Hello All!
First off, MEGA thanks to Rachel for keeping up on posts while I was gone and to Emily for reminding us both Aiden needed a new chapter up! I hope you have all enjoyed the story thus far. I've loved reading the few comments I have received from you. I've read them all and they've been a great encouragement to both me and Aiden. I'm having so much fun living with him and being a part of his story and I hope you are as well! Hopefully, this next chapter will make up for the length between posts as it is rather lengthy. I didn't realize it until I went to post, but them I'm sure you won't mind! Aiden is making some huge changes and decisions as he begins to come to terms with who he is and who he has let surround and define him. What do you think?

P.S. Make sure you check out my personal site by clicking on my name in the side bar and then Dream Mountain Adventures. It's been drastically update and will continue to be so. Plus, I'll be posting cool polls from time to time and I can't wait to get your opinion on them!

CHAPTER 25 ~ PICKING SIDES

KRISTALYN

It didn’t make any sense at all. He should still be far from a full recovery, yet he was up and almost fully healed, or close enough at any rate. His chest held a permanent scar, a visual reminder of what he had tried to do, but that was it. The knife had not caused any more damage as it should have and that helped to speed up his healing process as well. Still, it was miraculous. I was beginning to think that was the only way it should be described. I knew Deus had his hand on this mercenary, but perhaps I had not realized how much so.

As I cooked the last of the elk over the small fire I had made, I watched the object of my thoughts. He was leaning back against Maglynar, though he no longer required the griffin’s support. The two seemed to be acting differently since the market and Aiden’s attempt to take his own life, more like friends or something. Just then, Kurio padded over and nudged my hand.

“Yes, it will be ready soon,” I answered, not really paying attention.

He didn’t seem to take to well to that answer, because the next thing I knew he nipped at my hand.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, glaring at him and still feeling his teeth marks. “And that was for…?”

He purred and rubbed against me gently.

“Not enough attention, huh?” I patted his head and nodded towards Aiden. “What’s going on with those two? Do you know?”

Kurio just looked at me, his large eyes unblinking.

“Not going to tell me, are you?” I shrugged and looked at Aiden again. “What happened, Kurio? Why did he do it? Why is he doing any of it?” I turned the meat and continued, “He could have killed Tray. Tray was protecting two people and he was defenseless. He could have killed him, but he just stared. At one point, he reached for his knife and just held it. He saw me. Looking in his eyes, it was something I’ve never seen before. Like… I don’t know. I can’t describe it. But something happened. Something stopped him from murdering Tancred and then something made him want to kill himself instead.”

I pulled the meat off the fire and looked at Kurioden. “I want to know what.”

I handed Kurioden the largest portion of cooked meat and carried the rest over to Maglynar and Aiden.

“Maglynar, your food is over by the fire,” I told him, handing Aiden his own part. I hadn’t cooked Maglynar’s. There really wasn’t any point.

The griffin screeched and shook his head.

“His name is Magnar now. He is no longer a little warrior,” Aiden supplied.

“Oh. My apologies, Magnar! And congratulations.”

The griffin screeched proudly and rose to go to his meal. I sat down, cross –legged, next to Aiden.

“When are you going to decide to explain things to me?” I asked, getting right to the point.

Aiden finished chewing slowly and finally said, “When I feel I need too.”

“Well, I’m telling you you do.”

Aiden glanced at me then went back to his food. “And that should matter to me, why?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

He didn’t bother to answer.

“Aiden, you could have killed my brother and you didn’t. You spared him. Why? What happened between the two of you?” I persisted, momentarily forgetting my own food.

“That is between the two of us,” he finally answered after a long silence.

I heaved frustrated. He wasn’t being forthcoming at all and I really needed some answers. “You’ve been hunting him like an animal for months now. And suddenly you just decide you’re not going to go through with it? Last week you told me in no uncertain terms that you were going to kill him and I couldn’t stop you. Well, something did! Aiden, please, what changed?”

“It wasn’t you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he answered in an impassive voice.

“I already figured that out, thank you. I’m thrilled to know I have such influence over you.” I didn’t even bother to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. Although, it was hard to admit that after spending so much time with him, I hadn’t influenced his decision at all.

A small smile appeared on his lips. It just made me more frustrated, once again I was only an amusement too him. No more needed or wanted than the tavern wench who couldn’t keep her eyes or her hands off of him. Actually, that wasn’t true. He paid more attention to her than he did to me. The thought was a very disturbing one and I suddenly lost my appetite. Carefully, I put the food down on the ground. I could give it to Kurioden later.

“No hungry anymore?” He asked causally.

