After Layala passed the bottle of wine back to Thane, he gestured for her to have a seat in the lone chair while he removed his wet cloak. “Are you cold?” he asked. “Your clothes are wet.”
“No.” Although it was drizzling, the temperature was warm enough. Layala tapped her feet on the ground. “Do you still wish me to stay out of the fight tomorrow?”
He stilled while removing one of his boots and lifted his eyes. “Unless it’s absolutely necessary, yes. And it has nothing to do with your abilities. I know you’re a good fighter.”
She expected that answer, especially after she was captured by a pair of pale ones. As long as the battle went in their favor, she’d stay out of it. More than anything she needed to learn how Thane strategized troops and what it took to defend a city. She fought well one on one, but this was more than just her.
“Will you stay back, or will you be on the front lines?”
He tossed his boot and then rested his forearms on his thighs. “That all depends on how things play out but keeping you safe and out of their hands is more important than anything else.”
On one side, the pale ones believed she was a tool to bring back their master. On the other, the elves thought she was a tool to destroy the Void; either way she was a tool. Almost nothing more than an object in their eyes. But if Thane was right, she wasn’t a pawn. She was a queen, and she could move anywhere on the board. “Do you play chess?” Layala took another long drink of wine and passed the bottle back to Thane.
He brought it to his lips. “I do. Mage Vesstan taught me. He said it would sharpen my mind.”
“I played it with my Aunt Evalyn every week. We had tournaments in Briar Hollow monthly. Guess who is the reigning champion?”
He smiled. “You?”
“Unfortunately no, Aunt Evalyn is.” Layala thought back to the last tournament and how Evalyn had got her with a knight. “She always seems to be one step ahead of me. I’ve beaten her in the game but it’s rare.”
“This is the woman who raised you?”
“Yes, she was my mother’s friend.” Layala toyed with the willow necklace. “They made wine together and ran an apothecary in the valley. My father was a sword maker. I wish I had one of them, something that he touched.”
Thane was quietly staring at his hands clasped between his bent knees. His long dark hair hung like a curtain, covering most of his face from Layala’s view. She wished she could know what he was thinking rather than emotions. Although she couldn’t feel anything from him.
“I remember you said Briar Hollow was your town. What did you do there?”
“I trained almost every morning since I was twelve and when I was nineteen, they promoted me to Briar Hollow’s vice chancellor. It’s the position just under Master Guardsman, who is in charge of policing and making laws. Basically, if there was trouble, I handled it. And everyone came to me with their problems although it wasn’t part of the job description.”
“What kind of problems?” Thane lifted his head and sat erect, giving her eye contact.
“Oh, like when Laurena thought her husband was cheating on her, she came to me. I followed him for a day and found out he was going to the next town to sell his bushels of apples for a higher price so he could buy her a ring. They’d been so poor when they got married. She only had a piece of twine wrapped around her finger.” She crossed her legs and grew more comfortable. Thane was easier to talk to than she expected. But then again, she’d never really given him a chance to speak openly with her.
“At least it turned out well,” Thane said leaning back into his pillow. “I expected the story to have a different outcome. Would you have told her if he was cheating, like she thought, even if it broke her heart?”
“I would have felt bad but yes. It’s better to know the truth than live a lie.”
“I planned to offer my sister’s hand in marriage to the young Lord of the Woodland Elves, in hopes to unite us.” He sighed. “At the very least make us allies rather than squabbling over small pieces of land. I can’t afford to lose any more soldiers over something so petty when we have an ongoing war with a real enemy.”
“I think you should give Talon a choice.” Layala bit her bottom lip. “A choice that you or I never had.”
“Ah yes.” Thane’s mouth twitched. “I should have known you’d say that. I wouldn’t force her if she was entirely against it. But she’s ambitious.”
Layala shook her head. “Is there something between her and Aldrich or Fennan?”
“They both know exactly what she is so no, I don’t believe so. They’re close but over the years I’ve never seen anything romantic between her and Aldrich or Fennan. They treat her more like—a sister. All of us are like family.”
Talon was cold and snake-like, nothing like how Layala would treat family. Layala watched her direct the servants like they were imbeciles and barely worthy of cooking her dinner or washing her clothes. At the castle when Layala eavesdropped a few times, she heard Talon say horribly mean things about her so-called friend as soon as she left the room. Her exact words were: “Her voice is ghastly. I don’t know why we allow her to speak at all.” The others giggled. “And did you know her mother was a low-born elf? The daughter of a horseshoe maker. Can it get any worse?”
“Why are you so different from her?” She hadn’t a chance to eavesdrop on Thane, but she watched how he treated everyone from his mother to the stable master and it was all with respect.
“You think we’re different?”
“I know you are.”
