Chapter Twenty-One
"Thank you, Akeem," I said as Gale and I exited the carriage.
I held the young man's gaze for a few, meaningful moments, and he smiled grimly. Gale had already retreated into the house to fetch our few belongings. After the encounter with Agatha and Coredilia, we would not be staying another night.
Leaning across the cushions that decorated the inside of the carriage, Akeem reached out and gently titled my chin. A flush went through my entire body and I discreetly turned my head, his kiss warm against my cheek.
He pulled away, but only enough to see me clearly. "I hope we meet again, Marley Elizabeth Frost."
"It strange…" I said softly. "I do too." And I meant it.
Akeem gave a nod. "Last chance. Come with me?"
I took a step back, placing a hand on my hip.
Shrugging, he smiled again. "A fellow can try."
The door of the carriage swung shut and I moved slowly away, counting each step as the coachman urged the horses forward. I stared wistfully after the retreating form as it and its occupants rode back towards the manor. The life I could have had flashed before my eyes: the gorgeous gowns, mountains of gold, long nights spent beside a warm fire, adoring crowds calling my name.
God save the Queen! God save Queen M—
"—arley."
I gave a start as my bow, and arrows were pushed against my chest in a jumble. Gale let go and I lowered my bow and quiver, tilting them against my knee. I clasped my cloak and then swung my weapons over my shoulder before pulling an extra pair of Gale's leggings on underneath my tattered dress. Reaching around me with the compass, Gale fastened the trinket so that it nestled in my collarbone. The tarnished, coppery metal was cool against my skin and I sighed, craning my neck to see the boy over my shoulder.
"Which way?" he asked, his eyes shining in the dark.
Quickly consulting the compass, I pointed southwest. "That way, but we'll need horses."
"All right, Masked Archer," Gale grinned. "Work your magic."
We crouched beside a road that wound through the hills just outside of the town, huddled together beneath my mother's cloak. The wind sent a chill down the back of my neck to my tailbone and I pressed closer to Gale, trying to forget that he was in love with me. Or at least, he though he was.
Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump. The sound of rolling wagon wheels accompanied that of a horse's gallop and I tensed. I had held up hundreds of carriages, but never without the safety of my mask. Taking a reassuring breath, I bent over my bow and already nocked arrow, which lay in the tall grass parallel to my feet. I slowly took it up and rose to my feet, steadying myself with a firm hand on Gale's shoulder. The cloak slid over his body, tickling his chin as it followed my stealthy approach to the roadside. As always, the boy stayed back.
I stepped into the unsuspecting traveler's path and raised the bow, drawing the string not quite back to the corner of my mouth. If things went smoothly, a release wouldn't be needed.
A sudden disturbance in the air and a gentle swoosh was the only warning I had as I turned in confusion, the bolt of a crossbow slicing across my cheek. I gasped, nearly dropping my bow as I put a hand to my cheek. Warm blood came away, slick, on my fingertips and I stared at the carriage as it drew closer. A small lantern illuminated either side of the coachman's bench, revealing not only the face of the driver, but also that of the large man beside him, who was already reloading his crossbow.
"Halt!" I demanded, raising my weapon again as my shock passed.
The bowman lifted the crossbow a second time, not bothering to aim before flicking the release. I let my own arrow fly on impulse and was rewarded with the man's scream as the tip burrowed into the fleshy part of his calf. The carriage lurched to a stop and I sighed inwardly, not caring that I may have crippled the man for life. Striding forward, I wriggled my nose, trying to get used to the tight, but not entirely painful sensation that came from my new injury.
"I really wouldn't have done that if I were you," I told the bowman, smashing the crossbow to the ground. "Don't. Move."
They obliged to my forceful request as I slung my bow over my shoulder and withdrew my dagger, sawing away at the horses' reins as the animals pranced nervously. Inside the carriage, I could hear the occupants cursing and shouting, asking the coachman why they had stopped. There was a click as the door began to open and the thick arm of a man emerged. I paused in my work long enough to slam the door shut with my heel, nearly catching the man's fingers as he hastily pulled his arm back inside.