“Not really,” I replied, disturbed that my thoughts had left me slightly numb. When had Aiden’s opinion of me begun to matter so much? It didn’t just matter to me either, it mattered a lot. The change had been so gradual, I had hardly noticed. I mentally shook my head, that wasn’t totally true. I had noticed, but I had shoved it away as being unimportant. But it wasn’t unimportant now. I didn’t want to be some stupid tavern wench to Aiden. The girl had been nothing but an obvious flirt with a flair for the overdramatic, but Aiden hadn’t seemed to mind. I wanted to cough at the bitter taste in my mouth. I was jealous! The realization should have struck me as funny, but it didn’t, not by a long shot. I was jealous of some wench and what Aiden did or didn’t think of her. Why? What had gotten into me?

“Kristalyn?” Aiden’s voice snapped me back to reality.

“What?” I asked, not sure if he had been saying anything to me or not.

His eyes held a concerned look. Aiden? Concerned for me? The thought almost lifted me spirits… almost.

“What are you thinking?” He asked.

“Oh, I can’t know your thoughts and reasonings, but I should just lay all mine out for you to examine?” The retort came out harsher than I expected it too.

Aiden must have thought so too, because he straightened up. “What was that for?”

I sighed. I was not in very good shape at the moment. I needed to get out and clear my head. Being around him was doing strange things to me.

“Nothing. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

He nodded, but didn’t take his eyes off me.

“I.. um.. should go…clean up,” I finally managed.

I had only half stood, when Aiden issued the command, “Sit.”

I looked at him in surprise.

“Sit down, Kristalyn,” his voice held a more gentle quality to it and I obeyed, even as my mind protested it was a bad idea.

I shouldn’t be around him when I felt like this, although, I wasn’t quite sure what ‘this’ was.

“Are you feeling okay?” I asked to cover up my own awkwardness.

He nodded. “You did a good job.”

I shook my head slowly. “I barely did anything. Only changed your dressings, and helped break your fever. Deus is watching over you.”

He frowned at the comment. “Well, thank you.”

“Your welcome.” I didn’t know what else too say. Everything suddenly felt awkward.

The silence lasted for a long moment. Eventually, I let my thoughts wander. Aiden had been out cold at first. When Kurioden had brought me to his side, my own heart had stopped. I don’t remember ever having been so scared, not even when Aiden was so close to killing Tancred. But seeing Aiden, lying there, with his own knife in his chest was almost more than I could bear. I let out a low sigh. That’s when it had changed. That’s when everything had started to change. All of the things I had seen in him before, all those little moments I had been storing in my mind, they all accumulated in his sparing Tray, and then I saw his life die out. Over the time I had worked to save him, I had come to care.

Deus, help me. I care for Aiden.

I didn’t say the words out loud, but I could feel them take hold inside of me. That was why I had wanted him to live so baldy. Why I had almost cried in that first day and why it hurt so badly that I still did not even rate in his opinion. Somewhere, somehow, I had started to care for this warrior assassin. If Tray knew, he would have killed me right now. But regardless, I was in a very large amount of trouble.

“You did have something to do with it, you know,” Aiden’s voice was again cut into my thoughts.

Had I heard him correctly? “What do you mean? You said I didn’t.”

“Well, not what you said, but who you are.” Aiden sighed. “I spared him because of his connection to you.”

“Being siblings,” it was a statement of fact, not a question.

“Yes.”

“Because of your own siblings?” I asked, curiously.

“Something like that,” he responded, his voice laced with a deep seeded pain.

I wasn’t sure why he was telling me this now, but I wanted to know all I could while he still planned on talking. “What actually happened?”

“You said you read Wren’s letter. You already know,” Aiden responded, picking at the last of his meal.

Was that why he was telling me? Because he figured I knew it already?

“I don’t know all that much. All Wren said was that she was defying Duard’s order. I’m guessing she meant contacting you and the others,” my voice invited him to tell me more.

“Yes.” He was silent for a long time and I wondered if that was all I was going to get out of him, though I knew there was more to the story. Finally, he spoke again, “Our so called guardian forced us all to leave our homes and forbid us from ever contacting one another again. That was over two years ago, almost two and a half now. We’ve each been on our own ever since.”

“That’s horrible. And you haven’t heard from anyone besides Wren, Aquila, and Daelia?” I asked, cautiously.

“No, not in all that time,” his tone made it sound like there was much more to the story.

“Is that why you carry around so much pain, Aiden?” I asked softly.

His eyes came up and met mine. “No, but that’s one reason why I deserve it.”

