“The morning it is then,” the King said slowly. “Get some rest, it will be a long day, I should think.”
With a quick nod, Aiden led the horse to where others were tethered, and went to find his friends.
* * *
Their tent was massive. Elisa stood in the middle, looking around at all the things Markus had brought, wondering where he had kept them until now. A cushion and blankets lay in the corner, providing a roughly made bed. The rest of the area was filled with an assortment of weapons and maps. She had been extremely nervous when he said they would share a tent, wondering what her father would think. Apparently he didn’t oppose, because now she stood in it, looking at the pile of her things laid neatly beside the bed.
“It’s not much,” she heard Markus’ voice from behind, “but it will have to do.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, drawing her back so she leaned against him. “Are you tired?” he asked, his voice close to her ear.
“Not really,” she answered, praying he didn’t hear the nervousness in her voice. He must have, because she found herself being turned around to face him. His eyes searched hers, a look of concern written in the deep blue of his. She tried to smile reassuringly, but knew she failed that as well.
He let out a sigh, letting his forehead rest against hers. “I know how new this all is for you,” he said, letting his hands stroke her arms. “I only want to make you comfortable and happy. Please tell me when I do something wrong.”
“You’re not doing anything wrong,” she assured him. He pulled back so they could look at each other.
“Are you hungry?”
“A little,” she nodded.
He smiled gently. “I’ll go find you something then.”
He was only gone a short time before he returned with some bread and dried meat. They sat on the bed and ate beside each other. Her mind couldn’t help but wander, and she wondered what her friends were doing. What would they think of her sleeping with Markus? She gave herself a quick mental shake. It didn’t matter what they thought. He was her future husband; they had every right to share a bed.
“Did you ever find the archer?” she asked, breaking the silence around them.
He looked up, his face filled with guilt at the mention of what had originally separated them. If he hadn’t acted so poorly when Elisa had almost been killed by an arrow meant for him, she wouldn’t have left Nysa as suddenly as she had. Since they had been back together, Markus had apologized relentlessly for his behaviour.
“I’m past it,” she answered the unspoken thoughts in his eyes. “I’m just curious.”
He looked slightly relieved, although his mouth was still tight. “Not yet,” he replied, shaking his head. “We left right after you, so I haven’t been able to look into it myself, but we have our suspicions.”
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Who do you suspect?”
He shifted uncomfortably. “Someone in my inner circle who was displeased with me. It’s just a guess really. When we return to the city, I will know for sure. I had some of my best men question him while I was gone.” Elisa blanched at the thought of what their “questioning” would entail. She decided not to inquire any further. They were interrupted anyway.
“My lord,” one of his soldiers said, bowing to them. Elisa wondered how funny they must look, sitting cross-legged on a pile of blankets, eating food out of their laps. Markus looked young and at ease, nothing like the ruler he was. He looked over casually, nodding at the man to continue. “The great warrior and the witch have returned. The High King has asked for your presence.”
“Thank you,” Markus said, dismissing the man. He turned to Elisa with an apologetic smile. “Seems I have to go to work. Would you like to join me?”
She shook her head. “I think I’ll go find my friends for a bit.” She thought she saw his jaw tighten at that, but he smiled quickly, hiding it. She knew he was jealous of Wolf, but she couldn’t just stop seeing her friends because of one person. She wondered what he would think if he knew what had been said between them in the woods. Quickly pushing the thought from her head, she looked at him with an easy smile, hoping to relieve any of his doubts.
“I’ll see you later then,” he said, leaning over to kiss her gently on the lips. He let his mouth linger on hers longer than she had expected, causing a rush of heat to fill her face. It was a simple kiss, but Elisa was still so new to it that she found herself extremely nervous when they touched. Finally he leaned back and smiled again, this time an almost boyish grin. She couldn’t help but smile back. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the idea that you will soon be my wife,” he commented, playing absently with a strand of her hair.
