“When did you get so smart, little one?”
Mila grinned with pride.
“Always was! So… tell me before I go… what was the Skotad’s name? And what do Skotads really look like?!”
“Toler… his name was Toler…”
***
As Toler neared the edge of the Greens surrounding the village, he could feel his heartstar pounding harder. He had been scouting for some time, trying to find a way in that wasn’t heavily guarded. He had observed the general direction the Photak warriors came and went from, so he had an idea of where they could be holding Yara. Still, he did not know precisely where she would be or, even more importantly, how long he would be able to last in Sunstar’s rays.
This is suchhhhhh a bad idea… stupid… stupid… stupid idea…
Toler sighed. He knew his father would be furious if he knew all that Toler was risking. He shook his head as a small smile came to his lips.
“I’m just following in your footsteps, father. You saved her mother… and now I must save her…” he muttered to himself.
As he crept towards the feathered trees lining the edge, Toler’s eyes fell on what seemed to be an overgrown path through the shrubbery. It was so overgrown, in fact, that he was certain it had not been used in decades. Toler observed the line of light in front of him, along the edge of the Greens. He had tested the mirrored balm secretly before, but it had not been cleared for use. The Skotad Tribe wanted to leave the mountains and caves, and find places to dwell away from the Photaks and their love of war. This was their chance to do it. With the mirrored balm, they could finally travel through Sunstar’s rays to find somewhere new to dwell.
Toler reached his hand out into the light. It felt warm, and a bit painful, but more tolerable than the last time he had attempted to test the mirrored balm. He grinned. Sunstar was definitely on his side. He could only hope it would last long enough for him to save Yara, primarily as he had already used all the balm.
He crept out to the feathered trees, looking around and listening for movement. He heard none. He proceeded along the edge until he was the shortest distance possible from the shrubbery. He took a deep breath, pulled out his dagger, and carefully made his way towards the small opening. It would be his first time entering a Photak village. He wasn’t going to take any chances, even with the cover of the overgrowth.
As he reached the overgrown path, he bent down low and backed into it while searching the area again. Relieved that he couldn’t see anyone, he pushed further in and turned around. His eyes widened, and he froze. There, right in front of him, was a small Photak girl. She was staring at him with wide, terrified eyes and had a tiny dagger.
Toler felt his heartstar panging in fear. His thoughts raced as they stared at each other, neither of them moving a muscle. He couldn’t figure out how he hadn’t heard her, but seeing how still she stayed seemed to explain why. The girl’s eyes left his and began to trace his body. They paused on his chest, on his wound. Her little brows furrowed with concern, and all her fear seemed to vanish.
“You’re hurt…” she whispered.
Toler, stunned at her bravery, stammered softly back in response.
“Well, you Photaks seem to enjoy sticking us with arrows…”
The girl gasped and looked at him with a strange sense of recognition.
“You’re… Toler?”
Toler jolted unconsciously. His thoughts raced even more. He wondered if Yara had been tortured for information. He wondered if he was too late.
“How do you know that name, little one?”
She grinned slyly.
“If you tell me whether that’s your name or not, I’ll tell you how I found out,” she replied cheekily.
Toler huffed, cracking a smile. She was a little Photak negotiator. He liked her already.
“Yes, little Photak. That is, indeed, my name. It’s nice to meet you. And what’s your name?”
A look of pure excitement filled her face.
“I’m Mila. I’m Yara’s bestest friend. Yara thinks you died. She’s going to be sooo happy that you didn’t die. She said you were kind to her. Thank you for being kind to my YaraStar. She sent me on a mission to find a way out of the village for her that doesn’t have guards. They’re keeping her in a cell, and they think she is still under the Sleeper. But Yara is soooo strong, so she is already awake, and they don’t know she is. I’m going to save her and her mother. Yara is picking the lock for the cell as we speak, and I’m going to report back to her on this path I found. She would be expecting me back with my report now. I’m a young warrior, you know?”
