Unleashing the Shadows (Nine Kingdoms Book 1)

by Ann Bakshis

“What happens at this festival?” I ask.

  “We have games for the children, several contests for anyone willing to partake, where they’ll be awarded prize money that’s been donated by the king himself, food that can fill your bellies for days, and a dance at the end of the night underneath the stars if the weather cooperates.”

  “What kind of contests?” Argus asks before taking a sip from his pint.

  “Oh, let me see,” the old man says, tapping his finger against his chin. “There’s axe throwing, a caber toss, archery, and a ring toss.”

  “Sounds lovely,” I reply.

  “I wish we could stay,” Argus says. “We’re simply passing through on our way to the Kingdom of Vanir.”

  “I’m sure we can spare a day or two,” I say, leaning back in my chair and taking a swig from my pint.

  Argus narrows his eyes at me. “But we have pressing matters that need attending to,” he says, angered by my contempt. “Any delay in our schedule could become a hardship for us.”

  “You worry too much, Argus,” I say, slapping him on the arm. “I think a festival is the perfect way to end our stay in Nysa. Besides, I’d like to enter one of the contests. We could use the added funds for our travels.”

  “Which contest would you like to sign up for?” the old man asks, growing excited.

  Argus slowly shakes his head.

  “Archery,” I reply. “I’ve never been good with an axe and I don’t relish the caber toss, so archery is what I’ll go for.”

  “Wonderful,” the old man says, clapping his hands. “Make sure you check in with the matron at the inn. She has the signup sheets.”

  After dinner, Argus and I return to the inn for the evening, but I make a point of adding my name to the list of contestants for archery. I’m surprised I don’t see Ore’s name listed, which makes me wonder if she’s going to be there at all. I’ll talk to her about it tomorrow. Once back in our room, I lie on my bed in the dark pondering tomorrow’s activities.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Argus says from his side of the room.

  “She’s not listed, if that’s what’s on your mind,” I reply.

  “Then why did you put your name down?”

  “I’d like to have a little fun while I’m touring the land. Once I take the throne, there won’t be much time for that, so I have to get it in now while I can.”

  “You’re already a day behind on your father’s itinerary. He’ll be quite upset if we deviate any further, and we’re supposed to leave on the day of the festival.”

  “I know,” I mutter as I slide down under the covers. “I’m just not ready to go yet.”

  “When you’re king, you’ll be able to come to Nysa any time you desire. It’s just not a priority right now, nor a necessity, to remain here longer than needed.”

  “As always Argus, you’re the voice of reason,” I say sarcastically.

  He ignores my comment and in a few minutes, I hear him snoring, so I roll over and try to do the same.

  After breakfast the next morning I make sure to strap my scabbard to my back while Argus readies the horses. We head out of the village and towards the cottage. Dark clouds begin to move in and I can smell the hint of rain in the distance.

  “We may not get much in today,” Argus says. “It looks like a storm is approaching.”

  “We’ll get through what we can and go from there.”

  When we reach our destination, Argus stays with the horses while I knock on the door. A lovely woman answers and I know immediately she’s Ore’s mother since they have the same piercing green eyes.

  “Is Ore available?” I ask as politely as possible since I feel animosity coming from the woman.

  “She’s getting dressed. Won’t you come in?” the woman asks, holding the door open for me.

  The interior of the home is filled with warmth and lovingly decorated. I move across the front room and sit on a couch resting against the far wall while the woman hovers over by the door eyeing me. The tension turns to hostility, but that only lasts a moment when Ore enters the room. She almost glows in the dull light that fills the small space. Her hair is neatly done in a braid that cascades down her back, and she’s wearing black pants, heavy boots, and an amber-colored blouse. Strapped around her waist is her hunting knife, and across her back are her quiver and longbow while her rucksack hangs to her side. I want nothing more in this instant but to stay and never return to Latrest.

  “Ready?” she asks in her sweet voice.

  “Argus is just outside,” I say, standing and gesturing towards the door.

  “Don’t be gone too long. The weather looks awful today,” Elizabeth says as we step outside.

