by K. T. Webb
“I have no idea what that means.” Honor tried not to be frustrated with the canthion.
Harcos huffed, he had no interest in hiding his frustration. “It is believed that your king became corrupted by the power he was offered. That power was not offered by man. That power was offered by the Shadow Mages. They recognized him as the most powerful person in Alderwood and offered their allegiance. With that came power beyond what we have seen.”
“If they want to ally with the most powerful person in Alderwood, why would they bother with me?”
“That is an excellent question. I believe they can see into the future. They must know you will accomplish great things.”
“I have no interest in power,” Honor stated.
“I believe that is precisely the point. You are a firm representation of the quality for which you are named. Honor, do you not see the importance of this exchange? The Shadow Mages see you as a threat. They know what you are capable of, but more importantly, I believe they know we will succeed.”
Chapter 13
Honor managed to shoot a few small woodland creatures for their meal. After her encounter with the Shadow Mages, she had lost interest in wandering about the woods on her own. Harcos had stayed by her side until they had sufficient meat to skin and roast over the fire. Upon returning to the shelter, Rowan noticed something was troubling her before she had a chance to say anything. He and Eirny listened patiently while she recounted what had happened in the woods. When she finished her story, Eirny and Harcos exchanged a dark look.
“I know what you are thinking. I am not even the least bit tempted to accept their offer,” Honor insisted.
“You misunderstand. Of course, we know you would not accept. Our fear is actually rooted in the idea that if the Shadow Mages have sensed what we are doing, it is only a matter of time before they inform the king,” Eirny lilted.
Honor bit her lip before responding. “I do not think we have to worry about that yet. If they truly view me as a threat unless I join them, they are likely to try swaying me to their side again before trying to stop me.”
“There is something more that you have not told us. I can see you are holding back,” Rowan said gently.
Honor looked away. She did not want to share that the Shadow Mages offered for her to come to power beside her father. She did not want them to know that a tiny sliver of her had been tempted to accept their offer if only to face the man who had wronged her mother. In the end, she sighed loudly and told them.
“Obviously, they do not know everything if they think you would want to meet the man who did that to your mother,” Rowan spat.
“I never said they knew everything. I merely shared my belief that they are able to sense and see things that may happen. Magic can be a wondrous thing. It can show you marvels you never imagined possible, open your eyes to incredible things. But magic can also be very dangerous. If it is used for personal gain, it can bring destruction,” Harcos stated.
Honor was beginning to hate how Harcos always seemed to speak in riddles. She understood the basics of what he was telling them. Magic could be good or bad; the outcome of using it depended largely on the intentions of the one wielding its power. If magic was as powerful in Alderwood as she was beginning to believe, how was it that more people did not tap into it and use it for their own personal gain? Honor stared at the flickering fire as Rowan turned a rabbit over the flames. A few loaves of corn bread and most of the honey butter Soren had packed for them remained, she knew she should start preparing the rest of the meal but could not bring herself to move. Rowan took care of everything for their supper while the others sat in silence. Honor was like a machine following the functions her brain knew she must perform when food was placed in front of her. She ate most of her food before deciding she was too tired to keep her eyes open any longer. The others stayed by the fire speaking in hushed tones as Eirny translated for Rowan and the three shared their thoughts on the events of the day. Honor lay down on the ground using her bag for a pillow, but the metal canister inside was not comfortable to lay on. She removed it from the pack and turned it over in her hands.
There was a code of some sort to be entered in order for the capsule to open. With everything going through her mind over the past few days, Honor could not even begin to guess what the code could possibly be. The tiny dials were set in a line. Each one possessed letters, but there could have been hundreds or thousands of possible combinations, how could she hope to find the right one without more information? Honor tucked the canister back into the top of the bag, so it was not under her head, then settled back in to sleep. It did not take long for her eyes to droop. The crackling sound of the fire accompanied the soothing sounds of the forest around her was almost like being back home. Her last thought before she drifted off to sleep was of how much she missed the days when life seemed simple.
She woke to the sound of a twig snapping. Honor immediately went on high alert. A glance around showed Rowan and Eirny sleeping nearby, but Harcos was nowhere to be seen. The fire had been put out long ago, but the sun had not yet risen. From the small amount of light that permeated the forest, Honor surmised there was at least an hour or two left before dawn. She tried to convince herself that Harcos had been responsible for the sound that woke her, but it was impossible to tell. The canthion was likely sleeping in a tree. He only stayed on the ground when he was with her. If she was asleep, he probably climbed to a higher vantage point to either sleep or keep watch. Canthions were not as comfortable on the ground as they were among the treetops. More sounds of movement came from somewhere in front of her. Honor carefully reached for her bow. She dared not make any sudden movements for fear of making more noise than whatever or whoever was approaching. If she was prepared for something to approach, she could take an attacker by surprise.
