Alex
Alex was grateful that Kiel had shown mercy on her. The last couple of days had been uneventful. The sun had become her daily companion, warming her face as she walked, dappling the forest floor. The snow had begun to dissipate, leaving a muddy mess in its wake, but even that didn’t slow her down. She traveled miles each day, stopping only to eat or find shelter for the night. The only other constant was her exhaustion, brought on by the barrage of nightmares that came with sleep.
Food had been scarce; most small animals had burrowed during the storm. Alex could hear the rushing water of the river that ran to the west of her, swollen from the snow melt. She would try her hand at fishing tomorrow, but with dusk fast approaching, she needed to concentrate on building a fire for the night. Scanning the area around her, she noted that bushesdotted the mountainside, though none held anything edible. Bending, she began picking up the scattered twigs and tree limbs that she had dragged into the clearing, placing them into the makeshift fire pit. Before long, she had a fire blazing, its warmth a welcome balm to her aching muscles.
Doing one more scout around for anything edible, Alex stumbled upon a bush, laden with white flowers and dark green foliage. A smile bloomed across her face; labrador tea, known for its calming properties. Even though she would go to bed hungry, at least she might get a break from the incessant dreams. She desperately needed a good night’s sleep. Plucking a few of the larger leaves, Alex made her way back to camp. She would steep these and eat the minuscule piece of dried meat she had remaining. It wasn’t exactly a meal fit for a queen, but it would tide her over until morning.
Night fell, cloaking the forest in darkness. Settling in her makeshift bed of pine needles, Alex sipped her tea, wincing at the bitter taste. She figured she had about three or four more days of travel before she reached the Kalmia Province. There she would take a few days to recoup before heading on her way to Brynn. She was wise enough to know that her body needed rest, and she had to get correspondence out to her battalion, to see if anything had been discovered yet.
Alex smacked her lips, looking down at the cup of tea in her hand. She touched the tips of her fingers to her lips. They felt oddly tingly, and her tongue felt fuzzy like the skin of a peach. Clearing her throat, she sat up. She was sure that it was Labrador tea. She couldn't have mistaken it for anything else. Shrugging, she downed the rest of her cup, praying to Fari that it would work its magic, and she might have a dreamless night's sleep.
The sounds of vomiting echoed through the early hours of the morning, as Alex retched yet again. She was dry heaving now more than anything, as she had nothing in her stomach. The dizziness and abdominal pain were relentless, only giving her mere moments of peace. The headache was the worst though, pounding like the ancient drums of the Gods. Her only solace was in the brief moments of sleep, as her body gave in to its need to rest. It had to have been the tea. She must have been mistaken about the plant. It could have been mountain laurel and not Labrador tea, but if that was the case, she had better hope the Gods favored her life because mountain laurel was deadly.
The reprieve that she gained from sleep was short lived. Hallucinations plagued her, making it impossible to tell when she was awake or asleep. Each one more real than the last.
Rivka’s face hovered over hers, smiling down as she spoke. A floating head without a body simply suspended above her. The head began to morph and change, the features growing more defined, the eyes widening and the color deepening to a swirling green. Tristan’s mocking smile leered as he spoke, ‘You thought you were good enough for her? You thought you could keep her for yourself? What a joke. You are nothing, no one, not worthy of her love or her touch.’ Before the words registered, the head was gone.
Consciousness beckoned to her as she stood up, the scent of burning somewhere nearby. A valley spread out before her, green trees dotting the landscape. In the distance, upon a hill, a large castle sat consumed by flames. The burning sensation increased in her throat, the smoke stinging her eyes.
The world whirled and suddenly a dark abyss swallowed her. Laughter echoed all around her. Completely disoriented, she stumbled about, unable to regain her balance. The room began spinning as the dizziness overtook her. Vivian’s snarling face appeared mere inches from hers. Startled, she lashed out, swinging her blade, Vivian’s face dissolving.
For a moment, the darkness encompassed her, providing only peace. Floating along as if on a river, the cool water caressing her heated skin. She sank deeper, not wanting the feeling to stop. She could feel herself slipping blissfully into oblivion. No pain, no hunger or thirst, no aching muscles or demands.
A flash of silver arched through the sky; she brought her blade up to match it. The clanging of metal meeting metal rang in her ears. Dancing back, she tried to locate her attacker, but couldn’t find one. Only an empty clearing surrounded by trees. A growling noise emanated from above, sounding like a large animal gearing up to attack its prey. Pain ruptured in her side as her attacker's blade pierced through her flesh. She hadn’t seen it coming. The pain burned as if the blade was being twisted. Through the blur of agony, a deep voice boomed, ‘Alex, wake up! You must wake up! Now, my child!’
