by Mary Akers
“I think you need a disguise too,” she said, swallowing self-consciously and trying not to blush.
“Ok,” he said easily. He rubbed his hands on the dusty ground near his feet and brushed them across his sweaty face, marring his handsome features with dark streaks of dirt. He wiped his hands and dabbed at his face with his once white shirt.
“Better?” he asked, looking to her for approval.
“What disguise where you going for?” Elora asked, her eyebrows raised.
“Farmer, gardener, I don’t know,” he said, shrugging. “I don’t have a lot to work with here.”
“Ok,” Elora said, chuckling. “I guess that works. Though if you had asked me first, I would have told you to get dirt from over there instead,” she laughed, pointing a short distance away.
He looked to where she had pointed and furrowed his brows.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I think you probably just smeared a good bit of chicken poop on your face,” she said, nodding her head towards the coop they were crouched behind.
A fleeting look of disgust flashed across his face, but was immediately replaced by a smirk. He shrugged nonchalantly.
“I’ve heard chicken poop is good for your skin, actually,” he said, with a surprising level of sincerity.
Elora nodded indulgently, trying to stifle her laugh.
“Here, have some,” he said, brushing a finger across his cheek and reaching towards Elora’s face.
She gasped, dodging his hand and reaching out to grab his arm.
“No?” he asked chuckling.
“No,” she said, giggling. “You keep your chicken poop to yourself.”
They smiled at each other, enjoying a light-hearted moment and forgetting for just a little while the danger they were about to face. But too soon, reality set back in, descending upon them like a heavy blanket, smothering their laughter.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
Elora nodded, reaching back with shaking hands to pull her hood forward over her head.
Asher reached out, taking hold of her trembling hands with his steady ones, trying to impart some calm.
“I’m going to go first to see if anyone is nearby. I’ll give you a signal when the road is clear and then you just walk towards the schoolhouse. I’ll follow,” he said.
“We don’t have to walk far down this road,” she said. “There’s an intersection about a quarter mile from here where we can get off this main road. The crossroad runs right past the schoolhouse.”
“Alright, here I go,” Asher said. “Be careful, Elora,” he whispered, squeezing her hands gently one last time before releasing them.
He stood and looked around before quickly walking along the edge of the barnyard towards the road. Near the road, Tim Pryor had several bundles of firewood stacked and marked for sale. Asher paused for a moment, grabbing a smaller one and hefting it onto his shoulder, a further effort at disguise.
Elora watched carefully, waiting for his signal. He stepped into the road and looked in both directions before turning back and waving her forward. She took a deep breath, stood and stepped quickly towards the road. Pausing for only a moment to lock eyes with him, she walked boldly into the road and began making her way down the short but nerve wracking route to the schoolhouse.
She walked for a few minutes without seeing a soul. She could hear the comforting sound of Asher’s boots scuffing occasionally in the dirt a distance behind her. Though the sun was beginning to set and the heat of the day was beginning to wane, it was still oppressively hot beneath the cloak. Elora could feel sweat trickling down her spine as she quickly moved down the road.
The crossroad was nearly in sight when a figure appeared on the horizon. Her mouth went dry and her breath caught in her throat as he came nearer and the shimmery brown fabric of his Elysic cloak came into view. It was a Liana.
“Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic,” Elora whispered to herself over and over.
He was coming closer. Elora unconsciously slowed her pace, terrified of crossing paths with him. Suddenly she heard music coming from behind her. It was Asher. He was humming the tune to the Binding Hymn and he sounded much closer than he had been before. She took a calming breath, relieved and emboldened by his presence.
The Liana guard was approaching steadily on the opposite side of the road. He seemed unfazed by her presence as far as Elora could tell. Asher began singing in earnest, making his presence known and hopefully precluding any attempts at interaction between Elora and the Liana. She watched carefully as he came closer and could see that he was focused not on her, but Asher. Just as he was about to pass, the guard turned his face to her and casually lifted his arm in salute. Elora stiffly returned the gesture and continued walking.
It took everything she had to keep her body moving despite her paralyzing fear. She could barely breath. She listened but couldn’t hear anything beyond Asher’s somewhat clumsy rendition of the song she’d last heard just a few short hours ago at her friend’s Binding, when her world had still been right and normal. She forced herself to take a deep breath and began taking larger steps, trying to get to the crossroad as quickly as she could.
The intersection at last came into view and she breathed a sigh of relief. As she rounded the corner, she cautioned a look backwards. Her blood ran cold in her veins and she faltered, nearly tripping. There, a short distance behind Asher, was the Liana. He was following her. The worried look on Asher’s face told her that he was aware of their company. He subtly tilted his head, indicating that she should keep going before suddenly dropping his bundle of wood and kneeling, acting as though his boot lace had come untied. She regained her footing and tried to calm her nerves, trusting that Asher had a plan.
