Chapter 16

Declan peered into the valley, the darkness was an empty void. He couldn't see Torin anymore. But that was probably a good thing.

No... It wasn't a good thing, he still needed to capture Torin and bring him to the king.

So cold.

Declan kept walking down the mountain.

Where would his enemy go next?

No, his son...

Declan's brain seemed clouded by two voices.

His own, "find Torin, and keep him safe."

And an other, "then we can take him to the king!" A voice that didn't sound like his own. A chilling voice, almost a whisper. A command nonetheless. He could not ignore the second voice.

"maybe he escaped and I won't find him?" His heart felt sad and relieved at the same time.

"surely he left some tracks that I can find him with..." The second voice egged Declan forward. It was unyielding.

"I'm so tired... I should rest..." But his body moved forward regardless of how he felt.

"I can rest after I capture him." The cold voice whispered.
Right, he still had a mission to accomplish. His eyes threatened to close, but they were forcefully opened once more.

"if I catch him... then can I rest?" An exhausted desperate plea to the cold voice.

"yes...then I can rest." It spoke as if it was his own. It must be his own, why else would it speak as if it was himself.

"Torin... I'll find you" Declan dragged his sword behind him. He had no desire to hold such a heavy thing off the ground. It was just a tool. The only weapon he knew. Surely the king would scold him for such behavior.

But he did not care anymore.

Honor meant nothing when you walked with death as your new companion.

**********

I shivered. There was a strange cold blowing on the wind. I stopped crying as I felt the warmth of my mother's embrace. Drella broke our hug.

"they took terra. Declan told them... To take her." Her eyes were filled with tears and she could barely finish her sentence.

I felt a fire burning within me.

"which way did they go mother?" I was angry. My sister was in danger.

She pointed towards the road heading to the king's castle.

Of course... It was inevitable that we would head to the castle.

I hugged my mother one more time and silently left to investigate the bunker in the village.

Thena approached, "find anything?" Oddly enough, Thena knew nothing of runes or barriers. Instead she claimed that her magic was, "intuitive".

I scoured the bunker, but there was nothing inside that was remarkable, so finally I exited, "nothing that looks spell worthy." I closed the door and began to cover it once more with bushes and brush.

"that is some beautiful handiwork." Thena casually pointed at the insignia on the door. A familiar symbol, a flame wrapped in a circle of intertwined vines.

I remember the plate my father would make every year, "my father must have been exceptionally loyal to the old king, Tristan." I brushed my fingers along the design.

Thena turned, "what do you think we should do now Torin? We likely can't trust anyone in the dawn brigade, but fighting the kings army on our own is impossible."

Just then I remembered, "Arthur!" I almost shouted it, "Arthur and my dad were close. He kept the plates my dad made for the knights!"

Thena gave me a look of doubt, "you think we can trust him?"

I still couldn't be sure, "it's the only lead we have..." He is the most likely to help us out. Out of anyone in the dawn brigade he had the closest connection to me. Our chances should be pretty high.

Thena took charge once more, "fine, we will infiltrate the dawn brigade." She almost seemed excited, "maybe I can find the scum who works for the king!" She snapped a twig under her boot.

If it means getting terra back, I would do anything.