Cara couldn't breathe as the harsh reality of Edmund's words slammed into her. She heard Cush cry out behind her, and her heart broke at the pitiful sound that echoed throughout the hall.
He moved before anyone knew what he was doing. Unsheathing his sword, Cush charged at Edmund.
“Murderer,” Cush shrieked.
He was fast, and for a moment, Cara thought his blade would strike true, but Arwel was faster. Cara's own fury gave way to panic as Cush lifted his sword above his head, and Arwel's blade sliced through the soft flesh of Cush's abdomen.
Cara drew in a sharp breath and cried out, “No!”
Cush's eyes went wide. He dropped his weapon, his hands grasping at the open wound, as he dropped to his knees.
Cara screamed.
Finn tried to hold her back, but she clawed at his arms until he let her go. She ran to Cush who lay prostrate on the stone floor. Kneeling beside him, she turned him over and applied pressure to the wound, but her efforts were wasted. Already she could see the life leaving his eyes. Blood pooled around them, soaking her hands and dress in crimson. She held him and wept, barely aware of the fighting that started around them.
“Loc.” He choked on his youngest brother's name, his turquoise eyes filling with tears. “He…killed them.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Don't let…him…win.”
There was a sickening gurgling sound in his chest, and he began to gag and choke on blood. Cara tried to sooth him as his eyes widened in fear at the knowledge of imminent death. She stroked the sweat soaked curls from his forehead and hushed him as he tried to speak.
“I'm here,” she murmured, holding his head in her lap and rocking him gently. She blinked back the tears that blinded her. “I'm sorry,” she whispered as he drew his last breath.
She had failed him, just as she had failed Batch, and in that moment she felt truly powerless. Edmund had already won, and there was nothing she could do about it.
The clash of steel against steel rang around her.
How had it come to this? Cush and Batch murdered in cold blood. The country in anarchy. This wasn't supposed to be her life.
Overwhelmed by grief and helplessness, Cara stared vacantly at her blood stained hands. Her body trembled violently, and her skin felt as if it were covered in a sheet of ice. She tried to move, but her arms and legs were immobilized, as if her brain no longer controlled their motion.
Angry voices roused her from her absorption, and she glanced up to see the chaos of swords and blood. One of Edmund's soldiers lay on the ground a few feet from her, and another clutched his arm where a blade had sliced almost clean through.
Tahdaon and Finn fought side by side, their swords moving swiftly and lethally, their movements fluid and graceful. They were warriors trained to fight, and it wasn't long before they had cut down the majority of their opponents. Edmund was nowhere to be seen, but Arwel and Theo remained and fought alongside Edmund's men, but they were no match against the skill and precision of a united Finn and Tahdaon.
Tahdaon sprung forward and picked up a sword of a fallen guard, wheeling the second blade with precision, his sight set on Arwel. He didn't see Theo charge him from behind, and Cara shrieked in warning, Tahdaon's name a piercing cry on her lips. At the last second before Theo's sword made contact, Finn parried the blow, saving Tahdaon from what would have been a fatal wound.
The impact of Finn's blade knocked Theo backwards, causing him to lose his balance. Finn moved quickly, seeing the man's weakness, and Cara knew when he raised his sword that his next blow would be fatal.
Cara closed her eyes and cringed as she heard the sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone. When she opened her eyes, Theo lay motionless, his dark eyes lifeless. For a split second she felt remorse for the man who had stood on the altar of Annul and pledged his life to her, but sorrow was quickly replaced by rage. He had forsworn his vow, and the result had been his own death. She would not feel pity for a man whose actions had resulted in the loss of countless lives.
Tahdaon continued his charge against Arwel. Edmund's soldiers had been no match for Tahdaon and Finn, but Arwel was a warrior, and he fought fiercely, deflecting each of Tahdaon's hard thrusts. He would have continued fighting if he hadn't spotted Theo's body from the corner of his eye. She saw his face go white, and his eyes widen in something akin to fear as he glimpsed Theo's corpse. His hard gaze fell on her momentarily before he ordered the few remaining men to retreat. There was a promise of revenge in his dark gaze, and she shuddered as she watched him withdraw from the great hall.
Cara glanced around the hall. The dead and injured littered the floor. Efy and Hauk were splattered in blood and sweat, but from what she could tell their injuries were only superficial.
“Where's Wesley?” Cara asked desperately, searching the room and the faces of the fallen men.
Finn kneeled down beside her, his hands roaming over her face and body, checking for signs of injury.
“He was never here,” Finn said when he was certain she was uninjured. Taking her by the elbow, he helped her stand. “We have to leave now. Before they send reinforcements.”
“We can't leave without Wesley,” Cara insisted. “Edmund will kill him if he finds him here.”
Finn shook his head and grabbed her by the shoulders. “If he heard the fighting, he probably already escaped. There is no time to search for him. We have to leave now.”
The other men were waiting by the entrance, and Cara saw the urgency in their eyes. Finn was right. Arwel would return with reinforcements, and they needed to get to the stables. She took Finn's hand and prayed that Wesley and Landon had made it out safely.
