Shattered Silence

We should have left yesterday. Ash burrows under my cloak, agitated. I had decided to wait an extra day, confident that Rune would come to her senses and show up. Now some soldiers are lingering in the streets, watching everyone and randomly stopping people for questioning and searches.

How are we going to get out of here? What if they want to search you?

"You worry too much," I whisper back. I turn and move casually back up the stairs, pretending I left something in my room when the innkeeper looks up curiously. He doesn't even bat an eye. I climb the stairs and slip back into the room I stayed in. It's on the third floor; a long jump but Elves are agile and light on their feet. The window does not face the main street, but instead overlooks a narrow side street that leads to a more deserted area of the city. I can reach the borders of town and escape without much trouble.I fling the window open, glance up and down the street to make sure there are no witnesses, and jump. I land noiselessly on the cobblestones in a crouch. I straighten and press my back against the wall of the inn as I hear the sound of soldier's boots stomping past the opening of the alley.

"Do you really think there was an Heirkudo at the raid?" one man says to his companion. "Mathias wiped them all out a century ago."

"The guy was practically burned to a crisp and babbling like a lunatic when they brought him in. Heirkudo didn't wield fire anyway," the other soldier replies gruffly.

"I heard that some of them were born with special powers," the first man argues.

"They're all dead anyway so what does that matter?"

My heart squeezes painfully in my chest at the man's dismissive words as they move past my hiding place. Ordinaries so easily brush off the deaths, the murder, of thousands; talking about it as casually as they would the weather. I resist the urge to send an arrow through the soldier's heart and turn away to slink up the alley. I hear frantic footsteps behind me and whirl around, dagger in hand.

"I found you!" Rune cries. "I barely made it here. I lost the bottle your friend gave me and the king found out about me. He tried to Cuff me."

"I warned you," I say. "And what are you talking about? The bottle Rowena gave you is sticking out of your cloak pocket." I point and Rune produces the bottle, her jaw hanging open. "I searched everywhere! It wasn't here this morning!"

My lips twitch and I fight off a smile. Rowena and her tricks.

"Well you can't exactly go back now, can you? So come on. They'll probably be looking for you soon."

I turn and start moving without giving her a chance to reply. A moment later I hear her hurrying to catch up to me.

"I can't believe this is happening," she mutters as we walk.

"Believe it."

"Why aren't you bothered by this?" Rune asks me. "You're in the company of a half daemon."

"I have found that sometimes Ordinaries are the ones we should be afraid of," I reply. I catch sight of a small band of soldiers. I tense when I realize one of them is the salt-and-pepper haired man the earth daemon rescued me from. He'll have no idea I'm an Elf, I'm sure, but he's bound to recognize me. More importantly, he's bound to recognize Rune if he sees her. Rune sees him too and pulls her hood up even farther.

"Act natural," I whisper, and stride purposefully forward. I can see an expanse of field beyond where the soldiers are standing, and a copse of dark trees beyond that. I palm my dagger, keeping it hidden in my sleeve. I know we're not getting out of here without a fight.

"Morning, miss," a soldier says to me. He throws Rune a curious glance and I want to kick her for fidgeting.

"We were just in town to visit a relative," I say. "We should really be getting on the road. Our father will be worried if we don't make it home before dark."

"Certainly. But the king has ordered that everyone trying to leave the city be searched." He lowers his voice. "There's word that some Others have snuck through the borders."

"Is that so." I glance over at the gray haired man, and recognition lights his features. Here we go.

"You were in Marish Town!" he exclaims. "How did you get out of there alive, girl? It was a bloodbath."

"Yes, it was." My voice goes cold. "Let us pass. We have no intention of being searched."

"King Mathias has given orders-"

"I don't follow your king's orders," I snap.

"He said to conduct the searches by force if necessary," one soldier says, giving me an almost apologetic look. The others draw their swords as the man steps forward, reaching for my arm. I move quick as a cat, ramming my dagger into his shoulders, in the place where his armor is weak. He screams, falling back. The others advance on us. I can sense Rune's hesitation; these are people she grew up with. But they're looking for her. They'll take her back to the king to be Cuffed if they find her. And they'll take me too. I can't risk Mathias getting his hands on me. I shove Rune aside and dodge blades. A firm shoulder knocks me to the ground, but I kick the man's feet out from under him. I roll and spring back onto my feet, bringing the hilt of my dagger down on another man's head, knocking him out.

The man who recognized me rushes me, grim determination on his face. I duck and move behind him, kicking him from behind so that he stumbles forward and falls into a cart of fruit waiting to be taken to the market. Rune is kneeling beside the man I stabbed.

"Get away from him," I snap, yanking her to her feet.

"But he's-"

"It's not a fatal wound. Move!" I shove her forward and we race across the open field before any of the men can regroup. We make the treeline and keep running. We finally stop beside a stream to catch our breath. Rune sinks to the ground, looking forlorn. Her hood fell off as we ran but she doesn't put it back on. "This is terrible," she groans. "Those men were my friends. My family." She pauses and looks up at me. "Where did you even learn to fight like that?"

"From my parents," I reply. We sit in silence for a few minutes, each lost to their own thoughts. "We should go," I say finally. "When the king discovers their failure to bring you in, he's likely to send a whole search party after you. We can't stay here." Reluctantly she gets to her feet and we set off through the trees.



