Abandoned (Born From Shadows #2)

“I haven’t seen the coast since Faithorn,” Freya whispered. “I forgot how beautiful it was.”

“Quiet,” Riley replied from his crouching position. They both stood a fair way from the Elven town of Liella. It was more a city than a town, there were Elves everywhere and on the water’s edge stood beautifully crafted ships. One of which they had to find a way to sneak on.

Riley looked around at the docking area, that unlike Faithorn had more rocks than sand.

He sighed and leaned back against the tree, running one of his hands through his overgrown dirty blonde hair. “Let’s go,” he whispered to Freya.

His sister nodded and they too made their way back towards where Vivian waited with Ida.

“How was it? Is it busy?” Vivian asked once the two returned. She was sharpening her knives when the siblings got there.

“There’s a lot of Elves,” he answered.

“The King’s got everyone riled up,” Vivian replied and picked up one of her knives again. Continuing to sharpen the edge of the blade so that the bevel could shave to the bone. “Any Fae?”

Riley shook his head and walked over to Ida, patting the mare’s back. “That means the Commander’s probably trying to stay out of the war, considering Liella’s usually full of them. That’s good,” Vivian said.

“How are we going to do this? And what are we going to do with Ida?” Freya asked. Riley looked at his sister. She was yet to truly forgive Vivian. She still hadn’t forgiven herself for what happened to Kayter. But he could see the light slowly creeping back into her eyes. He can see that eventually, she will be able to move on, just not quite yet.

“Sneaking a horse onto a boat would be practically impossible. Plus, Zarenda isn’t the best for navigating on a horse. The thick jungle makes for narrow paths. Most Fae just fly above it.”

“So we leave her?” Freya said.

“Elves care for nature more than they care for each other. If we just let her go into the city, then I am sure someone will take care of her,” Vivian replied.

“I don’t want to risk that,” Freya replied.

“You don’t have a choice,” Vivian answered.

“There is always a choice,” Freya rebutted, her voice a bit more agitated now.

“Look, we will leave Ida. Vivian is right, Elves care about animals more than themselves, she will be taken care of,” Riley interrupted the two.

“We will never see her again,” Freya said looking at her brother.

Riley turned to the horse his hand was rested on. “Yes, but she will be safe.”

That horse had been through a lot with them, had been there since the beginning. It was Nik’s horse, and leaving her felt like leaving a part of Nik. But he needed to move on. This was the best option.

Riley looked back at Freya who seemed to be on the verge of tears. “Sometimes the best thing you can do is let go,” he told her.

“I-,” Freya struggled to reply. Battling between emotions and logic. “Ok,” she finally agreed. “But I want to say goodbye to her.”

“You’ll have time for that, Sunshine,” Vivian said, her voice a lot less stern.

“Now for the rest of the plan,” Riley stated. “Vivian, when you went into Dévellie you overheard that there would be a ship going out in eight days, which is now tomorrow. So that’s the ship we need to get on, the Overway. Freya and I spotted it, it’s the one with the slightly torn sails, close to the docking bay as its cargo is about to be loaded. Now we need a distraction. And I think I know a big one. I am going to go into town. As a human, the Elves would immediately start to hunt me, then-”

“Not going to happen,” Freya said interrupting him.

“Then you two will sneak onto the ship,” he finished.

“How are you going to get on?” Freya asked.

“I haven’t thought that one out yet,” he sighed.

“Ok, that’s a good start. I have a slightly better idea,” Vivian stated. “But I am going to have to draw energy from both of you.”

Riley looked over to Freya. “What is it?” he wondered.

After Vivian explained the plan the two of them agreed. Now they were all just waiting for the next day to come. Freya was staying by Ida’s side while he and Vivian sat on the floor.

“If this doesn’t work…” he started.

“It will work,” Vivian replied.

“If it doesn’t, protect her,” he stated.

“I think I have figured you out, Riley. Your grumpy facade doesn’t fool me. You love your sister, you will do anything for her, even if it kills you. Some may call that selfless, others may say it’s just love. But I think it’s because you don’t think you’re worth it. That she is the only thing that means anything to you. It’s not selflessness, it’s self-hate. She loves you, perhaps you should too,” Vivian said.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” he replied.

“No, but you need it,” she told him. Riley sat up and walked over to Freya, not wanting to hear any more of Vivian’s words.

Riley stroked his fingers along Ida’s main.

“I’m nervous,” Freya told him. “I’m terrified actually. I don’t want you, or Vivian…I don’t want you guys to end up like Kayter.”

“You’d be stupid not to be scared, but I also know that if we don’t do this we are dead. Sometimes we have to put feelings aside if we wish to survive,” he replied.

Freya was quiet for a moment, before saying, “Easier said than done.”

“What isn’t?” He rhetorically replied. “Have you said your goodbyes?”

“Not yet…I don’t know what to say to a horse,” she chuckled, but he could see the pain in her eyes.

“I’m sure you will figure it out, you always do,” he said just as the ground beneath his feet began to shake, a tremor in the earth. Riley grabbed onto the horse for support. It didn’t last for long, but it still confused the hell out of him.

“What was that?” he called over to Vivian. The Elf wasn’t just in shock…she was afraid. More scared than he had ever seen her. “Vivian, what was that?” he repeated and walked towards her.

Her face was pale, her body in shock. “It can’t…no.”

“Viv,” Freya said softly and placed a hand on her shoulder in concern. “What is going on?”

“When the earth shakes, hide for Eyraka is coming,” Vivian replied. Riley gave her a confused look. “That’s what people said in the final days of the war. Whenever the earth shook, the Elfir came and with it followed Eyraka, the inescapable darkness. If the ground is shaking…”

“It means the Elfir is awake,” Riley finished.

“Someone woke it up. We need to get as far as we can, no one is safe,” Vivian said.