as tight as she could until a tear found its way out. "I’m fine. Just a headache," she said while struggling to ignore the pain and appear normal.

  Lonewolf had seen Bella hurting like this a few times and understood what was happening. "Inside now." Lonewolf’s tone changed from persuasive to demanding, and he tried to reach for her. He wasn't sure how he could fix it until Icaz arrived, but he knew he had to do something immediately.

  "Don’t touch me!" Bella screamed and jerked free of his reaching arms. She yanked the reins on her horse as it backed away from Lonewolf. "I’m sick. Infectious." Bella backed up more and nodded at him. "I need to find Markus, and we’re going to Magwhen," Without a hint of anger in her voice, she turned her horse. "I'll write or something, but I have to go, Wolf." Her head pounded while memories flooded her brain like a hurricane as she rode away.

  "Perfect time for this!" Lonewolf muttered under his breath and kicked up the grass. "What do I do? That blasted medallion is good for nothing—temporary nonsense. I can't just let her go like this. What was I thinking?" He sighed then murmured a quiet apology, "Bell. I'm sorry. Sard."

  He fought with himself about whether he should chase her or let her go. At first, Lonewolf settled on letting her go, but then he remembered Bella was still the head of the entire army thanks to him. Depending on what all she had recalled, she could use her power to terrible effect. Whether or not he wanted to, he would have to hunt her down and deal with the problem.

  Chapter Six

  Course Correcting

  Lonewolf ran back inside to grab weapons and poisons before taking to his horse and riding. He was in such a panicked state he didn’t take time to make plans. All he knew was he had to get to Kinelenn and talk to the captains. While he hadn’t thought out what he would say, he realized Bella’s most dangerous weapon was the Divoxian army, and he had to prevent her from using it.

  Thus, with no awareness, he rode right past Bella, Markus, and Fern, who were just a little way off the path and in disarray. "We have to follow him," Bella said.

  "What happened back there, Bell?" Markus asked.

  Bella was shaken, but also too worked up to give any answer. "I can’t explain why, but we need to see where he goes. Find out where and why."

  "He’s after you, no doubt. You're probably worrying him sick. What is it? Did you remember something?" Markus said.

  "Yes. Nothing good, and I suspect he is behind it." Bella drew an anxious breath and said, "Give him a few minutes of leeway, and we follow."

  "Bella. Don't do this again. What you recall or at least part of it might be false. Lonewolf would never hurt you or any of us. He's one of the kindest men I’ve met," Fern argued.

  Bella sighed, growing angrier by the minute. "Listen. I don't recall what I remembered before. All I care about is what I'm sensing and seeing in my head right now. Wolf is- Sarding no time for this! You're either with me or get out of my way."

  The two men glanced at each other, knowing they shouldn’t argue with Bella when she was like this. They reluctantly agreed to go along. "All right, love. This is your plan, and we'll follow," Markus said.

  Fern sighed. He would have preferred an uneventful day, but when Bella looked his way, he nodded, assuring her she could count on him too. "I’m w-w-with you, Bella."

  The three followed Lonewolf, keeping their distance. Lonewolf was dead set on fixing whatever issue Bella might create before Icaz and Luminear showed up, and he would not allow his plans to be foiled. So intent on his mission, he didn't consider for a moment he was being followed. Instead, he kept riding until he reached one of the massive stone bridges that led to the main towering isle of Kinelenn. He passed the guards and crossed the lengthy bridge and onward before he arrived at the largest part of the city.

  Bella, Markus, and Fern did not cross the bridge after him, though. They stopped before the guards on the bridge spotted them and cut off the trail to observe from a ledge upon the edge of the forest. Their vantage point was before the long drop into the lake bel
ow, and a nice view of the mystical city from afar. Fern always kept an eye scope on him for seeing long distances, but even with it, their view was lacking. They knew Lonewolf had crossed the length of the monumental bridge, but beyond the bridge, they saw only figures.

