Broken Prince (The Broken Ones)

by Jen Wylie

  Bo and Kei rested a hand on hers. Garen hesitated before standing to move closer and then raising a huge paw to place on top of theirs.

  "Hopefully this works." She closed her eyes, fighting off sudden nervousness. She had no idea what to do. If she failed, Prince would die. The odds of her succeeding were slim. She had to try…she would. She would make it work. The magic Kei had done with her came to mind. Perhaps something similar would work again?

  "All of us come together now, wishing to become a pack. We are friends. We are family. Forever we wish to be bound together as such." She paused, searching for more formal words. "As a pack we will stand together, fight together, live together, love together. Though we are not all Were, we wish to be bound as such, together, so we can support each other, help each other." She squeezed her eyes closed, pulling Prince more tightly to her chest. "Whatever power exists out there, please hear me, hear us. Make us a pack. Bind us together. Help us help each other."

  She waited, afraid to open her eyes, wondering if anything had happened.

  Very good, little one.

  She opened her eyes, looking over at Garen. The howling started suddenly, sounding very far off, yet still echoing through the trees. Garen raised his head and howled along with them.

  She looked at the others, allowing her hand to drop. Bo and Kei both were staring at Garen. "Did it work?"

  "I...I heard him," Bo said finally.

  Kei nodded. "Me, too."

  Garen stopped howling suddenly to look at both of them. You hear me? They both nodded again, speechless. Well that is an unexpected benefit.

  Prince shifted in her arms, gaining her attention. He opened his eyes, slowly locking onto her face as they came into focus. "Arowyn," he whispered. His fine, dark brows drew together. "I feel...strange. What did you do?"

  She laughed, so relieved he seemed better, that it had worked, more tears came to her eyes. "I made us a pack."

  He stared at her a moment before sighing and closing his eyes again. "I am just going to pretend I did not hear that."

  "You woke up, and you’re talking." She smiled down at him. "You can pretend anything you like."

  Chapter 5:

  Admitting the Truth

  A good amount of light remained in the day. Content Prince wouldn't suddenly die in her arms, she helped him to the pond's edge to clean up. After doing a quick wash herself she set to work making a good hearty dinner for him, digging small pots out of one of the bags and carefully adding ingredients from their combined packs.

  Thankfully Garen took it upon himself to teach them how mind-speech worked. He and Bo seemed to have struck a quick friendship which made her both relieved and happy. Of them all, Bo had been closest to Cain.

  Speaking with your mind is much like using words. Gather your thought and then release it.

  This is not easy!

  No need to shout, Bo. We’re right here.

  Aro smiled. It gets easier with practice, Bo. Garen, how far does it work? Distance I mean?

  Quite far. Though the further away, the harder it is.

  If I was in Franua now could you hear me?

  It would be difficult, Garen admitted. Possibly not. Packs stay within their territory and rarely are far apart. Our pack is small, and so has less power. The king travels the forests and can speak to all, but he is much stronger than all of us.

  Does he know? What we did?

  Garen remained silent for a long moment. Yes, he thought finally.

  He didn’t say more. Aro didn’t ask any more questions. She was afraid to find out how much trouble her impulsive actions had gotten them into.

  She glanced over at Prince and a small smile tugged at her lips. It was worth it.

  An occasional mental shout from Bo kept her smiling while she worked.

  Kei listened in quietly while he gathered more wood. She watched her family while puttering about the fire. Though for the time being they were safe, she knew it probably wouldn't last.

  Worry gnawed at her stomach. Prince looked better than he had in months, however he was very quiet. She didn't know how long the power of the pack would sustain him. Hopefully it would be long enough to get him home. Even so, she waited for him to start yelling at her for what she had done. Certainly there would be consequences, she wasn't an idiot. He was an elven prince now part of a pack of misfits.

  The sun eventually set and they ate silently around the small dying fire. Though summer was drawing to a close the weather remained warm enough they did not need its heat, even at night.

  Bo had finally gotten his volume under control.

  You’ve done well, all of you, Garen commented. You have been speaking with the pack as a whole up to now. Let us work on sending thoughts to specific people.

  Bo groaned and put his head in his hands.

  It is not so difficult. Think of…ropes…connecting us. Picture the person or persons you wish to speak to. Again, mind your volume!

  Bo and Kei both spoke to her and she practiced with them for a while. Prince drifted off to sleep. She didn’t wake him for the lessons. With his Elven heritage and mind speech so common she was certain he knew what to do. Of course the looks of annoyance and distain he’d worn all evening rather let her know, too.

  When weariness overcame her she moved to the pond to do a better job at washing. Stripping down to her underclothes she slid in, grimacing at the muddy bottom as it squished around her toes. She scrubbed herself, her hair, and clothes as quickly as she could before returning to the bank to work more on her shirt and pants. She knew the blood would permanently stain her clothes, but at least wanted the worst of it out. The constant reminder of where the blood came from hurt too much.

  She hung her wet clothes over a branch before returning to the fire. The boys didn't stare. They'd seen her half-dressed too many times to take notice any more.

  She'd forgotten about Garen however.

  Bo laughed out loud. She always does that.

