What Enchantment Hides - Book 1

Chapter 9

         It had been days since Calya had spoken a word. She had been skittish and reserved, distant and fearful. Fallon set a slow pace, giving her as much time to process and be with her thoughts as she could ever want. Meanwhile, his own thoughts tormented him, haunted him in both waking and sleeping. Four days had passed since Calya had screamed desperately for him to stop his butchering. Her silence was becoming more uncomfortable than anything else. It was eating at him more than the sense of regret that was beginning to take hold deep down in the thing some people would call a heart, but that, up till now, had merely been a cold, hard, unfeeling rock in his chest.

         “Say something,” he finally said one evening as they sat at another campfire eating the few berries he managed to find on the bushes.

         Calya nearly jumped at his statement. He sounded angry and yet miserable. She bit her lip, uncertain and afraid.

         “Please,” he said, more pitiful than anything else, but still just as harshly as anything else he ever said.

         She opened her mouth to speak, but words would not come. She quickly shut it again and looked away. How could she say anything? How could she put words together after that horrific scene that she was still living through every moment of every day and night. “Why?” she managed, barely even loud enough to be considered a whisper.

         “Huh?” he responded wondering if what she said was a word or just a sound that came out when she tried to speak.

         “Why?” she said a little louder and not so pathetically.

         He was confused and cocked his head as he looked at her. She didn’t notice. She didn’t even look in his direction. “Why what?” He asked.

         She glared at him now, tears in her eyes, and a combination of anger and terror behind them. “Why wouldn’t you just stop?” Now it was his turn to not know what to say. He also opened his mouth for a moment before shutting it again. “Why did you just keep going? He was already dead!” She yelled the last sentence at him.

         Something else shifted inside of him. Another thing he didn’t know how to handle. “You’ve never been that enraged?” The moment the words were out of his mouth he knew that it was a really, really bad answer. A bad answer, and a lame one, too. It, of course made perfect sense to him, but saying it to her, having to explain it to her made the answer seem ridiculous and childish.

         “Enraged?” she repeated incredulously. “That enraged?” Her voice was high and strained, like a violin string ready to snap. “That is your reason for butchering a human being beyond the point of death or recognition, worse than you even would an animal?”

         He was instantly defensive, a feeling he had never had before. He wasn’t defensive because of confidence. He was defensive because of her. He had never in his life been required to explain himself. Why was he doing so now? “What did you expect from me, Calya?” he spat out her name in aggravation. “Did you expect anything different? You know who and what I am! I do not need to answer you.”

         As something shifted and broke in him, something molded and solidified in her. A sharp defiance in her eyes. A rebellion and stone cold resolve set in behind her worn, yet incredibly beautiful features. He broke something in her, but he also built something. He broke her timidity and built a wall. A wall topped with emotional and mental barbed wire. She was becoming cold and unafraid because of him. He noticed and he wasn’t happy about it. “You’re right, Fallon.” If her name had been spat from his mouth, then his name was killed and thrown out like rancid garbage from hers. “You were a caged animal in Harta and now you’re an uncaged animal out here. Either way, you’re still a reckless, violent, unfeeling, uncaring animal. A monster.”

         His anger boiled up and then simmered. He had expected boils to cover his skin and to feel blood drip down his arms and legs, but there were no wounds given to him. And she was correct, after all. She was correct about all of it except that he was unfeeling. That was no longer true. He was feeling a lot, and it was a lot that he did not want to feel. If he was being completely honest with himself, he was actually rather surprised that she said the words with as much confidence and as little fear as she did. She also said his name. For the first time, she called him by name and he hated it. He sighed deeply and uncomfortably. “So what now?” Annoyance dripped from every word.

         She was still on offense, not allowing herself to be intimidated or scared. “What do you mean, ‘what now’?”

         “You hate the very essence of who I am.” His voice was flat. There was no way he was going to admit to having anything even remotely resembling feelings. “That being said, we are both traveling to the same place and you obviously cannot get along on your own.”

