32. A Muddy Gray
A Muddy Gray
Fintan
“No,” he sighed for the hundredth time. “Don’t turn your wrist. You must strike like this.” He punched the air as an example.
Aradia huffed with frustration. “That’s what I did.”
Rhydar chuckled from the sidelines.
Fintan cast a dark look his way.
“It’s not what you did, otherwise I wouldn’t have corrected you.” He tapped her knuckles lightly. “If you punch with your hand turned it’s the easiest way to break it. Your knuckles have to be aligned, like this.” Once more he straightened her fist in line with her wrist. “Try again.”
“This is exhausting. Can’t we work on something else?” Aradia asked. “Like actual magic.” She slumped her shoulders as if punching the air for the past hour took too much energy.
Fintan bit back his retort. He looked at Rhydar who always had way more patience.
Rhydar stood from his stump, a smile cracking across his face.
“Ya have to build yer foundation first lass. If ya can’t learn how to defend yerself with ya own wits and fist” — He pounded his fist with his hand in emphasis — “you’ll never learn how to control yer magic.”
Aradia sighed but resumed her form.
The only thing which had improved.
“Alright now, let’s go at it again. Focus on yer movements. One, two, three.” Rhydar’s voice drawled on as Fintan took the moment to slip away.
They had reached Randale’s borders six days ago.
While he was happy to leave the stench of death and decaying skaraks behind him, Randale’s smoky skies and soot-lined grounds were just as miserable.
Nothing good ever came from the city. The weather itself was sickly.
Gray storm clouds were constantly overcasting the sun.
The woodland creatures remained in hibernation year-round and hardly ever showed up unless to replenish their food.
He had changed his leather to wool and donned a heavy cloak.
The evening air chilled the shrubs and leaves around him with frosty tips and beads of ice.
The ground crunched under his footsteps as he neared the camp.
The idea to train away from the camp had been his.
Not only did they not know what exactly was Aradia’s trigger to her magic, but to also save her from any embarrassment, again.
He had picked a clearing a hundred paces away.
The trees covered their movements from any unwanted or curious eyes as well as offered protection.
If she decided to incinerate anything, the trees would be the first to go.
They had gone a whole hour with no forest fires, so the gods still answered prayers.
“Having fun yet?” Jasper sharpened his blade by the fire.
Fintan grunted as he picked up the hot cup of broth to warm him. He sipped silently, lost in his own thoughts.
“She’s barely begun to grasp the basics,” he said.
Jasper shrugged. “I don’t remember you mastering your skills in a week either.”
Fintan turned with surprise.
Jasper kept his head down, choosing to focus on anything else than the words he had spoken.
“Could it be possible?” Fintan said in mock surprise. He placed his hand over his heart. “You’re finally warming up to our newest addition.”
Jasper scowled. He sheathed his sword in a swift movement and stood. “No.”
Fintan laughed at Jasper as he walked away.
“Oh, come on!” He called. “I was just playing.”
Jasper threw his fist up behind him. His dagger slid up in place of his middle finger.
Fintan laughed harder but settled on the stump Jasper had vacated.
He rubbed his hands together, blowing for the extra heat.
Winter would soon be upon them. As much as he wished to be back home, where the brutal season did nothing against the Arkan shores, he knew it would be a long time before he would cast his eyes on the palace.
“We have to be patient.” Kaiden’s voice came from behind him.
He turned in his seat. Kaiden leaned on the tent pole, sipping on a hot cup of — whatever.
“Patience requires time. Which we are limited on already,” Fintan murmured under his breath. Aware Kaiden would still be able to hear him. He felt a subtle shift and soon Kaiden’s body came into view beside him.
“I know it's not easy, but we didn’t sign up for easy now did we?”
Fintan smirked but remained quiet. Nothing was ever easy for them. His life had always been a stark black and white, good and evil. Arkan against the world. Now, every passing day his decisions turned his life into a muddy gray with no knowledge of how to make the right choice.
Cahira stepped out of the tent with a stretch. She walked slowly toward them, glancing between the two of them.
“Boys.” She took a seat as graceful as a cat.
Fintan’s heart twirled at her nearness but he simply nodded in greeting. Kaiden huffed but stared into the fire.
“What’s got your magic in a swirl?” She crossed her legs and raised a brow at her brother.
Kaiden cleared his throat, finally looking up. “We’ve wanted to take down our father for so long. It’s hard to believe it's finally coming to pass.”
Cahira leaned back with a sympathetic nod, giving him space to continue.
