Chapter 53 Ambush
Chapter fifty-three
Ambush
Alaceandra
Iwake up the next morning alone. Glancing beside me, I realize the prince has already left, likely after he informed me that Sam came down earlier this morning to cancel lessons.
Glad he has no issues speaking to him. I think bitterly.
I am not sure whether to be relieved or frustrated by this.
On one hand that means I get more sleep.
On the other, that is less training. As tired as I am, it has been nice getting up to learn something every day and using my body to do it.
I stretch. Tamping down my annoyance, I crawl out of bed readying myself for the day.
Baldar is still sleeping peacefully on the couch, and I give the little guy a pet before opening up the floor to leave.
My stomach growls. It must be pretty late in the morning.
I guess I was really tired— odd dreams will do that to you.
I let my mind drift over the dream again.
I assumed that if Sorin's job with my father involved murder then Sam's had to as well, but what would have Sam having to murder anyone out here?
Sylvie has not mentioned to me much more about monsters lurking outside Olvaria's walls.
That does not mean that there is no one around.
If the dream has any merit to it, it may be related to those who tried to abduct Lyza.
That is the reason the men are patrolling the border, right?
To ensure that no more of those monsters can hurt the children of this town?
That must be it. But if it is, why would the dream-man show it to me.
Why tell me to investigate it? All this is so weird.
I push my body down the ladder and to Sylvie's cottage, excited about what she has cooked up for this morning.
Climbing through the hatch in the floor, I do my best to be as quiet as possible, trying to be mindful of waking Sylvie or her family.
After I shut it, I walk on quiet feet to the kitchen.
Before I can make it, I pause. Voices are drifting through the hall.
Voices that sound a lot like the prince and Sam.
I smile, leaning closer to try to listen in.
I have always wondered what they discuss, especially after having to spend all that time together.
They act like they cannot stand each other, but surely they have to have gotten somewhat close over those weeks.
Maybe I can gain some insight… I strain my ears and pick up bits of conversation.
"…dream last night."
"…not good… dangerous activity… border…"
Wait, dream? Are they talking about me? I walk closer, keeping close to the walls.
"I had to capture another one, since the last two are dead."
"Fuck," the prince curses. "I have not noticed a ton of activity but that along with the dreams are not a good sign. She has been asking more questions. If they are getting closer to her, who knows how long we have until she figures it out."
"She's been asking me as well. Ptheryeth knows what he's telling her."
"Let's hope not too much."
"If it continues, we will need to get her out of here, the sooner, the better. Please stay on border patrol today I have things I need to take care of."
"Agreed."
I bite my tongue and back up. Moving away from whatever that conversation was.
Dangerous activity at the border? Two are dead?
How long they have until I figure it out?
Figure what out? As much as I try to stop myself, the man's voice from last night flits through my brain once again.
…investigate yourself. I promise you will find the answers you seek and more.
I almost growl in annoyance. I should not put any weight on what the man has said.
Obviously, he is out to use me for his own means as much as the other men, but…
curiosity worms itself into my gut and takes root.
If I can just check out the location in my dream, I can probably figure out just what I am up against here, since it is obvious that my current company wants to keep me in the dark.
If there is nothing there then I know whatever the man tells me from this point on is as full of lies as those he claims he is trying to uncover…
. if there is something there…. maybe I can finally do some digging of my own.
I look down at the flowy outfit I chose for the day and shake my head.
I cannot investigate in clothes like these I must change.
Keeping an ear to the kitchen, I walk back over to the ladder and carefully climb down.
Making my way back to the cottage the prince and I share, I climb back up and notice that Baldar has now vacated the couch and is nowhere to be found.
It must be nice to be able to transport wherever you want to go without the use of these tunnels.
I make quick work of changing into my fighting leathers once again making the journey back to the main cottage.
Peeking my head up, I hear a door close.
Quickly, I crouch back down so that only a sliver of my face is visible through the crack in the ladder hatch.
I listen for a moment but am met with silence.
Slowly I finish opening the door and climb out before shutting it gently.
Walking back to the corner where I could hear the men's discussion previously, I listen hard for any more voices, but there are none.