         She stood, angry and incredibly annoyed. “How dare you! If it wasn’t for me, you would have died five times over back there! With all of your years of training and ruthless, reckless hatred for all things decent in this world, you had to be rescued by this young, naive, helpless, skilless female. Since that is the case, you are obviously not able to take care of yourself alone either!” She was yelling at him, undaunted by the wrath that had climbed its way into Fallon’s face, turning it a deep, dark red.

         “I should just leave you here! I should just let you prove how good you are to yourself! Who has been feeding you this whole time? Who pulled you out of Harta when you were scheduled for execution? Who stood in the way to defend you that night when they came for us?” His hand went to the hilt of his sword.

         Calya saw the movement and set her jaw tight, staring him down. “Just answer me one thing.”

         His walls were high and he was determined to not lose this argument. “What?" His tone was bitter and resentful.

         “Did you actually stand a chance the other night? Or did you need my help?”

         He fought with himself to lie. To say that he could have handled them all easily. But he knew that his brief hesitation gave him away. “What if I did?” he seethed through gritted teeth.

         “One more thing,” she said, less aggressive this time.

         “What now?” Her tone cooled his explosive anger, but it hadn’t quite evaporated yet.

         “Why did you do all of that for me?”

         He was surprised to find that he was surprised by the question. It forced her to be indebted to him and at the same time, it was taking Hannon’s annoying authority from him. That was the right answer, wasn’t it? Except that he planned on leaving her after they arrived at Ynhilay, so that wouldn’t have mattered. It must be power then. But no. He felt more powerless since he left the fortress with her than he ever did before she was there. Why did I do it? He stiffened and looked at her darkly. His reason of not being caged did not seem logical anymore. “To make things even.” He lied.

         The princess looked at him questioningly. “How so?”

         “I paid hannon back for years of aggravation and I murdered your companions. Consider my debt paid.” With that, he rose and walked to the other side of the campfire and sat with his back to her.

         Calya was not sure what to say or if she should say anything at all. So instead of speaking, she watched him, waiting for him to move, but he only looked up at the sky.

         Over the next couple days, Ynhilay came within sight and continued to grow larger and larger on the horizon, the massive mountains towering over the forest while also being part of the forest itself. They reached a small village, even smaller than Tant, on the outskirts of the forest. Fallon led them in, looking for a shop where he could purchase a change of clothing. He found a small shop in the middle of the tiny village and left his horse outside with Calya. “Wait for me,” he said as he went inside to look for something to replace his bloodied garments.

         Calya sat on her horse awkwardly and looked around, taking in her surroundings in every direction. The shop Fallon was in was hardly bigger than a single room hut. There were only dirt paths, barely wider than a person. There seemed to be a tavern next door, but even that was much smaller than expected. It looked as if only about fifteen people could sit inside at one time. A couple small children chased a group of chickens while a mother hollered after them, but other than that, the village was mostly quiet. There were only a few other people milling about, a woman with a basket here, a man speaking with a friend in a doorway. It was a cozy and yet, somehow lonely place to the princess. The mercenary exited the shop dressed in a dark blue tunic, dark brown riding breeches, darker brown boots and a lighter brown cloak with a simple metal clasp on the front. The navy tunic had a high collar, which the woman noticed, now covered his brand on the back of his neck. He also was pulling on navy gauntlets reinforced with dark brown leather and silver veining on the fabric as well as the leather. It was simple and so very different from his black cloak, black tunic with crimson embroidery, black breeches, black and crimson gauntlets reinforced with steel and inlaid with gold designs and his black boots topped with crimson and lined with iron. Apparently, he had also purchased a comb or something similar. His hair was brushed out and a little more under control. He handed the five tooth comb up to her. It looked more like a hair piece than a comb with its handle lined with angelfire and plated with gold, while the teeth of the comb were made of a wood material similar to bamboo.

         Calya looked at Fallon in confusion. He returned her look with a knowing glance as he threw the reins over the head of his mount, swung his leg over the saddle and turned his horse to go. “Don’t think too much into it. He said it was the only comb he had in the shop. He could have been lying to get me to leave since he looked extremely uneasy the moment I walked in. You lose or break it, you owe me more than your life is worth.” He was already trotting away.

