CHAPTER12
‘How much farther?’ Eda asked as they headed to the centre of the forest in the merchant borough.
Roul glanced over his shoulder, his expression heavy. ‘We’re almost there.’
Eda felt hot and twitchy as she followed him through the trees. She was having trouble differentiating between excitement and fear. Roul had provided no details of the test so far, shutting down all her questions. ‘Will Queen Fayre be there?’
He was choosing to simply ignore her now. While he claimed he was not permitted to discuss the test with her, she suspected it had more to do with her treatment of him that morning. She had not planned to arrive and melt him with her stares, but she was still getting over the hurt and embarrassment lingering from the night prior.
They walked for another thirty minutes before Eda spotted Harlan leaning against the trunk of a sequoia tree up ahead. She broke into a jog, eyes going to the collection of weapons at his feet.
‘You’re absolutely sure you want to do this?’ Those were the first words from Harlan’s mouth as she came to a stop in front of him.
‘While I’m not entirely sure what “this” is, I’m going to answer yes.’
Roul bent to pick up two daggers and began strapping them onto her body.
‘You’re going to track me to the village,’ Harlan said, gesturing south.
Her eyebrows came together. ‘All right. What are the weapons for? Am I to shoot you in the back?’
Roul slipped the quiver of arrows over Eda’s head. ‘You’re going to encounter targets along the way.That’swhat the weapons are for.’
Digging into his pocket, Harlan pulled out a piece of red ribbon and showed it to her. ‘Your targets are marked with one of these ribbons. If you miss any targets, that’s a fail.’
She took the ribbon from him, kneading it between her fingers. ‘Are these targets moving?’
Harlan met her eyes. ‘That’s a smart assumption.’
Roul took the ribbon from her hand and replaced it with a bow. ‘As important as it is to hit the targets, it’s equally as important not to shoot, stab, or kill anything that doesn’t have a ribbon on it.’
She laughed despite nothing being funny. ‘Kill?’
‘You must think of the targets as your enemy,’ Harlan said. ‘There are defenders posted near each one, but you won’t see them. If at any time you want out of the test, you must raise your weapon and shout “surrender”. But don’t leave it too late.’
Eda blinked. ‘Who would I be surrendering to?’
‘The experience,’ Roul replied. ‘And you wouldn’t be the first. Remember that each test is uniquely designed for the individual, each with their unique limits. If you were Tollere, we’d be standing on the edge of a cliff right now.’ He bent to pick up the sword, belting it around her waist.
‘Is the blade sharp?’ she asked.
Roul straightened. ‘Yes. If you’re not up to this, you need to speak up now. You’re free to go home.’
She noted the subtle plea in his voice, but shook her head. ‘I’ll go home once I’ve passed the test.’
Harlan rubbed his forehead, then said, ‘Listen for the horn. That’s your cue. Track carefully, because if you miss a target along the way, that’s a fail.’
She did not have to be told to track carefully. There was no way she was going to mess this up. ‘I understand.’
‘Good luck,’ Harlan said before turning and jogging off.
Eda watched him disappear into the trees, feeling Roul’s eyes on her. ‘You don’t think I can do it.’
A statement, not a question.
‘I think you can. I just don’t want you to.’
She looked at him, noting his sincerity.
