Of Blood and Duty

Chapter Twenty Four • Secrets Above Ground

*Very Long Chapter*

-Loren- 

Evor gave a concise run-through of what was happening up north. Nearly the exact same version they had just been given in the burrows. Went over the threat, where and who was on duty in the area. He gave, those who were coming, the information they needed and ended with letting everyone know that they were leaving within the hour. Did not even touch on the subject of what happened to those who were late. Giving the impression that this was not an option. Loren caught himself wondering what happened if you for some inexplicable reason was late. 

His mind then replayed what had happened in the armory earlier. Something that would definitely would have made Mae and him late. Perhaps that was why she said that they had been in a hurry, because she knew the rules and what would have awaited them if they had given in to each other. 

"Get to it!" The chief barked loudly when he was done. Ripping Loren from his thoughts. 

"Where are we going?" He asked Mae as people bustled to life after Evor's command. Some remained where they were, like them already packed and ready to leave. 

A scoff came from Hagan as he picked up on the question. "North. Are you deaf or stupid?" He wondered condescendingly, eyeing Loren like he was his sister's dense ward who needed constant supervision. "Still can't believe father is letting you bring him along." He spat as he walked past Mae, sucking his teeth afterwards. 

"He is not letting me come." Loren stepped in, his voice laced with contempt. "He told me to come." He corrected and watched as Hagan's lips curled upwards in dislike. Making his nose scrunch a bit as well. 

"What he said." Mae bit back at her brother and turned her eyes towards something else. Making it perfectly clear that she was not going to pursue this conversation more than she cared, and she did not care... at all. Her brother muttered something under his breath and re-positioned himself to a different part of the square.

"It will take us half a day to walk there." Mae answered when her twin was out of sight and out of ear shot."Here." She said, opened a shoulder bag which hung at her side, dug through it quickly and handed him a waterskin together with a small package wrapped in cloth. 

Loren nodded his thanks and secured the waterskin to his belt and stuck the package into the left pocket of his coat. "Wait! What? Walk?!" Loren exclaimed in shock when Mae's words struck him like lightening. 

"Yes, your highness." She laughed patronizingly but with an amused look in her eyes. "Walk." She repeated. A neutral but faint smile spreading across her lips."Didn't do much walking in your old life, I hear." 

Would not know... but I think so... I am a queen's guard. Of course I am used to walking. But do they now own any horses? 

"We have a few." Mae spoke out of the blue. Seeming to have read the question straight off his face despite him not speaking a word of it. 

"Who's are they?" He wondered. "How many?" Mae's eyes went skyward as his questions started  to spill out of him. It almost looked like she was praying to some deity for strength. "How did you get me here?" He asked, offering up new questions for her to answer instead of those he had blurted out. "You did not drag me all the way here... at least not alone and by foot." He stated before she could begin lying to him."You have to have had some help." 

"We dragged you off the road where you had been left and hid you in one of our hideouts nearby." She steadily explained. "Hagan went back for a horse and a cart." She filled in as a reward when he did not throw additional questions at her.