  She turned and saw the wolf staring at her. "What?"

  Nothing, Garen said quickly.

  Putting her hands on her hips she shook her head. "Don't look if it bothers you."

  He stood and walked off into the trees. Bother isn't exactly the correct word...

  Her cheeks flushed suddenly and she ducked her head, moving to sit with the others, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. After a few tense moments of silence they all began to talk quietly, making plans to head out the next day. Conversation quickly slowed however; they did not have a lot they needed to plan.

  Garen returned quietly after a while and settled down next to Bo.

  She yawned into her hand. "Good night, boys."

  A quiet chorus echoed her and she smiled faintly. Kei moved over beside her and she curled up on the ground facing him, as always. She heard Prince get up and walk into the woods. A short while later he returned and settled down behind her. She held in a sigh. He'd hardly said a word all night. She wondered how angry he was with her.

  Everyone settled down quickly. Not surprising, they were all exhausted. Her twisted ankle throbbed with a low annoying burn.

  She closed her eyes...and saw Cain, surrounded by darkness, the arrow sticking through his chest. Blood spurted everywhere. Gasping, her heart suddenly racing, she opened her eyes quickly.

  Squeezing her eyes closed, she tried to fight the tears. Cain appeared again and she opened them quickly once more.

  Kei shifted closer to her and she instinctively reached out her hands. He took them both in his, holding them between his own. A tearful shudder passed through her and she fought the sobs wanting to escape. A small whimper made it past her lips and she cringed.

  Kei gently removed one of his hands and a moment later his fingers touched her face, brushing tears from her cheeks.

  "Shh..." he whispered. "I'm here."

  She nodded, holding in more sobs. Kei was always there, always helping her. She heard him shift again, moving closer.

&nb
sp; Suddenly she felt a cool hand slip around her bare waist. Strong fingers curled around her, pulling her back, away from Kei. Her mouth opened in surprise. Not that Prince would try to keep her from Kei, the two very rarely got along, and never had. It was some stupid Fey and Elf thing, and also a soldier and nobility thing, and who knew what else.

  Her surprise came because she had thought him angry with her. He hadn't spoken to her all night. He hadn't immediately rested a hand at her waist when they went to sleep like he usually did.

  Kei growled softly as Prince pulled her away. However he didn't try to hold her and the growling was nothing new either.

  "Go to sleep, Kei," Prince whispered harshly.

  Kei seemed as shocked as her at his words and tone. Shocked enough he actually let go of her other hand, which he never did. Prince pulled again, until her body curled up against him. She stiffened, unsure what exactly was going on. Was he angry with her or not?

  I am not.

  She frowned and tried to turn over to face him but he held her in place. "But–"

  Use your mind, Arowyn.

  She had the urge to snarl herself suddenly. Fine. La la la la...

  You are–

  Do not call me a child again. She remained stiff in his arms, watching Kei across from her. The Fey stared at her, obviously unhappy. She didn't like him unhappy so made a funny face until he smiled and shook his head a little.

  There are things we must discuss.

  Prince's words frightened her, though she kept such thoughts locked away from him. Such as?

  First of all, you are giving me a headache.

  She stiffened. What are you talking about?

  The way we speak, and the way the pack does, are two very different things. You needn’t use both, only one. Both at once creates…an echo. It is rather disturbing to listen to.

  What he said made sense. She took a moment to distinguish the two ways of speaking in her mind. Once she had them clearly sorted out, she left the Were mind speech alone and just spoke to him as they had always done before. Is this better?

  Much, I thank you.

  Was that it? Can I go to sleep now?

  No. We must speak of what happened. He paused. Arowyn, I understand why you did what you did. I don't understand how exactly you did it, however I've learned you always seem to do the impossible. You are such a troublesome...he paused a moment...girl.

  So you tell me. You are rather a pain yourself.

  You do point that out quite often.

  Because you are. She grimaced, not wanting to fight. I'm going to get you home. We are, she amended. So stop trying to die all the time.

  Arowyn, even given the power you granted me with what you did, I do not believe I will make it home. Do you understand?

  She gritted her teeth together and let him sense how angry his words made her. Stop it! If you need more, then I'll find you more. I won't let you die! I– She stopped, not letting the words out, not letting him know. "I won't," she whispered quietly instead.

  Aro, I know this is difficult...

  Difficult wasn't quite the word. She’d just lost Cain. How could she even consider losing Prince? I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now. We are not discussing this anymore.

  He didn't answer for a long moment. Sleep well.

  She doubted she would, but didn't say so.

  * * *

  Mornings, as always, came too early. The only good thing was her ankle felt much better. She guessed another day or two of riding and she'd be able to at least walk on it all day again.

  After eating quickly and packing up, they set out. Time had become their enemy. Garen and Kei left first, they would be scouting and hunting, being able to move quickly through the woods and undergrowth. Bo walked while she and Prince rode, the two of them keeping an eye on the Elf, ready to stop quickly if he suddenly took a turn for the worse again. Bo seemed the only one happy, but then she’d remembered to give him the sword. He’d probably be up all night sharpening it once they stopped.