She had walked only a few paces down the road towards the schoolhouse when a dull “thunk” broke the silence. She froze, too scared to turn and see what had happened. Suddenly Asher was beside her, his face pale, his chest heaving.
“Asher!” she cried, pulling back her hood and throwing her arms around him in relief.
He returned her embrace briefly before pulling back.
“We have to hurry,” he said.
“What happened?” she asked, peering over his shoulder but the road was empty.
“I knocked him out with a piece of firewood,” he said as he grabbed her hand and began pulling her down the road.
She looked up at him, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.
“He’ll be fine,” he said, shaking his head.
“But where is he?” she asked, turning to look back once more.
“I dragged him into the grass on the roadside,” he said. “He was out cold. But I don’t know for how long. We really need to get out of here. Which direction is the school?” he asked, tugging her along.
“That way,” Elora said, pointing off to the right side of the road.
Asher charged off the road and down into the ditch that ran alongside, dragging Elora with him. They pushed through a thicket and across a field, moving with careless speed and silent urgency. The roof of the schoolhouse finally came into view.
“The shed is around back,” Elora said, panting from exertion.
As they neared the open area around the schoolhouse, Asher pulled her to a stop behind the cover of a scrubby cluster of bushes. They waited quietly, watching and listening for any sign that they were not alone.
“I’ll follow you,” he said finally, nodding for her to make a run for the shed.
Elora sprang out into the open, running as fast as she could past the front of the schoolhouse. She rounded the building and darted over to the decrepit old shed which was hiding in the shadow of a bushy crape myrtle which had long ago shed its last blooms. She tore open the door and rushed inside the cramped space, squeezing to the back of the shed to make room for Asher. She turned around ju
st in time to see him step through the doorway.
He swung the door swiftly closed, careful not to let it bang. The small shed was dark, save for the slivers of fading sunlight that shone through the cracks between boards and danced among the floating particles of dust. Elora could only barely make out the features of his face, though he was only a foot or so away. Their rapid breathing was the only sound.
Elora closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall as she tried to calm her frantically beating heart. She lifted her hands to wipe at the sweat that was dripping down her face.
“It’s so hot in here,” she whispered, sighing.
“Here, this will help,” Asher said, stepping closer to untie the cloak and pull it from her shoulders.
She took the cloak from his hands, her fingers brushing against his in the process. She looked up into his face, every fiber of her being acutely aware of his proximity.
“Are you alright?” she asked gently.
“Yes, are you?” he asked in reply.
“Yes,” she said. “But I’m not the one who just clocked a guy and dragged him into the bushes,” she said.
“No, but you were the one he was chasing,” he whispered.
Elora swallowed, attempting to suppress the terror his words summoned.
“I’m surprised he even noticed me with you singing like that,” she said with a forced chuckle.
“Pretty good, huh!” he joked.
“It was an interesting song choice,” she teased.
“Well, I couldn’t sing a Claren song or it would have given me away. And that Binding song was the only thing I could think of,” he explained. “I really impressed myself considering I’d only heard it the one time this morning.”
“Yes, you were wonderful,” she said dismissively. “But why was he following me?” she asked, trying to get back on topic. “Did I make a mistake?”
“I honestly don’t know. I didn’t see any obvious reason for him to doubt your disguise,” he replied. “Maybe he was just curious.”
Elora nodded, despite feeling uneasy with his answer.
The light was fading quickly now as the sun was setting in earnest. She could hardly see more than a vague outline of his body.
“Thank you for stopping him,” she said quietly.
“Of course,” he replied gently.
“You keep doing that,” she said, shaking her head.
“Doing what?” he asked.
“Making sacrifices for me,” she whispered. “Taking risks. Breaking laws. I don’t think I could live with myself if you were exiled from Clarendon because of me.”
“Clarendon doesn’t hold anything for me without you,” he said, his deep voice the only sound in the darkening shed. “But you don’t have to worry,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t kill him, Elora. I won’t be exiled.”
“No, but you showed the cloak to Trig and Alysa,” she said.
Asher was silent for a moment.
“I know,” he said solemnly.
“They won’t tell anyone,” she assured him.
“I believe that,” he said, nodding. “But it doesn’t really matter. It had to be done.”
He continued to amaze her. He had given up years of his life to find her and continued to put himself in danger in order to protect her, all because of the Prophesy. She hoped, for his sake, that it was true.
“I know you’re doing it all for the Prophesy, but I still feel indebted to you,” she whispered, closing her eyes against the weight of the burden.
The air plunged into uncomfortable silence. She waited nervously for him to say something but he didn’t make a sound. She began to worry that she had upset him.
“Asher?” she asked tentatively, reaching out to lay her hand on his forearm.
“You don’t owe me anything,” he said quietly.
She was startled by the hint of anger in his voice. Her hand dropped from his arm and she tried to place some distance between them, but her back was already against the wall in the small shed.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” she fumbled.
