Chapter 13

" I t will be warmer when we reach the forest," Vaeril assures me, as I cling to my cloak, the wicked winter winds trying to tear the fabric from my hands. Although winter is turning to spring, the wind is still cold and icy in the early morning and late evenings. Morrowmer, the land where Arhaven is built, is a harsh landscape with very little foliage for cover, and as such we can see for miles. It makes escaping without being seen difficult.

After a terrifying climb from the cave back up the rockface, we hurry along the edge of the cliff. It's dangerous. The ground has crumbled and worn away in places thanks to the battering it receives from the wind eroding the stone. Large, jagged shards of rock stick up from the ground, which gives us some concealment as we run from one to the other. They're made of black stone, like that of the cliffs, but remind me of sharp, glistening teeth, and I know I'll have dreams of being trapped in a giant monster's gaping maw.

"How far is the forest?" I wish I didn't sound so out of breath, but my chest is burning. I might have been active as a slave, but that strength came from carrying heavy things and being on my feet all day. Running stamina, I've quickly learned, is not something I have much of.

"I can see it now," he answers from behind the stalagmite type structure we're hiding behind, squinting into the distance.

I try to do the same and can only see the seemingly unending cliff edge. The benefit of the landscape being so flat is that we can see if we're being followed. At the moment, we appear to be getting away unnoticed, which I thank the Mother for regularly.

"Are you ready to move on?" he asks, and I simply nod, knowing if I speak my voice will give me away. I understand he's frustrated that we're moving at such a slow pace, but unless he's going to leave me behind, there is nothing to be done about it.

He darts from behind the rock and I follow behind, my chest aching as I try to focus on taking slow, deep breaths. My borrowed boots, while keeping my feet dry, are rubbing at my feet, and the cold makes my bones shake. The only benefit of running is that I get so hot I don't feel the cold as much. I would never say any of this to Vaeril, we've both suffered far worse, but I hate that I sound so whiny in my own head. If I wasn't so out of breath, I would try to start up a conversation, but I've learned he's not exactly chatty, and I have very little to talk about, so silence seems like the best option.

I'm not sure how long we've been travelling. The sun was just rising when we left this morning, and now it's high in the sky. Looking up, I try to work out how far in its cycle it is when a shadow falls over me, followed by the cry of a large bird.

I know that sound.

My heart thuds in my chest as I freeze, jumping behind one of the rocks and using my hand to shield my eyes from the sun as I try to identify the bird. The sound is something that will stay with me until the day I die, one I know well, but I have to see it to know if I'm right. I desperately pray I'm not.

The bird is high above us, but even so, I can tell it's huge, its dark feathered body easy to see in the unusually clear sky. It glides on the thermals as it searches for its prey. As it swoops lower, I see the small green band around its leg and I know I was right.

Mother above , I pray. We don't stand a chance now. We need to hide and wait for it to pass, and just hope it hasn't seen us. Peeking from around my rock, I see that Vaeril has gone further ahead, not realising I've stopped.

"Vaeril," I hiss. Most humans wouldn't be able to hear me, but I hope with his superior hearing that he will. My guess is right. He stops and turns to face me with a frown, but seeing my expression, he hurries over to me, jumping over boulders as big as the fountains back at the castle with ease.

"What's wrong?" he asks, as soon as he reaches my side, barely out of breath and not a hair out of place despite the fact he just sprinted here. Me, on the other hand, I'm panting, my heart in my throat.

"We're being tracked."

His expression sharpens as he looks around us for the threat, peering past the rock to the expanse of land behind us. We're quiet for a few seconds as I try to catch my breath and he continues to search.

"I can't see anyone." I'm expecting to hear frustration at me slowing him down, but instead he sounds confused and looks at me to explain further. He's trusting what I'm saying, even though he can't see any evidence to back up my claim.

I point up to where the bird is still scanning the area, its distinctive cry making me wince.

"It's a bird," he comments, as he tilts his head to examine it further. I place my hand on his arm and pull him back behind the shelter of the rock. His head instantly snaps down to where our skin is touching before he looks up to meet my eyes.

