Chapter 7: The Hardest Choice
Brey poked his head around the corner of a small, sleeping cottage, hacking with damp air in his lungs as he did so. The old tutor was starting to regret coming back out into the rain. Of course, looking back on the option of staying with the innkeeper, he figured this was probably preferable. The sight of the man's ravaged face was still finding its way into the old tutor's head even as he searched the area.
Yet, could Alena have been capable of such a thing? He knew her as a tutor ever since she was five years old. During her lessons, he would sometimes observe slightly violent tendencies during her common mood swings. However, these outbursts would never lead her to seriously cripple anyone.
The more he thought about it, though, Brey had noticed Alena was becoming more and more violent as of late. At first it had been nothing more than pounding her fists into a table during a tantrum. Now her frustrations seemed at their breaking point, as the study's wall was first to discover.
This dangerous breaking point was all the more reason her quest was necessary. He figured Alena's outbursts were a result of inactivity and constraint, the former being her way of lashing out in protest. She needed to be out in the open country and free from constraint so all her frustration could be vented without harming others.
Or at least, it was Brey's original thoughts until the incident at the inn.
There appeared to be so much aggression within the Princess, even she could not control herself. What she needed was someone to help her guide that passion into a more practical use and he decided it was going to have to be him. After all, he had been the one to recognize this potentially dangerous personality trait. Who better than the man who had taught her all of other life's lessons?
So absorbed in his thoughts was Brey he almost did not pick up the sound of faint whimpering over the howling wind. He turned his head in the direction of the sound and discerned it was coming from underneath a nearby tree. Even in the limited light, Brey could make out the form of someone huddled in the mud. The tutor slowly edged towards the person, cautiously asking, "Princess?"
Alena looked up and Brey nearly did not recognize her. Blood and mud caked her arms and face. Her auburn hair fell out from a muddy, feather hat in matted clumps. Her silk dress, a luxurious piece of clothing when the tutor had last seen the princess, hung like a tattered, old curtain, exposing parts of her body no one should be allowed to see in a public place such as this. Large streaks of mud ran down Alena's cheeks, indicating she had been crying.
She looked at Brey for long moments, as though all recognition with her tutor was lost.
He sensed this, though, and gently continued. "It's Brey." Alena still did not show any recognition. "Your tutor, Brey Soratos," he pushed, taking a step forward. As he advanced, Alena took a cringing slide away, her eyes wide open in terror. She's really out of it, he grimly thought. Anyone seeing her in this state could easily mistake her as nothing more than a wild animal.
"Please," Brey continued as he cautiously stepped forward. "Listen to me. Listen to my voice! Do you know who I am?" He took another step forward and this time Alena did not back away. Brey smiled and slowly continued forward, gently repeating himself to let the princess become comfortable with his voice.
Once he was within five feet of her, Alena's eyes suddenly turned from fear to recognition. "Brey?" she quietly murmured, her lips hardly parting.
"Yes!" Brey smiled, nodded. "It's me. I'm here to help you."
Alena blinked twice, as if coming out of a trance. Tears began to spill out, instantly becoming lost on her face in the rain. "Oh, Brey!" she cried, crawling in the mud and coming to rest at his feet, streaking mud across the remains of her tattered silk dress. "Brey! Brey!" she continued to ramble, crying with each breath. She grabbed onto his legs, nearly causing the old tutor to fall over.
Once Brey regained his balance, he looked down at Alena and sympathy crossed his aged face. Slowly, he removed the feather hat and gently patted her head. "It'll be all right, dear," he said, compassion in his voice. He took off Henry's cloak and wrapped it around Alena. It would not provide any warmth in its drenched state but at least Alena's modesty would remain intact with the decent cover it provided.
"Come on," he said, gently lifting Alena up. "There's a shed nearby. You should get out of this weather." The princess nodded, sniffling back her tears as she did.
Leaning on each other's shoulders, Alena and Brey made their way to the shed the old tutor had mentioned. Once there, Alena sat down, huddling herself to keep warm. Brey stood opposite of her, trying to decide what to say that could make her feel better. Unfortunately, nothing reassuring came to mind.
Seeing Alena seemingly traumatized by whatever happened at the inn made the old tutor regret his earlier course of action. It had been foolish of him to just let her go out on her own. He should have acted more responsibly and somehow devised a way so they could sneak out together.
