“Loyalty?” I almost choked on the word. “How about I pretend you didn’t just confess to holding him hostage?” My eyes narrowed into tiny judgmental slits. “I’m not joining you in the bath.”
“Fine, spurn my olive branch if that’s what you want to do.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Tonight you’ll share the bed with me regardless.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that.”
“And if I promised you a handful of moments with him? Here, a true olive branch.” After he spoke, a quick gasp escaped his lips and he turned to me. And there he was, my Aneurin, staring wide=eyed and a little confused. I could tell the difference immediately. My Aneurin observed the world, and looked at things like everything and everyone one around him had a purpose… The collection of kings inside his head did not. That bicolored gaze settled on me and he frowned before dipping his fingertips into the water and watching the ripples for a few moments.
“Aneurin.” I breathed his name, walked to the side of the tub, and knelt on the furs scattered on the floor. He touched my face, trailing his fingers down my cheek and across my jaw. I moved to lean my head against his shoulder, but he moved away from me.
“Don’t,” he whispered.
“Why?”
“Because it’ll just make it harder for me to say this to you.”
“But—”
“No, Valentina. Listen to me.” He held my face, forcing me to meet his gaze as he spoke a desperate plea. “You have to leave before the battle ends. Once he takes Dryslwyn Tanllyd, there will be no stopping him from locking you up. Do you understand?”
It happened again. As we stared into each other’s eyes I watched as my Aneurin faded. It was more than just how he looked at things—no, his irises were darker by a shade or two. Watching the Swynwr pull control from Aneurin was like watching clouds roll in before a storm. There was something about the absolute stillness of his face that read like he was trying too hard to appear calm. Aneurin, my Aneurin, clearly shouldn’t have been privy to the Swynwr’s plans. He had ruined that creature’s ambitions by warning me.
Standing quickly, I jumped back a bit and the Swynwr stood. I couldn’t think of it as Aneurin anymore. Yes, it was his body, but now it was something that sought to cage me, and I wasn’t a fan of that idea—no matter how beautiful that body was. We stared at each other for a handful of moments. Reaching for that amethyst at my throat, I rubbed it with my thumb as I stared at him.
“We both know you have more important things to worry about. If you want to dip your wick in something I’m sure one of Yorwrath’s collection will happily oblige,” I said before quickly leaving the tent. The moment the flap closed, my heart started to race. As I made my way through camp, I continued rubbing that precious jewel with my thumb like it was a worry stone. I focused on Aneurin in my mind, the curve of his lips as he smiled, the crease in his brow when he was worried, the softness of his kiss, his kindness, his love for me, and the strength of his arms around me. Things I was certain I’d never feel, see, or be the recipient of again were all the thoughts that I pushed to the back of my mind as I walked away.
Caoilfionn found me. It was like he could sense my unease. He even had my pack and sword in his hand. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had known this was going to happen all along. I wanted to wait for Grwn, but I couldn’t now. I knew I had minutes until the Swynwr came looking for me. He wouldn’t let me leave. Pulling on my pack and sword, I walked back into the forest the way we had traveled. Everyone was busy preparing for the morning, so no one seemed to notice that I had slipped into the night.
“How did you know?” I whispered after we had been walking for about an hour.
“You showed me,” he answered, flashing me a smile.
“How is that even possible?”
“Your powers are stronger than you realize, especially since you took the garland willingly. You’re the first of Arwn’s Gift to do that.”
“Wait.” I paused and furrowed my brows for a moment before shaking my head and starting again. I could have lamented my choice in going to Baba Yaga uninformed of what that gift that they gave me was, but I didn’t.
“It’s nothing to worry about. You are simply the first one to acknowledge Arwn. The garland marks you as a princess of Annwn. Admittedly, this was foreseen. Baba Yaga probably knew the moment they laid eyes on you who you were and what choices lay before you. Accepting the garland willingly—even if you didn’t know what it meant when you accepted it—means you have the possibility to be something remarkable.”
“I don’t want to be remarkable. I had enough of that in Laeth when they ran me out of town the first time,” I grumbled as we continued through the forest.
