“What do you think?” Moose asked, keeping his voice low.
Hawk ran a hand slowly down his face, a tired sigh escaping him. “I don’t know what to think. It makes no sense for them to come this way. Why?” The question hung in the air. “They know they’ll never find us. What could be the purpose on coming here?”
“Perhaps they will just move past?” suggested Moose. Aiden thought back to Lily’s warning of danger, and wanted to tell them, but was too afraid to admit he had spoken with her again. There was no telling how Hawk would react. Everyone in Avalon distrusted Forest People.
“We must post men around the perimeter,” Aiden said, his voice taking on a tone of confidence. “We’ll watch from behind the protective lines and make sure they pass without harming anyone. There shouldn’t be any problems.” He wasn’t exactly sure if that was true, but it seemed like a good idea to him. Hawk looked thoughtfully at him for a minute before speaking.
“Go home and get some rest, boys. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” They nodded their heads and started back towards the house, leaving Hawk standing alone in the evening light.
“He’s worried,” Moose said, glancing back at his father.
“Who isn’t? No one likes war,” Aiden answered.
Moose shook his head. “My father is not worried as easily as most. Something must be wrong.”
“Nothing bad will happen if we’re there to stand against it,” Aiden replied. They walked the rest of the way in silence, retreating to the solitude of their bedrooms once they reached the house. Suddenly his problems didn’t seem so big anymore.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Stepping through the gates of the Capital was like taking a deep breath of fresh air. Elisa hadn’t realized how much she truly missed her home until that moment. The guards at the gates slapped them affectionately on the back as they passed by. It would only be a matter of minutes before her father would hear about their return. She desperately wanted the comfort of her bed, but the night was young, and they were sure to be in for one of Turk’s infamous talks. The boys would have the worst of it, but she knew he’d save some special words just for her.
“I don’t know about you two,” Logan said, as they walked through the twisted streets towards the dormitory, “but I’m suddenly terrified to be back here.” Wolf snorted, but said nothing.
Elisa couldn’t help but snicker. “Whatever happens, just stick together.” Logan looked over and grinned at her. They were only a few feet away from the front doors to the dormitory when her father showed up.
“All three of you in the throne room, now.” A chill ran up her spine. Oh we are in trouble, she thought. And this time it wasn’t going to be funny. Wolf and Logan avoided eye contact as they turned and headed towards the palace. Turk fell into step with Elisa. They didn’t look at each other, but their shoulders brushed lightly. She knew he had missed her, and having him so close, despite the fact that he was clearly angry, made her feel comforted and safe. The silence that surrounded the four of them was palpable as they headed past the guards and into the throne room. King Jameson stood by himself at the far end of the room.
“Our missing soldiers have returned,” he called out sarcastically, his eyes void of humour. His eyes bore into each of them individually before he spoke again. “Which one of you is going to explain this to me?”
The three of them shuffled uncomfortably under his disapproving gaze. Thankfully Wolf spoke up before Elisa was forced to. “We apologize for our absence,” he said awkwardly.
“I don’t doubt you do. That doesn’t explain it however. Did you not get our summons to return?”
Wolf glanced hesitantly at Logan. A look of guilt passed over his face. “I did,” he answered truthfully. “But in Logan’s defense, he was not aware of them.”
“So you received them and simply decided to ignore a summons from your King?” Jameson’s voice started to take on a dangerous tone. Wolf seemed to hear it too, standing up straighter to meet his consequences.
“Yes sir.”
“I see.” Jameson looked at her father. A silent message appeared to pass between them that Elisa could not decipher. “Captain?”
Her father cleared his throat loudly. “Normally I would sentence them both back to training, and take away any privileges outside the dormitory, but I think that would be too easy for them.”
Jameson smiled slowly. “What do you suggest then?” he asked, clearly enjoying her father’s disciplinary manner.
“Wall patrol for the next month. Night shifts. They can sleep for two hours before joining me in the training camp for new recruits.” Elisa didn’t dare look at anyone as her father spoke. Wall patrol was for the lowest men in the King’s army, a position that no one wanted, especially during the night. It was boring, and required little to no skill. Her father was punishing them worse than she expected, and he still hadn’t dealt with her yet. She could feel the colour draining from her face.
“I agree,” the King said, firmly. “Now tell me Elisa, why was it that your trip took longer than expected?” With his attention now on her, Elisa broke into a cold sweat. She had grown up with the King, thinking of him like that uncle who was always more fun than her father. It was different when he was angry. That was when she remembered just who he really was, and the power he had.
“We ran into a – situation,” she answered softly.
“A situation?” her father asked, before Jameson could speak. Elisa looked over at the boys for help, but both had their eyes pinned to the floor.
“Well, Markus found out I was there and insisted we stay. It was rather difficult to just leave. He said he had sent a message telling you.” Her father and Jameson exchanged another silent look. She could almost detect a hint of a smile on the King’s face.