They encountered more resistance as they headed through the corridors, but like Edmund's men, the soldiers of Ashwater stood no chance against Finn and Tahdaon.
Cara followed the men in a haze and her mind was dulled to the blood and death that soaked their path.
“Can you ride?” Finn asked, as they entered the stables. Grabbing her chin roughly, he forced her to look at him. “We need the extra horse, but if you're too shaken you can ride with me.”
She shook her head and tried to stop her body from trembling. “I can ride,” she whispered, and allowed him to help her onto the russet mare Helfrich had saddled for her. There was no side saddle, and she had to hike up her blood stained dress past her knees to sit properly.
They rode for a time, hard and fast, and when they stopped, Cara didn't know if hours or merely minutes had past.
She looked around at the men that had escaped. A few of the soldiers that had accompanied them on their tour had made it out safely, but many had fallen in the great hall. Some were wounded, but there weren't any life threatening injuries among them.
“Why are we stopping?” Cara asked, as she dismounted and approached Finn and Tahdaon who stood under a large oak, speaking in hushed tones.
“The horses need a brief rest. We've already run them to hard,” Tahdaon said harshly. “And we need to figure out what to do from here. We can't keep this pace, and it's suicide to stay on the main roads.”
Efy approached, still mounted on his mare, and he patted her neck beneath its mane as it stamped nervously and whinnied. His voice cracked with apprehension when he asked, “Do we have a plan?”
Helfrich and Hauk joined them, and Finn nodded to Tahdaon to speak.
Tahdaon sighed heavily and looked between the men before addressing Cara. “Finn and I have talked about what we would do if our suspicions were correct and Edmund's father overthrew the council. Edmund was right. Crantock's army isn't strong enough to fight alone.”
“I need to warn my father,” Finn interrupted, running a hand through his hair. “Ballack's army is much larger than we thought. Tahdaon overheard Edmund a few nights back talking with the Viceroy of Ashwater. Not only does he control the armies of Bere Alstern and Ashwater, but he also now controls the army of Lydd.”
“So we head south. Towards Crantock,
” Cara said, agreeing that Gorlos needed to be informed of what had happened.
Finn frowned at her and then looked at Tahdaon. Something passed between them that she didn't understand.
Finn glanced at Efy and asked, “Will your grandfather give us aid? Will he fight against Ballack?”
“Of course,” Efy sighed, his face drawn with tension.
“After we speak with my father we will head east and speak with Lord Wilber before heading to Meall.” Finn turned to Helfrich. “Take two soldiers with you. You're sure that your travel arrangements have already been settled?”
“There's a boat waiting for me at the harbor of Clearwater,” Helfrich said, glancing nervously at Cara.
“A boat?” Cara squeaked, looking between the men for an explanation. “Why do you have a boat waiting for you? Did you know this was going to happen?”
Finn shook his head sternly. “We weren't sure, but we wanted to be prepared if it did.”
“So you are going to send Helfrich off alone? Without even consulting with me? Don't I get a say in what happens?”
Finn looked at Tahdaon as if for help, but found none in the man's hard gaze. Finn pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply. “Tahdaon and Hauk will head north——”
“North?” Cara sputtered. “You want them to leave us as well?”
Finn's grim expression softened a little as he looked down at her. “Tahdaon believes he can convince his brothers to lead their army against Hellstrom. With an attack from all sides, we may be able to defeat Ballack and take back the city of Annul. I don't like it either, but it's our only chance.”
Cara glanced at Tahdaon who stood with his arms crossed, a deep frown lining his brow.
“You think that you can convince the Dalglieshan army to fight for Elbia?” Cara asked, not convinced that Dalgliesh would pick up swords to protect the crown.
Tahdaon's scowl deepened. “They will fight for their freedom. If Ballack succeeds he will force Dalgliesh into further subjugation. Our men are strong. We have an army in the far north ready to fight. Finn is right. The only way we can win this is if the northern and southern provinces form an alliance.”
Cara didn't like it. There was too much that could go wrong. She trusted the men to fight for her, but separating themselves when they had an army after them just seemed foolish.
She turned to Helfrich. Of all the men she knew, he was the most reasonable. But as she looked at him, she saw the resolution in his gaze. “And you would cross the sea alone? For what? You have already said that Drumlish has no army to speak of.”
Helfrich smiled sadly. “Our army is small, but Drumlish will fight, and our men are well trained with the bow. Elbia cannot fall into the hands of this usurper. I will do what has to be done to protect your crown.”
Cara sighed and turned to Finn. “So we head south?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head.
She frowned at the pain she heard in his voice. “But you just said——”
He took her hands in his and stopped her. “It is too dangerous to take you to Crantock. Ballack needs you to legitimize his son's claim to the throne. We know he has spies everywhere, and I can't be certain that they haven't infiltrated Crantock already. I won't risk your life. The only place where we can assure your safety is Dalgliesh.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “You will go with Tahdaon north, to the city of Muir.”
Cara gapped at him, stunned to the core of her being. He meant to leave her. “You can't be serious.”
Finn motioned to the men, and she watched as they dispersed. He took her by the elbows and drew her close. “It's the only way I can make sure you're safe.”
