CHAPTER 15 ~ LOOKIN INTO THE PAST

KRISTALYN

I pulled the clean bandages from my pack. It was a nightly ritual at this point. Aiden refused to slow down and by doing so he would tear the bandage on his shoulder apart by the end of every day, if not earlier. He wasn’t well enough to fix it, so the job had fallen to me.

Aiden glared at me as I walked over to him. It was the exact same glare he used every night, so I wasn’t sure why he still bothered, since it hadn’t stopped me before. I chose my typical response as well and ignored him. Putting my supplies down next to him, I motioned roughly for him to remove his shirt.

“It’s fine tonight.”

“I can see the blood on your shirt,” I replied calmly.

“I’ll fix it.”

“You say that every night. Hurry it up.”

“Why?”

“So I can get this done!” I exclaimed.

He shook his head, “No. Why do you even bother? I don’t want your help, but more than that you know I’m going to kill someone you hold dear. Why bother to help fix me up so I can do my job better?”

I glanced up, but quickly looked back down again. His steel blue eyes seemed like crystal pools tonight and they held some unknown emotion. How was I supposed to explain my reasons? I simply didn’t have a choice. Right?

Maybe I had been wrong all this time. Maybe it wasn’t my responsibility. What would Deus tell me to do? I hadn’t really spoken to him in the last few days and the reason was sitting in front of me. Of course, I should have gone running to the feet of Dues because of him. Why hadn’t I?

I shook my head. That hadn’t been Aiden’s question. But I didn’t really need to answer it, either. I busied myself picking up the first bandage I would need. “That’s my business.”

“Mine too,” his voice was low and something had changed in it. It wasn’t as rough as it normally was. I glanced up quickly only to find he was staring right at me. I swallowed. What was going on?

He put his hand over mine and removed the bandage from them. “I’m doing it myself from now on.” His voice brooked no argument and for once I didn’t have one to give. I nodded briskly and backed up. I turned and wanted to race back to the other side of the fire, but I forced myself to move slowly. I didn’t want him to see that he had me off kilter. I knew he had done it on purpose. He was probably laughing at me in his head. Enjoying his little joke at my expense, only I wasn’t sure what the joke was. I just knew whatever had just happened, it wasn’t funny. For the first time I really wished Tray was here, instead of spying in Ruma.

I paused by the fire to stir it up some and called over my shoulder, “I’m going for a walk.”

“After walking all day? Have at it,” he called back. His voice almost sounded like it was teasing, but I knew better.

Kuroiden got up quickly from his place beside the fire and followed me. He walked by my side for a little while before stepping slightly in front of me so that he could rub his head against my thigh.

I paused for a second to rub it and then walked on. “Yeah, I’m really botching up this mission, aren’t I, Kuroi? Not only was I stupid enough to save his life, I’m helping to heal his shoulder too? What am I doing? There’s only so far I need to go.”

Kurioden meowed questioningly.

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything anymore. I wish I did. Mom would know what to do.” I sighed and rubbed my neck.

Mom was back at the Hunter’s camp keeping things under control while her son and daughter gallivanted all over two countries playing heroes. But then she was used to the hero roles by now. She’d lived it out first with my father.

“Dad would be furious if he knew I was doing this. Tray will be too when he finds out. He barely tolerates me going on missions for him as it is. Just wait till he finds out I’ve not only been hanging around with a conniving killer, but I helped him to heal too.” I shook my head. “He’d never understand.”

Kuroi let out a loud mournful meow.

I grimaced, “Yeah, I don’t really understand it myself. I don’t remember ever being this confused about something like this. My primary mission is to protect the Hunter at all costs. Even the spying I do for the king is mostly to ferret out anybody getting to close to the Hunter’s real identity. I’ve saved my brother’s butt hundred’s of times that way, it should be old news now. What is it that makes this time different?”

Kurio meowed again and scratched the ground.

“Aiden? Yeah, it has everything to do with him, I think. But I don’t know why.”

Aiden was a hardened killer, that wasn’t disputable. I had seen it in his eyes, the almost need to kill me, until he had seen I was a female. Maybe that was what made him different. In my line of work anyone else would have kept going.