A low growling rumbled behind her. Harcos had arrived. While his presence brought some degree of comfort, Honor had to face the fact that it was indeed not the canthion making the noises in the darkness. Whoever was approaching seemed completely unaware they were not alone in the woods. They made no attempt to deaden the sound of their movements. In her mind, Honor pictured a drunk man bumbling about in the forest. She doubted that was the case. They had gone far enough into the wood that most humans would be unwilling to travel to their location. Harcos shifted until he stood at attention right beside her. She reached out to him with her thoughts, asking if he could sense the interloper. He told her whatever was out there was not human, but that was all he knew for certain. Honor prepared an arrow and pulled the string back, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
“Hello? Who is there?” A voice drifted quietly as though riding the gentle breeze.
“I am Harcos, son of Jorel. Proud member of the Gildi.”
Honor furrowed her brow. She wondered if other creatures understood the canthion as she did, or if he was merely testing the intelligence of whatever had found them.
“Harcos. I have been looking for you. I have been sent to bring you news. The Makt have been organizing more attacks. We fear you are running out of time,” the voice replied.
“Tell me your name,” Harcos insisted.
“They call me Gardenia.”
Honor felt instantly that she would like Gardenia. Her voice was light and airy. The faint scent of a floral perfume drifted through the air leaving Honor dreading the coming winter.
“Tell us what is happening,” Harcos demanded.
“More villages laid to waste. The King has ordered a census be taken of every town in Alderwood. People are afraid of what will happen if the Makt do not find what they are looking for.”
“We have to stop them!” Honor declared.
“What’s going on?” Rowan had been woken by the sound of voices.
“It seems as though Milltown was the first of many villages to fall victim to the Makt,” Honor explained.
“Honor is right, we have to put a stop to this. We are ill-prepared to fight the King and his
forces, but we must find a way to bring an end to this tyranny before there is nothing left to rebuild Alderwood with,” Gardenia asserted.
Harcos was silent for a moment, the tension was thick as the weight of their mission pressed down on them. “Yes, what you say is true, but we cannot forget that the mission as we know it is not to simply stop the king, it is to install a new ruler who will rejuvenate a dying world.”
“I have a feeling this is going to be one of the situations where we cannot have one without the other,” Rowan suggested.
Honor smirked. He had a way of saying the most profound things in the simplest of terms. Without sharing too much, Honor knew his assessment was correct. She was going to stop the King herself.
“I must return to my people. I was simply asked to relay the message. We will find a representative of the Kingdom of Earth as soon as possible. We will be in contact again soon,” Gardenia assured them and then was gone.
The quartet sat without speaking as the reality of the Alderwood they lived in began to set in. Things had always been tumultuous for as long as Honor could remember, but nothing compared to the death and destruction they were seeing unfold. The King was getting desperate. If she understood correctly, he would be inching closer to death with each passing day. His heir would be two years past the point of adulthood and ready to take the throne which meant her father would be on his death bed.
Honor wondered if the transition had to take place in order for him to die. She also wondered why he was so desperate to find the heir if he was truly dying. Perhaps he had found a way to manipulate the magic with the help of the Shadow Mages. Was it possible he was not as close to death as she thought he should have been? If that were the case, he may have found a way to reclaim his immortality by killing his own child. He would certainly be older, but if he could go back to being invincible, there was no telling how much longer he could go on living. There were so many questions she wanted answered. How was she supposed to find someone who could shed some light on all the mystery surrounding the magic of Alderwood?
“We do not have long before the sun rises. Eat some of your fruit and we will begin our journey at first light,” Harcos instructed before sauntering off alone.
Honor briefly considered following him. Instead, she respected his needs and let him wander off on his own. The two seemed to think in similar manners and often needed to be alone to process difficult information. If he did not return before the sun began to peek through the trees on the horizon, she would seek him out. For the time being, Honor busied herself with a fresh orange. Once the peel was removed, the tangy citrus scent wafted to her nose and made her long once again for Spring.
Winter had not even arrived, and she was already tired of feeling chilled. It was the same every year. The cold seeped into her body leaving her to feel as though the warmth would never come again. She ate her fruit while mentally preparing for the next leg of their journey. They would reach Goldenlark well before sunset.
Chapter 14
The rest of the journey to Goldenlark was uneventful. Honor noted that the seasons had made a further transition from Autumn to the strange period of in between that resulted in the constant freezing and thawing of the ground; the awkward fluctuation of temperatures had made a muddy mess of the road. The scent of snow hung in the air as the sloping clouds overhead hung low with the weight of it. During this part of the year it was more likely to rain during the day then slowly turn to snow during the lower temperatures overnight. Honor was just beginning to loathe everything about the outdoors when they crested a hill and Goldenlark came into view.
“There it is. Security is likely to be tight in Goldenlark with the Makt mobilizing and the King in a panic. Eirny and I will leave you here. You will find us in the forest near the tree line should you need anything.”