         She smirked ever so slightly. Was that a joke? Did he just tell a joke? But there was no smile on his face when he turned to leave and she could not be certain. She urged her horse forward to catch up with him. Now that he was clean and groomed, wearing something other than black, and apparently making jokes, she couldn’t help but notice that he was not all that unattractive. There was no interest on her part, nor on his, but he was so rough and guarded before that he looked like a psychopath. Now he actually was beginning to look human, almost like he had a soul. Almost.

         When they passed the border to the trees, Fallon motioned for Calya to come close to him and stop. She did so, looking at him as his dark eyes scanned the treetops and the first few buildings that were before them. “Stay close to me. Our goal here is not a simple one and will most likely fail. Let me speak and do not leave my side under any circumstances.” She nodded continuing on with him further into the wood. They came to an inn with a sign that read The Shining Arrow Inn. Calya was about to pull her steed to a stop when Fallon shook his head and beckoned her to keep going.

         They kept riding past building after building; passing shops, markets, taverns and homes. There were forest angels along with visitors and merchants filling the market beneath the trees. There were winged children, more fair than any other race on all the lands. They were playing with one another, an intricate game of tag that required flight and agility rather than quick legs. Further in, there were more angel children playing hide and go seek, except they were hiding in the trees and on rooftops instead of on solid ground. The two travelers came to the edge of the buildings to where the forest was darker, the trees closer, the air different. Fallon took a deep breath and his horse danced nervously beneath him. He shot a glance over at Calya who was urging her horse to not back up or turn around as well.

         “Let’s go,” he said warily, his eyes searching for any sense of danger.

         The princess fought with her horse to ride beside the mercenary. “Why don’t the horses want to continue?”

         Still looking around at the trees and the landscape, he answered. “They know this forest is not normal. No one who enters here ever leaves unless guided by an angel. Which means no one ever leaves.”

         She swallowed hard and looked behind her. She no longer saw the village with the scattered few buildings at the entrance to this part of the forest. Ahead of her and to every side, the forest looked identical. If she made a few turns here and there, she would never find the way out. Glancing to the side at Fallon, she hoped beyond all hope that he had a legitimate plan and that his legitimate plan was not to commit suicide in order to take her out.

         The sound of wings came from their right. They both looked in the direction, but saw nothing. A flutter above them, but whatever it was disappeared before their eyes could spot it. Behind them the rustling of leaves lasted but a moment and faded before they could see the cause. Suddenly, four massive forest angels dropped from the treetops to the ground, surrounding them and spreading their enormous feathered wings on either side of them. Their bows were in hand and their arrows drawn. Another angel dropped down directly in front of Fallon’s horse. His horse bucked and jumped sideways. The man brought it back under control. Calya’s mount sidestepped, but was easier for her to handle.

         “What business do you have here, foreigner?” She said, her long blonde hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders, her features both breathtaking and ageless. Her hair fell to just below her hips. Her voice was smooth and gentle, yet demanding respect and obedience. Her bright, purple eyes could pierce right through a person’s very soul. She wore a light green tunic and light tan breeches with knee high tan boots topped with gold. Her green tunic had gold embroidery and on her forehead she wore jewels set into a golden headpiece. She had a chain around her neck, but whatever hung on it was hidden beneath her tunic.

         “We require assistance of a particular kind,” Fallon answered confidently. “The kind which must remain in secret for the time being. That which only a watcher like you can grant us.”

         She studied him for a moment. She must’ve felt a slight uneasiness in what she saw, or at least perceived of him, because she started to shake her head. But then she looked at Calya. Beneath the riding cloak, she caught sight of the royal crest. She studied the young woman’s face only a moment before her reservations seemed to lift. Calya could tell she recognized either her resemblance to the queen or the color of her eyes almost immediately. The watcher gestured to the other angels without removing her gaze from the princess. “Leave us,” she commanded them. In an instant, they had all taken flight, disappeared through the leafy roof, and the forest was silent once more. “What do you request of me, your highness?”