“I don’t understand.” The answer made no sense.

“Nobody does. Just be grateful. It is because of them I spared your brother.” He methodically finished his food and put his plate down.

There was more to it than that. He wasn’t fooling me that easily. He had spared Tray for some other reason besides that he too had a sibling he cared for. He had known we were siblings before the last attack and he had still been determined to go through with it, until the very end. Could that really be the only thing that had changed his mind in the end? Somehow I couldn’t believe it. But I wasn’t going to get any more answers out of him now. Still, his family would be a subject I would bring up again later. Right now, I had another question I needed answering.

“Is it over then? Will you go after him again?”

A low groan escaped him, as if the answer to that question would tear him apart.

“It’s over.” He said it so low I almost couldn’t hear it.

“Then what happens next?” Deciding for the moment to take him at his word that it was over. With Aiden, I could never be sure.

He sighed. “I haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“You mean you don’t know?” For Aiden, that seemed highly unlikely.

“Kristalyn, I’m still a member of Elangsia’s army. Killing the Hunter was my one way out of that contract. Now, I’m stuck.”

“Why?” I had to make sure I understood.

He looked at me as if I were a simpleton gnome. “I’m under Ricald’s thumb. I have to follow his orders until I can figure some other way out. If I do.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t you just leave?” The thought struck me as a good one and the next step seemed logical. It didn’t take me long to figure out it was what I had always been hoping for. “Defect, Aiden. Join our side. Aerilya needs fighters like you.”

He laughed, but it was a harsh hopeless sound. “No one needs me. No one.”

I looked at him in surprise. “That’s not true.”

“You don’t know anything,” he responded listlessly.

“I know enough to know that you are needed. Aerilya needs you, from you sister’s letter it sounds like they still need you,” I paused for a moment, but then forced myself to continue, “and so do I.”

He sneered. “You’re so naive. You don’t know half of what is out there or what I’ve done.”

I sat back at the violence in his voice. “I know you’re not the same mercenary that once tried to kill me. You’ve changed a lot since then, Aiden, and you’re still changing.”

“Into what?” He shouted, then winced and covered his chest. He spoke lower the next time. “I’m changing. But it does me no good. I haven’t changed enough. I’ve proven that. I’m still not strong enough. I never will be.”

Emotions flashed through me as I watched this man I cared about deal with something he couldn’t handle on his own. Yet, I knew he would refuse to give it up to Deus to handle either and until he did that, he would continue to struggle.

“So, you’re giving up then?” I asked, forcing my voice to sound scornful.

He looked at me in surprise.

“That’s it? One minor set back and you’re through? This Duard must be pretty powerful to make you cower like you are. Does he do the same to your siblings? Did you all fall before him?”

“Shut up, Kristalyn. You have no idea what you are talking about!” His voice was so low and malicious, I could almost feel his hatred. Yet I knew it wasn’t directed at me, but at this Duard who had created the hate and pain filled person before me.

“I know you’re giving up! I know you’re letting him win. That is why you wanted to die isn’t it? Because you couldn’t cut it? I don’t know how messed up your mind is, Aiden, and I might not know the whole story, but I can guess! This Duard, your so called guardian split you up and you feel responsible for letting it happen. That’s your real mission, isn’t it? To take revenge on him? I can hear the hate for him in your voice. And each time you kill someone else in revenge, he takes one more piece of your soul!” I snapped at him. Consciously, I lowered my voice. “Do you really expect to beat him like that? There are other ways, Aiden. But if you die now, you’ll never find any of them and your siblings will never have the chance of coming back together. Join me. Help my brother and I free Aerilya and maybe you’ll discover how to beat Duard along the way.”

My heart ached for him to say yes. If he would only take the chance! Yes, Aerilya would gain a great warrior, but it would be Deus who would gain in the end. And perhaps in the time remaining, I could reach him too.

***

AIDEN

Join Aerilya? Leave Ricald? It was something worth considering, but even as I did I could feel myself reject the idea. Consider, yes, but no more. Even if I did leave Elangsia’s service, I would not become beholden to another army at the same time. There was nothing for me there, no hope of gaining anything.

Her words drove stakes through my very heart though. She was right. If I died, if I stopped, Duard would win. As far as I knew, none of my other siblings were working to get back together, they were too busy surviving. Only Tearith knew of Duard’s challenge to us. But I had no way of knowing if my brother had taken him up on it. Was he trying to become smart enough to thwart the man that had held us in the palm of his wicked hand for so long? I had to be strong enough. I had to do it for all of us. I had to be the avenger for our lost time. If I was dead, I did not know what would happen to my family, but I would not be able to go to their aid if they called.

