I hope you all enjoyed Fiyr being denser than a cheesecake because… here we go again.

Chapter 21 - Fiyr

Sir Cawle's grim face is the only thing I can see, then my muscles begin to move of their own accord and send me dashing towards the healer's wing. No no nonononono—

Spottalia Lief is prone on the floor as though she fainted in the middle of walking out of the wing. But she's too pale, too still, too still, too fucking still—

Bile rises in my throat.

I drop to my knees and grab her wrist. Please please please—

It's too cold, too still, no pulse. Her doe eyes are staring blankly at the ceiling.

The world is too cold around me. Where's her heat? Her fire? She's alive! She has to be! There's enough warmth in me for both of us, I'll find some for her, I'll bring her back, she just needs heat—

"Fiyr! Get a hold of yourself!" the queen's voice rings out.

I flinch and the fifth dimension evaporates around me and I see that I've lit the world on fire. Barely conscious, I pull the fire away from the walls and beds and Spottalia and suck it back into myself. She's okay, she has to be, she has to be…

But as I stare at her still body, I can't help feeling the flames rise again in my belly, then up out of the air where they've been lying in wait, ready to suck up and destroy the world—

Smack.

I clutch my cheek, whipping around. It's Samn. "You slapped me," I say dumbly.

"You nearly burned the castle down! Knock it off!" he yells. "She's dead! She's not coming back! Burning us all to a crisp isn't going to help anyone!"

"We just need Yllowei Fennen, she can heal Spottalia and then it'll all be okay," I reassure him, the solution coming to me like my mind catching on fire. "She'll be back!"

"She won't!" he shouts in my face, his own face reddening with anger. Why's he mad? It's okay. Spottalia is going to be fine. "She's dead, Fiyr, she's dead."

I can't help a sob that escapes me. She has to be okay. Or it means that I couldn't protect her. She told me… Fire will save the kingdom? But why does that matter if I can't save her? I never even knew her. What the fuck's the point of it then?

It's not until they start dropping onto the stone beneath me with little plops that I realize that I'm full-on bawling in front of the entire court of Thundria and I don't care.

"She has to be okay!"

"She's dead!"

Someone grabs my shoulders and hauls me to my shaky feet. It's Sir Cawle.

There's only a tiny glimmer of sympathy in his hard amber eyes. "Shodawa did this, Fiyr. Save your grieving, because right now you will need your strength if you're going to get any justice for her death."

"How did it happen? How did none of you stop this?!" I howl, flinging an accusatory finger out at the gathered court.

"You're making a scene," Tigre hisses in my ear. "You're going to be okay. Take a deep breath."

He hauls me away from the witnesses that begin to cluster around Spottalia's body.

I let Sir Cawle guide me away from them, needing strength that I don't have just to stand. How could they let this happen? How could I let this happen?!

"It's okay," he grunts. "It's okay. You're alive. Look at me."

Eyes still filled with tears, I glance up at his hard expression.

"Crying won't help. Justice is all that remains," he tells me bluntly. "You're going to have to get a hold of yourself or the queen won't let you onto the battlefield and you'll never have vengeance."

I nod, gasping for breath

"We have to hunt down Yllowei and make her pay," Sir Cawle growls.

I stop breathing. "Yllowei… did this? She couldn't have… why?"

"She was a spy, Fiyr, all along, she was a spy! A traitor! Queen Bluelianna should never have let her join the court!" Tigre Cawle says vehemently. "She was planning it all along; we have to find her."

The world seems like it's spinning around. Spottalia dead… Yllowei, a traitor?

"My babies!" Frostialla's cry.

The children… abducted.

I swallow down more sobs. Everything's spun out of control so fast! "Okay, okay, I'm okay." Clearing my throat and banishing the gaping hole of despair that's opened up inside me, I look at him with determination I don't have and say, "We need to catch her."

"Fiyr!" It's the queen.

I lift my head, dazed. She crosses through the throne room, ignoring the cries of the court. Her eyes are fixed on me.

"You saw Yllowei last," she says urgently. "Where was she? Come to my room, Fiyr, we need to speak together."

Sir Cawle releases his grasp on my shoulder and I follow the queen, still reeling. Yllowei killed Spottalia? Yllowei Fennen killed Spottalia Lief? Lady Yllowei Fennen of the court of Shodawa killed Spottalia Lief of the court of Thundria? The words don't fit together properly. Why? Why would she do this to us? In the years that she's been at court, I've never found reason to doubt her, but I can't help the voice piping up in the back of my head. Of course, she was loyal to Shodawa; it was her birthplace. Forget all her talk about 'the way it used to be', that was obviously just a lie to throw you off the trace.