  “I’ll bring her home before it gets bad,” I comment.

  I help Ore onto the saddle, then climb up. She wraps her arms around my waist to hold on as we move down the lane and I instantly don’t want her to let go. Saying goodbye is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I wasn’t expecting to fall for someone so quickly and so far from home. There has to be a way to prolong our visit or get her to come with us, but I doubt her mother will allow that… and neither will Argus.

  “Where do you want to go?” I ask.

  “I need to whittle more arrows, so head a few meters that way,” she says, pointing straight ahead of us.

  “You make your own arrows?” Argus asks, sounding impressed.

  “Of course,” she answers. “I can’t afford to buy the ones the weaponsmith in the village makes. Besides, I like knowing that I created something of my very own. It fills me with a sense of accomplishment that I don’t normally experience being stuck around here.”

  I’m taken aback by her words and the sincerity behind them. My mother, if she were still alive, would love Ore. She always felt the need to create things by hand, so she stitched several of the tapestries that line the hallways of our castle. I can’t fathom leaving Ore behind, but I know I’ll need to in the end and it crushes me.

  When we reach the location, she quickly dismounts and gathers branches, carefully selecting ones that she feels will be easy to trim with her hunting knife. She sets them on the ground and has Argus and me trim the excess stems while she rummages through her bag, coming up with a bottle filled with a thick yellow substance and a small pouch. She then shows us how to sharpen the tip of the stick, then make slits at the tail where we glue pheasant feathers that she removes from the pouch. I beam as she inspects each one, checking them for balance, and correcting the ones that are slightly off. We have to wait for the paste to dry before adding them to the quiver, so I take this moment to discuss the festival.

  “Are you going?” I ask, praying the answer is yes.

  “I don’t really fit in with the villagers, so I stay away when they’re having their celebrations,” she replies.

  I try not to show my disappointment and smile instead.

  “What if I were to tell you that we’re going?” I ask as I gesture between Argus and myself.

  “I’d have to wonder about your sanity,” she says with a smile, which turns into a laugh. “You’ll have fun. It’s always a great time, I just don’t normally go.”

  “Why not?’ Argus asks.

  Her face falls. “It’s complicated,” she responds, then I notice she immediately becomes uncomfortable, so I stop with the questions and help her check the tackiness of the paste.

  She deems they’re now usable, places them in her quiver, then we mount back up.

  “Where to now, my lady?” I ask, which prompts a chuckle from her, melting my heart.

  “Let’s head for the field,” she replies. “It’s an open enough area to practice with the swords. We can move into the forest when you want me to show you how to shoot the arrows.”

  Argus grumbles since being in the field will expose us and he likes to ensure my safety. There isn’t anyone aware of who I am, and no one in Latrest knows I’ve left the castle. However, I can’t let my guard down and I’ve been doing that a l
ot with Ore around. Maybe Argus is right about departing before the festival. I might not be able to leave if I become too caught up with her. We’ll need to leave very early tomorrow if I’m going to accomplish my goals. A would-be king can’t get distracted by a pretty face, and that’s how I have to refer to Ore if I’m to get through this.

  I need to tell myself this is just a fleeting fancy and that I’m overthinking my feelings as well as hers, since I don’t even know what they are. She could be indifferent to me, but I’ll never know since I don’t intend on asking her. My priorities are to the throne, my father, and all citizens of Pelheim, not just those who provoke emotions inside me. After our practice, I’ll work on distancing myself mentally from Ore so it’ll make the separation that much easier. Though I doubt our parting will be easy, one way or the other.

  Five

  Ore

  I saw the scowl on my mother’s face as we left. Even after I explained to her what the plans were for the day, she was still upset about me going. Caster, on the other hand, found it a wonderful idea as it’ll round me out in all matters of weaponry. Evan’s companion Argus seems particularly grumpy today and I can’t tell why. Evan appears to fall into a sullen mood after we finish making the arrows, which bothers me as he’s always so lively. I wonder what’s caused the drastic change.

  “Let’s stop here,” I say, pointing to the trees we were under yesterday.

