Thank you to Dieuwtjin for reviewing this chapter! I'd also like to thank my writer's group for helping me straighten this one out. It's been a thorn in my side for a long time, and I finally like the darn thing. :D Also, thank you to V and my Twin for helping me with this story! You are all amazing!
Chapter 4
The sun hid behind distant mountains, just enough light to wake Estellise, and she shivered. She raised her face from her stained, grainy dress, momentarily confused to see sand everywhere. To her right, the bank sloped up the beach she traveled across yesterday. Above her, she saw the wooden bridge, but the solace it offered seemed miniscule now. As she sat up, she winced. The beating to her stomach felt tender but the soreness was all she felt. Yesterday, everything around her would've looked beautiful, like something from a dream. But today, she just couldn't notice it. The river sank into the ocean, and she walked its length to see it for herself. She really was outside of the castle.
This time, though, she couldn't find the excitement. She had almost been eaten by a giant mushroom monster and her journey had only just begun. Why didn't Yuri agree to let her come along? Why did Flynn think she was safer out here? She wandered back to her makeshift camp and gathered the dress.
The mat would be no good anymore. She'd have to find safer places to sleep than out in the open. She tore the mat from inside her dress, tossed the mat aside, and washed off what she could of the moat, the stench, and the sand. How she went so long wearing the dress, she wasn't sure. She supposed the excitement of leaving had dimmed her sense of smell, but at least now it wouldn't stink so bad.
Estellise loved this blue dress, but it wasn't good for traveling in and if yesterday was any indication, she needed something easier to fight in, too. She did pack a white dress with pink trim, and she pulled it out of the bag she got back from Hanks. The skirt billowed out like four petals of a flower and beneath it, she could wear black pants and have plenty of room to run and fight. The letter Flynn gave her fell out of the bag with the white dress.
She paused, staring at it for a moment before picking it up. Flynn's name had been written on the front and it was sealed with a heart-shaped sticker; apparently it was from Sodia. The letter had captured her attention since she gave it to Hanks, but right now, she just couldn't care about it. She wasn't even sure she was supposed to read it. She folded it into a dry cloth, into the folds of her blue dress, and returned the dress to the bag.
Afterwards, she finished dressing and searched for the box of rations and supplies Hanks had promised her, but all she found was shredded tinder in the sand near the bridge. Apparently something else discovered the food first.
She was stuck with what she had.
Oh, well. She wasn't so hungry right now anyway. Not with the disappointment that her journey wasn't as safe as she'd hoped, not to mention the beating left her stomach a little sore still. She climbed the bank and crossed the bridge with both sword and bag in hand.
All she could think about was that jagged mouth as she walked, her eyes passively watching the ground just in front of each step. Even wildflowers went unnoticed. Everything that she learned recently about Ioder, Flynn, Yuri, and whatever was going on with the fountain, the knights, Alexei, Sodia, and even Master Dropwart, all of it felt a bit distant, overshadowed by the Audreitz.
Estellise really was the last imperial family member alive, and yet several times already she almost lost her life. She ran away for her own protection because whoever was responsible for Ioder's death was still in Zaphias. Flynn knew who it was, but he couldn't tell her. It was a bit unnerving to think, after last night, that Flynn thought she was far safer defending herself from a giant mushroom monster than a potential assassin. On this side of things, she realized the absurdity of it. Back at home, she had knights everywhere to protect her. How could she be safer out here than locked up in her room? Flynn knew those kind of monsters were out here… which was why he asked her if she could fight. Did he really think her skills were enough to fend off tougher monsters than an Audreitz? What if she had to kill two of them? Or more?
He must have believed in her that much. More than she believed in herself since fighting the Audreitz.
The threat at home was real. It had to be. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her safety. She had to trust him. He seemed so desperate….
After a couple of hours, Estellise stopped at another river at the base of a steep cliff. Her eyes followed a path along the ragged edges where there was a cliff side staircase that she could climb to reach the plateau. She sighed and started her climb, labored and slow.
She crested the cliff face where a field spread out across the plateau. On the other side, mountains stretched from the east to the west and a forest nestled against the mountains. Not far from her, she noticed another monster kicking up grass and dirt, preparing for a charge. She ducked down.