We walked all night. We walked until dawn crested and shouts echoed through the trees all in silence. I paused. Heves was in sight but still I turned around and looked in the direction we had come from. For a moment, I thought of Yorwrath and how I didn’t give Grwn an answer, but then I pushed that away and turned back toward Heves.
“He’ll find you.” I jumped at Caoilfionn’s words and turned to face him.
“What?”
“Yorwrath. He’ll hunt you like a wolf does a hare. He’ll be the shadow nipping at your heels…” Caoilfionn tilted his head to the side like he was listening to something.
“I doubt that—truly,” I said, shaking my head, as I moved from under the tree canopy. Caoilfionn followed, and the moment his feet crossed into the unobstructed light, his appearance slowly changed. No longer did he wear the fine white embroidered garments. His clothes were simple, and of various shades of dark brown. His cloak was worn, old, rough fabric that even had a few holes in it. The jerkin he wore also looked to be on its last legs. Only his boots and trousers appeared in good order—but they still appeared to have been worn for at least a handful of winters. The horn disappeared from the center of his forehead, that long white hair shortened to a little longer than shoulder length, and his jaw broadened slightly. Now he certainly looked masculine. Lastly, that large staff he carried twisted until it looked to be nothing more than a discarded tree limb used as a walking stick. Even the color of his irises changed to a pale, almost pastel, turquoise. However, though he changed so much of himself, he kept those delicate points on his ears.
In Heves, we haggled for horses at a small elven farmhouse at the very edge of town. Caoilfionn and the farmer bartered in the elven tongue until eventually a small smile passed over the unicorn’s lips. Somehow he was able to get a horse for forty gold pieces. I had expected something half dead and sickly. Instead, we got a rather spry dapple. Caoilfionn and I quickly stuffed our packs into the saddlebags and in less than an hour were traveling again. I sat behind Caoilfionn in the saddle, my attention focused out over the sprawling vacant fields.
* * * *
Harvest would be soon. Crops bent in the wind that whispered over the meadows and whipped my hair around my face. I could smell the coming rain, heavy and wet on the breeze. My eyelids closed as the horse plodded along.
“Storm’s coming,” I whispered as I threaded my fingers through the fierce winds.
“We should reach the outskirts of Laeth by the time it hits.” Fantastic. Sighing, I adjusted the sword on my back.
“Why there, of all places?”
“It’s the nearest place to rest on the way to Lyr. Don’t worry, we won’t linger long, just a handful of hours to rest the horse and wait out the worst of the storm.”
“All right.” And for the next few hours, we fell back into silence as thunder rolled and lightning shattered across the heavy clouds overhead.
The threatened rain held off until my little cottage was a speck in the distance. I had mixed emotions, returning to the place that I was ripped from a handful of months before. The soft mist began to gather as I dismounted and Caoilfionn started tethering the horse in the ruin of my garden. They had torched my home, but it didn’t burn evenly. The rains prevented it, and no one cared enough to come back, once the witch hunters had l
eft, to make certain it really burned.
With a heavy sigh, I stared at the entrance to my home. The door was in splinters and tacked to the frame was a piece of parchment.
LET IT BE KNOWN THE VILLAGE OF LAETH DOES NOT TOLERATE ANY ACTS OF SEDITION, OR VIOLATION OF OUR LAWS BY OUTSIDERS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE PRACTICE OF WITCHCRAFT, ENCHANGMENT AND THE MURDER OF A KNIGHT CAPTAIN OF THE MORNING LILY. FOR THESE CRIMES, THE WITCH VALENTINA WAS PUT TO THE STAKE MIDSUMMER EVE 1356.
—FREDRIK FRANZ, EALDORMAN OF LAETH
BY ORDER OF KING DYTYRK ANDRZEJ GRYFICI II, KING OF ERSLAND AND THE LESH ISLES.
I traced my damp fingers over the running weather-beaten script and then the royal seal beneath. I stared almost transfixed at the crowned griffin indentation in that circle of red wax as a murder of crows cawed loudly in the lonely nearby tree. You wish, sheepfuckers. I ripped the notice down and crumpled it, but I didn’t release it. No, that thick parchment remained in my hand as I crossed the threshold and into the ruin of what was once my home. The common room where I once treated so many villagers was blackened furniture and ash. Only half of the thatch had burned, leaving the room looking like some bizarre unfinished thing. It was surprising how untouched it was, but then again, the superstitious idiots of Laeth were probably convinced the place was cursed, or worse, haunted.
