by Daul, Amanda
A look of disbelief marred her eyes as she quickly wiped her hands clean on her cloak, careful not to mess up her message. She couldn’t quite believe it had been this easy, but there was no time to waste in stalling even a minute.
Without missing a beat, she turned and began striding quickly between the tables and barstools, many of which were overturned. Immediately, her eyes found the person she had heard, recognizing everything about him. He was almost up to the bar, also dressed in a similar dark cloak with the hood down. Arissa couldn’t see his face from her direction, but she felt her heart beating painfully stronger. An abrupt plan formed in her head and she didn’t have time to question it before she was already pretending to trip over her cloak.
She fell against the surprised man, nearly falling all the way to her knees before he caught her. Faking a loss of balance, she waited until his hand was in perfect position. Seizing the opportunity, she slyly pressed the paper into his palm and immediately regained her footing. Without waiting a moment, she rushed past him and continued out the door.
It hadn’t been the smoothest or most elaborate plan she had executed, but with any luck, it would work. Her message would make perfect sense, the outcome depended on what side had been chosen.
Arissa ducked into the dark, taunting shadows against the wall of the tavern. She still kept her hood up, to block the sight of any random strangers and to keep the bitter wind off her skin. If no one showed up within a few more moments, it would be safe to assume it was no longer safe and she would have to flee for Raze as fast as she could.
Suddenly, she heard approaching footsteps. Tensing, ready to creep deeper into the shadows, Arissa nearly stopped breathing in order to listen to the noise. A shadow appeared and she felt a nervous sense of relief when she only saw one.
The same voice spoke. “Why did you come back here?”
Letting a moment of silence pass before acting, Arissa then stepped slowly and dramatically out of her barrier of shadows, pushing her hood off her face. Her skin suddenly shone in the pale light, her soft hair flying gently with the wind that had suddenly calmed.
He looked nearly that same as she remembered. Tall, slender but strong and had the face of a man that could be trusted. He was tough and unforgiving, but Arissa knew him well enough to realize he was giving her a small chance to explain herself.
“I turned back to the past to save my future.”
Chapter Four
“Would you just stop and listen to me for once?” Arissa shouted right back, anger and frustration boiling hot in her voice.
“Why should I? If anyone knows that you’re here, I’m going to get arrested and you’ll be responsible for that, too.”
Immediately after he had met her outside the tavern, he had refused to talk to her until they were safely hidden from the public eyes and ears. The small storage area behind his blacksmith shop was dusty and dry, but it was blocking the cold wind that was still whirling outside.
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Fire sparked in Arissa’s eyes. She was frustrated that he clearly wasn’t believing a word she said, and almost desperate for him to see that she wasn’t lying. “I didn’t do anything!”
The dim light from the flickering lantern was hardly enough to reach across the cramped space. It made his face look shadowed and almost threatening. She could tell that he was trying to intimidate the truth from her, but she knew him too well and she was actually surprised that he didn’t already know that it wouldn’t work.
“I really don’t understand why you think that I would do anything for you. Frankly, I’m ashamed that you would even ask me to risk my family for you.”
Arissa breathed deeply twice, trying way too hard to control her tense emotions. It was a struggle for her to keep her voice at an appropriate level.
“Landon. Please, listen to me. At this point, I don’t even care if you think I’m a criminal or not. I’m out of time with you and obviously you’re not going to help me, so I need to start working on another way to fix this by myself. I’m just sorry that you have so little faith in me that you threw our entire friendship away just because you can’t get past what everyone is saying. Thanks for nothing.”
Turning to leave, Arissa was already thinking of her other options and what was the quickest way to get back to Raze, when Landon caught her arm. She snapped her head back to stare at him, her eyes wild and hurt.
He seemed flustered, suddenly, like he didn’t know what to say or where to look. “Arissa...you murdered him.”
“I didn’t kill anyone! In Daer, anyway...” she added on. It was true that she had not killed who she was being accused of murdering. However, she had killed several times since then on her journey for freedom. It sounded counterproductive at first, but it was different now that she wasn’t the only one she was responsible for anymore.
“I want to believe you, I really do. But you can’t blame me for being skeptical! Everything is too...perfect.”
“That’s why I had to run. It’s not just me they’re after, Landon.”
His eyes turned dark as he watched her, contemplating her words suspiciously. “Where is he?”
Arissa felt a flutter of hope. If she could somehow get Landon to help fight for someone other than her, then maybe she could convince him to help. The last thing she wanted was to involve him in anything dangerous, especially considering his new family that she hadn’t even met.
“I don’t know. We lost contact a few months ago. I have an idea, though, and that’s where I’m heading now.”
“You can’t go to Vailwood,” he exclaimed, too quickly. “It hasn’t been declared safe yet.”
“Do you honestly think what I’m already doing is safe?” Arissa turned to leave, feeling the impending pressure settling around her, telling her to move.
Landon caught her arm again, halting her. “Arissa.” Her darting eyes settled to his for only a moment until he spilled his words, giving in completely. “Do what you have to do. I’ll set it up.”
