by Callie Kanno
Iona’s voice took on an edge of impatience. You know exactly what I mean. You have been fawning over this girl ever since you met her, but you must know that nothing can ever come of it. She is the princess of Breen and you are a soldier in Calaris. Even a simple-minded farmer like you should see that the situation is hopeless.
I just want to protect her, he insisted. I want our time together to be a happy memory that she always treasures.
It seems like a lot of effort for something so trivial, his partisan observed.
Idris slowly shook his head. Choosing to care for someone is never trivial.
In spite of his insistence, Idris found himself imagining what would happen if Lenora decided to visit her cousin in Calaris. Perhaps she would decide that she liked it there and ask King Nikolas if she could stay.
Foolish farmer, Iona sighed.
The group reached the city gates on the northern side, passing through to wait for Cowan away from the masses of people. Idris took a deep breath, grateful to not be crowded and pressed from every side.
They didn’t have to wait more than an hour before they saw Cowan approaching from the city. The captain had a grim expression on his scarred face. Hildar took several steps forward to meet him, unable to wait a moment longer than necessary.
“Well?” she demanded. “What did you find?”
“The thieves are not based in this city,” Cowan announced. “Apparently, they show up every few months to cause trouble, but then they leave again.”
“So, they are probably already gone,” Kurag said.
“That is likely the case,” agreed the old soldier somberly.
“What do we do now?” Hildar asked, looking as though she was afraid of the answer.
Cowan took a deep breath. “Now, we must track them down using your connection to the dagger they stole.”
Hildar closed her eyes, taking a moment to calm herself. “If that is the only way, let us get started. I do not wish to delay.”
Aherin reached over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We will help keep you safe,” he promised. “You are not facing this alone.”
Kurag nodded his agreement. “I can make you some talismans to strengthen you through the process, if you wish.”
A look of relief passed over Hildar’s face. “I would like that.”
“Let us get to work, then,” Cowan growled. “We must recover that dagger as soon as possible, or risk losing it forever.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Pursuit
“The natural reaction to having an outside being invade one’s thoughts is to set up barriers,” Cowan explained to Hildar and the others. “There are things about us that we do not wish to share with anyone, so we hide those things away. In order to open the connection between yourself and your weapon of power, you must lower those barriers. You must allow your weapon to see everything that you are—no matter how private. That, in turn, allows you to know your weapon so well that it cannot be hidden from you.”
Hildar looked pale at the very idea. “How can I open myself to him when he has already shown that he cannot be trusted?”
“That is a great challenge,” admitted Cowan. “I am afraid that I have no useful advice for you. I only remind you that we have few other options.”
Hildar took several deep breaths before nodding. “I will do my best.”
Cowan raised a finger. “I must also warn you that the closer we draw to your dagger, the harder it will be to maintain control.”
“It should only take me a few hours to make you an anchoring talisman,” Kurag added. “That will aid you in staying centered in your own mind.”
“What do you need to make the talisman?” Cowan asked.
“I need a stone,” Kurag answered. “Something with quartz would be best, because it is strong. I have all of the other tools that I need already.”
Cowan gave a single nod. “Very well, get started on that process.”
The Forger walked away to begin his search for the stone he wanted. As he did so, Cowan indicated that Hildar should sit on the ground. “Get comfortable. This will probably take a while,” he told her.
Hildar settled down with her back against a section of the city wall. She folded her legs underneath her, looking up at the captain expectantly. “What should I do now?”
“Close your eyes,” he instructed. “Push away your fear and open your mind to Savion. Invite him to see all that you are. The process is not as simple as it sounds, so do not be discouraged if it takes you a while to establish the connection.”
“What would you like us to do while she does that?” Aherin asked their leader.
Cowan waved a dismissive hand. “You have your own training to see to, I believe.”
“Yes, sir,” Idris and Aherin answered together.
Idris began going through the motions of his exercises, but his eyes kept turning back to Hildar. She sat perfectly still, looking calm and relaxed to the casual observer. The more Idris watched her, however, the clearer it became to him that she was struggling. The corners of her mouth kept twitching and her eyes were closed tighter than necessary. He could almost feel the anxiety radiating from her body.
“Are you sure there is nothing we can do to help?” Idris asked Cowan.
The captain shook his head. “No, this is her task.”
Kurag reappeared with a stone in hand, setting to his work immediately. He used a small tool kit from his bag to shape the rock into a vaguely human figure, then he carved three runes onto it.
As the Forger began chanting, the runes glowed and deepened into the stone’s surface. Kurag surveyed his work with an expression of satisfaction. He held it over his heart, closing his eyes and whispering a few additional words. Then he touched Hildar’s hand. “Early in the history of the Forgers, there were several items of power that were made by apprentices. Their techniques were flawed, and the results were unstable. Talismans such as these were made to strengthen the users of those items, thus counteracting the unpredictability.”
Idris, who had been listening, frowned. “Why did they not simply destroy the flawed items?”