Rolling my eyes, I walked into my old rooms. Broken glass crackled under my boots as I passed down the hall. The fire damage was surprisingly sparse back here. Almost everything was still coated in soot, but the roof held. The mattress was there, and my dagger was still on the floor where I dropped it as I woke up that morning beside Aneurin all those weeks ago. The heavy fur blanket was on the floor. I gathered it up and brought it to my face. I could still smell his scent lingering there under the soot and staleness. Old habit made me carefully fold the heavy, expensive blanket. I would take it with me. It was a good blanket, and something told me this year would redefine cold for me.
Footsteps sounded at the door to my room as I retrieved the dagger from the floor. I didn’t even glance at the door as I recovered the small scabbard from the mattress. Sheathing the blade, I sighed and tucked it into my belt. The edge would need to be sharpened and rehoned, but I’d had it for as long as I could remember—I wasn’t going to let it sit here.
“I think the hearth in the hall at the back will hold a fire, and the ceiling isn’t so bad,” Caoilfionn said slowly.
“Of course, if you close the door to the common room this part will stay warm enough.”
“If there was another place to stay or another route to take we would take it.”
“I know, Caoilfionn.”
“Is there any furniture you don’t want used for kindling?”
“No.” It’s not like I can plowing take any of it with me. Caoilfionn nodded and slipped back out into the hall. I heard the heavy door to the common room lock and the shuffle of his feet down to the other rooms.
Slipping to the floor, I immediately went for the large chest at the foot of the bed. Opening the lid, I growled under my breath, looking down at my effects. Everything was the same as I left it the night before I was taken. I snatched the two useless wedding bands and reached into the bottom for my small pouch of savings. Drawing the sack closed, I chucked it onto the mattress before I pulled out the bundle of Aneurin’s letters. Tossing shifts and dresses behind me, I chose one good nightshift and a length of ribbon my mother had given me on my wedding day. The rest of the things in the chest were keepsakes from a life that felt like a lifetime and a half ago.
Rain poured loudly overhead as I sat next to the window staring out into the dead, weed-filled garden. With my eyelids closed, I could almost feel the mud beneath my back and the press of Aneurin on top of me again. Thunder cracked so loudly it shook the cottage and broke my concentration. Grumbling, I turned from the window and gathered the few things I had decided to keep. My footsteps took me to Caoilfionn, who was seated in front of the hearth at the end the hall. He was careful with the fire, tentatively tending the embers.
“Do you think they survived?” I asked as I sat down on the coarse dusty floorboards.
“Yes. No matter what it seems like right now, I will get him back for you, Valentina. You, Yorwrath, Islwyn, Grwn, and Aneurin, are all still bound together. Your tale is far from over.”
“Not to be a pessimist, but I doubt I’ll see them ever again, Caoilfionn. Or if I do meet them again I don’t plowing see how it would be a good thing,” I grumbled, snatching my empty pack from the floor.
“What I told you almost a month ago was true. The fleshly court will share the queen, and you are that queen. Trust me, Valentina. Admittedly, this is not how I thought things would go. But it has been seen and so it will be.”
Again I rolled my eyes as I started stuffing my pack with the things I had retrieved from the trunk. Once everything was tucked away, I took the ribbon and wrapped it around the hilt of my sword. Then I fell asleep in the hall, in the ruin of a house I had once called home a handful of weeks before, with thoughts of whether or not Caoilfionn actually believed the bullshit he was spouting drifting through my head.
Chapter Nineteen
The sound of horses riding at a full gallop woke me. As my lids fluttered open, I found that I was completely alone, and the fire at the hearth had died to mere embers. The storm had passed during the night, and pale dawn light streamed through the windows. Groaning, I pulled myself to my feet. My back was stiff from sleeping up against the wall. Stretching, I snatched my pack and sword from the floorboards. We had been riding for three days. I thought we had a head start on anyone they could send after me. I was wrong.