However, it was all the past now. What was done was done. Now he needed to plan his next course of action. Yet, how could he tell Alena she was going to have to continue with her quest? Despite what had transpired here, he knew if she returned to the castle she would only become rebellious again. The only way to cure her wanderlust was to make her go through with her quest, to force her to experience the real world and its hardships.
Brey's thoughts were interrupted when he heard someone shout from the shed's entrance and his attention was drawn there. "Princess!" The tutor immediately recognized Henry's voice. The hunter rushed in, rain dripping from his face. "Thank the Master you're all right!" he rapidly said, looking at her with concern. Alena looked at the hunter, confusion crossing her face. "What happened?" he asked.
"What do you think happened?" Brey snapped. Henry jumped, not even realizing the tutor was standing by the entrance. "I'm guessing your 'friend' tried to rape our Princess and she had to defend herself. The weight of what happened was more than she could handle and now her very sanity seems to be teetering like a board on a pyramid!" Henry's face contorted in confusion and Brey heaved an exasperated sigh, looking away.
Shaking his head, Henry turned back to Alena and knelt in front of her. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern in his face.
Alena nodded once and quietly said, "Please take me home." Henry nodded and stood up, helping the princess up as well.
They started to head for the entrance when Brey suddenly jumped in their path. Both of them looked at the tutor with confused glances. "We really shouldn't be bringing her out in this weather," Brey explained, raising his arms to bar the shed's door. He then sternly looked at Henry and added, "And think nothing of bringing her back to the inn."
The hunter looked at Brey for a moment, then asked, "Then what should we do?"
Brey turned his head around, glancing out in the rain-soaked night. He turned back to Alena and gently asked, "Will you be all right by yourself for a few minutes, Princess?" Alena gave a small nod in response. Brey seemed to grimly smile for a moment.
He turned back to Henry and said, "We should go back to the inn and wait for Cristo and Reginald. Once we're all together again, we can provide better protection for the Princess." The hunter nodded in agreement.
Once Alena was cared for as best as they could with what they had, Henry and Brey started to leave the shed. The moment Henry was outside, Brey quickly held up an index finger at Alena. The princess was confused by his gesture but was even more confused when Brey raised his walking staff and silently followed outside.
The rain pelted the shed and, for a while, that and the howling wind were all Alena could hear. However, she easily heard a muffled thwack and the sound of something heavy dropping in the mud over everything else.
Moments later, Brey came back in the shed, clutching his staff even tighter than before. His face was contorted in a grim frown. "I'm sorry, Henry," he mumbled to no one in particular. "You've been so helpful to me and this is how I repay you." The tutor heaved a sigh then approached the princess. Alena edged back, unsure whether Brey was going to strike her with his staff as well.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, slowly putting his staff down in front of him. He then spread his arms, reassuring he was unarmed.
"What did you do to him?" Alena asked, cringing from the old man. Her instincts were still dominating her mind and any sign of danger caused her to recoil in fear.
"He'll be fine," Brey said, smiling grimly, "but that's not what's important right now. Please listen to me." He knelt forward, placing a gentle hand on Alena's shoulder. The princess accepted his touch but kept a defensive posture. "Do you know why you are out here?" the tutor asked gently.
"I..." she began to answer but tears started to spill out and Alena began to sob uncontrollably. "I don't know!" she wailed and fell into Brey's chest, nearly knocking the old man over.
"Don't worry, dear," he whispered, hugging her compassionately. After a moment, he gently moved her in front of his gaze. "Listen to me. You have to understand why I'm doing this for you. It is very important that you do not return home yet."
Alena's eyes widened. "What?" she nearly screamed. "Brey! Do you…do you…know what I've had to…" She was interrupted by her tutor's finger on her mouth.
"Believe me," he said, "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't feel it was necessary. I've probably put my entire life at Santeem on the line by doing what I've done. If anyone finds out I instigated this whole thing, I'll probably have a death sentence put on my head."
"No, you wouldn't!" Alena quickly said, shaking her head violently. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen!"
An erudite smile found its way onto the old tutor's aged face. "Trust me, Alena, you've already saved my life once. I don't think you'll be able to do it again, though."
A confused look crossed the princess' face. "I…don't understand."
Brey shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said. "It has nothing to do with right now.
"Listen, we don't have much time. All I ask of you is to trust me. I feel this is my best chance to do something that will not only benefit our country but you as a person as well. Will you come with me?"