Honor felt herself panic at the thought of facing Makt soldiers after what she had witnessed in Milltown. “This will not be like our stop in Meadowbrook. We have more things to accomplish here. I have to find out why Renata sent me here.”
“Yes. That does pose a small concern. We will need to arrange to meet or send a signal to one another that all is well. I do not think we will be close enough to communicate telepathically.” Harcos narrowed his eyes as though deep in thought.
Honor scanned the horizon, searching for a high point she could send a signal from. The problem with not knowing anything about a place was not being able to make any solid plans. She did not even know what they would find inside the tall city walls she observed from their vantage point. How could she hope to plan on making contact with Harcos until they knew what they were walking into? In the end, they agreed to meet the following night at midnight if they had not made contact. It gave Honor and Rowan time to accomplish tasks and see what they could learn about why she was supposed to be in Goldenlark. Harcos and Eirny disappeared into the bare trees leaving Rowan and Honor to continue down the hill toward the county seat.
“Are you okay? You have been very quiet,” Honor questioned the man she was supposed to marry.
“There has been a lot on my mind.”
“It seems unfair for you to be dragged along with this. You just lost your mother and your father went north to unknown parts. I am sure you would rather be with him than traipsing about Alderwood with me.”
Rowan sighed heavily. “You are so infuriating.” He ran a hand through his hair, gripping it firmly to give it a tug.
“I do not try to be. I am trying to be a leader. I am trying to be the person I am supposed to be in order to handle the huge responsibilities that have been thrust upon me.”
“Stop.” Rowan took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He lifted her chin, forcing her to make eye contact before continuing, “Honor, I love you. You know that. Yes, I have lost my mother. Yes, I have no idea where my father is right now. But do you not see how your mission has become my own? We have the chance to stop families from being torn apart like we have experienced. We have been given the opportunity to change Alderwood for the better. I may have started by tagging along, but I am fully invested now.”
Honor had never heard Rowan speak so passionately about anything. “I was not questioning your love for me. I was merely pointing out that you do not have to be here. Clearly, I was wrong. You belong on this journey just as much as any of us. I shall not forget that.”
“Oh. I guess I thought you were still worried after the . . . incident last night.” Rowan dropped his tone along with his gaze as though it would make the situation less tense.
“Well, that is still fresh in my mind. I do not know if my mark is uncommon or ominous, because I do not know what others have seen in their visions or had etched into their sides. What I do know is I have some dangerous days ahead, and you are supposed to be there with me for at least some of it. My destiny holds some things I would rather not have to face at all, I feel like it was deceitful to bring you along without being fully informed.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow at her. “You seem to forget that I have had visions of my own. I have my own mark that is leading me down a path I do not want to follow. But I know I will be with you through every step of that journey. I am even more confident in that now that I know some of what our destinies entail.”
Honor had no idea what his visions had shown him. She knew he insisted their destinies were entwined, but how could he possibly know that unless she had been in his visions the way he had been in her own? Finally, Honor nodded her acceptance of his words. She took his hand and continued walking toward Goldenlark.
Upon approaching the guards posted outside the village, their conversation was put on hold. The guards had been tossing something back and forth until they saw the two travelers approaching. They stood at attention, ready to protect their post.
“Welcome to Goldenlark. Can we point you in the direction of a specific destination or are you passing through?” they asked in a friendly tone.
“We will be in need of a place to st
ay for a few nights. Can you tell us where to find an inn?” Rowan deepened his voice in an attempt to sound more imposing.
The guard glanced at his companion. “We have a few inns. How many rooms will you require?”
Honor reddened thinking about the night before. So many emotions swirled through her as she remembered the intense longing she felt when kissing Rowan and the terror when he saw the mark on her side. She was not sure she could survive another night like that. But, while Soren had been generous enough to put more money in her bag, they needed to conserve their resources and only spend where necessary. Only paying for one room made the most sense. She would have to accept the possibility of being faced with another night like the one before.
Rowan spoke up before Honor could say anything. “We only need one room.”
“Are you here for any business in particular?” one guard asked.
“We will need to visit the Exchange. We have a bond to claim and some paperwork to find. Perhaps you could suggest an inn that would make it easier for us to navigate between the two?” Rowan continued his efforts, but the guard did not seem to be falling for his act.
The guard sized Rowan up. Honor rolled her eyes. It always drove her crazy to see men trying to determine if they would be able to overcome one another should a fight ensue. If they spent more time communicating instead of trying to assert dominance, they would likely discover how much they had in common. Honor had witnessed far too many fights between men who refused to accept that they were not better, stronger, or in some way more than any other man. She grinned at Rowan’s aloof response. He maintained eye contact, refusing to let the other many intimidate him.
“If you follow this road, you will see signs pointing you toward the Exchange. They have closed down for the night but will open again in the morning. You are unlikely to find many vendors in the streets this late. It would be best to stay at an inn that offers food. There is such an inn just a few buildings over from the Exchange. It is called Lotus House,” the second guard offered.
