post 7

The silence was broken by Honey’s abrupt whining. She rose on her hind legs and pawed anxiously at the ground. Moments later, there was a rapping at the front door. Cassia quickly hid the dagger in the pocket under her tunic. Archia rose and walked through the tunnel into the front room. Cassia followed.

A tall, lean man with floppy brown hair was peering through the window. When he spotted Archia and Cassia, he snapped to attention. When Archia opened the door, he snapped a salute. “Good evening, Ma’am, miss.”

“Hello,” Archia said cordially, “How may I help you?”

“I have a letter for Cassia Graystone?” Cassia stepped forward. The messenger held out a sealed envelope. “This is from your father. He says that you no longer need to contact the Armet. Things have settled, and he wishes that you would come home.” He held out a sealed envelope. “He also sent this.”

Cassia glanced at the seal, noting its silvery sheen, and the Owl mark pressed into the wax.

Dearest Cassia,
I was thankfully able to reconcile with the Junior Counselor Tempest. As the Armet are no longer needed, I ask that you come home. Hopefully my messenger has been able to intercept you before you have gone too far. Your mother is beside herself with worry.
With love,
Father

Cassia looked up at the man. She realized that he was perhaps Thad’s age, or younger. His hair hung slightly longer than usual, a style popular with students and cavalry men in Arche city. He was wearing a typical horseman’s jersey, and trousers, but his shirt was lighter, more suited for a day of study than hard riding. Meanwhile, Archia finished reading over her shoulder.

Archia frowned. “That’s it? The conflict was resolved…just like that?”

The messenger shrugged easily, “the whole of Arche City was shocked. It was actually Counselor Tempest that made the first peace offering.”

Cassia felt a small shiver pass through her. Her father had always fumed about Counselor Tempest’s and his son’s stubbornness.

One afternoon about a year ago, he had stormed into the house and gathered the children of the household to him. “Tempest and his son – are the most hard headed, imbecile in Arche – in the entire continent!” He met each child’s eyes, from his own childrens’ to those of the children of his servants and his siblings. “When Tempest dies he will be replaced by his son, who is only a puppet to his ideas. Do not ever give in, and never underestimate them. If something should ever happen to me, or your parents, you must all find one another, and above all, never join with him. Never trust his sneaking words, never take his peace offerings, because they are all tricks to further advance the cause that he will not let go of!”

Then he had stalked out of the room. Cassia remembered looking around at the twenty-odd people around her. Thad and Archia had been there, as well as little Padrig. Thad, the oldest there, had nodded, as if to confirm his father’s words. Afterwards, everyone had become subtly closer. They were bound in an unspoken pact, to protect and defend one another. People of the same age trained together, Cassia remembered that her father’s sister and brother had taken their children away when his feud with the Counselors had become known, and others, including Frida and Pent, also fifteen and the sword master’s twins, had been sent on various errands and journeys to other parts of Arche. Perhaps, if she returned, she could find out what happened while she was gone from Weir, who was fourteen and one of the few that stayed behind.

She nodded. “I’ll go pack.” The messenger nodded, and stepped outside. Archia closed the door and followed Cassia through the door and the tunnel.
“You’re not actually going to go with him, are you?” she hissed as they ascended the stairs.”

“I don’t know,” Cassia admitted, “but I know that something is not right.”

“So you’re going with him?” Archia grabbed her arm and glared at her. “You know what could happen to you?”

“I’ll just go with him for a little while. And keep my eye out.”

Archia’s eyes flashed. “It is extremely dangerous. You know that.”

Cassia forced a smile, “I’m from the Graystone household. As are you. Need I remind you that we were trained in surveillance, tracking, and combat?”

“Need I remind you that the training is only cursory and no match for a real fighter?”

Cassia ignored her. “You know

“I need to find out what’s going on.”

The messenger was standing by two grey horses. “Are you coming?” he asked.

Cassia nodded, and swung up on the shorter of the two horses. She adjusted her pack, making sure Honey was safe.

The messenger held out his hand his friendly brown eyes twinkling at her. “My name is Stan, by the way.”

Cassia smiled and shook his hand. They trotted slowly out of the city. Once on the road, they rode in silence for a while. Cassia threw him a sidelong glance. He kept his eyes on the road, and seemed lost in thought.

Cassia stared at her horse’s mane. She wondered if she should say something.
The air suddenly rang with wild whopping. Stan’s head whipped up and his horse whinnied in panic. The forest around the road bristled with lanky elfin men, their prominent ears tipped with piercings. They surrounded the two riders, brandishing lethal metal spears before them in a ring.

Each man wore a leather tunic that was studded with metal bits. One of them, square jawed with blond hair and a red ribbon on his spear, straightened and addressed Stan. “My name is Atropos, leader of the Elfin Brotherhood. The girl must come with us. You will be unharmed.”

Cassia glanced at Stan, who had paled slightly at the sight of the spears. He was likely a student, she guessed, and a messenger, not a fighter at all. He replied, “My mission is to bring her to Arche City.”

Atropos bared his teeth against his lean, sharp features. “And mine is to prevent you from doing so. Obviously we have conflicting objectives. Will you give her to us? Or must we kill you?”

Cassia felt Honey twitch. She put a hand in her sling to prevent her from making a sound. Male elves were not known for their kindness towards animals. When they encountered riders, they often robbed the people and slaughtered their horses for meals. They had no need for horses. They could run just as fast and were just as enduring.

Stan’s eyes shifted from the glinting spears to Cassia, though he did not meet her eyes. He sighed in submission and nodded. Atropos grinned, and began to walk towards Cassia. She felt the leather sheath of her dagger under her tunic, but there was no way to reach it in its pocket in time. She thrust aside panic. In the corner of her eye, she saw Stan’s fingers curl around something. Then the air was thick with smoke. The elves cried in dismay and anger. She felt her horse snort as a hand grabbed the reins. Without sight, she had no choice but to cling to her horse’s mane as she was carried out of the din. Someone burst into view. It was Atropos. His eyes shone with a wild light as he reached for her. His spear was upraised in his right hand. Inches from Cassia, his fingers were stopped. His eyes bulged as he realized that he could not pass. He could only watch in shock as Cassia disappeared into the smoke.

She emerged, feeling claustrophobic. She met the brown eyes of her rescuer. Stan looked at her solemnly. “We have to go,” he said. Cassia nodded and urged her horse into a gallop behind Stan.