17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ice-cold water hit Alena like iron, knocking the breath out of her and ripping Leukos’ hand from hers.
She gasped for air, and then the current dragged her under. Cold, dark water seeped through her clothes, pulling her further below the surface. Her body twisted and turned, every movement taking incredible effort. Clutching her satchel tight with one arm, she kicked her legs, desperate to break the surface. Her need for air grew more urgent, but the current was relentless, pushing her down, never leaving her a moment’s reprieve.
Her limbs burned with fatigue, and her strength withered.
Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed her shoulder and tugged her upwards. With a final effort, she kicked and thrashed until her head broke the surface.
She sputtered water and gulped deep, ragged breaths. The river roared in her ears as the hand hauled her forward.
“Hold on!”
Alena clawed at the rough shape until the faint moonlight revealed a log. She grabbed onto it and held it with all her strength, while her chest heaved for air. Leukos caged her in his arms, barely holding the log, yet managing to stay afloat.
Her body trembled from the cold, and her grip weakened. Her muscles burned, but the current showed no signs of slowing down.
Dark shapes jutted out of the water ahead. Rocks. There was little chance of avoiding them.
Exhaustion pulled at her. “Leukos…”
Her strength gave out, and her arm, numb with cold, slipped from the log. The dark water swallowed her whole again. It grew colder than ever and lulled her mind to sleep.
Two strong hands hauled Alena under her arms, dragging her across damp sand. The crisp morning air blew over her wet clothes, and her teeth clattered together.
Rolling to the side, she coughed up the water caught in her throat. It poured from her mouth and nose, mixing with her hot tears until she could breathe again.
She heaved in deep breaths, the world swirling around her in hues of brown, purple and red.
Somehow, she was alive.
An arc of light pierced the darkness ahead, and she curled into a ball, seeking warmth. Her head lay on the rough sand, and she fell asleep to the river’s gentle melody.
When she woke again, a damp cloak covered her body, and her feet were bare. Hot embers glowed before her, and the delicious smell of grilled fish tickled her nose.
She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the sun high in the sky as memories of the previous night came back to her. Leukos sat in the shade of a birch tree, sharpening a hunting knife.
“We made it.” Her voice was hoarse.
He glanced up, appearing unscathed by their ordeal. “We got lucky.”
Without his cloak, his dark tunic underneath exposed his muscled arms and the strong column of his neck. Alena averted her gaze, suddenly unsure of finding herself alone with a stranger—not to mention one who was an undeniably attractive man.
“The current was calm enough that I could drag us both to shore. I started a fire and caught fish while you slept.”
Her stomach growled, and she smiled sheepishly. Leukos stood and retrieved one of the skewered fish from the fire, handing it to her.
Judging by the dark circles underneath his eyes and his pale complexion, he must have stayed awake all day, keeping watch.
“Thank you for saving me.” She dug into the grilled fish, the flaky skin burning her tongue, but she was too hungry to stop. “I don’t think I would have survived without you.”
He gave a short nod, then knelt to stoke the fire. His bare arm brushed against hers, and her face flushed warm. She focused on her food, removing pin bones from the white flesh.
Two more plump fish sizzled over the smouldering embers.
“I’m impressed you caught so many.” It must have taken him all day to catch them with his bare hands.
“When I fished you out of the river, a piece of fabric slipped out of your satchel,” Leukos answered.
She tensed. Had he found the torc? Or worse, had it been lost in the river? She dared not glance at her bag, which was drying beside them.
To her relief, Leukos continued, “It was a spare tunic and worked well enough as a fishing net.”
He pointed to the damp linen tunic hanging from a low branch. Underneath it, drying under the sun’s rays, were his sandals, her boots, and her satchel.
Alena itched to wrench the bag open and check its contents but instead, forced herself to remain seated.
They sat only a few feet from the river, its smooth waters a vast difference from the rushing torrents they had jumped in. Beyond their camp, a meadow sprawled across flat land. Except for the cluster of birch trees, there weren’t any woods or groves in sight to provide cover in case the slavers came looking for them.
“Are we safe?” she asked. “Do you think they’ll come after us?”
“The river dragged us quite far from the camp. Even if the slavers came after us, it would take too much effort for them to track us. Too many prisoners escaped for them to find us all. Their best bet is to focus on the Non-Humans instead. They’re more valuable.”
Leukos got to his feet again, standing a good head taller than her. Taller than Katell, perhaps even Scylas. He strode to a flat patch of grass streamed with sunlight and lay down on his back. “I need a few hours of sleep before we can move on. Keep watch, and if you notice anything suspicious, wake me up. We can talk later.”
She opened her mouth in protest, but he closed his eyes. She sighed and returned to her meagre meal, listening to the gentle chirping of insects.
