CHAPTER NINE

T he shriek we heard sent shivers down my spine, and I felt it reach my soul. It sounded like a distant memory I couldn’t quite conjure. It reminded me of my own agonizing screams just the night before. Remembering the pain-filled nightmare gave me another chill, but I suddenly found myself sprinting towards the sound, ignoring the soreness in every step.

“Aura,” Elias called to me. “What are you doing?”

“We have to help her,” I exclaimed.

“No, we do not,” he argued.

I paused and turned to face him. “Someone is clearly in trouble. I am not going to just stand here and do nothing!” I pivoted back around and continued running towards the direction of the scream.

I felt Elias come up behind me and grab my arm. I turned to face him. “We don’t know who or what it is. It could be some sort of trick. Let’s think about this,” he pleaded .

I pulled my arm from his grasp and shot him an angry look. “Let go of me,” I said through gritted teeth, still feeling the anger of our interrupted conversation.

He did as I said. We stared at each other for another moment, his eyes telling me to reconsider. The scream erupted again, this time more frantic. I did not wait for further confirmation as I turned and began jogging towards it, Elias at my heel.

As we headed towards the noise, I began to hear a woman sobbing. Mumbled words that were too distant to understand cried out between sobs. We stalked closer and closer and I could begin to barely make out the words of the woman.

“Nadia, please!” I heard her exclaim. “Open your eyes! Oh gods, oh gods. Somebody help!” The last two words came out as another scream.

I quickened my pace and pushed through a waterfall of vines, Elias’s heat radiating close behind me. As I made my way through the foliage, I could finally see the source of the cries. A woman with bright red hair crouched over the body of a child, her arms trying to shake the unconscious girl awake. The woman faced away from us, her curly hair cascaded down her back in long ringlets. She hadn’t turned towards us when we entered into the small clearing, and I knew she hadn’t heard us yet.

“Are you okay?” I said aloud to announce our presence.

The woman flung wildly around and stared at me with wide eyes. She reached over towards the ground next to her and grabbed what looked like a small sword. “Stay back!” she shouted, the tip of her sword pointed towards us. A small growl emitted from Elias’s throat, and the woman’s gaze turned to him. Her eyes widened even further, and her sword now danced back and forth as she couldn’t decide who to point it at.

“Were you not just screaming for help?” Elias said, a strange darkness in his voice.

She gulped, her hands tightening around the sword.

“It’s alright. We’re not going to hurt you,” I assured her. She turned back to me, but she did not lower her weapon. I looked down at the body on the ground. The unconscious girl looked like she was no older than eleven or twelve, while the woman standing could have been my age. Sisters, maybe? The younger girl’s hair matched the other’s curly texture, but was a darker shade of red than her older counterpart. I watched as the young one’s chest rose and lowered with shallow, uneven breaths.

“Is she hurt?” I asked. The woman remained uneasy, her sword still raised in our direction. Her eyes remained fixated on Elias, clearly more wary of him than of myself. “He’s not going to hurt you,” I repeated. “Please, let us help.”

The woman looked over to me once again. “She…she ate some berries and then fainted. I can’t wake her up,” she said as she stifled back sobs.

I started to walk towards her, but the woman’s sword remained fixed in its defensive position. Elias growled again and I turned to look at him. “Elias. Be at ease,” I demanded. His gaze darted between me and the sword that pointed at me, but he did as I said. His shoulders relaxed and he took a step back, raising his hands to his shoulders with his palms facing out to show he was not a threat. I turned back to the woman and she began to lower her sword.

“May I take a look at her?” I asked calmly. The woman nodded, and a tear slipped from her eye.

I walked over and knelt next to the girl, truly her sister’s small doppelganger. I wondered if they shared the same blue eyes too.

“The berries she ate…” began the elder sister. “I think they came from that bush over there.” She pointed towards a small bush with dark purple leaves and white flowers. The berries were a deep red color. I did not recognize them.

“Elias,” I called to him and he stepped towards us. “Do you know what they are?”

He looked towards the bush but shook his head. “I have not seen them before,” he spoke. The woman let out a small cry of exasperation.

I turned to her. “It’ll be alright,” I said to her, also trying to convince myself. I looked towards Elias again. “In my pack, there’s a book on wild plants. Can you get it?” I asked him.

Elias’s eyes darkened. “And leave you here?” he argued.

“Yes, I’ll be fine. Please.” His eyes remained fixed on mine, but I did not budge. “Please,” I whispered again. I trusted him. I trusted him to do the right thing. Trusted that he wasn’t the horrible person he made himself out to be.

With hesitation, Elias gave a defeated nod then turned to head back to our camp. The woman also watched as he walked out of view.

“What is your name?” I asked the woman, attempting to distract her from the desperate situation.

She looked back at me. “Magda,” she answered. “This is my sister, Nadia.” Magda let out another small sob as she looked down at her smaller half.