"It's not just a bird," I explain, urging him to understand. "It's a tracking falcon."

"What are you saying?" he questions with a shake of his head, and I growl in frustration.

"Before I was moved to work at the castle, I was a farm slave. The farm I worked at was a falcon breeding centre. They aren't normal birds," I hiss, my frustration not really aimed at him, but at the fact we might have been caught so early into our escape. "They are stronger and faster than normal birds, they are intelligent, and they almost never lose a target. See that green band on its ankle?" Vaeril leans out silently to peer at the bird again, and after a moment, he looks back at me and nods. "It's magicked. When the bird finds its target, it records everything and sends the location to its handler." Vaeril seems to understand the gravity of the situation now, his eyes narrowing. "If it finds us, we will never be free of it."

He's silent, and the only sounds I can hear are the crashing waves at the bottom of the cliffs and the plaintive cry of the falcon.

"Can it fly in the woods?"

I think back to my time at the farm, shuddering at the memories. I remember that being one of their weaknesses, they need large, flat areas to hunt. That's never been a problem for them, though, as no one has ever got past the flat lands to the forest beyond.

"No, they're too large. But we'll never get there before it attacks or before they find us," I respond, my body starting to shake from the cold for having stood still for too long. At least, that's what I'm blaming the shaking on. The guards would be travelling on horseback, and Arhavian horses are some of the fastest in the land, they would catch up to us in no time.

A thought comes to me as I remember our escape. "Could you use your magic, the shield you used last night?"

"No, I can't reach my magic here." He goes silent for a moment. "How do the tracker bands work?" He's still watching the bird above us, which is circling the area now. It may not have found us yet, but it knows something is hiding in these rocks.

It's waiting us out, I realise, before taking a deep breath to answer the question.

"They have to be activated. The magic band is coded to the people it's trying to find. The bird will attack, and when blood hits the band, it activates."

He nods as if I've confirmed something for him and he takes a step towards me, his expression serious, but there is an excited energy about him that makes me nervous. "I have a plan."

"Okay," I drawl, still convinced there is no way out of this without the bird seeing us.

"We run to the forest and don't get hit by the bird."

I wait for the rest of his plan, my eyebrows rising at his expectant expression. "That's your plan? Run and don't let it attack me?" I inquire incredulously. When he nods, confirming I heard his terrible plan correctly, I laugh. I'm laughing so much that my stomach hurts and I have to bend at my waist to breathe.

"Clarissa?" Vaeril sounds concerned, his hand landing on my shoulder, and I instantly sober, straightening and turning to face him.

"Did you bash your head on a rock?" I whisper shout, still aware of the bird flying above us. He frowns at my insult, crossing his arms as I continue. "That might be fine for you, but not all of us have elven speed."

I remember running through the fields of the farm when they were testing the magic in the bands. They would release us, give us a head start, and then free the falcon, and it would hunt us down. I still have the scars on my arms and shoulders from where the birds would gouge my skin with their razor-sharp talons.

Hands shake my shoulders and I hear Vaeril's voice calling to me.

"Clarissa? Alina!" Frowning, I look up at him, brushing his hands from my shoulders and ignoring the tingling that settles over me when he calls me by my ‘true name.' "Where did you go just then?"

"I was here the whole time," I reply, wondering what in the Mother he's talking about. Maybe he did hit his head on a rock after all.

"Your body was here, but your mind was elsewhere." He watches me with knowing eyes. I won't share these memories with him, there are some parts of my past I won't share with anyone, especially not him.

"That's none of your business." What is it about the elf that makes this argumentative side of me come out, the part of me I can usually keep hidden? I feel touchy and frustrated, and I can't figure out why, but everything Vaeril's doing isn't helping.

"Clarissa, Alina, I won't leave you behind, the bird will not get you."

How did he know, especially when I didn't even know what was upsetting me? Now that he's said it, that he won't leave me behind, something settles within me. I know I'll still have abandonment issues, it's something I'm sure will follow me for most of my life. However, as I look up into his silver eyes, I know he's telling the truth. Whether it's this bond between us, or something else entirely, I know I can trust him.

