CHAPTER EIGHT

W hen I awoke, the sun had already risen high above the trees. I slowly sat up and rubbed my tired eyes. I noticed I was covered in a blanket that wasn’t mine, but Elias’s. This suddenly jogged my memory of the previous night.

The nightmare felt vastly different from my recurring dream of the wolf. The fear. The pain. It all felt real, like it was happening in real time. So much so that when I awoke screaming, aftermath of the pain still flowed through me.

And my mother. I hadn’t dreamt of my mother in what could have been years.

I tried to ground myself and come back to the here and now. I was in the forest, heading to Zolmara. With Elias.

Elias .

Memories flooded in of Elias comforting me. He was gentle and loving and had made me feel safe.

I began to look around, searching for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. My heart skipped a few beats and I quickly got up and continued to scan the thick forest from where I stood. Had he left? Did my reaction to the nightmare scare him off? But then I looked down and saw that his pack was still lying on the ground along with some of his other belongings. A sense of relief hit me, realizing he must still be around.

The sound of ruffling foliage from my left broke the silence of the early morning. I quickly turned, hand on my knife. I began unsheathing it, when a voice came through the trees.

“Relax, Princess. It’s only me,” came Elias’s sensuous voice. My shoulders softened and I replaced my knife in its sheath as I watched Elias appear from the trees. His handmade bow was strung over his shoulder, and he carried two rabbits in his hands. “I thought you might be hungry,” he said to me when he saw me staring at them.

“Starving, actually,” I confessed. Elias laid the dead rabbits onto the ground and began making a fire. “You’re a master hunter, Elias,” I praised, excited to be getting another full meal.

“And you are the chef today,” he responded. “I’m going to show you how to gut them and cook them properly.”

My stomach churned a little. The day prior, I had looked away while he did all the gutting. I supposed I had to learn how to do it sooner or later.

I pulled out my knife, and Elias showed me exactly where to make a nick in the skin so the fur was easiest to peel off. He then showed me the ins and outs of the poor creature, confirming which innards to remove and which were okay to eat. He skinned and gutted his own rabbit while I did mine. At first, I couldn’t stop the squeamish feeling the crept over my skin. But once the rabbits were over the fire and smelling delightful, I felt accomplished.

And I appreciated the meal even more. It wasn’t cooked for me in a kitchen full of chefs. It wasn’t laid out on a table for me with spices and garnishes. I worked for it. And that felt good.

As I sat and watched the fire dance around my next meal, I reminisced about the previous night. I began to remember the stars, and how Elias’s pointless task he gave me led to the most beautiful sight I ever beheld. I remembered the fiery touch of his skin as he held me while I sobbed and trembled.

“If you would like,” his voice broke through my thoughts, “we can stay and rest here for today.” This seemed to be his way of telling me he hadn’t forgotten the night’s event either, but that he wouldn’t pry for information.

I thought about if for a moment, but it only made sense to continue on. “We’re only a few days out from Rimor,” I stated. “The longer we rest, the quicker we may be caught.”

Elias only nodded in agreement.

It was difficult to imagine that underneath Elias’s hard, brooding exterior was a man full of kindness and selflessness. But how else could I explain the stars? How else could I explain the way he held me and calmed my fears? I wondered if things would be different now. If he would speak more kindly, or if he would begin to open up to me.

I was thankful that he hadn’t asked about my night terror. I did not want to talk about it. As someone who doesn’t talk much about himself, it was apparent that he wouldn’t interrogate me, for which I was grateful. Skinning the rabbit also helped to occupy my mind, which very well may have been Elias’s plan all along.

We finished our rabbits along with some berries I had picked the day before and began packing our things. We continued our journey through the endless woods, with little talking. I did notice Elias turned back to look at me more than usual. A few times, it appeared he was going to say something then decided against it. I focused full-heartedly on following his steps, trying to prevent my mind from wandering off to the terrible nightmare.

After maybe two hours of walking, I began to hear the distant sound of rushing water. Within minutes, we found ourselves at the edge of a river.

“Is this Rebellia River?” I asked Elias.

“Yes,” he answered as he lowered his pack to the ground.

Rebellia River was a very large, very long river that some way or another flowed into the canals of all of the Four Kingdoms. The rapids moved quickly and aggressively.

“The current is stronger than I thought it would be,” Elias muttered.

“Are you telling me we have to cross the river?” I asked in shock. I wasn’t expecting to go swimming today.

“Yes,” he replied.

I stared at him as he stood there and surveyed the river. “Is there any way we can go around it?” I asked.

“Not unless we want to add a few days, or more, to our journey,” he asserted.

