Rowan

Chapter Twenty Seven

A little short so I apologize. But I hope you all still enjoy! The next part is an update on writing in general, not a chapter. Tomorrow starts NaNoWriMo, are you guys participating??? and Happy Halloween!

Chapter Twenty Seven

"Are you sure you are going to be okay?" It was different, leaving him alone out here in the forest.

He just waved a dismissive hand in my direction, practically shoving me out the door with a smile. "Sweetheart, I'm not going to wither away without you. Lily agreed to come down in a few days and help me. I can be on my own until then. Now go," he urged and I sighed, turning to hug him tightly.

"Todd and I will be back soon enough, I promise. Make sure not to do anything too tasking-" I tried, but he shook his head pulling away from me and laughing. I had thought about leaving Todd behind but knew he would not behave with my father. So I would keep him closeby at all times.

"Rowan, I don't need you lecturing me. Go now before you manage to convince yourself you need to stay." He was right. That was exactly what I was doing in my mind, conjuring up the worst possible scenarios.

"I love you, Papa," I said with a brief smile. He watched as Deuis, Todd and I all left, galloping towards the castle.

The ride there was as long and tedious as I had remembered. We did not stop to rest often, only doing so when I noticed Deuis was becoming tired or needed to eat. I would eat as well, making sure to feed Todd and tell him we would be there soon.

When we finally arrived, the three of us were exhausted by the travelling. Deuis had begun walking at a slower pace, perking up a bit when he recognized the castle. Even Todd, who'd chattered non-stop in my ear the entire time, had gone quiet some time ago and just slept.

It was quiet when we stopped and I dismounted Deuis, murmuring thankful words to him. The silence was not a peaceful one, but one that slithered through right before Death took his opportunity to wreak havoc.

When I placed Deuis within the stable, I noticed that there was only a single horse left. All the other stalls had been cleaned and emptied, causing me to wonder if I was too late. I put Deuis into the stall next to Sequeria, brushing him before making sure they both had adequate supplies and leaving with Todd.

I walked into the castle, tensing as the sounds of my footsteps echoed throughout the building, bouncing from wall to wall. Despite how loud they seemed, I was the only one who was there to hear them.

It had been quite empty before my departure but this was different. There used to be servants who would walk through every now and again or perhaps there would be a guard on his way to the front of the castle. Now, I was not sure that I was not alone in the castle.

I walked through, knowing where I would find him if he was here. He would have either been tending to his horse or within his own room. The latter was where I found him, placing clothes into a suitcase and other small items into a bag.

I knew he had heard me open the door. He knew it was me that stood there waiting, however, he continued packing, not once glancing in my direction. I bit down the snarky comment that desired to be said, knowing it would not help.

"Where are you going?" I asked, deciding it was the safest route to travel on. He still kept his eyes on his suitcase, quiet. I thought perhaps he would not answer but he finally spoke after a moment.

"There is no one to take the throne so the castle is going to be torn down. We were all told to leave beforehand." I frowned, glancing at my feet. It seemed I was too late. Yet, I didn't leave.

"And when the King returns how am I to tell him that his most loyal guard ran off?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. His eyes finally met mine, but only for a second before they drifted away.

"I am not interested in your help anymore, Rowan. You wished to go home and that is exactly where you should be now."

I gritted my teeth at his response, my patience dwindling quickly. "Stop acting like a child and forgive me, Sage! I may not have responded at first but I am here now." I stepped closer to him, placing my hand on his, stopping its movement. "Is it not better late than never?" I asked, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at me.

His eyes were expressionless at first, however, they finally softened after a second and he briefly nodded. I was surprised when his arms wrapped around my waist, encasing me while my body was pressed against his own. I could feel his hair tickling my nose and the softness of his skin on my cheek causing my heart to race.

"Thank you for coming, Rowan. I know this does not mean much to you-" I clicked my tongue at his words, startling him into silence as I pulled away slightly, his arms loosely around me.

"Sage, I may pretend that I do not care for you or the King but I think the both of you have grown on me. I may not care for the King as much as you but I do care. I promised that I would help tame the King and I cannot do that if he is gone," I explained, his expression turning tender at my words.

I could see his eyes flicker as the silence returned, holding something that I could not identify quick enough. However, it left when Todd finally decided to poke out his head, chattering animatedly when he noticed Sage.

Sage laughed at Todd's antics, pulling his arms away from me, reaching for Todd. He eagerly left my bag and went to Sage, checking for any food. He was rewarded eventually when Sage pulled out a small piece of meat for him, Todd snatching it up.

"Do you have a plan?" I asked as he placed Todd on the ground, allowing him to roam around the room.

Sage nodded, placing his suitcase on the floor and sitting on the bed. I joined him, listening as he described his plan in detail. In the end, I realized that what we were doing would either end with us succeeding and freeing the King or failing and finally meeting Death.