Kurag’s features were grave. “Destroying an item of power is not to be done lightly. And the creations were not corrupt, they were simply incomplete.” He turned back to Hildar. “While Savion does not pose the same challenge, this solution will still be effectual.”
Hildar received the talisman from the Forger. “How do I use it?”
“When reaching out to connect with your dagger,” Kurag explained, “first attach your thoughts to the talisman. Think of it first, then extend your thoughts to Savion.”
Hildar seemed to take heart from having the talisman to aid her efforts. “It will protect me?” she verified.
Kurag gave her an encouraging smile. “It will strengthen you.”
She immediately closed her eyes to make another attempt at locating her dagger. “It is warm,” she murmured, rubbing the stone with her fingers.
“That means you are using it correctly,” Kurag told her.
“I feel him,” Hildar blurted. “I feel Savion.”
Cowan leaned forward. “Where?”
Hildar pointed to the northeast. “That direction.”
The captain motioned to everyone else in the group. “Let us move quickly,” he ordered.
They all mounted their horses, letting Hildar take the lead as they rode away from the city. She chose their path with confidence, keeping her eyes fixed somewhere in the distance. Idris moved to ride next to Lenora, speaking to her in a low voice.
“Does this detour take us away from the Roshumin capital?” he inquired.
Lenora hesitated before shaking her head. “Not as far as I can tell. Bunarat is about eight days’ ride to the north from here, and it is fairly well centered between east and west Roshum. I will have to pay attention as we travel, of course, but as of right now we are on the correct path for our proclaimed destination.”
Idris, who had lived his li
fe in Calaris, was accustomed to seeing a landscape of grasslands. Even Breen had been familiar in that respect. Roshum, in contrast, had the largest forests on the continent. The travelers had barely ridden past the area surrounding the city when they entered into the trees.
Idris had never beheld trees quite like the ones that met his eyes. They looked to be several hundred feet tall, with trunks that were so wide at the base that the entire group could hold hands and they still wouldn’t be able to encircle it.
Kurag breathed deeply with a faint smile on his face. “This forest has not changed since I was a child.”
“I have never seen its like,” Idris told him. “How old do you suppose these trees are?”
Kurag tilted his head to the side. “Well, if my mother was to be believed, they have been here for thousands of years.”
“Amazing,” murmured Aherin. “My mother would love this place.”
Idris nodded, thinking of his own family. His siblings would be wild with excitement from the opportunity to visit someplace new. His parents weren’t what one would call travelers, but they would appreciate the beauty of that forest. He could almost hear his father comment about being grateful that he didn’t have to clear this land for farming. Idris chuckled at the thought.
“What is it?” Lenora asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
The smile on his face widened. “I was just thinking about my family—what they would say if they were here.”
“What would they say?” the princess prompted.
“My mother would simply say the forest was beautiful, but her eyes would sparkle with a thousand unspoken thoughts,” Idris replied. “My father would assess the area for its farming potential.”
Lenora laughed with him. “They sound charming.”
Idris went on, “My brothers would challenge each other to see how high they could climb one of these trees, and my sisters would make predictions on injuries during the attempt. Adwen—she is the youngest—would complain that she was being left out of the fun.”
“How many siblings do you have?” inquired Lenora.
“Six,” he answered. “Three brothers and three sisters.”
Lenora’s eyebrows shot upward. “That is quite a collection.”
“Farmers need large families,” Idris pointed out. “There is a lot of work to be done.”
Lenora tapped her finger on the pommel of her saddle. “I am not certain that having more children means less work.”
Idris laughed again. “Well, we do keep our mother busy.”
“What is the age range of your siblings?” asked Lenora.
He frowned thoughtfully. “I was eight years old when Adwen was born.”
Lenora’s eyes widened. “I commend your mother for her fortitude.”
Idris grinned. “By that time, Osian and I were old enough to be helping with chores on the farm and Elain could help my mother in the house. The twins were old enough to occasionally help out as well,” he added. “All of us learned to work early in our lives.”
Lenora’s expression grew pensive. “It sounds so…idyllic.”
“Mucking out stables, then fertilizing the fields?” Idris challenged.
“Perhaps not that part,” Lenora allowed, “but the family life you describe.”
Idris thought about what he had said, in comparison to what Lenora had told him about her own childhood. Even though he knew it wasn’t rational, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt that his early life had been so much happier than hers. Weren’t farmers supposed to envy the lives of royalty? And yet, somehow, their roles had been reversed.
Lenora took note of the expression on his face and hurried to smile. “You do not need to feel sorry for me, Idris. Every life balances out in the end.”
“I suppose,” he agreed slowly.
“I daresay that your later life will be filled with conflict, while mine…” her teasing trailed off. Idris looked over to see what had caught her attention.
Lenora’s face had lost its color. She brought her horse to a halt, staring at a bush growing up against one of the enormous trees. On one of its twisted branches was tied a red ribbon that had tips blackened with ink.