That certainly was not something I wanted to do. I walked up and put my pack down next to his. I took a step closer to the water and observed it with him. It looked like it could be a quarter-mile wide. The trees on the other end looked small from this distance. I looked towards the center of the river and thought I could see the rocky bottom. “It doesn’t look too high,” I shrugged.

“I agree,” he replied. “We haven’t seen rain in days, so it can’t be more than a few feet high in this section. But the current…” he trailed off. We both watched as a hollow log floated past us at a high speed. I wasn’t sure I would even be able to run as fast as it was going. “We will need to be very careful,” he finished.

I scratched my head, and quickly remembered what was in my pack. “Can we get across without getting our packs wet?” I asked .

“If we carry the entire packs over our shoulders, they should be safe.”

I let out a sigh of relief and Elias gave me a quizzical look. “I just have some things in there I would like to keep dry,” I said truthfully. Like the book .

“Alright then,” he started. “Let’s get moving. You do know how to swim, right?”

I glared at him, feeling offended. “Of course,” I replied.

He shrugged and bent down to untie his boots. He looked up at me, waiting for me to do the same. I cringed, really not wanting to feel whatever was lurking at the bottom of this river swimming around my ankles. But I supposed it was better than walking in wet boots for the rest of the day.

I took my boots and stockings off as well and placed them in my pack. I watched Elias haul his pack over one of his shoulders, then walk over and do the same with mine.

“What are you doing?” I asked. “I can carry my own things.”

“I’m taller,” was all he said before walking towards the river and taking his first step into the water.

I reluctantly followed suit. As my bare feet plunged into the water, I stifled a shriek. It was much colder than I was expecting. I took my second step, and held my balance. The weight of the current felt like that of someone leaning against me, trying to get me to fall over.

Elias continued to wade through the water, but looked back at me every so often to ensure he wasn’t more than a few feet away. I took each step carefully, making sure my footing was stable before moving forward.

“If you don’t speed it up, we’ll be in this river all day,” Elias beckoned. I shot him a nasty look and he grinned before turning forward and continuing.

Even though we moved slowly, I began to feel out of breath. The bitter cold of the water, now that it was up to my chest, made it feel like my airways were closing. Elias glanced back as if sensing my distress. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Fine,” I shouted back to him, feeling like he wouldn’t be able to hear me over the rushing water. “Stop staring at me, and keep going.” I swear I heard him laugh, a charming and fascinating sound. I chuckled a little in response.

I nervously trudged along for twenty minutes, each step was slow and careful. As I continued to push against the current, my legs were starting to feel sore. When I looked up, relief struck as I noticed we weren’t far from reaching the other side. Elias turned back to look at me for the hundredth time, both packs still slung over his shoulders. “Almost there, Princess,” he confirmed.

“I can see that,” I replied loudly, the rushing water still erupting in my ears. I picked up my speed slightly, eager now to reach warm, dry land. Elias was maybe twenty feet from the edge, and I was only a body’s length behind him. As he turned back to say something, I suddenly felt my foot land on a slippery rock that slid out from under me. I cried out as the abrupt shift in my balance caused the powerful current to take me off my feet.

Within a split second, my head was under the water’s surface, and my body was being pulled in multiple directions. Suddenly, I didn’t know which way was up or down. I felt myself tossing and tumbling – a victim to the river’s power. When my head bobbed above water for only a mere moment, I swore I heard Elias screaming my name. Then the current violently pulled me under once more before I could even take a breath.

I desperately needed air, but I could not tell where to find it. After moments of panic, I felt my arm scrape against the hard rocks at the bottom of the river, and this gave me a chance to shoot myself up in the opposite direction .

My head finally broke the surface of the river and I gasped for air, filling my lungs as quickly as I could before I was forced under by the current yet again. No matter how hard I tried to swim towards shore, I continued to toss and flip, wondering when my next chance for air would return. It came sooner this time, as I reached the surface for another breath. I tried my best to scan my surroundings for as long as I could, looking for anything I could grab onto. I saw Elias, now just a spec in the distance, climbing onto land from the river’s edge. At least he was safe, I thought before the river pulled me under again.

I don’t know how many minutes went by while the river tossed me around like a ragdoll. I had no concept of time, focused only on gasping for air any chance I could. Every second under the surface became more excruciating as my lungs were on fire, and my bruised body slammed into the rocks again and again.

Breaking through the surface once more, I took another breath, refusing to give up the fight. I glanced towards the forest and saw a large, dark shape darting through the woods behind the tree line. A horse? A bear, maybe? The river crashed over me again, but I bobbed back up quickly this time. I peered back at the forest, and saw the figure more clearly. It was very large and kept pace with me as the river pulled me at speeds I couldn’t fathom.

