The Key of F: a young adult fantasy romance (Freedom Fight Trilogy Book 1)

by Jennifer Haskin

  “I see four of them,” she whispered.

  Fale felt her brow perspire as the intruder’s horses slowed to a trot. She held tight to her horse’s bridle and unsheathed her sword quietly. Keron did the same, but his scabbard made an unmistakable ringing sound. The followers’ horses stopped, and they turned toward the river.

  “Get ready, guys,” Fale whispered. “Are they wizards?”

  “I can’t tell,” Izzy answered.

  Four horsemen entered the trees and the leader signaled with his hand for the others to follow him. Fale wondered what their purpose was. Capture? Death? Maybe to follow them to the machine. She heard Lisle gasp as the men came into view in the clearing where they had been having lunch.

  The lead man, dressed in black, sighed as he looked around. “Lisle. Come out. I know you’re here.”

  Lisle crashed from the bushes holding his glowing amulet, anger twisting his features.

  “You betrayed me,” he yelled, pointing the amulet toward the man.

  The man shook his head and held up his hands. “You don’t understand, Lisle. When the Source Wizard tells you to do something, you never say no.”

  “You were my mentor. I trusted you with my secrets and you told them, you must have.”

  The man moved forward and Fale stepped out of the trees with her sword pointed toward him. “Stay where you are.”

  Keron and Izzy joined them.

  “Hold on. I’m not here to hurt you. I came to warn you. They will send trackers, spies, mercenaries. You are too easily tracked. I’m not against you, Lisle. Not all wizards hate the mages, but we are bound by our allegiance to the Source Wizard. I have chosen my side, but I wanted to help you.”

  “By following me?” Lisle’s hands were in fists, his eyebrows pulled together.

  The man exhaled in frustration. “No. I told you, I am here to warn you.”

  “How do we move without being tracked?” Keron lowered his sword.

  “First of all, you cannot take the paths down the mountain, they are too well known. You need to go north down the mountain. They won’t expect it. The river splits above the mages’ place. Find the other river and take your horses through the water as long as you can, to throw off your scent.”

  “Are they bringing attack dogs or something?” Izzy’s worried voice shook.

  “No,” the man said. “But there are spells to enhance the olfactory sense for tracking.”

  “What if they follow you?” Lisle asked.

  “We’ll tell them this is where we lost your scent.”

  “Thank you,” Lisle said quietly to his mentor.

  The man tipped his head. “Just be careful. You need to go now. It won’t be too long before we gather a search party.”

  Keron put his sword away and gathered his leads.

  “Good luck, Lisle,” the man said softly, pulling his horse’s head around.

  Lisle waved as they left the clearing. “I can’t wish you the same.”

  “Let’s go,” Keron commanded pulling himself into the saddle and grasping his horse’s reigns. Courageous nickered at him. “Easy, fella.” He reached up to firmly pat the horse’s neck.

  Izzy got one foot in her stirrup and couldn’t get any further, so Fale gave her a push up and over.

  “Thanks,” Izzy breathed.

  “Just pay me back sometime.” Fale panted, watching Izzy frown.

  Putting her own left foot in her stirrup, she swung her right leg over Snowdrop’s back. Fale’s horse made the same welcoming sound Keron’s had, so Fale patted her neck.

  “Thank you for carrying me,” she whispered, and Snowdrop nodded her large head, whinnying, her mane fluttering out behind her.

  Fale was already in love with her mare. “I wish we could keep them,” she said to Keron, stroking Snowdrop’s coat.

  “Where would we keep a horse in Alloy City? And how free would they be, Fale?” Keron asked.

  “I know,” she said. “It was only a dream.”

  Keron felt bad. Again. It was like he couldn’t even talk to her now. This had to stop. As soon as they were alone, they would talk. He had to come to an understanding with her; she would put her faith in him, and he would guard her, and things would go back to the way they were. If they were lovers, so what? He could still do his job. Keron smiled to himself and coaxed Courageous forward.

  They splashed into the water, the horses’ hooves clacking against the rocky shore. They rode in silence for at least an hour. The river was still slow and shallow this high up the mountain.

