Good. If the young woman recovered in time, she might break free.
Even if Markus had to die in the process.
He ran through the underbrush, branches snapping around him. When he reached his supplies beside the lake, he grabbed his sword.
The man stopped for a moment, then darted back through the trees. Markus raced after him, crashing through the dense vegetation, and returned to the clearing where the young woman lay so still. The Imperial Guard was closing in on her. Too close.
"Stop!" Markus said, lending his voice authority he didn't know he possessed. "Yeah, you can kill her, but that'll give me just enough time to kill you. You wanna take that risk? Your battle's with me now. Leave her alone."
The man turned, his face a mask of anger. Before Markus could think better of it, he charged, forgetting in the heat of the moment everything his uncle had ever taught him about sword fighting.
He attacked with a wild swing, so wild the Imperial Guard struggled to block it. The man stumbled backward, away from the young woman, and Markus pushed him farther that way, advancing with a series of quick strokes.
Markus moved with the instincts his uncle had trained into him, the sword an extension of his body as he and his partner performed an intricate dance. He'd taken this woman's life into his hands, and he would not fail her.
However, Markus could only target his opponent's head and neck, which the man guarded with special effort.
"You can't beat me," he said. "Give up the fight."
Markus delivered a thrust that struck the Imperial Guard's chainmail. "Not a chance. I've had enough of you bastards doing whatever you want."
"Well, if that's the best you can do, I ain't too worried."
Markus jumped away, dodging his opponent's strike by inches. He couldn't find any opening in the man's defenses. Heart pounding, Markus turned and ran again. Not too far, though. He stopped at the other side of the clearing, near a narrow path he'd never taken before.
The Imperial Guard followed, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "You're really beginning to annoy me."
"It's not my fault you're so intent on killing her. Why can't you just leave her alone?"
"You don't know anything. This woman's a rebel. She deserves to die." He advanced again, his fiery gaze set on Markus.
Markus barked a laugh. "All the more reason for me to save her."
His only hope lay with the Order. Maybe they could shelter him. He had to go to Mountainside, even if it meant dying in the swamp.
He backed against a tree, knowing he couldn't fight much longer. In the center of the clearing, the woman stirred feebly. Maybe she could come to his aid.
Stalling for time, he delivered a few blows with his sword, all of which the Imperial Guard countered with ease. Markus turned to defensive tactics, keeping his opponent away and tiring him.
Whenever Markus could, he sneaked glances at the young woman, who'd pushed herself to her feet. With a start, he saw the bow slung across her back, and felt a flicker of hope.
All the woman needed was a clean shot.
Markus's right arm was beginning to hurt. He caught the woman's eye, then darted down the narrow path he'd seen earlier, following a straight course at first. But then tree roots began crowding the path, and low-hanging branches scratched at his face.
His foot caught against an enormous tree root. The ground came hurtling toward him, and he hit with a jarring thud that knocked the wind out of him. His sword slid a few feet away. He reached for it, but then the Imperial Guard fell atop him.
When Markus tried to move, the Imperial Guard wouldn't budge. Was the man dead?
Light but hurried footsteps came from behind. "Are you all right?"
The young woman, he guessed. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I could use a little help here. This guy's armor ain't exactly light."
"All right, I'll try to push him."
Markus twisted his body and pushed against the Imperial Guard, freeing himself with the young woman's help. He glanced at the arrow sticking out of the dead man's head. "What about you? Are you okay?"
She was pale, and sweat drenched her curly brown hair. "I-I don't think so."
"Is it your head? He kicked you pretty hard."
"No." She shook her head and winced. "It's not that. Well, yes, my head hurts, but that's not what's bothering me." She bit her lower lip. "Thank you for rescuing me."
"Um, no problem." Markus scratched at his head. What the hell was he supposed to say in a situation like this? He scooted away from the dead man, feeling hollow and sick to his stomach.
"I can't believe I killed him," she said so quietly he could barely hear her. "All these years I've thought about killing people like him, but when you actually do it—I don't know—it feels different."
"Well, you had to kill him to save me, to save yourself. You had no choice."
She stared at the dead man for a long moment, then turned away, rising to her feet. Markus thought she was going to leave, but then she stopped a few trees away.
"I know I had no choice," she said, leaning against a tree. "And I know he deserved it. But you don't understand how something like this feels until you actually do it. I never thought it would feel like this."
Markus had no answer for that. He'd never killed anyone and hoped he'd never have to. He rose and stepped a few feet closer to her. "You mean you were planning on killing people to begin with?"
"That's none of your business."
"Yeah, I guess that was kind of personal. Sorry." His face burned. He was such an idiot. "Um, do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."
She looked away. "No, I don't think so."
"I know I've seen you in Crayden, but not dressed like this. And obviously not so sweaty and, um, wild looking."
She let out a sharp laugh. "Don't you have a way with words? Wild looking?"
"Well, you are covered in scratches, twigs, and leaves. Doesn't that fit the description?" Stupid again. Why had he just said that? He'd never felt this awkward around anyone.