Toler’s mouth opened with wonder at Mila’s sudden burst of quick, quiet chatter.
“Well… you most certainly are, brave little warrior. And guess what? I’m here to save Yara too. You think maybe we can work together?”
Mila nodded enthusiastically, and then looked at him in confusion.
“But how… how did you get here? I thought Skotads couldn’t walk in Sunstar’s rays. Well, then again, I also thought Skotads were ugly monsters, but you are really cute… for a stupid boooooyyy! Yara didn’t tell me that part…”
Toler chuckled a little.
“I’ll be sure to complain that she should have told you how cute I am the next time I see her. And as for me in Sunstar’s rays, this is only a temporary solution… and I don’t know how long I have… so we will have to be quick about this rescue, okay?”
Mila gave a solemn nod.
“But first…” she said, pausing with her lips pursed, “you need a disguise. You look too pale, and your hair is too white. You would be spotted as easily as I saw you. I’m going to get you a swaddling cloth. I’ll be back.”
***
As Mila led Toler through hidden paths, his admiration for her grew. Although she was just a child, she was wise beyond her years. She taught him a little along the way about places to avoid and what she thought he should know. She spoke highly of Yara and how amazing she thought Yara was. She spoke about the Photaks’ inner fight and how everything went wrong after that. She exuded loving admiration with every word. She seemed determined to save Yara. It was a stark contrast to the conversations he had overheard from the Photak warriors who had shot him.
As they neared the end of the shrubbery, Mila pointed out the main keep. A mostly open area surrounded it, but there were still a few places to hide. Mila said it was the warriors’ training ground. As Toler spotted a couple of guards standing by an elevated structure made of stone, he instinctively pulled the cloth closer around him. Mila pointed towards it.
“There, do you see her? That’s Lana… Yara’s Tribe mother. They have had her bound there since they killed Sorin… Yara’s Tribe father. No one is allowed to speak to her… They haven’t even given her sapjuice to drink.”
As Toler squinted his eyes, he could see Lana’s red hair waving slightly in the wind. Her head was lowered, and she seemed weak. This was the Photak woman his father had saved so many years ago. She had sacrificed so much for Yara.
Toler felt a pang of rage rise and fill him. Photaks were such a cruel people. He wondered how they could ever think they were Sunstar’s chosen ones when they would hurt even their own in such gruesome ways.
Toler felt a wave of burning hit his skin. He knew he didn’t have much time left. He turned towards Mila.
“Okay, let’s save Yara, and then we’ll save her mother. We will get them both out of here. But we need to do this quickly, Mila. I don’t have much time left in Sunstar’s rays.”
Mila’s eyes widened with concern as she nodded. He felt a sense of warmth that she seemed to care about his wellbeing. He took her hand into his. As he began to step out of the shrubbery, Mila grabbed his hand and yanked him back.
“Wait! There’s Kristos. That’s the Chief’s son who brought Yara from the Greens.”
Toler and Mila stared helplessly as Kristos made his way into the main keep where Yara was being held.
Chapter Fou
rteen
As Yara heard footsteps approaching, she felt a sense of relief. She hadn’t been able to pick the lock with the broken dagger, and she needed Mila to find her something else to use. She knew she had maybe an hour again before they would wonder if she was awake. She needed to be far into the Greens with her Tribe mother by then. She got up and leaned on the bars as the footsteps reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Finally!” she exclaimed, and then gasped.
Kristos looked equally in shock.
“You’re awake!”
“Well… I was wondering… when you would come to see me. Because I think you owe me an explanation…”
Kristos looked away with guilt, and Yara breathed with relief. He didn’t seem to realize she had been expecting someone else.