"I saw her last? But she was in the healer's wing with Spottalia!"

The queen looks back at me with pitying eyes. "Spottalia cannot tell us what Yllowei was doing."

I swallow. Right.

We reach the door and she pushes it open, revealing a much messier chamber than I recall. But there's no time to comment on it.

"Tell me exactly when you last saw her and what she was doing," the queen orders, her eyes narrowing.

I falter, trying to remember. "I just- I remember… it was late this evening. Or yesterday evening—I—I don't know, she—I saw her leaving the castle through one of the holes in the wall 'cause I remember thinking that it was pretty much the only one that hadn't been repaired… Do you really think she killed Spottalia?"

"It wasn't Yllowei who directly killed her, however, her involvement cannot be dismissed just yet," the queen says gravely. "We found a trace of stoat-summoning life-force. Ring any bells?"

Some fucker with stoat life-force—

"Graie fought him—the battle after we came back from the Lunar Temple," I tell her, suddenly feeling another wave of nausea wash over me. "How did he kill her?"

"We're trying to determine that now," the queen tells me, standing and making her way towards the door. "It seems to have been poison."

"We have to hunt Yllowei down! She must know something!" I insist.

The queen turns back to me, her eyes cool. "If she's a traitor, I'll kill her myself. But I won't let an innocent woman die. Besides, there will be no patrolling in this weather. When it has cleared, I want you to go out and find her. Take Graie and Samn with you. Duss, even, take as many as you trust."

This weather? I've lost all sense of time and space. Is it storming? Or is it hot? What season is it? Spottalia is dead…

I should have taken the chance to know her. She felt like my last link to the gods, somehow—her eyes… she reminds me of Prin. Reminded me, past tense, because now she's gone.

…

She's been moved onto the marble slab remarkably quickly.

I kneel by her body, mumble a half-hearted prayer to the Starlaxi and then stand. Gazing at her body, it's hard to feel anything more than despairing anger at the stoat summoner, at Yllowei, and at anyone who would stand in my path towards revenge.

I breathe deeply, but the anger doesn't leave me. "I'll get vengeance," I murmur, taking her cold hand in mind. "I'll hunt whoever was responsible down and I'll make them beg for mercy."

Can I kill someone? I've never tried. If I need anger and motivation, I have it all in spades right now. I could kill whoever stole such an innocent life from this world, I think with conviction.

As I leave her still body, I bypass the nursery on my way to the squire's wing.

"Yllowei must have had help if she was able to take both of them," Speikell Tiall is saying. "You don't think it could be…"

"Ravne? I don't know what to think," Frostialla confesses, her voice raw. "He's my own brother. How could he do something like this? But there must have been someone on the inside and I picked up the trace of Shodawa on him earlier…"

I freeze. It was him it was him it was him he killed her he did it—

And even if they found the trace of a stoat-summoner, if he was in on it, he's just as guilty, far as I'm concerned. A red haze is descending on me.

I have to find him now! Even if he was being threatened, if he touched one fucking hair on her head—Is this what she meant about the prophecy? That I would avenge her?

"Fiyr?"

"Samn, Samn, Samn, blessed Starlaxi," I babble. "Ravne killed Spottalia! Where did he go? We have to get him—you were talking to him- did he confess? Did he kill her?"

Samn seizes my arms in his. "Hey! Relax, you're not making any sense! He didn't kill her; we found a trace from a stoat-summoner, and someone would've said something even they caught even a whiff of anyone else on the body."

He's making a lot of sense, but still! "But- but Ravne has—he's still a traitor! I've—he's—"

Samn's eyes narrow a fraction, before he replies, enunciating clearly, "I've noticed it too. He's told me that Blayke Fouhte has been threatening him. He didn't realize what the Shodawes were planning and he's going to try to escape to Barrleigh's farm."

Samn's voice is oddly strangled, but I pay him no mind. "Really? But he had nothing to do with Spottalia—"

"He never meant for anything bad to happen to anyone. He was scared," Samn tells me flatly.

I nod. "Okay, then we have to get him out of the kingdom. He's not safe here."

"Exactly!" Some life returns to Samn's voice. "Let's go. He's waiting by the stables."

I'm a little taken aback at how well they've already planned this, but I follow Samn anyways, then pause. "Can we bring Graie? I'm supposed to track down Yllowei and I'm supposed to bring him along."

"Sure, just be quick," he agrees.

I race off into the squire's wing and find Graie sitting on his bed, looking completely dazed. "Graie! Ravne's being threatened by the Shodawes captain of the guard and he's not safe here; we're going to ride out to Barrleigh's farm."