  We dismount and Argus hands me his longsword, then stays with the horses while Evan and I head a little ways into the field. The sword is heavier than I was anticipating, especially with its long blade and thick guard and grip. Evan spends the first hour showing me how to properly hold the weapon. He stands behind me, takes my arms, and positions them. We do this several times until it becomes almost second nature to me. He’s impressed by how quickly I pick up the skills, but I’ve always been a fast learner.

  Next is dueling. We take it slow since the sword isn’t easy to twirl around like the hunting knife. I stumble a few times, which causes Evan to chuckle, so I playfully shove him when I get back on my feet. He decides to change tactics and stands beside me, holding his weapon in front of him and has me mimic his movements. It feels weird, but I start to understand the concept. We change back into dueling poses and this time I knock him to the ground, which causes Argus to laugh. His deep, contagious voice echoing through the trees that surround us. We practice for another hour before taking a break for food I thought to pack, which is lucky for them as neither of them remembered to do so.

  As we’re cleaning up our mess a slight noise catches my attention. I try to brush it off at first, but something feels amiss and the hairs on the back of my neck begin to prickle. I straighten up and listen carefully to the leaves as they rustle from the increasing winds and notice how the birds have suddenly stopped chirping.

  “What’s the matter?” Evan asks, placing his hand around my bicep as I hold the sword down along my side.

  “There’s something different out here,” I reply.

  “It’s probably the storm that’s moving in,” Argus says.

  “No, I don’t think that’s it,” I say when my ears pick up an odd crunching sound. “I don’t think we’re alone. Here, take this.” I hand Argus his sword, prepare my bow, and take a few steps out of the tree line, but I don’t hear anything any longer.

  “Maybe it was just an animal,” Evan says, now standing beside me.

  We take a few more steps out into the field when I hear the rustling again. I double-check Argus’ position to make sure it’s not him or the horses, but they’re right where we left them. I hold up the longbow with the arrow nocked and slowly sweep the tree line around us. A crack of thunder booms in the distance as the first hint of rain begins to touch the ground.

  “Let’s get going!” Argus calls to us.

  Evan starts to retreat towards the horses when I catch movement behind Argus.

  “Get down!” I holler and let the arrow fly.

  It pierces the heart of an individual I don’t recognize, which is followed by shouts from two other men as they rush us from behind. I rapidly fire my arrows, hitting both of them. I nock another arrow as the rain thickens.

  “We need to get out of here, now!” Argus demands as we hurry over to him.

  A knife flies past us, nicking Evan in the arm. I spin around and fire, hitting the man in the eye.

  Evan is in the process of tossing his sword to Argus as another attacker approaches. Gripped tightly in his hands is an axe, which he swings high above his head. I knock Evan to the ground as I fire my bow several times, hitting the man in the chest and abdomen.

  “Go,” Argus says as lightning begins to flash, and the thunder strengthens. “Get someplace safe. I’ll sweep the area for any more attackers.”

  I sling my longbow around my shoulders, mount the horse with Evan straddling behind me after relinquishing his sword to Argus for added protection. I kick the mare and we bolt into the woods. I should take us to the cottage, but I don’t want those men following and harming my mother, so I pick the second place I know that can offer protection. I head for the stream and the building that sits along it, but at the same time I monitor what’s around us, making sure we’re not being followed.

  When the lodge comes into view, I stop the horse and force Evan to dismount. I smack the animal on the rear to get it to leave so it doesn’t give away our location.

  “You can find him later,” I say as I see the question forming on Evan’s face. “Let’s get inside.”

  We climb the crumbling brick steps, then I open the door and slam it quickly behind us once we’re safely inside. Everything is just how I left it when I was last here several months ago, except for the rain coming through a hole in the ceiling in the far corner of the front room. I go towards the kitchen where I keep some medical supplies and bring them back to the front room where Evan sits on the dusty wooden floor.

  “What is this place?” he asks as I begin to tend to his injury.

  “It’s an old hunting lodge. I use it in the winter time, so I don’t freeze to death while I’m looking for game,” I reply.

  “It’s cold in here,” he says, eyeing the fireplace off to our right.