Alena looked at her tutor for a long time, her mind a dizzying array of indecision. After what had happened tonight, returning home looked infinitely more inviting - at least, it did for the short term. Deep down, the princess knew the exact same thing her tutor did: after the night's shock had worn off, the desire to escape would return. Unfortunately, by then it would be too late. Somebody would inform her father she had run away and her "protection" would increase tenfold, probably so much of it she would not be able to leave her room.
Now was the best time to continue her quest. And, with Brey guiding her, she hopefully would be able to avoid unpleasant situations such as the one tonight. Alena solemnly nodded twice.
The old tutor smiled. "We'll start moving tonight, then," he said, gently rubbing the princess shoulders. "The cover of night should help us."
"I don't think so, old man!" a booming voice came from the shed's entrance. Brey turned around and saw a dark silhouette at the entrance. Although he had only met him tonight, the old tutor could recognize the cold aura Flail gave off at any time. Instinctive fear found its way back into Alena's mind upon seeing the silhouette and she cringed back.
The mercenary stepped inside the shed and crossed his arms over his large chest. "I suspected you were behind the Princess' escape from the castle. I'm sure our King will be very interested to discover this once I take both of you back." He paused and threw a cold gaze at Brey. "Unless," he added, "you have a problem with it, old man."
Brey's eyes narrowed, desperately trying to think of a plan. He knew he would not be able to fool the large mercenary. And in terms of strength, Flail clearly had the upper hand. However, Brey did have one thing to his advantage...
"Get behind me, Alena," Brey whispered, pulling the princess behind him. If anyone informed the King of his plans, the old tutor would surely be a dead man anywhere he went within Santeem's kingdom. Regrettably, he had only one course of action.
Master, forgive me, he thought. Clasping his hands together, Brey quickly focused his will upon the moist air and used his magical powers to condense the local water vapor into a solid form. He then chanted, "Icebolt!" In less than a second, a four-foot long icicle formed at his hands. Brey took aim at the man's heart and threw his arms out, letting the icicle fly forward.
Flail had not anticipated Brey to act, much less use magic. However, the mercenary was still quick enough to recognize the danger. Unfortunately, he was not fast enough to completely dodge the icicle. Flail dove right and the cold projectile of ice pierced deeply into his left thigh. The mercenary roared in pain as he landed and instinctively clutched at his leg. The pain was so immense, his leg buckled when he tried to quickly stand up, no longer able to support his massive body weight.
Brey swore at his misfortune but recognized an opportunity when he saw one. Quickly grabbing Alena's wrist, he pulled her up and ran for the shed's entrance, pulling Alena behind him. The princess offered no resistance, her instinctive state of mind unaware of most of the events around her.
Realizing he could have no hope of pursuing with his injured leg, Flail reached out with a bloody hand for Alena's ankle, hoping he could at least stop her and pursue after Brey later.
Somehow, Alena sensed his reaching hand. However, in its instinctive-drenched state, her mind did not reveal the mercenary's desperate attempt to stop her. Rather, she saw a large, dirty hand, reaching for her body. Her mind blurred with fear, unable to see the reality of the world around her.
Painful memories of the inn assaulted her senses. She would not let it happen again, though. This time, she would stop him before he even got a chance to touch her.
Alena halted her course and savagely lashed out with her leg, connecting solidly on Flail's face with her boot. The mercenary reeled back, clutching for his broken nose. Alena took the opportunity to deliver a few more swift kicks to Flail's head, nearly screaming in a berserk frenzy.
Someone suddenly shouted her name and Alena paused, blinking as she came out her rage. Slowly, the princess turned around and found Brey staring at her in astonishment. She turned back and saw Flail, moaning in pain as the large mercenary did his best to stem the flow of blood from his nose with one hand while trying to get a good grip on the large icicle in his thigh with the other hand.
Standing still, she slowly realized it was her that caused the damage to Flail's face. Unfortunately, she barely remembered acting in such a violent manner and her motives were a complete mystery.
What's happening to me? she thought, tears forming in her eyes as she stared blankly at the mercenary by her feet. How have I become such a monster?
After what seemed an eternity, Brey broke the silence and gently took Alena's arm again. "Come on," he said. "Let's get out of here." Alena, so confused in her state of mind, let herself be pulled by her tutor, a blank, tearful expression on her face.