“But that alone isn’t enough!” I stated out loud. “He’s everything bad as well! Conniving, cynical, hard, frustrating, annoying… argh! He’s infuriating!”

I stopped in my furious walking to look back at the camp I could no longer see.

“But there’s something else. Deus, what is it? What am I doing? What is he doing? There is more to what is going on than what he is telling me. He says he has to kill Tray. But why kill the Hunter? Ricald is up to something besides this battle, somehow he has a hook in Aiden. I need to find out what it is. That might be the only way I can stop Aiden from hurting Tancred. I won’t lose Tray, not like I lost Father.”

It was far too easy to slip into the past.

I pulled my string and let the arrow fly one last time. It hit the mark in the tree with precision. I grinned and plucked it from the mark. Dusk was hitting and it was time to head back into the camp.

I loved living in the woods with my family. Of course, having the Hunter as your father wasn’t a bad deal either, though it was dangerous. But, I had learned long ago to follow my mother’s, Shyla, example and leave the worrying up to Dues. Instead, I focused on my own training and helping my mother take care of a camp of some thirty men dedicated to keeping Aerilyan a free country from Elangsia’s tyranny. Now, it was time to help prepare all those men some supper.

I entered the camp quickly and headed straight to my mother’s tent. I could already smell the meat cooking. I was late again. I picked up my pace and put my bow and arrow in my own tent as I passed it. My mother was sitting outside her tent tending the fire and meat.

“Sorry, Mom. I thought I had made it this time.”

Shayla smiled, “You always think you’ve made it, Kris, and yet I don’t think I’ve ever seen you on time.”

“Sure there was! I think…”

Shayla laughed. “Go start the second fire and then you can tell me all about your target practice.”

I grinned and moved to obey. It was one of my favorite times of day. I loved spending the time with my mom and it helped to pass the time as we waited for father and Tancred to get back from their separate missions. Tancred had just started doing mission on his own. This time he was in Mairbrac with Jaedon, my father’s best friend and right hand man. I couldn’t wait till Tray came back. My brother had been my best friend for as long as I could remember and it always seemed to take him forever to complete a mission, though I knew perfectly well he loved to help our dad out.

I had just got the fire going when I heard the familiar voice.

“I’m not eating anything you burn.”

I grinned and jumped up. “Tray!” I called him by the childhood name I had given him before I could say his full name. I raced to him and jumped at him. He laughed as he caught me in mid air and gave him a fierce hug.

“I missed you too.”

“How did it go?”

“Nothing to it. Dad is going to have a new right hand man soon.”

Shalya and Jaedon laughed.

“Anxious to move me from my spot, Tancred?” Jaedon asked good naturally.

“Never Jaedon,” Tancred said easily.

“Welcome home, Tancred,” Shayla greeted her son.

Tancred turned towards her, moving so that he could keep an arm around me. “Hi, Mom. Is Sis giving you trouble again?”

“Not anymore than you,” Shayla replied calmly.

I laughed, “She got you!”

“My lady! My lady!” The call was urgent and came from just out of the tree line.

The four of us turned as one to see Crosten racing towards us. I heard Tancred’s sharp intake of breath next to me. Crosten was supposed to be in Ruma with our father.

Shalya took a step forward, but Jaedon stepped protectively in front of her.

“What happened, Crosten?” Shayla’s strong voice asked.

“The Hunter,” Crosten cried before he fell to his knees in front of us. “My Lady, I’m sorry. The Hunter was captured and…”

I clutched Tancred tighter. “No.”

“He didn’t make it, My lady. The Hunter was killed as a spy.”

“What?” Tancred erupted. “That’s not possible! Crosten, you have the wrong facts!”

I buried my face in Tancred’s chest, as I felt my legs start to give. Father dead? It wasn’t possible, it couldn’t be possible. He was invincible!

Jaedon put an arm around my mother and helped her to sit before turning back to Crosten. “Explain and be thorough.”