I had been a fool. I had let Duard’s evil influence me yet again. It was his words that rang in my head the night I had taken the knife to my own body. It had been his influence and hatred that had consumed me and it had almost won. If Magnar and Kristalyn had not been so determined, he would have. White light or not, Deus or not, Duard would not be allowed to win. I had to stop him.

No, I hadn’t killed the Hunter, but perhaps that didn’t make me weaker, maybe in some way it made me stronger. I had let myself live that day and I knew it. Now, I had to choose to live again. I felt my fist tighten and live I would. Perhaps I wasn’t strong enough yet, but there were different types of strength, weren’t there? Tearith would laugh at my question and tell me of course there were, even Wren would say the same. I needed to know those strengths and for once, I wasn’t so sure I could find them on the battle field. But I had to find out.

“Aiden? Aiden, will you join us?” Kristalyn asked, for what couldn’t have been the first time.

I looked at her. Would I join her? I had no reason to care about the Elangsia or Aerilya. No reason except that Kristalyn and her brother fought on one side and Ricald on the other. Still I had the contract to complete. I was under it until I killed the Hunter and that was no longer an option. That didn’t leave me with many choices. Ricald would send his lesser mercenaries out after me if he thought I wasn’t going to complete my part. They would be instructed to return his beloved hardened killer to him to use on as many more mission as he saw fit. I had no wish to be that person again. It would take some time to figure out. But one thing I knew was that I did not want to fall out of one side of the battle only to fall into the other side. I had had my fill of both.

“No. You can rest assured I won’t go after your brother again, but I won’t join you either. I have other things to figure out.”

“Is that your final answer?” She asked, her mouth tightening.

I watched her closely and saw the hope die in her eyes. I didn’t want to kill it, not now, I didn’t know why, it shouldn’t have mattered, but I didn’t want to hurt her. I wasn’t going to give her false hope either. I had no wish to join her army.

“Yes. Don’t push me anymore, Kristalyn.” I spoke in a voice that said the discussion was over.

She nodded once. “Fine. But this is far from over no matter what you think.”

I laughed. “You have no idea. Go home or to your brother. You have no reason to stay here anymore.”

Kristalyn stood, but she paused and looked down at him steadily. “No, Aiden. You have no idea.”

With that, she turned and walked over to where the animals had been keeping a safe distance away.

I had to wonder what she meant by that. Sometimes, she was still hard to read.

***

I watched her from a distance. She had yet to say anything to me since our conversation earlier in the day. She didn’t seem like she was mad at me, but she was frustrated. There was nothing I could do about that though. I would not join her army. It served me no purpose. However, I did have to decide what to do. I was well past the deadline Ricald had given me and I hadn’t reported in at all. He had to be wondering what I was doing and where I was. It was almost surprising he hadn’t sent someone to get in contact with me already, surprising or disturbing.

“Travon,” Magnar’s low screech came from behind me.

“What about him?” I turned to face the large griffin.

He padded further away from Kristalyn and waited for me to join him.

“Miss him I do,” he answered my question.

“You were the one who was so determined to come with me.”

“Done now. Return to him?” Magnar refused to be sidetracked.

I sighed. “I don’t know, Magnar. He was expecting us too, but he was going to spy for Aerilya. There’s a chance he’s not even with Ricald anymore.”

“Find out,” the griffin whined.

I sighed. He would be impossible to deal with if I told him no. It wouldn’t be so bad seeing Travon again if he was with Ricald and I did owe the kid that much. The trip back would give me time to figure out my next move as well. It wasn’t a great solution, but for now it would work.

“All right, Magnar. We’ll head back,” I agreed.

The griffin let out a purr from deep in his chest and bucked his head against me.

“Yeah, yeah. Knock it off.” I pushed him away, but he didn’t seem to mind. “I’ll have to go back into town and get some supplies. Some of my things are still there too. We can head out tomorrow. Can you wait that long?” I asked as if I was going to give him any choice in the matter.

“Will wait. Then, see Travon we will,” he purred happily.

“Yeah, well, there is a chance he’s not with Ricald anymore. But we’ll at least find out.”

I led Magnar back into the main part of the camp only to find Kristalyn packing. I frowned. If she knew to pack had she heard our conversation? She still didn’t know Magnar could talk and it wasn’t a fact I really wanted revealed, even to her. She looked up as I approached.

“I’m heading back. Egan has been alone for almost two days since my last visit and he’s probably cranky and irritable.”

“So, normal?” I asked, unimpressed.

“Um, yeah,” she mumbled, going back to her work.

