Iron Frost - Clan of the Rim Chronicles #1

26

A/N: Since I had written 25 at 3:00 am I realized I should have added some stuff to the chapter after re-reading it. So if you read as soon as it came out (Jan 1st 2018) go back and read the section after Calder tells Eerika about Runa as it affects the emotions of the two slightly. Thanks!



THAT MORNING CALDER AND I made preparations to set out on our journey again. My leg was sore and slightly wobbly, but I assured Calder that I could walk on my own.

"Are you sure?" he surveyed me while holding my arm as I slowly stood.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. "I'm just sore. I won't have to walk much anyways with riding the horse. We need to go."

"Just take it easy ok? Don't push yourself," Calder said, and I could sense the worry in his voice. I smiled slightly and rolled my eyes.

"I can handle it. Don't worry."

Walking over to my horse with a slight but manageable limp I pulled my father's map out of the saddle bag. I didn't even know where we were or how far this cave was located from the dark forest. I didn't want it to be far so the travel would be quicker to the sword and Calder and I could get back home.

"How far are we from the dark forest?"

Calder packed the last item in his bag and walked over. "Not far," he assured, "We should be there by evening, but that is what ills me."

"Why?"

"At night is when the inhabitants of the dark forest become truly raving. At any point of the day they roam and are a danger, sure, but at night it is as if they grow absolutely mad. I don't like what we're about to do."

"We have to, Calder. It's the only way we can defeat your mother."

"There has to be other ways, something else we haven't learned of yet. You're hurt. You can't run from those creatures if something happens that requires you to do so. We're about to charge straight into the beast's mouth."

"That's just it, we haven't learned of anything else that could work. This is our only lead we have to go on. Wether it be in the dark forest or rainbow land, we can't let this go now. Not with how far we've already come and everything we're risking. I took a damn slice down my thigh for this, there's no way in hell I'm just going to go back home and it all be for nothing."

Calder's expression was filled with uncertainty, but no look or words could change my mind. He didn't last night and he wouldn't now.

"We have to try," I told him, and there was a moment of silence before Calder said anything else.

"Okay. Let's go."

Calder made the cave look like we'd never been there so no traitors would notice our stop, then mounted the horses and were off. As we traveled in silence listening for any creatures or traitors that might be nearby, I started to wonder how Calder and I would exactly obtain the sword when it was found.

"You know it hasn't left the back of my mind, wondering how my father knew about the sword," I said to Calder. "Eeira told me of the seer he visited, but the sidhe never mentioned the sword to him, at least from what anyone knew. If the sword was in existence at that time why didn't she tell him?"

"Maybe she did and your father kept the knowledge to himself," Calder replied. "Even he had his secrets, Eerika. We know that from the map hidden in his drawer. I know you want to think of him as a truthful, honorable man, but we don't know what really happened while he was on this trail. There still could be so much to the story."