"That doesn't matter," she said, failing to hide a smile. "Even if you think a girl looks like crap, you're supposed to say she's beautiful."
"Well, Rik's always said I don't have the touch with women."
She looked away again, maybe to hide another smile. When she turned back, she said, "I don't think I ever asked you your name. I suppose I should know whom to thank so that my father can reward you."
"Markus. And yours? After all, you saved my life too. It's only fair."
Her face turned red. "You don't need to know my name. It's not important."
"I just saved your life. I think that earns me the right to know your name."
She turned silent again, striking him as too secretive and standoffish.
After a tense silence, she said, "Thank you again for saving me, but you don't need to know my name. I've just been through a very bad morning. Someone betrayed the Order, so I can't be too careful right now. I'm sorry."
"Honestly, you're worried that I might betray you to the Imperial Guards? The last time I checked, I just helped you kill an Imperial Guard. I'm the last person who'd betray you."
He could almost recall where he'd seen her. Maybe if he talked to her a while longer, he'd learn her name—even if she didn't reveal it herself.
She looked away again. "That's probably true."
"Wait, I know who you are! You're Lady Nadia, the high lord's daughter. That's why I recognized you. I saw you with your father on the stage in the center of town a few months ago when Emperor Warrick came to speak. You didn't look happy."
Her face reddened further. "How did you know?"
"Well, I knew you were a lady of high standing. You talked about your father rewarding me, and you used whom instead of who. Then it all came together in my head."
"That's some pretty good logical deduction. You seem quite smart for a young woodsman."
"Oh, I'm not that smart. Just ask my friend Rik. He's the smart one around here. W
ell, sometimes at least." Markus still felt angry about Woodsville.
They both fell silent, staring at one another in an awkward silence broken only by the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects. Markus couldn't shake the feeling that this was all a dream.
"So what were you doing here in the forest?" he asked, thinking she'd refuse to share her secrets again.
She wrung her hands together. "I went to a meeting of the Order. Somehow, Imperial Guards found out about it. Most of us got away, but one Imperial Guard chased me all the way here."
"You ran that far? I wouldn't expect that from a young lady of high standing. I thought people like you spent all their time sewing or something."
Another stupid statement. Why couldn't he say anything intelligent?
She gave him a frigid glare. "I assure you there is more to my life than sewing and walking around in pretty dresses. Or do you think it was luck that put an arrow through the back of that man's head?"
"Sorry, I was actually trying to compliment you. You know, most women in your position wouldn't know how to shoot straight."
To his surprise, she laughed. The tension in his shoulders eased, and he allowed himself to lean casually against a nearby tree.
"You have that right," she said. "Most noblewomen are useless."
"So why're you so good with a bow?"
She glanced around, fixing her gaze for a long moment on the dead Imperial Guard. "Don't you think we should go somewhere else? We don't want to be seen."
"Yeah, good idea." He also felt ashamed to stand so close to the man they'd killed together. It seemed as if the whole world was watching and judging them. They started walking, in silence at first, but eventually the silence grated on Markus. "You still haven't told me why you're so good with a bow."
She didn't look at him. "I don't want to talk about it. Not right now."
"Sorry. Didn't mean to upset you."
Why was she so hard to talk to? He'd spoken to other girls before, and it hadn't been this hard. Then again, he hadn't killed anyone with other girls.
She seemed determined to stay ahead of him, though she didn't appear to have any idea where she was going. When he increased his pace, he saw tears streaming down her face.
He put a hand on her shoulder, then wondered if that was the right thing to do. They barely knew each other. After removing his hand, he said, "What's wrong?"
She walked a few feet away, then collapsed against a nearby tree. Her voice was thick with tears. "I-I don't know why I'm sharing this all with you, but I guess I owe you something. I wouldn't be alive now if you hadn't stepped in."
Markus knelt down beside her, hoping he'd sound reassuring. "You don't have to share anything you don't want to. I'll understand."
"No, it's fine. I'll tell you. When I went to the meeting, two guards came with me. Varek and Len, two of my closest friends in the world. They died protecting me. It really hit me just now that I'll never see them again. Just like my mother." She put her head in her arms. "I can't take this anymore."
"It's not your fault. Those people died because of Warrick. Just like your mother. Just like thousands of others. You can't blame yourself for the deeds of an evil man."
She looked up at him, her face streaked with tears. "When did woodsmen become so wise? You're right. I can sit here feeling bad all I want, but that's not going to accomplish anything. I swore that day four years ago that I would kill Warrick. That hasn't changed."
"Now I understand. That's who you've been thinking about killing."
"I can't believe I'm sharing all this with you. I can't believe I let you see me so vulnerable. I barely know you. Nobody gets to see me like this, not even Kara. I'm really not the kind of person who cries all the time."
Markus scooted closer to her, but not too close. "I never thought you were, Nadia. You've just been through something terrible. It's okay to cry."
She wiped the tears from her face, then rose and began walking again. Markus followed. After a few minutes of silence, she stopped and turned to him. "This is going to sound stupid, but how do we get back to Crayden?"