  “Do you think we’re safe yet?” Fale rode next to Keron.

  “Don’t think we’re going to be safe until we get on that ship.” He glanced over at Fale to see the wind pick up strands of her perfectly white hair and lift them like clouds against the blue sky. “Don’t you think?”

  “I do,” she agreed, smiling tentatively at him. Keron looked into her olive-gold eyes, slightly squinted from the sun, and thought about telling her right now that he regretted his decision, but he would want to kiss her when he told her.

  “Hey up there,” Izzy shouted from twenty feet behind them. “Watch where you’re going.”

  “The horse doesn’t need me to help him walk the river, Iz.” Keron yelled back to her.

  “Well, you’re definitely spoiling my view.” Lisle said not loud enough for Keron to fully hear. “Izzy would you go switch places with Fale?”

  “You want her all to yourself, eh?” Izzy taunted.

  “Something like that. I need to talk to her. Please, Iz.”

  “Oh, all right. I like her myself, but sometimes I wonder why you two can’t get over her.” She kicked her horse into a trot.

  Fale waited for Lisle to catch up with her.

  “You wanted to talk to me?” Fale asked.

  “I wanted to see how you’re doing with the whole ‘break up’ and how he’s treating you. I want you to know you have someone to talk to,” Lisle said.

  “Thank you.” Fale kept pace with him silently for a minute. “I’m not as strong as I want to be. I think he may realize his mistake, but for his sake, I need to keep things the way they are. He was right; he does his job well. Better than I thought he could, and he doesn’t need me as a distraction.

  “And as far as I’m concerned, I can’t trust him anymore. Not with my heart. I’ll trust him with my life, but he’s broken my heart twice and I don’t have enough pieces left to break. After losing my parents, Nelson, my home, my identity, I feel like I’m barely hanging on and I want to cling to something. It just can’t be Keron, and I want it to be, so badly. I know if I’m alone with him, I’ll surrender. Don’t let me be alone with him. Can you help me?”

  “Invariably, Fale.”

  “That means every time, right?” she asked.

  “Yes, it means always,” he said looking in her eyes.

  She cleared her throat. “Lisle, you know, I never answered you.” He looked at her and sighed. “I don’t really want you to, Fale. Just be my best friend with Izzy and we’ll sort out the rest.” She opened her mouth to argue, her brow wrinkled, and he continued. “I know you love me, okay? Just not like Keron. More like a brother.” He looked crest-fallen, but Fale’s forehead smoothed out and she smiled at him kindly.

  “Yes, Lisle, I do. And if we weren’t riding, I’d kiss your cheek to show you.”

  “Damn. Raincheck?”

  “No rainchecks.”

  “Double damn.” He replied.

  “You’ve been spending too much time with Izzy.” Fale laughed at his use of Izzy’s current catchphrase.

  “I know,” he lamented. “You keep leaving me with her.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll try to be a better friend to you both, but that means you’ll have to spend some time with Keron.”

  “Or alone.”

  “Oh, come on. You’d rather be alone than be with Keron?” she asked.

  “Sometimes? Yes. The fool is not easy to swallow.”

  “Not whe
n you call each other names. I wish you wouldn’t do that,” she said. “I know you do it behind my back all the time.”

  “How did you know?” Lisle asked.

  “Because you just admitted to it.” She laughed.

  Her laugh was like a favorite song to Lisle, he could hear it over and over. He joined her and earned himself a suspicious stare from Keron. So, he returned his attention to Fale.

  “You caught me,” he smiled.

  “You’re both handsome, intelligent men,” she said. “You’re no threat to each other. At least not in my eyes. I love you both.”

  The sun began its descent, sending their shadows sprawling behind them. The water was too cold for the horses to stay in for long, so they alternated walking in the river and on the bank. Keron turned the band of friends towards the north side of the water into the trees to make camp. When they had dismounted and tied the horses, Keron said, “Hey Lisle, can you pitch the tents while I chop some wood for a fire?”

  “Sure,” Lisle sounded less than enthused.

  “What do I do?” Fale asked.

  “Can you get the water? There’s a cooking pot on my saddle and refill the canteens.”