It was a wolf. A wolf . Like the one from my dream. Was I dreaming now as I was losing consciousness? Were the gods toying with me with visions as I approached my death?

Eyes wide, I was once again knocked under the surface. I remained underwater for long, excruciating moments, as my body tossed and flipped with the current. My lungs began screaming for air, and my body reacted. I opened my mouth and breathed in nothing but water. Things seemed to slow down in that moment, and I assumed the worst. This was my end. Killed by the very river that connected all four kingdoms together. Killed before I could find my answers. Killed before I could speak to my father again. Perhaps this journey was a grave mistake after all.

Before I could black out and succumb to my fate, I felt a pair of strong arms grab hold of me. I recognized the static sensation of his touch, and knew it was Elias. He quickly pulled me above the surface, and I gasped and coughed, unable to take a stable breath. Elias trudged towards the water’s edge, fighting against the current, and hauled the both of us onto land. I rolled over onto my stomach and began coughing and vomiting river water.

Elias swiftly moved to crouch next to me, patting my back to help get the remaining water out of my lungs.

“How did you get to me so fast?” I manage to gasp out with coughing fits between words.

He continued to pat my back gently. “I swam after you,” he replied.

“Bullshit,” I coughed.

“Stop talking so you can breathe,” he ordered. I managed to glare at him with the little energy I had.

“I saw you make it to the edge of the river.”

“You saw wrong,” he challenged. “I threw our packs to the edge and then swam after you. It took me a while before I could reach you and grab you.”

I looked up at him in doubt. But maybe he was right. When I saw him, he was just a spec in the distance, and my mind was in a panic.

I turned away, remembering the wolf running through the trees. Had my mind made that up as well?

“I saw something else.” My voice broke.

Elias’s expression didn’t change as he stared at me. “What?”

“It was…” I paused, feeling unsure of myself. “It was a wolf. A big one.”

His golden eyes narrowed. “I don’t think so, Princess. There are no wolves this far south. ”

“Maybe not usually, but I think I saw one. I-I saw it running through the trees, and—”

“Aura.”

My breath caught in my throat as he used my name.

“There are no wolves out here. Trust me,” he said, his voice stern.

I blinked. “But…” I trailed off, realizing the size of the wolf wouldn’t even be possible. It was most likely what I had thought before – that I fell unconscious at some point, which caused me to dream again.

“Are you sure?” I asked one last time.

“I’m sure.”

I exhaled slowly, releasing any doubts to keep myself from arguing further and sounding like I was insane. “Okay. Well…thank you. For saving me.”

He said nothing as he stood and gently held my arm to help me up. His eyes slightly widened and I followed his gaze to my arms. They looked horrendous, as my sleeves had ripped to shreds. My arms were covered in scrapes, blood seeping from the wounds, and bruises were already beginning to form. “We need to get you cleaned up,” he said. “Let’s get back to our packs.”

“How far are we from them?” I asked hurriedly.

“Maybe a mile,” Elias replied.

The river tossed me around for an entire mile? I felt sick, remembering how close I could have come to death if Elias wasn’t there.

“Let’s go,” I urged. As I began to walk forward, my legs nearly gave out and I fumbled forward. Elias caught me before I could make a fool of myself and faceplant into the earth.

“You’re injured,” he stressed. “Let me carry you.”

“I’m fine,” I countered. I took another step, but my legs had other plans. “Fuck,” I muttered, embarrassed that my body was so weakened .

“Aura,” Elias said sternly. “Please.” He held out his hand for me to take.

I stared at it before reluctantly accepting, realizing we would make it to my pack near nightfall at my rate. The sensation between our touch was no different than what I had been experiencing. Elias placed an arm around my back and another under my knees and effortlessly lifted me like I weighed no more than a feather. He began walking up the riverbank in the opposite direction of the current, his dark hair still dripping wet. As he carried me, I couldn’t help but notice the visibility of the muscles in his arms under his white sleeves that were now drenched.

Once we reached our destination, he gently put me down and I ran over to my pack, legs working better now. I opened it and nudged the items around until I saw the spine of the book. I touched it and thumbed the edges of the pages, luckily able to confirm they were still dry. Elias was too busy inspecting his own pack to notice what I was doing. He pulled out what looked like long pieces of cloth and I realized they were makeshift bandages, ripped from one of his items of clothing.

