by B. H. Savage
Anye's anger quickly left her as she looked into Glenn's eyes. He was begging her to go, to survive. She didn't want to, her heart wanted her to stay, but her mind told her it was the right thing to do. She nodded her head and started to walk towards the hidden passage. She stopped for a second though, and turned back to face the man who had set her free.
She either wasn't thinking clearly or circumstances had forced her to no longer care. She ran back up to Glenn and embraced him passionately on the lips. She caught his surprise, but noticed he didn't push her away either as she concluded the kiss. Her emotions ran wild with excitement and sadness. She was finally giving herself to the man she cared for, but knew that they couldn’t be together. She needed to take what joy she could from the moment before it was over.
Eventually she pulled away, and felt lightheaded for a moment after. When she looked up at Glenn she thought she could see a mixture of utter shock and happiness in his eyes.
She backed away and, before heading towards the passage she smiled at him. "If I never see you again, I at least wanted to do that," she told him.
Glenn blinked his eyes for a second in disbelief before coming back to reality. "Right...be safe, Anye," he told her. With a counter-clockwise twist of the lance the mechanism hidden in the wall activated again, closing the opening in the floor.
With no way back and no desire to get caught, Anye made her way through the darkness to the entrance of the cave. She worried about Glenn and how he would get out of the situation he had put himself in for her escape, but her primary focus at the moment had to be survival and escaping the kingdom. Returning to her family's estate for whatever belongings she thought may help was out of the question as well; if her father didn't turn her in, then the guards who were undoubtedly keeping an eye on her family would try to kill her. It was a painful thought, running away, but it was her only option.
Just like Glenn had told her, waiting at the mouth of the cave just out of the storm's reach was a brown horse from the castle stables. A sack and a sword rested on top of it. She rushed over towards them, opening the bag to see what Glenn had provided for her.
There was nothing particularly befitting of a knight, but Anye realized that was for the better and was probably intentional. Inside the sack was a small pouch of gold coins, a small sailcloth, and some clothes consisting of a pair of old boots, a leather belt, a few pairs of trousers, a couple of shirts, and a hooded cloak. All of the clothing was designed for a man, likely Glenn. She doubted he had gone out to buy clothing for her and had just grabbed whatever he could spare. The sentiment touched her and she smiled at the thought.
The sword that rested along with the clothes Anye recognized immediately. Her suspicion was confirmed as soon as she pulled the blade from its leather sheath. The emblem of the Holy Knights was engraved on it, proving that the blade was her own as well as the one used to rob Prince Robert of his life. Somehow, Glenn had managed to sneak the blade away for her. For what reason he made sure she had that weapon she didn’t know, but she assumed it was to let her know that he wouldn’t forget what had happened and that she shouldn’t either.
"Glenn, how did you manage this?" Anye asked herself as she looked down at the steel. The thought was interrupted by a bright bolt of lightning followed by a loud crack of thunder that reminded her of the situation. The storm conveniently provided the perfect cover she needed to get away.
She quickly changed out of her prison garb and into the clothing provided, attaching the sheath to the belt on her waist and wrapping the cloak around her for protection from the weather. Everything else she kept in the sack which she slung over her shoulder. When she mounted the horse, she turned back to look at the cave she had escaped through.
"Be safe, Glenn."
She turned the horse out to face the storm and took a deep breath before pulling the cloak's hood over her head. She had no idea where she'd go, but she knew she had to go somewhere. She heeled the horse to get it running and galloped into the rain.
______
Sunlight broke through the treetop canopy to Anye's camp in the forest far to the south of Delrich’s castle, waking her from another troubled sleep. Her ride through the dark storm had been far from pleasant. Not only did she need to avoid being seen by anyone out of fear of being turned in, she also had to deal with the torrential rain and winds. If that wasn't bad enough, when she reached the relative shelter of the southern forest and made a tent out of the sailcloth, she constantly heard the voice of her father repeating his last words to her. The uttering mixed with her recurring dream of fire, which combined for an especially bad series of nightmares while she slept.
Regardless of the dreams, she did manage to get some rest and come up with a plan. Mitus was officially still at war with Delrich, and even though most of the hostilities between the two nations had temporarily stopped, fleeing to the imperial capital was out of the question. North of Delrich and Mitus were the snow plains of Toran, and to the south through the forest was the neutral nation of Belrun.
Toran and Delrich had an alliance which allowed the kingdom to herd dragons from the northern peaks for the Dragon Knights in exchange for protection, and for goods manufactured in Delrich. The alliance also meant that they were at odds with Mitus and would likely report her presence to the capital if she were discovered, so Anye ruled out that possibility as well.
Belrun remained neutral in the war against Mitus, wishing not to provoke the sorcerous empire from attacking them at their harbors in retaliation for supporting Delrich, or the latter pushing through the forest and razing their farmland if they chose to aid Mitus. The sheer amount of land under the kingdom's control provided a large enough supply of people to keep their army and navy formidable regardless, but they still preferred to remain out of the conflict. Since Anye was already in the bordering forest and there was no real reason for them to turn her over if discovered, continuing south seemed like the best choice. The port towns within the kingdom also provided transportation to other lands beyond the ocean, so leaving the continent was also an option if the need arose.
