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And I won’t stop now, simply because a few guards have a spark of kindness. Tonight, I will let my longing and sorrow stay. Tomorrow, I will let vengeance and determination sing through me once again.
I find my footing, rising from the ground and stretching my stiff muscles. Slowly, I make my way back to our camp, finding my bedroll before collapsing onto it. Otto sits near me, stoking the fire one last time before laying out his own blanket.
“To be human is to experience the pain of this world, lass. The more you acknowledge it, the less power it has over you.” The old man’s words don’t push through my numbness tonight. I simply close my eyes, wishing for both a dreamless sleep and one filled with the soft laughs of my mother.
The gentle hum of a waking forest stirs my consciousness, a pleasant transition from a deep sleep. The sky is still dark, but I sense the rising sun is not far off. I shift my position on the ground, my sore muscles screaming in protest. Full days of riding and sleeping on the ground will take some getting used to.
My stiffened body isn’t the captain’s fault, but I throw a glare his way nonetheless. I stand and stretch, concentrating on each body part until I’ve unfolded my wooden joints into a flexible human again. Each movement rustles the tranquil morning, and the ripples of displaced air begin to wake the men around me.
“It can’t be morning yet,” I hear Aiden mumble.
Mornings are becoming less bothersome as I grow older. I do prefer the dark of night, especially in my line of work. However, beyond simple light and dark, there’s something about the first rise and last fall of the sun that holds a piece of magic in my heart.
My mother would sometimes wake me early, much to my chagrin as a child, just to watch the colors shift in the sky. The ache in my heart reopens as the memory of her breaks through my morning grogginess.
“What should we make of the new day the heavens have created for us?” she would ask me.
“We should start with breakfast,” my grumbling stomach would prompt me to say. Now, I wish I would have said a thousand other things.
The men finally wake, packing up our camp with silence and swiftness. I keep to myself, following my resolution from the previous night. These men, our task— it’s merely a means to an end.
Nobody has mentioned last night, leaving me to the truth of it. I’m grateful for that at least. We start another long day of riding just as the tendrils of morning chase away the shadows of night.
“Four younger sisters?” It’s hard to keep the astonishment from my voice. Thus far in the day I have succeeded in keeping to myself, distancing from these men and any friendliness or camaraderie. But my shock at Aiden’s revelation, the size of his family, breaks my vow of silence.
“Aye. Four. They are wild little things. My poor mother.” Aiden beams as he tells me of his family, his voice projecting the protective air of an older brother.
“So you are the oldest of the brood?” I rhetorically ask, my vow continuing to crumble with each word I speak. Mentally I kick myself, affirming after each interaction that it will be the last.
“When I left for the Guard, my mother was beside herself. At first I thought it was because she would miss me. But then I realized it was because I was the only one who could tame their unyielding spirits long enough for her to get any work done, or even to rest.”
“Our mother's favored son indeed,” Otto adds. A smile crinkles my eyes before I school my face back to impassivity.
But my body leans forward, wanting to know more. I have always wondered what it would be like to have a brother or sister, someone older to teach me their wisdom. Or a younger little one I could guide with my own.
“And you, Otto? Any family?” Aiden asks the older man. Again I chastise myself for wanting to hear his answer.I’m not here to make friends.
“My father lives near the barracks, thanks to the captain.” Otto nods to the front of our group towards a quiet Captain Montgomery. “But I never settled down. Never had children of my own. Too much unknown and moving around— it would be hard on a wife and children.” My respect for him begins to grow at the revelation, but I decide to break the stem before it flourishes.
The captain holds up a hand to silence our conversation, pointing to the edge of the road. My focus snaps to our surroundings, listening intently for anything out of place while we quietly change our course. Prue follows my direction, moving behind me into the cover of the trees. I stroke her forehead to ease any nervousness once we’re off the road.
“I recognize this place,” the captain says, muffling the decibel of his voice as if the forest is listening. “There’s a message outpost around this bend. I’ve used it occasionally to check in on the Royal Guards stationed in Fort Lowsan. The king and queen use it for communication between our two cities. Private businesses pay to use it as well. It’s been a while since I’ve been up this way. But as far as I know, it’s still up and operational.” He pats his horse on the shoulders. “I’m going to ride ahead. Check in to see if anyone resembling the princess or Aldren has come through here.”
“So, why are we hiding in the woods?” Otto asks. It’s hard to keep a straight face as Captain Montgomery sends him a pointed look.
I sometimes wonder how he and Otto became such good friends. I know it’s usual for a master to warm up to a flourishing student, but it seems these two men could not be more different if they tried. Captain Montgomery— the brooding, irritating, arrogant, prig. Otto— the charming, humorous, astute old man.
“Because a party with three guardsmen and Turin’s best thief sets off alarms.” The corner of my mouth ticks up as the captain admits to my skill. I wonder how much of his ego he had to clip off to actually say something nice, even if the compliment wasn’t given directly to me. “We need to stay inconspicuous. If you remember, half the mission is bringing Princess Adalena home safely, the other half is to do so without kicking up dust and alerting half the kingdom’s power hunters to the fact she’s been taken,” the captain says, annoyance running through his words at the obvious answer. “So, like I said previously, I’ll go ahead. You three scout out the surroundings and stay hidden.”
“I’m going with you,” I say, moving to stand beside him while handing Prue’s reins to Aiden. I don’t trust myself to stay with the other two. It’s easier for me to hate the captain— going with him will give me time to buoy my mental and emotional shields.
“I can go on my own. You stay back with Ot—”
“It’s best if we stay in twos,” I cut him off, my mind already made up. “Isn’t that why you asked to bring your men in the first place? To pair off if needs be?” My cool words leave little to argue against. “Besides— women are less threatening. We might get more information if I come along.”
“Less threatening,” Otto laughs under his breath. “Guess not too many men have come across the likes of you.” He tips his head toward me. Aiden shares an agreeing look with his former master, while the captain looks like he just tasted rancid soup.Definitely easier to hate the captain.
Whether he likes it or not, I’m coming. “It will be easier if you don’t argue with me, and faster if we just get going,” I tell him, sending a muted glare his way.
