Episode Seven: The First Traitor
The girl in the pretty dress had a rather unbecomingly sour look on her face. Her pale-pink hair was tossed about by the wind, but she was too deep in thought to push it back into order. Her thick black lashes blinked over amber-colored eyes, and even with such a serious expression on her face she still looked more like a doll than an Elorhan.
"She's on her way," the girl finally said, and the soldiers surrounding her breathed a sigh of relief. Their eyes wandered between the army amassing on the valley below them and the terrified young man who knelt on the ground beside the girl. His hair was short and messy, a very pale violet in color, and his eyes were a startling yellow-green that looked as if it might glow in the dark. The first thing one noticed about him, however, was the black mark on his forehead, in the shape of a four-pointed star. Its longest point trailed almost halfway down his nose.
He really looked quite pitiful, and Aradel felt sorry for him. Still, the Queen wouldn't want her taking chances-especially when Lady Nele was preparing to attack!
"I'm to meet Kieme at the road," Aradel announced. She scanned the ranks and singled out a suitable soldier. "Re Sakarta-you are to be responsible for the prisoner while I am away. The rest of you, avoid confrontation at all costs until I return with new orders." She swept away with all the dignity her small form could muster.
Some might have questioned the idea of a thirteen-year-old girl leading an army. But then, most thirteen-year-old girls didn't speak with the voice of the Queen of Shadows.
*
"When we have need in the army for a jester, I shall know to whom the inquiry should be directed," said Kieme, but her sarcasm lacked its usual harsh bite. She had just subtly admitted that she found Gregan's jokes funny, and done it without abandoning her dignity.
Somehow, Gregan had succeeded in dissolving the dark cloud of uncomfortable silence that had threatened to descend on the group, and everyone but Kieme laughed out loud at his jokes and stories. Kreis could almost forget his jealousy of Gregan, not to mention his apprehension about the whole matter. Arik tried desperately to find a place for himself in the conversation, grinning when he provoked a smile from Triana and pouting when he was ignored.
Kieme thought it was all very amusing, but kept that her opinion to herself. She was beginning to like these people in spite of herself, though not enough to give them the satisfaction of knowing she felt that way. She was excluded from the conversation for the most part, but had other things to occupy her mind; she was going to have to smooth over a rather volatile situation shortly, and needed to collect her thoughts.
Triana wondered how Gregan managed to make her smile, even though she was heading towards a place she had feared and hated for her entire life. Arik's father at least realized that he could only push his people so far before they would be of no use to him; Nele Namaia did not seem to recognize those limits. Triana remembered having nightmares about Lady Nele, and had the uncomfortable feeling that some of them were going to come true in the near future.
*
Amercy Chellirane was terrified-and, at the same time, relieved. Relieved to see a familiar face amongst the chaos; relieved to see that he wasn't just throwing his life away on a whim.
The place was definitely similar to the hazy vision he'd had a week ago, the vision that sent him on this journey of insanity. He was from a rather distant branch of the family tree, but he was still marked Tresuan. His visions were no les reliable than Sarhe's or Lida's, though both had stronger connections to the Tresuan line. Even though their master sometimes became angry with them, Amercy at least had good food and a warm place to sleep at the keep. Why had he decided to run away from home on a hazy vision he couldn't completely understand?
To sit on the ground, with his wrists bound, being guarded by Re Sakarta?
Where did that name come from? Amercy knew he had seen the man in his vision, but hadn't consciously realized he knew the name that went along with that face. He looked down at the ground and said nothing. What could he do? His fate was out of his hands; it was to be decided by the short, pink-haired girl and the mysterious Kieme she mentioned. He didn't doubt that the Queen of Shadows was part of the mix as well, though he wasn't sure she would trouble herself over a matter so small as his presence.
Amercy couldn't help but think of the dralions. He hated the flying snakes with a passion. Would they send the dralions after him, now that he was a traitor? Amercy shivered. He felt eyes burning holes in his body. Was everyone staring at him? Did everyone hate him? Did he have a friend left in the world?
"Stop flinching." Amercy looked up. "No one's going to hurt you."