Luckily the road leading through the forest connecting the two kingdoms was hardly ever populated. The only location she expected to find anyone besides random traveling merchants was at the border tolls. Anye only needed to come up with a new identity for herself when questioned by Belrun’s guards. She’d sneak around it to get out of the forest away from the road, just as she’d snuck in, except the toll was literally the only way in; at the edge of the forest was a gorge that dropped at least two hundred feet and was about half as wide across. It stretched along the entirety of the forest edge, cutting off access completely except for the toll bridge.
Packing what little belongings the woman had with her took up very little time, but the words of her father hung over her still. It wasn’t that he had practically disowned her that bothered her. The words that stuck in her memory the most were his angered admittance to something she had suspected since she was a child; Anye was not her father’s biological daughter. The difference in hair color, her attitude compared to her younger siblings, the way she thought about things. All of those aspects had set her apart from her family, and although they had helped shape who she had become over the years, there was still the lingering feeling that she somehow didn’t belong there. Of course her parents had never admitted to her being adopted, and being the eldest child didn’t afford her the option of asking an older sibling.
Anye also constantly thought about the other thing her father had said to her, the angry snap that he should have left her in the fire he found her in. She didn’t remember being in any fire, but she did remember stories about her father when he was younger, as a knight in the king’s service just about to start his political career. He had served in tours primarily in Belrun during some small revolution that was taking place as an ally from Delrich. From what she was told the revolutionaries weren’t fond of Delrich, so King Justin had sent some of his men to defend the current
monarch with the intention of preserving friendly relations with the southern neighbor. There was only one event from her lessons in history she could remember that matched how old she was to her father’s time in service, an event referred to as the day of the Sky Fire, and Sir Everdyne, as he was called then, was in Belrun at the time.
There was also the recurring nightmare about being surrounded by flame. She doubted it was a coincidence, but that only begged the question of why she was having the dream to begin with. If they were connected, it meant she was dreaming about the day her father saved her from burning to death in the Sky Fire, but why was she dreaming about it at all? Had Anye’s life not been so drastically changed she would spend more time thinking about it, but focusing on the here-and-now took priority. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t do some research on her origins.
The fire her father mentioned being connected to that historical event was a long shot, but it was all Anye had to go on. There was no way for her to help Glenn investigate what was happening with Amador and the king. She wanted desperately to return and help him, but she knew that would only result in either her or both of them being executed, with Glenn being branded as a traitor as well. South was her best and only option.
Anye had been thinking about what she should do so intently that she had arrived at the toll bridge without even realizing it until the massive structure loomed overhead.
The Belrun toll bridge was a marvel of architecture and design. Crafted out of stone and edged with silver and gold, the bridge had been built into each cliff-side of the gorge and had an arch on the underside supporting the structure’s weight across the middle. Each end had a small tower where travelers would pay the toll to use the bridge to enter Belrun or Delrich, depending on where they were going. The towers also served as guard barracks and were appropriately fortified with archer positions and a lookout post on each of the roofs, just above a stained glass window of Belrun’s royal seal; a visage of the people fishing, farming, and bearing swords in three separate segments.
A pair of armed guards stood outside of the entrance of the first tower. Unlike the knights and soldiers of Delrich, Belrun’s military used very light armor crafted out of thin metals, cloth, and leather that left most of their arms and legs exposed. The heaviest part of their attire was the helmets, adorned with beastly horns. The naturally warmer climate of the area explained the extra skin exposure, but Anye preferred her full-body coverage in combat.
The soldiers of Belrun often specialized in the use of larger two-handed swords as well, ignoring the use of magic. This resulted in a much more physically imposing opponent, but also one whose defenses relied on the quick dispatching of their enemies. If you could block or avoid the powerful swings of their blades you could likely win the battle by outmaneuvering them and landing quick precision strikes.
“Hold, traveler,” one of the guards said to her as she approached the tower’s entrance. “State your business.”
Anye was surprised. She hadn’t expected to be questioned, though the imposition validated her assumption in needing a new identity. “Simply traveling, sir.” She answered. “Is there something wrong?”
“Rumors of treason and conspiracy,” he answered. “King Edward, to ensure his continued friendship with the king of Delrich, has ordered that all incoming travelers show credentials before being allowed passage across the bridge.” His voice sounded strained and annoyed.
“Credentials?” Anye asked. She hadn’t planned on needing any kind of identification. “I’m afraid I don’t have any, I’m just a poor traveler. Who but noblemen and merchants carry credentials with them anyway?”
“I’m sorry miss, no credentials means no entry. King’s orders,” the other guard replied sounding just as annoyed with the rule as the first.
