Her heart was racing. She looked up at the full moon and huddled into her cloak, willing the fear to go away. She was still shaking when the skies began to brighten. The best thing to do is to go out and be around people. I should go to the festival market again. There are guards everywhere. I’ll be safe there. She carefully rewrapped the loaf of bread, then straightened her hair and clothes and made her way back to the colorful stalls.
Nightmares aside, the week of the festival quickly turned into the best week of Autumn’s life. People treated her differently now that she was clean. She went down to the festival every morning before sunrise, and each day she earned a few coins helping the vendors set up their stalls. Each night, she retreated to the safety of the garden for a little dinner and a night of restless, but still satisfying, sleep. Her stomach was full for the first time in years. Without the constant fights with the other children, her bruises were even starting to heal. She felt like she was living in a dream.
Autumn fought the urge to spend too much of her newfound riches. Kam had taught her well, and she knew this streak of good luck couldn’t last forever. Still, she had found some things that were worth the expense. A canvas backpack held her food, a hairbrush with a polished wooden handle, a small silver mirror, and a block of soap that smelled like apples. If people treated me better when I’m clean, then staying clean is my best chance of making it through the winter.
Autumn did make one concession to childish impulse: a sketchbook filled with thick paper and a set of well-made drawing pencils. The first few pages of the book were already filled with drawings of animals, trees, and city scenes. An elderly man in one of the city parks had even given her a silver coin to draw his portrait. He’d praised her work and promised to send his friends to her if they wanted their own.
On the eve of the last day of the festival, she sat in her garden and sketched a squirrel. It was sitting near the pond in the light of the setting sun, eating a few nuts that the girl had left out. Eventually, it finished the treat that she had left for it. Autumn smiled as she watched it scamper off over the hedges. She put her sketchbook in the backpack and leaned back on her cloak to watch the stars appear in the darkening sky. As the small child enjoyed the crisp fall air, she felt a kind of peace that she hadn’t known since she was taken from her home. Even if only for a moment, she could almost forget the terrible things that had happened to her.
She was just drifting off to sleep when a scream split the night. She sat straight up, listening intently. There was silence for a few moments, then another cry followed the first. Children’s voices. What’s out there? She quickly put on her cloak and backpack. If something came for her, she had to be ready to run.
The sound of footsteps in the garden made her heart lurch. She thought of the black-robed figure in her nightmares. Her first instinct was to run, but the noises were coming from the only exit from the garden. She was going to have to hide or try to make a run for it. Well, if I’m going to do this, I want to see what I’m dealing with.
Pushing back her fear, she peeked out gingerly from behind the hedges. She breathed a mild sigh of relief. Instead of the cultist she expected, a bearded man in the armor and uniform of the Royal Guard was searching the garden. Autumn almost left her hiding place, then realized that it might still be a bad idea. The Royal Guard only showed up when a member of the royal family was around. He might think she was a threat. Besides, I’m not supposed to be here, am I?
She must have caught his attention, however, because he looked in her direction and reached for his sword. After the brief reaction, he relaxed. “It’s okay, kid, I’m not here to hurt you.” His voice was rough but friendly. “Have you seen a boy around here? He’d be about your age, brown hair and green eyes?”
She shook her head. The man sighed, but the girl couldn’t quite tell if it was out of frustration or worry. “Well, keep an eye out for him, alright? And if you see him, come straight to the Royal Guard.”
The soldier left. Autumn waited a few moments before heading out of the garden and into the street. Those screams weren’t kids startled by a man in armor. There’s something out there, and it’s hurting people. I don’t want to be trapped here if it comes for me. She walked quickly down the streets in the opposite direction that the soldier had gone. He’d been kind, but she still wasn’t sure she should trust him.
