The Remains of Dawn

Chapter Eight

Oriel held onto Tassian's hand as they flew through the rest of the night. They were flying fast and winding through trees causing them to gain more miles between them and the Queen. They reached the border of their kingdom by sunrise. Tassian found a large tree and landed on a branch causing Oriel to land on another one beside him.

"We need to stop and rest, Tassian," Oriel spoke after a moment of silence.

Tassian nodded in agreement. "After we cross our border, we'll be in unknown territory for us."

Oriel reached out and felt the presence of other human beings. None of the presences gave any warning of danger. For now, they were safe. "We should stop at an inn. We'd get rest if we were able to sleep comfortably."

Tassian looked over at her. "We need to be discreet, Oriel."

"I know," she answered slowly. "The people here aren't afraid of the Queen. They run their own lives here. They won't turn us in."

Tassian shook his head. "You trust people too easily, Eagle."

Oriel shrugged her shoulders. "I've yet to feel an unwanted presence. None of them feel like danger." She stepped off the branch and hovered in front of Tassian. "We need good rest, Tassian. If we're able to find a town, we can restock our supplies. We can protect ourselves anywhere we go. You've got my back, and I've got yours." She held out her hand towards him.

He sighed as he grabbed her hand and let her drag him off of the branch and back into the air. They knew where the guards were going to be and were able to avoid them safely as they crossed the border. They flew quickly into the neighboring forest and landed on the ground.

Oriel looked around her and noticed quickly that it was darker here than the forests in their kingdom. Even though the sun was high in the sky, the trees were so close together that they blocked the light from coming into the forest. The forest wasn't very wide. They could see the edge on either side of them, but they weren't able to see where the forest ends. The trees were tall and thick with foliage. Short, dark grass grew on the forest floor. Different colored mushrooms sat clumped together at the base of each tree. She reached out trying to feel if anything was living in the forest but found nothing. No animals lived in this forest making her wonder how they were gonna get any food. While the forest was strangely quiet, it was strangely beautiful to her.

Oriel felt Tassian grab her hand and pull her out of her trance. She looked over at him and nodded. They continued through the forest making sure that they stayed in the more shadowed areas. Oriel made sure to feel out for a town presence, but she never felt a town. There were farms on either side of the forest surrounding small houses. She had thought about stopping at one of the houses, but she knew that Tassian wouldn't approve of stopping.

They walked in the protection of the trees for another half hour before they stumbled upon an abandoned farmhouse. The house was extremely small, possibly a one-room house. The stone was covered in moss and vines while the wooden roof had holes in it. The door was halfway off of its hinges and laid lazily off to the side inviting them in. The path leading up to the house was filled with weeds. The flower gardens lining the house were wild and overgrown.

Oriel turned towards Tassian. "This may be a good place to stop for the day."

Tassian nodded and proceeded to unsheathe one of his swords. He held onto her hand as they kept moving towards the house. He walked into the house first and after looking around, deemed it safe. "I'll try to fix the door."

Oriel nodded as she stepped past him and into the house. The floors were dirt and the walls plastered in dried, hard mud. It was exactly a one-room house. The holes in the ceiling weren't big enough to worry about the moment. The wooden furniture was overturned making Oriel think that the people who lived here before were forced out of the house. She found a single bed along the wall to her left and sighed. She walked over to the overturned table and placed it upright, setting their bags on top of it.

Oriel turned around and saw that Tassian was able to fix the door and closed it behind him. He came to stand beside her and placed one of his swords on the table. "Were you able to feel for any animals out in that forest?"

Oriel shook her head. "No. It was strangely quiet."

Tassian sighed. "We've been without food before. We'll be fine." He looked around and spotted what used to be a dresser sitting beside the door. He walked over to it and pushed it so it was in front of the door blocking anyone from getting in. "You can take the bed, Eagle, I'll sleep on the floor." He took the blanket out of his bag and handed it to her.

Oriel wrapped it around herself and nodded in agreement. She walked over to the bed and laid down, resting her head on her arm as a pillow. Tassian laid down in front of the bed on his back. Oriel watched him close his eyes and noticed how his breathing slowed. She still felt responsible for Dyso's attack. She needed to figure out a way to feel his presence. She knew the next time they meet Dyso, he'd be able to get them.

"Quit thinking about it, Eagle," Tassian broke the silence causing Oriel to jump. She looked back down at him to see him looking at her. "You need to stop dwelling on it and figure out how to fix it. He's just another obstacle in our way."

Oriel smiled at him as she nodded and held out her hand to him. He took it and allowed her to pull him up onto the bed. She shifted over making room for him. He laid down on his side, facing her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her closer to him as she rested her head against his chest.

"We'll be free soon, Eagle."

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Dyso opened his eyes to bright light. He lifted his hand to block the light and sat up slowly. His body hurt. He looked down at his hands and saw that his knuckles were bloody and starting to bruise. He reached up and flinched as he touched his nose and lip. He tasted iron in his mouth, knowing that he must have bitten his tongue in his fight with Tassian.

He failed. He failed to bring the traitors over to the Queen. He could go back and report to the Queen or continue to hunt for them. He chose the latter.

Dyso slowly stood up and leaned against a tree, holding his side. He cringed at the pain his body felt. He knew fighting Tassian would be tough. He knew he would have to kill Tassian to get him to comply. What he didn't expect was that he would have to kill Oriel as well. He leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes. He never wanted to hurt her; he wanted her.

When the three of them were training as children, they were inseparable. They were comfortable with each other causing them to predict each other's moves. He always thought that he and Oriel had a special bond, but he was wrong. He had thought that Queen Krathys would have put him and Oriel together, but he was wrong. Dyso had never noticed the looks that Oriel and Tassian would exchange with each other. Dyso was paired with a partner, but he never connected to her the way that he connected to Oriel.

To get Oriel, he must kill Tassian. Now he wouldn't be letting Oriel out his sight making it even more difficult for Dyso to sneak upon them. He's going to need more help if he was to succeed and he knew where he needed to go.

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Author note: Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a comment and a vote. Thank you!