“Will Baldemar be able to open it?” I asked as I examined the box. There were no markings on the outside except for scratches which most likely occurred when the ogres attacked us. From what I had learned, my parents had been moving to another town.
“Yes, would you like me to come?” he asked.
I shook my head and said, “I should do this myself.”
“We are here if you need us,” he whispered.
I followed him out of the keep and to Baldemar’s workshop. “Baldemar,” I called, “I need a favor.”
He walked out of the back and smiled. “You’ve returned already!”
“Yes, the mission was easier than we expected,” I said softly. Or it had become easier since I’d killed an entire army by myself.
“That’s good. You should stay home more often,” he said.
I held up the box. “Can you get this lock off without damaging it?” I asked him to change the subject.
He examined it and nodded his head. “It does not appear to be spelled so I could be able to just cut it off.” He disappeared for a moment and the twins came out.
“Marin!” they said at the same time. I smiled at them and they handed me a bag of rolls. “We just made these. Will you take some to Alex for us?”
“Of course,” I said. “Thank you.”
Baldemar returned and asked, “Do you want the lock or shall I melt it?”
“Melt it, but can you make me another lock to use that has a key?” I asked him.
He walked to the wall where he kept baskets of items and returned with a lock and key. “Here you go.”
I bowed to him. “Thank you.”
“Anytime, Death Bringer.”
I smiled and hurried to Alex to give him the rolls. I actually wanted to open the box in private so I would just give him the rolls and leave. I hurried to the stables where he was cleaning stalls. “The twins asked me to bring you rolls,” I said as I hung the bag on a hook by the tack room.
“Oh, thank you.”
I took a roll and smiled at him when I took a bite. “I’ll see you later.”
“Marin,” he called after me. “Congrats on becoming a Protector.”
“Thank you!” I called back as I hurried to my hiding spot. Sebastian and Favian were nowhere to be seen so I sat down and after taking a deep breath I opened the box. It had several letters, a picture of a man, woman and baby, some money and a pretty sapphire. I examined the picture and realized it was my family, my birth family. I knew the man had been my mother’s husband and not my father, but it did not matter to me who he was if he had been loyal to my mother. I gingerly set the picture to the side and opened the first letter. It was a letter from a relative to my mother asking her to come live with them. It seemed the relative was getting older and needed help around their farm. That was probably why my family had been moving when we had been attacked by the ogres. There were several more from the same relative, but I skipped over them to open a folded up stack of papers. It was thick and heavy as I pulled it out.
It was a contract between my mother’s husband and the mayor of a town called Aralia. I had heard of Aralia, but had never been there. The contract was for a large sum of money and listed my name. I stopped skimming the contract and really started reading it.
“Oh no,” I whispered in shock. The contract was a marriage arrangement between me and the mayor’s son. It said that at eighteen we would be married in Aralia. Oh this was bad. This was terrible! I couldn’t marry someone I didn’t know! How could he have done this?!
Was this where my true father wanted me to go? Aralia?
“Yes,” he whispered, “You are to go there and seek out the mayor’s son.”
“I can’t marry someone I don’t know,” I almost screamed.
“Keep an open mind and when you are eighteen you will need to travel there,” my father said and then left.
“Marin?” Favian called, “Are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I called back despite the horror I felt. I was fine for two more years at least and then I would have to travel to Aralia and end this arrangement. I put the items back into the box and locked it. I could not tell Favian. I would have to hide this from him as well.
Favian entered our secret area and smiled at me. “Mother wants us to join them for dinner,” he said.
I stood up and smiled. “Okay.”
He looked at the box and asked, “What did you find?”
“Just letters and some stuff of my mother’s,” I answered vaguely.
“So do you know where this journey you are supposed to go is?” he asked me.
I nodded my head. “Yes, but I’m not supposed to go until I turn eighteen.”
“Oh,” he said in shock.
I smiled. “So it looks like you are stuck with me until then.”
“So, does that mean we can go out on another mission soon?” he asked hopefully.
Even though I knew breaking our partnership would be the right thing I was being selfish and I wanted to spend these last two years with him. “We should pack our bags tonight,” I said with a wide smile.
He hugged me and then started running towards the castle. “Race you to dinner!”
“You cheater!” I yelled after him.
Chapter Eleven
2 years later
I made my way to Carn while Favian was on a trip with Father on Elven matters. Sebastian had tried to tag along with me, but I had snuck away and made my way here. My birthday was in two days and I was getting a lot of attention. Over the last two years the elves had grown even more fond of me and the fear that had been there before was now gone. I believed it was because we finally knew what the other half of my lineage was, but I never asked anyone to confirm that.
I purchased a house from the mayor of Carn who was more than pleased to sell the Death Bringer a house in his area. I knew I would probably get quite a few summons from him for aid, but that was fine with me. Mother had been upset when I told her that I was going to purchase my own house, but she said she did understand my need for independence.