Something was obviously still bothering her. She was too subdued. She was barely acknowledging me. In all the time she’d been with me this was a new one.

“I’m heading back too,” I commented, watching her closely.

Her hands stilled for only a moment, before moving again. “Are you sure you are well enough?”

“I’m sure. I won’t be doing any extensive fighting for a while, but it should be much worse.”

She nodded. “Yes, it should.”

I didn’t answer. I had no wish to go down that particular path. She finished and swung her pack onto her back. Reaching down, she petted Kurioden.

“I’ll be back soon.” She looked over to Magnar, who had come to stand next to me. If he stood any closer one of us was going to fall. He would be in trouble when that happened. “See you, Magnar.” She glanced at me. “Right?”

I shrugged, but only slightly. “I don’t see why not. One more time at least.”

She nodded curtly and exited the grove.

Wow, she was a pain to deal with. The thought that I would miss it caught me off guard and I pushed it quickly away. Instead, I focused on Magnar.

“I’ll be back by tomorrow. Be ready.”

Magnar huffed as if insulted I would think he’d be anything but.

“Yeah, well, stay out of trouble till then.”

“Will. You too,” he screeched meaningfully.

I just shook my head at the command.

“See you, Kurioden.” I called as I headed out. I heard the cat answer with a howl.

She hadn’t gotten too far ahead and I caught up with her relatively quickly. It would still take quite a while to reach the city. We traveled in silence.

“So, you’ve decided?” She finally asked as if the answer didn’t matter, though I could tell by her movements it did.

I waited a minute, wishing the silence would come back. “For the moment.”

“Okay,” she replied, apparently she didn’t want to push the issue, although one glance at her face told me the truth.

“You?” I asked just to shift the focus.

“My mission was to stop you. I did. Now, I need to work with Tray to help win this battle.”

I shook my head. “You can’t.”

She shot me a side look. “Yes, I can.”

Quickly, I realized she thought I meant her personally. “No, you can’t win. Elangsia has obviously secured the Wild Men’s allegiance. If they are what Ricald says, you’re country is going to lose.”

Her chin came up in a stubborn pose. “They are. But it is the Hunter’s job to stop that.”

I shook my head. “Be realistic.”

She barked a laugh. “What like you? Thanks. I’ll take my chances.”

I didn’t reply to that and we walked on in silence again. It was only when the city first came into view that she spoke again.

“You could change those odds you know,” she spoke softly.

I tensed mentally. “No, Kristalyn, I’m not joining you.”

“Will you fight against me then?”

It wasn’t something I’d considered, but she was right. Ricald would except it. I would have to fight against her, the Hunter, and Travon. Briefly, I wondered what side Zoe would choose. It was possible she was still in this land somewhere or at least she had traveled in this direction. It wasn’t much of a choice. Zoe would fight for Aerilya if she was forced to choose. Where was my Little Firebrand anyway?

“Aiden?”

I shook myself from the thought. “No. I won’t fight against you either.”

“Ricald…”

“Won’t have a say,” I interrupted. “I’m through with evil conceited men running my life.”

“Does that include you?” She asked softly.

I looked at her surprised. “Meaning?”

She looked like she was going to say something, but whatever it was, she said instead, “Figure it out yourself.”

I wasn’t so sure I liked her in this mood. She was far too cryptic with her statement and I was having trouble reading her emotions. I didn’t have much time to think about it though as we were finally approaching the gate. Because we had been out and in so often, we had no trouble at the gate and headed straight for the tavern.

It had been a week since I had last had a decent meal and I was looking forward to the simple pleasure. The tavern was full of smells I would not normally call delicious, but under the circumstances, they would do. Instead of heading up to my room, I headed for the normal back table that I occupied, pleased to find it empty and waiting. Kristalyn slid in next to me and within seconds a familiar face was sliding over to the table. I could feel Kristalyn tensing from across the table.

“Oh, Handsome!” she said in her customary tone, as she slid in next to me. “Where have you been? I missed you all week long.” Her lips formed into a little pout.

Why did she keep coming back? I had never followed through on anything she might have thought I’d promised, yet she acted as if I had filled her every wish. Or that she had filled mine.

“I had business outside the city,” I answered impassively. “I’ll take my usual and if you could make it fast, I’m very hungry.”

“Well, I’ll give you an extra big portion then! Growing men do need to eat,” she whispered the last part, putting her mouth close to my ear. She could have been saying anything.

