Storms of the Forest

by Dele Daniel

  “Uhm . . .” I said, staring at the back of Zane’s head. Though he didn’t turn around, I could tell from the way he cocked his head that he was listening and waiting for my response. And beside me, of course, Remington’s gaze was practically burning a hole through the side of my face. Even though my face was burning and the sun was shining, the air around me suddenly felt too cold. “I’ll figure something out,” I said lamely, all the while trying to psych myself up to say what I needed to, because it was far past time to do so now.

  Though I would never regret what I’d done, I couldn’t deny feeling stupid and reckless. The farther we went, the worse I felt. Zane began taking us down hidden pathways I had never seen before, making my anxiety skyrocket. If we went too much farther, we would be out of Black Forest, and leaving Black Forest during these unstable times was too great of a risk, especially for me.

  I sighed. It was now or never. “What is it?” Remington asked.

  I yanked Dolly’s reins back, pulling her to a stop. “We shouldn’t go any farther,” I said. “We . . . we need to stop. We shouldn’t leave Black Forest.”

  Remington stopped beside me, and Zane brought his horse to a halt several yards ahead of us. Both guys stared at me, waiting for elaboration. But under the glare of the sun, not to mention the intensity of their gazes, it felt like my throat had closed on me.

  “Why?” Remington finally asked.

  “It’s too dangerous,” I choked out. “We should figure out another way, or something . . .”

  “Genesis, we know it’s dangerous,” Remington said. “Look at the times we’re living in. Everything is dangerous. But we have to do what we have to do. You said you’re a Hawk now, right? Being a Hawk means doing things that aren’t always safe or easy.”

  “I know that,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

  Zane made his way back toward us. “It’ll be fine,” he said. “That’s why we’re taking this route. Not many people know about it. Just look around.” He waved his hand. “There’s no one here but us and you can tell this road isn’t traveled frequently. We’ll be able to get to Prince Jason’s friend in no time. Then we’ll get the guns and head back to Black Forest undetected.

  Trust me.”

  I looked at Zane, feeling terrible to see the sincerity in his eyes. I knew he could be trusted. Myself, on the other hand . . .

  I sighed again. “Look—I lied okay. I don’t know anyone in King’s Port who can help us. I . . . It’s just that Prince . . . The way you guys were putting so much pressure on him . . . I didn’t want him to look so foolish in front of everybody. It’s taking a lot for him to adapt to being thrust into such a position. He doesn’t know what to do. I just wanted to help take the pressure off him. I don’t want him to be disrespected.” I bit my bottom lip as I stared at Dolly’s silky mane. I didn’t dare look at Remington; I could practically feel the anger and disappointment radiating off him. “I just had to intervene on Prince’s behalf. I wasn’t thinking straight. The protective big sister in me kicked in and I just couldn’t stop myself.”

  The silence following my words was so long that I eventually looked up.

  Remington was staring right at me, livid. “You . . . are not . . . this stupid, Genesis!” he spat in a clipped and angry tone.

  I flinched and then recomposed myself, feeling some of my own anger building inside me. “No,” I said, my voice low and surprisingly calm. “I’m a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them, Remington.”

  “Then how could you waste our time like this?” he yelled. “Do you understand what’s at stake here? We don’t have time for this kind of foolishness!”

  “Prince is my little brother!” I screamed. “Of course I know what’s at stake! Jason was killed right in front of me, taking a shot that was meant for me! Do you honestly think I don’t know what’s at stake? What I did—it was only meant to help, and I don’t regret it for one second. I will never regret trying to protect the people I love!”

  “News flash, Genesis—lying isn’t going to protect Prince! All you’ve done is send us out here on a pointless journey when our time could have been better spent actually thinking of a real plan!”