Thane smiled at that. “I suppose it’s because she was spoiled, and I was not. I had to work hard, and she didn’t. My father loved her; I don’t think he ever loved me.” He went quiet. The drizzling rain pattered on the tent. The lone candle flickered creating shadows under his already heavy eyes. “I suppose I am better for that,” he said so quietly she almost didn’t catch it.
Instinctually, Layala almost said she was sure his father loved him even if he didn’t show it, but she caught herself. This was Tenebris they were talking about. There was no point in placating him with lies. He’d also recently killed his father and she wasn’t sure how he felt about that. It was intrusive to ask; she wouldn’t even know how to phrase the question without sounding insensitive. Maybe Thane loved his father even if his father hadn’t loved him. Maybe it nearly killed him to do what he’d done… for her. “What about your mother? I think she’s been avoiding me.”
“My mother has always been there for me. And probably is avoiding you,” he said with a smirk. “I can’t for the life of me fathom why. You’re always so sweet.”
Layala rolled her eyes. “Must I apologize again? I’m trying my best to…” what was she trying to do?
“Your best to…” he prodded.
“To be cordial. Our lives are tied together for now. There’s no reason I need to make us both miserable.” She thought about Piper and how close she and Thane were. She was curious about his relationship with her. “Has there ever been anything between you and Piper? I won’t be offended so don’t worry.”
Thane’s lip curled. “Me and Piper?” he asked, almost laughing. “No. Not that there’s anything wrong with her but she knows I’ve only had room in my heart for one. Besides, I think she likes Fennan but she won’t admit it.”
And that one was her. Layala’s skin tingled, and she quickly added, “Fennan? Interesting. Does he like her?”
“Fennan likes many females. He’s not ready to settle down. Piper knows that.” He held out the bottle of wine to her. “Mage Vesstan said we could possibly convince the portal to take us to the Sederac Mountains.”
Her eyes widened and she took the wine. It would make the journey weeks shorter. “Why would you tell me this? You forbade me to go.” She remembered quite clearly every word he said to her that night.
“It’s not entirely my place, although as our lives are connected, I think I should have some say. I’ve told you before I’m not keeping you prisoner, but I did kill my own father to keep you out of enemy hands.” His jaw muscles twitched. “You know what you risk going there. I hope you find another way.”
He hopes I find another way. He wants out of this. And somewhere deep inside a small ache protested at that. “You said you know someone in Doonafell who might be of help so there may be another way. I should let you get some sleep. You look tired.” She finished off the wine and set the glass bottle on the table at his bedside.
“There’s room in here for one more,” he patted the bed. “You know, if you get scared and need me to chase away the nightmares from that pretty head.”
She flipped her middle finger at his wicked grin on the way out of the tent.
When morning came Thane did not wake her for training. She woke to find Piper packing up her things and the sun already up. With a frown, she pushed out of bed and dressed. After rolling up her sleeping mat and blanket, she nudged Tif. “It’s time to go.”
Tif shot up. Her wild curls looked like a bird’s nest on top of her head. “Go?”
“Yes, we’re leaving soon.”
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I’ll make sure your things are packed. I gotta do my job lest I get kicked back to the mound.”
“Thanks,” Layala said with a smile, even though she had already packed on her own. She stepped out into the dewy morning air. The rain clouds from the night before cleared away to bring forth a brilliant sunrise. Already the dampness was lifting. Layala made her way to Thane’s tent and stood outside fidgeting with her dagger’s handle. Should I call his name? Peek inside? She couldn’t knock. “He’s not in there,” Fennan said from behind and Layala jumped.
She whirled around as if she’d been caught stealing. “Oh, um, alright.” She cleared her throat. “I thought you went with the group who left last night.”
“I was going to, but Thane asked me to stay to help guard you.”
“Ah, of course he did.” She tried to not sound annoyed, but she was. She didn’t want to be what kept some of the best fighters away from the innocent people who needed help in Doonafell.
“It’s not just about you, you know,” Fennan said. “If something happened to you, we would no longer have a king, and since he has no heir and no uncles or brothers, that would leave Queen Orlandia as ruler. We’d be overrun by pale ones within a fortnight if she were left in charge. She has no interest in running Palenor, let alone doing a good job of it. It would be chaos.”
That hit harder than he likely even meant it to; Layala tried to kill him before. She had no idea the fallout his death would have caused. She assumed someone would step up in his place and everything would work itself out. “She can’t be that incompetent. And surely some military leader would step up. You perhaps.”
He smiled crookedly. “I would do what I could, but without a strong king or queen to look to, I fear the high elves would lose hope. This war has gone on for so long, Layala. We’re tired. Tired to our very bones. Even the souls of the newborns must be.”
She seemed to feel that tiredness in her lineage. “Do you think I was born to destroy the Void?” Layala asked tentatively.
