Slowly, Rhada opened her eyes and saw she had been the last to wake. The men were bustling about, trying to pack up their tents and sleeping mats. Their horses whinnied angrily at being pulled away from the patch of grass they had been breakfasting on. Only one horse was left alone- the horse that was to carry her to her prison.
We shall reach the shores of the Shattered Sea by sundown tomorrow and from there, a short boat ride through the dark of night… and then the fortress.
A sudden sick feeling washed over Rhada. She could feel her heart begin to pound anxiously in her chest as she thought about the prison that awaited her.
Surely this cannot be real? I will escape this terrible fate somehow. I shall not spend the rest of my days locked in a dark cell. Rhada tried to convince herself she would find a way to escape but her heart was full of doubt, and though she had not eaten anything in two days, her stomach churned, threatening to rid itself of whatever was in there.
The sound of a horn made her turn her head towards camp where she saw a small band of men on horseback approaching.
“Ah,” Lord Ivran said as he stepped forward to greet the men, “the hunting party has returned earlier than I thought. This is good news. We can be underway in a few moments.” He seemed to be talking mainly to himself but she could not help but notice the brief, sideways glance he directed her way before turning to help the hunters with their kill.
As they approached, her eyes fell upon Protector Emeric who had obviously led the hunt. He dismounted but kept a sturdy hand upon the large buck draped over his mare. Several streams of blood had dripped from the buck’s wounds and dried onto the mare’s pretty white hair. Emeric did not seem to notice, however. He smiled as wide as he could with the half of his mouth that was not covered in bandages as Lord Ivran approached.
Rhada took this opportunity, while Lord Ivran’s attention was drawn elsewhere, to pull on her restraints. Just as they had been when they were first tied, they were so tight, pain shot up through her arms like tiny daggers every time she tried to move. She stopped pulling immediately and lowered her head in defeat, fighting the urge to cry out in anger.
It was not long before someone came for her. His footsteps pounded in her ears and she looked up when his shadow blocked the sunlight from her eyes.
Lord Doran stood over Rhada with a dagger in hand and for a brief moment, she thought he meant to kill her right then and there.
Please! She silently begged. End this torment now! But Lord Doran had no intention of releasing her from the horrid future that lay ahead of her. He stepped around the tree she was tied to and crouched down low enough to grab the ropes that bound her wrists together, and with the dagger he began sawing at them.
Several moments later, Rhada was free. Her arms dangled loosely at her sides. They had both gone completely numb and she could not move either of them. She waited until they began to tingle painfully before trying to raise her hands to rub the pain in her wrists away. As she began to rub, she looked down to her wrists and was surprised to see how much blood dripped from them. The ropes had cut deep, leaving open wounds that wrapped around in circles.
Lord Doran gave her a moment to regain her strength then reached down and grasped her by the arm so tightly, she was certain to have bruises in the shape of a hand. He pulled her to her feet and began guiding her towards her horse.
By now, most of the men had mounted and were waiting for Lord Ivran to give the command to march. All eyes, it seemed, were on her as Lord Doran escorted her through the camp. When they reached her horse, they stopped and Lord Doran, without loosening his grip on her arm, reached with his free hand for more rope that Aiduin was offering to him.
“Water.” She said with a dry, croaking voice when Lord Doran turned back to her. He looked up at her in surprise, as though hearing her voice had frightened him.
“Please.” She added in a whisper, hoping he would be generous. She ignored the sniggering she heard from behind, knowing it was Thomelin and his companions laughing at her expense.
Lord Doran turned back to Aiduin and snapped his fingers. Without saying a word, Aiduin pulled a waterskin from his belt strap and reluctantly handed it to Lord Doran. Lord Doran pulled the lid free and held it out for Rhada to take.
As she reached up to grab the waterskin, she realized that her hands were shaking. She could not say if it was from exhaustion, dehydration, or the fear of her looming future that made her tremble.
