Part 5

Dusk came quickly and Zara found herself impatiently awaiting Amalia and Ronan in the shadows at the edge of the forest. She was hesitant, refusing to set foot inside until she actually had to. So instead she waited, just out of reach. Close enough to sense the power that hummed and thrived inside, by just far enough to avoid it. A feeling of dread was curling in the pit of her stomach, though somewhere alongside it she found whatever small trace of hope she had left. Even if they failed, perhaps her death within the forest would be enough to match what Gray's family had felt when she had been given the bleak, daunting task of informing them of his death. His death which had occurred due to her own ignorance and no one else's.

She heard Ronan before she saw him and gritted her teeth. For a huntsman, he was certainly loud and obnoxious. How he managed to sneak up on any of his prey she hadn't a clue. Unless he just wasn't a very good huntsman in the first place.

"Ronan," she greeted him, straightening up and moving into the moonlight.

He must have expected her to be there because he didn't react to her sudden appearance. "Has our escort arrived yet?"

Zara shook her head. "Not yet. Hopefully she hasn't changed her mind." Not that Zara would have blamed her for doing so. There was much at risk, more for Amalia than either her or Ronan.

She watched as the man dropped the bag he had been carrying to the ground, rolling his shoulders back. She had to admit, he looked slightly more concerned than he had earlier. Perhaps he was finally realizing just what they were intending to do. There was a very real chance that neither of them would return. He was willing to throw away his entire life in order to rescue a princess he seemed to have no real relationship with. Unless, of course, there was something he wasn't telling her. Which was very possible. Zara shifted her weight from one foot to the other and adjusted the strap of her own canvas bag.

"This debt you're trying to repay...how exactly did this king save your life?" she asked, making her tone more curious than suspicious.

Ronan turned his eyes on her, before averting them towards the starry sky above them. It took him a long moment to answer and she almost believed he wouldn't until he finally was breaking the silence. "My father was killed in the beginning of the war. Our village was quickly overrun by the wolves. King Kiernan and his men rescued us and he gave us a home, allowing me to stay on as a stable boy and my sister as a handmaiden. Once I was old enough, I began to train as a huntsman."

"So a life for a life then. He saved you from death, and now you must save his daughter. If she's not already dead," Zara muttered thoughtfully.

"I have faith," he said. "Though I know your feelings on such matters. Good thing I have enough for the both of us, eh?"

Zara shook her head, an amused smile pulling at her thin lips. "Faith will not get us through this journey alive. That's on us." She turned to face him full on, crossing her arms over her chest. "There may be times when the forest tries to pull us apart. There may be creatures in there keen on worming their way into our minds until we are no longer our own. Faith or no faith, I don't know what's going to happen once we cross that boundary. I hope you're ready." She perked a dark eyebrow, trying to assess his expression.

While Zara believed that underneath all his bravado, Ronan knew the danger she spoke of was real, there was no way he could truly understand. No one could understand the darkness that lived within that awful place. No one, not unless they'd spent as much time in and around the forest as she had. As a Red Cape, she'd entered the forest many times and almost always left with the desire to never return. Yet it had been her duty. One she'd been glad to fulfill if it meant sparing others from the gruesome fate that had befallen so many before. Already, the forest had claimed more than its fair share.

"I'm not nearly as foolish as you seem to think, my lady," Ronan interjected.

Her nostrils flared just slightly. My lady. Perhaps it wouldn't be the forest to kill him. Perhaps Zara would become so annoyed and infuriated by him that she'd have to do deed herself. Thankfully, she was saved from this rather menacing and angry thought by a flash of red emerging from the forest. It was Amalia. Zara stepped forward and grasped her friend's hand.

"I'm glad to see you've not changed your mind," she said quietly before releasing the other girl's hand.

Amalia frowned. "And I'm troubled to see you have not changed yours." She looked from Zara to Ronan. "Are you sure whoever you're chasing after is absolutely worth it? Worth your own lives?"

Zara parted her lips, but Ronan was quicker. "Without a single doubt."

Amalia pursed her lips, studying him with a degree of uncertainty, as if she couldn't decide if he was incredibly brave or incredibly naive. Her eyes flickered to Zara. "And you agree? Even after everything?"

Zara held her gaze firmly, touched by her concern and incited by her desire to stand by her side once again as part of the guard. "It's because of everything that I must do this."

The red-head nodded slowly. "Then so be it. I'll lead you as far as I dare. Then you'll be on your own."

She raised her hand and Zara noticed the handle of a small lantern. She opened the lantern's tiny door and blew onto the wick. Immediately, a soft blue flame sprung to life.