         Calya looked to Fallon for help. She had absolutely no idea why they were here or what they could accomplish by being lost beyond the borders of any map. He spoke up, “I need you to train her.” They both looked up at him, surprised.

         The angel’s look of surprise faded as she pondered his statement. “Dismount here and follow me with your horses while we discuss this. What exactly are you thinking?”

         He put his hand down for her to take hold of. His strong grip kept Calya from slipping back though he could not stop the tide of rocks from sliding under her feet. Fallon’s dark eyes searched the rocky landscape around them. He nodded forward. It was all pine trees and prickly shrubs this far up the mountain. Calya had seen no one since they left the small dwelling Ariah had allowed them to stay in. She was becoming more uneasy by the hour. Fallon turned aside from climbing, and pulled her onto a path leading into the trees.

They walked for some time in silence as Fallon mentally replayed Ariah’s directions in his head. A cave came up suddenly, and he turned toward it. The sun was beginning to set, casting scarlet rays across the sky above them like the fingers of a god. They reached the mouth of the cave and entered. Fallon stopped to let his eyes adjust, and heard Calya shifting nervously beside him. A moment later, he continued further into the cave. There was a low passageway that narrowed before opening up to a large dimly lit cavern. Fallon took their packs and moved to the center of the room.

         Calya’s eyes widened as she followed him in the grotto, struck breathless by the sight. The walls sparkled crimson throwing an ethereal light about the cavern which radiated from the Angelfire in the walls. A small waterfall poured from the far wall into a pool of water that turned into a stream leading across the back of the cavern and under a low piece of stone. Fallon dropped his pack on the ground and turned around slowly. This was something he had never even imagined. After some exploration, they rolled out their blankets given to them by the watcher and went to sleep.

         Skin sizzled as the smell of burned flesh reached his nostrils. A scream erupted from Jain’s throat, but laughter came from Fallon’s. He thrust the brand into the fire again. “Go ahead. Scream again.” His brother looked him in the eyes defiantly. His laughter stopped, and his smirk began to fade. He took hold of the hot metal once more and brought it near to his sibling’s throat. The other bit his lip and closed his eyes. “Okay, brother.” Satisfied, Fallon forced the brand forward. Tears streamed down Jain’s face, and blood seeped from his lower lip as no noise but the hissing of burning skin filled the room. Anger overtook him as he backhanded the boy and flung down the brand, lifting his sword.

         Fallon jerked upward and frantically looked around. The glittering gems in the walls seemed to be winking—mocking. His tunic was drenched with sweat, and his hair stuck to his forehead. He felt the back of his neck and pounded the ground in frustration. He wiped his brow and stood. He quietly walked to the edge of the shelter and stared up at the sky. His dark eyes reflected the magenta sky turned pink and gold. He sat outside under the fading stars, listening to the wind in the trees, and feeling the breeze in his shaggy hair. He let out a deep sigh, running his fingers through his black strands. What was he doing here? Why was he still around her? What did he hope to accomplish? His own questions spun round and round in his mind, plaguing him.

         A noise caught his attention from the side. Ariah alighted gracefully on a large boulder a yard away. He nodded curtly. “Is she awake yet?"

         He sighed and looked over the forest below. “Not yet.”

         She followed his gaze over her homeland as she spoke again. “We need to begin for the day. Did she sleep?”

         “From what I can tell. But look, I am not her keeper. I am helping her out, that is all. Once she is self-sufficient, I will be gone.” He had turned to go back into the cavern when she caught sight of the brand on the back of his neck.

         “So it is true,” she mused, an unreadable expression on her face as an ornery smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

         He suddenly felt self conscious - which was, of course, another first. “What is true?”

         “There are rumors that a top mercenary soldier abandoned his post with a prisoner. She was your prisoner, wasn’t she?”

         He met her stare. “What is it to you, angel?”