  "What's he doing in there?" Bella asked.

  Markus and Fern hesitated to tell her he was probably looking for her out of concern. "He's raiding the place. He will kill them all," Markus joked, which only landed him an elbow to the chest from his wife. Bella was not amused and kept her sharp eye peering through the lens for anything out of the ordinary. Most of the city had been built similar to Lonewolf's home. Great elder trees became homes, and the houses separate from the trees, by design, still resembled elder trees.

  ***

  Once Lonewolf arrived within the city, he demanded the first soldier he saw with a horn to summon the nearest captain with haste. It took longer than he wished, but eventually, a bald muscle-bound middle-aged man trotted in to meet him. He recognized the man as Captain Feldon, one of the higher-ranking captains Lonewolf actually knew and trusted.

  "What is it, commander?" Captain Feldon asked as Lonewolf leaped from his horse and gave the man a quick hug.

  "Trouble," Lonewolf said. "Listen. I don't need questions, but I need results and fast. Listen well. I need your ears, and I need action."

  Captain Feldon crossed his arms. "Have I ever been slow to respond?"

  "Never. And that's why I'm glad you came first. I need a few captains to witness me giving you this order." Lonewolf scanned the nearby area but saw no one other than random soldiers roaming around. The city looked more like a forest with all the tree homes, but they were spread apart and scattered. "The soldiers will have to do. I have no time to wait." Lonewolf whistled, summoning a few soldiers to join.

  Once the young men scurried in attendance, Captain Feldon asked, "What can I do for you, sire?"

  "The guards report to you any person who crosses this bridge?" Feldon nodded in confirmation, "Has General Bella Luna been through here?"

  "General Bella has not returned. She left hours ago."

  His answer confused Lonewolf, but he did not complain. He wondered where she might have possibly gone if not back to base. "Any of you?" Lonewolf asked the spectators, who confirmed they had not seen Bella.

  "I'm reinstating my title as grand commander. You don't need details. I want no questions, and I won't give answers. General Bella is dismissed from all of her duties." Lonewolf waited. When the captain said nothing, Lonewolf continued. "If she is spotted, arrest her. Do not harm her, but she must be jailed. That goes for her husband and Fern too."

  "Who?"

  Lonewolf waved his hand, signaling the captain to ignore the name. "Just arrest whoever she's with unless it's me. She no longer commands this army. I also need two-hundred fast riders. Summon me two-hundred dragoons as quickly as you can. They should have rations for a week at least. I have places I have to be, and I need soldiers in a hurry. I may be gone for a few days, and I'm expecting you and your fellow captains to take care of everything. Be ready to move on a moment’s notice. Be prepared for an attack, however unlikely. I need one captain in the ranks of the dragoons I requested. You must deliver this within two hours." Lonewolf stopped and waited again for the captain to respond.

  "Anything else?" Feldon wasn't fazed at all by Lonewolf's request.

  "No. Get to it. I'll raise your rank if you deliver the results faster." It was an easy promise to make as he believed he would not need the Divoxian army for much longer.

  Captain Feldon responded with enthusiasm. "On it, my lord." The big man turned to begin his business.

  Lonewolf sighed and turned to face the golden armored soldiers. "You three, get me food and the strongest spirits you can find. I need about a week’s worth and nothing that will spoil!"

  ***

  Bella could not make out specifics about what went on there, but she observed figures talk to Lonewolf now and again, and most of them seemed like they were in a hurry. She did not trust Markus and Fern's suggestion. If he was looking for her, he would have ridden straight to her home, but he didn’t.

  Her memory flashes had stopped, and as they passed, so did the pounding in her head. She needed time to sort it out, but she was stubborn and sensed Lonewolf was up to nothing good. While she wanted to believe her memories of Lonewolf were false, his betrayal seemed so real.

  The wait seemed endless, and Markus and Fern were both bored and concerned with Bella's well-being. After a couple of hours, they wanted to drag Bella away from the cliff side and insist they ride in to determine what Lonewolf was doing. They nearly did until Bella spotted dragoons riding back across the bridge.

