Reign of Embers

Chapter 7 - Come back to me

Chaol

I watch as Josefin storms off into the woods and smile, she's so much like her mum and all the women in our family - Stubborn. As she disappears into the ever darkening, spring flushed woods, I motion for one of the guards to follow her, collect wood, and return her to camp. I recognise the guard as Luke, the soldier who often teaches the kids fighting skills.

The next 40 minutes drag by painfully slow, even though we are full of motion, setting up camp, I worry. Josie should be back by now, I get concerned when she doesn't come straight back, but Dorian assures me that she'll be fine, that she probably just got distracted. However as those 40 minutes go on, we both begin to panic, even the guards start to feel uneasy.

I'm about to call for a few guards to go and look for them when the sound just stops. Nothing. As if even the wind is gone from the world. We all scan the surroundings but see nothing. I motion for our highest ranking officers to protect Aislinn and Asterin. They obey and we stand frozen in spot for a few heartbeats. I slowly make my way over to the 6 year olds, ready to check if they're ok, then Asterin's face drains of colour and she lifts up a pale finger, pointing at something on the edge of the forest. Aislinn starts to cry as I whip around to see if anything is there. Nothing. We're all on edge, and me and Dorian are trying to comfort our babies while not taking our eyes off the surroundings. The soldiers from a circle around us, protecting us against any intruders, but still giving us space. Then I hear it.

A scream.

Female.

High pitched.

Terrified.

Josie.

Without a second thought I hurtle through the wall of guards and rush towards the trees. No no no no. Josie no. Nothing can happen to her. It's my fault. I shouldn't have waited so long.

I hear pounding footsteps behind me. A low pulse of magic emanating from them - Dorian. He's screaming at me to stop, to think, but I can tell he's just as terrified.

I make it to the thick line of trees and start crashing through the undergrowth. Where is she ? I keep running. I hear another crash. Dorian. Followed by others. Guards.

"Josie!" I scream. " Josie! "

Nothing.

I keep running, tripping, ripping through the Oakwald forest. It feels like hours, but it's probably minutes, before I hear her again.

A scream. This time in pain.

"No." I breathe .

Full of rage towards whoever or whatever is causing my daughter pain, I rush towards the sound. But after a while, we're so deep in the forest that not even the stars can shine through. All of a sudden, I run into a hard wall of air. I pound on the wall, screaming, then feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn and snarl. But Dorian calls for us to stop and regroup.

"We can't stop! We have to find her! We have to find my baby, my baby girl!" I sob.

"I know Chaol but we're lost, and if we don't regroup then we may get hurt."

"But she's hurting! "

"Exactly, so something is hurting her, and whatever that is, it's dangerous. But Josie will be fine for another few minutes, she has Luke."

"But she's only 9." I struggle against the pain that courses through me when I think about how it's only a couple of months until her tenth birthday.

"And she's the strongest 9 year old I know."

"But she's scared and tired."

"Chaol, I know she's scared, but remember Evangeline was only a few years older than her in the war, and she was one of the key members of securing Aelin's throne. Never underestimate children, or they'll never know their full potential. "