  “Izzy, you come help me figure out these tents,” Lisle said.

  “How many are there?” Izzy asked.

  Keron retrieved the axe from his saddle and handed the cooking pot to Fale, “There’s one on my saddle and one on Lisle’s.”

  “Looks like I’m stuck with you, Lisle.” Izzy said.

  “Actually, I was thinking of bunking with Lisle tonight.” Fale said lightly.

  “What?” Izzy asked.

  “What did you say?” Keron echoed.

  Fale looked helplessly at Lisle.

  “Fale and I were going to…talk.” Lisle said, trying to think of a convincing reason not to leave her alone with Keron as per her request.

  “That’s it,” Izzy said, throwing down the tent pegs in her hand and stomping. “Somebody had better tell me what is going on, right now, and don’t you dare say ‘nothing’ Fale Valine!”

  “Oh boy, I’m going to chop wood.” Keron picked up his axe and sauntered to the nearest fallen tree, checking the wood for dryness.

  Fale sighed. “We broke up, Izzy.”

  “What? When? I thought you were getting married.” Izzy looked like she might cry. “I mean, you’re technically married already, but I thought…”

  “It happened the night before we left the house.”

  “But you guys have been fine-” Izzy began, then cringed. “You haven’t been fine at all, have you?” She looked at Fale who was shaking her head sadly. Izzy moved to hug her, then stopped.

  “Wait. Lisle knew, didn’t he? Did you tell him Fale?” Izzy’s temper flared.

  “Yes,” Fale said quietly.

  “Why am I always the last to know, huh, Fale?” Izzy shouted as Keron thwacked the log. “You know, if you cared so much for me, you’d think of me now and then.”

  “Iz.” Fale tried to hug her.

  “No. Not this time. I need time to chill out. I need to think.” She pushed Fale away and walked off. “Sorry Lisle.”

  Keron’s axe continued to rise and fall, chopping off a huge dead limb. Fale watched him work, his stainless-valezsan arm taking the brunt of the work, doing a better job than an ordinary man. Valezsan alloy was the strongest metal on the planet, giving him super-human strength in his right arm and leg. His shirt was off. Fale could see every muscle in his shoulders and back ripple as he lifted and swung. His mechanical parts blended almost seamlessly with his form. He was stunning, man and machine, and he used to be hers.

  “Fale,” Lisle said. “Don’t do that to yourself.”

  She turned to him in the orange-pink light of the setting sun, her eyes glistening, and he caught his breath.

  “I’ll go get the water,” she said despondently. “Thanks, Lisle. For everything.”

  He watched her go and called to Keron, “Hey roughneck, why don’t you go talk to the poor girl. She’s feeling alone.”

  Keron looked up, surprised. “What happened? What did you do this time, egghead?”

  “I didn’t do anything, Izzy pushed her away.”

  “Why didn’t you go after her?” Keron tossed his axe into the tree.

  “I don’t have enough light left to figure out these tents if I do,” Lisle said. “Plus, I’m not who she wants to see.”

  “Where did she go?” Keron asked, wiping his face with his t-shirt, and putting it back on. Lisle pointed East and Keron set out walking. He went to the rocky riverbank and didn’t see Fale anywhere. “Fale? Where are you?”

  Hearing nothing but the whisper-roar of rushing water, Keron continued upstream until he saw a flat rock bathed softly in sun. Her hair was pink, reflecting the red sunset, and she spilled more tears than the water she filled. She believed she was truly alone, and it was partially his fault. He was about to go to her when movement in the shadows caught his attention. A great animal was advancing cautiously toward Fale. On all fours it stood as tall as Keron, and it was covered with patches of black and silver fur. It was an emaciated bear-like creature. They were said to eat people on this mountain because of the food shortage. Keron walked to the tree line and inched his way to Fale.

  When she was only a few feet away, Keron stepped onto the bank and said, “Fale, turn around very slowly.”

  Surprised by Keron, Fale jumped and shrieked.

  “Keron, what are you doing?” Her eyes widened and he watched her gaze travel above his head. He turned around to see the hungry creature on two legs bellow at them. Fale moved toward Keron and clutched the back of his shirt. “What do we do?”