Once she was sure Leukos was asleep, she rifled through her satchel.
Stars be praised, her mother’s necklace was still tucked inside, wrapped in a soggy cloth. She hung the piece of felt on a branch to dry, followed by Leukos’ cloak.
All the herbs and medicines she’d taken from her home were ruined, but her cup had survived, and at the bottom of the bag, she found her father’s sharpened Megarian dagger.
Keep this inside your boot at all times. You never know when you’ll need it.
Kat.
Alena’s heart pinched, and a wave of sorrow threatened to crush her.
Covering her mouth to contain the sobs caught in her throat, she turned on her heel and hurried to the river. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks, and she fell to her knees, letting out a strangled cry.
Kat.
Had she managed to escape? Was she still with the slavers? Was she alive?
Alena banished the doubt from her mind. Her sister was strong. She would survive… she had to. But Alena’s stomach churned at the possibilities of what the slavers would do to her.
Once they reached the Rasennan city, Bruna, her sister would be sold as a slave. If Alena didn’t reach the slave market in time, who knew where Katell might be taken?
They might never find each other again.
Another sob racked her body, and her fists closed around damp, gritty sand. Why hadn’t she done more to help her? Why hadn’t she taken training more seriously back at camp? She could have picked up a sword and fought alongside her. Together, they could have escaped.
An icy grip tightened around her heart, and her head sank to the ground.
Be brave.
Katell’s words reverberated through her mind, and she clung to them like a lifeline.
“I will find you,” Alena whispered, breathing into the earth. “By the Moon, I won’t stop until I find you again.”
Her sobs receded, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. Spent, she got to her feet and waded into the shallow waters, scrubbing the sand and tears from her face.
Once she was done, she perched herself on a nearby boulder, with a perfect view of Leukos and their small camp by the birch trees, and dangled her feet in the cool waters, waiting. They were alone in the world, not another soul to be found among the fields of wild wheat and barley spreading before her—an endless sea of gold.
Something shifted in the cluster of reeds along the riverbank, and Alena whirled around. A long snout appeared, followed by orange and white fur, and pointy, black-tipped ears.
A fox.
It stood still among the reeds, watching her with bright eyes. Alena had never seen a red fox before. Only sandy foxes, fearful of men, roamed the steppe.
Just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared again.
Alena took it as her cue to get to work, foraging as many herbs, berries, and roots as possible for the trip ahead. Then, she sat by the campfire again and bandaged up her feet. Leukos lay on his side, arms folded, and his raven-black hair draped across his eyes.
He looked younger as he slept. Gone was the usual apathy in his expression, and, up close, Alena admired the finely sculpted lines of his face.
He seemed at peace.
What kind of life had he led before ending up a prisoner? If he was indeed the son of a Silver Shield, then how had he survived the massacre Magni had spoken of? If it had happened ten years ago, Leukos must have been a young boy. Was he hiding from the Empire after Achaea had been conquered? Had the Rasennans sold him into slavery?
Numerous questions raced through her mind, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate being interrogated. Besides, he’d ask her questions in return, and Katell had insisted they keep their past a secret. The Freefolk had left the Old Lands long ago, and the camps wished to remain unknown to all beyond the Deep River.
The hunters never travelled outside the Freefolk Lands and only traded with Parthian nomadic tribes that bordered their lands to the east. They wanted nothing more to do with the Old Lands, and after being taken prisoner herself, Alena understood their reasons.
As the sun began its slow descent, she doused the embers and scattered the ashes to hide the campfire.
Leukos’ eyes snapped open at the sizzling sound, and he reached for the bronze dagger at his belt.
“I’m sorry for waking you, but it’s time.” Alena slipped her bandaged feet into her dry boots. “We only have a few more hours of sunlight. We should start making our way.”
He nodded, running a hand down his face before ambling barefoot to the river. His dark hair stuck out at odd angles in the back, and Alena bit back a smile.
After his return, she slung her satchel on her back. “Any idea which direction we should head for? I haven’t the slightest clue where we are.”
Leukos peered at the golden fields while tying his sandals. “We should keep heading downstream. Until we get our bearings, it’d be foolish not to follow the river. If we head across the fields without any water or supplies, we won’t survive. Not in this heat, anyway.”
They grabbed their sparse supplies and set off. Alena’s breathing soon grew strained as she struggled to keep up with the Megarian’s long strides.
Leukos appeared content to walk in silence while she was bursting with questions.
“What will we do once we find a village?” she asked.
He kept his gaze ahead, his expression guarded. “Once we find a village and supplies, I’ll be on my way and you on yours.”
She stopped in her tracks. “What? What about the promise you made to my sister?”
His dark eyes set on her, and a knot formed in her stomach. “Trust me, I can’t take care of you. You’re better off on your own.”