The King with Six Friends

Holding Trust

Edge braced his broken nose between his hands and wrenched it back into place with a sickening crunch. He bit down hard on his arm to keep quiet while it stung and bled. A whimper escaped him.

"I heard that," Ingrid muttered. "Sounds like it hurts." She peered through a bush to spy into a frosty clearing.

She'd been watching it for a while to make sure there were no traps or ambushes waiting for them. They had been traveling off-trail for some time to avoid any unwanted attention.

"I got my nose broken by your bear Morph friend," Edge mumbled. He pinched the bridge of his nose while his eyes watered. "Of course it hurts."

The bruise on Ingrid's face panged from the memory of her own collision with Björn. "He's not my friend," she muttered. "Never was."

From what she could see from behind the bush, the meadow was empty besides a lone buck. Its breath puffed out in clouds while it grazed on clover. A worn caravan trail cut through the waist-high tallgrass, headed southbound towards the coast.

"Can I ask you something?" said Edge.

"It's a free world," Ingrid walked into the clearing to see the trail better. The buck jumped and darted away at the sight of her.

Edge pulled the horse behind him by the reins. It limped after ice buildup in its hooves injured it. Ingrid doctored the frostbite the best she could, but it wasn't in any shape to ride. They'd been walking for the last day and a half, slowing them down.

"How did you get caught up with the 'assassin' stuff?" Edge asked.

"I don't think it's your place to ask something like that," Ingrid snapped.

Edge was taken aback by the hostility. "Oh. I'm sorry if that's a sensitive subject."

"It is," she growled.

At that moment, the sounds of hoofbeats and horses echoed in the woods. A company of cavalry soldiers was racing right toward them. Before Edge could react, Ingrid tackled him to the ground behind a log.

"What'd you-!" Edge sputtered before a hand clamped over his mouth.

"Shut up!" Ingrid hissed, "We can't be seen!"

"The horse!" Edge hollered, his voice muffled behind her hand. The mare was cantering about in a frenzied state, completely exposed in the middle of the meadow.

Edge and Ingrid scrambled at the same time to get to the horse. Edge reached it first and pulled it into a kneel in the tallgrass. Hopefully, it wouldn't be spotted by the passing riders.

He had only just gotten the horse to lay down when the riders came galloping around the bend. Their gold and silver armor flashed in the sunset as they thundered past. Dirt clods flew through the air behind the horses like ash from a wildfire. The crimson and navy banners of the Western Imperial Army snapped and rippled in their wake.

The mare suddenly spooked and tried to run, but Edge wrestled it back down. The riders blew through the meadow without stopping to notice the horse-shaped depression in the tallgrass. Eventually, the thunderous stampede faded out until it was quiet again.

Edge peered up over the top of the grass. He saw Ingrid's raven hair pop up from her hiding place by the log.

"That was the Western Empire," Edge remarked.

"I know," Ingrid said back. She stood up when she was sure the riders were gone. "They were dressed for war." She glanced back at Edge. "I don't think your friends got to the king in time."

"How can you be sure? They could have just been riding through." Edge pulled the mare up, but was met with resistance. It didn't want to stand back up after walking for so long.