“I think your life has been steeped in sorrow and anger.”
His heavy-lidded eyes found hers. And for the first time Layala saw that bone-deep tiredness in him. He hid it behind a smile but what atrocities had he witnessed in his life?
“But I think only you get to decide what you were born to do. Tenebris wanted to use you but, having met you, I don’t think he ever could have.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, “Fightbringer.”
“Is that to be what I’m called now?”
“Among the Ravens? Oh yes. In public, Lady Layala until you marry my High King.”
“If I marry him,” Layala corrected.
“You’re not the first to have an arranged marriage, certainly not the last. Most just accept it and learn to live with their partner.”
“This is different.” For more reasons than he knew. Novak’s pale face with open lifeless eyes flashed in her mind. It wasn’t simply because of who Thane’s father was.
“Is it?” Fennan drawled. “I think you’re convincing yourself it is.”
Layala turned away and trudged to find Midnight. Fennan’s footsteps followed behind. When she got to the horse, she picked up the saddle and then Fennan took it out of her arms and lifted it onto Midnight’s back. “You’re the king’s mate. This task is below you.”
Layala threw her arms up in frustration. “Why do you all act like I’m incapable of work?”
“We all have jobs to do. Would you put the horse hands out of work because you want to prove a point?” He reached under the horse to grab the belt. “What about your lady’s maids? Would you rather see them out on the streets than allow them to help you?” He tightened the saddle with a jerk.
She never thought of it that way. “No.”
He handed her the reins. “Good. Now put your armor on. Today is battle day.”
“But I don’t have any.”
“Sure you do,” Fennan said. “Ask Piper.”
Layala found Piper close by, buckling a deep gray body plate of armor on herself. The outside had a layer of black leather, but she guessed underneath was metal. It had the Palenor sigil of three weapons engraved over her chest. Her shoulders, collarbone area, and arms were covered in smoky black scalemail. The small pieces glittered in the sunlight. On both sides of her helmet a metal wing protruded. “You look good,” Layala said.
Piper smiled. “So will you.’’ She pointed to a wooden chest. “Yours is inside.”
Lifting the lid, Layala found a matching set to Pipers. When she slid it on it fit snuggly and wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was meant to protect. She waved her arms and found she could move freely. The scalemail was pliable and she wondered what metal it was made of. Also, in the chest she found gloves, thigh armor that buckled in the back, shin guards and the same winged helmet.
Piper folded her arms upon inspection. “Now you look like a Raven.”
Layala looked down at herself and grinned. She never wore armor before. She never needed to. As much as she was impressed with the pretty dresses she wore back at the castle, this topped them. This felt like who she was meant to be. A warrior. “Is everyone’s armor the same?”
“Yes, the Ravens are. Other soldiers don’t have scalemail or winged helmets. The scalemail is expensive. It is replicated after dragon scales.”
“I thought my arms and shoulders would be stiff and hindered with it but they’re not. It’s almost as if I don’t even have armor on them.”
“Your only weak points are your neck, and the back of your legs. Guard them well.”
When they set off, Layala rode beside Piper and Fennan. Thane and Sunshine were nowhere to be seen. Fennan insisted he was still with the troop and didn’t go ahead. The entire day she was nauseous. A haze of smoke dusted the horizon. The soldiers grew unceremoniously quiet. Horse hooves clopped, tails swished, wagons creaked but no one talked. The smell of acrid smoke infiltrated her senses. She couldn’t see the city yet, but she knew what they’d soon find. Heading in the opposite direction, they passed groups of female elves and children on the road and a few soldiers leading. Layala’s throat tightened. They held only a few possessions in their arms, their faces tear streaked between the soot. One little girl held a doll in her arm, staring at the ground holding her mother’s hand. She never looked up. Had she lost her father? Did they have anything to eat?
When the city came into view, Layala’s hand flew to her mouth. More than half was burned to the ground with skeletons of blackened wood still standing. Screaming and shouting, and metal clanging presented a terrifying tune. The soldiers ahead of her started their horses from a steady walk into a gallop. Midnight followed. Thane’s voice carried over the drumming of hooves, shouting orders, directing the Ravens. They split into two lines. One going east, the other west around the city. Layala planned to go right to where she could hear the most fighting. She turned the reins and then Fennan reached over and grabbed hold of Midnight bringing them to a stop.
“You’re staying back here with me.”
Tif tugged on the back of Layala’s top. “Please stay. I don’t want to be pale one food,” she whispered.
Piper rode on and the soldiers behind split around them like river water around a rock. “But Fennan, we can help. I can’t even see what’s happening from here.”
“You know what’s happening. You don’t need to see it up close,” he said sharply. “It’s horrible, Layala. It will infect your dreams. You don’t want to see it.”