Crosten nodded and started slowly. “We were in the courtyard of Ruma speaking to one of our contacts. Nothing was out of the ordinary, in fact our mission was going smoothly. There was a loud commotion at the other end of the courtyard and the Hunter decided we should leave, but before we could a young Lieutenant called Ricald strolled right up to us. He pointed out the Hunter and accused him of being an Aerilya spy. He called for the Hunter’s immediate arrest and execution. There was a flurry of activity and I was separated from the Hunter. It was barely one hour later when the call came out to watch the execution of the Aerilyan spy. The king had agreed to it almost immediately. King Brastus and Ricald stood and watched from an overhead balcony as the condemnation was read. It was over in seconds.” Crosten paused, swallowed and finally finished, “He was beheaded my lady.”

And the world stopped.

I felt the bile rise in my throat and I forced it back down. The emotions were all so familiar, pain, rage, shock, numbness, hate, and blackness. The last was the only comfort at the time. No one could have had a better father than my own. He had taught me to be myself, to shoot, to laugh, to look to my heavenly Father, to be strong, and courageous. He had been my personal hero, and then Tancred had taken up the mantel. Father had never relived he was the Hunter or there would have been celebrations in Elangsia’s streets. With that knowledge, Tray could become the Hunter in order to carry on in our father’s footsteps, no matter what danger they took too. One day, he would force Brastus and Ricald to pay for their deadly dead. We both knew he lived for that as much as he did to see our father’s dream of an Aerilya free from Elangsia’s oppression. I would give my life to see Father and Tancred’s dream come true and that meant Aiden might just have to give up his life as well.

Suddenly, Maglynar’s warning screech brought me back from my thoughts. I was almost grateful. I raced back to the camp to see Aiden watching Maglynar as he flew up above the trees.

Aiden flicked a dagger into his left hand and I strung a bow. Above us, we heard Maglynar screech and then I picked up an angry clicking noise.

Recognition filled me and I unstrung my bow, even as I yelled, “Maglynar stop! Don’t attack!”

Aiden swung around to face me, “What is it?”

“It’s Egan. Call off Maglynar.”

“Who’s Egan? A friend of yours?”

“Yes!”

“And I don’t want to kill him, because…” Aiden’s eyes sparked mischief.

I glared at him, unwilling to be pulled by whatever he was trying. Instead, I chose to ignore the master and yell at the beast. “Maglynar! Stop! Egan, I’m here!”

A second later, the pseudo-dragon broke through the tops of the trees. He clacked angrily at me and spread his leathery wings wide to slow his decent. He landed on my shoulder and flicked his very long tail, twice as long as his body, around my neck and shoulder. I used a hand to move the end of his flickering tail, which was covered with spikes, farther away from my neck. He would never use them to hurt me, though they could be deadly with an enemy. His brownish-red scales were a normal hue. With his chameleon like abilities, I was use to him being hundreds of different colors. Only his eyes stayed their unusual golden color.

Maglynar followed him to the ground with a mighty crash. Kuroiden looked up from his spot at my side and hissed at the dragon who flicked his tail down at the large cat. Kuroiden moved out of the way and hissed again.

“Egan, knock it off. Why are you so late?”

The dragon turned his golden eyes on me and answered with a series of clicks.

“What is going on? What is that thing?” Aiden asked.

“This is Egan. He is a pseudo-dragon.”

“Another pet?” Aiden asked. I could hear the disgust in his voice. Apparently so could Egan for the dragon turned to him quickly.

The dragon spat and clacked angrily telling him off.

“He can understand me?”

“Pseudo-dragons are special lithe dragons. They can communicate with humans, though neither of us can actually speak the other’s language, we can learn to understand each other.”

“Egan… His name sounds familiar,” Aiden murmured, mostly to himself, I think.

I had spoken to Eagan about a day after I had shot Aiden. I had instructed Egan to give my mother, Shyla, the information Aiden had revealed. But, Aiden had been inside the cabin and totally out of it when I had spoken to Egan. I wasn’t about to tell Aiden any extra information, so I stayed silent.

“Why is your dragon here now?”

