Chapter 25

**I** fell beside Pecan. “You did well, Princess,” he said, gently.

“I didn’t react well,” I admitted, looking down.

“The first time I saw someone die, I didn’t stop retching for an hour,” he said, a wistful grin upon his lips, “You did much better.”

Aiden walked up to my other side, meeting my glance. “I wasn’t much better,” he said, sharing a look with Pecan. “Neither was Arden.”

“Did you ever get used to it?” I asked.

Pecan chewed his lower lip. “A bit. Now, I don’t feel nauseous when I kill, or see elves killed. I’m a soldier. But…I don’t think I’ll ever fully get used to it. I wouldn’t want to. I’d always want to feel that pain.”

“Why?” I asked.

It was Aiden who answered. “Because to feel it proves that you are unharmed that the things you’ve seen, the things you’ve done. To still feel after everything takes strength.”

Both spoke like they’d been through terrible things—I didn’t know, really, much about their histories. But my sisters—they had always *felt*. Even after the terror and the torture, they’d been kind.

That took a special kind of strength.

“You are growing powerful, Princess,” Pecan said.

“Perhaps,” I said slowly, looking away. I still didn’t quite believe it.

Aiden exhaled sharply. “Elvina, do you still think you’re not powerful?”

I remained silent.

He huffed. “Well, you are. More than me, and it isn’t easy for me to admit that.” This coaxed a laugh out of me, and Aiden grinned slightly.

“Are you that arrogant?” I asked, teasingly.

He rolled his eyes. “Very funny.”

We walked on, hardly stopping. I was eager to put as much distance between that place and myself as I could. I hardly felt the burn in my legs from walking so long.

When night fell, and we finally halted to rest, I sat next to Maple. Her eyes were glassy in the starlight, and she remained awake though Aster and I were keeping guard.

“Can’t sleep?” I asked slowly.

She shrugged slightly. “I keep thinking about their faces.”

“So do I,” I admitted.

“Does it get easier?” She asked, looking at Aster, who had turned her head to watch us.

The female sighed, facing us fully. “I can’t say. You do grow a bit numb to it—but there’s always a bit that will hurt.”

“I don’t want to be useless in a battle,” Maple said firmly.

“Then don’t,” Aster said simply, shrugging. “Train harder. Train longer. None of us would refuse to teach you.”

Maple met my eyes slowly. I nodded. “Do it. There’s nothing stopping you.”

She glanced at Aster again. “I will.”

“Would you like to start now?” Aster asked, unsheathing her sword slightly, letting the silver catch the moonlight.

Maple blinked. “I—yes. Let’s do that.”

Aster turned to me. “Rest, Princess. The two of us will stay up.”

I nodded. Maple got up from her pallet, and I laid down on it, watching as she walked to Aster.

I watched them until my eyes grew tired. Then I glanced at all of us once before turning onto my side and falling asleep.

***

It had been days. Weeks, nearly. Apparently, Terran knew a shortcut, so it wasn’t as long of a journey as it might have been. I didn’t begrudge the long travel, though.

It was rather fascinating, going through the Forest. Seeing the different trees, the different ways elves lived…I’d always wanted to. Now I really was experiencing it.

Killing that soldier—I hadn’t even known his name—had weighed on me, but he’d have killed me had I not done that. It was self-defense.

We’d left the bodies—I only hoped that other soldiers found them and gave them a proper burial. They were acting on Ivy’s orders, after all.

Maple was getting much better—she’d nearly defeated Pecan once. It was mostly luck, and even she knew that, but she’d done it.

Then we reached a Territory Guard.

There were no underground tunnels this time, so all we could do was disguise ourselves and hope they would let us pass. If anything untoward happened…we could always fight.

We’d go in groups. I would go with Terran, Pecan and Arden went to the south side of the Forest, while Aster, Aiden and Maple were to the north. We would create a large distance between us before crossing, so they wouldn’t suspect anything.

Also, Aster, Aiden and Maple would cross in the late night, while we would wait an entire two days before crossing in the night, once more.

I wouldn’t know for three days if they’d crossed—and knowing how ruthless the Guard were…it might have been the last time I’d see them.

We ate our afternoon meal in silence. I knew that the others, like myself, were feeling the anxiety of our situation. The twins were being separated—I couldn’t imagine what it was like for them.