“Interesting. We didn’t receive a message, but these things sometimes get lost. Regardless, I think we understand what happened,” the King said, an obviously humoured. “We will accept that you performed your task to the best of your ability and let it rest at that. Now, since we’ve settled the manner of your punishment, you may leave here to get some rest. Your shifts will start tomorrow.” The three of them nodded towards him, accepting this as their dismissal. They walked back out in silence, leaving her father and the King alone in the throne room. It wasn’t until they got out of the palace that any of them spoke.
“This sucks,” Logan sighed. “Wall duty? That is the worst job!”
“Just be glad he didn’t give us kitchen duty. I hear Tiny is horrible to work with,” Wolf answered.
“I doubt he’d do that to Tiny,” Elisa teased. “Then he’d be burning our food until someone took you away again.”
Wolf looked down at her. She smiled wider at his obvious displeasure. “You’re only smiling because you got away clean.”
Elisa shrugged coolly. “I didn’t blatantly disregard my commands,” she answered sweetly.
“Would you two stop! None of this is funny,” Logan complained. “We have the worst possible jobs, and only two hours of sleep a night! How are we supposed to survive?”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the distress in his voice. “My father will probably make you do it for two days before he puts a stop to it.”
Logan turned to look at her hopefully. “Really? You think so?”
“Do you honestly think he is going to wear down his best men? He’s just trying to scare you.” Wolf looked skeptical, but Logan seemed in better spirits.
Entering her old room, she felt as though a weight was lifted from her shoulders. It also felt like she hadn’t been here in years. The familiar furnishing and warmth of the small space was like a comforting blanket wrapped around her. Franca appeared in the doorway. The aged woman’s face broke out in a relieved and joyful smile. Elisa watched her throw a prayer up to the God and Goddess silently before crossing the distance between them to fold her in a tight embrace. Even the feeling of her maid’s soft, plush arms around her was something she had
never thought she would miss so much.
“I worried you had been kidnapped and carted away to some unknown land,” Franca said in her ear. Elisa laughed.
“I’d like to see someone try,” she answered, trying to keep the mood light. Franca stepped back, holding her at arm’s length.
“I thought the same, so I tried not to worry as much.” They both smiled affectionately. “Are you going to tell me why you were gone for so long?”
Elisa shrugged casually. “We got caught up in some…official business.” Franca raised her eyebrows slightly at the tone of her voice. Elisa laughed. She had never been able to get anything by this woman. “I’ll tell you about it while I soak in a hot tub of water. There is dirt on every inch of me.”
Her maid wrinkled her nose slightly. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but you could definitely use a wash.” The two of them headed towards the bathing room. Franca was the closest thing Elisa had to a mother, and she knew Franca cared for her as she would her own daughter.
* * * * *
Wolf and Logan watched Elisa enter the dormitory. As soon as she disappeared they turned back the way they had come. The King and the Captain were still in the throne room when they arrived.
“Wall duty? Really?” Wolf said as they approached. The Captain grinned, eliciting a smile from Wolf in return.
“Are you questioning your Captain?” he asked, lifting one eyebrow.
“No sir,” Wolf answered. He stood comfortably in front of the two men he had looked up to his entire life. Being in the south hadn’t been all fun and games, but it certainly hadn’t been bad either. Nothing beat being home though. Having the familiar surroundings around him again gave him a certain level of peace and comfort.
“We had to deal out some level of punishment to make your disobedience look believable. The wall seemed like the best option, since it will only benefit us having you up there. You need to keep a lookout for anyone heading north. There have been some civilian groups spotted. We’re worried they are actually soldiers dressed in plain clothes,” Jameson explained, getting down to business.
“And you think we’ll be able to spot them?” Wolf asked.
“I think you’ll have a better chance detecting if they’re from the south since you spent a lot of time down there. Most of the men up on the walls have never left the Capital,” he answered. “What did you learn while you were there?”
“Markus has sent a small group north,” Logan replied. “We’re not sure of their intent. No one was really talking and Markus wasn’t about to accept us into his inner circle,” he continued dryly.
“There was also a rumour that Markus himself was going to be heading that way within the next couple of weeks,” Wolf added. The King and Captain looked thoughtfully at each other.
“Interesting time to be leaving your city,” Turk commented.
“Did anyone say why?” asked the King.
“No sir,” Wolf answered.
“Then it’s definitely a good thing we’ve put you on wall duty,” he said with a smile. “What of Markus’ interest in Elisa? We never received a message from him. Do you believe he was preparing to hold her hostage?”
Wolf shifted uncomfortably. “No, I don’t think so. He seemed genuinely – taken with her, sir.”
“I’m not so sure of that, but we’ll leave it for now. Go get some rest. You have some long nights ahead of you.”
“Why do I get the feeling you two are really enjoying this?” Logan groaned. Both men laughed.
“Because we are,” the Captain answered. “You forget, we know exactly what it’s like to come home after being down south. We need to whip you both back into shape!”
Logan grumbled as he walked away. Wolf started to follow, but stopped to add one more thing. “I forgot to mention, there was an assassination attempt on Markus right before we left.” The smiles on their faces fell away. “Elisa was almost shot with an arrow because of it. I’m not sure who or why it was done, but Markus seemed pretty shaken up about it.”