Princess Talon stopped on the other side of Fennan, putting a hand to her chest. Her horse nickered and threw its head. “I can’t believe this has happened. My father would be horrified. This never happened while he was our High King.”
Layala frantically searched for Thane. She heard him moments before but where did he go? Did he ride in with the others? “We can’t just sit here.”
“Yes we can,” Fennan said. “Your High King gave you an order. You will stay.”
“Don’t act like you’re so special that you’re needed down there,” Talon droned. “Do as you’re told and sit here like a good little she-elf. Or better yet, go down there and get yourself killed. You’d be doing us all a favor.”
Cheeks burning Layala glared. As much as she wanted to rip the princess off her horse and beat her face in, she held still. Now was not the time.
“Shut up,” Fennan snapped. “I don’t need you causing me any more trouble.”
“Excuse me,” Talon croaked, wide-eyed with shock. “You do not speak to me like that, Fennan. I am your princess. Apologize or I’ll have you whipped.”
“This is war. You can take your niceties and threats elsewhere. You are under my command while we’re out here.”
Talon snapped her low-hanging jaw shut and stared ahead, clearly fuming.
Heart thundering, Layala listened to the screams and the flames as they roared like a dragon, reaching more buildings. She gripped the reins until her hands ached. Her magic scorched in her veins, threatening to escape. More people evacuated the city, crying as they hurried past Layala and Fennan and Talon. The fighting happened on the far side of Doonafell so she couldn’t see it, couldn’t see if the Ravens were beating back the pale ones or not.
“You need to rein in your magic,” Fennan said quietly. “I can feel it.”
She whipped her head around to find Fennan staring. She risked a quick glance at Talon, who wore a worried expression, and it wasn’t because of the battle. She pushed her magic down, down until it was nothing but a spark. After the sun moved to the other side of the sky, and she listened to Talon prattle on about her worry for Sunshine and her brother, how horrible it must be down there, moaning about all the people dying, she slid down from Midnight. It was enough to make Layala’s stomach twist into knots. “I can’t sit still any longer.”
Tif peeked from the bag and whimpered. Layala paced for a moment and then froze. Coming from the trees to the left were a group of seven pale ones chasing a mother and two children. She held a baby, no more than one year old in her arms and pulled the other, who couldn’t have been more than four along at her side. Her face was pinched in horror as the pale ones drew closer.
Layala jerked her sword out. “Fennan!” she didn’t wait for him to give her permission. She ran, sprinting until her legs burned from the effort. She pulled the throwing star out of her pocket and launched it. It whipped past the mother’s head and lodged in between the eyes of the pale one only feet behind her. Horse hooves rumbled behind her and Fennan bellowed out a war cry and rode down a pale one, chopping his sword at another. Layala nodded at the mother as she sprinted by and drove her sword straight into the gut of the first monster she came to. She jerked it out and blocked a downward hack coming from another. The jagged-edged blade grated against hers as he pulled back. He swung at her again with greater force, enough to knock her a few steps back.
“Come on, sweetness,” the pale one said with an eerie grin. “You wanna play with the big boys, you better be prepared.”
She heard a whoosh behind her and dropped into a crouch; a blade passed over her head. Diving out from in between them, she faced the two pale ones as they prowled closer. They were huge, and muscular, much bigger than any she’d seen before.
“Layala, run!” Fennan shouted as he swung at his own two opponents.
But she would never leave Fennan to fight these beasts by himself. She tore the dagger from her belt and flicked it. It soared for a throat but was knocked aside. The one on the left stepped up and swung, she dodged it and stepped to the side and sliced into the back of his thigh. He hissed as the other jabbed his sword straight for her belly. She knocked the blade away; he hit her with a punch straight to the jaw that sent her twirling to the ground. A low growl rumbled in her chest as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She spat and looked up from her hands and knees. That’s it, you son of a bastard! Her magic roared to life; black thorned vines as wide as her torso tore out of the ground like the tentacles of some great sea monster. They crashed through the surface and wrapped around the pale ones, squeezing the life out of them. She barely heard their muffled screams at the vines closed around them like a tomb. She rose up and with a slight motion of hand more ripped from the ground, a vine tore through the one opposite of Fennan, until the monster’s body was split in two and rose up as the vines grew taller. The other was crumpled into a tight ball. Dark purple lilies bloomed along the trailing magical plants.
With his sword arm hanging at his side, Fennan gawked at Layala. “What was that?!”
“Holy horseballs!” Tifapine exclaimed standing on the back of Midnight, holding his reins as they sauntered over. “Your magic is something special for certain. And look at me. I’m riding all by myself.”
Layala wanted to smile at her and at Fennan as they were clearly impressed, but she stared at the burning city. “Now they’ll know I’m here.”