         “You watch yourself, Fallon,” she replied, her tone low and foreboding. “None of us like your kind here. You would have been shot down before you even had the slightest idea you were surrounded if we had known your identity when you entered here.” Her bright eyes bore into him and her face was grim. She seemed to be weighing the consequences of her actions now that she had new information. “Get her up and bring her down the hill to your left. You will come to a stone arena. It is our training ground. Remember, mercenary, one wrong step from you and you will not make it out of here again. Your life is in Calya’s hands. You had better hope she forgives anything you've done. Otherwise, I will kill you myself.” With one powerful downthrust of her great wings, she shot up into the air and flew off to his left.

         He walked back through the cavern until he reached where Calya lay sleeping. Walking to the back of the shelter, he quickly stripped and washed himself before hastily dressing and waking up the girl. When she gathered her things, he hurried her out and followed still more directions and soon reached the training ground. There were targets set up in the trees and an arena for sword fighting and hand to hand combat practice.

         Ariah sat on another boulder there as if she had been waiting for hours for them to arrive. “You first, Fallon. Swordsmanship is much more important than archery with her task at hand. I will take over once you have made sure she has a handle on swordplay.”

         Fallon shot her an icy stare. “That was not our agreement. The agreement was that you train her. Not me.”

         She seemed bored and uninterested in his upset. “Why would I train her with a sword and hand to hand combat when you are a master swordsman and fighter? That hardly makes sense. If you are truly intent on training her quickly and training her well, then you’d stop making it an issue and start working on it.”

         He growled in annoyance but waved Calya to jump down into the arena. She huffed as she stepped down into the training ring.

         “Don’t get messy; we need to use this ring again,” Ariah hollered, leaning back to observe.

         Fallon unsheathed his blade and stepped down behind Calya, wishing Ariah would just leave. She looked from him to the angel and back again. She pulled out her weapon with a little struggle. Fallon brandished his blade and began directing where to place her feet and how to hold her sword.

         When he finished instructing, he came at her. Astonished, she froze. He stopped mid-step and coached her in blocking techniques. Coming again with such force, Cayla brought up her sword to block, but he disarmed her in a moment.

         She retrieved her blade and glared at him. “Well that was helpful.”

         “You’ll learn. Do it again.”

         They practiced until she could no longer hold her blade upright. Throbbing pain coursed through her arms, shoulders, and chest. “I’m done,” she gasped, sweat pouring from her hairline.

         “Get up.”

         Calya squinted up at Fallon. “It’s been only an hour.”

         “Exactly.” She stood and followed him to the middle of the ring. He threw a punch at her, and she grabbed his arm and attempted to twist it. He peeled her hands off of his arm, and flipped her onto her back. “Good. You already have some basic knowledge even if you have no idea how to utilize it.” She gasped for breath and rolled onto her side. Glaring at him, she struggled to her feet. She felt like a rag doll being tossed around. He was ruthless and hard on her as if she was one of his military subordinates. It was obvious that he was enjoying this as he had back in her chamber. She noticed the torches around the arena, now that dusk was beginning to set in Ariah flew to light them. Fallon had mentioned the torches in Ynhilay were lit using angelfire. She was unsure of how it worked, but apparently, the gems could be used to make a flame somehow. Turning her attention back to Fallon and the ring, she readied herself to be thrown around some more.

         Calya’s muscles ached as she lay on the hard stone floor of the cavern. Fallon looked over at her then nodded to the pool by the back wall. “You should soak your muscles. I’ll give you an hour.” Her objection was completely ignored as he walked out. She stared at the small passage he disappeared into, then rolled her eyes and sighed.

         Fallon came out into the cool mountain air. Ariah dropped down in front of him. “You work her too hard.”

         “I need her to learn quickly.”

         “You can’t help her by crippling her. She’s not like you, Fallon.”

         He sighed, frustrated. “I know. And I hope she never becomes like me.”

         She gave him a weird look, but remained silent. “What do you want?”

         “What do you mean?”

         Her shoulders lifted slightly in a mild shrug. “You left Harta for a reason, didnt you? What do you want? What are you looking for that you did not find there?”

         A cold and miserable laugh spilled from his lips. “Freedom.”