Did it see her?
But it wasn't chasing her. A floating monster circled what looked like a red rhino with a massive blade-like horn on its nose. The two seemed engrossed in their own fight to notice that she was there. Still, she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The rhino was big, not quite as tall as the Audreitz, but it's thick hide and solid leathery body looked just as menacing as the jagged mouth. The rhino charged the floating filo, but it moved out of the way, flying too high to reach.
Compared to the giant horn, the floating filo looked too small and weak to win the fight. Immediately, Estellise gripped her sword. Should she help? But the Audreitz's face flashed in her mind and she didn't draw her sword. She only barely got away from that monster. What hope did she have against a rhino by herself? Before she could make up her mind, the floating filo circled above the rhino, almost taunting it. Wherever the filo went, the rhino followed, throwing up its horn to catch it.
Estellise worried for it. What would the filo do if it were caught? The filo circled around the rhino and spun around in a tight circle with its leaves outstretched like two pliable arms, but the tough leathery skin protected the rhino like armor. There was no way the filo could hurt it like that, a fact the filo realized quickly. It drifted higher into the air. The rhino insisted on its meal and nearly clipped a leaf arm with its horn as it stretched its neck for a bite.
She seriously thought the filo was done for.
But then the filo pulled fruits out of nowhere and pelted the rhino around its face. Estellise straightened as she watched. The filo threw the fruits until one of them struck the rhino in the eye. The rhino shook its head from side to side, stung from the attacking fruit, and for the first time since Estellise started watching, it backed away from the floating filo. The filo performed a celebratory dance in a small circle, and she couldn't help but feel happy for it.
Something about seeing that little filo taking on a much bigger monster inspired her. She almost died from the Audreitz, but it didn't manage to kill her, just like this rhino failing to kill the floating filo. She held her hand to her chest where she kept her mother's memento. It does happen where something small can take on something so large and win...
"It's okay," she whispered to herself. "I'm going to be okay." The rhino snorted and turned away, having decided it wasn't going to eat the filo after all. The filo sailed towards the mountains where it faded into camouflage. Since both monsters left the fight scene, Estellise approached. The filo had thrown some fruits at the rhino. Were any of the fruits edible? She scavenged around and found a few edible partial fruits. Others had been stamped into the flattened grass where they oozed red filo juice and pulp.
Just keep heading north. Estellise ducked beneath a low branch and followed the path where no plants grew. The farther north Estellise walked, the more she really missed Zaphias and the more she questioned leaving. Certainly, a few times she thought about turning back, but the knights gossiping about her would-be assassin and Flynn's panicked face kept her pushing onward, crunching dead leaves beneath her boots. She still wished she had more company than the birds chirping and the rustling of whatever else called these mountains home. The knights really weren't so bad. Most of them really did care about her after all.
She could hear them talking now, a gentle hum like from the dining hall where several people sat chatting over their meals. Too bad it wasn't real.
This forest stretched forever without any end in sight. Beyond these birch trees in view were more birch trees. She would give anything to see something manmade again. Going from the comfort of her castle to the wilderness jarred her out of fantasies where she imagined enjoying the freedom of nature for the entire trip. Still, she knew going back to Zaphias would bring her back to comforts where she could bathe and be rid of the grime from travel.
But that meant putting her life back in danger and going back on her promise to Flynn.
She saw a tree with roots sticking high over the ground. On the other side was a steep incline ending in a dirt road. She could still hear those people talking.
She stared at the road for several moments, her hand on the tree trunk until she realized it.
Roads are man-made!
She shrieked, slid down the bank, and toddled to her feet, laughing.
A road! She spun about and glanced up way and down the other. Towards the afternoon sun, she knew the road led to Capua Nor. Away from it, the road led back to the Peyoccia plains north of Zaphias… and people.
She gasped and dropped to her knees. They were real? She'd heard them talking, but she didn't believe she could actually hear them. Did they see her?
What if they were knights?
She could sort of hear them arguing, but the increase in volume didn't sound like they were getting closer. She didn't hear a cart, didn't smell mounts. What were they doing?