  I knew that if I opened my mouth again, I would only start yelling some more. And Remington and I yelling at each other in the middle of the woods certainly wouldn’t do any of us any favors. I pressed my lips together, took a deep breath, and turned toward Zane, wondering if he had anything to say, or if he was just as pissed off at me as Remington. For one wild second, I hoped Zane would intervene, revealing that he actually knew someone in King’s Port instead and that the whole trip hadn’t been pointless after all. But he remained quiet, leaving me to face Remington’s wrath alone.

  I cleared my throat. “I may have lied about knowing someone in King’s Port,” I said, “but I have been thinking of another plan.”

  Remington folded his arms across his chest in agitation. “Oh, have you? Well, at any point while we’ve been traveling to nowhere, did you plan on actually letting us know about your real plan? If so, now might be a fine time to tell us about it, Genesis.”

  “Yes,” I said, struggling to control my temper. “I’ve been thinking, Remington, that between my skills and your skills, we can possibly sneak up on a few of the king’s guards while they’re on duty. I’ve got my bow and some arrows. We can seek out the ones we want to target and overpower them . . .”

  “Overpower them?” Remington said, staring at me as if I had lost my mind entirely. “Armed guards? You want to overpower armed guards?”

  “We don’t have to go to a heavily populated area,” I said. I turned toward Zane. “You can take us somewhere where there’s bound to be only a few guards on duty, right? All we need to find is a few of them. Then we can sneak up on them and steal their guns. We only need a couple to practice with. Once we get some practice in, we can figure out our next steps. Hell, we can use the guns to take on some more guards, and get some more guns—”

  “Genesis.” Remington huffed, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. I knew he was just moments away from calling my plan a suicide mission, but Zane finally spoke, intervening.

  “Actually,” he said, “that’s not such a bad idea, Genesis.”

  With his brow furrowed, Remington turned toward Zane. “What do you mean? It sounds like a terrible idea to me. It sounds like nothing more than a sure way to get ourselves killed.”

  Zane tilted his head. “No, not necessarily. You see, a lot of the guards hang around in the marketplace in the evenings. You can usually find them in the local Palm Wine Bar. After a few hours, they’re all usually filthy drunk. I’m pretty sure that if we wait for the right moment, we can overpower them and take their guns.”

  Zane exchanged glances with me, and I nodded appreciatively, glad to have an ally and grateful that he had been able to flesh out my half-cooked plan.

  Remington looked up toward the sky, his face contemplative. When he looked back down, he shot an exasperated glance at me and then turned back to Zane. “All right. Seeing as we’re out of other options—all right. Let’s give it a try. It’s not like we have anything else to lose at this point, since we’re out here already.” His glance flickered toward me again.

  “So the journey continues,” Zane said, giving me a brief nod and a slight smile that suggested he sensed my unspoken appreciation.

  CHAPTER 10

  By the time we made it to the marketplace, it was approaching eight o’clock in the evening.

  “We’re here,” Zane said, stating the obvious.

  Remington, Zane, and I brought our horses to a slow trot as we cautiously glanced around. The sun had already set, and we wanted make sure we were thorough with our scan of the premises. The last thing we needed was to be detected at the wrong time if our plan was going to work.

  Fortunately, it didn’t take long to see that the marketplace was practically empty. The streets were vacant, the stalls were closed, and there wasn’t a s
oul to be seen in our immediate surroundings. From a distance, though, we could tell where all the action was; anyone still out at this time of evening was socializing at Palm Wine Bar. The bar was easy to spot, for bright lighting streamed through the cracks of its door, and the muffled sounds of music, laughter, and slurred conversations drifted through the wind.

  Quietly and stealthily, Zane dismounted his horse, and Remington and I followed suit.

  Sensing the mood around her, Dolly pawed the ground nervously, huffing.

  “Shh,” I said, patting her nose. “It’ll be all right. I’ll be right back, I promise.” Remington, Zane, and I tied all of their reins together, making sure our horses were a safe distance away from any prying eyes somewhere within the marketplace.

  In a crouched run, Zane headed toward a row of nearby bushes, motioning for me and Remington to follow. For a long moment, the three of us remained still and silent, ensuring that we hadn’t overlooked anyone who could potentially see us.