  “We can’t light a fire,” I say. “The smoke will give us away if anyone managed to follow, but I do have some blankets in one of the bedrooms. I’ll get those as soon as I’m done.”

  “Do Caster and your mother know about this place?”

  “No,” I reply, chuckling. “It’s one of the many secrets I keep from them.”

  “What other secrets do you keep?” Evan asks, touching my hand.

  “None from you now that you’ve caught me at all of them,” I reply, smiling. I finish applying some ointment to the cut, then place a small bandage over it. “That should keep it from getting infected.”

  I put my supplies back in the kitchen and head towards the bedroom where I have a pile of blankets. I bought them with the money I earned helping Caster since I needed them on the long days I was stuck inside. I have many things stashed around this lodge that neither of them knows about and I plan on keeping it a secret no matter what they might ask me if they discover this building. This is the only place, other than the lagoon, where I can be my own person. If Caster or my mother find out, I’m afraid they’ll take it all away from me and I’ll never be able to leave the cottage alone ever again.

  “Here,” I say, tossing Evan a thick, wool blanket.

  I wrap myself up in one as well before sitting down on the floor with my back resting against the wall. Evan moves to sit beside me as the storm outside grows stronger, turning day into night.

  “Thank you,” he says. “For saving my life.”

  “Who were those men anyway?” I ask as I start to shake as the adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins begins to subside.

  “Robbers probably.”

  “I’ve never encountered any out here before. In fact, I’ve never encountered anyone out in the woods
other than you. Do you think there might be more?”

  “I’m not sure,” he replies, yet I feel he’s holding something back.

  “Is Argus going to be all right?”

  “He’ll be fine. It’s you I’m more concerned about.”

  “Why?” I ask, taken aback.

  “Have you ever had to kill someone before? Because I doubt that you have given how your mother and Caster protect you.”

  “Not until just now, but it wasn’t any different than killing an animal.”

  “But it is, Ore,” he says. “The impact of what you just did will hit you later and it’ll be hard to deal with. It’s even more difficult if the person you kill is someone you know.”

  “I didn’t know any of them,” I say, confused, then it dawns on me the message he’s trying to convey. “You had to kill someone before, didn’t you? Someone you knew.”

  Evan becomes really quiet and I feel like I’ve stepped over a line, even though he’s the one who drew it.

  “A few years ago, my baronet and I were camping along the northern ridge of Latrest where a lone mountain rests. One night an infected amarok wandered into our site and attacked him.”

  “What’s an amarok?” I ask since I’ve never heard the name before.

  “It’s a wolf that’s native to Pelheim. It’s also the kingdom’s symbol,” he replies, then has to compose himself before continuing. “I slaughtered the wolf, but the damage had already been done. My friend was too injured to move, so I sent Argus back into town to get help. In a matter of hours my baronet began spewing foam and became enraged to the point where I don’t think he recognized me. He tried to attack me, but I had to defend myself, so I took the longsword and rammed it through his heart, killing him instantly. By the time Argus and the others arrived, he was dead. To this day I haven’t been able to forgive myself for taking his life.”

  “Didn’t you realize it was necessary to secure your own survival?” I ask.

  “Yes, and that’s what everyone kept telling me, but it still hurts even to this day.”

  I look at his face and notice his eyes welling with tears. I find myself moving in front of him to wipe them away. His hands cover mine and our eyes connect. We lean into each other at the same time, our lips meeting, and I don’t want to pull away. His hands move to my neck then my back as he pulls me closer. A heat rises so intensely between us that I feel as if my clothes might ignite. He pushes my blanket away, reaches for the hem of my blouse, then moves it over my head. He has me naked in minutes as he strips and lays me down on the floor. The moment he’s inside the world feels right, and I never want to be away from him. I arch my back as his mouth moves from my mouth to my neck. Small moans escape my lips and I never thought life could be so wonderful. The rain that had covered our bodies is now replaced with sweat as we reach an escalation point and hold it for as long as possible. I press my back into the floor as Evan places his head on my chest, our hearts beating wildly.