         Ariah faced him and smiled sadly. “Until you know what freedom is, you will never stop searching. Freedom isn’t the escape from all rules, but simply working within the rules that benefit the whole.”

         She tripped his anger and he snapped at her. “Look, I don’t need you to explain freedom to me. I know what it is. And I know I didn’t have it there.”

         “Do you have it now?”

         He grabbed the hilt of his sword in a cautionary challenge, but Ariah simply inclined her head as if telling him to think about it, and then shot into the sky with one beat of her enormous, white wings. He hated her. He hated this place. He hated everything. It filled him, filled his veins and his thoughts. He wandered around for a while before heading back in order to give Calya her privacy. When he returned, she was sitting against the wall with her eyes closed. He stalked in, lay down and angrily forced himself to settle down and sleep.

         Fallon’s eyes shot open. He was sweating and his breathing was heavy. Another nightmare. Looking around, he quickly got his bearings. Calya was standing across the area strapping on her weapon and pulling her cloak on. What is wrong with me? He got himself up and followed suit, walking out of the cavern with her for another day in the ring.

         Fallon got Calya up early in the morning, their sparring put on hold for the week to work on endurance training. She got up, pulled on her boots, and clasped her cloak around her neck. This was day one of hiking to the peak. Her arms were still sore from the last training session. She muttered to herself as she followed Fallon out of the cave and over to the trail they were to follow. When the slope became too steep to hike, they climbed the uneven rock face to reach the peak. She climbed as best she could with her arms burning and her legs beginning to shake. To lose her grip meant certain death.

         They reached the peak in an hour and a half. He watched Calya scramble up behind him and stare, wide-eyed at the landscape she was sure no human had ever laid eyes on. Before them the mountain range stretched on, veering off to the north and south. Their right and left. In front of them, a second incredible mountain range ran off into the distance. It merged with two or three mountains in the Ynhilay Mountains and then diverged again. They saw distant lakes, rivers, valleys and forests. Even Fallon gazed in wonder. He scanned the horizon and everything all the way to where they stood. These were lands no human that they knew of had ever explored. The history of the Highlands and Lowlands wasn't so old that they couldn't assume their ancestors may have come from there at some point. Yet even so, the land before them felt otherworldly. It was beyond the reaches of any map and beyond the knowledge of mortal races.

         After what felt like hours, the two sat down to rest and prepare for their descent. Calya was the first to speak. “So… um… I did well climbing up here did I not?”

         Fallon didn't look at her. “You did not. You climbed so slowly, I could have found my way out of the forest and back to the peak in the time it took you.”

         “That was an unnecessary exaggeration.” She retorted in annoyance.

         “It would have been if I was exaggerating.” He never smirked, or looked at her. His stern expression was maddening.

         Calya was beginning to think he had never joked with her and that his sarcasm was actually just his disdain that he could not keep to himself. Maybe he thought that comb really was worth more than her life.

         Just as the thought came to her a mind boggling boom sounded in the distance, from the second mountain range. Subsequent booms followed for what seemed like a path heading in their direction. They both bolted to their feet, uncertainty mirror in their faces, their eyes glued to the peaks. Smoke rose from multiple places on the slopes of multiple mountains and then the trembling began. The booms ceased and the ground they stood on shook violently. Calya leaped to a flatter, more secure plateau near where they stood. She turned to see Fallon following. Then the ground gave way.

         The rocks cracked and the loose stone began to slide. The princess pressed herself up against a large tree behind her and screamed at the mercenary to jump. He did, but it was too late. The rocks fell away and he fell with them. Instinctively, he reached out his hand for Calya… and missed. Why he expected her to risk herself for him, he had no idea, but the instinct for survival was a powerful thing. He had abandoned hope and then he watched her lunge forward, grabbing him by the wrist as he dropped, catching herself with her other hand on a raised root. Her arms burned and felt as if they were being ripped from her shoulders as she caught his weight, but she held fast. He grasped at her arm with a second hand, looking down at the empty air below him.

         She can't pull me up, she's too weak, he thought to himself. His mind reeled. He did not feel panic, but fear certainly introduced itself for the first time in decades. He closed his eyes, swallowed hard, and waited for the deadly release of her grip.