Slowly, trying not to spill any of the precious contents of the waterskin, Rhada brought the cool water to her lips and drank with a moan of pleasure. It washed over her dry tongue and down her sore throat, coating everything in cold moisture. Rhada could not remember anything in her life being as pleasurable as the water she now drank.
“Let us ride out!” Lord Ivran’s booming voice shouted over the camp. Lord Doran reached up and yanked the waterskin from Rhada’s grasp, spilling water all down her front. She scowled at Lord Doran for taking the water away before she was finished.
He turned and thrust the waterskin back into Aiduin’s hands then spun back around to Rhada. He grasped her tightly by the shoulder and forced her to turn so that her back was to him. He pulled her hands together behind her back and began wrapping the rope roughly around her wrists, apparently not caring that they were already bloody and bruised.
When he was satisfied she could not move her hands, he called for the aid of his men and they reached underneath her arms and lifted her just enough that she was able to put her foot through the stirrup and climb over her horse.
Though the ropes that bound her hands were painfully tight, she thanked her luck Lord Doran had not stuffed the dirty handkerchief back into her mouth. She decided she would keep her mouth shut for the rest of the journey to avoid having to be gagged again.
…
Nightfall seemed to come faster than Emeric had anticipated. He begged Lord Ivran to stop and make camp so he could clean his stag and get it cooking over the fire. “The men are famished!” He argued and Lord Ivran reluctantly nodded his head in agreement and called for a halt.
Emeric dismounted with haste and began rifling through his bags for his skinning knife. Realizing he had not brought one with him when he left Ylia several months ago, he decided his dagger would have to do. He unsheathed the small blade and began pulling the buck off his horse. A couple of Lord Doran’s men who had accompanied him on the hunt rushed over to help the injured man and they pulled the deer away from camp where they could skin it and butcher it without spilling any blood where men would be walking.
An hour later, Emeric was wiping blood off his dagger and his two companions were hauling the meat away to be roasted over the campfire.
Already, tents were erected and the men were huddled around the fire for warmth, drinking from the small supply of ale and spirits they had brought with them and talking loudly and laughing amongst themselves. Emeric eyed them for several moments until he found Lord Ivran, staring into the flames and ignoring the joyful chatter around him. Emeric smiled at him and made his way over to the fire where he sat on an empty log next to Ivran.
“Your deer will certainly be a treat for the men tonight.” Lord Ivran said with a smile.
“Yes, my Lord.” Emeric replied. He tried to smile again but winced in pain. He turned away from Lord Ivran, trying to hide his pain from the man.
With slow movements, careful not to draw attention to what he was doing, Emeric reached into the pocket of his cloak and pulled out a small vile. Inside was the pain draught the Sorcerer Hemart had made for him. It tasted like rotten meat and slid over the tongue like a thick sludge, but Emeric drank it anyway, knowing that within only moments of consuming his pain would subside.
“Are you certain you have enough to last the rest of the journey?” Lord Ivran asked. Emeric knew he had failed at hiding his suffering.
He took a long drink of the thick liquid and swallowed hard, hoping none of it would linger on his tongue and throat. It was hard e
nough to drink it without gagging; carrying it in the mouth would certainly make him vomit.
“Yes, my Lord. I have plenty for the journey. Please, do not worry for me.”
Lord Ivran shook his head as he looked at Emeric. “Of course I worry for you. How did you come to acquire such a ghastly wound? What happened to you?”
Emeric did not know how to reply. He knew he should have told Lord Ivran the truth about the Queen, but pride was stopping him. He lowered his head and stared at the flames before him, hoping Ivran would not inquire again.
Lord Ivran sighed and turned away from Emeric. “In all our years of being friends, I would hope you could tell me anything. But, of course, I will not force you.”
“Thank you.” Emeric whispered and they sat in silence until dinner was announced.
