The Ashen Queen

by Sidney Gray

  She saw the body of the lion, slowly turning back into a man as he lay bleeding not far away and realized then how lucky they were to have Shade, they wouldn't have stood a chance without her. She heard the man screaming before his cries were cut short, she gritted her teeth and kept running.

  She grabbed Ella and Reed, turning them both invisible and ran to help Elder Hazel. Sofia saw fear in her eyes as her wall was cut down in front of her, they were too far away to help but luckily Shade wasn’t, she launched herself at the assassin’s, giving Elder Hazel and Clay time to pull the injured hunters back.

  They reached the others, and Sofia hurriedly explained her plan, while Reed created a maze with the tree roots to slow down the bordonians’, Elder Hazel agreed immediately, determination crossed her face.

  Sofia moved into action, barking orders, there was no way that she could make everyone invisible long enough to make it to the canyon so they would need to slow the Bordonian’s down. She instructed Ella to create quicksand behind them as the ran while Reed continued to create blockades with the tree roots and she and Clay swooped them with birds. They were running out of time, and the Ashen were not trained for this, they were tiring quickly, to her relief they managed to keep the Bordonian’s at bay long enough for all of them to make it into the canyon.

  Once there it took all of Elder Hazel’s energy to push over the trees closest to the canyon, barricading them in. She collapsed to her knees, and Clay picked her up as they all turned to run.

  Suddenly Sofia heard a noise above and looked up to see two assassins drop from the cliffs above them. She gasped as they landed in front of them, blocking them in, one of the assassins, who was covered in scales, pulled out two knives and he threw them at Ella. Sofia jumped towards her, knocking her out of the way but she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and knew one of their knives had found its mark, she screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground. It was chaos all around, screaming and shouting, she couldn’t tell what was happening. She felt a blow to the back of her head and her vision went blurry, she heard Ella screaming her name, but she couldn’t move, arms grabbed her, and she was lifted up and dragged, she screamed with pain before she passed out.

  CHAPTER 34

  Sofia woke in a dark room with no idea how she had gotten there, panic started to set it, she could just barely make out heavy curtains covering what must be a window, and there was a tiny sliver of light coming from under the door. So it must be daytime, she thought, she tried to slow her breathing and calm herself down. Her head felt heavy, she reached up and felt a large lump on the back of it, but she couldn't remember where it had come from. She tried to think back and remember how she had gotten here, but it felt like she was struggling through thick fog. She just couldn't get her brain to work properly.

  She heard someone stir next to her and turned her head to see, gasping at the sudden sharp pain.

  “Sofia?” Alex whispered leaning over her, “You're awake.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, the room was spinning, and her ears were ringing. Alex yelled for a healer, and suddenly she was surrounded by people, all talking at once.

  “You said she wouldn't wake for days.”

  “I'm sorry Your Highness. I didn't know that she would, with these type of injuries she should have been out for at least a couple more days, I wonder if it has something to do with the herbs we found in the wound.”

  “What herbs?” she heard her father demand, at least she thought it was him, her vision was blurry, and she was fading in and out.

  “A mixture of herbs, it looked like someone had packed her wounds to help her heal.”

  “Why would whoever kidnapped her try to help her?”

  The word kidnapped kept repeating in her mind as she struggled to remember how she had gotten here. What had happened to her?

  “Perhaps they needed her alive,” her father muttered.

  “Oh Sofia,” she heard her mother whisper and felt a hand softly stroking her hair, “everything’s going to be okay, you're safe now.”

  She needed to tell Alex something else, but she couldn't remember. She pushed her mother's hand away trying to sit up, hands grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down.

  “No, My Lady you need to rest, I'm sorry Your Highness but I think there are too many people in here, it seems to be making her agitated.”

  She shook her head back and forth, trying to find the words, trying to remember.

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  “What's the matter with her? Why can't she talk?” she heard her mother ask, aghast.

  “She took a lot of damage to her head, it will heal, but the brain takes longer than the body, just give her time.”

  She tried to sit up again, but strong hands held her down.

  “Alright everyone out,” Alex ordered sharply.

  “Alex,” she whispered she needed to tell him; she could feel herself slipping away but couldn't fight it any longer.

  The next time she woke, someone had opened the curtains a fraction, and she could see the room around her, there was a slight breeze coming from the window. She breathed in deeply. She was relieved to no longer be in the dark.

  “Well it's about time, everyone is worried sick, you know.”

  She turned her head, slowly, remembering the last time she tried to sit up too quickly. Her sister was sitting in the chair beside her. Her head didn't hurt this time, but it still felt foggy.

  “Where? How?” she managed to get out.

  “You’re home, you’ve been in and out for a couple of days, when they found you at the edge of the woods everyone thought you were dead, but then the healers came and worked their magic,” Evelyn waved her hands around, “what happened to you anyway?”

  Sofia shook her head, trying to clear the fog.

  “I can't remember,” she whispered, frustrated.

  Evelyn sighed, “fine then, I should have known you wouldn't tell me. I'll get the healer.”

