Chapter 14
It was late afternoon when the three rode into camp. The grounds were neat with many busy doing chores. Ky had the responsibility of running the camp in Lien’s absence. His enthusiasm was showing.
“Make a list of what you need. I’ll see you get it,” Lien said quietly to Callen after they handed off their horses.
“Just my backpack and the clothes I arrived in.”
Eve tried to hide her upset as they discussed the details of Callen’s trip. It was all becoming too real. She walked away to look at her horse.
“She still wants to come with me,” Callen confided to Lien.
“I’ll deal with her. You make sure you’re ready.”
Callen nodded and headed towards his quarters. As he approached the door Eve rushed back to him.
“Eve!” Lien barked before she even neared Callen.
“Make sure you tell me when you’re leaving,” she urged Callen, ignoring her father.
“Eve!” Lien hollered again. Lien came and took Eve’s arm, physically removing her from Callen who stood watching. A knot formed in his stomach. Eve began to cry as Lien dragged her away. She turned, trying to break free, but Lien held firm, pushing her forward. She glared at him with every step as they disappeared underground.
Eve busied herself in her room unpacking her saddle bags. Lien opened her bedroom door and watched her for a moment. Eve didn’t acknowledge his presence.
“You’re not going with him,” Lien said in a measured tone. Eve ignored him. Lien shook his head, then backed away and left the room. Eve looked at the door as it shut. It was a suspicious look. Lien had given up too easily.
Lien summoned Ky to his office, thanking him for stepping in to command the post. Ky graciously accepted the praise but wanted to know what decision the Elders reached. Lien explained that Callen had permission to explore the Outlocked land unaccompanied. He feared Ky’s fanaticism towards the City would bring a more radical response if he knew the whole truth. He was right because even this shadow of truth incited the young warrior. Lien feigned sharing Ky’s outrage.
“I spoke at the hearing, but the Elders still gave him permission.”
“Why would they take such a risk?”
“They don’t think it’s a risk.”
“He’ll try to go back, can’t they see that?”
Lien wasn’t prepared to lie outright to Ky, so he deflected with the more pressing news.
“Eve wants to go with him. She thinks it’ll be an adventure. I want to keep them apart until Callen leaves.”
Ky looked stunned.
“Why would she want to go into the city?” he asked.
“They became quite close on our trip,” Lien replied bitterly.
“What do you mean? How close?”
Lien looked to him with a father’s concern.
“Too close.”
Ky’s blood to boiled. He’d noted Eve’s attraction to Callen from the first moment the two laid eyes on each other. Now he had confirmation, and an angry shiver flashed through Ky’s entire body.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
“Guard her, around the clock. I’m giving you permission to watch her at all times. Don’t listen when she complains. If it gets too bad, bring her to me and I’ll tell her you’re under orders.”
“Yes, sir.” Ky almost whispered, revelling in the assignment.
Eve drew breath ready to continue the argument with her father as her bedroom door opened. She was surprised to see Ky enter.
“What do you want?” she asked abruptly. Ky reacted with a hurt look.
“What sort of greeting?”
“Sorry. I thought you were dad, coming to… don’t worry.”
Eve knew Ky had feelings for her, but she also knew she had to find a way to convey there was no longer any chance of her ever returning those feelings. She had no way of knowing Lien had just done that for her. She continued to sort her clothes.
“Your dad told me what you want to do.”
Eve stopped and looked to Ky; his relaxed attitude surprised her.
“You know he’s going with the Elder’s permission?”
Ky nodded.
“And I know why you want to go with him.”
Eve held his stare a moment before going back to putting things away, doing her best to avoid discussing any aspect of her new relationship with Ky.
“I miss the way we used to talk,” Ky said, testing where he stood with her. His tone gave Eve pause; he sounded unusually pathetic, wounded, almost boyish. She smiled sympathetically.
“I do too,” she said tactfully. Ky moved closer with an outstretched hand. He placed it gently on the small of Eve’s back. Eve stopped herself from flinching and turned slowly, holding her composure. The two stared at each other. Eve was searching for how much advantage she had.
“Could you give me a minute? I have to wash. It was a long ride.”
Ky looked uncomfortable.
“Ky?” Eve urged.
“Your father asked me to watch you. I’m not to leave you alone. I’ll turn my back if you want privacy.”
Eve’s eyes flashed fury. She turned and searched under her bed for a small backpack. She opened it, held it up and emptied its contents on her bed.
“My father thinks you’re the best person to keep an eye on me?” she asked, more as an accusation towards her father than a question for Ky.
“He gave me orders. I have no choice.”
“You have a choice, Ky. We all have choices unless you’re the daughter of a man born in the city.”
Ky didn’t respond. Eve began to select items to pack in her bag.
“No-one’s going to stop me going with him.”
Ky adopted a patronising smile. Eve knew what it meant.
“I would like that privacy now,” Eve demanded with growing anger. Ky turned his back but made no move to leave the room. Eve’s looked disgusted as she tore off her shirt, then trousers. She threw each item at Ky’s feet. Her panties were thrown last and hit his head. Eve purposely walked to a side bureau and into Ky’s line of sight. She stood naked. Ky had been dreaming of the sight his entire life, but never under these circumstances. He couldn’t help but steal a glance. Eve caught him and swivelled, to maximise his discomfort, throwing her arms out defiantly and standing proudly before him.
“Get a good look. It’s the last time you’ll ever get the chance.”