The men who had been placed in charge of cooking brought the venison steaks to the men who sat around the campfire. One was given to each man except Lord Ivran. The cook handed him two steaks with a smile and said the future King of the realm would need all the strength he could get. Lord Ivran smiled politely at the man and waited until he walked away to look down at his two steaks with disgusted eyes.
“Is something the matter, my Lord?” Emeric asked between bites.
“I never cared much for venison and I know for certain I will not be able to finish two steaks.” He looked up to Emeric then turned his eyes out towards the forest as though he planned to throw one steak into the bushes. Emeric watched him with anxiety, hoping Lord Ivran would not waste the meat when suddenly he realized that Ivran was staring at something. He followed his gaze and saw what it was that Ivran had fixed his eyes upon.
Rhada sat off in the distance, away from the camp, with her arms tied tightly around the trunk of a tree- very much the same as the night before. Emeric could only see her silhouette through the darkness but he could see that her gaze was turned upward, towards the stars in the sky.
Lord Ivran turned to Emeric and placed one of the steaks in his open hand.
“Offer this to the High Protector.” He said quietly so the other men would not hear.
“Are you sure, my Lord?” Emeric asked after swallowing his mouth-full of meat.
“Oh yes. She is about to spend the rest of her days eating molding bread and drinking stale water. When she thinks about me in her solitude, I want her to remember this last act of kindness I bestowed upon her- her last, true meal.”
Emeric nodded, agreeing that perhaps she deserved a last meal and he set his steak aside, planning to finish it when he returned.
When he stood, Lord Ivran grasped his cloak sleeve, preventing him from walking away.
“Talk to her.” He said in a gruff and demanding voice. “Try to convince her to tell you where she has hidden the sword.”
“I do not know how you expect me to do that.” Emeric said with concern. He doubted he would even be able to get Rhada to say more than three words to him, let alone tell him the whereabouts of Bloodbinder.
“Try. If anyone can get that information from her, I believe it is you.”
“I will try.” Emeric said, not guaranteeing Lord Ivran anything.
He sauntered over to where the High Protector sat slowly, trying to figure out what he was going to say to her. Perhaps I should just demand she tell me where the sword is. Emeric knew she would only laugh in his face if he did so.
Rhada was restrained far enough away from camp that the light of the fire barely reached her. Lord Ivran wanted to keep her close enough to keep an eye on her, but not close enough to make it feel as though she was a part of the group. Emeric stopped when he was only a few feet away from where she sat and waited for her to acknowledge him. She did not stir at the sound of his coming. She kept her head turned away from him, with her gaze directed up towards the sky. He wondered for a moment if perhaps she had fallen asleep and was about to reach out and shake her when suddenly, she spoke;
“I remember a different time when I stopped to gaze up at the stars. I was a young girl, living at the orphanage in Axendra. There was another girl there who used to pick on me- torment me really.
‘This girl had just punched me right in the face and she and her friends kicked dirt into my eyes as I lay on the ground crying. When they left, I promised myself I would run away. That night I did. I packed what little belongings I had- a pillow and a stuffed doll, and stole away in the middle of the night. Problem was, I had nowhere to go and even if I did, I could never find my way in the maze of a city that Axendra is. I gave up and found a corner to crawl in and cry. I spent that entire night looking up to the stars and wondering why I couldn’t just fly away and live amongst them.”
Emeric shifted uncomfortably, wondering why Rhada was telling him this story from her past. He had to admit he was intrigued. He knew very little about the High Protector and where she had come from. He had had no idea that she was an orphan and the very idea of Rhada being bullied as a child was almost inconceivable.
“They are beautiful.” She said in a softer tone and Emeric thought he could hear her voice choking up, as though she were fighting back tears.
“I have taken them for granted all these years and now I regret it.” She lowered her head but still did not look at him.
“What do you want with me, Emeric?” She said in almost a whisper. “Have you come to shame me as well? Can you not see that I have been broken and shamed enough? I just wish to be left in peace.”