Re had a rough voice, but it was comforting at the same time. Amercy had been right to follow his vision. It was right for him to be here. He let out a sigh of relief, and his eyes closed.
"The poor kid is exhausted," said Re. "Let him rest. He'll need his energy when Kieme gets here."
*
"Hey, Gregan! I'll race you up to that tree!" Arik cried, taking off at a sprint. Gregan laughed and took off after him.
"You'll never win!" he called, his longer legs carrying him easily towards the destination.
"Wanna bet?" Arik quickened his pace and seemed to have a good chance of inning the race.
"Quiet!" a voice hissed. Arik looked around for its source, tripped over a root, and fell flat on his face.
A petit figure emerged from the shadows. She had pink hair and wore a red vest over her dark green dress. The skirt of the dress was lined in white lace and fell to the middle of her calves. Arik winced at his scrapes and bruises as he looked up at her.
"Stupid," she said disdainfully
"Stupid?! You're the one who distracted me!"
"Well, you're the one who's running around shouting like he owns the forest. Who the heck are you, and what are you doing here?"
"Arik, are you all right?" Gregan called.
"Yeah, almost," Arik replied, brushing himself off and glaring at the girl. "And it's none of your business who I am."
"Oh yeah? Do you know who I am?!" the girl demanded.
"Sure, you're a nosy little brat who can't keep her mouth shut."
"What did you say?" she shrieked.
"I believe you wanted to talk to me," Kieme intoned dryly. The rest of the group had caught up with Arik and Gregan.
"Don't tell me this-this boy is with you," the girl sputtered. Kieme shrugged.
"We have more important things to worry about, Aradel."
Now it was Arik's turn to sputter in shock. "You're-you can't be-"
Aradel just stuck out her tongue. Gregan snorted, holding back laughter. "Follow me," Aradel said with a heavy sigh, beginning to walk back towards the encampment.
"Follow me," Arik repeated, mocking her movements and her sigh. Aradel spun around.
"Jerk!" she cried.
"Takes one to know one!" Arik retorted. Kieme rolled her eyes.
"Give it a rest, would you?" Arik and Aradel continued to smolder, but at least they were silent.
A man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties greeted them at the camp. His sandy-blond hair was pulled off his forehead by a headband, and his eyes were dark brown. He bowed to Kieme.
"Stop it, Re," she said, her voice tight. "You don't have to bow to me."
"As you wish," Re replied icily, and the two glared into each other's eyes.
"This trip gets more cheery every second," Gregan noted.
"So where is the boy?" Kieme asked.
"He's asleep," Re said.
"Then wake him up."
"He's exhausted. He won't be able to answer your questions as well if he's sleepy, so let him rest." Re's expression dared Kieme to contradict him.
"Let me see him," she said.
Re shrugged and stepped aside. Curled up on the ground behind him was a purple-haired figure. Kieme walked over to him and knelt down to brush the hair off his forhead, revealing the black outline of a four-pointed star. "He's Tresuan all right," she said. "So what the hell is he doing here?"
"Tresuan?" echoed Triana.
"Tresuan means-oh, I'll explain later. I think we've got trouble."
Aradel, who had left them momentarily, was now returning at a run. "She's here!" the girl cried. "Oh, god, hurry-we haven't got much time!"
"Lady Nele?" Arik wondered.
"Of course it is," Kieme replied curtly, taking off at a run after Aradel. After a few strides, though, she slowed her pace to a brisk walk, and took on an air of more distinction. "Hopefully this won't come to a battle, but if it does, be ready for it!" she called over her shoulder. "Re, I want you to take my companions away from here. The Tresuan, too. Get them out of danger."
"What?!"
"Do it!"
"No way! I want to help fight!" Gregan called.
"This isn't the time to fight!" Kieme shouted. Re shook his head.
"I suppose she means it. Damn," said Re, and he knelt down to pick up Amercy. The boy stirred.
"What's going on?" he murmured.
"I'm to get you out of here," Re said. "Can you walk?" Amercy nodded groggily and stood. Re shook his head and sighed. "Follow me, all of you."