  Sofia rolled her eyes in frustration, but even that movement made her feel worse. The healer came in, a different one this time but she looked vaguely familiar.

  “My lady, I'm going to help you sit up slowly and get you to drink this.”

  It tasted bitter but the healer made her drink all of it before Sofia asked about Alex, she needed to speak to him, she felt an urgency about it but the memory was just out of reach, she hoped that seeing him might trigger something.

  “He’s attending to important business, but he’ll be back, he's barely left your side, don't worry My Lady, you're safe now.

  Why did everyone keep saying that? safe from what? Evelyn had said they found her at the edge of the woods, why would she be there? Images had started to come back to her, dark tunnels and endless trees but her mind was so fuzzy, she didn't trust it at the moment. But above everything else she felt an overwhelming need to see Alex, she had to tell him something, but she couldn’t remember what it was, it felt like it was right at the edge of her memory, just out of reach. She reached down to touch her necklace but realized it was gone.

  “The Prince has posted two of his own Guard outside the door,” the healer continued oblivious to Sofia's growing agitation. She had her back to Sofia now, fiddling around with the bag she had brought with her. Sofia pushed herself on her elbows, her head swimming but she was desperate, she needed to see Alex now, she swung her feet out of bed to the floor, pushing herself up. She wobbled and collapsed to the ground, her legs failing to support her.

  The healer screamed when she turned around and saw her fall. The door burst open, and Blake and Lex ran in. Sofia tried to speak, tried to tell them she needed to speak to Alex but it was too much, and she passed out.

  The next time she woke, she was a lot more lucid and realized immediately that she was in Alex's bedroom, she recognized his sitting room through the gap in the door. She had just assumed she would be in one of the healer’s rooms and she worried about why she was in Alex’s
room.

  Her memory, thankfully, started coming back to her. It was slow at first, just a couple of images; trees, fireflies and a waterfall. Then she remembered the tunnel behind the waterfall and the mountain, then it hit her all at once, and she remembered everything, including the Bordonian’s attacking. She must have hit her head because she didn't remember anything after that but the Ashen must have escaped somehow she thought, the Bordonians’ wouldn’t have taken her to the edge of the woods where she was found, so it had to be the Ashen, that thought gave her some comfort, and she clung to it. She couldn't think about the possibility that Ella or any of the others had been hurt, she couldn't bear the thought. Besides she had to work out what she was going to say to Alex, she thought she would have more time to prepare, and more importantly, more time to learn with the Ashen, she had only been with them a couple of months, she wasn't ready yet.

  She also had to warn Alex about the Bordonian assassins’ that had attacked them in the dark woods. Why were they there? Had they been in the dark woods before and did they know about the darkness in the woods?

  She hoped the Ashen were taking extra precautions, thankfully the woods were vast, and it would probably take the Bordonains’ a while to find them, if at all. But she didn't know how close the other Ashen villages in the dark woods were to the darkness. She could only imagine what the Bordonian’s would do if they found one of the villages and her heart beat faster at the thought. The Ashen wouldn’t stand a chance, they would be slaughtered. She couldn’t hold down the fear and worry anymore, and tears welled in her eyes. Unfortunately, Alex chose that moment to arrive back.

  He rushed over to her and pulled her into his arms.

  “It’s ok,” he whispered, “you're safe now.”

  She flinched and pulled away, he thought she had been kidnapped, she had to pull herself together and explain, she thought.

  “Alex, wait.”

  I tried to find you,” he said distractedly, “we sent soldiers out in every direction, but they couldn't find any trace of you then we found Parker…,” he finished bitterly.

  Oh no, she had completely forgotten about Parker, she thought. It seemed like so long ago now.

  “Wait, what did Parker say?”

  Alex struggled for a minute before he finally spoke “...Parker told us he saw Jack leaving the palace with you, he saw you kidnapped, but he didn’t know who it was.” He said through gritted teeth.

  “But that’s ridiculous,” she exclaimed, “why would you believe anything Parker said?”

  “Jack was guarding you when you disappeared. He admitted he saw you leave the palace, he let you go! Either way, it’s his fault. He should have been watching you. He's the reason you were kidnapped.”

  “But it's not Jack's fault, you can't blame him,” she shook her head, she was getting off track, “but it doesn’t matter because I wasn't kidnapped, Alex.”

  “What!?” he exclaimed confused.

  “It a long story and I need you to let me tell it without interrupting me, please,” she added quietly.

  He was struck silent but reluctantly agreed, and she hesitated as she tried to work out where to start, she finally decided to just start at the very beginning.

  “When I was younger I was playing in the garden at my grandfather's castle with Evelyn. I fell down a crevice and got stuck, Evelyn went to get help, but while she was gone, I was helped by one of the banished, although I didn’t know it at the time.” She added quickly, Alex's expression was unreadable. “Her name was Ella, and she used her magic to get me out, but I never told anyone. We played together for years, and we became friends, and in all that time she never told me she was one of the banished.”

