“What happened to ‘what if all the story books are true’?” Erin asked. Murphy just grunted in reply.
“Murphy, look,” Erin said holding out her hand to show him her palm. “Remember when I fell earlier when we were looking for Lydia? I scuffed up my hand. I even bled a little bit. You don’t bleed in dreams. As crazy as this is, and as much as I don’t like it, this is where we are, and this is what we are doing. We will have time to think about it later. Right now, we just need to take it a day at a time,” she said the last part through gritted teeth.
Murphy stood and walked to the front of the wagon and sat down with a huff. I walked over to him and placed a tentative hand on his shoulder, hoping to give him some comfort. He jerked his shoulder away from me. With my eyes stinging, I turned away and settled down to wait in the opposite corner of the wagon. The chestnut mare stuck her head in the wagon and nudged my shoulder. I smiled and put out a hand. The mare snuffed it for a minute and then rubbed her nose against it. I obliged the mare and began petting her.
“You are a beautiful girl,” I told her. The mare nickered lightly as if agreeing with my assessment. I smiled and continued to pet the mare until Nadine returned.
“I see you’ve made a new friend there, Tulip,” she said as she came back into view, “What a great battle horse you are,” she told the mare sarcastically. “Though I guess I should have thought about that when I named you Tulip.”
The mare swished her tail at her rider. Nadine placed a couple of baskets of food in the back of the wagon. From a glance, I could see it held bread, jerky, and even a couple types of fruit.
“There should be plenty of water in the wagon. Let me know if you need refills. Keep this food in here and eat it whenever, we can take meals with the camp when they are served.”
“Thank you,” I said as Nadine walked over to Tulip and untied her.
“I’m just doing my job,” Nadine said with a small smile. “If you guys are fine to be here for a bit, I’m going to go check in with my commanding officer.”
She mounted Tulip and headed off through the tents that were beginning to pop up at the campsite. None of us said anything after she left. My ankle was throbbing by this point and it was the only thing I could think of. I closed my eyes and willed it to quit hurting. Before long I couldn’t fight the exhaustion anymore and I fell asleep.
18
It was completely dark when someone shook me awake.
“Lydia, wake up. We have to move.”
“What’s going on?” I slurred, trying to orient myself.
“We are under attack. I have to get you out of here.”
The panic in Aidric’s voice caused me to sit bolt upright. It was just he and I in the wagon. Midnight stood at the back. The great horse was tossing his head and pawing at the ground.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“The other campsite down the road from here has been attacked,” he said tersely. “Reynard and the rest of the soldiers have it under control. They’re just bandits but they’ve split our force and they’ve sent people to this part of the camp. We have to get you out of here.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“Lydia, I know you’re a Magic Wielder.” I felt my heart plummet into my stomach.
“There was a huge magical disturbance the night you said you and your friends got lost in the forest.”
“How—” I started.
Aidric held up his hand. “Nadine can sense it. Not many people can. She told me about the disturbance and that’s what I was looking for in the forest. But you used your magic when you pulled me out of the hole, I don’t think you even realized it. Lydia, you have a lot of power. I think they’re looking for you.”
I was stunned and didn’t know what to say. Aidric reached under his cloak and pulled a dagger out of his belt. He held it out to me. “Take it.”
I reached out to do as he said and saw my hand was shaking.
“I don’t know how to use this,” I said.
“If you have to, you’ll figure it out, I promise,” he said.
A breeze blew through the wagon, shaking the canvas. I could hear the sounds of metal clanging briefly on the wind.
“Where are my friends?” I asked.
“They’re up at the other campsite. Nadine was showing them around, they didn’t want to disturb you.”
“But that’s where the fighting is!”
“Lydia, they’re safe, I promise. You need to listen to me right now. We need to get you away from the Finders. I’m trained for this, I will protect you. We need to get out of the wagon and get back under the trees of the Golden Forest.”
“Why the forest?” I asked. I hadn’t started moving yet. My brain still couldn’t process what was going on.
“Because the Golden Forest is where magic was trapped for centuries. Its very essence is full of magic. If we can get you under the trees, it will be harder to track you. That’s why it took so long for Reynard to find me, even with my bracelet. Is your ankle good? Can you walk?”
I realized my ankle wasn’t hurting at all. I rolled my foot and there was nothing, no pain.
“Yeah, it’s fine now. Not hurting at all. I guess I just needed to rest it.”
“Let’s go. Now.”
Finally, my body caught up with the urgency of the situation and my heart started beating wildly. I gripped the dagger tightly and silently climbed out of the wagon. We both walked quickly towards the trees. Aidric led Midnight with us. I felt like I had a big bullseye on my back now that I was out of the wagon and bathed in moonlight. Two shadows to my right moved and I just about jumped out of my skin. Aidric grabbed my arm to steady me.
“It’s just Rain and Nadine. They’re going with us,” he whispered to me.
“Do they know about my magic?” I asked in a whisper.
“No, you have to use it in front of her for Nadine to be able to sense it. You are the only one in this part of the camp right now. I told them we needed to come make sure you were safe. Now be quiet, we need to get you hidden.”