A few minutes later, another scream echoed through the city. Autumn heard footsteps running towards her, and she searched frantically for somewhere to hide. This street was filled with townhouses, and the only alleys led to dead ends. The only way out was in the direction that the footsteps were coming from. She felt her fingers tingling with panic. Glancing around desperately, she spotted a large flower pot filled with a sickly rosebush. It would have to do. She ran and crouched down behind it, hoping it would hide her from whatever was coming.
The footsteps grew louder and were eventually followed by a young boy about Autumn’s age turning the corner. Hey, maybe he’s the one the guards were looking for. He was sprinting down the street in terror, and Autumn heard more footsteps following him as he ran past. She looked back in the direction he had come from. Her stomach lurched as her worst fears were confirmed. Three black-robed figures were following the boy.
Frozen in fear, she watched the cultists pass by through the branches of the rosebush. She held her breath until they passed. They hadn’t seen her, intent on catching up to the boy. She stood up once they had gone by, fighting the thorns to leave her hiding place. Funny, she thought, the rosebush didn’t seem this big when I got behind it.
Finally free of the thorns, Autumn turned to run away. She hesitated. That boy is running into a dead-end alley. They’ll catch him! She ran her hand over the spot where the symbol was carved into her chest. The image of the boy who had died on the altar flashed in her mind. She stood for a moment, torn by indecision, then turned and ran after the cultists. This is a terrible idea. I can’t believe I’m doing this. What am I even going to do when I catch up? Grab at their ankles and annoy them to death?
When she caught up to the black-robed monsters from her nightmares, they were already advancing on the boy. As she thought, he had run down a dead end. His back was against the wall with nowhere to go. He looked too terrified to even scream. One of the cultists had a large bag. Autumn realized that they meant to take him away. Innocent souls, she remembered. They need innocent souls to sacrifice.
Autumn knew she had to do something, or the boy would suffer the same fate she almost had. She looked around for a weapon. Someone had left an old broom in the alleyway. I hope it’s enough. She grabbed the broom and charged the cultists. The rotted old handle snapped as she hit one of them in the back. He didn’t stumble, but the three cultists rounded on her. She tried to step back, but tripped over the broken handle of the broom and landed on the ground.
As the cultists closed in, Autumn’s world went white.
It was the same sensation she’d had in the temple. The light was warm, peaceful. She gave in to the feeling. The light wound its way around her, enfolding her in warmth and love. She closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, the city was back. The three cultists were gone, and Autumn heard footsteps receding into the city. She was very confused. Still, they’re gone, so I supposed it was a good thing. She stood up and looked at the boy. He was looking after the cultists as though he was scared they might come back. Finally, he looked at her. “I don’t know what you did, but I think they’re gone now. Who are you?”
Before she could respond, more footsteps clattered along the city streets. Three Royal Guardsmen, led by the officer who had found Autumn in her garden, rounded the corner. They had their weapons at the ready. The soldiers relaxed when they saw the boy, and the leader walked towards him. The boy looked resigned and stood up to dust off his clothes.
With a heavy sigh, the officer sheathed his sword. “Your Highness, are you trying to drive me mad?”
The boy glanced over at Au
tumn and smiled sheepishly as her jaw dropped. “I’m sorry, Uncle. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I promise I was perfectly safe.” He stepped over to Autumn and put a hand on her shoulder. “I even made a friend!”
Chapter 8
“That was a very brave thing you did out there. Are you sure you aren’t hurt at all?” Commander Kasrian was sitting at a small table in the castle kitchen with the girl. He had heated a mug of hot cider for each of them, which the girl was now drinking happily. He smiled. “I guess if you were hurt, you’d let me know. You probably saved the prince’s life, you know. Those cultists have been kidnapping children from outlying villages for years now. We never imagined they’d be so bold as to come into the city. Who knows how many street children went missing last night? It’s not like anyone reports when they’re gone.”
