“Goddess she has a lot of issues,” he said lightly, but the look in his eyes was one of concern. He threw a glance at the closed door, then walked over to stand in front of Aiden. “Shall we?”
“Shall we what?”
“Go for a ride, of course!” he smiled. “What else is there to?”
The two boys rode as fast as their horses would take them, whipping through vast fields as the wind rushed past their faces. It was invigorating to ride at such a speed, as if it were the only real way to feel alive. It was no wonder the Riders loved their horses so much, Aiden reflected. He wondered if Wolf ever missed this sort of thing in the Capital. It was impossible to even keep up a conversation, but neither of them seemed to mind. The action of riding was enough to let out any issues they might feel. Finally Moose slowed down, motioning for Aiden to do the same.
“I feel bad for her,” Moose said, looking up at the blue sky.
“For who?” Aiden asked, slightly taken off guard.
“Rain. I feel bad that she wants to be one of us and she can’t,” he explained.
“Maybe she can –”
Moose interrupted him with a laugh. “No, she can’t. It just isn’t the way of our people. And besides, my father would never allow it. They think it is bad luck to bring women along during a hunt. She really is quite a good rider though.”
Aiden looked over at him, his eyebrows raised in surprise. The idea of Rain riding a horse like them seemed shocking almost. She was so tiny, and their horses were such large, grand beasts that to picture someone as small as her riding one was almost impossible.
“Wolf used to work with her when my father was away on the hunt. He treated her just like she was a boy and it paid off. He never once took it easy on her, even when I told him to.” A small smile filled his face as he sunk into a thoughtful silence. Aiden waited while Moose remembered. “Ever since he left, no one has paid much attention to her.” A sudden feeling of sympathy filled Aiden. Moose looked over at him and shrugged. “I think that’s why she acts out so much, you know?”
“Maybe we should take her out for a ride?” he suggested.
Moose shook his head. “My father wouldn’t like it, and I’m supposed to be the next chief. I can’t be encouraging her to act inappropriately.”
“Well, what if I just took her out then?”
“You could try,” Moose smiled. “But something tells me she doesn’t like you much.” They both laughed. It was true, she certainly wasn’t impressed by him. But maybe they could be friends, Aiden hoped. Suggesting they turn back, both boys kicked their horses into a full gallop again, letting the adrenaline fill them.
When they returned, he found her sitting against the stone wall at the back of the house. She was reading a book and had a small orange cat curled in her lap.
“Hey,” Aiden greeted, announcing himself before he scared her. Rain looked up disinterestedly. She always did this; always made him feel awkward and unwelcome. Shrugging off those feelings, he continued with the plan he had decided on. If she didn’t want to be friends then fine, but he would at least try. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out for a ride?” She raised her eyebrows.
“Like a date?” she asked, her voice dripping with cynicism.
“No, not like a date,” he corrected immediately. “Like two friends going out for a ride. Moose says you’re really good, so I thought you might want to get away for a bit.” Rain looked thoughtfully at him for a second. Finally she lifted the small cat off her lap and stood up.
“Alright, let’s go.”
They walked the horses to the outside of Avalon before mounting them. Then Rain took off before Aiden was even prepared. Cursing, he kicked his horse forward, pushing him to keep up with her. They stayed like this for a while before she finally slowed down. Her face was pink with excitement. It was the first time Aiden had ever seen her look happy and content, rather than angry or bored.
“That was fun,” she laughed. Aiden smiled back while peering into the forest beside them. There were no spells out here to protect them. “You’re not bad for someone who isn’t from the west.”
“Thanks,” Aiden said sarcastically.
Rain chuckled. “I don’t mean to say that we’re the only tribe that’s good at riding –”
Aiden held up his hands. “Sure, sure, I get it. Wolf was the one who taught me, so I guess that would explain my ‘not badness,’” he replied, using his hands to make the quotations around the last two words.
“Well, he did a good job.”
“Yes he did.” He looked over at her intently, letting the words hang in the air. She turned to look back towards Avalon.
“Should we get back?”
He took another slow look at the forest’s edge. She probably wanted him to say no, but he didn’t want to push their luck. He had that feeling in his gut like they were being watched. He could feel eyes on him, but couldn’t decide if they were friend or enemy. Looking back to her and the longing in her eyes, Aiden made his decision.
“How about a bit further, then we’ll turn back?” The only response he got was a quick smile before she took off again. He scrambled to follow once more.
* * * * *
She watched him ride away, struggling after the girl. It was weird how easily she could find him now. There was a connection between them, although she wasn’t sure if he felt it too. She did, though. It was unsettling and intriguing.
Swinging from the branch she sat on, she landed lightly on the forest floor. It would be dark soon, and she could enter the Rider’s city again and try to lure him out. It wasn’t like Lily to feel protective of a human, but she knew it was the right thing to do, even if the Goddess hadn’t come to her.
It was right after they had kissed and she had been chased away. Lily had been sitting beside the river, far away from where the humans had been. A squirrel sat beside her as she washed her long white hair in the cold water. It didn’t bother her, the coldness. She didn’t feel such things anymore.
