His tone was severe. "No one is stronger than Asher."
That threw me. "Then why?"
"It's very complicated, Frey. Grand Council intends to take him out again-"
I cut him off. "Again?"
He was frustrated now. "Frey, just..."
Grey trailed off as he heard someone approaching and then abruptly concocted a new conversation. "So you'll want to try and anticipate where I'll strike... oh, hey Ruby. Ready to go?"
I had to work to conceal my growl of irritation. Ruby eyed me suspiciously.
We rode late into the evening and the group was silent as darkness fell. We were deep in a forest when we finally stopped. I slid down from my horse and found a downed tree to lean against. Ruby brought me a blanket and then cornered Grey, something I was sure she'd been dying to do since the afternoon's practice.
I had started to doze off when Chevelle sat on the tree beside where my head rested and I immediately sat up, alert.
"Sleep, Frey."
Yeah, right. I sighed and tried to settle back in to the comfortable spot I'd had before.
It wasn't happening. I had to work to keep my thoughts from returning to questions about Fannie and Asher. About me. That was possibly the most disturbing part. It was starting to sink in that I was expected to be a ruler, and that it was something people wanted. Enough to kill me for. I had always disliked Fannie but it was still hard to believe she'd be so selfish, so... evil. Not that I hadn't wished her dead a few times, but geez. And if it was so important, why was Asher not the one? At least he had his mind, for Elvin's sake.
But no one knew I didn't. My guard had kept it a secret. For my protection.
Dawn came unexpectedly early. Not that it was any earlier than usual, just that I was surprised at it. I was wrapped in a blanket on the same tree, Ruby urging me awake with her foot. "Come on, Frey. Time for practice before we move on."
I groaned. But practice was brief because it was only a short time before they were mounted, ready to set off.
We rode too fast, in and out of patches of hot sun and dense forest. The plots of forest were becoming longer though and by the evening of the second day, I began to complain about being smacked in the head by so many limbs.
"Wouldn't it just be easier to walk?"
"We are conserving energy," Grey answered in a low voice. I looked back at him and he could see he would have to explain more thoroughly. Don't know why they haven't caught on to that yet. "The horses spare us the energy we would have used running. We are taking every precaution."
My horse ran into the back of Anvil's as we stopped unexpectedly. I gave him a sheepish grin. He didn't seem surprised that I hadn't been paying attention.
As we stepped down off the horses, Ruby caught a glance of all the scrapes and scratches I'd gained from the day's ride. It felt like every branch had hit my face. "You look like shit, Frey."
It seemed to make her day.
Several hours later, she tired of making repairs and gave up on me, admitting defeat. "I shouldn't have let it go so long," she sighed.
Grey had been watching her toil and laughed lightly as she sauntered off on some other venture.
I took the opportunity while we were alone. "So, how long have you known about Fannie?" I asked, indicating the group. He just looked back at me. "I mean, how long has she been stalking me?"
"Not so long," he answered in a hushed tone.
He was glancing around, placing the others I thought, so I lowered my voice as well. "Is she only using cats?"
"I wouldn't know, Frey. We are just being... over-cautious."
My brow knitted.
"Is there something else?"
"It just bothers me. The cats, I mean."
He laughed. "They didn't seem to bother you so much at the castle. They are practically sleeping in our beds as we speak."
"That's different," I protested. He raised an eyebrow at me and I was shocked at his inference. "No."
"Yes," he said, unruffled. "Does it seem so far off that she could have gotten the idea from you?"
"Ugh!" I was disgusted at the thought. Surely he was only trying to aggravate me.
"I'm certain your cats are the tale of the North by now."
My eyes narrowed but I had no defense so I shrugged it off. Except it did bother me. Tremendously.
And then, suddenly, the atmosphere completely changed. Grey stiffened and before I could process the difference, he was gone. In his place, Ruby stood, ready in her protective stance. Her fight stance.