Estellise stood up and watched the people for a moment. They weren't traveling. They were standing around. She didn't see any sunlight glinting off any armor and there were no mounts. There was, however, a pile of debris as if a pillar had fallen in pieces across the road. Was it a blastia? When did it fall?
She watched the people a little longer. They all wore clothes like she had seen in the citizen quarter, except there were no women.
Were there no knights here, too? Curiosity tugged at her. She made to take a step, but stopped. How long had she been gone? Surely, knights who have access to quiettas would've travelled this far already. She had no idea if any of them told those men to keep an eye out for her. These people hadn't noticed her yet; it might be better to keep it that way.
She turned to Capua Nor. But was it still a good idea to go this way? Maybe she could promise to stay there instead of going back to Zaphias? Would they allow that? Somehow, she wasn't so sure.
Then, a woman hollered from somewhere across the road, breaking Estellise from her dilemma.
"Huh?" Estellise thought she heard snarling, too. Was someone in trouble? She glanced back at the men standing around the blastia. They were far enough away that they didn't seem to hear her. It sounded like the woman was off the trail, too.
Estellise pulled the compact sword from its scabbard and dashed across the road to a narrow monster path winding through the trees. She followed the snarling and barking of wild animals and found herself in a clearing full of motion and blurring figures.
Blue monsters pawed at something on the ground. They had noses and ears like bats, but their massive yellow claws and long tails reminded her of wolves. Gattusos! She knew what they were the moment she saw them, though she didn't know how or why. They were larger than the dogs she saw in Zaphias, but something about them told her they were cubs instead of full-grown beasts. And there were several of them….
A knife rose up from the middle and slashed a cub across the face. Estellise heard the woman grunt as she shoved another monster out of the way so she could stand. Estellise pierced through a pouncing monster, interrupting its attack, and it fell to the ground, nearly taking her sword with it. With a lot more confidence than with the Audreitz, Estellise stabbed its neck with her sword and tugged the cub away from the grounded—
Knight?! Estellise stepped back. The woman was a knight! The knight reached for her sword from the ground and stood with her back to Estellise, facing down another monster. To Estellise's right, another gattuso cub growled; she pulled her blade from the fallen beast and swiped at the newcomer as it leapt, slashing through its skin and muscle. It plowed into the ground, but with far less precision than it surely intended. She wasn't sure where to look next when another monster growled, swiping at her with a yellow claw shrouded in green poison. She sidestepped to avoid the claw and stabbed through the monster's neck.
She turned back to the knight.
Another cub turned its attention to the knight who nearly dropped her sword again from exhaustion. She was too far away! The monster would get her before Estellise could bring it down. Estellise inhaled a panicked breath and remembered the hammers she dropped on the knights in the sewer. As the beast circled around for another poisonous strike at the knight, Estellise released her sword, gathered aer around her, and focused the energy on a hammer.
The monster yelped and fell. Estellise opened her eyes again and all motion had ceased. The knight leaned against a tree to prevent herself from collapsing. Estellise once again gathered aer around her and focused her healing artes upon the knight's wounds.
"Thanks…" The knight said with a shaky, breathless voice.
Estellise gasped. "Sodia…?"
The knight snapped back to look at her. Sure enough, Sodia's face peered from beneath bloodied bangs. Estellise felt a surge of excitement. A familiar face! "Sodia! I didn't expect to see you." Then Estellise remembered that she had just run away. Meeting any knight wasn't a good thing, even if she was a good friend.
"What the—? Why are you here?" As soon as Sodia asked, she turned away, refusing to meet Estellise's eyes. "Who's with you? Where's Schwann?"
"I…" Estellise stepped back. "Please don't take me back home."
"Alone, huh?" Sodia slid down the trunk of the tree, still avoiding looking at her. Estellise noticed the blood drip from Sodia's side. That wasn't runoff from the monster blood….
"You're still hurt." Estellise closed her eyes and willed the wound to heal. When she opened her eyes again, light faded from Sodia's body and some blood congealed around the wound. "Are you okay?"
But Sodia didn't stand. Her wound still trickled blood. What was wrong with her? Sodia reached into a pouch and pulled a medicine bottle of green liquid, draining it into her mouth. The gattusos must have poisoned her.