  “I don’t know; they can run fast, so don’t run. What about your fire?”

  Fale made a shaky flame. The animal’s ears, which were cocked forward, lay down flat. It huffed at them. Keron stood in front of her with his valezsan arm out.

  “Fale, shoot your fire in his direction; see if he runs.”

  She obeyed. The bear circled to their right on all fours, grunting his displeasure. The animal ran full- tilt at Keron and swiped at him with its paw. Claws gouged his left shoulder, but he bore his weight on his valezsan leg and barely remained upright, though he took several steps. His shoulder felt wet and he noticed the long marks through his torn shirt.

  “Keron,” Fale said. He looked up at the bear, swinging its head from side to side, clacking its teeth, and put his hands up again. This time it hit Keron on his right side and he flew like a rag doll. Fale watched in terror as the bear went straight for Keron’s limp body, lying face down.

  It bit his valezsan leg and Fale heard a ‘clink’ noise which seemed to frustrate the bear. Thank the stars, valezsan was as strong as nano-tech steel and it didn’t budge. The creature bit him again with no luck, but when Keron moved, Fale was horrified to see the its jaws aim for his neck. Fale shot her fire at the bear and it turned to the top of Keron’s head and sank its teeth into his scalp. Fale screamed and ran at the bear, she turned herself invisible and screamed as high and loud as she could in the bear’s ear.

  The bear began to drag Keron, so Fale shot her flame across its muzzle. It dropped Keron and ran back into the forest. Fale flopped onto the ground and pulled his head into her lap. She held up one hand with fire to see in the fading light and ran her other palm over his injuries.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone so far.” She cried tears of regret.

  “No, you shouldn’t have.” He smiled weakly.

  She smiled back at him. “Did you break anything? I fixed what I can see.”

  “Man, if you keep healing me, I’m not gonna have any good scars to show my grandchildren.”

  “You never told me you wanted grandchildren,” she said, sniffing and swiping at her eyes.

  “Well, babies come first,” he said, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Fale—"

  “I think I know what you’re going to say,” she stroked h
is face.

  “Yeah?” He pulled her mouth towards his.

  “Yeah,” she whispered.

  “Hey!” Lisle came running up to Fale and she dropped Keron’s head back into her lap. “What happened? I heard your scream all the way back at camp.” He panted.

  “Great timing, nerd,” Keron grumbled.

  “Why are you covered in blood?” Lisle looked up and down Keron’s body, searching for the injury.

  “We met a monster-like bear.” Fale gestured to the trees.

  “No way. What happened?”

  “Walk us back and I’ll tell you,” Fale said. She gathered the water containers and made Lisle put an arm around Keron’s shoulders.

  “Do it and I’ll punch you.” Keron warned.

  “She told me to, stupid. It’s not like I want to.” Lisle countered.

  “I’m fine, but thanks, needle-brain.”

  As they returned to camp in the dwindling light, Fale relayed what she called “the creature story” and Lisle told her something he considered “the tent experience.” Izzy had gathered food and was sorting out supper in the dark.

  “It’s about time you guys came back.” She sneered, “For two people broken up, you sure spend a lot of time alone together.”

  “Keron was attacked by a bear, Izzy,” Lisle scolded.

  “Oh my stars, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Izzy jumped up. “Fale, make your fire thingy.”

  Fale produced a flame in her palm and watched Izzy fawn over Keron. Of course, he ate up the attention. Izzy sat him down and searched him for injuries Fale might have missed. Fale was steamed. She opened her mouth and Lisle whispered into her ear, “You’ll only make it worse. Let’s make a campfire and cook supper.”

  “Okay,” Fale’s shoulders drooped.

  They carried over the logs Keron had cut. There were eight, so they gathered leaves and twigs for kindling, dug a small pit, then stacked the wood like a cone, placing a ring of stones and dirt around the periphery. The fire would burn through the night. Finally, Fale lit the twigs and tinder with her flame, keeping a steady jealous green flame going until the fire was crackling and popping.

  “We may have to cut another few logs,” Lisle said to Fale. In the distance, they heard Izzy laugh at Keron.