“My daughter,” a voice called out, filling the small space with light and floral scents. She knew who it would be even before she turned to look. The Goddess sat on a rock, shaded by a large tree. Her long golden hair was braided, flowers woven throughout. She had the same bronzed skin as Lily’s, but hers shone so brightly it almost hurt to look at. Peace and love was written on her perfect face; her tiny pink lips raised in a welcoming smile, and bright emerald eyes observing her lovingly.
“Mother,” Lily smiled, bowing her head to the floor.
“Come sit with me.” Lily left her spot beside the river, and sank down to the floor beside the large rock. The Goddess patted her lap, so Lily lowered her head there, while long thin fingers stroked her hair. It was blissful and comforting, and neither of them spoke for so long that Lily found herself almost falling to sleep. “You have met an important person today,” she said. Lily looked up questioningly at her. “The boy you kissed has stayed with his own to tell of it.” An embarrassed and ashamed blush filled her face. “Do not feel so,” she chided Lily. “The ways of your kind cannot be helped, but as you see, some are not so easily affected. I believe you will soon learn how different this boy truly is.”
“Why mother?”
She shrugged her elegant thin shoulders, smiling down affectionately at her. “I need you to watch over him for me, my child,” she said. “There are those who wish him harm and we mustn’t allow it.” She told Lily what to do, then just as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone. Lily was left alone, feeling the cold that always came whenever the Goddess left. Turning to the squirrel that had remained by her side, she relayed the message and sent it off, hoping her sister would react in time.
Now Lily was walking through the forest, quickly approaching the hidden city before sundown. Despite the old man’s magic, her people could still see the Rider’s homes. It was good, strong magic, but the forest people had been around far too long to be tricked by such things. She sat and waited, exploring
different ways she could convince him to leave. He had already been told of her kind, so it was going to be difficult to make him trust her, but it was the only way. She had to get him out of there, or the Goddess would never forgive her. Nor would she forgive herself, she admitted.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Callum walked hurriedly towards Brutus’ private office. A young soldier had knocked on their bedroom door an hour after he and Rose had fallen asleep. Grumbling, he walked over, shivering in the cold, damp bedroom, and opened the door to see the young man standing there apprehensively. When he spoke, his voice shook. Now, as he approached the office, he wondered what had happened that would possess Brutus to wake him up in the middle of the night.
“Ah, there you are!” Brutus’ voice boomed as Callum opened the door. His head was still fuzzy with sleep, and the other man’s loud voice made him cringe.
“This better be important, Brutus. I was sleeping,” he said, lowering himself comfortably into one of the large chairs that sat by the fire in his office. Brutus sat beside him.
“I would never take you away from your lovely wife if it weren’t important,” he smiled, offering Callum a hot glass of mulled wine. He shook his head, gesturing for him to get on with it.
“Something has happened that’s changed our plans a little,” he said cryptically.
“Would you like to elaborate on that?”
“You know, I would if I could, but unfortunately that was as much as Aziz told me.”
“Aziz? This is because of him?” Callum asked, his voice betraying his annoyance.
Brutus took a deep, tired sigh before continuing. “Look, I don’t know what is going on with him, but whatever he has planned, which he assures me will bring about our ultimate victory, something has happened that has pushed everything forward. We need to move our men towards the west now, even though that means you’ll be a couple of days behind us in your attack.”
Callum stared into the fire. “The whole reason for us separating was to synchronize the attacks. It was Aziz’s genius plan to begin with.” Brutus shrugged. “If he would only explain what he had planned, this would be a lot easier to swallow.” If he was being honest with himself, this whole plan bothered him more because it meant another fight with Rose sooner than he had anticipated. It was no secret that she planned on coming with him, but if Callum had his way, she would stay where she was. The castle wasn’t the nicest place to live, but it was better than a boat…and safer. The thought of her even near the fighting made him sick to his stomach. She was so tiny and fragile, and now that she was with child it felt like everywhere he looked there was something looming to hurt and destroy her. Callum had never felt so protective of another person in his entire life. Not that he didn’t want his crown back as much as he had before. If – when, he did get it back, they would be able to live comfortably in the palace in the Capital. Brutus looked at him attentively, waiting for his reply.
“When will you leave?” he asked, bracing for the answer.
“Tomorrow,” Brutus replied, looking at him thoughtfully. It was as bad as Callum had expected. “I know you don’t want to leave her,” Brutus continued, “especially in her condition. But the sooner we go, the sooner it will all be over.” The confidence in his voice was always reassuring. There was never a doubt that they would win in the end, despite the travesty of the last battle.
“She wants to come with me,” Callum confessed, looking over at his friend wearily. A large smile spread across the other man’s face. “It’s not funny, Brutus. I can’t have her come.”
Brutus’ loud laugh filled the room. “Well, I understand where you’re coming from my boy, but let me just say I’d like to see you try and make that girl stay home when her heart is dead set against it.” He continued to chuckle as Callum stared miserably into the fire. They sat in silence before Brutus spoke up again. “As soon as I saw her I knew she’d be a feisty one. It must be that gorgeous red hair,” he said, almost to himself. Callum looked over at him. During his time in the north, Brutus had become the brother and the best friend he had desperately needed. He was genuine and that made them get along instantly. When Rose came into the picture, Callum hadn’t known what his friend’s reaction would be; it was a relief to see how quickly Brutus took to her. There was no doubt in Callum’s mind that Brutus cared for her almost as much as he did, and that no matter what, Brutus would look out for her if Callum couldn’t.