"Okay, let's go." I know we've wasted too much time talking while the guards could be gaining on us with every moment.

Movement catches my eye, and as I look down, I see he's holding out his hand. I stare at it for a second before glancing up and seeing his determined expression.

Taking a deep breath, I put my hand in his.

Without another word, he darts out from behind the rock, pulling me behind him. We sprint, dashing around rocks as we go, so fast that if he wasn't guiding me, I'm sure I would trip and fall. I know I'm holding him back, but unless he picks me up and runs with me, we are limited by how fast I can move. I stop worrying about the ground, trusting him to guide me, and just concentrate on running as fast as I can.

This morning he tried to pick me up to run with me, but panic had taken over me, my nightmare kept replaying in my mind. I felt trapped, and in the end I demanded he put me down. Guilt fills me. I'm the reason we are having to go slower, I'm holding us back and could be why we're caught.

A loud, high-pitched caw fills the air and I know we've been spotted. Vaeril curses and drives us faster, my feet screaming as we manoeuvre around the large rocks, weaving between them to make it more difficult for the bird to attack.

A screech, much closer this time, makes me look over my shoulder, and I see the falcon diving straight towards us, talons stretched out and ready to strike. Tripping on a rock, I feel my ankle suddenly turn over, throwing me forward. Vaeril catches me, stopping me from smashing my face into the stony ground.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his eyes scanning the sky, his body practically vibrating with energy. I can't see the falcon, and it makes me nervous.

My ankle hurts, but I'm determined to push past it. "I'll be fine," I reply, shifting to put my weight on it, but a sharp pain shoots through my leg and I cry out. "Mother above!" I curse loudly.

"Clarissa." I know what he's going to say before he even says it, and as I turn to face him, I know I'm right. His expression is serious, he knows what he's asking of me.

I need to put my pride and fears aside. He needs to carry me if we're both going to make it to the forest fully intact.

The bird shrieks again, and I make up my mind. Biting down on my lip, I nod my assent. He watches me carefully before sliding an arm around my back and one under my knees as he cradles me against his chest. Last night, I had been so exhausted from breaking the spell on the castle wall that I didn't have the energy to panic, my whole focus on staying awake. Today, in his arms, everything feels different and I'm completely aware of the stakes, not to mention the sound of the falcon keeps triggering me.

Hissing in pain as my ankle twinges, I try to focus on that rather than the rising, bubbling panic in my chest. Without another word, Vaeril starts running, and I have to close my eyes, the blurring landscape moving by too fast for me to process that it makes me feel nauseous.

"Focus on my heartbeat, listen to its steady sound. Feel that tug between us, let it comfort you," he whispers, his voice slightly ragged now that he's using his full strength and speed. I shouldn't be able to hear him, the wind is battering us, howling in my ears like the ghoul they say haunts the dungeons, but I do. I follow his instructions, trying not to focus on the fact that I feel trapped, confined, like I can't escape, and instead focus on my breathing, on his breathing. I try, I do, but I can feel the rising panic as memories flash through my mind of times I was confined and couldn't get away. "Alina," Vaeril calls again, and that feeling of something awakening within me rises, blanketing my panic, along with the telltale tingling that tells me the Mother is with me. "Feel the bond," he whispers.

Focusing on the place in my chest where the pull resides, I reach out and brush against it gently. I feel him gasp and stumble before making a low sound in his throat. For a second, I think I've hurt him, but the noise he makes doesn't seem pained, it sounds...pleased. I feel two responding tugs on the bond that feel different. Looking inside myself, I can almost see the bond and three connections. One is glowing, and I reach out and touch it again.

Vaeril. It feels like him...like I'm surrounded by nature, otherworldly and powerful.

I want to reach out and touch the others, sure this is the reason why I feel connected, pulled, towards Tor and Grayson, but I know now is not the time.