I didn’t need to look at Kristalyn to know she was upset by the girl. I could feel the tension rolling off of her, but when I did glance at her, that wasn’t what made me reevaluate the whole situation. Her eyes told a story I hadn’t seen before. She noticed me watching her and turned her face away quickly, pretending not to care. But it was far too late. Her eyes held a look of pained sadness. I realized with a small amount of surprise that I hated that look and I hated whatever had put it there. The girl’s hand moved on my arm. It didn’t take much to know that this was exactly what had put that sadness into Kristalyn’s large green eyes. It was true, I had been using the girl just to get a reaction out of Kristalyn before, but quite suddenly the game was no longer fun.

With a deft moment, I had the girl’s wrist tightly in mine. She gave a small squeal, but I ignored it. It was time this stopped, past time really.

“You have three seconds to get your well used body away from mine and get me our food or I’ll take my knife and make sure no man every looks at that face of yours twice. Do you understand?” I spoke in a low threatening voice that allowed for no misconceptions I was speaking the truth.

Her eyes grew wide in disbelief and then hard in anger. She tried to jerk away, but I simply gave a little twist and she gasped in pain.

“Do you understand?” I repeated. This time she nodded. “Good. Bring us both our usual and this time without the pathetic attitude.”

She nodded again and I dropped her wrist. Quickly, she made her escape. I turned to see Kristalyn looking at me with wonderment. She blinked and then looked at me again, this time with curiosity.

“What brought that on?” She asked.

“She’s been bothering me since day one,” I responded causally.

Kristalyn scoffed. “Oh, has she?”

I smiled slowly and turned to face her fully. “Yes. You don’t believe me?”

She watched me for a moment, then shrugged, and smiled. “Not for a minute.”

It surprised me when I laughed automatically, not because of what she said, but because the tension had left her face and voice. I didn’t want to analyze why that felt good to me, the feeling was so strange, yet I knew it did.

The rest of the meal was eaten in peace and we traveled to the market afterwards to pick up supplies that we both needed. I had my trip to take care of and Kristlayn wanted to be out of the city before she contacted her brother. She was picking up a few things for her camping experience. It seemed like a lot of trouble just so her brother wouldn’t know she had been in a city she was forbidden to go to, but it wasn’t my problem. All I had to worry about now was how to find Ricald and what to do when I did.

When we entered the tavern again, the wench was over by the bar, but this time she made no move to come towards me. I walked by her without stopping, but I could feel her glare. When I glanced back at Kristalyn, I noticed she had a smile on her face and the feeling of that being good came back from earlier. We stopped outside our room doors.

“Will you be leaving in the morning then?” She asked, not looking at me.

“Yes.” It was best to keep responses simple.

“Is there anything I can do to convince you to change your mind?” Her voice was so soft, but I could hear the pain laced behind it. Pain I was sure she thought she had erased from it.

For the briefest of moments, I wanted to stay. I could help them, I was sure of it, yet I didn’t have a real reason too. I didn’t owe her anything and I might prove a danger if I didn’t get back to Ricald. Besides, I had to continue on my own mission. I couldn’t let Duard win that battle.

“You can’t.” I didn’t add the ‘I’m sorry,’ like I felt I should.

She nodded and finally looked up and into my eyes. As I had noticed more and more, her emotions lay inside her own eyes for me to read at will. “Can I go with you to say goodbye to Magnar?”

I nodded and she sighed deeply as if relieved of a burden for the night.

“Then I will see you in the morning. If I can get things ready in time, which I should be able too, I’ll go with you for some of your journey. At least, until you reach the forest again,” she seemed to be thinking out loud.

I swallowed. Why in the world was this so difficult? I felt like I was being forced to say goodbye to my siblings again and yet this was different too. “That’s fine.”

“Okay,” her voice was still so soft and it had a melody to it I hadn’t noticed before. “Goodnight, Aiden.”

“Goodnight, Kristalyn,” I responded automatically.

She opened her door with a click and I heard an immediate, “Egan! Get down! I’m sorry, okay!”

The familiarness of the sounds brought me back from whatever reality I had been experiencing. I had to get away from here and the faster the better. My mind was playing odd tricks on me and I didn’t like it.

I knew something was wrong the second I entered the room. My dagger was in my hand before I knew I had moved it and leaving the door open behind me I slowly stepped further into the darkened area. The only light came from the doorway beyond me and the moonlit window in front of me. Silhouette in a portion of that window was a standing figure.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” I asked calmly, still searching the room. By instinct I could tell there were more of them, but I couldn’t be sure where and that made them dangerous.

“Don’t worry about it. All that matters is that you are the reward,” the shadow answered back.