"You must be tired. You should rest." Estellise moved to sit on a nearby log and watched her. Sodia dropped the empty bottle, her face still hidden by her bangs. Her breathing, though ragged, began to level out. "I suppose you already are…"
Sodia gave a wry laugh. "Don't worry so much about me, Your Highness." She removed her gauntlet and cleared her face with her arm. Estellise stood as Sodia did and reached out to help Sodia straighten. She paused, thinking better of it. Now that Sodia was healed, she might insist Estellise go back to Zaphias. Instead, she waited with hands folded in front of her.
Sodia finally looked at her. "What are you doing out here?"
"You're not going to take me back there, are you?"
Sodia's eyes shifted to the side, but she otherwise didn't move. Encouraged, Estellise stood a little taller and continued, "because I'm not going back. Someone has already tried to kill me—" "What?!" "—and I don't feel safe there anymore."
"Who tried to kill you?"
"Umm… actually I didn't hear who it was. I didn't even know someone tried until I heard a couple of knights talking about it."
Sodia stared at her for several seconds, making Estellise uncomfortable. What was Sodia thinking? Estellise thought she saw a rush of emotions in Sodia's eyes. Fear. And pain. Did her wounds still hurt? Her eyes misted. Was she upset? Finally, Sodia replied with a sigh, "Yeah, I heard those rumors, too. I suppose you shouldn't go back if they're not just rumors."
"Thank you." Estellise half-smiled. "Flynn really was very worried about my staying there." Sodia pulled a cloth and wiped down her blade. Estellise glanced down at her own sword sticking out of a monster's neck. She supposed she should do the same.
"Flynn…?" Sodia turned away. Then she gasped and faced Estellise. "Flynn told you to—he—the request?"
Estellise turned away and pulled her sword out of the monster. She dug through her bag looking for a cloth.
"I see. Flynn told you to run away." Sodia said. "It makes sense now why you were so worried about him."
Estellise nodded but didn't say anything. Sodia offered a cloth to use on the sword, and Estellise took the hint, smiling at her in thanks. Then Estellise noticed how the usual grit shining from her mulberry-colored eyes had dimmed.
"Are you okay?"
"Huh?"
"Well, you're just… You don't look yourself." Estellise returned the cloth, sheathed her sword, and picked up her bag.
"Oh, that." Sodia forced a smile. "Captain Schwann sent me on a mission. It's not going well."
Estellise frowned. Was she sent to bring me back? "Won't he be upset about your defying orders?"
This time, Sodia was half-amused with a genuine smile that reached her eyes. "Of course I'm not defying orders. I'm doing exactly as I'm told." But then her smile disappeared as she turned her back to Estellise, obviously hoping she wouldn't notice anything else. Estellise's own smile faded, too. Perhaps she was telling the truth, but Estellise still felt something was off. Sodia's braid, the only long strands in her short hair, hardly covered the right side of her face, no matter how much Sodia might hope she could hide behind it. Knights always did want to keep up a tough front.
Limbs snapped. Sodia turned sharply. "We shouldn't stay here."
The forest came alive with movement and sounds, including a piercing growl. Chirpees and giant beetles took to the skies, and Estellise would've thought the three basilisks were why, except they, too, skittered in fear through the bushes. Whatever the source, everything else in the forest was afraid of it, too. Estellise couldn't help but imagine the giant Audreitz tearing trees from the ground behind them. She had no idea so many large creatures lived here, especially since she hadn't encountered any of them before Ehmead Hill.
Sodia took Estellise's wrist and pulled her back towards the road.
"What is it?"
"Nothing we want to deal with," Sodia said.
On the main road, Sodia paused long enough to glance back at the fallen blastia, and for a moment Estellise panicked. Was Sodia thinking of taking her back after all? She easily pulled her wrist from Sodia's grip.
"Sodia… please…"
She didn't answer, didn't move.
But then Sodia faced Capua Nor. "Let's just go somewhere safe. We'll worry about what to do with you later." Estellise let her pass and then strolled behind her down the road. A softened roar chased them, leaving Estellise to wonder again what kind of monster they left behind. It couldn't be too close to them, though, or else Sodia would've chosen to run.