You're scared you imagined the whole thing, my thoughts goad me, and I have to take a deep breath as my mind tries to pull me from my new found calm. Pressing my head against Vaeril's chest, I focus on his breathing and the steady beat of his heart, relaxing in the presence of our connection.

"Almost there."

Frowning, I peel open my eyes and look up at him, his voice doesn't sound right. I realise I can actually make out some of the landscape around us, we've slowed down.

"What's wrong? Vaeril, what's going on?"

"I can't run as far as I used to," he admits between gritted teeth, but his skin is pale and he looks clammy. I know for him to confess that, he must be feeling awful, he would never disclose a weakness otherwise.

He's been locked away for over a hundred years, what did you expect? my inner voice chides.

"Put me down," I demand. I'm expecting a smart retort or a sneer that he's still stronger than a puny human, but instead he just shakes his head, and even his usual frown is nowhere to be seen.

"We're almost there."

He protests weakly, and I know he will keep going until he collapses, his pride not allowing him to give in. He's trying to protect you too , my mind whispers, and I fight the guilt that surges within me again, now is not the time for an internal crisis.

The falcon screeches and, as I look over Vaeril's shoulder, I see it's been joined by three others.

"Put me down now. We do this together or not at all."

He seems to listen to me as he veers towards a little outcrop of rocks that form a little alcove, protecting us from the birds above. Placing me down gently, he then staggers over to the closest rock and rests against it. He looks exhausted. He may have been working in the forge for years, but that doesn't help with stamina. I wish I could do something, but he just needs a chance to catch his breath. Peering through a gap in the stones, I see the birds are just circling around us. They can still fly back to their masters and guide them here, but if we can keep them from activating the bands on their legs, then it will give us more time.

"How's your ankle?" he inquires, narrowing his eyes on it as if he can see through the boot to the skin underneath.

"It's fine." It still hurts when I put weight on it, but it's not broken. I've suffered broken bones before, and that pain is far worse than this. The time he's managed to give me to rest has helped, and I'm praying the adrenaline will help me push through the pain. I can feel his eyes on my back, like he doesn't believe me, but he doesn't challenge me on it.

"I'm ready." Turning around, I raise an eyebrow when I see him. He can barely stand up straight, I don't know how he managed to carry me for so long.

"Are you sure you don't need more time to rest?"

"No," he retorts, pushing away from the wall and holding his hand out. "The longer we wait, the closer they get."

He's right. Closing the distance between us, I slide my hand into his, and at his nod, we step out from behind the rocks.

Together, we run, dodging the rocks and the diving birds as we desperately head towards the green smudge on the horizon. We work together, pulling the other up when one of us trips. Unfortunately, it's usually me who stumbles. The ache in my ankle is agonising, but I don't voice my pain, I just push through it. If that's my only strength, it's something I've learned to perfection.

"Look!" Vaeril calls, and I lift my weary head, my eyes widening. The forest is just ahead now, we've nearly made it. It's huge, I've never seen anything like it. The farm I worked on didn't have many trees, and the only ones to be seen were the same, thin, skinny ones they had on the castle grounds. Plants never seemed to do well in Arhaven, like nature was slowly pulling away from the corrupt kingdom. The city never suffered from lack of crops, but I heard the servants talk of whole towns that had to up and leave because they couldn't survive on the harvests that were left over after the city had taken what it needed.

The birds have backed off now, their cries fading the closer we get to the trees.

"Nearly there," he bites out, as we make the final push. He's right, we're so close now. I don't know what the next step is after we reach the forest, but I don't care, focusing solely on this goal—reaching the woodland.

Shade covers us and I look up, seeing only green, the canopy of the trees shading us from the onslaught of the birds. Letting go of Vaeril's hand, I hobble over to one of the large trees, reaching out and touching the rough bark. A little laugh escapes me as I look around.

"We made it," I say with a grin, turning around to face the elf.

He's leaning against one of the other trees. He looks pale and a flash of concern goes through me. He smiles at me, which only makes me worry more, he almost never smiles.

He opens his mouth, and I take a step towards him, but he never finishes what he was going to say. His eyes roll back in his head and he drops to the ground.