Half of Ruby

Chapter 30

She was flying, flying. Flying over an expanse of snowy white land, the thundering of hoofbeats roaring in her ears as her body swung back and forth, jostled by the frantic galloping of the horse. A warm, strong chest pressed against her back, the armor-clad chest of a man. 

"Faster!" urged the man, voice piercing through the howling of the cold white wind. "Faster—"

And the heat, red and gold heat, exploded through her vision, sending her spinning through the air. The horse's frantic whinnies flooded the air as the man yelled with pain, hurling off the horse, releasing Ember— 

A woman's anguished shriek pierced through the air, more chilling than the cold, more terrible than the sight of the burning man and horse. 

"GADENAR!" 

With a fanfare of shouts, soldiers burst forth from the mountain crags, feet like thunder across the icy ground. The wind screamed as steel met steel, as the soldiers stormed past Ember and clashed with men behind them, men with flowing white hair, whose bare chests no clothes protected from the cold.

"GADENAR!" 

The horse shrieked as it collapsed, fire sweeping over its gorgeous mahogany fur. The man sank to the ground feet away from her, metal helmet gleaming under the ghastly light as he let out a gasp. 

Warm arms scooped around her, swaddling her to a soft, cotton-clad chest, a chest heaving for air as its owner rushed towards the fallen knight. 

"Gadenar. Gadenar—"

"Lady Astaria!" 

Strong arms yanked her holder backwards. Ember wailed in pain, the sound swept away by the wind. 

"Save him!" pleaded the woman. "Save him—"

"Get behind the soldiers!" 

"Save him!" the woman's pleas rose into a shriek of pain, as though she were the one burning atop the horse. "Please—" 

Ember wailed once more, and this time she could hear herself over the screams of death, the clang of steel against steel. 

But her wail was not one of a witch. 

It was the wail of a newborn. 

"Ember!" 

"Save him!" 

Ember bolted upright, hands slamming into Ronan's chest as his fingers tightened around her arms. "Ember. Ember, what are you—"

"The knight," she said, head whipping from side to side. Gadenar. His name was Gadenar. "Where is he? You need to save—"

"Ember, what are you talking about? Ember—"

She took a deep breath, staring into Ronan's alarmed hazel eyes. "I had a dream," she began, heaving another breath. "There was a knight. He was...carrying me. I think I was a child, a newborn. And then the knight fell off his horse...and a woman...she...." 

Ember froze, remembering the wail of anguish the woman had emitted. 

She loved him. They were seeing each other, or perhaps married already....

She squeezed her eyes shut. The knight could not have survived the fire. 

Astaria. Her name was Astaria. 

"What happened?" demanded Ronan. 

"She...saved me. But she was screaming for someone to help the knight. Astaria was her name. And Gadenar was his. I think...I think Gadenar died."