“You think I'll be safe without you?” She tried to push away from him, but he held tight.
“Tahdaon will be with you. It's only for a short time. Once I have informed my father of our plans, and the alliance with the Northern provinces, I will head north.”
Cara shook her head and covered her face with her hands. She wanted to scream at him, but when she finally spoke her voice came out in a harsh whisper. “You made a vow. You promised you would protect me.”
His voice was strained with emotion. “This is how I honor that vow. Do you think that for one second I want to be away from you?”
Tahdaon whistled to get their attention and barked, “We have to go.”
Cara closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Finn's chest. She didn't know when or if she would ever see him again.
“I love you,” she whispered. It was the first time she had spoken those words, and now she regretted not telling him sooner.
He placed his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. His eyes searched hers and a single tear slid down his cheek, but his resolve was clear. There was nothing she could say to change his mind. She could argue with him, demand that he take her with him, but it would only waste valuable time.
Reaching up, she wiped the tear from his cheek and wrapped her hands around his neck to draw his lips towards hers. Unshed tears pricked her eyes as she kissed him one last time.
Pulling away, she nodded, and drew a trembling breath as he led her to her horse. There was no time for sentimental goodbyes, and she nodded solemnly at Helfrich and Efy before allowing Finn to help her remount.
She looked down at Finn, his eyes stoic, tears glistening in his eyes.
“I will come for you,” he whispered.
Inclining her head, she sank her hands into the horse's mane to stop herself from reaching out to touch him. If she did, she knew she wouldn't have the strength to leave him.
“Until then,” she said despondently.
Clutching at the reins, she choked back a sob, and forced herself to follow Tahdaon and Hauk northward through the forests of Ashwater towards the province of Northlew, and for the first time since they had met, Cara was glad for Tahdaon's sullen silence.
Chapter 26
Hauk guided Cara and Tahdaon through the dense forests of Ashwater and over the rocky hills of Northlew. Their supplies were limited to the generosity of the people they came across, and the game that the men were able to hunt down. They camped overnight wherever they could find an abandoned dwelling, barn or cave, and when there was no shelter to be found they rode through the night.
Two weeks of tormenting travel brought them to the small town of Torii, where the Viceroy of Northlew kept residence. Cara and Tahdaon stayed less than a week before continuing northeast towards Dalgliesh and leaving Hauk to recruit the men of Northlew to join the Dalglieshan army. Cara wondered by the vacancy of the towns that they had passed if there were any men left in Northlew to join his ranks, but Hauk maintained that those who had survived had gone into hiding, no longer living in towns that were easily raided and overly taxed, and she believed him when he told her he would have an army armed and ready by midwinter.
Despite his limited resources, the Viceroy of Northlew was generous in providing the necessities that Cara and Tahdaon would need to continue their travels. He insisted that they take a handful of his men with them for protection, but Tahdaon refused, contending that the men would only slow their progress, and put them in more danger once they reached the hills of Dalgliesh.
Cara and Tahdaon barely spoke as they left Northlew. Since the events in Ashwater, he had become even more reticent and morose than usual, and in the silence that accompanied them Cara found her mind constantly drifting to Finn. There was no way of knowing if he and Efy had made it to Crantock safely, and as the days and weeks passed she became more uncertain if she would ever see him again. Having to cross through both Ashwater and Bere Alstern, Finn and Efy's passage was far more dangerous than hers, especially since Edmund would most likely suspect that they would head south and send his men after them.
“Do you think they made it?” Cara asked one night as they sat around the fire eating rabbit stew that Tahdaon had prepared.
Tahdaon nodded, staring into the flames. “I have no doubt.”
 
; Cara exhaled a deep breath and looked down at her empty bowl. Shivering, she wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and closed her eyes.
Tahdaon stood abruptly and took the bowl from her. “Go to bed. I'll clean up.”
Cara shook her head and looked up at him. “I'm not tired.”
It was a lie. She was exhausted, but every time she tried to sleep her dreams were haunted by images of death and blood. Since they had left Ashwater she had barely slept an hour each night, and her body was starting to show the effects of her lack of sleep. Early that day she had fallen asleep while riding. She had nearly fallen off the horse, and would have if Tahdaon hadn't caught her. For the rest of the day he insisted she ride with him.
“You're dead on your feet,” he snapped. “You nearly killed yourself today. Go lie down.”
She shook her head and looked away. It seemed like he was always angry with her about something. He used silence as a weapon and it was all Cara could do not to break down in front of him. Blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, she stood and retreated to the tent that she shared with him. His own bed mat was pushed to the opposite side of the small shelter as it always was. For her safety, he insisted on sharing a tent with her, but not once had he tried to touch her, not even when her nightmares came and she cried out did he seek to comfort her.
She expected no less from him, but there were days when she felt as if it would have been better to be alone than with someone who clearly didn't want to be near her. She should have insisted on going with Finn. Even the dangers of Edmund's army would be better than spending another day with Tahdaon. If his own attitude towards her was any indication of how his family and people would treat her, she wondered if she wasn't in more danger in Dalgliesh than in Hellstrom.