  "What is he doing?" Bella asked as she tossed the eye scope to Fern. After inspecting the scene below, he shrugged and passed it on to Markus.

  "Is that Wolf leading them?" Markus asked. "Aye, it is. I see now."

  "That's a lot of dragoons just to hunt down Bella and make sure she's all right." Fern said, disbelief in his tone.

  "He cares about you, Bell. You could have spooked him. General of the army in a crisis," Markus argued.

  Bella rolled her eyes and turned to walk towards their horses tied to a tree nearby. "I'm telling you I sensed something terrible. I remembered something about Lonewolf," Bella shot back, not ready to explain more. "Sarding trust m-Argh!" Bella let out a painful yelp as her head began pounding once again.

  The throbbing in her head resumed as haunting flashes returned in waves. Lonewolf shooting her with a poisonous dart, her chasing Laelliandir after Laella’s and Albatros's wedding, and then waking up in Lonewolf's bed and seeing his awkwardness were just random tidbits of distorted memories.

  "Please. Stop!" she shouted as she grabbed the sides of her head and collapsed to her knees. "Stop it!"

  Markus and Fern ran in on either side of her.

  "Bell?"

  "Just breathe," Markus said.

  "Don't go after him. Don't take me back there." Bella did not open her eyes as the pain bore down on her. It seemed as if her head could explode at any moment. She collapsed on her side in the grass as another wave of memories assaulted her. She found it hard not to scream, but the more she fought, the weaker she felt. Her body felt as if she was burning up from the inside out, and when she tried to lift her eyelids, Bella found her vision was fuzzy. As if she was the hand of a clock that had been purposely flicked, her entire world was spinning. She tried to talk, but her words became impossible to understand as she slurred and mumbled. And then it was over. She quit fighting it and slipped into a swoon.

  "Bella!" Markus yelped as he and Fern shook her for a response. After receiving nothing, Markus set his head to her chest while Fern grabbed her wrist to check for a pulse. She was alive but unresponsive. "What do we do?" Markus asked. He feared what might become of her. "This has never happened before, Fern. What do I do? We have to get her up and take her to the city."

  Fern, realizing Markus was panicked and terrified, said, "Markus, she's asleep. Do nothing drastic. I understand you’re worried, but Bella was afraid to go there,"

  "She's not thinking right. She's pushing herself, and she's suffering from delirium. We can't trust her thoughts." Markus struggled with fear, anger and worry at the thought of losing his best friend. He tucked his arms under her armpits and lifted. "You help me get her on my horse. Now, Fern."

  Fern was not one to argue under normal circumstances, but he wasn't so sure Markus was thinking straight either. "No Markus, we cannot. Now you listen! You are too upset to make this decision. If she is right about Wolf, then you could hurt her. I’m still a practicing medic, so you are going to let me look at her." Fern spat out his opinion. He plopped to his knees and gave his friend a stern look. "Lay her on her back and let me have a look-see."

  Unused to Fern taking charge, Markus was shocked by his friend’s tone, but Fern was right. He fought in the war, but his main vocation had been in administering healing treat
ment. Though not as fit as most soldiers, as a healer, Fern was as qualified as any they would find in town.

  After Markus laid Bella back down, Fern examined her and listened to her heartbeat and breathing cycle. She was asleep and had likely passed out because of the pressure in her head.

  "How can you be sure?" Markus asked after Fern told him she would be fine. "What if she sleeps for a long time again? After her head injury in Magwhen, she was out for weeks."

  "We don't know, but we will give her time. She was so upset about Wolf she swooned. The last thing we need to do is go against her wishes. We can stay out here quiet and undetected. Give her time. It will be fine."

  "Fine." Markus did not like the idea at all but went along with it. He propped Bella's head on his lap, grabbed hold of her hand, and tried to comfort her as they waited.