Time Before the Wolf

Chapter 12: Help

  I growled, still broken from Owl’s death. "Why did you lead them here?!"

  Without answering me, he battered off an enemy and heaved me through the new opening. Still exhausted, I slashed an assassin across the face as we escaped. I tried to attack another, but Asaph pulled me off balance, making the attack cut air. Asaph pulled me into the street, leading me down an alleyway. I jerked my arm away, warning him to answer me.

  Annoyed he tightened his grasp, finally answering. "It wasn't me. I had nothing to do with it." He glanced at my wounds, his expression tightening into something I hadn't seen before; anger. He yanked me harshly to look at the gash on my back. "How the heck did you get this? What were you thinking? What good did you to stay around to fight like an idiot?"

  I shrugged, feeling the same shame as when Father reprimanded me. Furious with my submissive attitude, I glared at Asaph. "Someone had to fight them! They hurt my crew, my family. I have to give everything to protect them." Realizations flowed through me. "I have to get their bodies. Bury them near Father. Let me go already!"

  Asaph simply held on tighter. "Are you insane? There are still assassins back there and they'll skewer you."

  Growling, I rejected his conclusion. "As if! I'll destroy the lot of them. I have to get Owl's body and find out who else died. If their just wounded, then I can save them."

  Asaph seemed perplexed. "You are insane, Flower. Look, this is what's going to happen; I'm going to take you back to where I live, you'll tend to your wounds, and I'll tend to your dead. Understand?"

  Without waiting, he pulled me along. His alternative did sound better, I consented. It was true I could fall in the fight and get myself killed, and there would be no way to help anyone. Fatigue started to get the better of me and I began tripping over my feet.

  It seemed like a vague memory as Asaph carried me the last portion. The way to his home was long and windy, involving climbing up and down until we reached a place filled with the waxing moonlight. Sitting down on a barrel, I started to come back to my senses. Asaph placed some bandages and a spare tunic before me on an aged wood table.

  I looked up at him. "Store the bodies so we can give them a proper burial after the Feast. Please."

  There was a light twinkling in the back of his eyes. "Understood. Just don't try to walk out of here before I come back. There's a safe way to get down."

  I nodded without understanding. In the next moment, he was gone. The wound on my face stung as I cleaned and patched it. Reaching my back was less than easy, and I winced as I peeled the back of my blood-caked shirt off it. I wish I had someone to help me. I really wish I had someone. God, I don't want to be alone. I'm scared because everything hurts too much. Please, please show me mercy.

  A familiar voice spoke up. "It's shaped in the crescent moon."

  I glanced back, seeing Mother I grimaced. "Ah, evening..."

  Her brows rose to the ridge of her hair. I wondered arbitrarily if I did the same. She spoke, unrolling the bandages. "Your wound is in the shape of a crescent moon." She noted, "Asaph found a place I wouldn't have looked, smart boy. Unfortunately, I saw him coming from here, so all was for naught. Still, you are my daughter and I have the right to know where you are."

  I winced as she tightened the bandages around me. I scratched through my messy hair. "Right. I'm still not choosing Asaph as heir. I want your help and your love, but it doesn't mean I'm willing to do what you say." God, couldn't you give me Malec or something?

  I could hear Mother grumble to herself. She finished and stepped back. "Why are you so stubborn? That is from your father."

  I shrugged. "He said it was from you." Standing, I pulled over the tunic Asaph had brought me. Surprisingly, it fit perfectly. I commented. "Does Asaph tailor?"

  Glance at Mother's expression, I savored her shock. She answered slowly. "No, I do. I made that for you. On the off chance you did survive...I guessed your size..."

  I smiled to myself, noting, "So you did think I would survive. I'm flattered."

  Asaph's voice queried. "Lady Shadiah?"

  Mother gave him a long stare. "You should tell me when my daughter is endangered."

  He shrugged, keeping an eye on her. "Certainly, Ma'am. Flower, I couldn't find any bodies. I think the assassins were trying to cover their tracks, somewhat. I looked everywhere."

  My shoulders sagged, fists clenching. "Then I'll find out at the Feast. If I find out they burned the bodies, I will scalp every assassin. Each crew member had a specific request for his burial and not one specified burning."

  A silence fell between us. Mother was the first to speak up. "I heard it was Deion who called the Hoofs and Wings to a secret meeting. You always fought so much you weren't invited, Asaph."

  I looked up. "Was Diomedes a part of this?"

  Mother shook her head. "I don't know. He could have. He has been willing to go the extra lengths these days. We drew our lines at Deion. I have to leave. A merchant wanted to speak to me, probably to pull out of our contract, too afraid to help us. If that happens, we will all be in trouble on the day of the Feast."

  Without waiting for our replies, she just slipped out the broken window. It finally dawned on me, as I looked around, that there were no doors in this place. I walked to the window, asking Asaph, "By the way, why do you call me Flower?"

  He walked beside me as we looked out the window. We had view of the open square under the Palace balcony, from which the King would make his announcements from the palace tower. Smoke drifted to the west from the kilns and the palace roof glittered in the almost full moonlight like gold.

  He answered. "Look at your sleeves."

  I did, seeing flower designs at the cuffs. Looking, I realized I wore a dark grey tunic with red flower cuffs, a red collar, and a gold moon on my back. This was actually a very pretty design, making me want to look at it more. I spoke in awe. "Why flowers?"

  Asaph took my hand in his, lifting my sleeve to look at it closely. "The night before your birth, your mother had a prophetic dream. She told me the story after we first met ten years ago. She said, after the dream she was too afraid and sad to speak for many days.

  "In her dream, there was a little girl who picked red flowers," he traced his fingers over the flower cuffs, "They wilted in her hands and the ground below the child's feet transformed into needles. The child cried, running as her feet bled.

  "A wolf came and the child rode the wolf's back into the dark. A giant gold moon consumed the darkness to light a path. Then a monstrous beast rose, a creature whose mouth was full of needles."

  He fell silent, looking at my hand in his. I pulled away to get his attention. "What happened after that?"

  Asaph continued to look down. "The monster dove down over to consume the wolf and child and your mother woke up. When she gave birth to a girl, she realized the dream would come true."

  I nodded, feeling a sinking in my chest. "I heard stories of her mourning. I always thought she mourned because I wouldn't be the heir Grandfather wanted."

  His expression turned to a gentle grin. "I used to think if I stopped you from pulling the flowers, none of this would happen. Silly, right?"

  I leaned my head on his shoulder in shame. That was it. I was a very terrible judge of character. I wanted to say more, but all I could manage was. "I never knew."

  He laughed, putting his arm around me. "Don't think too much, you'll hurt yourself."

  I choked mirth, sitting back to the wall, briefly forgetting the pain of my wound. Asaph sat next to me, deep in thought. I leaned my head on his shoulder and everything started to fade. I wanted to give Diomedes a second chance, too. I did. But he had to pay for betraying me, killing my crew.

  My crew was all dead for all I knew. Did they make it out? Were they all right? I wanted to see them so bad it hurt and I closed my eyes tighter to keep from crying loudly. I could Asaph’s embrace pull me closer. My crew—my family—broke my heart, quietly.