They walked in silence. Estellise watched the valley grow at the end of the hill and the expanse filled her with new feelings of freedom. As beautiful as the mountains were, she loved the open plains, even if they were guarded by the mountain range to the south and another plateau to the north. She found she did feel better having someone to travel with, though she didn't dare walk too closely to Sodia just in case she decided to take her back to Zaphias after all. The castle might be behind them, but that didn't mean they couldn't turn around and go that way.
Sodia never looked back at her or even said anything. They were indeed heading away from Zaphias, so Estellise dared to hope just a little. After all, Sodia trusted Flynn, too. If Flynn said she should leave Zaphias, Sodia would believe it, too, right?
"You know…" Estellise said, "when you said I should do what Flynn told me to do…"
"Yes, I know. I encouraged you to do what he said, but to think they were right about that…." Something in Sodia's voice stood out to Estellise. Was it regret? Guilt? "I mean, I knew you were trying to run away, but I didn't really believe Flynn that's what Flynn told you to do. I just thought you got scared by what he had to say."
Estellise didn't respond. She walked the dusty trail with her eyes and her boots, hoping Sodia didn't notice. So Sodia had caught on, too, that Estellise planned to run away. At least she wasn't scolding Estellise for actually going through with Flynn's request, probably because she unknowingly told her to do the same thing. That didn't stop Estellise's heart and fear from expecting a solid scolding, though. She knew Sodia's resolve with the knights, so when Estellise's stomach growled from hunger and Sodia stopped and turned around, Estellise froze.
"Don't you have any food on you?" Sodia asked. Estellise didn't say anything, didn't move. "I don't know what you were thinking, coming out here so unprepared."
Here it comes, Estellise thought. Just like Master Dropwart. "I had a few rations from Hanks…."
"How long ago did you run out of that?"
"I also found some filo fruit in the mountains." Estellise's stomach again rumbled a complaint she couldn't verbalize. It was bad enough she ran away. What would Sodia do now that she found out Estellise ran away sufficiently unprepared?
Sodia softened, and Estellise eyes lit up with faint hope. Sodia stood on the trail for a moment before sighing and digging into her bag.
"You really didn't think this through."
"I was trying to get out and, well, I kind of focused all my energy on that."
"Obviously," Sodia said, offering her a croquette. She never felt so happy to see it and nearly lost all of her dignified training when she hurried to pull it from Sodia's hand. She forced herself to eat slowly instead of stuffing the whole thing in her mouth at once. Sodia turned away and continued on the path to Capua Nor.
"From now on, you're sticking with me."
Estellise's already slow chewing nearly stopped. Was she hinting…?
"Another couple of days out here without a plan, and we wouldn't have to worry about protecting our final heir to the throne," but then Sodia faced her again, this time with a smile. "And I'll bet you'll appreciate cleaner water to drink, too."
"But… can you really not take me back?"
"As I said, it's part of my mission. Captain Schwann thought it might be good for me to leave the drama at Zaphias for a while, so he sent me on a pilgrimage."
"The drama at Zaphias…" Estellise said softly. "But, if you're on a pilgrimage, did you stop by the Lower Quarter and see if they needed help?"
At this, Sodia stopped, her eyes wide and the color draining from her face. "You… you know about that?"
"Yes, I heard Hanks talking about it."
"But… that's…."
A strange thought occurred to Estellise. Did Sodia know about it, too? How could she? Didn't Sodia leave before Estellise did? At least, she didn't see Sodia with the rest of Schwann's brigade as she made her escape from the castle. Was Sodia still there after all? Where had she been? The way Sodia's body tensed and how she rushed ahead, hiding behind her braid again, told Estellise something was amiss. Had Sodia been in the Lower Quarter...? "Sodia…? Do you know what happened?"
"No," she said, though her voice sounded forced, restricted. Estellise was confused. What was wrong? "Anyway, I haven't been of much help so far with my pilgrimage so I might as well do what I can to protect you." Then Sodia muttered, "Especially since no one else is…."
"What?"
Sodia didn't seem to notice her. "Anyway, where do you want to go?"
