Eden

by Janelle Stalder

  “I heard the witch say that,” he said, snickering. Aiden couldn’t help but laugh.

  Diana had arrived two days ago, quite unexpectedly. She came to find him right away, just to let him know she was there. She wasn’t with them now, though, as the King had ordered her to stay farther away. Aiden had been one of the men ordered to help set a tent up for her in a protective area. They made sure to leave her some food and water before they left.

  “Aiden,” she called out as he mounted Ty. He looked down at her as she stood beside the horse. “Please be careful.”

  Aiden smiled. “Do you doubt my skills, Diana?” She smiled and shook her head.

  “Of course not, but I also don’t doubt Aziz’s skills, so I want you to be on guard the whole time.”

  “He won’t even be there,” Aiden said. “There’s nothing to worry about.” That was a lie. There was plenty to worry about; he had been worrying since the moment they left. The look on her face was so concerned, however, that he didn’t want to make it any worse. It had been she who had brought him here, and he knew if anything should happen she would feel greatly responsible for it. That was the last thing he wanted. She stretched up and kissed him gently on the cheek.

  “Good luck.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Thanks.” He smiled back, kicking Ty forward to re-join the troops.

  Now they stood looking at what would be their inevitable destinies. Many of the people who stood there wouldn’t leave, and that weighed heavily on everyone’s mind. The King motioned them forward, leading them through the water to come up on the other side.

  “We will set up camp now,” he announced in his loud, deep voice. Aiden was thankful for the rest—his whole body had never ached so badly in his life.

  The King rode up to where Aiden sat with Wolf, Logan, and Felix. They were eating bread and dried meat, the only things they had left to eat. It wasn’t the best tasting, but all four of them were so hungry, they barely even spoke to one another as they wolfed it down.

  Aiden had met with the King and Captain Turk a couple of nights ago, the three of them sitting in the King’s own tent. A plan of action was decided upon, which consisted of Aiden trying to lead the beasts into the middle of the field by using his group as bait. There they would be the right distance for their archers to hit. Any of the ones they couldn’t get would be the front line’s responsibility. Each man—there would be a hundred of them to begin—would be given a small flask of blood. Their original idea of using live bait had been abandoned. The Captain explained that the transportation of the animals would have been too complicated when they were already moving so many men. Aiden would instruct his men to spill the contents of their flasks on the grass around them, making the beasts’ instincts kick in and confusing them momentarily. That would open them up for an easier kill. It sounded like it could work, but what did Aiden really know? He simply agreed with whatever they told him and prayed that they would be successful. Once the majority of the beasts were out of the way, the rest of the men would move forward, challenging the men in the northern army. At that point it would be anyone’s guess.

  “Wolf, Logan,” the King called out, motioning for each of them to stand.

  “My lord,” Wolf greeted him, bowing his head. Logan followed suit.

  “We want you two to scout ahead. See if you can spot the northern army approaching, and let us know their distance from the forest. Make sure you’re not seen,” he warned.

  “Of course, your majesty.” Wolf nodded. He turned and rode off again toward the Captain.

  “Can we finish eating first?” Logan asked sadly.

  “I don’t think so.” They both gathered their things, taking off on foot toward the other side of the field. Aiden and Felix looked at each other, and then looked at their food. Laughing, they grabbed the leftovers and swallowed them down.

  “This sucks,” Logan complained, dragging his feet behind him.

  Wolf ignored him, focusing on the task at hand. As they entered the forest, he looked back at Logan, putting his finger to his lips. They needed to stay quiet, so he could listen for any animals. It would make sense if Brutus the Red had sent out some of their creatures ahead of them. Walking quietly amongst the fallen leaves on the ground from seasons before, he looked around for a spot where they’d be able to see farther. The forest wasn’t as thick as he had thought. He could already see the light on the other side. Heading toward it, they came out into another opening on the far side of the forest. There was a large wall of rocks on one side, making the spot well covered. They looked knowingly at each other—this would be where the other army would camp.

  Pointing toward the rocks, Wolf headed over to them, with Logan following close behind. Logan walked backward, keeping his back to him, searching the surrounding trees for anything that would attack them. The rocks didn’t offer many handholds or footholds. Struggling, they both eventually managed to pull themselves onto a small ledge at the top of the rocks. They kept low, remaining on their stomachs. Crawling slowly to the edge, they peered off into the distance for any sign of the other army. The land on the other side of the small mountainside they lay on was nothing like the landscape behind them. Central Eden was notoriously flat, as was Wolf’s homeland, so he was used to it. The northern side was not flat at all. They could see the three large mountains where Brutus the Red kept his infamous mountain castle. The land before it was a scatter of smaller hills and mountains, land that rose and fell like waves in the ocean. They could see small farms wedged between the hills, where there was a limited amount of flat land.

  There was no sign of the army. The land obstructed their view, so they were unable to see clearly.

  “What do we do now?” Logan whispered.

  “Wait, I guess,” he answered. Wolf lowered his chin on his arm, keeping his eyes scanning the horizon. “What’s with Aiden these days?” Wolf asked, finding something to fill the silence.

  “What do you mean?” Logan asked.

