The Eden Series: The Complete Collection (31 page)

When they returned to the camp, they immediately informed the King of the northern army’s progress. The High King made sure to place men around the field, in case the army planned to attack in the night. He doubted it, assuming they would be tired from their journey, but you could never be certain.

The two of them walked over to Aiden and Felix. The sun was already low in the sky, and the two had a fire started. Elisa was there as well, hidden behind Aiden’s figure. They greeted them when they approached, but Wolf purposely didn’t look at her. The two of them hadn’t spoken to each other since the fight, and he wasn’t about to start now. She just looked at the fire, ignoring his presence altogether.

“Did you see them? How close are they?” Felix asked, a hint of excitement in his voice. Aiden looked over at him like he was crazy. This wasn’t something to be viewed as fun. He almost wished they hadn’t seen them, and maybe they decided not to attack after all.
Wouldn’t that have been perfect?
he thought wistfully.

“They’re not far.” Logan was the one to answer. “They should be on the other side of those trees shortly.” The word “shortly” made Aiden sit up straighter, looking over his shoulders at the dark shadows where all the trees stood. He could almost imagine their eyes looking at him from over there.

“How many, do you think?” Aiden asked, keeping his focus in the other direction.

“A lot.” Logan sighed. “More than I would have wanted to see.”

“I’d say their men are equal to ours, but their creatures make up a clear advantage,” Wolf explained

“They outnumber us then?” asked Felix. He sounded panicked.

“Definitely,” Logan answered.

“Numbers don’t always matter, Felix,” Elisa added. “If our skills exceed theirs, we can still win.”

The five of them sat in silence around the fire.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m not about to sit around here on what could quite possibly be my last day alive, sulking about what is to come. I say we have ourselves a drink!” Wolf exclaimed, lifting up a bottle. Logan smiled, nodding his head in agreement. Aiden couldn’t help but moan.

“I don’t think I can do it,” he confessed.

“No, he’s right, Aiden.” Felix smiled, giving him a friendly slap on the back. “If we’re going out, let’s go out right! Just a little drink won’t hurt—it’s better than just sitting here and being miserable. Plus, you’re our fearless leader tomorrow. You have to join in.”

The three boys sat smiling at him, making it impossible for him to refuse. Aiden gave in, and they all cheered, Logan running to grab cups.

“I think that is my cue to leave,” Elisa said, standing up. “Since I probably won’t see any of you tomorrow, I wish you all the best of luck.”

Aiden looked sadly up at her, trying not to imagine never seeing her again. He didn’t know how he would live with himself should something happen to her—to any of them, really. Trying his best to smile, he wished her luck too, and told her to be safe. Logan and Felix did the same, but Wolf just sat quietly. It didn’t seem to bother her: she bid them goodnight and left without as much as glancing in his direction.

“Bottles up, boys!” Logan cheered. They all raised their glasses, throwing the liquid down their throats. It was just as horrible as he remembered. It took a lot of effort for him not to throw it back up.

They all sat around the fire until late in the evening. No one heard or saw anything of the northern army, but they knew they’d be there by now. It was eerie sitting there, knowing that their enemy was so close. Logan tried his best to lighten the mood by telling stories of him and Wolf in one tavern inside the city walls, when Wolf got caught kissing another man’s wife. It was full of verbal assaults, and a full-on chase through the streets. He kept them laughing, although Wolf himself seemed distracted. At one point he said he needed to go do something, and left quickly. He came back a short time later, seemingly in a better mood than before.

“Should we go to bed?” Felix finally asked, just as Aiden yawned. They weren’t drunk, not yet, but if they kept up their current pace they would be shortly enough.

“If I can even sleep,” Aiden said honestly. The four of them got up and separated into their tents. Aiden crawled into his bag, thankful to be resting finally. Tomorrow was a big day, but he didn’t want to think too much about it, or he’d never be able to settle his mind.