"I… I don't know." Estellise had wondered where she could look for Dein Nomos, but never really came up with an idea. All anyone knew about the sword was that it disappeared in the Great War ten years ago. Without any leads, she had simply kept walking until she had to pick a new direction to keep walking. "I should've asked Flynn where a safe place would be." She smiled at Sodia who had noticed her and hid behind her braid again. At this, Estellise's smile disappeared.
"Sodia? Is something wrong?"
For a moment, Estellise thought Sodia wasn't going to speak. But then, "I don't worry so much about disappointing other people, but when I disappoint myself, it kind of bothers me. I'm not used to failing at something." Sodia glanced back towards Ehmead Hill. "Especially when it's my duty to help them."
"What do you mean? Is it the Lower Quarter? I'm sure someone can fix the fountain," Estellise said. She didn't know what the problem was, but a blastia functioned properly when the core and the formula align with how much the blastia itself can hold. Obviously, it had the correct formula and core since it worked for so long. The only reasons it wouldn't function anymore was if the blastia itself cracked or if the core was missing or damaged somehow. Estellise couldn't think of any other explanation. But why on earth would that bother Sodia so much? Was she really worried about the Lower Quarter's drinking water?
"It's… the barrier tree of Halure. Once a year, the barrier fails, leaving Halure vulnerable to monsters. The barrier fell early this year, and the guildsmen they usually hire hadn't arrived yet."
Estellise felt the tugging in her heart. Shouldn't they go back and help the people? "Wait, guildsmen? Why not the knights?"
But Sodia continued, speaking quickly, "I thought the best thing to do would be to head back to Aspio and fetch a mage to fix it up." At this, Sodia's face soured from the memory of it. "They told me Miss Rita Mordio was the best mage they had, and she refused. I ended up leaving without her."
"What will they do? What's wrong with the tree?"
"Well, there was a boy there who said that the tree was poisoned by monster blood. We've tried everything we could think of. Panacea bottles, antidotes specifically for poison, even gels that can sometimes help with biological recovery. But the tree is just… too different."
Estellise watched Sodia sink back into her thoughts. She could certainly see why Sodia would be upset about that but one thing nagged at her. "Why did you leave the people without protection if the barrier isn't working?"
Sodia shrugged. "Lieutenant Leblanc told me to leave Halure to rest of the brigade. There's nothing I can do for the tree, anyway."
That was true, Estellise supposed. It's better to leave it in someone else's hands if she couldn't do anything about it now. Still, Estellise worried for the people there. Were the knights enough? Sodia must have noticed the concern on Estellise's face. "Don't worry, My Lady. I'm sure the town will be just fine."
"Right."
But that wasn't all that seemed strange. Sodia didn't know Estellise had run away, but Lieutenant Leblanc did. He was there when she ran. Didn't he say anything about watching for Estellise? She didn't have the courage to ask. And she also realized that it meant the knights could definitely be right behind her on the trail… or worse, just ahead of her waiting for her at Capua Nor. Could she convince them not to take her back to Zaphias…?
The sun began to set. The red and orange of the sky cast its glow everywhere. Though beautiful, it set Estellise on edge, and she palmed her sword. She didn't have any more mats and the fields offered little protection or places to sleep. But Sodia didn't seem worried at all. She walked with a purpose, following the trail southwest. At one point, Sodia finally stopped, shielding her eyes from the sun dipping into the end of the valley. "I suppose we need to set up camp for the night."
"Do you have a mat?"
"No. I have a tent." Sodia dropped her bag and began clearing a space for camp.
"You do? Where were you keeping it?"
The puzzled look on Sodia's face confused Estellise. "With the others."
Huh. Now that Estellise thought about it, there were times she lost awareness of the stuff she was carrying, too. She never had to worry about her bag unless she needed it. It certainly wasn't a problem when she faced down the Audreitz. Had it always been like that?
Estellise watched Sodia pitch the tent, not knowing what else to do. Actually, she was interested in the tent and paid close attention to what Sodia did to set it up. Sodia also started a fire in a small pit ringed by rocks they had found scattered nearby. Estellise watched the fire and hugged her knees.