  Squinting through the darkness, I looked at Zane and Remington, who were crouched on each side of me. “I think you two should go into the bar one by one to see how many guards are in there and to see how drunk they are. Figure out which ones you think you can most easily steal guns from, and then come back so we can work out a plan on how to go about doing it. I’ll stay out here and keep watch of things,” I said. Although I would have liked to go with them, I knew that it was too risky for me to be seen.

  Zane nodded. “Sounds good to me,” he said. He looked at Remington. “What do you say?”

  “Sounds reasonable enough, I guess.”

  “Okay. I’ll go first,” Zane said, creeping closer to the edge of the bushes. After waiting an additional minute, he darted out, moving quickly and quietly toward Palm Wine Bar.

  Remington and I watched with bated breath, breathing sighs of relief when Zane creaked the door open and slipped inside.

  As we waited in silence, I wanted to apologize for being untruthful, but Remington seemed so deep in concentration that I felt reluctant to speak. I stared at the silhouette of his face as he kept his gaze fixated on the bar’s entrance. Likely sensing my timidity, he turned his head just enough to see me from the corner of his eyes, his expression unreadable through the darkness.

  “I take it that you’re still mad at me,” I said. “Maybe,” he replied.

  “But do you understand that I was just acting in defense of my brother? And that although it may not have been the best course of action, I don’t regret it if it means sparing him some shame and embarrassment?”

  Remington turned his head completely toward me this time, and I was able to see more of his face, particularly the way his expression had softened, even if only by a fraction. “Yes, I know that, Genesis. But still . . .”

  “You still think it was stupid of me. I get it. But what’s done is done. We just have to focus on . . . on the here and now.”

  Remington nodded. “Exactly. So on that note, I’m going in.” “Be careful,” I said.

  He nodded once, and then like Zane, he tipped toward the edge of the bushes, waited another moment, and darted out, moving quickly toward the bar so that he could check things out for himself.

  While I’d been feeling fairly confident in the plan, Remington’s and Zane’s absence suddenly left me feeling vulnerable. I glanced in the direction of our horses, wishing they were near so that I wouldn’t feel so alone. But I knew I needed to stay put and keep watch, like I said I would. Nevertheless, the unfamiliar territory was making me increasingly apprehensive, and a ball of dread was steadily forming in my stomach. I closed my eyes for a second and took a series of deep breaths, trying to calm myself.

  Everything’s going to be okay, I repeated in my head.

  I remained crouched in the bushes, staring at the entrance of the bar, waiting for Zane and Remington to resurface, unharmed and unnoticed. Yet, each second seemed to drag by with excruciating slowness, and it didn’t take long for me to grow antsy. As much as I tried to ignore it, something just didn’t feel right. I found myself debating whether I should sneak into the bar as well, but I ultimately decided the risk was too great. I was essentially a wanted criminal, as far as the capital was concerned. Zane and Remington, on the other hand, were relatively unknown.

  King Henry undoubtedly knew about the Hawk alliance, but he probably didn’t know individual players yet.

  Needing something to do to keep myself from freaking out any further, I pulled the knapsack off my back and retrieved my bow and arrow, prepping it just in case, although I hoped to not need it. Simply holding it in my hands made me feel more secure though. Regardless, I hoped the guards were as drunk as Zane expected them to be and that the guys would come back with the good news that they’d already been able to swipe a few guns without anyone noticing.

  Trying to wish my hopes into existence, I began envisioning Remington and Zane strutting out the bar with guns at their hips. “Come on, guys,” I whispered.

  “What are you doing out here with that bow and arrow, young lady?”

  My heart dropped to my stomach and every inch of my flesh broke out with goose bumps.

  The voice who’d spoken belonged to neither Remington nor Zane.

  Slowly, I turned around to the dreadful sight of a royal guard standing behind me, his arms folded across his massive chest and his head cocked to the side. His expression bordered somewhere between suspicious and amused, all the while still being intimidating.