Egan clacked angrily again and turned himself so that his back was too Aiden.

I laughed, “He said he is his own dragon and you can leave now. Go ahead. I need to talk to Egan.”

Aiden paused for a moment, then shook his head, and started walking again.

“Okay, so tell me again why you’re late?” I repeated my earlier question.

Shyla, time, Warrick to king

Warrick was a character and a half. He was a trusted member of the Hunter’s camp family and Tancred would have left him in charge. “Why did my mother need time with you? Is she okay?”

Worried

“About me or Tancred?”

Both

“Why? Is Tancred okay?”

No hear

“What? Has no one heard from my brother? Is he still in Ruma, then?”

Egan clicked an affirmative.

I sighed. I hated him being there. It was the place my father had been murdered. Since then, Tancred had forbidden me from entering Elangsia’s capital city. Only he would take the missions there, along with Jaedon’s help. They had both better be safe.

Egan clacked and nipped my ear.

“Ow. What was that for?

Thinking

“Um, yeah, I was thinking about Tancred and Jaedon. If this war happens, Egan, I don’t know what we are going to do. Tancred will throw himself into fighting it off. Egan, I don’t know if either will survive.” I spoke in a soft voice.

Egan clucked sympathetically and rubbed his head against my cheek.

“Yeah, he’s good, but he’s not invincible.” I looked ahead again and watched Aiden smack Maglynar and shout something indiscernible. The griffin screeched happily back. Egan clacked a question. “The man is Aiden. Ricald sent him to kill the Hunter.”

Egan’s body went completely stiff and his color darkened to almost a black. He let out a very loud, angry screech. Unfortunately, he let it out in my ear. I grabbed the offending ear in pain.

“Ow! Knock it off, Egan!”

He arched his neck to look at my face more fully. He clacked angrily at me. I didn’t need to concentrate to translate that one.

“Look, it was either follow him and try to sabotage whatever plans he comes up with or kill him and I lost my chance to do that after I wounded him.”

He clacked again.

“Sure, you might kill a wounded enemy, but I can’t. Not like that anyway. It’s not as if I’ll let him hurt Tancred. He can’t do much with that shoulder anyway, and it will take a good two more weeks for it to really heal. Tray can easily avoid anything Aiden tries.”

Egan clacked his agreement and simultaneously his disagreement with my decision.

I sighed, “He didn’t give me a whole lot of choice. After he discovered Tray was in Ruma, I had to follow him.”

Egan clacked sharply again and I winced.

“Um, yeah, I’m going to Ruma. And you are not telling Tancred. Do you hear me, Egan? He cannot under any circumstances know I’m in the city. He wouldn’t react well.”

Egan snorted.

“Yeah.”

Trancred kept me from Ruma for a very good reason. He was terrified of losing me. But it wasn’t as if I didn’t feel the same way about him. Every time he went out on a mission, we both knew there was the slim chance he wasn’t coming back. But we had chosen this life together, along with Mother, and we wouldn’t change it, not while Aerilya still needed us.

I clenched my fist. And I wasn’t about to let some stubborn, conceited, arrogant, warrior type bring my brother down. Not in my life time. Aiden was going to fail his so called mission. He just didn’t know it yet.

***

CHAPTER 14 ~ ON THE TRAIL

AIDEN

What? Had I lost my mind? Bring her with me? What was I thinking? But it was too late to take the words back. I could almost see her mind turning over the idea and much to my horror accepting it. What had I done this time? I could almost hear Zoe’s laughter at my new situation.

“It’s not funny!” I growled low.

Zoe appeared off to the girl’s right. “Oh, yes it is! The mighty warrior big brother has a soft spot.” She laughed again, this time quite clearly.

“Knock it off!”

“Knock what off?” The girl looked at me with her large green eyes.

Zoe covered her mouth still laughing.

“Nothing. Have you decided then?” My mind screamed to take it back, but the problem was I had no idea how too.

“Fine. But you’re still not strong enough to travel. We should wait at least another week,” she responded eventually.

Was she crazy? “I’m fine.”

