Half Heart

  It was dusk. We were making camp outside the Forest of Despondency. The second I laid eyes on it, I started shivering, and I hadn’t stopped yet. I couldn’t believe I was going back in the horrid place. It made my stomach churn just thinking of the unfathomable darkness. And to think that it was in my future… it was like expecting death. Just around the bend. And no one around me knew what to expect– except Brye. Whom I hadn’t gotten a chance to talk with yet. That was haunting me worst of all. How was I supposed to sleep tonight with all this on my chest? I had to talk to him. Tonight.

  I saw Brye sitting by the fire. His eyes were staring into the fire, a blank, engaged stare. “Brye,” I fled in his direction. He looked like he needed me. Or maybe it was I who needed him, his reassurance. “Brye,” I repeated, and this time he looked up. “Don’t be upset–” as I was about to fix everything, Conrad caught my arm.

  “Layla, I need you for a moment.”

  I jerked off him. “Okay, but your moment is later!”

  For a second Conrad just stared at me. I couldn’t take it. I looked over at Brye, who was watching the manifestation. He looked… he looked hurt. Confused. Oh! Soea was to blame for all this!

  “Layla, this is important.” Conrad’s voice was hushed now.

  “Is it?” I said loudly, harshly. I looked over and saw being called. They needed him to prepare for tomorrow.

  Now I had lost my chance until we had gotten out of the forest.

  “Layla,” Conrad sounded annoyed. “We’ve had someone join our militia from the middle of nowhere. Would you like to meet him?”

  “What?” I asked. Conrad clenched my arm harder, hurting me. Then our new addition approached us.

  I let out a shriek.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, startled. “Conrad was hurting me.”

  But that wasn’t why I was so shocked. Not even close. I’d rather have my arm squeezed off than see what I saw before me.

  Soea had joined my army.

  “It’s a pleasure meeting you at last, your highness.” Soea bowed deeply, as if mocking me.

  My face felt tight. I swallowed hard, trying to think of something to say. But I couldn’t think of anything intelligent. “No it’s not.” I had to say something.

  “Oh?” Soea said, looking up from his bow. “I beg your pardon then. But I am more than proud to risk my life in the forest for you. For your cause.” He smirked.

  I scowled. Conrad glowered.

  “You sure are versatile,” I accused. “A peasant, a peddler, a doctor, and now! You want to become brave just like that? Only a coward would do what you do.”

  Soea froze his eyes becoming elusive. “I would watch my tongue if I were you.”

  “Why? I have nothing to fear.” I stood steady. But I did have something to fear. What if he was manipulating me at this moment? What if I was doing exactly what he wanted me to do? I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.

  Soea stood erect, nostrils flaring. He frightened me this way. His annoying playfulness was gone. Now he was intimidating, daunting, menacing. His chest rose and fell slowly. He was a great bit taller than me; I had never noticed. In fact, he was quite a bit taller than Conrad. And he had to be a Sorcerer. There was no other explanation. That made things all the more frightening.

  “I know things you do not,” he said. “If I were you, I’d fear.” he nodded slowly, his voice quieting. “I’d fear everything.”

  My legs began to wobble. I wanted to turn and run. But I felt strangely weak. I started trembling, and I looked up at Soea.

  “Everything,” he repeated. Then he walked away, and was gone.

  I collapsed. Conrad caught me before I hit the ground, but I wished he would have let me fall. “What is he?” I asked.

  Conrad said nothing. He just stared after him.

  “Unstacia!” I called. She was sitting by the fire, talking with Adda. She stood up, a curious look on her face.

  “What’s the matter, Tenyjo? Are you sick?” she asked.

  I stood up on my own and pushed Conrad off of me. “No, I’m fine. Well, maybe not completely fine, but I’m not sick. Can you help me to that tree over? That’s where my sleeping mat is.”

  “Of course.” She took my arm.

  “Unstacia? Tell me about the Gkantrolt. King Eathay seemed… I don’t know, odd on the subject.” My breath was becoming more rigid, but I felt stronger than a few moments ago. Unstacia helped me onto my mat.

  “The Gkantrolt,” she started. “There’s not much to say about them, except they are extremely frightening creatures, deadly, and haven’t been spotted an almost a thousand years. You aren’t worried about them, are you?” she laughed, sounding like diamonds poured onto a silver tray.

  My breath seemed to stop all together for a moment. “A thousand years, did you say?” Didn’t King Eathay say that was how often they emerged? didn’t she know that?

  “Yes. Why?”

  Maybe I had heard King Eathay wrong. “That’s what I thought you said.” If she wasn’t worried, there was nothing for me to fear.

  Fear. Just like what Soea had said. He told me to fear everything. Did he know about the Gkantrolt? Did he know something I didn’t?

  I decided to go to sleep. This was a disastrous way to go into the forest. I was scared, nervous; and that wasn’t me at all. There was only one thing I could think of. Was Soea controlling me?

  Chapter 8