Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
M y wrists are now bandaged and treated with a magical salve, thanks to Dane. He had brought me straight to a small infirmary next to the armory and tended to my wounds with such gentle hands. The person in front of me was the complete opposite of the Guardian I saw back in the clearing.
It was like looking in the mirror. On the outside, I was a princess who had to behave a certain way and follow orders, to be the face of her kingdom. But on the inside, I didn’t feel like that person. I am tired of being both, and just want to be me.
That’s who I get to be here.
We head to the tavern, my stomach growling loudly after such an eventful day. I stand behind Dane, watching to see how the magic of the tavern works. A plate of food appears in the hollow of one tree, and Dane reaches in to grab it. Steam rises from the pile of roast meats, vegetables, alongside a chunk of crusty bread. Dane steps aside and waits for me to do the same. I peer inside the hollow and watch as a similar plate slides out of the back of the tree, appearing out of thin air .
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to magic.
“Right over there,” Dane says, pointing to a table with a few boys already seated. One looks young and a little timid, and I wonder if this is the new arrival, like me.
Dane steps to the side so I can walk ahead. I almost jump when his hand grazes the small of my back, guiding me toward the table. I do my best not to react and give away the way his touch affects me.
He is so open about touching me, especially here in Dawnlin. He wasn’t afraid back in Blackwood, but was more cautious about it. Proper. He probably wouldn’t be this forward if he knew who I was, all the more reason for me to keep that little secret to myself.
I weave through the tables and benches, past the boys chattering happily and eating. I catch a glimpse of Mara out of the corner of my eye and see her noticing Dane’s hand on my back. Her face turns stony, and I look away quickly.
What was that about?
Was she jealous of Dane being close to me? Or…
Were they together? Dane and I had never actually discussed anything here or in Blackwood. He was just always friendly. Very friendly. I assumed he may have had more than friendship feelings for me, but what if I was wrong?
What if he has had someone here waiting for him? They have probably had years of time together, and here I am just showing up and changing everything.
I already started off my time in Dawnlin on the wrong foot. I didn’t need make it worse, and I wasn’t going to interfere in someone else’s relationship.
We make it to the table and sit, me on one side of the young boy, and Dane on the other. He looks up at us sheepishly, fighting with his fingers, his hands tucked deep into his lap.
I feel the strong desire to make him feel comfortable. I can’t imagine what he must be going through being here this young .
“Hi, my name is Lennox. What’s yours?” I ask him, leaning down with a smile.
“Fin,” he says quietly.
“Hi Fin, it’s nice to meet you.”
He smiles shyly but doesn’t speak.
“I’m new too. I just got here yesterday, right before you. We’ll have to figure things out together. Sound good?”
He nods, his smile a little bigger now, and straightens his spine. He seems to be warming up but is still flicking his fingers under the table.
“Did you get enough to eat already?” He has a plate in front of him, but he’s barely touched it.
He shakes his head, so I give him a little nudge. I pick up a wooden fork and spear a piece of potato. “Well, I’m starving, so I’ll be sitting here for a little while if you want to eat some more.”
He timidly picks up his fork and starts eating as he watches everyone around him.
I catch Dane on the other side of Fin, watching me. It occurs to me I don’t have any experience talking to children this young. There are none that live in or visit the castle, none that I had ever encountered. I don’t have any siblings. I hope to have children one day, but that hope feels out of reach because of how isolated I’ve been.
But talking to Fin feels natural. It makes me happy. I want to make him feel secure and comfortable, and to be a friend.
“How old are you?” One of the boys across the table, I think his name is Slade, asks.
“Six,” Fin says, his voice slightly louder and more confident than before.
“Why’d you come here Fin?” A boy named Roley asks.
“I didn’t mean to. My nana told stories, but I didn’t know how. My sister is really sick. No one knows what’s wrong with her. I was just sad. I ran away because I didn’t want to watch her die. I was crying, and then Dane was there.” Fin looks up into Dane’s face as if he was his savior .
“I’m really sorry to hear about your sister,” I tell him.
I am struggling with how to convey my emotions, besides telling him how sorry I am. He is clearly suffering with the struggles of his sister, and the magic led him here to give him a chance to help.
I realize as I look around at everyone else in the tavern, eating their meals, laughing, and chatting.