Cristo walked heavy steps towards the center of the village although he hardly noticed the thick layer of mud on his boots that may have been weighing his feet down. Rather, his spirits reflected the dying weather around him. Reginald, who was walking just a few feet ahead of him, had mentioned early in their search it would be very unlikely they would find the Princess on the outskirts of Weser. However, Cristo had to make certain he did not overlook any hole Alena may have been hiding in. Finding no trace of her in the many barns and sheds dotting Weser's border seemed to darken the bodyguard's spirit despite the several reassuring comments Reginald had offered. Whether he was sincere or just attempting to ease Cristo's tortured mind, the bodyguard did not know. It did not help anyway. Despite the tracker's comments, Cristo kept replaying a dozen horrible situations Alena might be in at this very moment, each more graphic than the previous.
As the pair walked towards the center of the village, a glimmer of movement in the shadows of a cottage caught Cristo's attention. "Hold it, Reg," Cristo said, stopping dead in his tracks and holding up a hand. "I think I see something."
"Again?" Reginald said, letting out an exasperated sigh.
Cristo flashed an irritated glance at his companion. "Okay, I admit the last few times have been nothing more than hoaxes," the bodyguard said, "but I have to know for certain. If there's even the slightest chance it's her, then I have to find out." Reginald's expression did not change, however, as the tracker crossed his arms over his chest. Cristo sighed and added, "You can wait here. I'll only take a second." Reginald kept his frown but, even in the limited light of the night, Cristo could tell the tracker was somewhat pleased he was not going to have to follow the bodyguard as he chased after another shadow. Cristo nodded once to Reginald and set off to search the area he saw the movement.
The area was tucked behind one of the peasant cottages where a few, wretched apple trees whipped back and forth with the wind. It would have been easy to mistaken the rapid shadows the trees produced against the cottage for someone moving. Cristo's heart began to sink as he saw yet another prayer go unanswered.
Master, he thought, looking up at the storm clouds above, why are you doing this to me? Why do you continuously let my hopes go unfulfilled? Can you not give me some sort of sign I am in your favor?
Cristo stared at the clouds above him for long moments, hoping for some sort of hint. Finally, he looked back down, sighing. He knew it was futile to ask for Master Dragon's favor on this one night. Such miracles rarely occurred, and then only to the highest ranked bishops of the Zenithian Church. Why would the Master pay attention to a lowly apprentice such as himself?
He stared ahead at one of the apple trees, a dozen emotions running through his mind. The bodyguard suddenly noticed something peculiar about the tree. For some reason, he could see it more clearly, as if someone had illuminated the area. Cristo looked around, expecting to see a peasant carrying a torch. When there was none, the bodyguard had a sudden thought. Had Master Dragon answered his prayer?
He looked at the heavens again, anticipating a ray of light piercing the dark clouds to shine on the ground he stood on. When nothing happened, Cristo became confused. He looked at the tree again and it was indeed still clearer in his eyes than anything else. Yet, there were no external sources of light that could be illuminating the tree. The bodyguard wondered if maybe the Master had enhanced his own vision but, when he looked at another tree, it remained as obscure in the night as before.
Cristo shook his head, clearing any confusion from his mind. So I can see this tree better than the rest, he thought, running his hands through his rain-soaked hair. If it is a sign from the Master, then I will take it. If not, then I must be going mad. Stiffening his posture, Cristo walked towards the tree.
As he drew closer, Cristo could definitely make out the forms of a pair of people huddled underneath the sparse cover the swaying canopy provided. Hope leaped through the bodyguard's body and he rushed forward. He did not even need to have a physical identification once he was close enough and his heart began to fly.
"Princess!" he cried, his eyes becoming moist from happiness.
One of the people quickly looked up at Cristo, and the bodyguard immediately saw it was Brey. "Brey!" Cristo exclaimed once he had reached the pair. "You found her!"
The tutor looked at Alena for a moment, then back at Cristo, a worried expression crossing his face. Before Cristo could continue about his joy at seeing Alena again, Brey frowned and said in a low voice, "I cannot allow you to take her."
Cristo stared blankly at Brey, wondering if he had heard the tutor correctly. Brey's expression told the bodyguard he was serious as he stood in front of the Princess. "What is this?" Cristo asked, confusion crossing his face.
"I'm letting the Princess continue her quest," Brey said simply. "As her tutor, I feel this is the best lesson that I can give her: a taste of the real world."
"What do you mean?" Cristo said, concern in his voice. "Has something happened to her? Why isn't she talking? Did she get hurt?"
Brey held up a hand and said, "You wish to know if anything happened? All right, I'll let you see." Brey stepped aside and let Cristo see Alena.