         Then, as if by some miracle, she let out an ear piercing shriek, the adrenaline surging through her veins like the breaking of a dam. She pulled him up with one hand until he could pull himself up beside her.

         He watched her breathing heavily, her hand still gripping the tree root tightly. She was shaking and sweating profusely. He stared, confused. “I would have let you fall, you know.”

         “I know. Your life was in my hands for the second time.” She gave him a wry smile and rolled onto her back, away from the edge. Pain tore through her arms and shoulders, rippling down her back in sharp waves of agony. Being a half-breed certainly had its advantages, but being female in a life or death situation like this certainly did not.

         Fallon sat next to her, observing the pained look on her face as she lay with her eyes closed, her chest heaving. Tears had wet her eyelashes, but did not fall. He thought about how much he weighed. The pain she felt must be horrendous. He looked around then. The smoke they had seen was still rising, but had dissipated substantially. He was confused and angry for what felt like almost no reason at all. “Why didn't you save yourself all this pain and just let me fall?”

         Calya opened her eyes, grimacing from the excruciating pain and let out a bitter laugh. “You asked if I had ever been so enraged like you were with Hannon.” She paused for a moment to let him remember his question. “I have been with you. More times than I can count. I guess it was not enough of a reason to let go of you when I could do otherwise.” She closed her eyes again and gritted her teeth before continuing. “Should I have made a different decision?”

         The man just sat, staring dumbly at her, his thoughts jumbled for the first time in his life. “Yes. You probably should have.”

         She groaned miserably, but managed a reply. “Well, I guess that is the difference between us. We are as different as a maiden and a monster.”

         He looked back over the other range again, his jaw clenched. She could not have made a truer statement. And yet she still risked her life to save me. A minute later, he moved over to her and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her ribs to avoid causing further discomfort to her arms. She ground her teeth and breathed heavily. After propping her up against the tree he ripped the sleeves off her tunic and checked her arms. Purple lines ran across her shoulders and down her arms. Her muscles were badly injured. He cursed aloud and looked around to see if Ariah was searching for them. Walking to the edge of the drop off showed no sign of the watcher. He blew air out through pursed lips and walked back to where the princess lay. There was no way down anymore. The other side was a cliff with minimal places to grip and those were covered with moss. Running a callused hand through his dark hair, he looked back at Calya, she was nodding off, her head dipping down and bouncing back up, her eyes fluttering. The exertion had cost her more than she normally would have been willing to give had she had more time to think of the consequences of saving him a second time.

         He knelt beside her. “Stay awake.”

         Her head rolled back up and she looked at him. Her expression was full of despair and rife with anguish. “What… did we… just witness…?” she gasped.

         He glanced over his shoulder. The smoke was gone and everything was quiet and calm again. “I don't know.”

         He kept the girl awake for as long as he could before letting her fall asleep. She moaned and whimpered in her sleep. Her muscles twitched and each time caused her to grimace. He was just beginning to doze off when he heard a rush of wind. His head snapped around and his hand went to the hilt of his sword without a thought. A moment later, Ariah topped the cliff where the ground had collapsed.

         Fallon gave a bitter smile. “It's about time you showed up, angel.”

         She gave him a glare that could have been interpreted as either a threat or a warning. “In all honesty, I had hoped not to see you after the side of the mountain gave out. The quaking caused almost the entire side of the mountain to give way. The buildings at the base of the slopes were impacted. Since your presence here is a secret, I had to keep my priorities in line. I only searched the mountain for her.”

         “Of course. Why would I have thought otherwise? If she would allow it, you would have already ended me, wouldn't you?” His expression was wary, but worn.

         “I won't disagree.” Her face told him a much darker opinion than her words ever could.

         “She's injured. She needs medical attention immediately. She tore the muscles in her arms, shoulders, and back.” He nodded over to the sleeping princess as he spoke.

         “What did you do to her, mercenary?”

         For some reason he couldn't even understand, he became defensive. “I fell when the ground gave way. She caught me. Almost killed herself in the process.”