“You’ve done that twice now,” he interrupted, his voice gentle but disappointed.
“Done what?” she asked.
“Claimed that I’m only helping you because you’re the Renascent,” he said.
“Aren’t you?” she asked hesitantly.
“No,” he replied earnestly. “At least not anymore.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. She wished it weren’t so dark. It was hard to interpret what he really meant, what he was feeling without being able to see him.
“You are more than the Prophesy to me, Elora” he whispered. “This is personal to me now. We’re in this together.”
Her eyes widened in surprise at his admission. She took a shuddering breath. It was as though a weight had been lifted from her. A warm feeling spread throughout her chest as she discovered a connection, a friendship with him that had not been there before. She was still struggling to grasp the reality that her parents would no longer be with her on this journey. And until this moment, she had not realized how alone she had felt.
But why? She wanted to believe him, but how could she? They had only just met. They hardly knew one another. How she wished she could look into his eyes at this moment, to see the sincerity that she hoped were there. She desperately wanted to trust that he meant what he said. But his devotion to her just didn’t make sense without the Prophesy.
“I don’t understand” she said. “I thought you wanted me to be the Renascent?”
“You are the Renascent,” he said gently. “What I want doesn’t matter.”
“Would you still be with me if I chose to ignore the Prophesy?” she asked.
“The Prophesy will haunt you, Elora. You won’t be free of it until it is finished,” he said gently. “You don’t really have that choice.”
“I don’t believe that,” she said, adamantly.
“I know you don’t,” he said, chuckling.
“But what if I refused to return to Clarendon?” she asked hesitantly. “Would you still help me evade the Liana then?”
“I would help you, even if you ran away from your destiny,” he said. “But you must know that destiny cannot be prevented. It can only be delayed.”
“Why would you help me then?” she asked, bewildered. “You clearly believe I should fulfill my duty as the Renascent.”
“I do,” he said. “And I know that someday you will.”
“So then I’m not wrong in thinking that you’re helping me because of the Prophesy,” she argued.
“You’re wrong,” he reiterated. “That’s not why.”
“But if the end result is the same, does it even matter why?” she asked quietly.
“It matters,” he said softly. “You are not a means to an end. I’m not helping you because you’re the Renascent.”
“Then why?” she asked
“Because I want you to be free,” he replied.
“Yes, I know. So that I can fulfill the Prophesy,” she said, remembering their earlier discussion.
“I want you to be free of the Prophesy, Elora,” he corrected. “I will help you finish this because I want you to be free.”
“You want me to be free,” Elora repeated, still confused.
“I need you to be free,” he stated resolutely.
“Why?” she whispered once more.
The shed fell silent. She could feel the answer to her question dancing in the air. Her skin hummed with awareness and her heartbeat quickened as she recognized the truth. He cared for her. But he would not give voice to it. He never would. Not until he held a glowing seed from the Ever Tree in his hand. He was saving those words for his soulmate.
Chapter 19
The sun had slipped below the hor
izon a while ago, though the heat of the day still radiated from the earth around them making the shed stuffy and uncomfortable. Elora sighed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Why hadn’t she chosen a bigger place? Preferably one where they could have comfortably sat without fear of snakes and spiders. What a stupid hiding place. How she hated to feel foolish.
“This shed might not have been the best idea,” she whispered apologetically.
“Well, no one has found us, so it wasn’t a terrible idea either,” he said reassuringly.
Surprisingly, he didn’t seem as disappointed in her choice as she was. She exhaled, relieved that he wasn’t standing across from her in the dark secretly seething with annoyance at her pitiful evasion skills.
“Do you think Trig is ready for us?” Asher asked. “It’s been dark for nearly an hour now.”
“Maybe,” she said. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
She heard Asher slowly swing the door open, its rusty hinges squeaking in protest. The world was dark and quiet outside the shed. A full moon was rising in the night sky, casting pale beams of light that faintly illuminated the shed. Asher looked back at Elora and she was able to see him clearly for the first time in a while.
Though he was the same man who’d followed her into the shed a short time ago, she saw him differently now. There was a closeness, a comfort between them that hadn’t been there before. And beneath that, there was the thrilling excitement of unspoken affection.
“I’ll follow you,” he said quietly, standing beside the entrance to let her pass.
Elora quickly walked past him, out of the stagnant atmosphere of the shed and into the fresh night air. Breathing deeply, she sighed in relief. A sudden cool gust of wind tugged at the loose strands of hair that had broken free from the updo that Alysa had so lovingly arranged that morning. She attempted to tuck them behind her ear as they swirled around her face. She heard Asher gently close the door behind them. As she turned to face him, the moonlight dimmed and he became hidden in darkness once more. Elora looked up to see storm clouds moving swiftly towards Windom, obscuring the moonlight, swirling across the night sky like leaves caught in a current. The gentle rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.