"Thieve's Wick," Zara exclaimed in a breathy whisper, her eyes flickering towards Amalia. "How did you come by such a thing?"

The other girl's mouth curved into a sly smile. "I was saving it for my next great adventure. However, I think you may need it more than I."

"Thieve's Wick," Ronan interrupted curiously, stepping closer and eyeing the peculiar blue flame. "What is it?"

Zara smirked. "The most ingenious of inventions. The apple of any proper thief's eye...a flame that only gives light to the one who holds it. You and I, we barely see more than a soft, dwindling flame. However-" She paused, and gave Amalia an expectant look. The girl nodded before passing her the lantern. The minute the handle passed from Amalia's fingers to Zara's, she was bathed in a warm, yellow glow. Strong enough to light whatever path she chose, yet almost completely invisible to any nearing danger. "Hold out your hand, Huntsman."

Ronan eagerly lifted his hand and she passed him the lantern. Her smile grew into a grin, pleased at the look of surprised etched onto his handsome features. "This is incredible." He murmured, staring at the flame in awe, which was once again blue for Zara's eyes.

"A true friend to anyone wishing to go unseen in the darkest of places. This is an unexpected gift, Amalia. We owe you so much," Zara said sincerely.

"Thank you," Ronan murmured, passing the lantern back to her.

Amalia brushed off their words of thanks with a small shake of her head. "It's the absolute least I can do for what lies ahead of you. Come, before someone notices I'm not alone here."

She pulled up the hood of her deep, red cape and a stir went through Zara, remembering when she had once had one of her own. It was more than just a cape, though. It was a symbol, one of honor and loyalty. Putting it on had always made her feel proud, as if she were doing something worthwhile. Something that would have made her gran proud. How gran would have felt about her now, though, Zara didn't now. She tried not to think about it.

Zara felt a light touch on the small of her back and snapped out of her thoughts, looking around to see it was Ronan. He gave her one of his curious, questioning looks but she shrugged him off yet again and hurried after Amalia who waited just inside the tree line. She sucked in a deep breath, and stepped inside. Darkness immediately enveloped her, and a coldness so potent, it felt as if it were sinking into her bones. She suppressed a shiver. The sharp scent of pine trees made her nostrils tickle, but underneath that she could smell a musky dampness that reminded her of wet firewood.

"Well, this is familiar," she said in a hushed voice.

"I'll take you as far to the boundary as I can. The wolf king has been getting more and more bold these days. His pack may be lurking anywhere." Amalia said, holding the lantern high in her hand, although the dim flame did not help much for either of her followers.

Zara fell into step behind her, but had second thoughts and latched onto Ronan's sleeve before gently pushing him in front of her. "Don't say a word. I know this forest better than you, Amalia too. It's best you stay close."

His mouth, which had clearly been poised for rebuttal, shut. The stubborn clench of his jaw was not missed, though. She couldn't fully explain to him, though, that she could recognize danger at her back more quickly than most. She could sense the spine tingling warning of something unpleasant lurking close by better than he. Years of practice had taught her that fairly well. Here, so close to the kingdom walls and the guard stations, they were relatively safe. That didn't keep her from worrying, though.

"Ardon and his people, how often do they try and slip past the boundary?" Zara asked, refusing to refer to him as the wolf king as so many others did. He was no king. Only a monster.

"Not often here, yet in the woods east and south it's been more frequent. The smaller kingdoms and villages are more at risk. Easier to penetrate and subdue," Amalia answered.

"And what of the other forest creatures?" Ronan added.

"Most have already sided with him, believing his cause worthy. Others, though, just seek revenge against everyone and everything outside these woods. They believe Ardon will lead them to redemption. A new world."

Zara snorted. "A dead world, more likely. A beast like that cares nothing but for himself. He will use them as tools and discard of them as soon as he gets what he wants."

"Perhaps, but try telling that to them," Ronan said in a low voice.

Zara grunted in response, though she knew he had a point. She'd learned that lesson once before.

As they hiked deeper into the forest, the change was felt just as much as it was seen. The trees seemed more gnarled, the branches twisted and bent in all direction. Fog ghosted across the forest floor, and a heavy feeling began to weigh on her and press down on her shoulders. Each footstep felt a little heavier as if her body was physically trying to slow her down from her mission.

A high pitched cackle suddenly echoed somewhere near her right and her hand immediately went for the blade at her waist. "Pixies?"

"Wood gnome. Watch your ankles. They use the low hanging fog as coverage and will take a chunk out of you first chance they get," Amalia warned.

"Comforting," Ronan commented and Zara's lips twisted into a wry smile.