The bodyguard gasped at the sight. Alena was huddled against the tree, staring blankly ahead. Her face was caked with mud and spots of blood dotted her face. The soaked cloak wrapped around her had slipped a little from its weight, exposing the tattered silk dress that did very little to hide her modesty. However, in her state of mind, Alena seemed unaware her naked skin was in plain sight of her bodyguard.
"Princess...!" Cristo breathed and he took a step forward to her aid. However, Brey stepped back between the two. Keeping an eye on Cristo, the tutor knelt down and pulled the wet cloak back over Alena's shoulders, covering her body.
"What happened?" Cristo asked, his eyes wide with shock.
"I don't really know," Brey muttered as he slowly stood up, "but I suspect she was raped."
"Raped!" Cristo exclaimed. "By who? By the Master, I'll make sure he pays dearly for doing this!"
"Trust me," Brey muttered, "he already has."
Confusion crossed Cristo's face again and Brey decided to bring them back to the present situation. "Listen," he said, "I don't care what you do right now. You can try to take her back to the castle but she will only try to escape again once this night's shock has passed. Her wanderlust is far too strong to be quenched in one night. I believe the only way to get it out of her system is to spend some time out in the real world, to let her thirst for adventure be satisfied.
"You can try to take her by force right now from me, in which case I would have to fight you. Trust me, you know I could kill you with my magic, and I would not hesitate to do it. You could let us go and organize an even larger hunting party, with me as a wanted criminal of the Crown. Fine. Go ahead. I'll even let you know I'm planning on going to Surene tonight so you won't have to waste time searching all of these little rat-holes of farming villages. But you would just be back at the beginning with her."
Brey paused, letting Cristo weigh his options before providing his final option. "Or," he said, "you can let us go tonight to Surene and give me time to blend the Princess into the town's populace, for I know the King will send out a search warrant once he finds out she gone."
Cristo looked at the tutor for long moments. His mind was filled with turmoil. Every bit of him wanted to push the old man aside so he could grab Alena and take her home where she would be safe and hopefully forget about this night. However, in his heart, Cristo knew Brey was right. Alena's wanderlust was something he had seen growing inside her over the last five years, ever since she was becoming of age to experience the world independently.
"Please, Cristo," Brey said, gently laying a knarled hand on the bodyguard's wrist. "I am doing this for the good of Alena's soul. As a man of religion, even you must understand this."
Cristo looked into Brey's eyes, not knowing what to do. "I..." he began before faltering.
Suddenly, he heard someone calling out to him. "Cristo!" Reginald's voice came, "Hurry up, will you! I'm freezing to death out here. You find anything over there or not?"
Cristo looked back at Alena, all huddled in a confused state against the tree. He looked at Brey, the old tutor's expression reiterating his earlier plea.
Feeling his stomach sink as he did, he gently removed Brey's hand from his wrist. He then turned around and called back, "No! I'll be there in a moment!"
Cristo did not have to turn back around to see Brey's smile of thankfulness. He knew it was there. "I have just one favor to ask of you," the bodyguard said.
"What is it?" Brey asked.
Cristo turned around, neither a smile nor a frown on his face. He looked at Brey for a moment before replying, "I wish to go with you."
Brey looked at the bodyguard for a moment, a little shocked by his request. However, the old tutor soon nodded, understanding Cristo's desire to help Alena in her growth was possibly just as strong as his.
Cristo smiled back, thankfulness crossing his face. "You go on to Surene," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I'll do what I can to throw Reginald and the others off the trail before catching up."
Brey nodded again, then said, "I...sort of took care of a few of those problems already, but see what you can do." The old tutor knelt down and helped Alena up from the muddy ground. "I'll leave a message with one of the city's gatekeepers with instructions on where to find me in Surene."
They started to walk away before Brey paused. He turned to face Cristo and said, "Thank you." He then went on, disappearing into the night.
After a moment, Cristo made his way back to Reginald, feeling uncertain. His mind was in utter turmoil, realizing he had just failed in his duty as the bodyguard of the Princess of Santeem. However, his heart was feeling higher than ever, hoping in the long run Alena would be happy for his actions tonight.
Once he rejoined Reginald, the tracker looked at Cristo with a disapproving glare. "You certainly took long enough," he grumbled as they resumed their course to the center of Weser. "What could you have possibly found back there that would have taken up so much time?"
"I don't really know," Cristo said lightly, tilting his head to the heavens above. The storm clouds were beginning to disperse as the rain and wind was becoming more sporadic. "Perhaps," he muttered to himself, "a sign."