Arissa nodded curtly, unsure how to thank the man she had once been so close to. She didn’t bother to speak or continue the moment any longer than necessary. He knew she was grateful.
She found Raze exactly where she had left him and attempted to hide her face from the stinging wind as they rode through the night. If her devoted stallion could carry on, they would arrive at their next destination precisely as the dawn broke into a new day.
Telling herself that she could still fully trust Landon the way that she used to, she began planning her next move based on that leap of faith. There wasn’t time for her to feel guilty about leaving that gap of doubt around her thoughts toward him.
There would be a blockade of some sort around Vailwood, she knew. The desolate territory was still recovering from the attacks that had all but destroyed the city the moment they had questioned the words of order from the Capitol. They hadn’t hesitated in levelling one of their own cities simply to make a point to the rest of the people who inhabited the land. Having once been the key city in protection and defence, it was only suiting that it also held the reformatories. Arissa knew for sure that at least one of his letters had come from Vailwood because of the distinct smell that had first accompanied the message. The aroma of wild mint was rare, only growing in protected groves around the city, so that the entire area smelled of the sweet plant.
Arissa already knew that he would no longer be there. They were most likely moving him every week or so, to make sure to stay ahead of anyone who may be trailing them. At least she could hope to find clues of something, but she wouldn’t be doing any of it unless Landon followed through on his word.
The bitter cold was beginning to ebb as they approached a sudden valley. It was still too dark to see, but Arissa knew that the struggling, smouldering city lay in the very bottom of the basin. Distant torch lights could be seen in the eerie night.
With no sign of anyone following them, Arissa let Raze follow the worn path leading to the c
ity. She controlled him to a walk, hoping that by the time they arrived, it would be light.
Not allowing herself to think about the impending struggle, Arissa tried to recall what she could about the city in the few times she had travelled there. She had never entered the reformatories and if all went as planned, she wouldn’t this time either.
They arrived sooner than she had anticipated and were forced to wait in the murky shadows of the forest for several hours until the light dawned enough to clearly see the world again. Unfortunately, it was just as impending and dark as the day before.
Arissa could just see the edge of the blockade around the city, the elaborate, impossibly high gate obstructing the regular road into the village. Several armed and uniformed guards protected the entrance.
Her plan would turn out even better than she had hoped.
Quickly stripping herself of her weapons and supplies, including her letters, she made a neat pile inside a hollowed tree she found nearby and allowed Raze to wander. The stallion never left the place where she would stash him, simply awaiting her return.
The only thing Arissa allowed herself to keep was the small, but deadly dagger she had hidden in her boot. It was small enough to hide along a seam, unable to be felt, but piercingly sharp. Releasing a deep breath, she straightened to her full height and held her head confidently high as she stepped onto the dirt path that was packed from horses’ hooves and carriage wheels.
She walked purposefully down the very center of the road, soundless and graceful. There was a slight bend in the road that was hidden behind trees, but after she rounded the curve, she would be in full view of the guards. Exactly where she wanted to be.
A cunning smile snaked across her lips, despite the tense situation. It was almost going to be enjoyable just to see the look of shock on the sentries faces. She still had the cloak’s hood pulled low over her head, concealing her face for a moment longer as she bent her head down.
The same instant she stepped into view, she heard the excited shuffle of the flustered guards as they shouted out to her. She continued walking, coming closer to the gate.
They shouted to her again, in warning. Arissa didn’t bother to acknowledge them until she was close enough to hear the distinct drawing of their military rifles, then she stopped and paused.
“Show your identity!” one of the identical guards exclaimed to her, obvious worry ringing in his voice.
In one smooth motion, Arissa raised her head high, sweeping the hood off her head and smiled deviously when the guards all stared in shock, gasping her name when they recognized the escaped criminal before them.
Chapter Five
The guards yelled for backup the moment they had ordered Arissa to the ground. Her knees hit the sharp pebbles painfully but she didn’t resist, not even when they jerked her hands roughly behind her back. She kept her head bowed down and her thoughts locked solidly behind her exterior barrier, hiding her plan.
Two more guards appeared and each grabbed her by the forearms and heaved her to her feet. The first two that had caught her seemed flustered and disoriented, obviously younger recruits who didn’t exactly know how to handle a capture. As they returned to their post at the blockade gates, the looks on their faces spelled shock and bewilderment, much to Arissa’s amusement.
She was marched through the narrow gates and she wasn’t surprised at what she found inside the new walls of the city. New buildings had been constructed quickly, some even temporarily, including the soldier’s quarters. All around them and far into the background, the rubble of what used to be Vailwood lay in blackened heaps. The only original thing that still stood was the reformatories.
The huge, concrete structure stood to their left, still as looming and dark as always. Arissa shook her head when she thought of the last time she had been there, delivering one of the many criminals she herself had apprehended. The interior of that building was enough to drive anyone mad, or at least into a quick confession. She shuddered at the thought of him being there.