It took me a ten minute ride to reach my house which had apparently been a former mercenary’s who had been killed in action a few months ago. I did not know his name, but then again I rarely hung out with the other mercenaries anymore. Favian had been training much more frequently with father to learn to do his kingly duties which meant that I had been doing very little. Despite Favian’s adamant refusal I had taken Sebastian on an easy mercenary job and he had done very well. Macon had agreed to letting Sebastian train and become a mercenary despite his age and so he would start training next month.
I stopped at the entrance to my property and looked at the little archway that was built. It was cute and welcoming, something I would have to change. The house was in good condition, just dirty. There was no barn so I would have to build one before winter, but there was a creek nearby and plenty of trees for cover. I made a temporary corral for Fire, fed her and went to work cleaning the house. Cleaning gave me a distraction from thinking about Favian. Our relationship was still stressful for me since I was still head over heels in love with him, but I had learned to deal with it a little better over the years. It helped that he had yet to start courting females. I knew mother was hounding him though.
It took almost an entire night to clean the house and clear it of spiders and rats, but it was finally done and I was pleased with my new place. I laid my sleeping bag on the ground and slept until the morning light came into my window. Drapes, I needed drapes so I could sleep in the next day.
I ate a small breakfast, released Fire to wander around and graze and went to gather material to make some items I needed such as a bucket for water for Fire and to chop firewood for the fireplace. I also needed to find some rabbits or squirrels for dinner for myself.
“If you’re planning to stop being friends with Favian once you move away from the Kingdom, then why not tell him how you feel?” my father whispered to me.
I s
ighed since I had already thought of that. “I do not want to hear him tell me that he could never love me like that. I would rather not know.”
“What if he loves you?” he asked.
I laughed. “He does not.”
“What will you do next?” he asked.
“I will spend one month isolating myself here and then I will inquire as to another job,” I said.
“Shutting out love is not the answer,” he chastised me.
“It is for me,” I said angrily.
“I shall let you make your own decisions, but I do not like the idea of seeing my daughter constantly sad. Make your journey soon,” he said before leaving me again.
He had spoken to me much more frequently and had helped me out of several rough spots. He told me that I would need to learn to take better care of myself and I knew he was right. When I lost Favian as a partner I would need to be more careful.
After Father left I felt even more alone than ever before. I finished my chores, corralled Fire and went into the house to get it ready for my departure. I did not know when I would be back again to sleep in it, but I felt better already owning this place.
Favian met me at the Academy and we accepted another job. First we had to go speak to Karr, a man who had spies everywhere and who we weren’t sure whether he was friend of foe. “Where were you?” Favian asked me as we headed towards the bar that Karr frequented. Favian had grown taller and broader over the years and his hair was extremely long now. When on missions he usually let his hair down and covered his ears which seemed strange. Why was he suddenly acting ashamed of his heritage? Almost everyone knew who we were anyways. We were legends already.
“I purchased a house,” I told him since he would find out sooner or later.
“You did what?!” he asked in shock.
“I purchased a house and went to clean it,” I said.
“Where?”
“Somewhere,” I said with a smirk.
“Are you going to try to hide it from me?” he asked angrily.
I laughed and shook my head. “Of course not, I purchased it in Carn. I’ll show you it one of these days.”
“Okay.”
“You would just track me there if I tried to hide it,” I said.
He smiled. “Right you are.”
We stopped outside the bar and I said, “Let me go in and soften him up first. Why don’t you go get supplies for our trip.”
He nodded his head. We had had several interactions with Karr and for someone reason Karr did not like Favian. “Be safe.”
“Always.”
I walked inside and within minutes Karr and I were arguing about something.
“Ogres are not the top assassins,” I argued with Karr. He was a scummy man who spied on whoever he could in the world and used his knowledge to fill his coin purse. “They’re too loud and too stupid to pull off a good assassination. You would have to send at least a hundred ogres to kill me while you would only need to send one or two elves. Elves are the best assassins. Quick and silent.”
“You only argue for elves because you favor one of their males,” growled Karr.
I felt my cheeks burn as I pictured Favian, my best friend and the elf Karr mentioned. “My decision comes not from whom I am friends with, but who is better at the job.”
“Better at the job of assassination or of love making?” asked Karr with a sneer.
I leaned across the table and punched him in the nose as hard as I could. The satisfying crunch of his bone and spray of blood let me know that I had broken it as intended. “Not that it’s any of your business, but my chastity is still intact.”
Karr held a napkin to his nose and snarled at me. “You would do well to keep your hands away from me.”
I raised my hands in the air. “They are back at my side as proper. You would do well to keep your rude assumptions to yourself.”
Karr placed both of his hands on his nose and snapped it back into place. He inhaled and exhaled, checking his breathing. “That really hurt, you know?”
I shrugged. “You insulted my honor.”
He stared at me in shock a moment and then said, “You insult my honor every time I see you.”