The situation didn’t look good. She couldn’t go back, and causing a scene would do nothing more than cast more suspicion on her. She had an idea though, and removed the hood from her head and shook her hair loose, letting it rest just above her shoulders. “Please sir,” she pleaded. “I’ve heard the rumors from the capital city and wished to get away from there as quickly as possible. I’ve got little money and not enough clothes to stay warm if I headed north. Isn’t there anything you can do for me?”
The two men looked back at each other and then to her, filling their chests with air in an obvious attempt to impress the woman with their physical prowess. A large grin formed on their faces and they nodded their heads towards her. “I’m sure we could make an exception,” one of them told her with some enthusiasm. “What was your name, miss?”
“Amy,” Anye told them. “Thank you, um?”
“William!”
“And John!”
Anye feigned a laugh and bowed her head at the two guards. “Thank you, William and John,” she told them. “Maybe I’ll come by later to properly thank you for your kindness,” she flirted.
“Of course, Amy!” one of them said to her. “Safe travels!”
Anye didn’t like using her looks or implying certain actions to get her way, preferring to prove herself in a battle of wits or with the sword, but doing so did have its advantages. She of course had no intention of returning to the bridge to fulfill whatever disgusting ideas the two guards had, but she did intend on thanking them when she got the chance, somehow. At least now she was free to continue into Belrun to find out whatever she could about the day of the Sky Fire and her father’s tour of duty.
Anye bid the guards farewell and rode towards the tower to pay the toll to continue over the bridge and across the ravine. The view looking down at both sides of the cliff was spectacular, and comparing the forested edge of Delrich’s side of the border to the open area leading to Belrun’s villages and cities was remarkable. It literally felt to her as if the forest was forcibly cut off by some divine force right where she was standing.
She took in the natural beauty for a minute before moving on. She needed to make the best of her situation, and riding to the nearest village for a warm bed, hot meal, and some information was going to be the first start.
______
The view of the bridge’s towers from the window in Anye’s rented room for the night was serene. The ride across the countryside was peaceful enough without the fear of being discovered. She had very rarely been to Belrun, so passing as a simple traveler with little money and only a single blade to defend herself was easy, and if any men tried giving her a hard time she only needed to bat her eyes and charm them for a minute.
Glenn had left her enough money for food and lodging for at least a month, but that was it. Either he assumed she would be able to return home by then or really hadn’t thought his plan through. Mercenary work was common in Belrun from what she had heard though, so hopefully finding a job wouldn’t be too difficult. After she was able to support herself under her new name she would fully investigate any connection she might have to the infamous Sky Fire.
Chapter 3
The Tournament
Anye’s money dried up faster than anticipated. Finding mercenary work as a woman, with no armor or reputation, proved harder than she’d thought it would as well. A few odd jobs had come up here and there but nothing that would give her a decent enough wage to buy property or continue living out of the inn for much longer. And she didn’t have the resources or the skillset to build a home for herself on unclaimed land.
Rumors from Delrich also spoke of the king losing his sanity, the war growing in intensity again, and a Dragon Knight being stripped of his rank and sent to the north, alone, to subdue a rabid group of dragons that had been terrorizing the herders there. She hoped it wasn’t Glenn but there was no way for her to contact him to be sure.
In spite of all that, gathering information about the Sky Fire event proved to be a little easier at least, but nothing she found was very conclusive about what had caused the event or where it actually took place. Nobody wanted to really talk about the event or how many casualties there were. Whateve
r solid information she came up with was kept written down in a small journal she had purchased.
A month passed since her escape from Delrich. Anye let her hair grow out some and kept it mostly tied back in a ponytail, leaving a few strands loose along the sides of her face while growing out her bangs. She had purchased new clothes she thought would be more fitting of a mercenary looking for work and a second sword for her offhand. Her skill with a sword and shield was well known even if her face wasn’t, so she thought it would be less likely someone would discover her identity if she used two swords instead.
The town she had made a temporary home out of was Bridge Port, adeptly named for its proximity to the bridge leading in and out of the two kingdoms. It was the first or last stop for any travelers crossing the border, so it had a reputation as being a busy merchant town. It was also known to be a hub for information trade, provided you knew who to talk to and could pay the broker’s fee. Ideally Anye would have kept moving further from the border to avoid any possible search parties, but decided against it with the argument that if anyone really was going to be looking for her in Belrun they wouldn’t assume she stayed so close to Delrich.
“Amy, good morning,” the old voice of the innkeeper said to her as she descended the stairs. “Sleep well?”
“As well as you could expect,” she sighed. The consistent fiery nightmare had ceased, but new stresses kept her occupied at night.
Byron Stonemaker was the owner of the Bridge Port Inn, the oldest inn in the entire town with the lowest prices. He was a skinny old man dressed in civilian clothing and a robe. A long white beard hugged his face, and he had been a resident of the town longer than anyone else. He walked with a cane now, but in his younger days he was known to be a skilled swordsman and hunter who made his living adventuring to dangerous locales for a nominal fee.