“I’m sorry, Yara,” he said softly. “They didn’t give me any choice. They were going to banish my father and force Light Blindness upon him. He would never have been able to dwell in Sunstar again. And I would have lost him forever…”
“Well, I think there’s always a choice,” Yara stated coldly, “but I guess I understand. But now my father is dead, and my mother may be soon… and then me…”
Kristos hung his head. He seemed to be in agony. For the next few moments, the silence between them seemed to scream. Yara felt awkward. She had known Kristos for her entire life. He had been her friend. He had been the boy she loved. Now, it felt like there was a widening chasm between them. It was noble of him to want to save his father, but his decision to do that meant he knew she would be killed. She wondered how he could have ever said he loved her.
But he did come to see me…
“Kristos, if you thought I was still under the Sleeper, why are you here?”
“Elder Malek sent me to check on you…”
Yara’s face contorted in anger at the name of the Elder. She felt even more than that. She felt hate. Pure, unadulterated hatred.
“So, you follow Malek now?!”
“I’m a Photak warrior now, Yara. I took an oath…”
“An oath to serve a man who tried to kill an innocent woman for taking me in as a baby?! And you think that’s honorable?!!”
“He didn’t do that, Yara! Whatever that Skotad bastard was telling you, they are all lies!!! And you are more gullible and stupid than I thought for even believing him. Who was he anyway?! Who was he to you, Yara?!”
Yara let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Oh, so you’re my interrogator? What are you going to do if I don’t tell you what you want to hear? Are you going to let them torture me, Kristos? Are you going to torture me?”
“Please, Yara… please… you just need to tell the truth. Tell them what you know. Tell them enough to save your life!”
“I AM TELLING THE TRUTH, KRISTOS! I heard Pekone and Malek with my own ears. I keep telling you, and you won’t listen to me. I don’t know how else to say what I saw or what I heard. I can tell you every word of your conversation with Pekone! What do I need to do to convince you?! Why don’t you believe me?! It’s ME, Kristos. It’s me…”
Kristos looked at her with pained eyes.
“Then why were you with him, Yara… Why were you with a Skotad… and why did you want to save him?”
Yara felt helpless. She didn’t know how she could even begin to tell Kristos that everything they had been taught was a lie… that the Skotads were good people. She knew if he didn’t believe her about Malek, he wouldn’t believe anything more.
“Does it even matter now? They killed him…”
Then, a strangely familiar, annoyingly cheeky voice called out.
“Well, they tried. But I’m not quite dead yet!”
***
“Toler! You’re alive!”
Toler grinned, feeling warmed by Yara’s happiness, while Kristos stared at him in speechless shock.
Then, Kristos ripped out his daggers and ran charging towards Toler. Toler jumped back, barely escaping the slashing blades.
“Not bad, Photak. How about you try that attack for real this time?”
Kristos spat as Toler pulled out his dagger and crouched in his fight stance.
“I should have slit your throat after they shot you, Skotad,” Kristos said coldly.
“Kristos, please… I told you, Toler was kind to me. He isn’t what you think he is.”
“Yet somehow he is here… in our main keep… a Skotad… our lifelong enemy. How are you here, Skotad? Shouldn’t you be dead from Sunstar’s rays by now?”
Toler heard Yara gasp in reaction to the truth of Kristos’ words. She looked at him, searching for an explanation.
“Or maybe,” Kristos continued, “this is how you were able to plant your Skotad weapon among us all this time…”
“Kristos…”
Toler could feel the pain in Yara’s voice. For the first time, he realized that this was someone for whom she cared. He felt angry for her.
“Yara may be a lot of things… a lot of amazing, beautiful things… but she is neither a Skotad nor a Skotad weapon. She may not know where she comes from, but I, for one, am glad she exists.”
Toler looked towards Yara and gave her a reassuring smile. Then, he looked back at Kristos with a fiery glare.
“And Yara,” Toler continued, “just so you know… this Photak scum doesn’t deserve you.”
Kristos charged angrily at Toler. Toler spun into the air, and as Kristos passed under him, Toler drove the back of his dagger into Kristos’ head. Kristos fell to the ground, unconscious.
