The Hero of Brookshire

Chapter Eleven

An overwhelming sadness lingered inside Amere. He felt his heart unnaturally begin to beat. Adrenaline ran through his whole body. Endless streams of tears ran down Amere's cheeks and rolled onto his lips. He thought about his sister and Fenyl.

Was running away to avenge them later the right thing to do? Amere felt a worsening guilt. A guilt that he had left his only family to die. Amere thought of why he should have stayed with them in their final moments. To him, at least they could die together in each other's presence. At least his conscious could rest easier. However, it wouldn't. He wondered if it ever would.

Amere noticed his surroundings had changed. He was now on a rocky mountain path. The voices of the angry mob had become silent. He felt a hand still over his shoulder, remembering Ewyn.

"We're safe, at least for now," said Ewyn, taking his hand off of Amere's shoulder before scanning around the area. "I teleported us as far as I could think of away from Theron's guards and the villagers."

Ewyn looked over at Amere, seeing the sobs on his face.

"Amere, I know you're upset right now after everything that has happened, but—"

"Save it," said Amere. "I should've stayed with my sister and Fenyl."

"And die to the fire or angry mob?" asked Ewyn questioningly.

"At least we would've died together. Now we're stranded in the mountains."

"I'd imagine the worst we could encounter are dire wolves and bears."

Amere shook his head.

"The wildlife isn't the only thing living out here in the mountains."

"What do you mean?"

"Bandits. Rivals to the Red Skull Marauders live out here. If they see us, especially me, they'll kill us."

"Why would bandits be after a child?"

"I'm not just anyone. I'm the one who's father defeated their leader many years ago. Plus, before Utorg died, we went on a mission to pay the bandits and their leader a visit for selling Red Dust without paying dues to Greigut. Let's just say it only made things worse for me."

"Then we must stick together while we look for a way out of the mountains."

"This is crazy. I'm no better here with you than back in Brookshire with my sister and Fenyl."

"And if you had stayed with your sister and Fenyl, you would have surely been killed by the fire or by the angry mob. Look, I know things may seem bad right now, but I've seen great things lying ahead for you."

"Like what? Getting lost in the Corgate Mountains? Being killed by bandits? Or being eaten alive by the dire wolves and bears?"

Amere could feel the tensed up fury in his bones. How dare Ewyn even suggest to him great things were on the horizon. Amere thought to himself if that horizon included the mountain they were on, then yes, he could see something for sure. He grit his teeth as his chest clenched itself.

"I'd be a little more grateful if I were you, dear boy. That's all I'm trying to say."

"Well, let's get a move on. It's more dangerous to hike around the mountains in the evening than in the morning."

"Do you know your way around the mountains?"

"To a degree. Before Utorg died, he and I were ordered by Greigut to spy on the bandits here from time-to-time."

"I see."

"Where are we going after we're off the mountains?"

"To an old friend of mine. We need to recruit him and his tribe of elves in order to add them to our army to defeat Theron," said Ewyn. "But first, we have to get off this mountain."