Glancing out of the ruins of the door frame, I stared down the approaching riders. There were seven of them galloping hard and fast in my direction. Looking around I noticed that Caoilfionn was nowhere to be found. As they neared I realized that I knew three of those riders. Aneurin, Grwn, and Yorwrath rode among four others I did not know. Yorwrath was clearly chasing his brother as Grwn trailed him and four elven riders swathed in green followed them. Yorwrath jumped up in his saddle as his massive black warhorse gained on Aneurin. The moment he was beside his brother he tackled him, knocking him out of the saddle. They yelled at each other in elf speech as they pummeled each other in the mud. Grwn hopped down from the saddle, and, before he could get near enough to pull Yorwrath off Aneurin, one of the riders shouldered hard into Grwn, knocking him back, and drew a sword that sang and gleamed in the pale of dawn.
Grwn held up his hands and took a step back as both Aneurin and Yorwrath drew their swords. Peeking from the door, I watched as the other three riders scrambled to unsheathe their weapons and attack Yorwrath with nonlethal force as he faced his brother. Every slash they made at Yorwrath was countered in an expert blur of steel and a well-timed kick or punch.
Eventually, Yorwrath broke through Aneurin’s defenses, and a hard kick to the wrist sent his brother’s sword flying into the grass where it stuck in the mud. Those four others attempted to descend upon Yorwrath but stopped abruptly as Yorwrath yelled at them and a pillar of flame flared between the angry elves.
The four unknown elves lowered their swords immediately. Yorwrath glanced wide-eyed for a moment at the charred grass. The shock gave Aneurin an opening, and he kicked the sword from Yorwrath’s grip. The steel twisted through the air and landed near his own blade. Yorwrath cursed and jumped at his brother, knocking him into the mud again.
They fought like wildcats as they slid in the wet earth, desperately clawing, punching, and kicking each other. Grwn said something and the leader of the unknown group of elves nodded, sheathing his sword. The two of them tentatively approached the muddied struggling brothers.
Grwn looped his arm around Yorwrath’s neck, and the other elf did the same to Aneurin. As the brothers were separated, they continued to kick at one another, causing more mud to fly through the air, further coating their already saturated bodies. I couldn’t stop my smile. I
t might not have been my Aneurin, but the Swynwr still had some of that fire. After their kicks lost their ferocity and the brothers passed out, Grwn and the unknown elf released their holds. Grwn started dragging Yorwrath toward me, and one of the other elves picked up Aneurin’s feet and followed him. Caoilfionn then stepped from the forest with a brace of rabbits dangling over his shoulder. He whistled as he stepped past everyone. He reached the door before they did and I noticed he had nine rabbits, one for everyone.
“You knew,” I accused him as he smirked a little, stepping past me.
“Yes.” He didn’t offer any more. He began whistling again as he walked into the back portion of the destroyed cottage. I followed him as Grwn finally made it to the door, leaving a smear of mud in Yorwrath’s wake. When he noticed the glass on the floor, he slung the mud-covered elf over his shoulder and grinned at me.
“We won, and then the Swynwr there sent his ten best after you. That ten quickly turned into four when Yorwrath got done with them,” Grwn said, with a bit of a chuckle. “It was a good fight, but I hate having to fight our own. There are only so many of us.”
“Why did he come himself? Doesn’t he have a city to run?”
“Fuck if I know. He should be in the capital and Ffraid told him as much. She’s not happy about her Dragons being dragged into this.”
“And the magic? Are we just going to pretend Yorwrath didn’t just…” I gestured, and Grwn laughed, adjusting Yorwrath on his shoulder as two elves came through carrying Aneurin.
“I ignored it when he did it during the siege, and I’m ignoring it now. Once the council saw what we were capable of they surrendered. I’ll let the more learned minds deal with the implications. I just want to get home.”
“That the girl?” a female asked in heavily accented common.
“Yeah. But I can’t let you take her.” Grwn stepped between me and the hooded woman carrying Aneurin’s shoulders.
“I wasn’t going to. I’m a Dragon, Grwn. Did you forget that?”
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