Only You

Risks we Take

Aelin and Fenrys had been in Suria— a port closest to Terrasen— while they had waited on Lorcan to arrive. From there the three of them had planned on taking the next boat to Wendlyn.

It had taken Aelin and Fenrys only two days to reach Suria. They had only stopped to rest a few hours each night, leaving before dawn and not stopping until the moon was high in the sky. Fenrys had used his magic to transport them between places, speeding up their travel time immensely. Still, Aelin felt like they were being too slow and had pleaded with any of the Gods to let their journey be swift as to reach Rowan in time.

They found Lorcan hiding in an alleyway only a few streets away from the docks in Suria. He was dressed in dark clothes, a hood covering his face, leaning against a wall. Aelin had originally not wanted to involve Lorcan— with Elide and him having been married so recently, she didn't want to separate them; especially for something that could be as dangerous as what they were planning to do. But Lorcan had been key in this plan as Aelin had been unable to get the location of Rowan from Orlon. She knew that Lorcan had meetings with Orlon that day, and so she had tasked him with finding out Rowan's whereabouts. If he hadn't been able to, she would have followed the mating bond, hoping that it would take her to where she needed to go— even if it meant taking longer. Lucky for them, Lorcan had succeeded.

Aelin and Fenrys approached him on silent feet, looking behind to ensure no one had followed them.

Lorcan looked down at Aelin, his face stern as always and handed her the letter.

"She's keeping him in one of her mansions a days travel from Doranelle. He's still alive."

Aelin let out a breath. The bond may have still been there, but there was still a part of her that was terrified it was all some sort of trick that Maeve was playing. Hearing Lorcan say the words eased her slightly— she wouldn't be fully at rest until she had him back.

"Thank you, Lorcan. I know leaving Elide must have been difficult." The two of them had barely been married six months.

Lorcan grunted in response. He had never been one for talking much.

"The boat leaves this afternoon. We should stock up on some more supplies before we leave." Fenrys said.

Aelin nodded in agreement. "I saw a stall along the Main Street that was selling dried fruit and some pickled vegetables. It's not the most delicious but it'll do."

Fenrys scrunched his face at the sound of the food then spoke to the two of them quietly. "You need to lay low whilst we're here. Orlon will know you're missing now and no doubt he's had messages dispatched to the ports to make sure they find you. It's best if you wait here and Lorcan and I go."

She didn't like to be left behind, but Fenrys was probably right. Orlon would definitely know of her disappearance by now, and he would know where she was going. With some of the Whitethorns still hanging about in Orynth, he would have asked one of the full shifters to give messages to the nearest ports.

"I'll go to the tavern across from the harbour then." She gave a nod in the direction of the merchants tavern she had seen when they had secured their passage.

The three of them split up, Fenrys and Lorcan heading towards the Main Street where they would stock up on essentials, whilst Aelin would sit in the tavern and try and not be seen by anyone around.

She found the inside of the tavern to be empty, thankfully. The only people there seemed to be the barmaid— who looked far too young to be working there— and the owner, who was slouched over a table with a pitcher of amber liquid in his hand. She made a disgusted face at the man and chose a table in the opposite corner of the room.