“Captain,” Idris called ahead.
Cowan waved for the group to stop, bringing his horse around to stand next to Idris. “What is it, lad?”
Idris shook his head, gesturing to the princess. The captain of the Royal Guard nudged his horse forward, speaking gently to the young woman. “Your highness?”
Lenora pointed to the ribbon on the branch. “That was a signal between my brother and I when we were young.”
For a moment Cowan looked confused, but then Idris leaned in to whisper to him, “Her brother was with the group of men who caused the distraction in the city.”
Understanding flashed in the captain’s eyes. “I see,” he said grimly. “What does this signal mean?”
“It means he wants to meet with me,” Lenora said in a choked voice. “He has something important to tell me.”
Chapter Thirty: The Prince
Lenora sat with her hands in her lap, but that was the end of her appearance of calm. Her body was tense and her expression was rigid. Idris felt nervous just looking at her. He almost wished that she would start pacing instead of holding herself so still.
After much complaining from Hildar, the rest of the travelers had set up camp a safe distance from where the ribbon had been left. The sun was starting to set, casting long shadows through the forest. Hildar may have been right about losing time by stopping, but Idris was certain that Neron’s information would prove vital to their mission.
Lenora had asked to meet with her brother alone, but no one had supported that decision. Captain Cowan had wanted the entire group hidden at the ready, should the meeting prove to be a trap. The compromise of having Idris stay with Lenora had only been accepted reluctantly by both parties.
The last rays of daylight disappeared below the horizon. Idris felt a flood of anxiety crashing against his mind. What if the meeting was a trap? Would he be able to protect Lenora from a group of hardened thieves?
“Idris,” Lenora’s voice parted the growing darkness, “come sit next to me. Your fidgeting is making me nervous.”
He smiled in spite of himself. “Your stillness is making me nervous.”
The princess laughed softly, moving over to make room for him on the large root where she was sitting. “It is a result of my training. My mother said that I would often find myself in stressful situations, but that I would need to bear it calmly. My mother could look calm in the middle of a battlefield, as though she was only mildly inconvenienced by the noise. I, on the other hand, do not share that level of skill. Mother says I will improve with practice, but for now to simply focus on keeping still.”
Lenora shifted so that she was leaning against Idris ever so slightly. He could feel his heart thumping noisily against his ribs, and he worried that she could hear it, too. If she could, she didn’t mention it. Instead, she looked up at the small section of sky that was visible through the forest canopy.
“He offered to come back for me,” Lenora said quietly.
Idris turned his head to look at her. “Neron? When?”
She sighed. “Right before he left he said that he would come and get me when I turned fifteen. He said we would travel the world, free from any obligations. He told me to meet him in our special place—a tree where we used to play as children—at midnight on my fifteenth birthday.”
“What happened?” Idris asked gently.
“She never came,” said a nearby voice.
Idris and Lenora both started, turning to face the source of the words. Neron walked toward them, making no noise as he moved. His face was a strange mixture of anticipation and reluctance as he studied his sister.
“I waited until dawn,” Neron added.
Lenora slowly got to her feet. Idris could feel her trembling. “I was only twelve years old when I agreed to meet you,” she said.
“By the time I was fifteen, I realized that I could not leave. I could not put our parents through that again.”
Neron’s expression twisted with disgust. “I see Mother succeeded in shackling you with obligation.”
“Mother cried for a month after you left,” Lenora told him earnestly. “Father, too, when he thought no one could see.”
“How touching,” Neron said in a flat voice.
Idris could feel hot anger flash outward from his center. He stood quickly, gripping his partisan in one hand. “You may not care about the sorrow you gave your parent,” he said between clenched teeth, “but have you given any thought to how your absence hurt Lenora? If your mother cried for a month, how long do you think your sister cried?”
Lenora touched Idris’s arm with the tips of her fingers, silently calming him. Neron watched the motion with narrowed eyes. “Who is this?” he demanded.
“This is Idris,” Lenora answered simply. “He is my friend.”
“Why is your friend here?” asked Neron. “Did you not trust that you would be safe?”
“Why would we trust someone who spends their days street brawling and stealing from others?” Idris shot back.
Neron took a step forward, his hands balled into fists and his expression thunderous. Lenora moved to stand between the two young men, placing a gentle hand on her brother’s chest. “I trust you,” she whispered. “I always trust you.”
Neron’s face softened immediately as he looked down at his younger sister. Idris could see the love that he felt for her in his eyes, even after all of their years apart. “I know you must be disappointed in what I have become,” he muttered.
Lenora shook her head. “The world is a much harsher place than we once imagined. I have learned that for myself.”
Neron studied her intently. “When did you become so confident and wise?”
“Mother is not the monster you believed her to be,” replied Lenora softly.
Her brother stepped away, shaking his head. “I am certain she worked hard to make you believe that.”
“Neron,” Lenora said in a pleading tone.