When we reached the trees, I breathed a sigh of relief. The moonlight was dimmer in the trees, but I was still able to see well enough to navigate through them. Toward the center of the little grove we were in there was a large hollow tree.
“Lydia, I need you to hide in the hollow of that tree. No matter what, I want you to stay there until I come back for you. Do you understand?” The friendly guy who hung out with us in the forest was gone. In his place was Prince Aidric who expected to be obeyed. I was not a soldier to be ordered around, though.
“What are you going to do?” I demanded.
“Protect you,” he said.
“Just come hide with me,” I urged. “Nadine and Rain, too.”
“No. We can’t do that. Now do as I say,” Aidric insisted, staring me down.
I nodded and climbed into the hollow of the tree. It was a tight squeeze, but I fit inside well enough that I knew I couldn’t be seen from the ground. There I waited. I had no idea what was going on but if someone was looking for me, I was sure the sound of my pounding heart would lead them right to me. Occasionally the wind would shift, and I would hear the sound of yells and metal clanging, but there was nothing I could make out for sure. I found myself hoping desperately that John, Murphy, and Erin were okay. It was my fault they were here in the first place.
The all too familiar sense of energy that I had been experiencing off and on since our arrival in Adylra began to resurface. It felt like a lump in the pit of my stomach that was trying to reach out and take control of me. I kept trying to beat it back. It was a strange and foreign feeling. I felt like if I couldn’t get a hold of it, the whole world around me would explode. How was I supposed to hide my magic if there were people who could sense it and come after me because of it? Why was this happening to me?
I chanced a peek out of the tree and saw that Aidric had mounted Midnight. They were in front of the tree. Aidric was holding his spear. I
could tell by the movement of his head that he was scanning the trees in front of him. Midnight was staring straight ahead with his ears pricked forward. Nadine and Rain were nowhere to be seen.
The light of dawn was just beginning to peek over the horizon when a twig snapped in the distance. I clenched my fists and squeezed my eyes shut, suddenly hoping this was all just a dream and willing myself to wake up.
Suddenly there was a feral cry and the sound of metal clanging in the distance. I could hear Nadine yelling somewhere off to the right. I heard more shouts and saw people running into the clearing. There was a blast and part of the bark of the tree I was in busted open. I yelled and grabbed my face where some of the bark hit.
I could see what was happening now. A man was running toward Aidric and Midnight. Midnight reared up on his hind legs and whirled. Aidric yelled and struck out at the attacker with his spear, running him clean through. I almost gasped but stopped myself just in time. I was pressed against the back of the tree, trying not to be seen. The attacker dropped to the ground with Aidric’s spear sticking out of his back. As that was happening, another dark figure had crept up behind Aidric and Midnight and managed to grab Aidric and pull him from Midnight’s back. The stallion neighed in fury and tried to attack the figure but there was another one trying to cut him with a spear from behind. The stallion was forced to whirl and fight his own battle.
On the ground, Aidric rolled away from his attacker just as a sword came down. Aidric lifted his own sword and managed to stab his attacker in the thigh before rolling further away and getting to his feet. The attacker came at him again and was joined by another who had materialized in the darkness. They both came at Aidric at the same time. I couldn’t see anything but the flash of silver in the darkness. Before I knew what was happening a sword went flying through the air. It was one of the attackers’. They both took a step back to size up Aidric again.
A scream traveled through the darkness.
“Noooo!” Nadine’s voice pierced through the night. Aidric risked a glance over his shoulder toward the noise. While he was distracted one of the attackers managed to dash in and cut Aidric’s arm, he cursed and took a step back. The attackers jumped forward. Aidric struck one of the attackers in the head. The attacker when down but fell into Aidric and took him down too. Aidric rolled away but didn’t see the sword that was coming for him to the left.
Before I had time to think, I yelled and jumped out of the tree. I threw the dagger with all my might at the man with the sword. It sailed through the air and hit the man in the side. He went down on one knee. The attacker who had been trying to subdue Midnight turned towards me and came at me at a run.
The ball of energy inside me erupted and filled me with an intense power I had never known before. I wanted to cry out in pain and excitement at the same time. I reached my hand out and a spear that had fallen to the ground came right to it. I threw it and it flew as if possessed, directly toward the attacker that was coming for me. As it whistled through the air, the tip caught fire. It pierced the man squarely in the chest. He gave a gurgled cry and went down, his eyes wide and unblinking.
Aidric had finished off the third attacker. He rushed over to me. He was staring at me with wide eyes. The energy left as fast as it came, and I went down on one knee. Aidric grabbed me to keep me from falling.
“No!” I yelled. My vision was fast becoming black and I felt like I was going to lose consciousness. A company of soldiers came bursting through the trees at a gallop, they pulled up when they saw us. Two of the men had what looked like globes of light following them. When they stopped the globes flew higher into the trees, casting the whole area in an eerie dim light.
It was all I saw as I lost the battle with the darkness and fainted.
