The Ember Queen

Chapter Eleven

Leaving the campsite:
Fiona's boots squelched in the muddy holes as she swiftly walked. The mud pits were deep, and if her foot stood on one long enough it would become trapped. Abraham was a little less than eight feet ahead of her, glancing over his shoulder at her every thirty seconds or so; and Fiona tried to be sure and make eye contact to show him she was okay.

Abraham had taken the heavier half of their belongings and strapped it all onto his back. Fiona only carried their shelter, bedding, and clothing. He carried all of their food, medicine, and other supplies.

They had dared not camp another day in the forest near the execution yard, so they packed up and were on their way to the nearby sectors.

"We need allies," Abraham had told her the night before. "And it's important that we remove the council from power as soon as possible." Fiona had nodded in agreement, knowing Abraham had more of a plan than that.

"So we're going to rally some supporters, get ourselves a base of some sort, and work from there at getting rid of the chairmen, however long it may take," He had concluded.

Abraham glanced back at her again, and Fiona gave him a small smile. Abraham grinned, "I've been waiting for that for the past thirty minutes."

Fiona sped up and started walking at Abraham's side. "So do you have an idea where exactly we should go first?" Fiona asked him. Abraham shook his head.

"You mentioned going and rallying supporters," Fiona said, "Should we start with that?"

Abraham considered for a moment, then nodded appreciatively. "But where exactly is that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Fiona admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "It might be best to start in a sector farther from the palace and royal Estates because that's where the most loyal supporters will be."

"Or the most dedicated fakers," Abraham said. Fiona sighed.

"Apparently trying to help a country is a lot harder than trying to hurt one," she said. Abraham chuckled. Unconsciously his hand reached for Fiona's right beside him, and she entwined their fingers without thinking. Realizing what she'd done, Fiona's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she just shook her head and smiled.

"What?" Abraham asked, half-grinning.

"I just find it so funny that I refused to get close to you," Fiona began, "but now... all it took was-" she stopped herself driving down the knot in her throat. Abraham squeezed her fingers.

"Look, we can mope around over her, or we can use her martyrdom for the greater cause," Abraham said. Fiona took a deep breath, leveling her head.

"Gabby would have wanted us to keep going," Fiona said, "so I think we should go to the outer sectors but hit some hot spots on the way along with the inner rings."

"Sounds like a plan," Abraham concluded, bumping Fiona with his right shoulder.

A tavern in an outer ring:
The tavern had vaulted ceilings and it almost reminded Fiona of a smaller version of Amstel's event hall. Already two workers had greeted them warmly, neither of them picking up on who the new couple who had walked in was.

Abraham greeted them back with a swagger that could've suggested he was one of their most frequent customers, seeing that he had never had been in this sector before. The smell of greasy food and long-burning torches suffocated the space, and as crowded as it was one would assume the people enjoyed the musty atmosphere.

Abraham led Fiona to a table in the corner of the dining area, close to the stairs leading up to sleeping spaces, the restrooms, and a nearby fire escape.