         Ariah studied the injuries on the young woman. “I'm sure you would not have done the same for her.”
         Fallon said nothing. He had said that very thing to Calya earlier. However, sitting here, next to her, being chided by Ariah, he wondered if he actually would have let her fall. Of course I would, he told himself, but something inside argued that he was lying.

         Fallon sat alone in the dark. The moon shone brightly and the stars twinkled. The landscape was brighter than anticipated, but even still, it was dangerous to move around too much at night. He had been waiting for what seemed like hours for Ariah to return. He did not really expect her to return. Like she had said, she was hoping he had been buried in the rock slide. He waited another thirty minutes before making up his mind to try to make his way down on his own. It was probably his only chance of survival now. He looked around on each side of the peak, hoping to find something other than sheer stone. One spot looked doable for a skilled climber. He was no beginner, but he was definitely no mountain climber either. Taking a deep breath and letting it back out, he began his precarious descent. He climbed down slowly, careful to not miss anything in the dark. Something moved over his hand and he fought the impulse to pull away.

         A yard or two more and he found himself unable to descend further. He tried to move back up, but the piece he had held onto broke away and he had to catch himself. He was trapped now. He laid his forehead against the cliff face. He did this to himself. He should have stayed on the peak. Cursing loudly, he cried out in self-hatred. “Stupid. How could I have been so stupid?”

         A voice answered him. “At least you admit it finally.”

         He tried looking back, but he had to give up so he could cling tightly to the stone. “Are you here to help or to watch me plummet to my death?”

         She smiled ironically. “I would love to watch you die, but unfortunately, Calya was calling for you in her delirium while receiving medical attention and I would not want to start off on bad terms with a monarch.”

         The mercenary gritted his teeth until he thought they would break. His arms and legs were shaking and his strength was ebbing away faster than he cared to admit. “Well?”

         “You have some strength left still. I am enjoying this immensely.”

         If he could have killed her, he would have. He vowed not to beg. If he fell to the slopes below, then so be it. A few minutes later, he lost his grip and free fell through the air.

         Arms swept him up under his armpits and he was hauled upwards. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was two meters from smashing to oblivion on the rocks.



         Calya opened her eyes two days later, looking around sleepily. She remembered that Fallon and she were trapped on the peak. Where was she? Where was he? She started to sit up in a panic, but a large, strong hand pressed her back down as she yelped from pain. She looked up again, and this time, the sleep had left her eyes and she saw him. Fallon sat beside her bed. After she lay back down, he reclined in his chair, lacing his fingers behind his head and resting one foot on his knee. He was too laid back for what they had just faced.

         He smiled, a falsely happy smile. “Remind me to dispose of Ariah when this entire business is finished.”

         “Fallon. That isn't funny in the least.” Calya eyed him coldly.

         “I completely agree. It wasn't meant to be.” His eyes were hard.

         Just then, the watcher walked through the door. “How are you feeling? It's good to see you awake.”

         “Ah,” Fallon interrupted coolly. “My next target just walked in.” He regarded her with such disdain that the princess thought he might actually try and kill her here and now.

         Ariah spun, a long knife held to the man's throat. “I suggest you shut your mouth and think twice before you open it again. I have been more than accommodating to you. I should have just let you hit the ground the other day. If it wasn't for her highness I would have.”

         In a flash, Fallon had swatted away the knife and held his blade ready. Calya was irate. “Both of you, stop it!” Ariah flicked her eyes to the young woman and Fallon, let a dark smile twist his lips before sheathing his sword and sitting back down.

         “For now,” he muttered arrogantly.

         Calya cleared her throat and turned to the angel. “Ariah. We heard booms and it seemed that they caused the mountain to shake. What was that?”

         The immortal pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. “We do not know. The other range we call the Knife Edge Peaks. They are beyond our lands. We do not venture there. It has happened once before that I am aware of. I think that may be dwarf land, but I can not be certain since dwarves live underground and by all known evidence, they are believed to be extinct.” She shook her head. “Your highness, you will have to stay here and recuperate.”