Every single one of us is in the same situation. Everyone has a person they love they want to help, to save. Many of them could have already lost someone, and didn’t get to say goodbye, all because they can’t find the elixir.
And then there’s Weston and the Castaways, ripping hope away and endangering all of us.
I rub my hand across my chest as my emotions settle there. Everyone here is hurting. The only difference is how long they have had to cope with the pain. Tears well in my eyes and I blink them away. I am not the only one suffering. These people understand me, even if they don’t really know me.
I clear my throat before I speak again. “We’re going to do everything we can to save your sister, Fin.”
He smiles then, and shifts on the bench, scooting a bit closer to me. It makes the pain I feel in my chest lessen slightly, knowing I have brought him some comfort.
My gaze meets Dane’s again as he mouths, “You’re a natural.”
Dane has been dealing with people in his role as the Guardian for years. He’s used to comforting and providing support, where this is completely new to me. I’m glad he thinks I’m doing something right.
“Did Dane explain everything to you already?” I ask him, taking another bite and watching as he mirrors my movements.
He nods. “Yes. But the Castaways scare me. Dane told me about them. Weston sounds mean.”
“I know, he does,” I agree, “but we are all here too, and we will help protect you. We can even teach you how to protect yourself, so you don’t have to worry.” I look at this sweet boy next to me and despite only just meeting him, I already feel protective of him. His small, almost frail body hints that he did not come from affluence back in our world. It would be nothing for Weston or one of the other Castaways to snatch him. “I could teach you how to shoot, if you want.”
He nods quickly, a big smile lighting up his face. “I’ve never held a bow before! You know how? Where did you learn?”
“My friend Brynne taught me. She taught me lots of things.” I see Dane’s eyes cut over to me and then back again to the conversation he is having with the other boys.
“Maybe we can go check out the armory after we finish eating. Although, it might be hard for me to shoot for a couple of days.” I hold my wrists up so he can see the bandages. “But that’s alright. I can still show you.”
“Lennox,” Dane says, butting into our conversation. “Tomorrow you’ll be with Mara. Fin, you’ll be with Storm. They’ll show you around, and then you’ll switch to someone new, just until you get acquainted and comfortable.”
I take another bite with a nod. I hope Mara won’t make things difficult tomorrow, based on that stony look she gave me earlier. Maybe if it is just her and me, and Dane isn’t around, it will be fine, but if there is a history between them, or if they are together, I do not have high hopes for how tomorrow will go.
These feelings I have toward Dane, whether they are friendship or something more, are completely new to me, and so is the idea of jealousy. I really need to clear things up with Mara, and hope that Dane really is a good guy, not leading either of us along.
We finish eating just as the suns finally set, casting the camp in darkness, the magic triggering all the torches to light around us. Everyone clears their places and scatters to different parts of camp. Exhaustion from all the events today hits me like a crashing wave, and I find myself unable to stifle yawns .
Dane gives me a small wave goodbye as he guides Fin toward their side of camp. I send up a quick prayer to the gods that his first night alone and away from his family goes smoothly. Being so young and away from your family has got to be tough, so I hope some of the other boys take him under their wing.
I shower quickly, successfully avoiding anyone else, then head back to our bunks, ready to finally climb into bed. When I come around the corner to climb the ladder, I almost let out a scream. Mara startles me, standing in the entry with a scowl on her face and her arms crossed over her chest.
“I’ll advise you to get some sleep. You think you’re tired today, just wait until tomorrow. You better be able to keep up.”
She turns on her heel before I can respond and goes straight to her bunk.
Fine. If she doesn’t want to be friends, we don’t have to be, but she can at least be civil. I have done nothing to her besides come here with the same hope and goal she did and be wrongfully imprisoned.
“Goodnight Mara,” I say directly as I walk by her bunk and start climbing toward mine. I’ll be ready for tomorrow. She says I need to keep up, and that won’t be a problem, as long as I keep down enough water in this humidity. I want to get out and search just as much as she doesn’t want me with her. I am going to use these days to my advantage and soak up all the knowledge from the experienced Voyagers as I can.
Edmond always taught me I need to have a strategy, a plan of attack, and a goal in mind. I know what my goal is. The elixir. To get home to my mother. And now I need to use every piece of information and knowledge that everyone else has gained over years and years of searching to get me there.
I take my boots off and climb into bed, barely remembering moments after my head hits the pillow, but ready for whatever the morning brings.