Sodia poked at the fire with a chunk of meat on a stick. Apparently Sodia had killed some chirpees back at Ehmead Hill. Cooked meat sure sounded good after the days Estellise lived off the fruit she got from the filos in the mountains. Sodia also had some rations carried over from Halure's grateful mayor though Estellise wanted to save those for lunch tomorrow. She looked forward to her warm meal tonight.
"Umm… so how do you think Flynn is doing now?" Estellise asked.
Sodia didn't move or speak. Estellise watched her through the fire. After a long pause, Sodia said, "I don't know."
Estellise raised her head a little, curious at Sodia's reluctance to speak. Was she still thinking about her failure at Halure? "I haven't seen him since he asked me to visit him in the dungeons. Have you?"
"I brought him breakfast just before Captain Tasher called me for the brigade reassignment."
Estellise restrained a knowing smile. Of course she'd want to bring him breakfast. "I wanted to stop by to see him before I left, but I didn't get the chance."
"It wouldn't have mattered." Sodia said. "He wouldn't have been there."
"I know."
They fell silent, though Estellise caught Sodia watching her with a strange expression, almost as if she was confused, maybe concerned. Then, Sodia asked, "What have you heard?"
"Just that he ran away," Estellise said. "Master Drake said something about it just before I ran away. What about you?"
Sodia didn't answer but with a reticent shrug, keeping her eyes downcast. Finally, "Schwann sent me on a pilgrimage…."
"Knights are always talking about what's going on, right? You haven't heard anything, even from Leblanc? Even about… me?"
"We don't always share what we hear. I just know Flynn isn't in Zaphias anymore and that… he didn't run away."
"Huh?" Why would Dropwart say he had? Then Estellise remembered the knights she overheard. Personally, I think the Commandant should move him to Heliord. In fact, maybe I'll suggest it. "Wait, do you mean… Alexei really did move Flynn to Heliord?"
Sodia stared at her. "Did Alexei tell you that?"
"I overheard one of the knights say he would suggest moving Flynn to Heliord for his safety. Alexei must have moved him without telling everyone. It would explain the rumor that Flynn ran away, even though he didn't."
"It certainly would," Sodia said. "Though it's a bit strange that the Commandant wouldn't tell Sir Drake about it."
"Not at all," Estellise said. "Master Drake believes he is guilty. Why would he tell anyone who thinks he's guilty?"
"I suppose you're right about that, but…" Sodia paused. "Don't you think letting them believe he ran away would lead to other problems?"
"I'm sure he'll tell them the truth now that I'm gone." Estellise watched the fire wishing she could truly believe that. Alexei promised to protect Flynn, and she was at least sure it was something he would do, but now that Estellise ran away, she began to doubt how far Alexei would go to protect him. After all, Alexei could only guess at why she ran away. What prevented him from thinking Flynn was behind it? But he did promise…. "Do you suppose Flynn is already there in Heliord?"
Sodia shrugged. "Could be."
Estellise suddenly felt excited. She grinned and leaned towards Sodia and closer to the fire. "That's where we'll go! Let's go to Heliord and help Flynn. We can ask him who's trying to kill me, if he knows, and he'll know what we need to do next." Estellise sat back, satisfied. They had a plan!
Sodia smiled at her. "Okay. To Heliord then." But then her smile faded and she needlessly stoked the fire with a stick.
Failing Halure must've really gotten to her, Estellise thought. It made sense, though. She had always worked hard as a knight and became Flynn's second lieutenant in such a short time. Captain Tasher always commented how lucky he was to have such strong, hard-working knights in his brigade. Then, Estellise grinned. She knew what should cheer her up. People usually loved talking about someone they cared about.
"So… Will being in Schwann's brigade change your relationship with Flynn?"
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Well, you and Flynn are close, right?"
Sodia blushed. "N-no, not exactly…. I mean, he's my superior—He's not—" She swallowed her words and refused to say anymore, but she tossed the stick and pulled the chirpees from the fire. Estellise watched her. It was obvious to Estellise for the last several months that some sort of relationship seemed to be developing there, but she supposed they hadn't much acted on it.