Reward? Bounty Hunters? But that didn’t make any sense. No one knew who I was or why I was here. No one except the Hunter and Kristalyn. But the Hunter and I were through and Kristalyn would never betray me. I didn’t doubt that fact for even a second. Still, someone knew.

The figure came from the right side of the doorway and above me without any warning. I lifted my right arm to block, even as I let the dagger fall into my left and berated myself for falling prey to the diversion tactic. His body slammed against me raised arm hard and my dagger came up and plunged into a spot in his ribs. He groaned and fell to the ground. Most of his weight was still on me and it pulled me with him, causing me to stumble as well. My right shoulder hit the floor first and my chest burned red hot at the hard exertion to my still healing wound. Gasping for air, and grunting with exertion, I yanked my dagger out of the man’s rib cage. It hadn’t gone in all the way, but the man had passed out completely.

I hardly had time to make the assertion when I saw the second figure pass by the light in the doorway and moving towards me fast. I flipped the dagger in my hand to face up, but I was still on the ground and vulnerable. Quickly, I rolled further to the right and just as fast I felt the fire blossoming in my chest, making it almost impossible to breath. I was in trouble and I still had at least two people to deal with.

The bounty hunter lost me in the shadows and kicked violently to find my position. His kick landed hard on the thigh of my leg. I let out a small grunt, but it was enough to give me away. I twisted to face him and pulled me legs up to my chest. He swung down hard at my legs, and I kicked hard, just missing his fist and managing to kick him somewhere near his groin.

He gasped and let out a loud curse. “You’ll pay for that! Ricald doesn’t need you alive!”

“Shut up!” The voice from the back said.

“Bah!” The man spit out. “He’s dead anyways. More fun for us.”

Ricald? He was trying to kill me? Why?

The man in front of me quickly advanced again. I used both feet this time to kick out at the assailant. He dogged at the last second to grab hold of them. Without other options, I jerked my legs back towards me and punched up then I kicked them back out again. The combination sent the assailant flying backwards. I heard him hit something. It could have been the desk.

The exertion of the kick stretched my upper body out to its full extent in a strong jerking motion. I hadn’t fully healed yet and now I was completely spent and unprotected. I had the knife in my hand still, but I would only have one shot with it. I wouldn’t be able to fight anymore after that.

“Why does Ricald want me dead?” I asked slowly, both to stall for time and to try and get my breath back.

He laughed. “His perfect little assassin failed. That’s why!”

“What does he know? I haven’t reported back anything,” I replied, keeping my voice calm.

“Exactly,” his voice was full of mockery as he advanced slowly towards me. “As far as he’s concerned, you’ve gone rogue. He wants you questioned and tortured, but it doesn’t really matter.” I saw the flash of a sword in his hand. He was almost on top of me now and I still hadn’t been able to move. “You took my job and now I’m going to take your life!”

No! Everything in me screamed that it could not end like this. If this small time excuse for a bounty hunter was going to take my life, I would take his! I would not die without a fight, not after I had struggled to live.

Forcing myself to back up farther and sit up some, I tightened my grip on the knife. I had once chance and one chance only.

The loud thwak that happened in the following seconds wasn’t one I expected, especially when the assailant’s sword never moved downward. Instead, standing above me, I saw him clutching an arrow in his chest a look of horrified shock frozen on his face.

“No,” he whispered dropping his sword from his one hand. “I was to win. Ricald would give me your place again.” He took a small unconscious step back and glared at me. “You’ll still pay.” But his voice was weak and he collapsed to the ground dead in only a few seconds.

“You first,” I muttered.

“Move and your next,” Kristalyn’s hard and uncompromising voice uttered her challenge from the doorway.

I raised my eyes from the dead man to see a forth figure materialize from the shadows by the window, his hands already up in surrender.

“Aiden?” Kristalyn’s voice asked calmly.

“Fine,” I replied shortly, both disgusted at needing the help and because it was still difficult to breath.

I stood slowly and turned to see her. She stood unmovable in the doorway, a second arrow in her bow and a look of hard determination on her face. This was the same girl who had once apposed me as the Hunter. She was strong, courageous, and stubborn beyond all belief. I wondered briefly at the admiration I felt. Kristalyn’s eyes never left the forth person and she never lowered her bow either. I decided to stay out of her way and turned back around to take in the scene.

The first of Ricald’s bounty hunters was still out cold. If he was alive he would need medical attention quickly. The second was just inside the light of the window rubbing his head and the third was dead. The fourth didn’t move from his place in front of Kristalyn’s bow. All of these men had come to take my life. Why? Ricald had no way of knowing I had spared the Hunter’s life. These men had to be sent out weeks ago or even a month ago. I had spared Tancred only a last week. Ricald had prematurely called for my death. Yet, he had sent incompetent men, who I would have easily defeated had I not been wounded. Did he really want me dead or was there something I was missing?