Taking a chance, I round the corner, and just like I thought, the room is empty.
Perfect. Step one complete. Scooping up my breakfast that Sylvie left, I quickly eat some food before storing the rest in the ice chest with our prepared lunches and head outside.
The journey to my training grounds goes by in a blur, my body having committed the route to memory in my short time here.
Standing in the clearing, I spin around trying to orient myself correctly to where I was standing in the dream.
"This feels correct," I mumble to myself, my eyes snagging on a distinctive tree in the distance.
On light feet I enter the tree line, my body pushing me forward.
I walk for some time, but right as I feel like I have found the cave, the forest shifts and I am once again lost. I am about to give up when the trees part and I find myself in yet another clearing.
A scorch mark stains the center of the space, but it remains otherwise empty.
I walk further into the space to investigate the marking on the ground when the sky darkens.
An uneasy feeling grips me, and I turn around to run back to the cottages and realize that I am definitely lost. "Fuck," I whisper.
"Why did I not think to mark the path." Wringing my hands together, I take a deep breath trying to calm myself.
"The sky is getting darker… it could just be something passing in front of the sun…
no need to get yourself worked up." No, maybe not about the sun, but how are you going to get back to the cottages if you have no idea where you are?
My brain bites back at me. "Unhelpful," I whisper to myself.
"I got myself here. I can damn well get myself back. "
A cold breeze drifts through the air and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I spin around and holy shit there are eyes looking out at me from the tree line. "It's probably just an animal," I mutter. "A really… tall animal."
A man steps into view. Or not. Remember your training, Alaceandra. For Ptheryeth's sake you can command fire, he is probably just a lost villager.
"Hello there, little lady," the man says. His voice has a drawl to it and he holds a mace in his hands. I assume not many villagers would be handling one of those things but who am I to judge.
I back up. One of my hands going to my hip to grip one of my daggers.
"Ah ah ah, I would not do that." He smiles and his teeth are rotted and decayed.
"Would not want to have to hurt you too soon.
The king will be so happy with this find.
" Okay so probably not a lost villager. Why did I decide to come out here again?
A stupid dream? "Now, darling. Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way? "
I take another step back, unsheathing my dagger and readying my stance, choosing not to answer the man.
"Tsk, tsk," he whispers. In the next breath, he is rushing me.
His mace is held high. He swings it down and I duck out of the way.
Popping up, I stab my dagger into his swinging arm.
He shouts and pulls away from me and I do my best to hold the dagger as it rips through his arm, backing up swiftly.
He laughs. "Someone taught the lady to fight.
How sweet." Running towards me again the man tries to take another swing at me, but I once again dodge him, this time rolling to safety, before jumping to my feet.
I look towards the wood line, contemplating my chances of escape, but that is unfortunately the wrong move.
A whistling sound has me diving to the left.
Glancing to where the noise came from, I see the man's mace is now haphazardly laying on the floor.
Before I can process that the brute fucking threw it at me, he dives into me causing me to lose grip on my dagger.
The wind gets knocked from me as I watch my dagger join the man's mace, just out of my reach.
I struggle against the man, kicking, screaming and punching at him.
My strength is no match for his and soon he is laying on his back, his legs trapping mine as he chokes me.
"Shhh, go to sleep," the man says, his tone far too joyful for the situation we are in.
Think, Alaceandra think. I scream to myself as claw at the man's arm around my throat.
I feel the last bits of oxygen in my system start to vanish and my vision goes hazy.
Oxygen? Something clicks in my brain. Fire, set him on fire!
Using my last bit of strength, I elbow the man in the face at the same time that I cause the ground beneath us to burst into flame.
"Motherfucker!" The man yells, releasing me. His lip is bleeding profusely, and he clutches at his back, his eyes filled with excitement and rage.
I crawl away from him, coughing, trying to gain as much distance as possible.
"Lace!" I hear frantic shouting in the distance.
"Help!" My voice is raspy as I scream towards the oncoming voice.
The man wipes at his lip. Before glancing towards the tree line. "This isn't over. Oh no, it has only just begun," he says before he stands, grabbing his mace and running away.