Me neither, she thought. They were practically strangers, and yet they were set to be married. It was odd, how her life had seemingly spun out of control. And yet, she could see he did feel something for her. That was a step in the right direction. Wasn’t it? She had heard of many girls being stuck with men who didn’t love them. Hadn’t she been in a similar situation only a short while ago with Wolf? Markus kissed her forehead before he left, leaving her still lost in thought. Married life with Wolf would have been horrible, she concluded. He would probably go out every night and get drunk, coming home smelling of booze. A shudder ran through her at the thought. He would have been cruel and sarcastic, and they would constantly fight. Never mind his infidelity! Her blood boiled at just the thought. Even though she hardly knew him, and him her, Markus would be the better partner. Sure, there was no passion, per se, but Elisa was convinced that would develop over time. She had never been with a man, certainly it was just her nerves getting the better of her. There would be a time when she would look at Markus the way half the women of the Capital, both married and not, looked at Wolf.
Breathing a deep sigh, she shoved the rest of her uneaten food in her mouth, and grabbed her cloak. She would go and enjoy the night with her friends, while they all tried to forget what was to come in the morning.
* * *
A shadow suddenly dropped down in front of him, causing Aiden to jump back in alarm. “Did I scare you?” Lily asked, her voice instantly putting him at ease. One of his hands rested over the quick beating of his heart.
She stood before him, her head slightly tilted in that innocent, naive way he was used to seeing with her. “I’d like to see the person you don’t scare when you just drop like that.”
She looked back up at the tree she had been in, with confusion. “How else was I going to get down?” He couldn’t help but laugh, slinging his arm around her neck, and crushing her to his side. When he had first met Lily in the west, their conversations only ever consisted of her trying to lure him away. At the time he had thought she meant him harm, but he soon realized she was only trying to protect him. Now that he had spent more time with her, he realized how funny she was, even though she didn’t mean to be. Apparently the forest people were quite literal about things.
“What were you doing up there?” he asked as they walked slowly through the camp. A few of the men nodded in his direction as they warmed themselves by the many fires strewed about camp.
“I was looking for it,” she replied, snuggling deeper into his side.
He looked down questioningly. “What’s ‘it’?”
She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Whatever it is.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he laughed. She didn’t appear ready to elaborate, so Aiden simply grabbed her hand and walked over to the camp where Wolf, Moose, and Logan sat. The three of them smiled as Lily and Aiden took a seat on the opposite side of the fire.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Moose said, with a mischievous grin. “I was worried you’d miss the festivities.” Aiden was about to ask what exactly he meant by that, until he saw Wolf and Logan also give Moose a questioning look.
“What festivities would that be?” Wolf asked, cautiously. With another grin, Moose got up and walked over to where his pack lay on the ground. He ruffled through it f
or a minute, while the rest of them watched in tense silence. When he finally came back, he was holding a small brown piece of cloth. Holding up his hand, to ward off any questions, he knelt beside the flame and began unravelling the cloth. When it was all spread out, Aiden could see an assortment of small tools, and a tiny glass jar with black liquid in it. He looked up to see Wolf’s face turn suddenly white.
“Oh no you don –” Wolf started, quickly standing up, but Moose was grabbing hold of his shoulders.
“Oh yes, brother,” he smiled wickedly. “You’re an official soldier and past the age.” Aiden was confused. When he glanced at Logan he saw a knowing smile plastered on his face.
“What is it?” Aiden asked.
Logan chuckled. “Moose is going to tattoo Wolf!” He sounded so excited it was like he was a kid in a candy store.
Aiden turned with raised eyebrows to where Moose still held Wolf. Wolf looked terrified. “Why does he need to get tattooed?”
“It’s tradition,” Moose explained. “Every Rider gets his first when he reaches the age of nineteen and becomes an official soldier. Wolf has gotten away with not getting one, but not anymore!” He and Logan laughed evilly.
“Where’s yours?” Aiden asked, looking over Moose’s bare chest.