She gave me an amused look. “Oh, really? You’ve only been awake for a little bit and you’re already shaking. You really want to start the week’s travel to Ruma today? You need time.”

Curse her, she was right. I could feel my legs weakening even as I stood looking at her. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was going to land on my butt very soon. She must not have given me a whole lot of food while I was out of it.

“Two days,” I countered, before turning back to the bed and sitting down. “You have two days to figure out how you’re going to stop me from killing the Hunter. Think fast.”

I laid back and closed my eyes. I must have needed rest because the whole conversation had been insane. I felt Maglynar brush against me. The oaf would watch the girl while I rested. The knowledge was all I needed to fall asleep again.

***

When I got back up, I felt more rested than I had for a very long time. The smell of something cooking quickly woke me up further. The girl, I still didn’t know her name, was cooking over the fire. Both animals were watching her movements closely.

She glanced up at me. “I suppose you want some too?”

Obviously traveling together wasn’t going to improve her attitude. “What is it?”

“Squirrel, rabbit, and some of Maglynar’s left over elk.”

“Leftover?” I did not want the griffin’s leftovers.

“He didn’t touch this part if that has you scared,” she mocked.

I decided that didn’t deserve a reply. I swung my legs over the edge carefully and stood. “Can you cook?”

“Better than you, I’d bet, but if you think I’ll poison you, you’re welcome to starve,” she poured three bowls, put two on the table, one on the floor, and then placed the pot itself on the floor. “Eat up.”

Maglynar took the pot and the panther the one on the floor. The girl looked at me. “Are you coming to the table? I’m not bringing it over to you.”

This was going to be a very long trip.

I made my way to the table and sat down. “Should I keep calling you ‘girl’ or do I get a name?”

She glanced up from the table to look at me. “Kristalyn. You?”

“Aiden.”

She nodded and turned to her food. It looked like she intended to ignore me for the rest of the day. But if that was what she wanted then that was exactly what I wasn’t going to give her.

“How you are related to the Hunter?” I started off with my most pressing question.

“Who said we were related?” She finally asked after very slowly eating her first bite.

“You feel a close tie to him. You lovers then?” I started to eat my own food. It wasn’t bad.

She swallowed quickly and looked up at me. “No.”

“Siblings?”

“I’m not answering your pathetic interrogation questions. If you want answers, you won’t get them from me. Now, eat, before I give yours to the griffin.” She pointed her spoon towards Maglynar who had somehow already finished his pot of food and was watching me with far too interested eyes.

I turned back to my food and ate another bite. I wasn’t done with the questions though. If she was really planning on traveling with me, I would find a way to get the information out of her. I needed to be as prepared as possible when I met the Hunter and I had a feeling this girl held all the answers I needed. I watched as she took another bite and used her hand to wipe her chin. It was going to be interesting trying to get them out of her.

***

KRISTALYN

I watched as he stretched his shoulder carefully and winced. It still wasn’t healed. The week’s rest had done him a lot of good, but it would take a whole lot longer than just a week for the shoulder to heal. That was good news for me however, over the past day I had gotten the extremely clear impression that if he had been able to he would have tied both me and Kuroiden up and left us behind. Thankfully, he didn’t have that option.

I scanned the area again. Egan had still not returned and I wasn’t going to be able to delay Aiden any longer. At least not at the cabin, I had plenty of delay tactics worked out for the journey. Egan would be able to track me, but I didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t back. It was unusual for him to be late.

“If you’re coming, move it!” Aiden called back.

I glanced at him. He had put his arm into its sling, so the weight was off his shoulder and his pack had been swung over Maglynar’s back. Except for the sling, he fully looked like a warrior intent on carrying and his mission and that was just what I was afraid of.

“You’re not going anywhere without me and you know it, so just wait,” I yelled back. I was not looking forward to this trip in so many ways.

I calmly turned to the door and closed it tight. I had already finished preparing the inside for when Traket finally returned. There was no lock on the door, since there was no need for one. Still, it grated that I couldn’t secure the place more, but this would have to do.