They continued to hike, time passing in an uneven lull as Zara's eyes flittered around them relentlessly. She knew they were getting close. She could feel it. She was wondering how much further Amalia would take them when she slowed to a stop. Zara followed her lead, holding up a hand to silently signal to Ronan that he needed to pause right where he was. Zara heard Amalia let out a sigh before turning to face the pair.

"This is where I leave you. The boundary isn't far from here, but this is as close as I'll get," she said quietly, eyes flickering from Zara to Ronan. "I wish both of you the best of luck." She held out the lantern with the Thieve's Wick still flickering inside and Zara took it, immediately finding herself bathed in the yellow glow.

"Thank you, I know how risky it was for you to even get us this far," Ronan said.

"Thank me by staying alive," Amalia added softly. She suddenly unhooked the clasp of her red cape, sliding it off. Zara's eyes widened as Amalia held it out to her. "Here. For protection."

Zara could feel Ronan's eyes on her, watching as she stared wordlessly as the cape in Amalia's outstretched hand. She didn't deserve to wear it now. Now after what she had done.

"Amalia," she hesitated and her friend shook her head and pushed the cape towards her.

"You need it more than I do now."

Zara's heart fluttered as she pushed aside her uncertainty and reached out to take the cape. She pulled it around her shoulders, and straightened her spine. She had never expected to wear the cape again. And never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined she'd be wearing someone else's cape before slipping past the boundary on a wild good hunt with a man she hardly knew. Desperate times, desperate measures.

"Thank you," she finally managed. There was a moment of hesitation before she was leaning forward, wrapping her arms around Amalia. She felt the small, petit girl squeezing her back tightly, as if it might by the last time. For all any of them knew, it could have been. Zara tried to say without speaking how grateful she was, not only for taking such a risk for her and Ronan, but for the years spent as her friend.

When they finally pulled away, Amalia forced a small smile. "Good luck."

Without a final glance back, she disappeared into the dark behind them, heading back towards safety. Zara watched her go for a moment longer before glancing back at Ronan. His eyes met her own and held them there.

"Well, this is it then," he finally said. "No second thoughts? I wouldn't blame you if you ran after your friend."

Zara scoffed as she pushed past him. "I'm not a coward. Stay close, Huntsman."

"Never said you were a coward," Ronan insisted from behind her.

"You were implying it." Zara huffed, carefully picking a path through the trees. "Now stop talking. I need to concentrate."

"Concentrate? On what. We're walking," Ronan said and Zara felt another stab of annoyance.

"Do you have to question everything?"

"No, I suppose not. It's entirely too easy to push your buttons, though," he said easily.

Zara grunted but didn't say anything out of risk of egging him on. She half expected him to try and continue to conversation anyways, but he didn't. She was thankful for the light in her hands, although every now and then they would pass through a patch of trees where the silvery rays from the moonlight would peek through, providing just enough light to make out the wildness of the forest around them. It was completely untamed. An area that hadn't witness travelers in years.

Zara suddenly stiffened, coming to a halt. She felt a coldness wash over her, seeping inside her and curling up in her very soul. At least it had felt that way. She swore she could feel the power vibrating through the air. Anything and everything that was magic released it's own kind of energy. Here, there was so much of it, it was almost tangible.

"That was the boundary," she whispered.

Ronan's shoulder brushed hers as he moved to stand next to her. "How do you know?"

She pulled her lower lip in-between her teeth and shook her head. "I can feel it. Don't you? That heaviness...I've felt it one other time in my life." And then it'd been too late to turn back around. "This is where it all begins. Last chance to turn back," She said, glancing up at him.

Ronan was looking around him with a stoic expression, though she could find no regret there. He was sure about this. "Then let's begin," he finally said, meeting her eyes as his lips curved upwards into a confident smile.

She shook her head and began leading them further into the woods. "That confidence might be the death of us both. Cockiness never leads anywhere good, you know."

"I beg to differ. Confidence got you to agree to helping me, did it not?" he shot back.

"Please, you had nothing to do with it. Now be quiet, Huntsman," she murmured, her eyes darting around restlessly. The beat of her heart had taken on a new rhythm. This part of the forest was a world that had been untouched by humans for many years. It would've been foolish to pretend they were safe.

Ronan let out a low hum in response, although when she snuck a glance at him, he looked entirely unconvinced.

"We'll find a place to camp for the night and continue on in the morning. I can get us to Maran from here," Zara said shortly, her gaze averting from her path to check the shadows of the trees that surrounded them. While it seemed otherwise, she knew they weren't alone.