26. Chapter 26
We packed our things quickly. Not that we had much to take.
Malik made quick work of scooping food from the platters and stuffing them into our bags while I grabbed as many extra skins and blankets as I could, my body tensing with each passing moment of being thrust onto the road once more.
When we had everything we could carry, we walked out of the tent, past all the men who had damned us.
Even with their betrayal, I think more than anything, the fact that Malik’s men gave us such time to gather our things, to leave peacefully, reflected Malik’s relationship with them and how much they both cared and respected one another. Even if, in the end, loyalties had flipped for personal gain.
The snow from the blizzard was still melting, creating a wet slush that soaked our feet and clothes and made movement difficult.
We didn't let that stop us as we continued south, moving deep into the thicket of trees just outside of the camp, as we were now outside of the Alesi, no nimids to guard us as we ran.
We traveled quickly, running off the path, for there was no telling when the men would start hunting us down.
Night fell swiftly, and still we didn't stop moving. We used the moon as our guide when the trees were too thick to see Rida, for we knew that moving under moonlight was our second greatest advantage. As long as we didn't stop, we might make it out of this alive.
Never had I felt Yllsora as alive as I did that night.
Too many times as we ran, I felt a rumble beneath us, the wind constantly moving, making the trees sway with it, as if it was pushing us forward, away from the camp faster than we thought possible.
It wasn't too long before the sound of the men just behind sent a bolt of fear through me, pushing us forward, faster and faster at the sound of them.
It wasn't just a small band of men behind us, but a league of them, as if the whole of Malik's camp had joined in the pursuit of us.
We did not dare stop running for one moment.
And as we ran, I found myself cursing my ability to speak with the Mother for the first time.
I had put us in this position, and there was nothing I could do to get us out of it.
I wished more than anything that I had not dragged Malik into this, that I had left him behind in Sorrel to take care of our old home while I finished what the Divine had started on my own.
This journey was never made to be walked alone, I heard Myaella say as we ran. And while I did not want to admit it to myself, her words brought me strange comfort, as the Mother was once again silent as we faced turmoil.
Malik chanced a glance over his shoulder as we ran.
"How close are they?" I asked.
"Not too close, but close enough. We have to keep pushing."
We ran through the trees, quick to jump over protruding roots and duck under branches as we evaded the men's pursuit.
They were fast, but no one knew these woods like us.
The trees bent out of our way, vines shifting from beneath us, all of it, pushing us forward and away from the threat of the men who pursued us.
Finally, we broke through a clearing, and ahead I saw a beacon of hope, a bridge connecting the sides of this mountain pass overtop of the raging waterfall that flowed into the river below. We could cross it before cutting the bridge down, giving us refuge from the men hot on our trail.
I ran forward, the taste of hope and freedom on my tongue, only to be jerked back by Malik as a nimid fell before us, taking the bridge with it. A rage of water now flowed between us and the other side of the mountain pass, trapping us on the side of the strait where Malik's men quickly approached.
We looked at each other, knowing that our options were limited, our time even more so.
I could feel the panic rise up within me as I watched the water flow over the side of the mountain, knowing that if I didn't jump and was captured, I would be delivered to the king, with no idea what would happen to Malik.
Maybe it was the Divine intervening, maybe it was the panic, but time slowed in those few moments. We looked over the edge of the cliff, nothing but white waters waiting below to greet us.
Malik looked up from the rushing waters to me, his face laced with fear, but also hope.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
I looked at him and saw not the man who had broken my heart worse than I ever imagined, but the one who had returned to protect me, to help, to stand and defend our home by my side.
Even with everything we had been through, I knew in that moment that we could make it through even more, as long as we had one another.
"I do," I said, the answer as easy as breathing.
Malik took my hand in his, pulling me close.
Together, we took a deep breath and jumped.