Her boots scuffed unevenly on the rocky ground as the guards jostled her, guiding her roughly as they marched toward the looming prison. Arissa knew full well that not a single word would even be spoken to her. It wouldn’t be necessary, with the most wanted criminal in the whole land now in their grasp. They didn’t need the traditional reading of her legal rights or to be taken to the General. The first thing they would focus on was to get her behind locked and solid bars as quickly as possible and then run back to report their capture to the General, bragging of their accomplishment.
The moment they entered the long, low tunnel that led into the jail, nearly all the light disappeared. In the far distance, Arissa could see the end of the tunnel, but by then it would be too late. She had to take advantage of her plan immediately, only allowing herself time enough for a short, quick gasp of breath.
To her disappointment, with the identical uniforms that all the guards wore, she had been unable to identify any features of the men. She tried quickly to remember anything, even something as general as height. Both of the men seemed nearly identical.
The light at the end of the tunnel was coming closer and soon she would be out of time. Her mind was flying, trying to decide which of the two was part of the plan.
Before another moment passed, Arissa was nearly positive that she felt a gentle squeeze on her forearm where the man to her left held her by. Even if she had only imagined it, it was already too late to change her mind because she had already stopped abruptly, driving her elbow into the stomach of the man on her right. They both let go of her immediately and the man she had hit was doubled over. Before he could reach for his sword, Arissa’s foot was sailing in an arc around her body, smashing into the side of his head. He fell to the ground but was still conscious. Her hand snatched the sword from his belt before he could reach it, obviously disoriented and clumsy.
Without thinking, or even caring, Arissa drove the sword deep and hard into the man’s chest. Ignoring the sickly gurgling, she straightened, posed ready to block an attack from the second man, but he didn’t advance.
The tight, uneasy feeling that had settled in Arissa’s throat slowly melted when the man removed the hood from his uniform, revealing a scarred and tense face.
“It’s been a while, Karson. I was hoping I didn’t pick the wrong one,” Arissa breathed in exasperation.
“You chose right,” he muttered in a deep, gruff tone that screamed accent. He looked down on the body of the fallen guard. “I’m so glad to be rid of that bumbling idiot. Working with him is like working alone with one hand tied behind your back. Always in the way, that man.”
Arissa stepped over the body that had now gone still. “You don’t seem at all surprised, so I’m assuming you got Landon’s message.”
“Oh, I got it, alright. That bloody bird he sent nearly clawed my eyes out before I could grab it.” He pulled away the high collar of his uniform shirt and revealed long, red scratches down his neck and shoulders.
Grimacing, she apologized quickly, “I’m sorry about that. If you don’t mind, can we get going on the plan? I’m feeling overexposed in here.” Arissa was nervously glancing around them, as if expecting a full battalion to come charging through the end of the tunnel towards her.
Karson lead her to a door in the side of the wall that she would never have seen, it was camouflaged so well. He talked while she quickly made her way over to him, “Landon didn’t take the liberty in explaining to me what you needed here, just that you needed help getting into the reformatories. As far as I’m concerned –”
He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before Arissa heard the startlingly loud shot of a rifle being fired inside the tunnel. Everything happened so fast, but the next thing Arissa saw was the gushing red splatter that erupted from Karson’s shoulder as he collapsed to the ground at her feet.
Chapter Six
Horror and shock froze on Arissa’s face, as she gazed down at the bleeding man who had jus
t helped her escape and had been shot for it. Without even bothering to think about who or how many other soldiers were beside her, she shoved the door open as far as it would go, hoping to block the soldier’s view of them.
Karson attempted to help drag himself through the door, but the weight of his body kept collapsing against his useless shoulder. Arissa summoned as much strength and adrenaline as she could, and within a moment, she had Karson through the door. She didn’t hesitate to slam the door behind them, without even knowing where they were.
Blood gushed in dark red streams through his clothing and between his fingers that were pressed hard against the open wound. His eyes were closed, focusing on keeping his breathing calm and steady. Hysteria would only accelerate the blood loss.
“Karson,” Arissa gasped, not able to think for a moment. The shot had obviously been meant for her, but the marksman had been a few inches off.
She fell to her knees, immediately peeling away the soaked layers of clothing. The wound looked horrid and sickening, but she knew that he would live if it was taken care of immediately.
“You can’t let them find you,” he gasped out.
“Karson, you got shot because of me. They were aiming for me, not you. I have to leave you. That way, they will find you and be able to help you. They won’t know you were helping me. Tell them exactly what happened, that I escaped from you and the other guard.” Her words rambled so fast, she hoped that he could actually understand her.
“You needed...help. What is it you need?” Karson pulled himself into a sitting position, his face strained with pain.
“I’m trying to find where they have him hidden. I know he was here.”
She didn’t need to say anything more. He understood. Nodding, he replied, his words rushed as well, “You’re right. He was here. They moved him less than two days ago. He was alive, but that’s all I know.”