I picked up my own pack and slung it across my shoulder, so that it hung across my back at the same angle as my quiver and bow. I turned around and let out a grunt. Aiden was nowhere to be seen. The pain had left without me. Just at the edge of the grove however, Maglynar waited patiently. Apparently, I had more points with the griffin than I did with his master.

“Come on, Kuroi, let’s go catch up to the stubborn warrior.”

Kuroiden stood from his spot in the sun and stretched lazily before padding over to me and cocking his head.

“This is going to be a very long trip, my friend. And I only have the week it will take to get to Ruma to figure out how to permanently stop him.” I shook my head and blew out a long breath dreading the next week.

Maglynar screeched impatiently.

I laughed, “All right, we’re coming.” I walked over to him and patted his head, “Let’s go catch up to your warrior.”

Maglynar gave another screech and took off to the north east.

I followed at a slower pace. “He’s not that much of a stranger, Kuroi. He knows what direction to go. Looks like I won’t be delaying him that way.”

Kuroi let out a meow of agreement then raced ahead to pad along next to Maglynar. The two animals had made friends quickly. I looked ahead of them where I could just make out Aiden’s outline. It wouldn’t be so easy for their masters.

***

“No. Forget it.” Aiden spouted.

“Oh, so I suppose you’re going to take care of it yourself?” I shot back.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“Your injured and weak, Warrior Man. Let the animals and I do it,” I argued.

“I do not need your help in any way,” he said stubbornly.

I snorted. “You’re as stubborn as you are stupid. I’m not even dealing with you.”

I turned away, “Maglynar! Kuroiden! Let’s go hunting. Stubborn butt is staying here.”

I grabbed my bow and stood from my spot next to the fire. After two days on the trail, the food we had brought with us and almost run out. I refused to look at Aiden, but I could feel his hard steel blue eyes staring at me from across the fire. It was amusing really. He hated being waited on, but he couldn’t hunt for himself. Not yet at any rate and I didn’t feel like fixing his bandage anymore than I had too. He was just going to have to get use to being the weak one for a while. The thought amused me.

Between the two animals, we had plenty of meat for the next two nights after only a little while hunting. I returned to the camp to find Aiden gone. I glanced around quickly. It had been stupid of me to take both animals, I should have left Kuroiden to guard Aiden. I sighed. Well, he hadn’t gotten far.

“Kuroiden!” The cat came to my side, “Find Aiden.”

The panther disappeared quickly into the wood line. Where would Aiden have gone?

Maglynar dropped to the ground from wherever he had been and started to eat. I shook my head at him and started to prepare our own meal. It was almost finished by the time Kuroiden padded back into camp with Aiden not far behind.

“Where were you?” I asked.

“Out.”

“Obviously. Where?”

“If you had to know I would have already told you. Is that supper?” Aiden asked as he sat down calmly.

“Yes.”

“Am I going to get some or are you planning on keeping it?” His voice was sarcastic.

I glanced at him. What was with him and his attitude? There was more to this guy than he wanted anyone to know. “You can have some, if you cut the attitude.”

He looked at me, but I couldn’t tell if he was amused or contemplating different ways to kill me. I was guessing the latter.

“Laying down ground rules?” He asked.

“Someone should,” I turned to face him more fully. “I need to know where you are at all times. Either Kuroiden or I will go with you when you leave the camp from now on. And do not get any immoral ideas in your head. Neither Kuroiden or I will stand for such acts.”

Aiden laughed out loud. It was deep and would have been pleasant sounding, if it hadn’t been mocking. “Don’t flatter yourself. I wouldn’t waste my time with you,” he jeered. “As for the rest, let me remind you I am not your prisoner. You are traveling with me not the other way around. There are things that I am going to do without you whether you like it or not, such as my mission just now.”

He had relieved himself. I could feel the heart rising up my face, but there was little I could do to stop it. I turned quickly to face the fire. Maybe he would think it was that.

He laughed again… or maybe not.

“You’re not in charge here, not by a long shot. Get use to it. If I lose you, it’s better for me, so make all the rules you want, I’m not following them.” He stood and grabbed some of the food off the fire.

And just like that I had lost all control.

***