Sun Queen

♛ Twenty-Six ♛

The Fold was quiet this time, like a forest when it snows. It felt oddly..... muted. Even the mare's hooves pounded against the ground without sound.

"I don't like this." Mal says, echoing my thoughts.

I try not to show him how worried or exhausted from the fever I am. "It's fine. The Fold normally sounds like this."

Mal isn't convinced, but he stays quiet. Half of an hour in and we still haven't seen a single volcra. We just keep passing the same dead trees and hills. I'm just glad we haven't seen any houses or villages. That's when I realize why the Fold is so quiet.

Something big enough has distracted the volcra.

And I don't want to find out what. I urge the mare forward, making our light a little dimmer to not to attract attention. It doesn't matter though, I'm sure the Darkling has sensed me traveling through the Fold already.

Now all we can hope for is a straight, quick path across. While we ride, I think about Fjerda and what Mal said. I know Fjerda's past with Grisha has been anything but kind. Still, it's the perfect disguise. I'm hoping we can throw the Darkling off and stay there for a few years. Who knows, maybe Mal and I can find another orphanage. A small nag of guilt shifts inside me at the thought, no matter how hard I try to ignore it.

As if reading my thoughts, Mal places his head into my shoulder. "You don't need to feel guilty about this Alina."

"How did you know?"

Mal smiles warmly, "You've got this look on your face." He outlines my eyes brows with his fingers and my skin cools to his touch, "Your eyebrows get furrowed," Mal pokes my lip tenderly, "You tuck your lip," then he looks at me in the eyes and I melt under his gaze. "And your eyes get this look inside them."

Suddenly the fever isn't the only thing making me so sweaty anymore. I clear my throat and make a small, "Oh."

Mal laughs and the moment is broken. I chuckle along with him, but his words still stick. I don't have to feel guilty, right?

"Heads up." Mal cuts in.

I look ahead and sure enough, the Fold is starting to gray. I give the mare a little kick to propel us forward and soon enough and shadows are sliding off of us. It's as if a bolt of energy soars through us and our spirits. My lights flickers out immediately and we both soak up the sunlight, gray as it may be.

We find ourselves trotting through a lengthy field of dewy grass. I almost want to bend down and kiss it's prickly green head. Mal pulls out the map and I slow the mare as he inspects it.

"We're still a good four days journey from Fjerda, but we should make a stop along the way."

"Why?" I ask, but secretly I was praying we stopped. Riding with a fever makes everything a million times more sore. I doubt I could even get off the horse at this point.

Mal raises an eyebrows to me, "Not everyone is as comfortable with riding for four days straight as you are. Besides," he puts the map away and takes a deep breath, "I want to enjoy the sights."

"While we run from a powerful, psychotic Grisha who will stop nothing to kill you and capture me." I deadpan.

Mal jumps off the horse and pulls her to a complete stop. "Lighten up Alina." He jokes, but I can tell my words effected him. He holds a hand out to me, "Let me take the front for a while."

I shake my head, reminded again of my aching legs. Mal wiggles his eyebrows and suddenly dives for my waist, wrapping his arms around me gently. He pulls me down the saddle. I squeal and smack at his head, trying not to show my laughter. Or how much I'm gasping for air.

Mal hoists himself up and takes my arms, putting them around my waist. I roll my eyes, but I lean my head against his tight back. I focus on his earthly familiar scent of home to ignore the headache. I don't even feel the mare start running. I don't really fall asleep, but I do stay in the same vegetive state for the rest of the ride.

It was strange how persistent this fever was, never getting better or worse. At this point, I was nervous. I was never especially sick as child, so why was I being so affected? Hopefully there would be a healer in the village we'll stop at. Otherwise.....

The ride fades away as my thoughts dim in the pain squeezing my body.

༶•┈┈ ♛ ┈┈•༶

We ride through the day. I feel like the mare might as well be riding across my body and smashing it to pieces. Mal has started to notice my weakness and I can tell it worries him.

He's found a small lumber village we can stay at, then we'll continue the rest of the three day journey. Once he leaves the inn room, I sink further into the tight-sheeted bed and groan. My legs feel broken, hurting with a stiff kind of pain. The fever rages on, now much stronger. I honestly don't know what I am going to do. I need help at this point.

Mal returns by evening, loaf of bread in his hand and an apple. I eye them both with no interest, my stomach protesting at the thought of food. Mal gives up trying to get me to eat and lets me sleep.

"We'll leave for Fjerda in the morning. I've already mapped the route." His voice breezes through. Mal is standing by the window, watching every shadow down the street.

I mumble in response and pull the sheets up to my nose, breathing in the clean, clear smell. "Good night."

"Good night." He whispers back.