Markus stepped ahead of her. "I'll lead the way."
He hadn't had any intention of going to Crayden, but he couldn't allow her to walk home alone in her current state. There was also that reward she'd mentioned. If he was going to set out on his own, he'd need money.
"You haven't told me anything about you," she said as they walked.
After a moment of internal debate, he said, "Well, I guess my life isn't exactly going great either. When I was three years old, my parents died. I still don't know how, but I suspect Warrick had something to do with it. After they died, my uncle, an Imperial Guard at the time, raised me."
Her eyes widened. "Your uncle was an Imperial Guard? Do you still live with him?"
"I know what you're thinking." He pushed aside a low-hanging branch. "They're not all horrible people. My uncle certainly isn't. He did make some kind of deal, though, a deal that means I have to become an Imperial Guard tomorrow."
Her mouth dropped open, and she stopped.
"Don't worry," he said. "I have no intention of becoming an Imperial Guard. I tried to get out of the Empire, but I failed. I'm still not sure why they left me alive. Now I think I'm gonna try my luck by going to Mountainside. I'll probably get killed on the way, but anything's better than serving Warrick."
She stood frozen in the middle of the clearing they'd entered. Markus felt tense, unable to read her expression.
At last, she started walking again. "Did you ever think of trying to kill Warrick?"
"No. Why would I try to do the impossible?" He felt a jolt of panic. "Not to say anything's wrong with your dreams. I just don't see how they can happen."
"Don't worry. I get that a lot. I think it's possible. It has to be."
"You never know. Maybe it is. Why fight if we can't ever hope to win? Especially since you can't leave the Empire. There's an invisible barrier on the other side of the mountains. No one can cross it."
"I didn't know that," she said. "That gives me even more reason to kill him."
Markus thought a moment. "I hope you find a way to make that happen. I mean, I want to see him dead. I just can't see myself being the one to make it happen. No, I'm better off hiding out in Mountainside."
"Well, I hope you make it there."
They walked in silence for the next few minutes, listening to the sounds of birds, insects, and animals scurrying through the underbrush. When they reached the edge of the forest and Crayden came into view, they stopped.
"I was wondering something," Markus said, staring at the valley in which Crayden sat, at the canyon the bridge crossed. "Why didn't you shoot him sooner?"
"I was panicking." Her face turned red again. "Besides, have you ever tried shooting a moving target while you're also on the move? Trust me, it's not easy."
"Yeah, you have a good point there. I'm a terrible shot."
She smiled. "You're probably not that bad."
Markus thought about disagreeing, but he'd let her believe whatever she wanted. He enjoyed seeing her smile after the day she'd been through.
* * * * *
Darien's head pounded. He'd spent too long looking at the Webs of Fate and praying that Nadia and Markus, as Weavers, would find a way out of their predicament.
He needed them. To gain the power necessary to improve the world, he needed three items: the Stone of Creation, the Stone of Destruction, and the Stone of Restoration. He already had the first two, but Cyrus and others had hidden the third from him. For some reason he did not yet understand, he needed people like Nadia, Markus, Berig, and Tylen to uncover the stone.
If they died, Darien's plans would die right with them.
When he peered that far into the future, though, he found too many dark strands. Were they dark because of the time distance, or because of the same unknown force that made so many of the strands dark? Nothing bothered Darien like feeling he wasn't in control.
<
br /> And the dark strands did that to him.
His whole body felt tense and sore. He rang a bell, calling his steward into the room.
"What do you need?" asked the young man.
"Send a servant to give me a massage."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
Darien followed his steward out of the room, then through the corridor. They parted ways at the entrance to Darien's chambers. Darien entered the room and collapsed onto the bed. Light Magic made him immortal, but it didn't prevent hunger, pain, or fatigue.
A few minutes later, the servant entered the room. She had given him massages many times before, and she was quite pretty. At times, he had wanted more from her, but he could tell she had no interest in him, that she was scared of him. He wouldn't force himself on her. Many of the rebels would have expected him to be that kind of man, but he wasn't.
Still, it had been a long time since he'd had any companionship. In his early years, some women had been attracted to his power, to what they considered his handsome looks. He'd never let them get too close, though. They would only complicate his plans.
The servant moved along his body, massaging his sore neck and shoulders for a long time. He grunted a few times, but said nothing else.
What did he have in common with someone like her?
For so many years, he had set himself apart. He had never been comfortable around others, save for his old friends from his days at the Academy, but in recent years, he had shunned nearly all contact. It wasn't a healthy way to live, but it had become normal to him. Comfortable.
In the Webs, he had seen hints of companionship. There was a young blond woman whose face appeared at times, but then he'd hit a dark strand.
"Your Majesty," the servant said, "I can't help you if you won't relax."
"Sorry," Darien said, making an effort to let his tension go.
How could he relax when so much depended on him?
Chapter 17: A Bittersweet Return
Nadia didn't want to return to the castle, didn't want to see her father, didn't want to explain what had happened or face the loss of Varek and Len. Markus walked beside her, glancing around nervously. She had no encouraging words for him.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 13