I tried to stay calm, remember to breathe. Was this it, what we'd been waiting for, looking for? Grand Council, or was this Fannie, the new threat? I realized I was hoping it was her. I was standing now, ready to face her. I wanted to tear her apart.
It was shocking.
Ruby straightened slightly, relaxing her shoulders and adjusting her belt. But she was still watching. I followed her eyes. Junnie.
I relaxed then. I didn't know what to do with Junnie, where to categorize her, but I didn't think she intended to hurt me. Not kill me as Fannie planned, not burn me as council. But then I hesitated, because now Junnie was council. My ears were ringing slightly but I tried to concentrate. Not on the memory of her chasing Asher, not of the endless days we'd spent in her study, not of her story in my mother's diary, not the limp body of the human girl. I tried to focus on what she was saying to Chevelle.
As they came closer, the ringing got louder. It was only a moment before I understood why. I didn't waste time being angry with him, I just closed my eyes and moved straight to the mind of my horse.
No ringing.
"No, he is helping her... She's forgotten everything, or maybe she's just using him as well."
I could hear Junnie clearly but Chevelle was harder to understand; he was speaking so low the conversation sounded one-sided.
"Well apparently she's decided this was the better path. I doubt she trusts him completely, but for now, they are assisting each other."
Chevelle's face was furious. For a moment, I thought he must have realized what I'd done, found me out, but he turned away, facing Junnie as he answered, fury bringing out a growl in his muffled voice.
"I don't think he sees it that way. He may not even know that she's found a side occupation. But, regardless, he's not to be trusted." Chevelle's hand was clenched in a fist at his side, but I still could not hear him as they spoke, merely Junnie. "He's just using her to eliminate as many of us as possible without risk to him."
Us. I was back in my own head, spots swirling in blackness. Junnie was Grand Council, and not only was she after Asher, he was after her. And Fannie... Fannie was after everyone. I tried to stop it, fought to stay afloat, but I was drowning.
When I woke, it was daylight and Junnie was gone. Ruby sat ever faithful at my side, offering me water as soon as I stirred. I was quiet, though, unsure what to say. My dreams had been so disturbing. I was flying overhead, in the mind of a great hawk, peering through the trees, and I'd seen the human girl. Not her dead, limp body, but her previous self, the happy, laughing girl they had called Molly. And her puppy, large and fluffy, frolicked in the grass beside her. And then there were the dreams of Asher's voice again, as he plotted the use of the humans. The sense of betrayal as he compared them to animals. But there was more this time, something that hadn't been in the previous dreams. I was running to my mother, because I knew then, she had been right. They were attempting to stop me from entering her room, they had the nerve to command me to leave. My eyes narrowed and, my jaw clenched tight, I pulled a deep breath through my nose as I drew my sword and...
Both. With one swing.
I shuddered.
"Are you alright, Frey?" Ruby's voice was gentle. I tried to give her a convincing nod. She pulled the blanket up tighter to me. I wasn't cold; it was actually too warm. I had an irrational urge to throw the covers off, tear everything away.
I decided to speak instead. "Ruby?"
She smiled. "Yes?"
"How do they find us?"
She looked back at me, confused.
"Junnie... Fannie."
"Oh," she answered, and then hesitated. "Frey, I know you're worried about Fannie, but don't be. We have you covered."
I tried to look assured. "I know. I only mean, Junnie just pops up sometimes."
She didn't answer right away so I waited, working to seem patient. She saw I wasn't giving up. "I suppose the same way you found the wolves... and the girl."
I drew in a sharp breath but Ruby must have thought it was because she'd mentioned the human. It wasn't. Junnie. She must have had the same abilities. The same as I, the same as Fannie... and surely the same as our mother. I had a thousand questions now, I struggled to not sound too anxious. "Ruby, if Fannie was... unique... why would Asher not want her? Just for her looks?"
