A Valley of Shattered Hearts

Chapter 13

Chapter song - Wolves of the Revolution by The Arcadian Wild

The branches as we rush past, scraping our cheeks, bringing red to the surface.

So many colors I thought as I continued down the dirt path.

"Where exactly are we going again?"

"Back," I responded.

"You can't go back if you've never been," Jade says.

I nod, "except it seemed too familiar to be forgotten."

"And what will the court think of that?"

"I-"

"We're going to talk to the President," I say.

"Isn't that exactly who we're running from?"

"It's not that kind of running this time."

Jade's brow furrowed, becoming more confused by the second.

"This time- we're going to do something, Jade, we've got to do something before it's too late."

And then it's silent again. The only noises are the sound of the frost on the leaves falling to the ground, melting back into the snow.

I grasp onto the strings from my sweatshirt, pulling them down, the hood over my head.

I must not be seen. It will buy us time.

"What's going to happen?" She asks me.

"Because- I have a bad feeling about this."

"I have a very bad feeling about this, April."

We both stop, our boots sinking further into the mist, "no."

"We cannot worry now, it won't do anything for us," I whisper.

"The Capitol is not your normal court," she whispers.

"I mean- yeah if you believe in chaos, but it's completely deserted."

I sigh, "the capitol needs to be restored."

"Impossible," she says, "you can't possibly help these people."

I turn my head, staring into Jade's eyes.

"I want-"

"I don't know what I want."

What do I want? Do I want anything? Anything at all?

"I want more time," I say, "but we don't have that so we will have to do our best."

"I swear, April, as long as I've lived, I have always wanted Greyspire to be free from the Capitol."

Another silence.

"I want the freedom I don't have."

"I want to be allies with the court."

I nod, "we have to dethrone the President, it's the only way."

We walk against the roots on the ground, following the blackened tracks. She had to have gone this way.

"I have lost track of who I am in the past few days," I tell her.

"Of course I have- I don't even know what I'm supposed to be running away from."

"I knew I had to run towards it in order to survive."

"How am I going to survive this?"

"You are going to do just fine, trust me, you said it yourself, you're going to win this war."