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He left before I could figure out what he was playing at. I was finding it extremely difficult to come to grips with this new Rekker. He’d tried to kill me multiple times, and I’d returned the favor. I don’t think we’d ever be friends that’s for sure.
I patted my cloak feeling the envelope in my pocket, wondering what I was supposed to do with it. I itched to pull it out and read it but I knew I should wait until we were back with the Greenwood and Einri. The thought of him made my blood simmer in my veins.
No matter. I’d wait to open it until I was back with Einri, upholding my end of our agreement. He at least deserved the chance to explain himself though I was inclined not to listen.
Einri had kept me in the dark at every turn. How could we be partners if he wasn’t honest? I couldn’t fathom that my father had betrayed his king and country so thoroughly but there was only one person to ask.
I looked down at Ruby who still sat patiently by my side, his brown eyes showing sympathy and understanding.
“Can you go find Little John and bring him here?” The wolf whined as if to say that he would do it,but he didn’t want to.
Same here, buddy.
Ruby left so I turned to Epione and felt my throat tighten. She looked serene, peaceful even and I’d hate to disturb her, but she couldn’t stay here.
I grabbed a blanket from the floor and wrapped it around Epione’s slight frame. Little John will have to carry her until she wakes up if she does. I hope she does.
Sitting, waiting for Brex and Little John gave me ample time to think about the energy that Epione tried to teach me. I’d been obstinate and impatient. I thought of how long it took for me to get comfortable with my bow. It took years of practice to hone my skill. Why should this be any different?
I sighed, thinking that my problem had been trying to master something that took years of dedication. I wasn’t going to be able to figure this out in one day. It was going to take a long time. Time that we didn’t have.
I felt my lips twitch into a grimace. I owed Epione an apology when she woke up.
Ruby entered the tent then sneezed loudly with Little John right behind him. I looked up into the big man’s face and watched as his eyes took in the scene.
“She’s been given a potion to keep her complacent.” I assured him, holding her hand against my chest, feeling the first steady beat of her heart against my fingers. “Where’s Brex?”
Another explosion rocked the ground beneath us making my stomach lurch.
“Brex has started another diversion.” Little John said, striding toward his grandmother and gathering her up in his arms. “We better go.”
I nodded, not willing to tell him that Rekker said we were all free to go. I didn’t think I could tell him that without him going after Rekker and we didn’t have time for that.
“Let’s go.” I said, moving the flap so Ruby could leave the tent first.
Little John ducked out of the tent after Ruby, and I followed. We shot toward the trees as quickly as we could. The envelope felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
The envelope was burning a hole in my pocket.
I could feel it with every breath I took, the weight of it seeming to drag me down. What does it say? Should I tell the others about it? Should I keep it a secret? The questions burned almost as much as the letter.
Add that to the questions regarding my father and Einri, and my head was a swirling, foggy mess. I tripped over a stray limb and cursed.
“Okay, Arrow. Spill.” Brex sighed, her hands finding her hips as she turned to me. “You’ve been off balance since getting Epione. What happened? What did you see?”
I paused for a moment, internally debating, but before I was able to make a conscious decision, my mouth chose for me, the words falling off my tongue like a waterfall. “Rekker was there with me in the tent. He said that my father was a traitor and was working with Einri to create an army, and he gave me a message from Rusalko.” I took a deep breath once my words dried up, breathing easy for the first time since I saw Rekker.
Brex raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Little John. “Do you know anything about this?”
Little John adjusted his grip on Epione. We hadn’t taken the time to make a travois yet, so he was still carrying her. I idly wondered how he wasn’t getting tired yet before my brain engaged with what he was saying.
“I know that creating an army was the original purpose of the Greenwood, but other than that, no.” He said succinctly. “If you want further details, ask Einri. What was the message?”
I processed his words, weighing them. Hearing my friends speak of it out loud helped to clear some of the fog and allow me to think rationally. I decided I would honor our partnership and wait to hear what Einri said about this information before making a final judgment. I still wasn’t happy about it, though, and would be sure to tell him exactly what I thought about his withholding information. “I don’t - I don’t know.” I reached into my cloak and grabbed the letter. “I haven’t read it yet.”
“Are you going to?”
Bless her, she was always asking the hard questions that I wasn’t sure I wanted the answers to. “Yes…” I answered, my voice dragging the word out in uncertainty.