“That is because you have no honor,” said Favian as he sat down beside me. His long silver hair was held up by an ornate silver clip, letting his pointed ears show for the first time in months. Why would he suddenly go back to letting his ears show?
“Aw, we were speaking of you not but a moment ago, Elf,” said Karr.
I rolled my eyes and put two gold pieces on the table. “What news have you from Avonlea?” I asked Karr, trying my best to avoid looking at Favian. I tried my hardest to hide my feelings because he and I could never be together since he was the Prince of the Elves and I was just a demigod who had been raised by them.
Karr picked up the gold pieces and slipped them into his pouch. “A band of ogres has been terrorizing a small village nearby. The King’s men are too busy with the preparations of the annual celebration so nothing is being done about it.”
“How fare the roads to Avonlea?” I asked as I stared at Karr, waiting for the thief and traitor to show his faults.
“Treacherous, full of bands of thieves and other nasties lurking about.” His left eye twitched.
“Thieves associated to you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
Karr pretended to look hurt. “I am no thief, ma’am.”
“And I am no ma’am. Are the thieves looking for something or just pillaging?”
“I have not heard if they are seeking anything specific. There is no pattern to their attacks so I believe they’re just pillaging.”
Favian stood. “Very well, we will make towards Avonlea.”
I stood and half bowed to Karr. “Thank you for your time and information.”
He smiled. “May the gods protect you in your travels.”
I smiled. “And may they continue to fill your purse,” I said the phrase bitterly and felt sick to my stomach. Then again every encounter with Karr made me feel that way.
Favian gripped me by the arm and led me away from the snake in man’s clothing and out of the pub. He turned me around and stared into my eyes. “From now on I don’t want you meeting with him alone, okay?”
He smelled of mint and pine and his body was entirely too warm for such a cold day. “I can take care of myself,” I managed to say after enjoying his closeness a moment longer. “He was no threat to me.”
Favian threw his hands up in the air and stormed away, towards our tethered horses. “No one is a threat according to you.”
“Well, they aren’t,” I murmured as I followed him.
He spun around, sending a puff of dust up from his boots. “You aren’t an eternal. You’re a fragile human!”
I untied my horse and ran a hand along her silky soft neck. “A point you are sure to remind me of often these past two years.”
He untied his horse and said, “Someone has to! You run around as though invincible and impervious to any dangers.”
“You worry too much for me,” I answered softly as I mounted my mare Fire.
“And you worry too little for yourself.”
I felt like screaming. Ever since we had begun discussing my eighteenth birthday a few months ago he had been a great thorn in my side. I didn’t understand it.
We road at a walk through the town to avoid trampling the townspeople, but I wished we could gallop off to Avonlea and the small town of Aralia near it. I debated whether to tell Favian about Aralia and my connection to it, but decided that it didn’t matter. We were Protectors and our job was to protect all towns, no matter of personal feelings. Favian had become a Protector last year after saving a group of children from a chimera. The towns had seen a great increase in the amount of animals attacking towns and we weren’t exactly sure why. The towns had changed and now most had guarded walls around the perimeters of them. It always made me feel claustrophobic.
“What are you thin
king about so hard?” he asked as we exited the crowded main strip and headed towards the gate.
“You do not need to know everything that I’m thinking about,” I said through gritted teeth.
He watched me a moment and then unclipped his hair, letting it fall down about his shoulders and obscure his ears. It had recently become a sign of anger and a way for him to shut me out. He had become much easier to anger since learning more about the kingly duties he was soon to take over. “I apologize for trying to be friendly,” he said angrily.
I sighed and sagged forward, draping myself across Fire’s neck. “Why are Elves so pissy?” I asked her.
She snorted in reply and stopped at the base of the gate.
One of the guards walked forward. “Where are you heading?”
I sat up and said, “We’re off to a ball at the Elven Kingdom.”
The guard frowned at me since he could hear the teasing in my voice and Favian sighed. “We are going to Avonlea where there have been ogre attacks,” Favian told him.
I shrugged. “I liked my story better.”
The guard eyed us a moment longer and then saw the hilt of my twin swords, it’s silver and black scrollwork unforgettable. “Death Bringer, I should have guessed. Be on your way.”
I smiled and blew him a kiss, much to the amusement of his fellow guards. “Thank ye kind sir for allowing us passage.”
The guard’s cheeks reddened and he shoved open the gate angrily. I rode by and waved once we had passed.
“You shouldn’t tease men like that,” said Favian angrily.
I shrugged my shoulders. “I do as I like.”
“I am very aware of that. It has only gotten worse this past year.”
I felt bad for upsetting Favian to the point where he had hidden his ears again, but I was too worried about Aralia to try to console him. The road before us was dusty and surrounded by trees, not much for sightseeing and incredibly boring. I leaned back in my saddle and closed my eyes. “Could you stop being angry with me all the time? Ever since mother brought up my impending eighteenth birthday you’ve been constantly nagging at me.”
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