“I’m going to kill that girl for not mentioning this sooner,” Turk muttered darkly.
The King rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It could have been someone in his court who is unhappy with his ruling, or possibly an assassin from the north.”
“Doubt it,” the Captain injected. “Brutus isn’t the type to send assassins. He wants to take whole cities at a time.”
“True. We’ll think on this. You two are dismissed,” the King said, turning his back to them.
* * * * *
One of the servants hastened to build up the fire, bowing his head apologetically for letting it dwindle. Jameson would have said something to ease the boy’s nerves, but tonight he was too preoccupied. He sat in one of the large chairs in the palace’s library, invisible to anyone who entered. The fire felt good on his feet. He moved the chair slightly closer so he could warm up the rest of his body.
He had dismissed the three missing young soldiers not too long ago. He was exceedingly happy to have them home, he admitted to himself. Elisa was the closest thing he had to a daughter, and he felt equally affectionate towards the two boys after watching them grow all these years. If something had happened to them, it would have been an extremely hard thing to deal with. It was when they boys had finally disappeared down the dark halls that the messenger arrived. It was clear to both him and Turk that the man had been riding long and hard. There was weariness in his eyes, and he was hunched, stiff from the saddle.
“My Lord,” he greeted, lowering himself into a deep bow. Jameson waited for the man to straighten before speaking.
“What news do you bring us this late in the evening?” he asked, keeping his voice calm. The man’s hands twitched at his sides. Turk glared at the poor man silently, which didn’t help to ease his anxiety.
“My Lord, I bring news from Hawk. The northern army approaches the west, and quickly sir.”
Jameson saw Turk react out of the corner of his eye, but only a slight change in the way he held himself gave it away. No one else would have noticed but him; it was something that had come with their years of friendship. He focused on the messenger’s tidings. “We did not expect them to move yet, especially not to the west.” He said this to no one in particular, but it was Turk who turned his attention to respond.
“Perhaps it is a trick?” Turk offered, his face betraying his real concern. Jameson shook his head.
“Doubtful. Why would they attempt to attack the Riders? They know they won’t be able to find Avalon behind it’s shield.” He turned back to the messenger. “Is it the whole army?”
“No, my lord. Only Brutus and a small company.”
Jameson nodded slowly at the messenger. The man needed sleep, and food. “Is there anything else Hawk would like us to know?” He asked, waiting to hear of Aiden. The messenger simply looked around, as if someone was going to supply him with an answer. He slowly shook his head. Jameson sighed. “Very well then, thank you for bringing this so quickly. Go with the servant there and he will find you a warm bed and food for the night.”
The man bowed low again. “Thank you, my lord,” he said, clearly relieved to be dismissed.
Neither of them spoke until they were alone. “What are your thoughts, old friend?”
Turk looked pensive. “It is strange for them to be splitting their forces, but I can see the advantage.”
“You think they will attack us from both sides?”
“Normally, yes. But why make a detour to the west?”
He hadn’t had an answer then, and both men parted for a short time, in order to organize sending their own spies to the north. It was then that Jameson had gravitated towards the solitude of the library to wait for Turk to return. As he sat in the soft cushion of the chair, a thought occurred to him that literally chilled him to the bone. He knew why they went to the west first, but he didn’t quite understand the significance.
Turk arrived after Jameson had sat in silence for half the hour. “It�
��s the boy,” he said, as the other man took the seat across from him.
“The boy?” his Captain asked, but Jameson saw the realization hit him. “Aiden. That is why they’re going to the west first. But why?”
“This, we will need to find out. Send for Alistair. We need to meet, and soon. I’ve suspected for a while that Alistair knows more than he’s telling us when it comes to Aiden. I’m not sure what, but Aiden was picked for a reason, and whatever it is, I think Alistair knows… and so does Aziz.”
“What makes you think so?”
“Call it a gut feeling. I know when he’s hiding something.”
“Will you tell anyone else?”
He thought about it, then shook his head. “Let’s keep this quiet for now. The last thing we need is your daughter and those impetuous boys racing off to his rescue.”
“He is in Avalon. What harm can come to him?”
“Why lead an army there if not for some purpose?” Both men looked at each other in silence.
* * * * *
His breath came out in puffs of smoke against the cold night air. The sun was long gone, and with it any feeling of warmth. Wolf started back along the wall, trying his best to keep moving so the cold would not affect him as much. This was his first night of wall duty. Logan hadn’t been exaggerating when he said it was the worst job in the Capital, even if he had just been doing it for appearances. The wind was much harsher this high up and there was no one about to talk to. The walls surrounding Capital City were expansive, so much so that each man on duty was given a small section that was their responsibility.
Pacing along his assigned area, Wolf started to actually regret the way he had acted in the south. He should have just answered the summons, he thought, kicking himself inwardly. The owls were beginning their hunt throughout the field before the gates. Wolf had been given the front section, so he was able to look out into the wide green space before the city walls and the forest beyond. Looking down at it made him recall his lessons with Aiden only half a year before.
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