They sat together, talking quietly, while I was with Maple. We exchanged nervous looks, but I felt too nauseous to talk.

Finally, we were done eating. I’d tried to delay finishing, but of course, I couldn’t hold it off forever. I stood up, glancing around, before turning to Maple.

Before I could say anything, she enveloped me in a tight embrace. “Be careful,” she murmured.

“I will. And you will, too,” I said, hugging her back. I pulled back, staring deep into her eyes. “And we will see each other again. I swear on Nalvia.”

Maple nodded, wiping at her eyes. “We will.” I squeezed her hand once more before turning to the others.

Aster was talking to Terran. She looked at me as I approached. “Princess, may Nalvia be with you.”

“May Nalvia be with you,” I murmured. She hugged me once, briefly but firmly, before pulling away.

Finally, I went to the twins. Arden walked away as I approached. I faced Aiden.

“I’ll see you in three days.”

I gave him a faint smile, nodding firmly. “Three days. Nalvia be with you.”

“Nalvia be with you,” he echoed. He shifted on his feet, looking down before glancing back up at me. Then he did the unexpected.

He hugged me.

His arms came around me, squeezing tight. He was warm and strong. I rested my hands on his back, pressing my cheek to his chest, listening to his rapid heartbeat.

He only put on a brave façade.

I didn’t want to break away, but I did, pulling away just enough to let his arms still rest around me. His eyes were bright now—with tears or hope, I wasn’t certain. Maybe both.

“We will see each other again,” I said firmly.

He nodded sharply. “We will.”

I gave him a smile and pulled away fully. I turned to the others—they were packing up, getting ready to go. I exchanged one last look with Aiden before walking away.

I lifted up my pack, hugging Maple once more. “Goodbye,” she whispered.

“Goodbye,” I said, pursing my lips tightly. I wasn’t going to let any tears fall until they were gone.

I glanced at the three one last time, before Terran gave the order to go.

Then I turned my back on them and walked away, giving a silent prayer to Nalvia.

*Please let them live.

***

It had been over two days since they’d left.

Two long, agonizingly slow days. We had no news from them—we spent our time in watching the Territory Guard, in rehearsing what we’d say, how we’d act.

I was Lily Stone, a girl with raven locks and brown eyes—utterly plain. My clothes were dirty enough, but I pulled on a dress of rags, to suit my role further. My sword was concealed under it, strapped to my thigh.

Finally, night had fallen, the moon and stars blinking into life above. I exchanged a glance with Arden. He nodded.

We walked out of the Forest, and I put on my most tired face. I stumbled, even, letting Arden put an arm around me to steady me.

The Territory Guard were watching.

I could see their faces finally, gleaming in the orange firelight from their torches. They were facing us fully, their entire attention on us.

I hoped this was a good group.

“Halt!” One of them called.

We stopped, only a bit away from them. I glanced at their faces, scanning them briefly, before looking down again.

They looked suspicious already.

“Why are you here?” The soldier asked harshly, his sword held upright, its silver tip shining.

“We are but poor villagers, milord,” Terran said, his face pleading. Only not Terran—a broad-shouldered male with dark hair and dark eyes, hopeless and poor.

“Who are you?” The soldier pressed, his face unmoved.

“I am Birk Stone, milord. These are my children—Jasper, Heath, and my youngest—Lily. Our village was destroyed in a rebel attack, milord. We are travelling to the palace in search of work.”

“Which village?” The male asked sharply, his eyes skimming over us, our clothes.

Terran gave him the name of a village that had indeed been destroyed in an attack—but the elves had been evacuated and taken to different places.

Terran cried out as another pushed him aside and yanked the pack from his shoulders.

We’d kept only one pack, leaving all others in the trees.

“Clothes, food…” the soldier murmured, rummaging through the pack. He glanced up at the first one, who looked to be the leader. “Nothing in here, sir.”

The leader pursed his lips, glancing over us once more. “You,” he said harshly. Arden nudged me, and I looked up to see his eyes fixed on me. “What’s your name?”

“Lily Stone, milord,” I replied, keeping my voice trembling and weak.

“Where are you from?”

I told him.

“I see,” he said, eyes narrowing. “But no elf is allowed to cross the border. You must turn back.”

“Please, milord. The rest of our family works at the palace,” Terran pleaded.

“No means no. Now leave, before we have you skinned.”