Chapter Four
Heading down the alleyway, I lean against the side of a house as guards walk by. Making sure my hood is down, my foot goes up to the side, resting there.
Trying to get my breathing under control before the guards get close to me, I mumble to myself, "I need to work out more."
The guards walk past me, and I push my foot against the wall. Going the opposite way of the guards, I run into someone. Rubbing my nose, I glance up at who I ran into.
It is Relin, my ex. We stare at each other, not moving.
Relin mutters an apology and walks away from me. Trying to reach my hand out to him, he has already walked around the corner out of my view.
Shaking my head, I try not to think about him. Heading to the Bria Inn, I avoid all guards. Unexpectedly, there are a lot of guards roaming the streets, axe's and swords drawn. Maybe my father found out I got out. Or maybe there is an assassin roaming the streets! That'd be cool.
Opening the birch door to the inn, the smell of beer, sweat, and musk comes flooding my nose. Taking a deep breath, and with a grin on my face, I walk into the Inn, my thoughts of Relin gone.
———————————————————--
Back in the dark forest….
———————————————————--
Making it out of the forest and into the Whitegrass meadow. The meadow has sparkling white\silver colored grass with different colorful flowers sprinkled around the grass.
Treading through the forest was hard, but coming out to see this meadow is amazing. It almost looks like something from the Southern region.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, I stop short, Grazing there is my deer, with the saddlebag still attached. On the other side of my deer is an orc with a giant, studded club.
Getting my spare dagger out, I look to the club and back again at my puny little dagger. Sighing, I sheath it and crouch down, hiding behind the tall grass. The orc advances.
My deer's ears go up and she looks around, locking eyes with the orc.
The best chance I have is to just run forward and get to the deer before the orc. It is my only chance of getting the deer.
So, closing my eyes, I let out a big breath and then run. I run faster than I have ever before, whistling for my deer when the orc stumbles towards her. The good thing about orcs is that they are big and slow.
The bad thing? They are superb at aiming with a saxe knife.
———————————————————--
In Zions room, things are going down…
———————————————————--
"What do you mean?" My uncle gets up and calmly walks to me.
"Why did the boy that lives here have the pendant?" Backing away from him, my eyebrows pushed together in a confused way.
"He- he has it?" He walks to me, close enough that I can feel his wispy breath on my face. "Yes, he has it, Cadence. And you need to fix that! You understand me?" Staring blankly at him, I shiver when his transparent fingers touch my arm.
My uncle walks closer and whispers in my ear, "Find the pendant. I need it. You got it?" Nodding at him, I retreat into the hallway as he disappears in a flash of light.
Watching the place he was just at, I walk back in and look around Zions place. He has a small chest at the edge of his bed and a shallow closet in the wall.
His desk is cluttered and there are empty ink containers on his desk and floor. The papers, though, are put neatly in an open drawer.
Closing the door, I rummage through his drawers. Opening the last one, there is a round shape with dust surrounding it.
Zion definitely had the pendant. Without a doubt in my mind, I know he does.
Hopefully, he hasn't discovered it is mine.
———————————————————--
In the Inn…
———————————————————--
Sitting down at the bar with my head bowed, one server walks up to me.
"What can I get you, honey?" Glancing over to her, I gently smile a sad smile.
"I am good." She frowns and walks closer.
"You sure, honey? You look a little pale." Nodding, I rudely dismiss the small dwarf. She glares at me and puts her small leaf notepad in her pocket and stomps away.
Sighing, I smack my parched mouth and wish I got a drink. It's not like I can ask for a drink after dismissing the dwarf, that'd be even more rude and seem like I look down at dwarves. Groaning, I let out a quiet whine.
Hearing foot steps behind me, I glance over my shoulder to see the dwarf with a crystal glass of water in her hand. She sets it next to me and nods.
"It's on the house, enjoy it. Apparently, it got some special healing powers." Nodding gratefully at her, I take a big draft of the water.
Over the noise of the Inn, I hear the door opening. Turning around, I see a girl with a hood on come in. She takes a breath of the inn and smiles.
Just by her enjoying the smell of the musty Inn, I know she is not a normal girl.
———————————————————--
The race to the deer though….
———————————————————--
Reaching my deer, I jump onto it just as it was about to dash off for its life. The orc is close. Really close.
Tapping my deer three times on its side, she goes into a fast gallop just as the orc pounds his club down. Sighing at thinking, I am safe, two more orcs pop up in front of me.
Cursing, I head off to the right, going North. The orc from before bellows and runs to where I am heading. Pulling on my deer's reigns harshly, I turn it around. Now, I am facing the two other orcs, leaving me only one way to go.
Looking between the orcs and the forest, I choose the forest. Tapping my horse three times, it gallops away and into the forest.
Pulling on my deer's reigns lightly, my deer slows to a trot. Brining her to a complete stop, I hop off and pet her nose.
"You're such a good girl, aren't you? I got to name you already!" Hugging my deer around the neck, I think of the perfect name..
"Lets call you… Penily, you like that?" My deer lets out a huff and I take that as a yes.
Looking around me, I talk to Penily.
"I guess we'll be here for a while, huh Penily?"
Taking the saddlebags off of her, she shakes, getting the dust off of her. Opening up the saddlebags, I am proud to say that the pendant is still there.
Picking it up, I wipe it off and stare into the deep amber color the pendant has. I get lost in it, the way the different colors swirl around, the way it-
Shaking my head, I throw the pendant into the saddlebag. I almost lost myself there.
Shivering, I think of the feeling the pendant gave me.
———————————————————--
Cadence is still worrying…
———————————————————--
Just telling the king about Zion missing, he doesn't set search parties, claiming Zion is 'expendable and not worth it.' I tried to argue that he is the best scribe we've had for generations, but he dismissed me with a wave of his hand, not even taking in consideration of what I said.
Groaning at the king's audacity of saying that about his best scribe, I collapse onto my bed.
It is a soft bed, goose feathers in it. My bed was a gift from the princess after her mother's death. She never said why she gave it to me, just that I deserved it.
Pulling my blanket over my shoulders, I think of her. But my thoughts wonder to Zion, my "little brother." I've known Zion for a while now. We usually tell each other everything, but I know he keeps secrets about… Family matters. He never talks about his family, and he rarely smiles.
I want Zion to smile more, that'd be nice. Me and Lilac try everything to get him to smile.
Turning the ring on my finger, I go into deep thought, thinking of Zion and hoping he is okay. It isn't late yet but if he isn't here by tomorrow; I will look for him.
———————————————————--
Anyway, why that boring scene is happening…
———————————————————--
Someone is looking at me. He has been for the last few minutes.
The boy is clearly from the east. His hair and eyes give him away. Everyone creature in the Northern Central Region have darker hair and eyes.
Making sure I sit where I can see him, I take a quick drink out of the flask of Sannish the server gave me.
Keeping my eyes on the boy at all times, I tense as he stands up. He walks over to the server and whispers in her ear, glancing at me one or two times. Even though I haven't been in the Inn that long, I decide I should take my leave. Taking a final swig of my drink, I drop two silver coins on the table and push my way through the crowd of bodies and to the door.
Walking down the street, the sun lanterns are dimmed, casting ghastly shadows everywhere. Hearing the Inn door squeak open, I pick up my pace, turning the corner on an alleyway.
Glimpsing around, I grab onto a ladder that leads to a ledge above me and swiftly climb up. Waiting on the ledge for the boy to come, he comes running around the corner a second after I get settled in on the ledge. Pulling out my dagger, I jump down, pressing it to his throat.
"The thing about this alleyway is that it's a dead end."