  “Doesn’t it seem like he’s been a little distant?”

  “Maybe he’s just worried about the battle?”

  Wolf looked over and gave him a look. Clearly, he was playing dumb, and Wolf could see right through him. Logan tried to avoid his stare, but eventually he looked back.

  “I told him you were betrothed to Elisa,” he said finally. “I think he is a little upset, since he seems to have grown affectionate toward her.”

  Nodding slowly, it became clearer to Wolf now. “Him and everyone else,” he snorted.

  “Not you.”

  Wolf tensed. “Do you not see how she thinks of me? How can I love someone who so obviously despises me?” Their fight had finally brought to the surface all of her true feelings. Now he knew exactly what she felt for him, which was nothing but contempt. It had angered him more than he liked to admit, but he was over it. Wolf could have just about any woman he wanted. What did he care if one of them thought little of him?

  “Maybe, and this is just a thought …” Logan said lightly, turning to look off in the distance. “Maybe you should show her what a good guy you really are, and she wouldn’t think so badly about you.”

  “Why should I bother? I don’t care what she thinks,” he replied, spitting on the ground beside him. Elisa. She had been like a constant thorn in his side since the day they came to see his father in their lands. Even then, at a young age, she visibly showed disdain for him. He remembered asking his father after they left, why he would promise him to someone as miserable as that little girl. His father had just laughed, saying anything worth something in this world, must be worth fighting for. That included women, he said, patting his son affectionately on the head. Well, it was a fight, and Wolf was sick of trying to prove himself to her. He had been courteous and polite when he first arrived in the Capital, but even then she didn’t want anything to do with him, so he decided to quit trying and enjoy himself. That was exactly what he was doing, enjoying himself, and he’d do it de
spite her.

  The two of them lay still, dropping the sensitive subject. It wasn’t long before they saw the first signs of movement. The army was coming over one of the hills in the distance. From their speed, they guessed they’d reach the very spot Wolf and Logan lay at, by the time the sun sank. Their forces were massive, bodies as far as they could see. Wolf started to sweat, realizing how real everything was becoming. The massive beasts that walked around the men frightened him, though he would never admit it out loud. It wasn’t just the ones that walked on all fours like those they were used to seeing, but larger ones that walked like a man would. Their heads were shaped like bulls’, but twice the size. Huge horns rose out of their heads, offering a gruesome death to anyone who went near them. Their bodies were like a man’s, reaching almost seven feet tall. They wore armour like the men, and carried weapons. Even the men in their own army seemed to stand away from them, as if they were nervous too.

  Logan gave Wolf a fearful look, which he guessed probably mirrored his own. Wolf jerked his head backward. They crawled back toward the edge they had climbed up, and lowered themselves carefully to the ground. Neither spoke until they reached the field again, putting as much distance between them and the other army as possible.

  “Did you see those things?” Logan hissed. “We have to go against them first!”

  The thought had dawned on Wolf too during their walk back. “I know, but we knew that for a while now, so we can’t back out. We’re better than those things; we’re faster and more skilled.”

  “How do you know? We’ve never seen them fight—maybe they’re better than us!” Wolf could see that he was panicking. Slowing down his pace, he turned toward his friend, placing his hand on his shoulder.

  “Look, if we stick together, and watch our backs, we can defeat anything. You know that,” he urged. “Don’t get scared now, and whatever you do, do not tell Aiden! The last thing we need is for him to run away during the night.”

  They walked a little farther before Logan spoke again. “What is it about Aiden?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Everyone seems to revere him for some reason. Even the witch, Diana, went to him as soon as she arrived. Now he’s leading our group? What is it that makes him special?”

  “No one said he was special; they’re just relying on his knowledge from already defeating one of those beasts,” Wolf explained, although he had a hard time believing it was just that too. Some things, he had found out long ago, were best left a mystery.

  When they returned to the camp, they immediately informed the King of the northern army’s progress. The High King made sure to place men around the field, in case the army planned to attack in the night. He doubted it, assuming they would be tired from their journey, but you could never be certain.

  The two of them walked over to Aiden and Felix. The sun was already low in the sky, and the two had a fire started. Elisa was there as well, hidden behind Aiden’s figure. They greeted them when they approached, but Wolf purposely didn’t look at her. The two of them hadn’t spoken to each other since the fight, and he wasn’t about to start now. She just looked at the fire, ignoring his presence altogether.

  “Did you see them? How close are they?” Felix asked, a hint of excitement in his voice. Aiden looked over at him like he was crazy. This wasn’t something to be viewed as fun. He almost wished they hadn’t seen them, and maybe they decided not to attack after all. Wouldn’t that have been perfect? he thought wistfully.

  “They’re not far.” Logan was the one to answer. “They should be on the other side of those trees shortly.” The word “shortly” made Aiden sit up straighter, looking over his shoulders at the dark shadows where all the trees stood. He could almost imagine their eyes looking at him from over there.

  “How many, do you think?” Aiden asked, keeping his focus in the other direction.

  “A lot.” Logan sighed. “More than I would have wanted to see.”