“Sometimes I wonder if my family is looking down on me,” Felix said quietly. Aiden looked sympathetically over at him. “My sister was only a year older than me, and my best friend. I don’t know what I’m going to do now without her.”

“Don’t worry, Felix,” Aiden said. “You have us.” Although that was kind of a lie, Aiden thought suddenly. He didn’t have
him
. Aiden didn’t actually belong to this world. It finally occurred to him that when this fight was over, he’d have to go back home again. There would be no need for him anymore, and he wasn’t actually of this world. The truth was, no matter what he did tomorrow, he’d be losing his friends either way. Hopefully, not by death, but at some point he’d have to say goodbye.

Wolf had sat by the fire, something gnawing at the back of his mind. He didn’t know what was bothering him. He knew it wasn’t that he felt afraid for tomorrow. Logan was telling one of their stories, the others laughing, when it occurred to him what was the matter. Sighing inwardly in defeat, he got up and told the others he’d be back.

As he was walking through the camp, many of the men there cried out in greeting, inviting him to sit around their fire. Everyone liked him in the army, admiring him for his skills at such a young age. He politely said no, keeping his mind focused on what needed to be done. He found her, sitting by herself at the edge of the camp. Normally, no one would have been able to see her there, but he figured she’d be alone like this. Elisa always had been the reclusive type. She looked up when she heard his feet approaching. Even in the dark, he could see her posture change to a defensive stance.

“What do you want?” she asked, not hiding the disdain in her voice. He rolled his eyes, having expected this sort of reaction from her. Sitting down beside her, he looked out at the river where she had been looking. The moons reflected off the surface, casting a glow about the area. It was peaceful here, with only the sound of water rushing by. He could feel her looking at him, waiting for an explanation, her patience wearing thin.

“I just wanted to wish you luck,” he said, avoiding her glare. “It didn’t feel right not saying it.”

She was quiet for a minute before she said anything. “Thank you,” she replied quietly.

He sat there for another minute before getting up. There wasn’t much else to say, and he felt better having said at least that. As he walked away she called out to him. He turned to look at her in the dark.

“You kissed me at the spring festival—did you know that?”

“Yes.”

This seemed to surprise her. “W-why?” she asked, faltering.

He shrugged his shoulders casually, but didn’t say another word before turning to leave her by herself. She didn’t call after him again.

Now, as he lay in his tent, he wondered about her question, trying to understand why he had felt the need to follow her that night at the festival. Sometimes even he couldn’t make sense of his feelings. Rolling over, he closed his eyes, trying to rest before the morning came.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

They had arrived at the field just as the sun was setting. Callum said it was just beyond the forest, but that they’d be setting up camp in the small clearing beside the mountain. She had never been this far south, and wondered what the Capital City would look like. Their tent was already set up when he helped lift her down from the horse, letting her enter before him. Every muscle in her body ached; they had pushed hard that day, not even resting for the afternoon. Brutus had insisted that they arrive before sundown, and they still had a ways to go, so everyone was forced to move forward with all their energy. She could see in the men’s faces how tired they all were, but no one would dare complain out loud.

As she sat on the edge of the bed, she realized that her brother would be beyond those trees. He was so close now, and yet he still felt so far away. Each night now she had slept in the bed with Callum; they didn’t even bother laying out her blankets on the floor anymore. He would never touch her, never made her feel uncomfortable, and for that she was thankful. Throughout their whole ride that day he had been unusually quiet, making her wonder if the closeness of battle was finally affecting him.

Looking at his back as he read papers at his desk, she spoke to him for the first time since that afternoon.

“Are you nervous?” she asked, causing him to look back at her in surprise.

“Nervous for what?” he asked. “The battle? Not at all. We’re well prepared, and we have Aziz’s creatures to help us.”

The creatures were another matter altogether. They hadn’t been with them for most of the journey, but a couple of days ago they had appeared in a large mass, sent to them by Aziz. Rose was repulsed by them, finding their eyes eerie and unnerving. The beasts that looked like oversized hogs just stayed near the edge of camp, never really looking at anyone. The tall ones, however, could speak, even though their heads were those of an animal. Their bodies were like a human’s; their movements looked just like a man’s. They scared her, and if she was right in her assumption, they made Callum just as nervous.