Graie stares at me. "Wha—okay? He's being threatened?"

But I ignored his question and just grab him. We charge out of the wing together. I see Willowamina standing before the body of Spottalia. Before I can wonder if they were related, I remember the task at hand and continue my charge out the doors of the castle, across the pavilion and towards the stable.

"Ravne!" Graie yells out.

Ravne freezes and turns to see Graie, who barrels into him and wraps him in a bearhug. It's then that I notice how bulky Graie has gotten. He's always been about my height, but his boxy frame lends itself well to giving crushing hugs.

"It's been an honour serving beside you," Graie chokes out.

I can't help cocking my head, slightly puzzled. But Ravne's a traitor, even if he was being threatened! Then again, it couldn't have been easy, fearing for his life every minute like that. I can't judge him.

"You too, buddy," Ravne chokes back, but he's not fighting back tears, he's just being suffocated by Graie. "I'll never forget what Thundria has done for me."

Pressing back my uneasiness, I stride forwards and shake his hand.

"I'm sorry things had to end like this," I say.

"I'll be forever indebted to you and the court," he replies, and I can't help thinking but not loyal?

I hurry over to Blitz and mount up, bracing myself against the harsh winds. The blizzard came out of seemingly nowhere.

"Let's get this show on the road," Samn says grimly, looking up at the black clouds. "Before we all freeze to death."

…

As we ride, I come up beside Samn. It's hard to talk in the raging blizzard, but I make an effort anyway. "Will Ravne be safe from Shodawa at the farm?"

"It's not Shodawa you should be worried about," Samn says ominously, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. "That was just a front so you'd agree to ride out with us."

"Excuse me?!" I yelp. He's not really being threatened? Then he's a traitor for no reason? Or is Samn luring us out to… I can't help the sudden fight or flight response that kicks in. What's going on?!

"Wake up, Fiyr!" he says bluntly. "Sir Cawle is the traitor to the court and Ravne witnessed him kill my father in an effort to further his own ambitions. Ravne is in danger of Sir Cawle killing him to keep him quiet."

All I can do is gape at him. "What in the Blacklands are you talking about? Sir Cawle's not a traitor."

"He's not? I thought you'd be easier to convince since you latched onto the Ravne story pretty quickly," Samn says cuttingly. "That's right. No threatening, no betrayal. Ravne has been nothing but loyal and your precious mentor has had it in for him for years."

I almost fall off my horse, but I steady myself with my old faithful; denial. "That's crazy! Why would Sir Cawle kill Sir Tayle?!"
"To further his own ambitions, like I just said!" he snaps back. "He's power-hungry and ready to kill to get his way. My father was the one that killed the Rivien captain, not Sir Cawle."

I frown. "Killing is against the code! Did your own father break it, then?"

Samn glowers at me. "I don't have the full story; Ravne was the only witness."

I jump on the vulnerability in his argument. "Oh, you don't have the full story? Then why are you so convinced that Sir Cawle killed Sir Tayle?!"
I have to blink snowflakes out of my eyes to fully appreciate the death-glare that Samn is giving me.

"Ravne was pretty fucking clear when it came to that part," he growls. "Sir Cawle is a traitor. Open your damn eyes."

"I can see perfectly fine, and I'm telling you, he's not!" I spit back.

Samn lets out a noise of pure rage that raises hairs on my arm. He's wrong! What the Blacklands is he talking about? This is insanity! Sir Cawle is nothing but loyal!

"Is it that there isn't enough proof or that you're too weak to accept the truth?" he accuses coldly. "Can't imagine a world where Sir Cawle won't always be there to give you a hug and tell you it'll all be okay?"

My teeth grind together. "He's not evil! And he's not a traitor!"

"Stop repeating a lie that you want to believe and look at the facts!" Samn shouts back, the blizzard howling louder than ever. "You've lost your damn mind just because your precious Lady Lief kicked the bucket!"

"Don't talk about her!" I scream, my cheeks bright red with cold and anger. "Don't bring her into this!"

"I wish she was alive too, but you have to face it! And besides, she was too old for you and a damn healer, for the Starlaxi's sake," Samn snaps.

The cold, stinging wind in bringing tears to my eyes. The accusation stings more, though, and words spill out of my mouth like venom. "I wasn't in love with her! Fuck you!"

I feel like I've crossed a line as Samn stares at me, the look in his eyes made unreadable by the snow that shoots by us as we continue the journey. He must hear something in my voice, though, because whatever next bullshit he's about to spout, he shuts up. Sir Cawle isn't a traitor. He can't be. If he is… then… then all is lost.