  I swallowed, my mind racing to come up with an excuse. If the plan Zane, Remington, and I had carefully constructed suddenly went haywire, it would be all my fault for being so careless. Being a hunter, there was simply no way anybody should have been able to sneak up on me unnoticed—a detail I already knew Remington would shout at me the first chance he got if things suddenly took a turn for the worse, as they appeared close to doing.

  I stood slowly from my crouched position, knowing there was no sense in staying hidden now. With it getting darker outside by the second, though, I at least hoped the guard couldn’t see well enough to identify me.

  Just how well known am I throughout King’s Forest? I wondered. Thoughts of Jason standing up to his brother, ready to trade his life for mine, came to mind. Not to mention how he had so unapologetically taken me out on what, in hindsight, felt suspiciously like a date when we’d gone to see a play together . . .

  All the attention we had garnered . . .

  Yes, it was very possible—probable—that I was more well-known than I ever wanted or could have imagined being.

  “I’m . . . I’m going hunting,” I said, cringing at the stammer in my voice. I needed my lie to be believable, which meant I needed to sound convincing. I straightened my spine, bringing myself to my full height. I then relaxed my shoulders, attempting to take on the stance that suggested I had nothing to hide. “I’m just waiting for my brothers,” I added, pleased to hear that my voice sounded steadier.

  “Hunting, huh?” the guard said, a smirk coming to his face, although it looked more like a snarl. “At this time of night?”

  I nodded. “Yeah. You know—the animals are less guarded at night, so it’s easier to—”

  “Wait,” the guard said, cutting me off. He narrowed his eyes and leaned down a bit, almost bringing himself to eye level with me. “Don’t I know you?”

  CHAPTER 11

  A million thoughts seemed to bounce through my mind at once, and none of them led me to a viable course of action. I couldn’t decide whether to step back, turn away from the guard to shield my face, muster all of my strength to hit him so that I could run away, scream for help to alert Remington and Zane that things were going terribly wrong, or continue staring defiantly back at the guard as if nothing was wrong. I was at a complete standstill.

  The guard gestured with his hand, motioning for me to come closer to him, but I stayed rooted on the spot, at a complete loss for what to do. Horrified, I realized I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.
/>   “What’s your name?” the guard asked.

  “Zoko,” I said automatically, the lie springing from my lips despite me having no idea where it came from.

  I could see the wheels turning in his eyes as he ran the name Zoko through his head, trying to determine if it sounded familiar. All the while, he continued staring at me, seeming to take in every inch of my face as if he was either determined to commit it to memory or scanning it through his own personal mental directory. I began wondering how many people royal guards encountered on a daily basis and whether it was possible for them to really remember everyone they saw.

  Then again, I was very well aware that some people simply never forgot a face, and unfortunately, there were plenty of reasons for people throughout the kingdom to have my face committed to memory.

  I should have just ran, I thought to myself, feeling a trickle of cold sweat dripping down the side of my face. Looking the guard in the eyes, I could already see that the damage was done. The game was over.

  He shook his head, his expression growing more angered by the second. I knew it a split second before he spoke—he had figured out who I was. Even through the darkness, I saw the flash of recognition that had sparked in his eyes. “You’re lying,” he said. “I know who you are. Your name is not Zoko. Your name is Genesis, and you’re the girl from Promenade. You’re under arrest. Come with me at once.”

  I glanced back to the entrance of the bar, pondering how fast I could run. The guard was a lot bigger than me, and although some big people were perfectly fast and light on their feet, I suspected that wouldn’t be the case with him. Surely, he would be no match for my

  trained hunter’s speed and agility . . .

  But perhaps seeing the plan darting through my eyes, the guard lunged for me before I could spring into action. I hardly had time to even release the startled cry that escaped from between my lips. He grabbed my arm in one swift gesture, yanking me so roughly toward him that my teeth clamped down on my tongue and I feared I would suffer whiplash.