She shook her head, correcting what she had meant by the question. “Not for the battle itself,” she clarified. “Are you nervous to see your people? To see your brother, in particular?”

The question seemed to have caught him off guard. He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly.

Lifting her legs onto the bed, she lay down and started to doze off, letting the conversation end. Rose didn’t want to pressure him to talk about it, feeling invasive if she did.

Eventually, he came to bed too, climbing over her gently like he always did, so he wouldn’t wake her. She was still awake, though, finding the anxiety brought on from the upcoming events of tomorrow filling her mind too much to rest.

“Rose?” he whispered. She murmured in response, letting him know she was still awake. “I want you to leave tomorrow.”

She looked over at him. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want you to stay in the camp during the fight; it is too dangerous. I have arranged for a horse for you. I want you to ride as far west as you can, along the border of the trees, before you head south again. This way, you will be away from any of the fighting.”

She lay there silent, a mixture of emotions running through her. “I know how much you want to see your brother,” he continued. “It is too dangerous for you to do so right now. Promise me you’ll ride west, and not toward the other army.”

Since the night he had taken her from her home, until now, she had never actually believed he’d ever let her go. It was as if she had just accepted this fate, finding whatever comfort she could in her present circumstances. Even coming here, with the hope to see Felix, was, for the most part, in vain. The chance of her getting away on her own was little, and she wouldn’t know where to go to find him anyway. Truthfully, she just didn’t want to go back to the mountains, too scared to be by herself there. Here she had Callum, and although a large part of her hated him, he was better company than any of the old miserable women who worked in the castle. The fact that he was willingly letting her leave left her speechless.

He braced himself up on his elbow, looking down at her. “Rose, can you promise me that?” Finding it impossible to speak, and knowing if she did so she’d most certainly cry, Rose simply nodded her head. He lowered himself back down, and remained quiet for the rest of the evening.

When the morning sun filled their tent, the reality of that day hit her like a ton of bricks. So many lives would end today; so many things could change. She watched in silence as Callum got his armour on, meticulously fastening everything around his body. He didn’t look at her the entire time, clearly lost in thought.

A man came by the tent, whispered something to Callum, and then left just as quickly. He turned to look at her for the first time that morning.

“Your horse is ready,” he said gently. “I’ll take you to him.” Nodding her head, she got up and followed him out of the tent. They walked through the camp. Every man there was already ready for the battle. A mixture of anticipation and excitement filled the air, and something else. Uncertainty, she guessed. No one here knew if he’d live past that day. The two of them walked until they were away from the others. Sure enough, there was one horse, tied to a tree outside of the camp. He was lazily grazing on the grass, unaware of anything going on around him.

“Now remember,” he said, turning to her. “Ride west until the forest ends, and then you can head south again. Eventually, you will hit one of the King’s highways leading to the capital, and you can follow the road there. Make sure you don’t stop for anyone, regardless of what they say to you. There are many robbers along that road.”

She nodded her head, taking in the information as best she could. Tears were filling up in her eyes as he spoke. She didn’t know why, but they seemed to be forming against her will. He looked at her gently, reaching toward her face to wipe a tear away.

“Don’t worry, Rose. If the God and Goddess are willing, you will see your brother again one day. This won’t be an easy journey, but I know you can do it.” She nodded her head again, too afraid to speak. The tears were now flooding down her cheeks, and a part of her knew they weren’t for her brother. “Remember all the moves I taught you if you do get into trouble,” he continued, trying to ignore her crying. “I put a sword here for you, and some water and fruit. Ride hard and fast, as best you can, and you’ll reach the road by late afternoon.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, her voice coming out hoarse and scratchy. He put his hands around her waist and lifted her up into the saddle. Going over to the tree, he untied the reins and handed them to her.