We can't go any further than the village near the border of Shodawa, Cirrus, and so when we ride into town, we find stables and head to a local inn for the night. Samn's stonily silent and I try to avoid looking at him.

The warm, wood interior of the inn is a welcome change from the howling gray skies outside and I breathe out shakily as I feel my fingers beginning to defrost. The gazes of a dozen or so villagers turn to us as we come in, then turn away again when Samn slams the door shut against the icy wind. It smells like spices and meat inside.

"Have you got any money on you?" I mutter to Graie.

"I always carry some," he replies, rattling his belt.

"Two rooms left," the innkeeper informs us. "You alright sharing?"

I glance at my fellow squires. Graie nods, and the others soon follow suit.

"Three coppers per."

"Have you got enough?" I mutter to Graie.

"Yeah, my favourite pastry shop is expensive; I carry plenty," he mumbles back. "This is cheap, actually. Hopefully, the rooms aren't too bad."

"Your hospitality is appreciated," Samn tells the innkeeper pompously.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't go screwing up the rooms. Or in them," she says brusquely, waving us off as Graie pays.

We wait by the stairs. There seems to be some sort of bar on the lower level and I watch the villagers as they laugh and eat and play cards. How did my life get so complicated?

"I'm rooming with Graie," Ravne says timidly.

"Absolutely not," Samn immediately retorts. "I'm not rooming with someone who'd rather lick the boots of a traitor than hear the truth."

Scowling at Samn, I turn back to Ravne stiffly. "I'd rather not share a room with Samn either."

To my surprise, Ravne draws himself up to his full height, not bending over awkwardly like he usually does, his blue eyes flashing in the torchlight. "Too-fucking-bad. I'm the one whose life is in immmm—imminent danger, so I get first pick."

There's not much I can say in the face of that and Samn knows it too.

We stand in stony silence as Graie finishes paying and leaves with innkeeper with a fond grin on her face. Where did he learn that kind of effortless friendliness? I'm jealous for a moment.

"Ah," Graie comments wisely as he sees the glares on both of our faces. "You're sharing a room, I take it?" He glances at Ravne for confirmation.

Ravne folds his arms self-consciously and manages a cute scowl. "I'm the one whose life is in imminent danger, so I get first pick," he repeats.

Graie holds up his arms in surrender. "All good by me so long as Samn doesn't murder my friend."

"No promises," Samn growls, but I think we both know I'm more than capable of fighting him off. As long as there's fire in the room.

We head up to our rooms at the end of the hall. Glancing at the doors we pass, I wonder how many ordinary people are slumbering there with their weak life-force and their bland lives. I'm starting to think I wouldn't mind trading lives with them.

The rooms seem fine if a little unfurnished. There's only one problem. There's also only one bed.

"I'm not sharing a bed with you," Samn hisses.

I've reached my breaking point. "Then I guess you're going to have to take the floor!" I shout, trying to keep my voice down and failing.

Samn glances at either wall, his gaze panicked. We stare at each other for a few tense moments before it becomes clear that we didn't wake up any other patrons.

"We'll share the bed. But if you put a single toe onto my side, there'll be Blacklands to pay," Samn threatens, his gaze darkening.

I glower back. "I don't find you that irresistible; I think I'll manage just fine."

"I'm going to go find a bathroom to change it."

"Fine!"

"And I'm taking three of the pillows."

"Then I'm going to go find a candle."

"And keep it burning all night? I don't think so."

"If that's what it takes."

"I'm not going to kill you in the middle of the night," he snaps, stopping in the doorway and turning back to me with a frown, then heads off to find a bathroom to change in.

"Oh really?" I call after him, but he doesn't deign to respond. Grumbling with annoyance, I strip off my cloak and tunic and scramble into the bed.

Whatever. I don't need fire to beat him senseless with Rusty.

I don't know what it is about Samn that gets under my skin like this. He's just so- so- Argh. So annoying. Strutting around and thinking he's so great because he could shoot a bull's eye at twelve and he's the queen's squire and he's the son of the former captain of the guard and he doesn't act at all like his body is three sizes too big and he has really nice hair—

I groan, rolling over.

Remembering how much I wanted him to like me at first makes me cringe. I was pathetic. Now I don't care about Samn. At all. Nope. And he's obviously crazy if he thinks that Sir Cawle would ever betray Thundria.

I just have to hope things look better tomorrow morning.

When Samn comes back in, I pretend to already be asleep.

I think he can tell I'm lying.

Thanks for reading chapter 21! Please follow and favourite this story and leave me a review with what you think!

~Akila