"I don't know, Frey. I wasn't around then." I saw her eyes inadvertently flick to Anvil before they were back on me. "And your mother was not exactly clear on everything that happened."
No, she wasn't. And there was one particular part that I was exceedingly curious about now. I pushed the blankets off to find my pack but Ruby was faster. She grinned as she handed it to me and gracefully stood to leave, knowing what I'd wanted.
"Thanks, Ruby."
Her departing smile was enchanting.
As soon as she'd turned, I hurriedly flipped through the pages to the back of the diary, finding the passage I was after.
“You’re back.” His voice was trembling, feeble. It was my Noble, young no more. He had been waiting here for my return. An outcast of the village; no one believed his tales of magic, the mysterious woman he claimed to meet here. He confessed to spending years trying to find me. He’d thought I was angry with him and that was why I’d not returned. He was afraid to leave this spot, if I were to change my mind… forgive him for whatever he’d done.
I pushed the guilt aside when I recalled why I'd had to come here. For my Freya, to save her. What my father did to me, to my mother, I would not let him do to her. I knew what I must do, the only way. I approached the grieving man and reached out to him. As I held his hands, I closed my eyes. I could not watch as I snapped his neck, the way I had with the small boar as my first show of magic to him so long ago. I placated myself by remembering that he would soon be gone, his life so short. I held him until he began to stiffen, and then carried his lifeless body into the village. Proof that they would be attacked and killed, proof that they must fight the elves. It was not hard to incite a riot. They were fearful creatures. I convinced them to raid the castle, gave them direction.
All that had happened and it was still hard to read. But I'd found what I was looking for, gave them direction. She had done it, my mother had impressed upon the humans to find the castle and attack. She must have kept it a secret from her father. She would have known the danger.
I thought of my dream again, how I had run to her. I could recall the emotions, the betrayal yes, but there was more. I had thought her ridiculous, hadn't stood by her as Asher condemned her. And she had been right. I'd run to her, slain her guards and... and what?
I tried to force the memory but pain seared through my head. So instead I focused on what I did have. Asher. He was still alive, and was somehow connected to this group... my guard.
Comprehension came suddenly and forcefully. I knew, not just from reading the diary, but I knew intuitively what he wanted. Power and control. Unique enough to assure his line, his rule. She had kept it a secret from him. He'd known her child was half human, known she had found them, which had probably given him the idea to try with me. He thought them dumb like animals. But he did not know she could control the humans. Not until she had created an army.
"Frey." Chevelle's voice startled me. I looked up at him but he was staring at the diary on the blanket beside me. "It's time to go."
I started to stand and he grabbed my arm to help me, a little too forcefully for my taste. But before I could protest, I realized I was standing unbearably close to him. I could feel the length of his leg against the side of mine and, too fast for me to look away, a flush tore through my cheeks. He let go of my arm and turned, directing the others to the horses.
I purposely kept a sluggish pace as the others mounted, not wanting to ride near the front where I knew he would be. And then I saw Anvil, his massive black horse almost purring out breaths as they passed. I hurried, jumping up into the saddle (and almost over the other side) to catch him.
I casually fell in beside him and gave him an earnest smile. It must have been transparent because he laughed. I was undeterred. "Anvil," I tried to keep my voice as subdued as possible, "do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Probably."
I ignored him. "I was reading my mother's diary and I was wondering... why would Asher shun Fannie if she could use the animals?"
I expected him to give me a stuttered reply spoken in a hushed tone or avoid answering all together. He did neither, answering as clearly and normally as if he had nothing to hide. "Francine kept her ability a secret. Not just from Asher but from everyone."
I was speechless, I couldn't even think of a follow up question. But he continued, "She was smarter than anyone gave her credit for and paranoid to boot."
I considered that, remembering her conspiracy theories about High Council and the villagers. I had thought them ridiculous, but, in hindsight, they had more substance than I'd have imagined possible.