We arrive in Daeleswhip two days later. We've been traveling on little food and little sleep. The town is not ideal. It's full of seedy taverns, drunken revelers, gamblers, and other desperate Ordinaries but we're tired and hungry. Even soldiers and Elves run out of stamina eventually. Rune has been drinking her elixir and her horns are safely hidden. We search for the least seedy looking of the inns and purchase rooms across the hall from one another.

"Be careful," I tell Rune as we part at the top of the stairs.

"You don't need to tell me," she grumbles, shuffling into her room. I fall asleep quickly that night, but my dreams are plagued by dark memories and I feel unrested when I wake.

We're in trouble, Ash informs me from where she's perched at the foot of my bed.

"Why?" I ask groggily.

Because the king has announced that Rune is a deserter and a traitor and there are soldiers on their way here to start putting up reward posters for her capture.

I spring out of bed. "He what? Where's Rune?"

She got up early and went to go buy clothes that aren't a soldier's uniform.

I curse and get dressed, pinning my brooch onto my shirt. I watch in the mirror as my ears lose their point and my hair darkens and my eyes become a solid one color. I gather my things, Ash shrinks to travel size and burrows into my quiver. I shove my cloak into my bag and practically run from the inn. I let my senses expand, searching for traces of Rune's magic. It's a testament to the type of people who inhabit Daeleswhip that I encounter three would-be muggers on my journey. One leaves cradling three broken fingers and the other two I send limping away with bruised shins and bloody noses. The long shadows of evening are stretching across the ground when I finally find Rune.

She emerges from a tavern looking hassled and marches up the street.. I rush after her, noticing three different groups of people at the same time. Four weary-looking soldiers approach from one direction; they must have just arrived in town. From the direction I just came walk three people absorbed in a hushed conversation. And from the tavern Rune just exited, several burly men with various weapons emerge, and catch sight of the soldiers. I catch up to Rune as she freezes, her face going pale as the soldiers stop and stare at her.

"Rune?" one says quietly while another shouts, "she's the one!"

"Oh, hells," I mutter. The soldiers and the tavern rats stare each other down. The whispering trio has fallen silent and is watching the scene before them unfold.

"Well, looky here," one of the tavern man says. "Some of the king's little toy soldiers." He spits on the ground near their feet. I can already feel the tension building in the air; there's going to be a fight. But more amazing than that is the magic I sense rolling off the three strangers. A witch, an eagle shifter, and a sorcerer. I don't have long to ponder them though, because while two soldiers move toward the thugs with murder in their eyes, another reaches for Rune while the man who called her name stands back, looking unsure.

"Oh, hells," I say again, louder. Rune draws her swords and I pull an arrow from my quiver, aiming at the soldier nearest her.

"Don't fight us, Rune," he instructs.

"Don't do this, Nevins. You don't understand." The man lunges for her and I loose the arrow. It goes through his wrist, and he screams as he falls back, his sword falling from his hand. No one seems to notice the arrow reappear in my quiver. But then Nevins clutches his wrist, watching in horror as the skin begins to rot and melt away, revealing bone. The poison travels, working its way up his entire arm.

"What did you do to me?" he howls, falling to the ground. The thugs and other soldiers pause their angry words to gape. In a matter of a minute, Nevins is nothing more than a pile of bones and rotted flesh on the ground.

"What did you do to him?" The soldier who called Rune's name rushes me, his face twisted into a snarl. I step back as he reaches for me, but his hand catches the front of my shirt. My brooch comes free in his hand. I sigh as I fell the glamour fall away. "I really wish you hadn't done that." I raise my hands and send a strong gust of air at him, knocking him back and sending him tumbling down the street.

"Kill her!" a soldier cries frantically. Rune is staring at me, dumbstruck. The soldiers and the bar thugs all rush towards me. No point in paying fair now, I suppose. I hold my hands up, palms facing each other. I concentrate, and soon ice grows between them. I turn my palms out and they're all encased in ice.

"An Elf," someone breathes and I whirl around to find the Others gaping at me.

"So it's true!" the witch gushes. "Amazing!"

"An with elemental powers!" the sorcerer adds. "Lathan and Jeremiah will be thrilled."

"Who are you?" I demand.

"We're part of the rebellion," the witch whispers excitedly. "We've been looking for you."

"For me? Why?"

"The earth daemon you spoke to, and the leopard cubs and humans you saved. They told us about you. They said you had incredible powers, and a dragon. Jeremiah sent some of us out to search for you."

"Who is Jeremiah?"

"A rebel leader. Please, you must come back with us. We could use your help. An Elf with your power could improve our chances of defeating Mathias."

"You're a fucking Elf!" Rune has finally come out of her daze. She glares at me, blue eyes furious. "I've been traveling with an Elf!"

"An Elf who has saved your ass several times," I point out. "Half daemon," I add, making her scowl.

"I do hate to break up this lovely party," Ash says, speaking aloud as she climbs free of my quiver and perches on my shoulder. "But we really ought to be going."

"A dragon!" Rune and the sorcerer say it simultaneously, but where his voice is filled with awe Rune just sounds horrified.

"Ash is right," I say. "Take us to this Jeremiah."