“My name—” I cut myself off. I was once worried Elias would recognize that Aura was short for Aurelia, although he already knew who I was the whole time. But I wondered if Magda would put it together, if she would recognize me if she looked long enough. She hadn’t given any indication of recognition so far, so I continued. “My name is Aura. That was Elias, my…friend.” I wasn’t sure what to call him. “Don’t let him intimidate you,” I continued with a half-smile.

“Too late,” Magda muttered.

“Where are you from, Magda?” I asked. Hopefully not Rimor, where she’d be the most likely to recognize me.

Magda opened her mouth in response, but was interrupted by the sound of a small moan coming from Nadia. Magda knelt down on the opposite side of her sister from me, tossing the sword aside as she cupped the young girl’s face in her hands.

“Nadia?” she asked. “Can you hear me?”

There was no reply.

I placed my hand over Nadia’s chest. “She’s still breathing. But she’s deeply unconscious. It may be her body’s reaction in order to slow the toxins of the berries.” I did learn a thing or two from the castle infirmary’s healers over the years.

Just then, we turned to see Elias returning with my pack in his hand. We must not have run as far from our camp as I thought if he was back so soon. He handed my pack to me then backed away, eyes dark and focused on Magda. He clearly did not trust her, and I assumed she returned the feeling.

I fumbled through my pack until I found the book I was looking for. I thumbed through its pages, observing the detailed drawings of each plant. Magda and Elias watched in silence. It took less than a minute for me to locate the drawing of a purple-leaved plant with white flowers and red berries. “Phrolla berries,” I read aloud.

“Phrolla berries?” Magda repeated with desperation.

I nodded. “They are highly poisonous.”

“Is there a cure?” she shrieked.

I continued reading while Magda shifted with impatience. I turned the page. “Ah, here!” I pointed. “Ground Eebrel root,” I said.

Magda stared at me with a look of urgency. “What is that? Where is that?” she pleaded.

“I am familiar with that plant,” Elias said from behind us.

“Is it close?” Magda asked, speaking to him directly for the first time.

Elias nodded.

“Please.” Magda stood. “Please bring it to me. I’ll do anything. ”

Elias looked at me and I nodded in approval. With that, he turned and walked away yet again. I watched him leave, with a feeling of admiration. He could call himself a bad person all he wanted. This only proved him wrong.

“Will it save her in time?” Magda whispered, now kneeling next to her sister again. Her hand lovingly caressed the girl’s forehead.

I looked to the book once again. “It says that the toxins from the Phrolla berries act incredibly quick, but so does the Eebrel root. Your sister will be fine.” I hoped.

Magda let out a cry of relief. I looked at the young Nadia, hopeful that Elias would return as quickly as when he retrieved the book.

My hopes were answered, as within only a minute or two, he strode back into the clearing with a few small roots in his hand. He handed them to me, and I grabbed a nearby stone and placed it on the dirt next to me. I unsheathed my knife and began gently grazing the edges of the root with the sharp blade. Small pieces trickled off of the root and onto the stone. I did this until it looked like there was enough pieces to fill a small mouth, then turned my knife in my hand in one fluid motion and began crushing the small root pieces with the blunt end of the handle.

“Do you have any water?” I asked Magda. She nodded and rushed to grab her canteen. “Elias, help me sit her up.”

Elias walked over and knelt behind the young girl’s head before gently lifting it off the ground to put her in a sitting position. Magda did not argue as she watched.

“I’m going to put the crushed roots in her mouth, but she’ll need water to wash it down,” I told Magda. She nodded, understanding her task.

Magda reached over and gently pulled on her sister’s jaw until her mouth hung open. I picked up a large pinch of the crushed Eebrel root and placed it into Nadia’s mouth. Magda immediately followed by pouring a small bit of the water in after it. I lifted Nadia’s chin to close her mouth and tilted her head back. I watched her throat bob up and down slowly, confirming that she was able to swallow the mixture.

Elias gently led the girl’s body to the ground and we all watched in dreaded anticipation. Magda let out small cries as she waited for her sister to respond to the antidote.

After a moment, Nadia’s eyes began to flutter. She let out a small cough, and my entire body relaxed.

“Mags?” she called out hoarsely.

“I’m here,” Magda screeched, tears flooding her eyes. “I’m here, you’re okay.” I felt a small tear escape from my own eye, and I quickly wiped it away. Elias watched me, expressionless.

Nadia slowly began to sit up, and Magda grabbed her in a tight embrace. “Thank you. Thank you both,” Magda said through tears as she cradled her sister in her arms.

Nadia turned her head to see who her sister was talking to. Her eyes darted between me and Elias before she turned back to her sister. “What happened?” she asked.

“Dammit, Nadia,” Magda cursed. “I told you not to eat berries you don’t recognize. You almost killed yourself!”

“I…I’m sorry,” Nadia replied, her voice still slightly brittle. “I was just so hungry.”

Magda sighed. “I know. It’s alright. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She looked up at me then at Elias. “These two saved your life,” she told Nadia.