Wind swept across the road, filling my hood and causing it to slid back from my face. I shuttered at the cold and sheathed my knife.
"You're only a girl," the bowman said gruffly, his voice thick from pain.
I scowled. "And you will only be dead if you don't do as I say. You still have two horses remaining, so count your blessings."
Leaving the carriage and its passengers to their own accord, I threw away whatever extra, unnecessary leather straps were still attached to the two horses and swung onto one's back. I grimaced, suddenly wishing that I had a soft saddle to sit in. Nevertheless, I urged the horses forward with a swift kick and rode into the tall grass where Gale was waiting for me. He shot up from his hiding place and leaped onto the horse as we rode passed, twisting his hands into its dark mane and letting out a whoop of mockery for the poor saps whom we left sitting in the dark on a solitary road. Then, turning, we followed the direction of the compass, galloping over the crest of the hill and across the plane beyond.
We rode for two days without speaking. Images of that night constantly flashed through my mind; my mother's smile, Akeem's pleading eyes. But none of the images could compare to the ghosts of smells and sensations that haunted my face, my lips, and my absent heart.
Our journey took us through a field of crippled dandelions, our horses' hooves kicking up the downy, white seeds that remained of the yellow petals. The small seeds floated around us like small spirits finally set free in a sea of white. One drifted passed me and I reached out a hand, the fluff brushing against my palm, a bittersweet kiss goodbye, before being swept away on the wind. We cantered on, the long, silent days stretching across crisp, autumn earth and a few simultaneous clusters of trees. Eating what little we could rummage from the isolated farms we passed by, we didn't stop to rest until the sun had set on the second day.
I left Gale and the horses behind a small dip in the hills and crept on foot to the back of a farmer's stable, weaving in and out of the corn stalks that had yet to be harvested. I broke off several husks and tucked them into a fold in my skirt. Inside the stable, I found some wood that had been gathered for the coming winter, along with a tinderbox and flint. Taking some of each, I made my way back to the crude camp.
The fire was the smallest, but somehow biggest comfort I had had in days and I nestled close to it, lying on my side, and petting my mother's cloak with my fingertips. Gale huddled into himself a few feet away, staring at the dancing flames. I blinked back tears as I thought of my mother, wearing this cloak as I wore it now. Gritting my teeth, I shook my head and lowered it into the grass.
"Marley," Gale murmured. "Are you still awake?"
I thought of not answering. We hadn't slept in what felt like eternity, and my tailbone hurt from riding bareback, but I knew this was Gale's attempt at rekindling our friendship.
"Mm," was all I could muster.
The boy rubbed his thy, trying to stay warm. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry about what I did, but it may be better if we just…pretend nothing was ever wrong between us?"
"Do you love me?" I asked.
"Yes."
I sighed. "You can try, but you won't forget."
"I am sorry about your mother, Marley."
Pursing my lips, I swallowed. Me too, Gale. Me too.
"We only have two days left," I murmured to the empty air.
"Don't worry," Gale said. "We'll make it work."
Suddenly, lying alone on the hard ground was unbearable. It felt as if I was falling through nothingness, and the hole that stretched inside of me would never be filled. I sat up and crawled over to where Gale sat, his arms wrapped around his knees. As I reached him, he stretched his legs and opened his arms to include me. I curled up beside him, my head in his lap and my cloak enclosing both of us in a warm mass as he ran a few fingers through my hair. The rational part of me told me to demand that he stop, but the larger portion of me simply needed the physical contact of another person, so I closed my eyes and kept my mouth shut. He hand slid over my shoulder and tucked itself under my chin, warm and strong. I inhaled deeply, remembering a time when a hug had seemed like some sort of breech of the code of our friendship. The thought faded away just as quickly as it had come, and I allowed the welcoming release of sleep to wash of my exhausted body.