Stolen Princess

16. A Fool

The Shadow Forest is quiet for the remainder of our journey, and I try not to feel betrayed over the 'Rids attack. But until today, the forest has always been the safest place for me... so it's hard not to think of it a bit sourly every time I remember that horrible clicking noise. I suppress a shudder as the brightness of midday comes through the shadows of the forest from up ahead - we've reached the edge.

"Can we get through?" Leif asks, his voice is tired too.

"So long as we're with Wren, it seems we can get anywhere," Talon chuckles, the awe in his voice makes my stomach flip.

"What do you mean, get through?" I ask tiredly trudging alongside the Orc prince, our arms brushing together every few steps.

"The barrier," Sosha reminds me, "We are technically magical creatures after all."

"Some more than others," Talon smiles down at me like I've won the spelling bee. I smile back like an idiot.

"Looks like there's a patrol awaiting us," Leif says but he's smiling. 

I squint to look ahead for my father's men, but instead, there's a large moose bear sitting on his rump beside a scrawny, freckled Naatan. Both are smiling if moose bears can smile, and as we come to the tree line, Naatan is jumping in his excitement to greet us!

"Naatan!" Talon calls out with a wave. Just as we cross the line in the dirt that marks the magical barrier, I feel the tiniest bit of energy leaves me, flowing out in tiny shoots to the other three who cross over it at the same time. So that's how I get them across, apparently. Interest.

"Thought she'd be dead by now!" Naatan chirps, grinning at Talon, then me.

"Ach, not our warrior, eh?" Talon declares boldly, ruffling the boys' hair playfully before looking back at me.

"Anyway, need you to come quick - urgent - uh - business..." Naatan trailed off suddenly, then glanced at me once more. There was something he wasn't saying because of me... so maybe nothing had changed so much.

"Yeah, alright," Talon answered, following Naatan's gaze to me, then he nodded in Leif's direction and the two of them followed the young Orc in the direction of their camp.

"Just when I thought they were warming up to me," I sighed with a sour expression, watching them go.

"What idiot would warm up to you?" Sosha scoffs, please with herself as she heads in the opposite direction without waiting for me. I heave a sigh, trying to remind myself this was the same Orc who was kneeling in the forest a few hours ago calling me Danaya or something.

The arena is still quiet, it's early in the day yet, each knight has until sunset to return with the prize. I'm just hoping Enedina can keep them occupied long enough for us to make it back before Thio, even with the attack of the 'Rids and our longer route home.

We stroll into the arena, where the chalice waits, and the game chancellor's men stand guard to bear witness to the purity of the water. I chew the inside of my cheek at that warning father gave just before the beginning of the trial... I sincerely hope Enedina knows what she's talking about this time.

"Not possible!" I hear Sosha say, and then there's a muddle of curse words in Orc that stream from her like a well-loved song. 

I follow her gaze, halting in our path to the chalis. She's staring at the scoreboard... and just beneath it, one rampart has already been moved from across the field, signifying that knight's completion of the trial. I freeze, every piece of me jarring to a stop at the shock... it's not Thio's pennant.