Child of Legend - Volume 2

Chapter Two

I was on edge as we walked out of the building, knowing someone was watching me, I could feel their eyes burning into the back of my head.

"Stop being so tense," my partner muttered, probably not wanting to draw any more attention than needed to us.

I relaxed my bones making them more loose, "Right sorry."

As we got to a market we split up, it was easier to travel on your own than with more people.

I made a turn into an alley, finding a duffel bag that had been hidden with a change of clothes for me, "Shouldn't be walking into dark corners on your own darling, never know what could be creeping."

"Well lucky for me the dark is a friend, can't say the same for you Sobachka," I responded turning around to face the fallen prince.

"You wouldn't hurt me," he scoffed.

I shrugged, "Depends on your motives, and judging by those two creeps hiding behind me, their not looking so good right now."

"Call it a fail safe."

"A fail safe for what, exactly?" The alley was starting to feel suddenly small, imposing, the walls climbing too high, the bricks too red almost as if covered in blood.

Blood, so much blood, images of bodies lain limp on the floor flashing through my brain, so many friends, familiar faces I had once seen every day.

His voice snapped me out of my trance, "Tells us where Alina is."

"Since when were you so serious," I muttered, he'd changed, the once laidback sarcastic boy was barely there anymore. The pristine prince with perfect hair now had a slight slump, tired bag under his eyes, hair grown out and messy.

He seemed to pick up on me inspecting him as he straightened up, running a hand through his hair and putting on a pretty convincing smile, "Where is she Rena. The palace? Some off site property? Where is he hiding her."

I could hear the footsteps of his friends getting closer behind me, "Tell them to back off Nikolai," he did nothing, "This isn't funny Nik," I didn't want to hurt them, I didn't, but if they didn't stop soon I'd have no choice.

"She's the only hope left Rena, please, I'm asking you nicely. If you don't tell us we have to bring you in, and trust me there are people who would do anything for Ravka, as would I."

"Look Nikolai," I stepped forward but was met with someone grabbing my shoulder in warning, I glared at them before turning back to Nikolai, "I don't know where she is, but you need to leave right now, you can't get caught."

He looked so defeated, this poor boy forced to grow up so quickly, burn out soon to take over, "Why're you still with him?"

"What?" I made a confused face.

"The Darkling, after all he's done you're still there, why aren't you fighting? Surely you don't believe he's in any right state of mind."

"You don't have a clue what I've been through, what I'm doing. If I were to leave he would go mad with rage, betrayal, Ravka would be in ruins. And no matter what you might think of him he is still my father, I wasn't going to leave him while he was sick, fighting for his life."

Nikolai scoffed, "Family or not I would never stand with such a monster, I-"

I huffed a laugh in disbelief, "Your one to talk, but no of course, Lantsov was such a great man, never laid a finger on anyone."

Nikolai looked taken aback, "You have no right-"

"I have every right," I responded, "He was the tsar, Nikolai, he was meant to protect the people of Ravka, they were meant to look up at him, at your whole family, with pride. You had to have seen his faults, Sturmhond did better at protecting this country than him."

I gave him a knowing look, there was only so far you could go to protect that man and he knew it too. "Last chance Rena, where is she."

I sighed, why didn't he believe me? "I told you, I don't know, please don't make me do this-"

A sharp whistle from down the alley, Nikolai cursed under his breath, "They're coming."

He looked back to me but it was too late, I already had my hands free and got out of reach of his crew, "There's only so much I can do Nikolai," I said, shadows creeping up the wall, "I can hide you but your buddies here, their gonna have to run. That or I can cut them in half, their choice."

How easily one could inflict fear into an Otkazat'sya, the two gulped then turned to Nikolai, "Run," he simply said, "I'll meet you at the boat," they didn't need more than that to get going.

"You too," I said to him. He squinted at me, "I said I could hide you, don't worry they won't see you, now go, I can already feel the privilege leaking off you."

He looked up in silent laughter, "Until next time Rena, don't forget to run after us, yes? Make it more believable, I do love a good show."

I smirked as he ran off, his body disappearing from view and quickly followed.

A pair of hands grabbed me as I emerged from the alley, on instinct I grabbed it pushing whoever it was against the wall, "Relax, relax, it's just me. Let go, ow."

I stepped back and took a deep breath, "Sorry, I didn't meant to- nevermind."

The Squaller dusted off their kefta, "What's taking so long, who were they?"

At this moment I was thankful there was no Heartrender around to sniff out my lies, "Just some street thugs, probably ran off when they saw my kefta in the bag."

The Squaller was sceptical but keen to get out of the open street, "Alright get it on then, let's go."

Back at the cart everyone was to count for, seven in and seven out. The cart started moving when we got in sight, jumping on as we caught up.

We went down a rickety farmers passage, setting up camp in one of the abandoned barns, I had volunteered to go up to the farmhouse to ask the old man and his wife's permission, stating to the others that we couldn't just take and use as we pleased.

"It's stupid," Dimitri had insisted as I opened the creaking wooden gate, "They don't even use it, most likely."

I ignored him as I knocked on the door. After a few moments the door slightly opened and a man leaning on a walked stick peered through the gap, "There's no kids here," he proclaimed.

"Oh no sir, I'm so sorry to bother you but that's not why we're here," he narrowed his eyes but opened the door more so we could fully see him.

He had a wrinkled face, crows feet around his eyes and mouth from a life of laughing and a slightly ragged grey beard, his hair was mostly gone and his head was slightly burned from the sun.

"I was just wondering if we may have your permission to rest in that old barn in one of your old fields for the night, we have a long journey tomorrow and would like a safe place to sleep," I tried to give him a friendly smile but saw as his face fell when he took in the colour of my kefta.

He called to his wife in Shu and she came up behind him, the same smile lines and wrinkles mirrored on her face.

"Ma'am," I greeted her with a nod, "We only plan to stay for a night, and we'll be gone before you even know it," I assured them.

The old man humphed and the woman swatted him with her towel, "Oh don't mind him darling, of course you can, come in for a moment and I'll give you something."

She had the bedtime story granny feel around her, always there for a hug with sour sweets in her purse, "Oh no, we really don't mean to intrude."

"Don't be ridiculous sweetheart, look these are fresh out the oven and old Alexi here will just be getting fat on them, take some for your friends as well dear," before I knew it an old wicker basket was pushed into my arms, fresh scones and pastries making up its contents.

She ushered me out the door before I could protest any more, I turned to her once more, "Thank you for your generosity, ma'am," and started to walk away.

"Anything for the tsarevna of Ravka," I heard her say.

I began to turn again, "Oh I'm not-" but the door was already closed.