The girl turned to us again. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“If you’re hungry,” I began, “we may have some food for you to eat.” I looked to Elias, waiting for him to argue that we needed the food rations for ourselves, but he only watched Magda and Nadia without saying a word .

“No,” said Magda. “We couldn’t possibly ask for anything more from you.”

“Our bellies are full, and we can always hunt for more. It’s no trouble,” I said.

Magda smiled. “Thank you, Aura,” she said. “And thank you, Elias.” She turned to him and he gave his typical nod.

We led the sisters back to our camp, Magda and myself on either side of Nadia to help her walk. Elias carried their small pack of belongings while I carried my own. We reached our camp where the fire had now dwindled to only embers and smoke. We set Nadia down, and I reopened my pack to grab some of the bread and cheese, both of which were becoming more stale with each passing day. I handed each sister a few pieces, and the girls devoured their meager meal like they hadn’t eaten in days.

I sat on a boulder and watched them while Elias stood and leaned against a tree. “So what are you two doing out here on your own?” I asked them.

“We got lost,” Nadia answered with her mouth full. “We were heading to Chatus.”

Magda shot her a glance, suddenly wary about us being strangers again. But when her gaze turned to me, she seemed to relax slightly, possibly remembering the events that had just transpired and that we could be trusted, to some extent.

“Yes, we were on our way to Chatus with a small group. A few days ago, we were chased off the trail by a band of raiders,” she continued. “We escaped, but we were separated from our group. I…I only hope they made it out alive as well.” Magda looked at the ground with an expression of sadness. Nadia placed a hand on her older sister’s trembling leg to comfort her.

“He’s okay, Mags. Don’t worry,” Nadia comforted. Magda smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her sister’s brow .

I wondered who they could be talking about, but did not pry. I looked up and saw Elias observing me. When our eyes met, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile that did not reach his eyes. What was he thinking about?

“We don’t know how to get to Chatus from here,” said Nadia. “Or back home. We’re completely lost.” I looked at Magda and she dipped her head in confirmation.

My gaze moved back to Elias. “How far are we from Chatus?” I asked him. The sisters both turned to look at him.

Elias’s golden eyes remained on me. “Two days. Maybe three,” he answered.

I pondered this for a moment. This would add precious days onto our journey, if we were to escort them. And King Darius was likely the first person my father would have contacted when he discovered I was missing. My father could have been in Chatus at that moment, urging King Darius to send help to look for me. But when I looked to the girls, their bodies thin and their supplies scarce, I knew they needed our help.

“We’ll take you there,” I said.

Elias stood up straight. “Aura,” he said. I raised my hand to silence him, something my father often did during important meetings. It seemed to work. The sisters watched us with intrigue.

“It’s okay, Aura,” said Magda. “You have helped us more than enough.”

I smiled at her. “Please excuse us a moment,” I told her. I walked to Elias and placed my hand on his, the icy hot sensation radiating through me. He looked down at our hands. “Walk with me?” I asked him. His eyes narrowed, but he obliged.

Once we were out of earshot, but the girls still in sight, I turned to face Elias. “Aura,” he began. “You know we cannot take them.”

“They’ll die otherwise,” I countered. “Bandits or predators will surely find them, if they don’t starve to death first.”

Elias’s honey-eyes looked me up and down, and I held back a shiver. “Why do you care so much for them?” he asked in his deep voice. “You don’t even know them.”

I held his gaze. “A princess does not turn her back on someone who needs help,” I whispered. I learned this ideology from my mother, the Queen of selflessness. My true inspiration. One of the few solid memories I had of her – one that wasn’t muddled with fog – was of her offering food and coin to a homeless man we passed on the streets of Oreross when we walked to the market together. I remembered the happy tears in his eyes as he thanked her.

Elias stared for a moment more, then let out a sigh. He ran his fingers through his dark, silky hair. “I do not understand you, Aurelia of Rimor,” he said quietly.

“Right back at you, Elias of Nowhere.”

He let out a laugh, the sound illuminating my soul. I couldn’t understand why he thought he was a bad person. In the deepest depths of my being, I knew he wasn’t. Felt it. He only proved me right when he saved me from the river, and when he retrieved my pack to help save Nadia.

With that, we made our way back to Magda and Nadia. The sisters watched as we strode back into camp. “We will take you to Chatus,” I said to them, and they both smiled.

Nadia shot up and embraced me. “Thank you!” she squealed. Then she let go of me and ran to Elias, her older sister warily watching from her seat. Magda still seemed nervous around us even after we saved her sister. Or maybe it was just Elias who made her nervous. Nadia squeezed him tightly, and the look of pure discomfort on his face made me laugh.

Magda stood and put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to face her. “You do not need to do this for us,” she said to me quietly. “If going to Chatus is too much of an inconvenience…”

“It’s okay,” I stopped her. “It is no inconvenience.” The lie easily escaped my lips.

She smiled at me and I gave her a genuine smile in return. “Thank you,” she whispered.

I bowed my head in response. The four of us rested a little longer before packing our things to prepare for the journey to our new destination.