“On my leg,” he answered. “I’d show you, but I wouldn’t want to have Lily fall hopelessly in love with me with all my clothes off.” He heard Lily giggle beside him. Aiden looked back to Wolf’s face, and couldn’t help but smile too. “The tattoos bring us extra protection and strength. There’s no better time to do this,” Moose was saying. Aiden watched as a look of acceptance and resolve settled on Wolf’s face.
“Fine,” he said with a sigh. “But you better get me good and drunk before you start!” Logan and Aiden let out an encouraging cheer.
Logan stood up with another cheer. “I’ll get the booze!”
* * *
When Elisa finally found them, she stopped dead in her tracks. Aiden and Logan each sat on Wolf’s shoulders, while Moose hammered something sharp looking into his brother’s upper arm. Wolf was clenching his teeth with pain, but remained relatively silent. That is, until he shouted for more, whereby Lily would calmly walk up and pour alcohol down his throat.
“What is going on?” Elisa asked, trying to grasp what she was looking at. Lily smiled over at her as she knelt obediently beside a sprawled Wolf.
“Evening Elisa,” Logan smiled. “Have you come to join the party?” His eyes twinkled in the moonlight, and there was a slight slur to his words that told Elisa he was probably just as drunk as his best friend. When she looked at Aiden, she saw his eyes were glassy too.
“Don’t you three ever stay sober before a big day?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“Moose is sober,” Logan said, as if it was an answer to her question.
“Damn right he is!” Wolf cried out, wincing as Moose hammered against him again, probably harder than he needed to. Moose looked up with a pleased smirk. “Damn it Moose, stop being an ass.”
“Stop wiggling then,” he answered, looking down to concentrate again.
“I’m not!”
Elisa walked slowly around to stand behind Moose. His steady hands worked skilfully, as an intricate design seemed to form beneath them. She finally understood what was happening. He was getting a tattoo! Elisa could remember all the designs she saw on the older Riders when she had visited as a child. She didn’t understand how they had them, but she had thought they were wonderful. Now she watched Moose ink a beautiful design on Wolf’s tanned skin.
“How does it look?” Wolf asked, looking up at her. She watched Moose’s work another moment before smiling down at him.
“It looks wonderful,” she said, trying to ignore the pleased look in Wolf’s eyes when she said it. He stared at her for another moment before looking back at the fire.
“Well it hurts like hell,” he said, in a miserable tone.
“I think the Capital has gone and made you soft, little brother,” Moose snickered. Logan and Aiden laughed too, keeping their hold on their friend. “I’m almost done anyway, so stop complaining.” Elisa watched in silence as Moose finished the swirling design that wrapped around the width of his arm. She didn’t know what it meant, but she knew each design had a purpose with the Riders. Finally Moose finished, sitting back on his heels with a look of pride on his face.
Aiden and Logan finally let Wolf go. Wolf stood up, looking down at the now permanent design on his arm. “Not bad, brother,” he said, giving Moose a quick grin. Elisa walked closer until she was right beside him. She looked at the tattoo, admiring how talented Moose was. She wondered if her father would let her get one. I am to be married soon, she thought boldly. That should mean I am a woman who can make her own decisions! Something told her she’d still get in trouble, regardless of her new station in life. She reached out to wipe away a small trickle of blood, causing Wolf to flinch.
“Sorry,” she said, with a sheepish grin. “You’re still bleeding.”
“You’re always looking to hurt me, Elisa,” he said lightly, but something deeper flashed in his eyes. Moose’s loud voice quickly broke their gaze.
“You’re next, Aiden!” he cried out. Elisa watched as Aiden sat up straighter, or tried to, considering how much alcohol was probably in him.
“What? No way!” he answered, shaking his head. “My mom would kill me if I returned home with a tattoo.”
“Aw come on, Aiden! It would be forever proof of your time here,” Logan begged. Elisa couldn’t help but laugh at what bad influences they were on each other.
Aiden just shook his head. “I can’t. Seriously, my mom would kill me.”