He paused for a moment, worried that he’d frightened or offended the poor girl. Instead, he was surprised to see her staring thoughtfully into her mug. “Only someone used to life on the street could be so calm about all this. When I saw you in the garden, I thought you lived in that house, but I guess I was wrong. Do you have any parents, any family at all we should try to find?” She shook her head. He looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry for that, I really am. For what it’s worth, I think they’d be very proud of you.”
The girl gave a sad smile at that, tears welling up in her eyes. Kasrian turned away, not wanting to embarrass her. He sipped his cider while the girl wiped the tears from her eyes. “I never had any children myself, you know. Drives my brother crazy, but I never thought it would be fair to them. Having a soldier for a father is just too much stress on a family, especially a royal one.”
Autumn nodded, an understanding look on her face. She’d realized right away who he was when the prince called him Uncle. Commander Kasrian was the King’s younger brother and head of all Nor’s armies. The people loved him. Ladies in the city relentlessly presented him with their eligible daughters. They often wondered why he never seemed interested. Autumn figured that his explanation was far better than her own theory, which was that all those women were as stupid and vain as they appeared. She took a sip of her cider, enjoying the warmth and the flavors of the spices.
The Commander looked at her thoughtfully. “Do you have a name, little one?” She blushed, and he laughed, embarrassed. “Oh, right. Sorry. That’s going to take some getting used to. Can you read or write at all?” She shook her head. Kasrian gave her a thoughtful look, then shrugged. “Well, I’m sure you have a name. We just need to figure out a way for you to tell me what it is.”
Autumn thought for a moment, then had an idea. She picked up her backpack from next to her chair. Rummaging through it, she pulled out her sketchbook and one of the drawing pencils. She flipped the sketchbook to an empty page. After thinking for a moment, she drew two lines on the paper to divide it into four sections. She began sketching furiously.
Kasrian sipped his cider and watched as she drew. Finally, she stopped drawing and looked at the page. She seemed satisfied with what she saw and stepped over to present the drawing to him. Her expression was hopeful.
The soldier looked at the drawing. In each of the four quarters of the paper, the girl had drawn a tree. In the first, the tree was covered in flowers. In the second, the tree’s branches were filled with leaves. The third tree had leaves falling from the branches, and the fourth tree was completely bare. “It’s the seasons, right?” The girl nodded happily, then reached out her hand to point at the third picture. She looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
Kasrian thought for a moment. “Autumn? Is that your name?”
The girl gave a broad smile and nodded. She was so happy she thought she might cry. No one had called her by her name in so long that she was afraid she might forget it. Tears welling up in her eyes again, she hugged Kasrian tightly.
Kasrian wasn’t quite sure how to react. He laughed. “Okay, then, Autumn. I guess it’s been a while since you’ve been able to tell anyone your name, hasn’t it?”
Autumn nodded again, wiping the tears from her eyes as she released the Commander from her hug. Trying to compose herself, she went back to her chair and sipped again at the cider. Kasrian sipped his as well, flipping through the rest of the sketchbook.
He was impressed. “These are very good. I bet you’ll grow up to be quite the famous artist.” Autumn blushed, beaming with pride at the compliment. Kasrian smiled. “For the moment, though, we can’t have a girl as brave and clever as you living on the streets. How would you feel about working in the castle? The cook has been begging us for weeks to hire on extra hands, and you’re certainly smart enough to handle it. Room and board, plus ten silver coins a week. What do you say?”
Autumn hadn’t expected that kind of offer. She nodded eagerly, happier than she could remember being in a long time. Kasrian smiled and set down his mug. “Good! I’ll let the cook know in the morning. It’s getting late, how about we find you a room?”
Autumn finished the fest of her cider in one gulp, then picked up her backpack and sketchbook. Kasrian led her down the hall from the kitchen towards the servants’ quarters nearby. He looked at the row of doors, thinking for a moment. Most of the doors were standing ajar. “Most of our servants live in the city with their families,” he explained. “Very few of them stay in the castle full time. The good news is that means we have a lot of space, so you’ll get your own room. Let’s see, if I’m right . . .” he peeked through an open door on his left, then nodded as he pushed it further open and guided the girl inside.