My thoughts had allowed me to catch me breath and bring the pain to a tolerable level. I looked at the forth man again. This was one of the men sent to kill me and he was currently the only one I could question. “Who are you?”

“Adien,” the forth shadow spoke, his voice low and sad.

I paused, thinking hard. I knew that voice, knew it rather well. “Jaton?” I finally asked.

“Hello,” he responded.

“What is going on? Who are these others?” I demanded, wondering if I knew the ones that had attacked me or died.

“They are the assassins that you took the place of when you joined Ricald’s army. Not our friends,” Jaton responded calmly.

“Some friend,” Kristalyn muttered, still holding her arrow on him.

“What are you doing?” I asked, though silently I agreed with her. I wouldn’t call anyone I had known in Ricald’s army a friend, not even Jaton.

“They already told you.”

“Explain it again,” I ordered, not in the mood for any attitude.

“You’re late,” he said simply. “Ricald send us to bring you back.”

“Dead or alive?”

“Preferably alive,” the shadow shrugged. “But either way.” He gestured to the men lying on the floor. “They liked dead better.”

Moving slowly, I crossed to the desk and the man closest to it shuffled clumsily out of my way. I lit the lamp on it, the room suddenly bathed in its soft light. I studied my old ‘friend’ from the army. His face was weathered and he looked older than when I had last seen him. He had added some scars as well, but otherwise it was still Jaton.

“Why you?” I finally asked.

“I knew you. I had the better chance.”

That much would at least be true. Though, I noticed, he hadn’t fought at all and I knew he was perfectly capable of doing so.

“The others?” I finally asked, still sorting things in my mind.

“Dead or wishing they were. Sartan remains alive.”

I nodded. I didn’t want to ask the next question, but I had too. “Travon?”

Jaton shook his head. “I do not know. He left about a month after you did. He wasn’t the same without you. I believe you told him to spy?”

I didn’t say anything, but Jaton nodded.

“I suspected it was so. After your deadline, he waited for some time and then he too spilt off, to where I do not know. If Ricald had caught him though, he would certainly be dead.”

Then there was a chance he was out there somewhere. I wasn’t sure if Magnar would be pleased or not with the news. I wasn’t sure I knew what to be either.

“Will you be coming back?” Jaton asked simply.

I glared at him. Ricald had sent assassins after me. Bad ones, yes, but he had still sent them. He had to know they wouldn’t make it. He was a coward figuring me for a loose arrow he would control. He had made a vital mistake. I was through being his toy and if I saw him again I would be sure he knew it. He had neither loyalty nor morals to live by. I didn’t either for that matter, but he was different than me… He was Durad. The thought struck me as obvious and I wondered how I had not seen it before. Just as the Hunter was who I might have been, Ricald was his Duard. I should be fighting against Ricald not for him.

“Get out Jaton and don’t come back,” I said by way of response.

“Ricald will kill me if I return without you. That was the price for failure,” He said mildly.

“Then don’t return. You hate him as much as I do. I won’t be used by such a coward and a fool.” I was stupid for ever thinking otherwise. Ricald and Duard were the same and I had let my hatred for Duard blind me to that fact for far too long.

Jaton nodded and motioned towards the others.

“Take them away, but do not return. Next time I’ll kill them.” We both knew it was not an empty threat.

Kristalyn lowered her weapon and disappeared into her room. She returned with a length of rope and part of a sheet. She tied the two soldiers together and then wrapped the sheet around the one with the knife wound, he was just coming around to consciousness. She slapped him a few times to help him along the way.

“I’ll dump the body,” I said.

Jaton nodded and moving forward picked up the rope and then helped the two outside. When they were safely out of the room, he turned back. “I was a slave brought in from a foreign country long ago. Perhaps it is finally time I returned. Sartan has lived his whole life here, but he grows tired of the war and worries about the upcoming battle. It may be he will join me.”

I smiled slightly. “Go in peace, my friend.”

“You as well.”

With that they were gone. I could feel Kristalyn’s eyes on me, but she said nothing. Jaton was a slave too? How many others had Ricald and his king forced to work for them? Zoe was from another country. Had she too been captured by these barbarians? What would I do if she were? She would have escaped Duard only to fall prey to men just like him. Quite suddenly, my decision was made.

Without turning around I said firmly, “Contact your brother. I’ll give the Hunter whatever help he needs.”

***