“I don’t want to put you or anyone here in more danger than we already are.” Kaiden’s voice shook with raw vulnerability, showing his weakness. “I don’t know if I can protect all of you.”
“We can protect ourselves,” Cahira said. “You’re not alone in these feelings, brother.”
“Have you thought of what will happen when the king unleashes his full force? The anarchy that will ensue?” Fintan shifted slightly, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news.
“I have,” Kaiden said.
“And?” Fintan asked. “What becomes of us when our military turns their back and descends upon us?”
It was Kaiden’s turn to shift uncomfortably. “We’ll need to build an army of our own.”
Cahira cleared her throat and leaned forward. “It’ll be hard to take down our father, let alone a god, if you inherit this curse. That should be our first priority, Kaiden.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it right now. As long as Ukoron stays behind the Veil and our father wears the Ring of Kings it won’t fall to me.”
“Don’t pretend you actually believe Ukoron won’t escape his prison.” Cahira’s tone hardened, fear for her brother heightened her voice. “We’re in way over our heads with zero answers. How could we never have known of a damned curse passed down through the Valencia male line?”
Fintan stiffened at her tone. He knew she spoke out of pure worry for Kaiden. They had fought, bartered, and saved one another countless times. But this was a monster none of them knew how to fight. Idalia had not given them a spark of hope or a clue on how to stop Ukoron’s link and save Kaiden.
Kaiden rubbed the back of his neck. “What do you want me to say, Cahira? You know as much as I do.”
“To take down our father is not enough. We need to kill Ukoron and destroy Qualan.”
“The realm of the gods?” Fintan almost laughed
She had to be out of her mind.
“Why not? It started with them, it has to end with them,” she said.
Kaiden laughed — truly laughed. “We don’t even know how to kill one god and now you want to take down their entire realm?”
Cahira opened her mouth but closed it with a growl as she pushed herself back and crossed her arms. “I don’t know,” she gritted out. “But I’m not giving up.”
Kaiden sighed with a slight shake of his head. “I’m not either but we should focus on killing one monster at a time.”
“Who’s truly the monster, brother? Our poisoned father or the god pulling his strings behind the Veil?”
“Don’t.” The fire burned brighter with Kaiden’s emotions. “We don’t need this right now.”
Cahira huffed. “Fine.”
Rhydar and Aradia’s laughter floated from the trees beyond. Fintan watched as they returned, teasing and laughing with each other from a distance.
Kaiden’s voice lowered to a hushed whisper as he spoke quickly so Aradia could not hear.
“The king knows we have Aradia. If he’s to make any move at all to retrieve her it will be in the city.
This could flush out where loyalties lie without us having to do any major damage.
There’s also been reports in the past about disturbances in the mountains.
I never thought anything of it before but between Idalia’s confirmation and father’s intentions it can’t be a coincidence.
If we’re to find an army of our own, who better to call in a favor than the Master of Spies himself. ”
Fintan didn’t miss the way Cahira stiffened in her seat. No one, it seemed, had good memories of Randale.
“We’ll need to use the city’s location to our advantage as it’s the closest kingdom to the Veil.
If an army of skaraks escaped through its blackened cracks, other things have escaped as well.
The harvesters that attacked Gail.” Kaiden nodded toward Aradia, who drew closer.
“And who knows what else. We have to move quickly. As for what we’ll do after, we’ll find out when we have an army of our own or at least a resemblance of unity. Deal?”
Fintan nodded.
“It’s a start,” Cahira mumbled.
The trio fell into a blanket of silence as Rhydar and Aradia reached the camp.
“Well, I think if anyone wants to fight the young lass she might be able to break yer jaw.” Rhydar laughed with pride.
“That’s of no use to us. Any one of us here can crack a jaw. What about your magic?” Cahira stood and faced Aradia.
“We’re still working on it,” Aradia said.
Cahira looked at Kaiden. “Let’s hope this plan of yours works.” She stomped back toward her tent without another word, leaving Rhydar and Aradia puzzled with her abrupt retort.
Fintan blew air into his cup, creating steam which rose around his face and warmed him after Cahira’s cold departure.
“What got her leathers in such a tight wad?” Rhydar asked.
“It’s Cahira,” Fintan drawled.
He didn’t want to explain the Valencia curse in front of Aradia. Rhydar thankfully picked up on the subtle shift in Kaiden enough to leave the topic alone.
“Don’t take it to heart,” Fintan said to Aradia.