Lily clapped her hands merrily. “I think you should do it! Look how wonderful Wolf looks now!”
“Now?” Wolf said, incredulously. “I always look wonderful!” He smiled his most charming smile at the other girl. Something tightened in Elisa’s stomach, but she ignored it.
Aiden looked over at Lily, with a look of such betrayal Elisa couldn’t help but find herself giggling. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“I am on your side,” Lily answered seriously. “I’m sitting right here.” Now they all laughed, although poor Lily didn’t seem to catch on.
“Never mind,” Aiden laughed, with a shake of his head. “I’m not doing it, end of story. Why don’t you do it Logan?” All eyes turned to him now.
Logan simply smiled, but shook his head. “No way, I’m not letting Moose touch me with anything permanent. I’ll likely leave here with some sign for idiot on my arm.”
Moose grabbed his heart in mock hurt. “I would never!” he proclaimed.
“I’ll do it,” Elisa called out, before she realized what she was actually saying. Everyone’s laughter died as they all turned to look at her.
Moose cocked one eyebrow at her. “You’ll do it?” She was suddenly nervous under their intense scrutiny. Standing taller, she nodded her head confidently.
“Sure, why not? I think you did a wonderful job with Wolf’s, and now I want one.”
“What will Markus think of you getting a tattoo?” Wolf injected, his voice tense, and his eyes narrowed at her.
“Who cares what Markus says!” Moose suddenly barked, slapping Elisa affectionately on the back. The force sent her staggering forward a bit. “If she says yes then I say, let’s do it!” Moose rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Walking over to the spot where Wolf had been, she laid down, trying her best not to show them how much her hands had begun to shake. Wolf was quickly by her side, kneeling by her right shoulder.
“Lily, get the alcohol ready,” he instructed, placing both his hands on Elisa’s shoulder. “Aiden, come hold her other side.” Aiden instantly got up, disappearing from her sight, until she felt his hands on her other shoulder. Lily walked up, holding the bottle to her lips.
“I-I don’t think I want any,” Elisa stammered.
“Oh yes you do,” Wolf said, hi
s tone very serious.
“Trust us, Elisa,” Logan said, from where he sat by the fire, “you’ll feel much better if your mind is a little less – focused.” Seeing no reason to argue further, she swallowed the large mouthful that Lily poured, grimacing against the awful taste.
“That’s my girl,” Wolf said softly. Lily went to give her more, but she saw Wolf hold out a hand to stop her. “That’s enough for now. She’ll need more as we go. Let’s try to spread it out a bit.” Nodding her head, she watched Lily sit beside her like she had for Wolf, waiting for her next instruction.
“Where do you want it?” Moose asked. Elisa thought. She didn’t want it on her arm, because then she’d never be able to hide it from her father, not to mention how it would be seen when she would dresses to formal gatherings.
“On my stomach,” she said, figuring it was the smartest choice. Smart might not be the best description for what she was doing, but there was no turning back now. She felt Moose’s hands under the hem of her shirt, pulling it up so it stopped just below her bust. Wolf’s hands suddenly tightened on her shoulder. She was about to say something to him, when she felt the first prick of the needle.
“Ow!” she cried out. They all laughed, except Wolf.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Moose asked, looking down at her. Holding her breath, she nodded her head, and braced for the next hit. He did it again, and she thought she was going to be sick from the feeling.
“Lily,” she said, grabbing the other girl’s attention.
“Yes?”
“I need more alcohol.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The meeting hadn’t lasted long. Jameson, Turk, Markus, and his Captain had all met to go over the plans for the next day. It was clear that any help from the rest of Markus’s men on the island was not going to happen. The northern army had the shore heavily guarded, and the boat ride from Nysa would leave the Sun troops vulnerable. It was also too far for their archers to reach enemy lines. That left them with just the King’s Army for this fight. Jameson could tell this upset Markus. Any leader would want his men to be a part of a battle such as this, but there was just no way around it.
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