Page 9 of Their War

“When’s Brannoc supposed to get back?” Lennox asked Arryn for what felt like the hundredth time in just over an hour. Arryn’s patience was running thin, too, and that was saying something. Usually, I was the one to lighten the mood, but without Rhowyn, I just couldn’t seem to find my joy anymore.

“He’ll be back in the next hour. He was going to check in with Juniper, but that may take some time since she can’t speak out in the open and has her duties to keep up with. You know this. Asking over and over won’t make him move faster,” Arryn said, trying to maintain his calm.

Callum remained seated on the cot opposite me, barely speaking since we’d been holed up here. His response to the events that led us here was the most surprising. As someone who had pushed and argued with Rhowyn at every turn, he was taking her separation hard, returning to the stoic man he’d been before. It wasn’t until he’d regressed that I recognized the subtle changes she’d brought about with him. He’d always been the silent, broody type, but now he was sinking into a depression that only Rhowyn’s return could fix.

I watched everyone, doing anything I could to keep my mind from dwelling on Rhowyn’s absence, and it seemed that I was the only one who was having a physical reaction. I knew the others struggled, the Consort Bond faint due to the distance, but we knew that she wasn’t being harmed. Bored and angry, yes, but no pain outside of her missing each of us. I think that was the hardest part. Knowing she missed us as much as we missed her, and yet, there was nothing we could do.

Suddenly, the room burst into a cloud of smoke that cleared to reveal Brannoc standing before us. “We need to go now.”

All of us stood at the urgency in his tone, fear spiking in my chest. “What’s going on?”

“The Royal Guards are searching this area of the village. We can’t depend on Gerard or his staff to not reveal us. Besides, they’re gearing up for the final trial, which is supposed to be a physical one.”

“She can’t go into the trial alone; she wouldn’t survive,” Lennox said, speaking the words we were all thinking.

“She can and is. I think that’s the Queen’s intention. If Rhowyn doesn’t survive, then there’s no need to find a way to deal with her.” Brannoc said, “All of this can wait, because we need to move now. They were only a couple of blocks…”

A knock on the trapdoor sounded out, different to the pattern that Gerard usually used. Silence engulfed the room as we each stood and readied our weapons, preparing for what was on the other side.

The door flung open. “Well, look what we have here,” a guard said from the top of the stairs to his fellow soldiers who had gathered behind him. I counted four total, but there was no telling how many more were in the room beyond what we could see.

Arryn looked at us before communicating wordlessly with Brannoc. It took all of a few seconds, but we got the message loud and clear. Our only way out was to fight through these men.

Brannoc shifted into his Raven form, swooping up the stairs and directly into the face of the head guard, causing them all to stumble back in shock as they swatted at him pointlessly. Taking advantage of the distraction, we surged forward as one, Callum leading the charge and clearing the way for the rest of us to come up the stairs behind him. The tiny stockroom didn’t give us much room to fight, but we eventually got all six of them subdued.

Brannoc returned to his human form just as Gerard rushed into the room. “I’m sorry, boss. Lydia must ‘ave caught on to what we were doing, and she told them guards that you’se were there.” His face was red as if he’d raced here as soon as he’d heard, his broad chest heaving and eyes wide as he apologized.

“It’s okay, Gerard, but you’ll need to make yourself scarce for a little while. They’ll know you were hiding us and won’t hesitate to punish you for that.”

“Aye, boss. I’m getting packed up now. I’ll head ta one of our secondary locations. Good luck. Get yer Chosen back safely, we need her ta knock the Queen off that high horse of hers,” he told us before he rushed off to safety.

He would probably lose everything for helping us, and I couldn’t shake the shame that we had brought this down on him. It wasn’t just my own disappointment that I felt, but also the knowledge of what our people had allowed our world to become. Good men like this were now paying that price for everyone, and yet, he hadn’t shed any tears over losing everything. I vowed to myself then that when we finally succeeded in getting Rhowyn on the throne where she rightfully belonged, we’d make it right with Gerard and all those who risked everything because it was simply the right thing to do.

“Come on,” Brannoc said, peeking out the stockroom window to the alley behind the tavern. “We need to move quickly if we’re to help Rhowyn.”

Opening the door, he led us down the alley, pausing at the end of each building to check the corners for more guards. Remaining silent until we got out of that quadrant, no longer catching sight of any Royal Guards, we finally slowed to a walk and tried to blend into the crowds that were going about their days, unaware of the fight that was taking place around them. The one that was for the very future of their land. I couldn’t necessarily blame them since most were more concerned about how to make ends meet from day to day than the politics that took place among those with too much free time on their hands.

“So, what’s the plan?” Callum asked Arryn, his head darting from side to side as he searched for any threats.

Lennox leaned into him, and whispered, “Try not to look so conspicuous. You stand out like a sore thumb.” Callum’s large frame easily dwarfed most fae, and his Autumn coloring wasn’t as common in the area anymore. Add to it his fierce gaze at everyone that passed as if they were the ones holding Rhowyn prisoner, and he was indeed drawing looks from frightened villagers.

In response to Lennox’s instructions, he frowned down at the slighter man, nodding before taking a deep breath and relaxing, hunching his frame and keeping his eyes downcast so as not to appear as intimidating.

“Find where they’re holding the trial and help Rhowyn,” Arryn said in response to Callum’s question, not bothering to look at us as he looked around with more subtlety than Callum had.

“Gee, all that planning, and that’s the best we’ve got?” Lennox snarked.

“What do you suggest?” Arryn retorted.

“You guys wait here. I’ll do some scouting and see what I can find,” Brannoc suggested calmly, his face a stoic mask of indifference. If it hadn’t been for his previous actions, I’d question his loyalty and devotion to this mission. However, he stood by Arryn without even asking for anything in return.

Arryn nodded, and Brannoc disappeared into the shadows. Turning my attention to the crowds, I realized a market was nearby. An idea came to mind. “Let’s pretend to do some shopping and see what we can hear?”

Arryn looked torn about waiting for Brannoc to return or doing as I had suggested, before finally saying, “It’s a good idea. However, you two,” he said, pointing to Lennox and Callum, “should stay here out of sight. Both of you stand out. If Brannoc returns before we have, send him to find us.”

“Will do,” Lennox said as Callum’s eyes continued to search for hidden threats while they waited for our return.

Not waiting any longer, Arryn and I headed to the market’s entrance. “We should split up. See if we can get any of the stall owners to part with their gossip,” I said.

---