“So what you’re saying is that I’m doomed?” Callum said, trying to lighten the mood. Brutus looked over with his beaming smile.
“You’ve been doomed since the day you found her.”
* * * * *
It was already beginning to grow light outside by the time she felt him crawl back into bed. Rose turned around to look at him. Callum smiled at her, but she could see that his eyes looked darker and more worried than they normally did. When he had left to meet Brutus, Rose tried to stay up, knowing that it wasn’t going to be good. Looking at him now, she realized just how right she had been.
“What happened?” she asked, reaching up to sweep away a long strand of dark hair that had fallen across his face. She placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the scratchy texture of his beard.
“Something changed,” he said slowly, measuring his words carefully. “We need to leave sooner than expected.”
“How soon?” she asked, trying to keep her panic down. As strongly as she felt about going with him, there was a huge part of her that was scared to be out at sea. Callum watched her closely.
“Tomorrow,” he replied. Rose’s heart thudded in her ears. She turned onto her back, staring up at the burgundy curtains that hung around the bed. Callum moved closer, draping his large arm across her belly. “You don’t have to come Rose. You can stay here where you’re safe and I’ll return when we’re done.”
“And what if you don’t?” she asked, turning to look at him.
He hesitated. “I cannot predict such things, but if that were to happen, would you really want to be there?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. A defeated sigh escaped his lips. They had already fought long and hard about this. Callum was well aware that she wasn’t budging.
“Sleep now,” he said, kissing her gently on the forehead. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
“It is the morning,” she pointed out.
“Later in the morning,” he smiled. “I need sleep first. That man talks too much.” She rolled back onto her side with his arm still wrapped securely around her, and fell into a restless sleep.
* * * * *
That morning, everybody in the castle was moving with increased speed and purpose. Brutus was leaving that day, along with two hundred men. The distance between the north and the Rider’s home, Avalon, was only three days away, as long as they kept up a hard pace. Brutus would push them, with no rest to welcome them when they reached their destination. Thankfully the sun was shining bright. A good omen.
Rose stood nervously on the bridge that connected the castle to the courtyard in front of it. She felt out of place, and was reminded of the last time she stood by while they went to war. Even though her village was technically in the north, found only a few miles away from the base of the mountain she now lived in, something inside her felt like it was her people they were going to kill. Perhaps it was because Felix fought for the High King, or maybe it was just the way her father had always respected the leaders of the Capital City. Either way, she felt sick to her stomach as she watched them all, and wished deeply that the fighting would stop. It made no sense in her mind. Here they were safe and undisturbed. As far as she knew, no one had ever attacked the rulers in the northern mountains. Only a fool would lead an army up the treacherous and freezing slopes. Why Brutus couldn’t just be content with what he had baffled her. Sometimes Rose wondered if it was out of sheer boredom that he attempted to usurp the other regions of Eden.
“Deep in thought?” a familiar deep voice whispered in her ear.
Looking over her shoulder, Callum stood with an easy smile on his face, the bright sun betraying the natural auburn highlights in his long dark hair. He had recently shaved his face. He looked much younger than he had when they first met. Sometimes his simple beauty still left her breathless. It was hard to believe she had ever been scared of this man.
“Observing,” she answered, smiling back at him before turning back to face the bustle of people. His strong arms circled around her waist from behind, and he rested his chin lightly on her shoulder.
“I see…” he replied in an unconvinced tone.
“Why is Brutus attacking the Riders?” she asked blatantly. Callum rarely discussed war with her. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was protecting her, or ashamed for being a part of something so horrible.
Callum shrugged his massive shoulders casually. “Brutus wants all of Eden, not just the Capital City. Right now the west is vulnerable to attack, and we both know Brutus is not the type to pass up a good opportunity.”
“I thought Avalon was protected by magic? My father told us stories about it,” she recalled, sending a silent prayer up to her dearly missed parents. “He said no one can see it unless the Riders allow it. He promised to take us there one day,” she added, her voice sounding sad and tired, even to her own ears.
“It is well protected. Your father was right – no one can see it.”
“Then how?” she asked, turning to face him.
Callum stood up straight, not looking at her, but out at the people around them. “Aziz has arranged something, but I honestly don’t know what.” His voice betrayed his frustration. “There is something there, in the west, which is of a grave importance to him. So right now the west is our priority.”
“That is why Brutus is leaving so soon?”
“Whatever Aziz wants there has been complicated, so Brutus must secure it. Again, I have no idea what it is, but as far as I understand, the city will be waiting for them, open and vulnerable.” All the colour drained from her face. “Are you feeling well?” he asked, suddenly looking down at her. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, his deep brown eyes searching hers with a look of concern. One hand moved to rest on the bump that stood between them.
The Eden Series: The Complete Collection Page 43