  They did not move quickly or travel far. At least not enough for her. They stuck to the woods, Kei and Garen having continued to see humans in the fields. Travel had been slow since they could only go as quickly as their slowest member, which at the time was Bo, who remained on foot. Had they not had so many packs he could have ridden behind her, but the last thing they wanted to do was overburden the precious horses. Having to stop frequently so Prince could rest didn't help either.

  She tried not to grind her teeth when they finally stopped for the day. She, Bo, and Kei set up camp while Prince rested and Garen watched them all. Her temper grew shorter. She knew her worry for Prince caused it. She feared they were moving too slowly, and wouldn't get him home in time.

  Cooking a small dinner, she resisted the urge to scream. Tears threatened again, which didn't help either. She had grown sick of crying, sick of feeling so helpless. Spooning out their dinner onto crude thin wooden plates, she then passed them out to everyone. Taking one for herself and Prince, she went and sat beside him.

  "You better eat all of that," she said crossly.

  Prince raised his brows in surprise before a faint smile came to his lips. "I will."

  She nodded once, annoyed with herself and the foul mood which wouldn't go away.

  Garen sat beside Bo. He'd caught a rabbit or something earlier and had already eaten. He watched everyone. Constantly.

  She jerked her head in the Were's direction. "Why does he keep watching us all so much?"

  "I believe he is trying to figure out the pack dynamics."

  "What?"

  "You made us a pack," Prince said, tilting his head slightly, not quite admonishing her. "Wolves follow a sophisticated group hierarchy. Every member of a pack has its place. It is led by the Alpha male and female, with a Beta wolf or wolves as second in command."

  She stared at Prince, wondering how he knew all of this. "I see."

  "Unfortunately, we are not wolves. I imagine he is trying to determine his place within the pack, and we are not making it easy."

  She understood, sort of. Her gaze went to Garen again, wondering where he thought he fit in. Wondering where she did. The Were certainly lived differently than humans. She remembered how Garen kept asking her who her mate was. She glanced over at Prince and away quickly. She finished eating in silence, her thoughts wandering.

  Prince ate all the food she'd brought him and she smiled a little as she collected his plate. "Good boy."

  He frowned up at her, making her laugh. That was the Prince she knew.

  The Prince she loved.

  She turned away quickly, her smile vanishing. Finally admitting the truth to herself meant nothing. It certainly didn't do her any good. She loved him, but he didn't love her. Yes, he protected her, cared for her, but only because he thought her a child. He was a prince and an Elf. She had to remember those things. It might help in the end, when she got him home and finally had to leave him.

  She looked down at the pile of dishes she'd collected and started cleaning them quickly, pushing her frustration into her work. Idiot, idiot, idiot. She wished she could change the way she felt. She wished she could love someone else. Or no one at all.

  It would be so much easier if she didn't care.

  She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Thinking wasn't helping. Thinking made it worse. Whatever would happen, would happen. She couldn't change anything.

  Chapter 6:

  Family First

  The next day they made slow but steady progress again. Though they no longer saw soldiers in the fields, they decided not to continue their travels along the road. Though riding the forest border had its dangers, it also provided food and wood for fires. As long as they were careful, they could forage the fields as well. Their decision pleased Garen immensely and she felt horrible she'd never considered he wouldn’t want to travel in the human lands when she’d asked him to join them.

  Her temper remained short. She'd tried walking, and h
ad been able to for a time until her ankle began hurting again. Frustration overwhelmed her so much she wanted to hit something. It did not help the days had seemed to drag by so slowly. Nothing of interest happened. They rode. They rested. No one talked very much. There wasn't really a lot to be said. Perhaps her bad mood had started infecting the others, or perhaps they were simply staying out of her way.

  They found another of the many small streams which ran from the mountains down to the sea and started setting up camp early. Kei and Garen both brought back a number of small birds and game.

  Bo started getting a fire going while Kei went off to clean their dinner. She collected firewood, thinking it sad they were all rather excited over the large meal they would be getting. Once she had never been hungry. That had been over a year ago though, before their city fell. It had also been the last time she'd slept in a real bed, not a pile of blankets like they’d used in the room they rented. The last time for so many simple things.

  She glanced over at Prince. He never complained, which surprised her. He'd snap at her about her manners or speech, but not whine over being dirty or hungry.

  Leaning against a tree, he had his eyes closed now, resting. Black hair spilled around his beautiful face, making it appear paler than it actually was, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes. Sadly, he'd looked worse. She tried to picture him when she'd first met him, but that really didn't help. He'd been under an Elven glamor at the time. Though even with it he hadn't looked well. He'd been dying even then.

  Even sick, he still took her breath away. Stupid. She turned and picked up another fallen branch. She had to stop this. She was only making it harder on herself, and making everyone else miserable, too.

  Walking over to the fire she dropped her pile of wood and went back amongst the trees to search for more. She didn't go far, she'd learned her lesson the hard way last fall when she'd gotten lost and attacked by slavers. The sun remained high enough in the sky to light the woods enough for her to see well. The area of woods they had entered did not have a lot of underbrush, for which she felt thankful. Brush only slowed them down. Had they needed to hide, it would have been good, but speed had become their aim now.