“Sit,” he ordered. I complied, happy to get a few more moments of rest for my aching body. I sat there as he gently wrapped my arms from wrists to shoulders, protecting the open wounds and stopping them from bleeding. Luckily my legs were fine, as my high-quality leather pants protected them. I would thank my uncle for the pants again later.

When he finished and I assured him I was fine, Elias said we should go a little deeper into the forest then make a fire to warm up. The thought of a wolf lurking in the woods spooked me, but I continued to tell myself that it was all in my head, and obliged.

I had noticed that when Elias spent the last mile carrying me, his body radiated heat. Somehow, I knew he wasn’t planning on making a fire for himself, but for me. I couldn’t keep from shivering, I was so cold.

We put our dry boots on and walked a little ways into the woods, the rest of our clothes wet and uncomfortable. When we finally found a good spot to make camp, Elias made the fire. “You’ll warm up faster if you get out of your wet clothes,” he told me. We both carried a set or two of spare clothes in our packs.

“You too,” I told him. He nodded. “I’ll get dressed over here,” I said, pointing to a few large bushes, “and you can get dressed over there. No peeking.”

Elias chuckled slightly. “You have my word,” he assured me. I trusted his word, for whatever reason. Even though I barely knew him.

I pulled a pair of spare trousers, stockings, and a tunic from my pack and made my way to my designated changing area. As I began to pull my sticky clothes off, I couldn’t help but wonder if my trust in him was valid. Wonder if he was looking towards me. Most men would. I peered over the side of the bush and saw him as he tossed his wet vest and shirt aside. I was about to quickly glance away, now feeling guilty that I was the one who peeked, when I noticed the scars on his back.

His back was a mess of old, healed wounds – everything from long, deep cuts to what looked like burns. I nearly gasped, but forced myself to pull my attention away from him. It looked like he had been to war and back, or was victim of some sort of torture, or part of a fighting ring or something. Thoughts swam in my head of what Elias could have been through during his life.

I finished dressing and unraveled my hair from its messy braid, knowing it would dry faster this way. “I’m finished,” I shouted in his direction.

“Me too,” I heard him reply. I stepped out of the bushes as he began to pull some food from his pack. “Are you hungry?” he asked.

“I think I may have worked up an appetite after all that,” I confirmed with a laugh.

Without a word, he tossed some of his food to me. Other than the apple he gave the other day, this was the first time he offered me any of his own, as we had each been eating from our own packs. Yet another act of kindness from him I wasn’t expecting.

While we sat and ate, and my body warmed up from the fire, I interrupted the silence. “I wanted to thank you again,” I began. “You saved my life.” Elias said nothing as the flames of the fire danced in his golden eyes. “You could have just let me go, let the river take me,” I continued when he didn’t reply. “You could have taken all of my money and my things and left. But you chose to save me.”

“We made a deal that I would get you to the Forest of Torment safely, and I am a man of my word.” His eyes remained fixed on the fire.

I watched him as he stared into the flames with no expression. “I think it’s more than that. You’re not the hardened criminal I thought you were. You’re a good person.”

“No,” Elias growled, standing up now and taking a few steps away. “You don’t know anything about me, or what I’ve done.” His face grew dark.

The way he abruptly shut me down took me off guard. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” I said.

Silence.

“I just meant, I think you’re kind,” I continued. “Perhaps a bit rugged, but…gentle.”

Elias’s eyes finally met with mine, and I saw hatred in them. Maybe not towards me, but at himself. “If you knew the things that I’ve done, you would not be saying such words,” he sputtered.

I thought back to the scars on his back and wondered if they correlated with what he was saying. But then I quickly felt offended. I was trying to compliment his character, and he was not taking to it kindly.

“What are you saying? That I should be afraid of you?” I demanded.

Elias’s eyes darkened. “Yes,” he growled. A shiver went down my spine.

I set the feeling aside, still angry. “And you’re telling me I shouldn’t trust you, even though you just saved my life? Because you think you’re a bad person? No. I don’t believe that.”

“You should,” he growled.

“Well I don’t,” I shouted back, standing now to match his energy. “What about last night? What about the stars, and the nightmare? If you’re such a bad person, why would you do those things for me?”

The words came out before I could stop them. The inner thoughts I had about what Elias had done for me were now out in the open. Would he deny them? Would he come up with an excuse as to why he was so kind to me? Perhaps it was pity and nothing more. If it was, I didn’t want to know. I suddenly wished I hadn’t said anything.

Elias hesitated, a mental battle clearly going on inside his mind. I waited. As he began to open his mouth to form his rebuttal, he was interrupted by the distant sound of a woman’s blood curdling scream.