Ky was breathless as she stood on display. He couldn’t find a single word. When he met her eye, he visibly shrank. Her expression made it clear his lust now repulsed her. Ky looked away, pretending to study the mantle. It made him look even more pathetic, but it was all he could do to avoid Eve’s searing gaze. Eve washed with a cloth and then dressed in fresh clothes. As she did, she found time to formulate a new plan.
“Can’t you see me going with him’s a good thing? I can find out what happens. We need to know, or we get nothing from it.”
“You need to argue with Lien if you want my orders changed.”
Ky was a good soldier. He would jump off a cliff if ordered. Lien asked him to watch Eve, and he was doing exactly that, no more, no less. Eve shook her head.
“Dad’s the one who talked the Elders into letting him go.”
“He must have his reasons.”
“And when Callen tells the city what’s out here, I hope they listen. I hope they come swarming through that wall. Sure, we lose everything, but Dad broke us up! Great priorities!”
“Broke you up?” Ky repeated, staring in shock, never dreaming things between Eve and Callen had already gone that far. Eve didn’t elaborate; she simply looked to Ky in silence, aware of what she’d let slip and how upset Ky would be. Ky couldn’t hide his hurt. His eyes flicked back and forth from Eve to all points around the room. He suddenly realised why Lien was so determined to keep Eve under guard. He took a few moments to gather himself as he thought the situation through, trying to unravel Lien’s motivation.
“Callen won’t go back. He’ll wander around, see what’s out there and then come back to camp. Your dad will post patrols to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere near the border,” Ky said, his mind still fixated on the idea of Eve and Callen being in a relationship and Lien trying to separate them. Eve gave Ky a searching look. She suddenly realised he didn’t have all the information.
“You don’t know - do you?” she said. “Callen is going back to the City. That’s what they gave him permission to do.”
Ky didn’t believe her at first, but her expression made it clear she wasn’t joking. Ky’s mouth hung open in disbelief.
“Lien would never argue for that,” he said with growing uncertainty. “Callen gets to explore our land. That’s all. Your dad told me, if he tries to go back he’ll be stopped by patrols.”
“No, Ky. Dad saw Callen and me together. Together- together; caught in the act. He wants to split us up, and he’s willing to risk everyone’s safety to keep us apart. He argued to let Callen go home and tell them what’s out here. It’s a test to see if intruders are a real threat, and the Elders bought it. Callen’s going back to the city to test the theory.”
Ky knew nothing was more important to Lien than his daughter and suddenly Eve’s claims didn’t seem so far-fetched. He simmered as he stood thinking it through, staring at Eve, trying to work out if he should disobey a command for the first time in his life. He could see an obvious conflict of interest in Lien’s actions, a conflict that jeopardised the safety of their people. The one thing Ky didn’t need to think over was his growing hatred of Callen. He left the room without a word. Eve watched as Ky strode purposefully down the corridor, never hesitating or looking back.
The moment Ky exited into the courtyard Eve left her room and traced his steps. She checked the yard, but couldn’t see him anywhere. She suddenly feared where he was heading and what he may have in mind. She ran for the entrance to the junior male dorm.
The underground quarters were separated into large rooms with six beds in each. There were four rooms in all and Eve peered into the first two as she passed. Some of the men were resting on beds; others sat reading. One stood naked with only a towel as he dried himself off.
“Sorry,” Eve said as she ducked back out the doorway and moved on. In the third room, she found Callen. He had his bag ready and his clothes out on the bed, packing for his journey. Eve rushed him.
“You have to go - now,” she said as she wrapped him up. “I did the dumbest thing, but I was trying to get away from him, so I could come with you,” Eve gushed in one breath, not making a lot of sense.
“What are you talking about?”
“I told Ky where you were going. He went quiet and walked out. He’s never disobeyed an order before, for anything. I don’t know where he went or what he’s going to do.”
“You think he’s coming after me?”
Eve nodded.
“You’ve seen how violent he gets. That stuff he did when he first caught you, he loves all that and he knows about us. He’s had a crush on me for ages,” she confessed.
Ky was a fanatic and his hatred for the city was well known. He tolerated Lien’s past because Lien had proved to be a good leader and joined the Outlocked cause enthusiastically, but Ky hated everything and everyone from the City, a hatred infused since birth. Now one of those he hated had stolen Eve away from him.
“You have to go, straight away,” Eve implored.
“He’s not going to do anything inside the camp.”
“He has no choice! Dad left orders with the guards not to let us through the gate until morning. He’s going to take you to the border himself to make sure I don’t go with you. That means if Ky’s going to stop you he has to do it tonight. You have to go now, please, before Ky does anything stupid. You have to hurry!”
“I’m not taking you with me,” Callen said firmly. Eve looked upset, paused, then agreed with a nod. All she cared about was keeping Callen safe.
Eve scouted the grounds and ushered Callen to the far side of the camp. They hid behind the wood shed. The shed consisted of a sloping roof supported by posts. Inside stood a solid wall of uncut logs stacked to one side and firewood already chopped to the other. Eve grabbed a long uncut log from the stack. She leant it against the roof.
“Do the same with that one,” she said, pointing to a second long log. Callen did as told and then followed Eve who was using the irregularly stacked logs as steps to the roof. On the roof, Eve pulled the first log up and laid it as quietly as she could between the roof and the outer perimeter wall. Callen saw what she was doing and did that same with the second, making the simplest of bridges. Eve made sure the two logs were stable as they lay side by side. Callen grabbed her and kissed her in the moonlight, then, like a gymnast balancing his way across a thin beam, he walked until he reached the outer wall where he sat, dangled his legs and dropped to the ground. He turned and looked to Eve now crouching high on the rooftop. The two smiled sadly, giving a short wave before Callen jogged away into darkness.