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I never saw it myself, but a lot of my friends disappeared while I was forced under Everan’s thumb. I can still remember the feelings of his cold metal rings brushing against my hair as he told me I was special.
I grip the basket of baked treats tighter in my hand, fighting the urge to vomit. I chock it up to being sick from the method of transportation, but I know, deep down, that I haven’t recovered from the way Everan treated me.
As I pass the auction block, I try as hard as I can to not look at any of the humans, rounded up and gathered for sale. I realize as I tense my grasp on the reins that a cold tear is running down my face. I don’t want any of them to suffer like I did, but there’s really nothing I can do.
I am powerless, a second-class citizen hiding plainly among them.
I try to think of Ariella’s happy face as I greet her at her cabin front door with these treats. She and Zyranth have always treated me well, though it took the monster a lot longer to come around.
Finally, I see the stables and the auction block leaving my peripheral vision, as I buck out into the forests of Rach. There are unimaginable horrors here, too, though thankfully none for me to experience. The dark elves are superstitious about some of the nearby caverns and are very reluctant to set foot in them.
But I have a set destination in mind, and nothing is going to obstruct my path. These visits with Ariella are the little time I’m able to get away from Dirnyn, and I’ve come to cherish them.
I just wish their cabin wasn’t so far out into the woods.
“Easy, girl,” I say, patting the equu as it starts to complain.
Dirnyn has been great to me, far kinder than Everan ever was. But every moment I spend with him, I get the impression that he wants more, and that he sees us as more than we really are. I’m constantly worried that he’s going to make an advance toward me.
Because if he does and I rebuff him, I’m almost certain he’ll set me loose in the city with no protection, if he doesn’t sell me back into slavery himself.
Dirnyn’s equu is starting to pant heavily, slowing down as it approaches a river bank.
“Please don’t,” I say, patting its head in encouragement with my free hand. If we stop here, who knows what horrors might approach us in these woods.
But the equu’s speed slows until it’s no longer moving, and I throw myself off of its saddle in frustration.
“Come on!” I growl, kicking a mound of dirt.
I can already see the stars forming in the night sky, faintly visible beneath the sky’s last illuminations.
I let the equu rest for a moment, eager to get back on track. I imagine monsters like Zyranth, but far less kind, prowling in the night, looking to taste my flesh. I imagine all the worgs I’m helpless against… all the creatures vulnerable to sunlight, who must creep out at the night’s approach.
To them, I would make a very delectable meal. And I have no real means of defending myself.
I should have taken one of Dirnyn’s enchanted swords, like he offered.
I’ll be fine, I told him in his study, beside the roaring fireplace.You’ve already done enough.
He has swords that have minds of their own, that don’t even need a wielder to attack with them. And yet, I denied him the opportunity to help, out of fear of giving him the wrong idea. Considering I only feel safe in his and Ariella’s company, I should have taken every line of defense he offered.
By the time the equu has fully recuperated, thirty minutes have passed, and I’m huddled against the tree, looking around the trunk. I can see some bushes moving in the distance.
I swear that there’s a monster in this river.
My mind plays wild tricks on me.
I climb back on the equu, kicking into it with my hardened boots. At first, it refuses to listen, but with a gentle pat and a more solid kick, I’m on my way, galloping through these woods.
My heart beats at a frantic pace. I try to direct my mind toward my objective rather than worrying about what could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to consume me. But with all the stories I’ve heard and everything I’veseen, that's no simple task.
I imagine that it has gotten very late, and Zyranth and Ariella wait for me, meals prepared, before wondering where I am. I can see Zyranth and Ariella looking for me in the woods, calling out. They give up and go home, as I am hoarse from screaming, the lunch of some horrific beast.
If Zyranth were here, he could offer me unlimited protection. I wouldn’t be worrying about the creatures in the woods because I’ve been assured that he can kill them all. That even the most horrifying monsters out here are meresnacksto him.
I hear the rush of the waterfall nearby, and my heart leaps.
I’m close! Just a little farther.
