The Woven Crown (Completed)

Chapter 20

Thistle gasped.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! "Mae yelled. "I couldn't stay in there any longer! Please, don't let them take me!" She jerked in their grasp, but was clearly exhausted from the efforts of using her magic.

The captain looked down at Mae, ignoring his screaming soldier who clutched at his leg. "And a Woven too. I wonder... Did she sneak into your wagon unawares or did you know she was there all along. You wouldn't be helping her, now would you?" He tisked. "The Prestige's own Caravan."

The captain began removing his gloves, tugging at each fingertip. "You know the Prestige only allows Woven of certain... ideals to live in his kingdom." He raised both of his hands and Mae went suddenly quiet. Ryla could see dark threads as they spun from his palms around her mouth.

A Raveller. No wonder Yulia had seemed so worked up. Ryla glanced at where Yulia stood and saw she had drawn a wobbly version of the Woven symbol in the dirt with her foot.

The Raveller's threads bound their way down Mae's body until she was still. To the rest of them it might look as though she'd suddenly went rigid, too scared to move, but her eyes gave her away. There was still fight left in them and it burned like a flame.

Ryla made a split second decision.

She accessed her life thread and let the magic bloom in her chest. She tried to employee all Elira had taught her about pushing past her emotions to a cool, clear calmness. It was much harder than when she'd practice in the safety of the Refuge. She shut everything out— the captain walking over to Mae, the look of panic on the crew's faces, the soldiers drawing their blades, and instead pushed her threads towards the ground beneath the captain's feet. There, she sensed a seed the size of a pea resting deep in the dirt.

Grow.

The seed burst into life, exploding from the ground and knocking the captain off his feet.

The tree shot up in to the air, its roots spreading out to surround the captain. The other soldiers yelped and fell backwards. Ryla ran towards Mae and began unraveling the captain's work.

Behind her, the captain was on his back hacking at the roots of the tree with his sword. The other soldiers recovered from their shock and lunged for Ryla, swords raised.

Chaos erupted.

Rhid came from somewhere up above, landing squarely on the shoulders of one of the soldiers. A dagger was around his throat before Ryla had a chance to even register it. What she did register was the gush of blood that spouted from his neck as he went down, Rhid rolling off his back and onto his feet in one fluid motion.

Sahana ran towards the nearest soldier. Her staff flew in blurred patterns in front of her, blocking the blows from the soldier's sword and backing him slowly against the wagon. Thistle grabbed Mae and dragged her out of harm's way. A soldier tried to wrestle Mae from her grip but Willem barreled into him, knocking him to the ground. The horses neighed and pranced frantically at the smell of blood.

Ryla tried to move away from the wagons, but was blocked by the captain. Ryla's tree behind him was gray and dying. He had unraveled the life thread that belonged to it. He came at her with arms raised. A trickle of blood ran down his lip.

Threads raced towards her and she had only a split second to throw together a shield. The impact of the magic pushed her backwards into one of the few soldiers still alive. The soldier grabbed both of her arms and jerked them behind her back.

The captain approached.

"Impressive," he spat. He began unraveling her shield. She couldn't keep it intact while bound by the soldier behind her. She couldn't concentrate. One by one the threads came undone. His magic leaked in and wrapped itself around her throat. The pressure instantly brought her back to that night at Wightmanstry. The night she found out who she was.