  She took a sip of water before continuing, “I left the palace that night, I know it was wrong and stupid, but I just had to escape, I ran as far as I could until I reached the edge of the dark woods. That's where Ella found me, I hadn't seen her in years, I thought she was here for the tournament, she said she wanted to show me something, and then Parker showed up, he followed me from the palace, and he attacked me, Alex.”

  “What!” he exclaimed furiously jumping to his feet

  “Please Alex let me finish!” she begged, pulling him back onto the side of the bed. “Ella saved my life, again! and we escaped into the woods, I didn't want to leave until I knew Parker was gone so I let Ella take me somewhere, but I didn't know it would take this long!” She wasn’t doing a very good job of explaining, and she stumbled over her words as Alex’s frown deepened. “She took me to a mountain, she told me it was the source of all magic in Latheria, I went inside the mountain and ahh…. it showed me memories, it showed me the banishing.”

  Alex was starting to look like he wanted to say something, so she rushed on.

  “I'm sorry I know it sounds crazy but I can't explain it, I just felt this presence,” she started talking faster, rushing her words, “and then I was standing in the dark woods and I saw it, the banishing, and it was horrible, there were dead bodies everywhere.” she shuddered as she remembered what she saw.

  She hesitated again glancing at Alex, he was watching her intently.

  “The mountain showed me a darkness, a sickness that is spreading through the woods and infecting everything around it, and Ella and the others took me to it.”

  He abruptly stood up; he looked worried, “the others?” he questioned.

  “Yes, the other banished, well actually they call themselves...”

  He cut her off, “you were with the banished this whole time?

  “Well, yes,” she said hesitantly.

  “They’ve done something to you.”

  “What,” she said surprised, “no, I...”

  “That cult was banished for a reason Sofia, they are dangerous, they practice dangerous magic, who knows what they could have done to your mind,” he started pacing, “if they have somehow managed to break the barrier, I need to alert my father.”

  “Alex no, that's not what I’m saying, you're not listening to me,” she protested but it was no use, she was talking to herself now, Alex was busy pacing, ignoring her.

  “They must have used magic to trick you into thinking you were helping them, but how did they manage to break the barrier?” He muttered to himself.

  “Alex no!” she shouted at him, he turned to her in surprise, “they didn’t trick me, they are not evil, your ancestors banished the wrong people! besides the barrier only stops people getting out, not going in,” she said, hoping he wouldn't ask how Ella got out.

  “Then how did you get out?” he asked instead.

  She hesitated, she hadn't thought about that, “Well, I don't know but..”

  “Exactly Sofia, they have obviously used their dark magic on you and twisted your brain into thinking this is all true. They want to hurt us, punish us for banishing them, we need to prepare...”

  “Wait, Alex, you said you would let me finish, I haven't even told you all of it yet.”

  “What more could there be?”

  He was shaking his head now, and she knew it was hopeless.

  “I should have known you wouldn't believe me,” she whispered, hurt by his dismissal.

  “Sofia, what you're saying doesn't make sense!”

  “Then what about Kelsie’s Aunt, the healer, she was sick.”

  “Kelsie’s Aunt? She disappeared before you left. She wasn't sick she probably just ran off with a man she met. That's what her sister said.”

  “No, I talked to Kelsie, she said...”

  “Kelsie hasn't seen her Aunt in a year,” he interrupted again, “Sofia, please you need to rest, I'll call a healer to give you something to help you sleep.”

  With that he strode out the door, leaving Sofia staring open-mouthed as he left. She was close to tears and wishing, more than anything, she was back in the forest with the Ashen. Reed would have believed her, she thought bitterly.

  Her heart ached at the thought of Ella, Reed and the others, she had no idea if they were eve
n alive. She finally broke down in tears at the thought and cried until she fell asleep, exhausted. It wasn’t long before she was disturbed by a healer coming to check on her but before the healer left she asked if she could open the curtains a fraction. There was very little light coming into the room, and it was starting to remind her too much of the darkness in the woods. The healer gave her a surprised look but pulled back one side of the curtains, and she stared at the light dancing off the walls until she fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 35

  Alex came in again later that night with a worried look on his face, he was followed closely by a small man wringing his hands together nervously.

  “What’s going on, who is he?” She asked starting to get worried.

  “He is ah… well, he has a talent for seeing the magic of others, their aura, I guess. Everyone has a distinct color, I wanted him to see if you were being mind controlled or something.”

  “Seriously, Alex, I'm not being controlled!” she snapped furiously.

  “How do you know that Sofia, that's exactly what you would say if you were being mind controlled.”

  She sighed in defeat, “I guess if it makes you feel better.”

  The man studied her intently for what felt like hours until eventually, he announced he couldn't see anything unusual about her aura. Alex doesn't look entirely convinced though.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Well, I don't have any experience with mind control exactly, but I have seen something similar, and I would expect it to have the same effect on her aura. I believe if she was being controlled she would have other colors mixed in with her aura, the color of the person controlling her to be more precise, her aura is definitely only one color.

  Alex nodded, looking relieved and dismissed the man.

  “So does that mean you believe me now?” she asked suspecting she already knew the answer.