Yara rushed as close as she could get to where Kristos fell.
“Soooo… should I kill him now or later?”
“NO! No… don’t kill him…”
Toler lowered himself to face a concerned Yara.
“I was only joking, Yara…” he said softly. “We have only ever killed in self-defense, and even when it’s justified, it is still not our way. The fact that you don’t want him hurt after what he did tells me that it is not your way either…”
“You don’t know what my ways are… Even I don’t know what my ways are…”
“Perhaps, but what’s more important is that we get you out of here. I don’t have much time left. I will need to get back into the Shadows as soon as we get your mother.”
“Wait… we?”
“Yes, I met your little warrior, Mila. She was the one who helped me find you. She is quite a smart little one, isn’t she? She went to see how best we can free your mother. They have her bound by the stones.”
Yara beamed.
“She’s the bravest person I know, Toler, but we need to protect her. If they find out she helped me, I don’t know what they would do to her…”
Toler nodded in solidarity.
“Let’s get you out of there,” he said.
“I’ve tried,” Yara responded, holding up the broken blade.
Toler grinned. He reached towards Kristos’ unconscious body and pulled the keys out of his pocket. Yara laughed when she saw them.
“How did you…” she started.
“Mila,” they then said in unison, smiling.
Only she would have thought that Kristos might have had them. She would have sent Toler after him because of that lucky guess. She was such a smart, sneaky young’un.
Three key tries later, and Yara was finally free. As they made a quick plan for escape, they moved Kristos’ body into the cell and locked it again. They couldn’t risk him waking up and running off to warn the Elders and warriors. They had only one chance.
Yara turned to face Toler squarely, her expression inquisitive.
“Why are you risking your life for me?”
“It’s nothing my father didn’t do for your mother… right?” he responded with a grin. “I guess, risking our lives to save distressed Photak women, or in this case a not-a-Photak woman, runs in the family.”
Yara balked at Toler, realizing he must have overheard a conversation about it. She was also clearly aggravated by the very notion that sh
e needed to be saved. She fired a small glare at him, and then, her face grew serious.
“Let’s do this.”
***
As they snuck up the stairs, Yara listened out for any movement. Toler had told her the way he had used to get past the guards. If they were lucky, that way would still be clear. As they reached the main entrance to the cells, they looked in the direction of the passageways. There was no one there.
Yara breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at Toler. They snuck along the walls and through the labyrinth of passageways. They passed the storage room for weapons along the way. Yara found her weapons stashed there. She quickly suited up, and they continued on their way. It was the long path out, but it was also the safest. As they reached the foyer that stretched into the training grounds, Toler hesitated. He seemed to be eying the light that formed an edge along the entryway. He glanced at Yara and tried to muster a smile.
“It’s going to hurt, isn’t it?” Yara said softly, reaching her hand towards him in concern.
“I can handle it… we just need to be quick about it, okay?”
Yara could tell he was trying to be strong for her. She worried for him, but she smiled confidently for the sake of his peace of mind.
Suddenly, they heard a commotion coming from the direction of the stones. There were shouts and a small scream. A scream from a little Photak girl.
“MILA!” Yara shouted in panic.
Without thinking, she raced towards the stones.
“Yara, no! STOP!” she heard Toler call after her, but she couldn’t.
No… no… no. Not Mila. Please, don’t let her be hurt. Please, Sunstar, please…
As Yara neared, she could see a group of warriors gathered around the stones. Then, she saw him. Elder Malek was holding Mila roughly by the back of her neck. Behind them, Lana lay weakly on the ground. Mila had a cup in her hands, clearly having brought sapjuice for Yara’s mother. It would be for this that Malek would have little Mila disciplined… for kindness.
“Maaalllleeeeekkkkkkk!!!” Yara screamed out in anger.
The Unmarked Girl (The YaraStar Trilogy Book 1) Page 10