The room was small but comfortable. There was a bed, a vanity with a mirror, and wardrobe with a couple of drawers in the bottom. An unlit candle stood on the nightstand, and a window over the bed looked out over a large, grassy yard. “We’re right near the stables. We don’t keep many animals by the castle, but most of them spend their time in that yard during the day. I thought you might enjoy the view, but if you’d prefer we can find another room.” Autumn smiled and stepped into the room, picking up the candle and reaching into through the drawer on the nightstand. There was a box of wooden matches and several spare candles. She lit the candle and set it back on the nightstand, then turned back to Kasrian and smiled, nodding happily.
Kasrian smiled. “Wonderful! There should be some spare clothes in the wardrobe, but they might be too big.” He opened the wardrobe, but it was empty except for a hanging plank of some fragrant wood. “Oh. Well, I’ll bring you to the tailor in the morning to measure you for some new clothes.” Autumn looked as though she was about to protest, but Kasrian raised a hand to stop her. “Please, consider it a gift of thanks for saving my nephew. New clothing is the least I can do. Get some sleep. I’ll come back in the morning.” He stepped out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.
Autumn listened to his footsteps moving down the hallway until she couldn’t hear them anymore. When the sound was gone, she hung her cloak carefully in the wardrobe. She unpacked her backpack, placing the brush, hand mirror, and block of soap on the vanity and her sketchbook and pencils in the nightstand drawer. There was a little bit of jerky in her backpack that she had bought from a vendor at the festival. She munched on it happily, relishing the thought that she might never have to go hungry again.
She took off the money belt, which was still securely hidden under her trousers, and put it and the coins inside into the nightstand drawer. She sat on the bed, still dazed by everything that had just happened. This was her room, she realized, a little place all her own. She had a job, working in the kitchens, surrounded by warmth and food. She would have money, clothes, food and drink, and a warm place to sleep every night.
She blew out the candle, then crawled under the blanket on the bed. The pale moonlight streamed through the window, and Autumn enjoyed the softness of the bed and the pillow. She hadn’t felt this comfortable since she was back in her father’s house. I’m safe, she realized. It’s finally safe to cry.
With the pent-up sa
dness of four years, Autumn curled up under the blanket and cried for hours. When she finally slept, there were no dreams of dark-robed figures or visions of blood and despair. There was only blissful, quiet slumber until the sun’s rays woke her in the morning.
After he showed Autumn to her room, Kasrian headed up to the family quarters. After quickly looking in on Prince Lyall and finding him sound asleep, he went to the King’s Study. He knew his brother would still be awake.
It seemed that King Aldwin never slept these days. Kasrian frowned at the thought. He knew that his older brother worried about everything in his kingdom, but this cult was a constant concern. They still knew nothing about them; their goals, their methods, or even what they were called. All they had was a strange symbol on an amulet found four years ago. Black-robed figures simply appeared in villages across the kingdoms of Nor and Katrell, kidnapping children who were never seen again. And tonight, they almost made off with Aldwin’s only son.
Kasrian reached the study to find the door open and the candles lit. He stepped inside to see his brother staring at a map on the wall. It had pins set in it to mark the sites of kidnappings over the last few years. “Aldwin, you really should sleep,” Kasrian said with a sigh. “You’re not doing anyone any good by exhausting yourself. Besides, solving this is supposed to be my job.”
The King sighed. “I know, Kasrian, but can you blame me? My son, my own son, nearly fell victim to these monsters. If it hadn’t been for that girl . . . how is she, by the way?”
Kasrian smiled. “She’s fine. Mute, like I thought, but she hears perfectly. Her name is Autumn. She’s a clever little thing. She was a street kid, just happened to be in the area when the Prince passed by. I gave her a room and offered her a job in the kitchens, I hope that’s okay.”
The Silent Pact Page 6