  “I’d say their men are equal to ours, but their creatures make up a clear advantage,” Wolf explained

  “They outnumber us then?” asked Felix. He sounded panicked.

  “Definitely,” Logan answered.

  “Numbers don’t always matter, Felix,” Elisa added. “If our skills exceed theirs, we can still win.”

  The five of them sat in silence around the fire.

  “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not about to sit around here on what could quite possibly be my last day alive, sulking about what is to come. I say we have ourselves a drink!” Wolf exclaimed, lifting up a bottle. Logan smiled, nodding his head in agreement. Aiden couldn’t help but moan.

  “I don’t think I can do it,” he confessed.

  “No, he’s right, Aiden.” Felix smiled, giving him a friendly slap on the back. “If we’re going out, let’s go out right! Just a little drink won’t hurt—it’s better than just sitting here and being miserable. Plus, you’re our fearless leader tomorrow. You have to join in.”

  The three boys sat smiling at him, making it impossible for him to refuse. Aiden gave in, and they all cheered, Logan running to grab cups.

  “I think that is my cue to leave,” Elisa said, standing up. “Since I probably won’t see any of you tomorrow, I wish you all the best of luck.”

  Aiden looked sadly up at her, trying not to imagine never seeing her again. He didn’t know how he would live with himself should something happen to her—to any of them, really. Trying his best to smile, he wished her luck too, and told her to be safe. Logan and Felix did the same, but Wolf just sat quietly. It didn’t seem to bother her: she bid them goodnight and left without as much as glancing in his direction.

  “Bottles up, boys!” Logan cheered. They all raised their glasses, throwing the liquid down their throats. It was just as horrible as he remembered. It took a lot of effort for him not to throw it back up.

  They all sat around the fire until late in the evening. No one heard or saw anything of the northern army, but they knew they’d be there by now. It was eerie sitting there, knowing that their enemy was so close. Logan tried his best to lighten the mood by telling stories of him and Wolf in one tavern inside the city walls, when Wolf got caught kissing another man’s wife. It was full of verbal assaults, and a full-on chase through the streets. He kept them laughing, although Wolf himself seemed distracted. At one point he said he needed to go do something, and left quickly. He came back a short time later, seemingly in a better mood than before.

  “Should we go to bed?” Felix finally asked, just as Aiden yawned. They weren’t drunk, not yet, but if they kept up their current pace they would be shortly enough.

  “If I can even sleep,” Aiden said honestly. The four of them got up and separated into their tents. Aiden crawled into his bag, thankful to be resting finally. Tomorrow was a big day, but he didn’t want to think too much about it, or he’d never be able to settle his mind.

  “Sometimes I wonder if my family is looking down on me,” Felix said quietly. Aiden looked sympathetically over at him. “My sister was only a year older than me, and my best friend. I don’t know what I’m going to do now without her.”

  “Don’t worry, Felix,” Aiden said. “You have us.” Although that was kind of a lie, Aiden thought suddenly. He didn’t have him. Aiden didn’t actually belong to this world. It finally occurred to him that when this fight was over, he’d have to go back home again. There would be no need for him anymore, and he wasn’t actually of this world. The truth was, no matter what he did tomorrow, he’d be losing his friends either way. Hopefully, not by death, but at some point he’d have to say goodbye.

  Wolf had sat by the fire, something gnawing at the back of his mind. He didn’t know what was bothering him. He knew it wasn’t that he felt afraid for tomorrow. Logan was telling one of their stories, the others laughing, when it occurred to him what was the matter. Sighing inwardly in defeat, he got up and told the others he’d be back.

  As he was walking thro
ugh the camp, many of the men there cried out in greeting, inviting him to sit around their fire. Everyone liked him in the army, admiring him for his skills at such a young age. He politely said no, keeping his mind focused on what needed to be done. He found her, sitting by herself at the edge of the camp. Normally, no one would have been able to see her there, but he figured she’d be alone like this. Elisa always had been the reclusive type. She looked up when she heard his feet approaching. Even in the dark, he could see her posture change to a defensive stance.

  “What do you want?” she asked, not hiding the disdain in her voice. He rolled his eyes, having expected this sort of reaction from her. Sitting down beside her, he looked out at the river where she had been looking. The moons reflected off the surface, casting a glow about the area. It was peaceful here, with only the sound of water rushing by. He could feel her looking at him, waiting for an explanation, her patience wearing thin.

  “I just wanted to wish you luck,” he said, avoiding her glare. “It didn’t feel right not saying it.”

  She was quiet for a minute before she said anything. “Thank you,” she replied quietly.

  He sat there for another minute before getting up. There wasn’t much else to say, and he felt better having said at least that. As he walked away she called out to him. He turned to look at her in the dark.

  “You kissed me at the spring festival—did you know that?”

  “Yes.”

  This seemed to surprise her. “W-why?” she asked, faltering.

  He shrugged his shoulders casually, but didn’t say another word before turning to leave her by herself. She didn’t call after him again.

  Now, as he lay in his tent, he wondered about her question, trying to understand why he had felt the need to follow her that night at the festival. Sometimes even he couldn’t make sense of his feelings. Rolling over, he closed his eyes, trying to rest before the morning came.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN