Chapter 18

I kept glancing up at the sky, but whether it was luck or Vorg’s safe passage, whatever that meant, no dark shapes appeared above us. Gard continued down the river, and the mountains loomed closer ahead of us until they seemed to cover our whole view. When I thought they couldn’t come any closer, Gard steered the boat towards the riverbank, and we came to a halt on the sand.

Stella got out, pulling her basket behind her, and I hurried after her, not wanting to be left alone with Gard for longer than I needed. Once we stood safely on the bank, he gave us a nod and pushed out without a word, disappearing back down the river.

She had told him to come for us tomorrow and had paid him to help the others in Ulin in the meantime, suggesting that if he made himself useful, Mitrandes might take him to Akkadia.

“Do you really think he will come back?” I signed.

She turned to watch him vanish behind a bend.

“He’s not that bad..."

“He tried to rob us."

I frowned, but she only shrugged.

“Everyone needs to eat…”

She hauled up the basket and gestured for me, and, after one last glance down the empty river, I followed her. It was nothing more than a track up a hill, but I could see the back of Tovira at the top. I shivered. It would be the closest I’d been to the Council since I came back. Would we see the Master there? Stella had told me we would only talk to the traders, but I didn’t know what we would do if we actually met him or his Companions.

I didn’t have time to ask her about it, though, because she was already halfway up the hill, and I struggled after her, slipping on the loose rocks while trying to keep the basket from sliding from my hands. There were only a few spikes guarding this path, and they looked long-worn out, and I hoped we wouldn’t need to test their strength any time soon.

I was exhausted when we reached the top, almost dropping the basket to the ground as I halted next to Stella. From here, I could see the large road the Council had built stretching out on the other side of the hill, crossing a rocky plateau before disappearing into the nearby jungle.

Almost as soon as I stopped, though, she gestured for me, and I heaved up my basket again and stumbled after her over to the gate. It wasn’t the official entrance and was protected only by a crude tower and a single Lycan holding a spear. I glanced at him as we approached, wondering if he would comment on our unusual arrival, but he barely seemed to notice us, staring at the food in our baskets. Was it really as bad for the people as Stella had said?

She halted next to him, and he looked away when he noticed my gaze, ashamed. I glanced at Stella and then reached into my basket and offered him a dry fish. He stared at me in disbelief before taking it and quickly putting it into his bag.

“You’re from Akkadia?” he asked.

I nodded, wondering for a moment if that would put us into trouble, but he only said,

“Did things get better there?”

Stella shook her head before I could answer.

“Only if you're lucky…"

He glanced at her arms covered in bronze coils.

“Well, good luck with your trade. I’ll let you return for free if I'm still here. Thank you…"

He gestured for us, and I followed Stella inside. I don’t know what I had expected, but even after hearing Stella talk about what the Council had done, all I could do was stare. Even though it seemed like an ordinary town, with stone houses lining the narrow streets and Lycans, Nekos and Elves of many tribes crowding them in their daily errands, it was a far cry from the bustling streets of Ulin. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves, staring at the ground as they walked, and the air was eerily quiet. I saw a few of them glancing longingly at our baskets, but most barely paid us any attention.

Maybe Stella was used to it, because she only gestured for me, and I followed her down the narrow street.

“We should help them," I whispered, seeing a child peering at our food as we passed.

She shook her head, her ears drooping to her side.

“We don’t have enough to help everyone."

I glanced at them but didn’t dare to draw any attention to us and instead only followed her as she continued. She led us to a small square and sat down on the side, placing her basket beside her. It seemed to be a market, but with only a few stalls, and most people passed by without purchasing anything. I shivered. I’d thought Ulin was bad, but this was worse. Was this what the Council had done?

“Now we just wait,” she murmured.

I sat down next to her.

“Will the traders come?”

“I hope so…”

She leaned back, watching the people passing, a few of them occasionally glancing down at our baskets before continuing on their way. She frowned.

“Just like Gard said… They hope we will get impatient so they can get a better price as the day goes on."

“But people are hungry?”

“Silje…”

She sighed.

“Those are no ordinary workers. They can’t afford this food. What we’ve brought will make its way to the Master and the Companions' houses.”

I looked down. It really was as bad as Stella had said.

“Do you think the traders will know anything?”

She gazed out over the street.

“I hope so, but…”

She sighed.

“No one in Ulin mentioned a Guardian, even if I asked for the rumours, and there are villages higher in the mountains that trade with Tovira, so the story must have reached here…”

“Why?”

“I don’t know… But this place is worse than I remember. Maybe people have forgotten how it used to be, maybe they're just too tired to care."

I stared at the ground. Even though I hadn’t believed in the plan of convincing the people of Tovira to abandon the Master, I would have thought they had at least heard about me.

“What shall we do then?”

“We will still speak to the traders. No harm in doing so if we're here…”

“Stella? Stella, is that you?”

I turned to see a Neko girl, around my age, with short blonde hair and wearing an oversized tunic, standing by the corner of the street.

“Luna?”

The girl dropped her basket and ran over, throwing her arms around Stella. I glanced around, hoping we weren’t drawing too much attention, but no one even seemed to notice. The girl let go and glanced at me.

“This is Silje, my…friend," Stella said, and I was relieved she didn’t call me her copper wife, as I was supposed to pretend I was.

The girl smiled before her gaze fell on the baskets with food. I pushed it closer to her, but she just shook her head.

“We don’t have money…”

“Luna, take it…”

Stella looked away, and the girl hesitated for a moment before grabbing a handful of dried fruits and putting them into her bag.

“I need to go. Come and visit us later.”

She gave us a shy smile and turned back.

“Wait…”

Stella got up.

“Let us come with you…”

I looked at her, surprised, but she just picked up her basket.

“Why?” I murmured.

She frowned.

“I shouldn't have left them…”

She ran after the girl, and I scrambled up and hurried after her. What was she doing? But I couldn’t ask and only followed as Luna led us down the narrow streets. I kept glancing around, but just like before, no one seemed to even notice us.

She halted in front of a run-down stone house, gesturing for us to step inside. I followed Stella into a small room, where an older woman sat on the floor, and a group of children played next to her. They stared at us as we entered, and Stella rushed over, wrapping her arms around the woman, and the children erupted in a cacophony of voices, talking all at once and pulling at Stella’s hands. Only when the woman let go and hushed them did they fall silent.

She wiped a tear from her cheek before turning to me.

“And who are you, little one?”

“I’m… I'm Silje…”

“Come join us."

She patted the floor next to her before turning back to Stella.

“I'm happy to see that at least you're doing well.”

The old woman gently squeezed Stella’s arm as I sat next to them.

“We worried so much when you left…”

“Why have you come back?” the young boy asked.

“She's a trader…” the girl whispered.

“No, look at her sword. She's a guard..." another one said, shaking their head.

I chuckled at their arguing and pushed the basket over to them. They looked at me, surprised.

“Please, eat…”

The old woman tried to laugh.

“Don’t be silly. You have a good heart, but you cannot give it all away. You’ve come here to trade, haven’t you?”

Stella glanced at me before turning back to the woman.

“No, we’ve come to..."

She hesitated.

“We’ve… We’ve come to help…” I murmured. “To… to make things as they should be…”

The old woman burst into laughter.

“She's just like you were when you were her age. Is that why you took her?”

She chuckled, shaking her head, and I blushed with embarrassment, but Stella shook her head.

“She's not my wife, and we're not traders… She…”

“I… I’m a Guardian…"

The old woman frowned.

“Show them…” Stella whispered.

I reached out and touched the Flow, and a small light emerged from the palms of my hand.

Now you’ve seen what kind of world the Council has created, haven’t you…?

I flinched as the muffled screams from the jungle echoed in my mind.

Yes, you have… And still you don’t trust us… But we can help you… Let us show you how…

Before I had time to reply, the air shimmered in my mind, and an image of Yorun and Mitrandes beaten up and tied against a tree flashed before me.

“No… You're lying…”

You know we don’t lie, Silje. You better hurry, they will not make it much longer…

“No… They are safe…”

What would we gain by leading you back to Ulin? You are free to return here whenever you want to…

I hesitated.

“But… I don’t have time…”

You do, if you know how… I can show you… It’s so tragic that your aunt died before she could teach you how to use your power…

It fell quiet. Was it lying? But what if it wasn’t?

"Show me…”

An image of the Flow weaving itself into a spell formed in my mind, dancing before me.

Now you know…

The Worm’s voice faded, and I opened my eyes. The others were staring at me, and the old woman reached out and touched my arm.

"Guardian…"

I extinguished the flame in my palm and got up.

“Stella, we need to go back!”

She frowned.

“What happened?”

“Mitrandes and Yorun, they… I saw it… We need to go!”

I pulled at her, and she hesitantly got up.

“A boat, where can we…?” she asked the woman, but I grabbed her hand.

“No time! Come, trust me… Please, we need to go!”

I touched the Flow. Just like the Worm had shown me, it weaved itself into a spell, and I leapt in, pulling Stella behind me.

We flew through time and space, the landscape passing in a blur below us. It didn’t lie… It showed me how to use the Flow… We rushed forward, taking a deep dive, and the jungle sped past us. I could see a group of Elves and Lycans standing in a circle ahead of us, and an old Lycan man was holding a bone club in the air in front of a fallen tree trunk. Yorun… They were tied to the tree with… Gard. I wanted to call out, but at that moment, the Flow threw us to the ground, and I tumbled.

“They came! Get them!” the Lycan growled.

Stella struggled up and spun around, plunging her sword into the guts of the Elf that had hosted us last night.

“Silje!”

Another elf screamed, slashing at her with a knife. His blade slid through her armour, but she stepped back when another Lycan rushed at her, tackling her to the ground. The old Lycan leapt over the altar, rushing towards me.

“Don’t touch her! She's mine!”

He swung his club, the blow landing on my side, and I screamed in pain, stumbling to the ground.

“Silje!”

“Hold her!” the Lycan barked.

His club smashed into my leg.

“...use the Flow!”

The pain throbbed through my body, blurring my vision. The Flow… The Lycan raised his club, and I reached out and touched the Flow. He shot back, slamming against the altar, screaming. I pulled more of the Flow, weaving it into my body, and I felt the pain fading.

“Stella!”

I struggled up. She was pinned to the ground by a group of Elves, her hands clasped behind her back. I reached out, touching the Flow, and it shot towards them, throwing them into the air, and I rushed over to her.

“Silje!”

She pulled me to the ground just as an explosion erupted above our heads, and I heard the old Lycan laugh. I turned only to see him reach out his hands, summoning another spell, when suddenly something yanked him by his tail. He stumbled, his spell erupting in the trees, and a bloodied hand grabbed his face and slammed the back of his head against the altar. Stella scrambled up, drawing her knife as she lunged at him, frantically stabbing him in the chest.

I struggled up. Yorun… He had come loose from his bind, his bleeding hand pulling against the ropes. I ran over, cutting him free, and he pulled the gag from his mouth and spat on the ground.

“Silje!”

He pulled his knife and cut Mitrandes’ ropes, and I freed Gard’s binds. He stared at me, and I wanted to ask him how he was when I heard Mitrandes call my name. I turned. The Lycans and Elves had fled, and I saw Stella get up from the old man as Mitrandes hobbled over to me.

“Are you hurt?”

I glanced down, remembering the club, but there was not even a bruise left where it had struck my body.

“Mitrandes! Yorun!"

Stella rushed over to us, her hands dripping with Lycan blood.

“Are you okay?”

Yorun nodded, holding his wounded wrist. I took his hand in mine and let the Flow heal his body before I took care of Mitrandes’ wounds.

“Stella?”

I looked at her, but she shook her head.

“I'm fine. It’s his blood, not mine."

She picked up her sword from the ground and put it in the scabbard.

"Gard… Are you hurt?” I asked.

He looked away, avoiding my gaze.

“It was Vorg… I didn’t think he would do it. They’ve never taken traders before... I… I'm sorry.”