Chapter 18

Cat

“Where to?”, I asked as I turned to look at Silvi walking behind me.

She pointed in the direction of a thicket on the other side of the riverbank, and I set out towards it. She was a stupid elf, too naive for her own good, but at least she had… No, I shook my head. She hadn’t, but I had said too much in my time with her, given her more than I ever thought I would. It had been a mistake, starting with the first night in the forest when I had let her hold me. I winced at the memory. I had been too exhausted then, and my mind had been too confused to fathom what had happened. Such a thing would not happen again.

I crossed the riverbank, stumbled up the path and onto the other side. I wouldn’t even be around still if it wasn’t for the fact that I’d realised I still had a chance to strike at the Unicorn. The elf’s healing had been surprisingly effective, and all my weariness had left me the morning after, and the scratches healed. It had made me reconsider my chances with the horse, and that maybe, I could still finish what I had come for. After all, returning to the Queen empty-handed wasn’t an option that would leave me unscathed.

The girl lingered behind, dragging her feet like a baby. She was too stupid to understand why I had stayed. She had even started to talk about how maybe I could remain with them, follow them now when the Queen thought I was gone. I wouldn’t correct her; my chances of prevailing were greater if she thought I was her friend.

That didn’t mean I enjoyed staying with her. All she did was cry in the evenings, murmuring words I couldn’t hear. I had considered finishing her; it would make my life easier, but I had come to realise that the elves’ magic went beyond their own forest, and her abilities to find food and shelter had proved useful. I might as well use it for as long as I had it, and she would disappear from my life the moment she saw what I planned to do.

A sudden noise to my side made me freeze, but it was only a bird fleeing from the bushes. I don’t know if I had expected to see the Queen’s soldiers here. Jale would have fled, taking his chances to boost his own contribution and slander mine once he returned to the castle, and the others wouldn’t look for me if they weren’t forced to. But could she have sent others? I assume she would, once Jale told her what had happened. I suspected that meant that he hadn’t returned yet.

“To the right”, the elf said behind me.

I did as she instructed and turned right once I’d entered the forest. We had waited for several days for the stupid horse to find us, but when she hadn’t shown up, I had decided it was time to move. I had told the girl the truth this time, that we were looking for the Unicorn, and if she could find a safe way through the forest to do so, it would help. At least it kept her busy.

I halted as I reached the thicket. It was almost lunchtime, and we’d been out since the early morning. I sat down, and when the girl caught up with me, she sat down next to me, taking a handful of berries she’d picked on the way and gave me. I took them without a word.

What did I expect, meeting the Unicorn? What would make me triumph this time, when I hadn’t the last? I knew I had to make a plan, I wouldn’t be able to face her head on. That meant finding her and attacking before the elf girl saw her. Not an easy feat, which made me wonder if I should finish the elf girl after all. I glanced at her. She was pretty useless, not good for anything else than her forest skills. And… I shook my head and looked away. No, she wasn’t useful. She was gullible, naive and knew nothing about the world. She wasn’t useful, not in the slightest. No, it was with the Queen that I belonged, and it was to her I would return once my mission was completed. It was her grace that had saved me and her kindness that had made me into who I was. The elf was simply too stupid to understand such things.

I ate the berries in silence, feeling my head drowse now when I sat down. The nights had taken their toll. Ever since that first night, the same dream had visited me, playing before my eyes. The stable boy catching me, beating me with a stick, and the Queen watching from her window. I shook my head. It wasn’t even a memory, it must have been a fabricated image of a tired mind. The Queen only did what she thought was best, and it was her kindness that had kept me alive. I swallowed the last of the berries and stood up.

“We need to continu”e.

I left our resting spot without another word, and the elf scrambled up and followed me. She hurried to walk beside me.

“Do you think we will find Sara soon?”

Her voice was pitiful, full of naivety of a being who had no understanding of the world. She should go back to where she came from, and not disturb those who knew better.

“I don’t know.”

She only nodded silently in response, and I continued through the forest. Even so, how long until I had to return to the Queen? She had instructed not to stop until the mission was completed, but even so. I only had one chance to strike at the horse, and travelling alone was wearisome. I would need to find her soon, or return and face my punishment.

“No…”

The elf girl halted, and I turned to look at her. She was staring out into the forest, her eyes glazed. I glanced around, but nothing had appeared in the forest that would draw such a reaction. She snivelled, then suddenly covered her face with her hands, and sobbed. I stared at her as she fell to her knees, cowering on the ground. What was the stupid girl doing? I opened my mouth to tell her to hurry up when she snivelled,

“It can’t be…”

I stared at her. Was she intoxicated? I was almost on the verge of kicking her when she stopped sobbing and slowly stood up and dried her eyes. She snivelled, then glanced at me with tear-stained eyes and walked the short distance to halt before me. I flinched as she rested her hand on my arm.

“Why are you doing this?”, she whispered.

I pulled my arm away.

“What are you talking about?”

I turned and continued walking, but she stood frozen on the spot, refusing to follow me. I turned to her.

“Are you coming?”, I asked.

She slowly nodded, wiped her eyes, and then followed me silently as we continued down the forest. Her hand had left a mark on my arm; I could feel it tingling underneath my tunic. I rubbed the spot, trying to erase it, and continued walking. Stupid elf. This was worse than her whining, and if she continued like this, I would have to get rid of her. I scratched my arm. The warmth had spread up my elbow, and I could have sworn it felt like light radiating from her touch. I scratched it and continued walking, but it crawled up my arm and over my shoulder. I stopped and turned to her.

“What did you just do!?”

My eyes met hers, and the world disappeared. Death and destruction, ruin being brought to the land. My knees hurt, and my hands landed on the hard ground. I screamed, and I was back in the forest. I lay sprawled on the ground, my face in the dirt. I could see the girl’s bare feet standing some distance away, and she walked to me and knelt down.

“You don’t have to be this way”, she whispered.

I wrenched myself away and scrambled up.

“Don’t touch me!”

I swayed on the spot and stumbled backwards, but corrected myself. The girl looked at me with eyes glistening with tears, and I turned and stumbled down the path. What had she done? I continued through the forest, but the tingling sensation had turned into death and destruction, and I stumbled and fell to my knees. It wasn’t true… The Queen had brought hope and prosperity to this land. She had done nothing but good, spreading kindness among the tribes. I closed my eyes, suddenly weary, and I saw the Queen watching me from the window as the stable boy beat me with the stick, and I drifted off…