Gasping, Alex’s eyes flew open. Her side pulsing. Hot breath fluttering over her face. Elongated teeth protruded from the beast’s mouth, just inches from her eye. Only years of training and instincts had her barreling her elbow into its muzzle as she rolled and moved away.
She caught the edge of a tooth along her forearm, but it was better than being blinded. With the added distance between them, she got her first real look at the thing and wondered if she was still hallucinating. No need to pinch herself to ensure she was awake though, the blood dripping from her fingertips and the burning pain in her side wasproof enough.
She held her dagger in front of her, trying to implement her survival training techniques, refusing to give the beast her back. They circled each other, the beast more cat than anything but Alex had never come across a cat that large or one who moved with such dexterity. Its human-like eyes tracked her but never lowered to a crouch, as if it had no intention of pouncing.
Tilting its head to the side, whiskers twitching, its eyes bore into her, as if it could see the very thoughts racing through her mind. The face she couldn’t describe properly, its all too human expressions surveying her, seeming to flicker between human and feline.
A low growl escaped the beast’s jaws as its eyes narrowed to slits. That face began to morph; this time, the features took a familiar shape. Alex took a shuddering step back. The creature’s face now resembled Rivka’s. Soon Rivka’s face disappeared, being immediately replaced by Tristan’s and then Ellis’. What was that thing? Was this just the lingering effects of the mountain laurel? Was it even real? Her breath hitched, reminding her of the injury in her side.
It continued to morph into person after person, each one a familiar face in her life, as it slowly advanced on her. With every step back, Alex neared her makeshift fire pit. Her pack now only a few feet to her left, but something told her that any sudden movements might mean her death.
A decision to run or fight needed to be made within her next few steps. She didn’t know if this thing had any other abilities or what it may or may not be capable of, but in her current weakened state, she knew she didn’t have a chance against it. She would run, grab her pack, and run.
Not overthinking her choice, she moved, and just as she suspected, the beast took chase. There was no way she could outrun it; she needed a way to outsmart it. To the trees shesprinted, knowing that weaving between them could buy her some precious time.
Dehydrated and malnourished, she wouldn’t be able to keep this pace for long. Her brain spun trying to find a way out, a way to survive. She could hear rushing water to her left, and a solution presented itself. She sprinted, pushing her legs as fast as they could go. She could feel the beast gaining on her mere feet behind. The trees gave way, the river raging in front of her. Without another thought, Alex leapt, her body flailing as she fell, clutching at the straps of her pack as she crashed into the frigid water below.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kalmia
Alex
Coughing, Alex dragged herself up the sandy bank of the river. She was freezing, her limbs aching from the icy waters. Her body was riddled with bruises from the rocks she’d slammed into. Luckily, she had managed to hold on to her pack, even though it had weighed her down. It now felt like a boulder, pulling her back towards the water. Giving one final push, she managed to climb over the edge of the embankment.
Exhausted, Alex flopped on the ground, chest heaving, cradling her right arm to her body. Blood still oozed from the gash, but she didn’t think she would need to suture the wound. She pulled her dagger free and sliced off a piece of her tunic, quickly wrapping it around her forearm and across her ripped leathers. She inspected her side wound next, prodding it gently with her fingers. The cuts burned from where the beast hadclawed her, her tunic shredded, but the bleeding had stopped. She wouldn’t need to bind that one, but infection was still a worry. She would have to deal with that possibility later.
After a few minutes, she groaned, rolling onto her knees, her body protesting the movement, and used the tree in front of her to help pull herself to her feet. She couldn’t just stay there on the edge of the water; she would freeze from the plummeting temperatures if she didn’t find cover and quickly. She knew where she was, thank the Gods.
She had made it to the Kalmia Province. Finding the dirt road that led into the town of Brookshire would be easy enough, as it followed along the river. She thanked Fari that she remembered her way around each province so well. Adjusting her pack, Alex started walking, each step causing pain to radiate through her body, her head pounding from the exertion.
Before too long, Brookshire came into view. A small whimper escaped Alex’s lips, as it was taking all her energy to stay on her feet. A small inn sat on the outskirts of the town like a glowing beacon of warmth. It was a shabby building, only two floors high, with peeling paint and shutters askew. The aroma of cooked meats and stale ale permeated the air, enticing her to come inside for a bite. There were open stables tucked behind the inn, filled with a few horses lazily munching on hay.