19
When I regained consciousness, it came gentle and quiet. I opened my eyes and could see the golden color of leaves and the patchwork of the blue sky between them. The leaves were dancing in a light breeze that I could feel playing with my red hair. Then, everything that happened before I fainted caught up with me in a big way. I just managed to sit up and turn to the side before I vomited. I could hear voices of people around me and I knew they could see me, but I couldn’t stop myself. After a few minutes it was over. I laid back down on the ground and closed my eyes, too embarrassed to move. A hand on my shoulder made me look up. Aidric was there. He handed me a rag covered in water. I sat up and used it to wipe my face. It felt good against my clammy skin.
“I take it this was your first battle?” he asked softly. I could tell he was being sincere and not mocking me.
“Yes,” I told him.
“I would be more concerned if none of this bothered you. Battle is not romantic. And taking a life is not something even the most seasoned soldier ever gets used to. Here. Eat this,” he said and shoved some bread in my hand. I nodded my thanks and ate a few bites. I was surprised to find the bread was filled with nuts and raisins. It had a saltiness to it that calmed my queasy stomach. After I had taken a few bites, Aidric handed me some water, and I drank.
“My friends?” I asked.
“They are fine,” the prince assured me. “And they also displayed admirable courage when they needed to.”
“Nadine and Rain?”
A shadow crossed Aidric’s face. “Nadine is injured, but mostly fine. Rain didn’t make it. Someone came up behind her.”
I reached out and held onto him for a moment as a wave of sorrow and nausea swept over me.
“She was trying to protect me,” I said.
Aidric put his hand under my chin and lifted my head so I was looking in his eyes.
“She was doing her duty as a soldier of this realm. Yes, she died protecting you, you and everyone else here. She died doing her life’s mission.”
I could feel tears well up in my eyes. Aidric look away and I wiped them with the corner of my cloak.
“Who were they?” I asked.
“Bandits, the best we can tell,” Aidric replied. “Although to have Finders, we may be dealing with more than we thought.”
“Lydia,” he said taking my hands and staring into my eyes again. “You saved my life. Thank you. I am forever in your debt.”
“Don’t thank me, Your Highness, I’m not even sure how I did it,” I told him honestly. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be thanked for killing someone, even if it was to save Aidric.
“But I am thanking you, because I know it wasn’t easy, and I know this is not what you signed up for when you and your friends set off on your travels. Lydia, you have to learn how to control your powers. If you don’t, the magic will keep controlling you. You just fainted this time but if you use more magic than you can handle, you will die.”
“I’ve only known I’ve had powers for two days,” I said.
“Your sixteenth birthday?” he asked.
“Actually, yeah,” I told him.
“That’s when all Magic Wielders learn they have powers. But yours have come in exceptionally quick and strong for someone so young. We have people at the palace that can help you. You can be trained.”
“No!” I said, almost yelling. The sudden excitement caused me to sway again and Aidric held onto my shoulder.
“Calm down, please, I don’t want you to faint again,” he said. “Lydia, I know you and your friends are hiding something.”
“What?” I asked, looking up at him sharply.
“Lydia, four young adults alone in the Golden Forest with barely any supplies. I’m not stupid. You didn’t even know the name of the village you’re supposed to be from.” I averted my gaze and looked down at my hands. I could feel my chest tightening with each word he said. It was over. Our secret was going to be out.
“I’m not going to ask you what’s going on, and I won’t tell anyone about your abilities if you don’t want me to,” Aidric reassured me. I breathed a sigh of relief. He reached out and tucked a strand of my hair that was hanging in my face behind my ear. I was startled by the intimacy o
f the action.
“Lydia,” he said. “I do hope that one day you’ll trust me and tell me what’s going on. But for now, know that you and your friends are under my protection. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” He reached inside his shirt and pulled out a stone that was attached to a leather thong. He took it from around his neck and placed it around my own.
“This will keep you hidden from the Finders. No one will be able to sense that you have any magic. Wear it at all times.” I could feel tears welling up in my eyes at such kindness.
“Thank you,” was the only thing I could manage to say.
20
Once I felt like I could walk again, Aidric helped me up on Midnight, and we rode back to the campsite. When we arrived, it was almost mid-morning and people were furiously getting the camp ready to go. There were two bonfires out in a field across the river. I was sure I knew what was happening there, so I looked away. I could feel the weight of the stone that was hanging around my neck and tucked into my shirt. It reminded me of the sacrifices people had made last night on my account.
I rode with Aidric back to the wagon. Erin, Murphy, and John were standing beside it. They all rushed forward when we stopped, and I dismounted from Midnight. They all looked tired but none the worse for wear. Murphy had an arm in a makeshift sling and Erin had a cut that ran along one cheekbone.
“Are you guys okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’re fine. What about you? They said you passed out?” Erin asked. Her eyebrows were knitted together in concern.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I guess I was just overwhelmed,” I told her.
“I hate to leave you all, but I need to go check on everyone,” Aidric said. “We will be leaving soon. We have some extra horses now. I will have them sent back here so you can ride ahead with the rest of us who are mounted. We are going to ride again so we can get to the castle in three days instead of the week it would take with the wagons.” He nodded at us and turned and left.
Gatebreaker: Book One Page 8