"I'm sorry. I must be mistaken." She watched Sodia for a while, allowing her to finish preparing the chirpees and serving them, though Sodia didn't sit to eat her own supper. Instead, she gathered up her supplies and seemed set for bed until she stopped, resigned. Sodia picked up her plate with the chirpee and sat down to eat after all. Interested, Estellise stopped chewing.
"I admit that there's a lot of things about him I like. But he's too—focused on his position to worry about a relationship with anyone." Sodia did have a point. Flynn was very much focused on rising in the ranks until—Think of something else. "And I'm not sure what gave you that idea anyway. I don't love him that way."
"It's in your body language." She said, watching Sodia blush even more. "The way your eyes light up when you see him. I just thought you two were more than friends. Other knights talk about it, too."
"Th-that's impossible." And she took a too-big bite of chirpee and exaggerated her chewing.
"What about bringing him breakfast?" Estellise asked.
Sodia swallowed. "He's innocent. I wanted him to have decent food." She finally looked at Estellise. "You saw him, right? He just didn't look very good, like he hadn't eaten properly or slept for days." Estellise wouldn't ever forget the way he looked. He had gone from young and vibrant to sallow and raddled. His hair hadn't been taken care of and his eyes were dull and tired. The most alive he appeared was when she agreed to run away. She supposed if she were allowed to, she would've brought him a healthier meal, too.
When Sodia returned to her chirpee with a frown, Estellise sighed. Apparently talking about Flynn wasn't enough. Maybe there was something else she could try.
"You know," she began. Sodia continued chewing as if she didn't hear her. "I really appreciate your help. It terrified me when I heard the knights talking about the assassin failing to kill me. I didn't even know someone tried."
Sodia finally looked at her.
"But it scared me even more to be out here and find out it's so dangerous. I'm happy I ran into you." Estellise smiled and Sodia mirrored her.
"Yeah, I can only imagine. My first time coming outside the barrier terrified me, too, and I was with my brigade."
Estellise couldn't believe it. Sodia was afraid of being out here, too? But weren't knights supposed to be brave?
"We were armed, but it still scared me to see a whole herd of wild boars charging at us. I nearly lost my head when the captain told us to draw our swords." She paused and smiled and Estellise couldn't help but feel lighter herself. The memory couldn't be too bad if she remembered it fondly. "When you're facing death, he has a way of boosting your strength."
"What did he do?"
"He told us to remember our training. 'They only act that tough because they don't know what they're up against.'" She paused. "We believed we were that strong, so we were." Something about those words tugged Sodia into her thoughts, and she looked out into the dark field. She looked lighter. Estellise smiled, too, satisfied.
She loved traveling with Sodia.
Though Sodia walked in silence a lot, she taught Estellise all about making dinner out of a floating filo carcass, instead of just eating the fruit. There apparently were edible pieces, including the leaves. They tasted like dandelions, not her favorite leaf, but it helped knowing she could eat it if nothing else was around. Sodia also confirmed that, for some reason, no matter how hungry she got, Estellise would always have the energy and strength to travel, but it was always a good idea to find something to eat somewhere.
"You just have better fighting form and you'll heal faster, too, with food in your stomach. There are other benefits as well, especially if you eat before you know you're going to fight."
"Why is that?"
Sodia shrugged. "Must be the healing properties of certain dishes."
Estellise listened closely anytime Sodia mentioned how to find her way and helped with setting up the tent. Her favorite time was sitting under the stars watching the star, Brave Vesperia. She could see farther on the horizon than ever, even though the valley was far lower than the mountains. There were no trees to inhibit her view, though a few clouds wandered overhead. Several times she felt like rising and turning circles beneath the stars just to watch them blur into the sky. This was so much better than traveling alone! She found it much easier to ignore her sore feet, and she didn't worry so much about a monster hiding in the grass. Even if there were, Sodia would be there to help.
Over the next couple of days, her anxiety about Sodia taking her back to Zaphias decreased. But she couldn't shake the feeling that other knights had left ahead of them, not completely. By the third morning together, they could see the barrier over Capua Nor. The sky overhead wore a shade of nearly white clouds, but closer to the port town, the sky darkened. They walked half the day towards the overcast port, and the feeling in her stomach returned. The storm felt like a warning.