Emeric cleared his throat, wondering how she knew it was him who had come to her when she had not even looked in his direction.
“I have brought food for you.” He said, kneeling in the dirt before her and holding out the steak.
She turned her head slowly towards him and he could see she had indeed been crying. Tears streamed down her cheeks and glistened in the moonlight. Emeric could not explain why the sight of the High Protector in tears filled him with such sadness, but the feeling was almost overwhelming. He had to look away from her for a moment to gather his thoughts. He looked down to the venison in his hand and took in a deep breath.
“Thank you.” She said. “But I do not have an appetite.”
Emeric looked back into Rhada’s eyes before he spoke. “You should eat. Lord Ivran wished to offer you one last meal before you are incarcerated.” Rhada’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Lord Ivran’s name and Emeric knew he was off to a bad start at extracting information from her.
He cleared his throat once again and softened his gaze, wondering if he could reach out to her with kindness in her vulnerable state.
“I caught the buck this morning myself.” He said with a sheepish grin and Rhada, seeming to find a little humor in his attempt to make her eat, nodded.
“Why did you not say that to begin with? Of course I will have some.” Emeric scooted closer to her and held the steak out for her to take a bite. She hesitated for a moment- not wanting to eat out of his hands like a dog, but gathered the courage to do so and took the smallest bite Emeric had ever seen anyone take.
“If you keep eating like that, we will be here all night.” He japed.
“Forgive me, but my stomach is in a knot at the moment. You will have to be patient.” She replied and she opened her mouth for another bite.
After a few moments of Emeric silently feeding Rhada, he gathered the courage to finally ask her the question Lord Ivran had sent him to ask.
“Will you tell me where you have hidden Bloodbinder?” He had not meant to blurt the question out so bluntly but he knew it was too late to put it to her more delicately.
Rhada was about to take another bite of the steak but stopped and peered at Emeric with her intense eyes. She leaned her head against the trunk of the tree and grinned at him.
“So, Lord Ivran’s true purpose is brought to light.” She said.
“Rhada,” Emeric began, hoping he could convince her, “you know better than anyone the realm cannot be left without a High Protector.”
“Yes.” Rhada said flatly, he
r smile vanishing. “But the realm would suffer far more with a Protector who is unworthy of the title rather than no Protector at all.”
Emeric sighed in frustration and lowered the steak. “I am not so certain I agree with that.”
Rhada narrowed her eyes at him before answering, “it does not matter if you agree or not. I have hidden the sword because the sword wanted to be hidden. When the time is right, it will make itself known to the one who is worthy to wield it.”
“And you do not think that I could be the one?” Emeric tried to hide the disappointment in his voice but realized he had been unsuccessful.
Rhada’s gaze softened as she looked at him and she seemed to be considering how to respond. Finally, she spoke, “you are an honorable man, Emeric. I know that with the sword you would accomplish many great deeds.”
“But?”
“But I do not believe you are meant to have it.” She said.
Emeric’s shoulders slumped and he lowered his gaze to the half-eaten steak he held in his lap.
“We will search the castle.” He said. He turned his gaze back to her. “And if I find it, what then? Will the sword answer to me?”
Rhada sighed in indignation but looked to him with compassion. The look in her eyes took him by surprise.
“If you find the blade then it was meant for you.”
“And how shall it be passed on? How will we conduct the test without you?” Emeric had just realized that Rhada’s aid would be necessary to pass the sword on to the next High Protector.
After a few moments of consideration, Rhada replied; “if the sword is found, by you or by anyone else, bring it to Stonehill and from there it shall be passed on.”
“You would be willing to perform the test?” Emeric’s voice beamed with hope.
“No.” Rhada said flatly. Emeric felt his shoulders slump in disappointment once more.
“The one who finds the sword can bring it to Stonehill and end my life with it.” Emeric stiffened in surprise.
Rise of Darkness (The Watchers Book 2) Page 35