As I reflected, I caught sight of a familiar expression on Anvil's face. It hadn't always been familiar, not before I'd regained part of my memories, but I could see his manner, like a reflection now. I'd been impressed when I was younger, the way he'd regarded my grandfather. Such a contrast from the others. Not like Asher was his ruler, but as if he were his equal. No concern, no formality, just himself, calm and undaunted by it all. He would have never bowed to Lord Asher. I found myself smiling at the memory.
Chapter Seven
Out of the Blue
We rode without event for days and I realized I'd started to become relaxed instead of more prepared for the battle we were heading toward. When we stopped for the evening I sought out Ruby for training, even though I knew after a few whip lashes I'd regret it.
But she must have been taking it easy on me because I didn't fare too badly, even besting her twice. She cut practice short, prattling something about Grey, and then stomped off toward Chevelle. I watched her for a moment but a chill caught me as I stood, now motionless. I picked up my pack and found the closest thing to an isolated spot I could to change into some warmer clothes.
Ruby had taken to tinkering with my clothes so the strings of the vest I held were adorned with jewels and feathers. It reminded me of my strategy to sweep the sky each day, which I cringed at neglecting. I stuffed the bejeweled vest back into the pack but the next morning, as soon as we mounted, I found a vessel and closed my eyes, settling into its mind.
Though it had been a cool morning, the sun was bright and the sky was clear. It was embarrassing how long I soared before I noticed something was wrong. I didn't exactly know where we were going, but I had no doubt that wherever council was, it wasn't back up the mountain.
I pulled back to my body and, almost before I opened my eyes, shot out, "Where are we going?"
Five pair of eyes focused on me. Ruby spoke. "Oh."
"Oh?"
"Well, when you were comatose the other night, there was a change of plans."
I ignored her remark about my... episode. "And no one thought they should tell me?" I was irked.
"Gee, Frey, you just go so easily these days, I didn't know if I should." She thought it was funny.
I heard my teeth grind.
Her teasing tone disappeared in an instant. "Frey, please. Trust us."
I waited.
"Fine," she sighed. "We are going back to the castle."
The castle? I had been so far off. We had been riding for days in the opposite direction and I'd had no idea. I
didn't know what irritated me worse, the fact that they’d left me in the dark or that I'd been oblivious. And then my brain caught up with my reaction. "Wait, why are we going back to the castle?"
The horses slowed to a walk and I could feel the tension surge. I swallowed hard as I waited for her to form a response. "Freya, Fannie has destroyed a number of Grand Council members. Those who remain are not waiting for her there."
I let that sink in. It hadn't sounded half as bad as I'd expected. I wondered if they were chasing after her now, and where, if they had given up on me for the moment, and then, again, my mind caught up. "How many?"
"We do not have an exact count."
"But several. And... Ruby, I don't have my mind back." I felt my features contort and tried to compose them.
"We will take care of you, Frey. We will find those that remain and-"
"Ruby," I interrupted, "why? Why haven't I recovered? How many of them were in on the binding?"
"It's not how many, Frey. It's which ones."
The information formed a tumult and I took a deep breath as I attempted to find order. Fannie was slaughtering council at random, she'd caused them to scatter or come after her. And we had to find the right ones, those who had twisted the spell through my mind. Then I recalled Junnie's part in the ordeal. She'd shown up, out of the blue, and informed on Fannie. So, she was acting on behalf of Grand Council? But I'd seen her fighting against them at that initial battle, before she'd gone after Asher.
My head was beginning to throb so I drew back in an attempt to not focus. It was near impossible and, in the end, I gave up and returned to the sky to avoid the commotion in my head.
I circled overhead for a while, watching us ride below and contemplating what a peculiar view I had: I was seeing myself. I started to play a game, jumping from the bird to my body, the view from above, the view from below, but the strange flashes made me a little dizzy so I returned to the bird.
Frey Saga Book II: Pieces of Eight Page 8