A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 6 - Alex

As expected, the steady decline in northern traders continues. Two more years and the inn will be but a hall for festivities. Gerald is gaining summers quickly; he won't mind either.

Billy stayed put, turning his head towards her and Nick. There was a certain sorrow in those amber eyes of his, and uncertainty too, like he was waiting for their approval to leave.

"It's alright, Billy," she said with a nod.

The bridle rattled as he snorted, shaking his head. Nick stroked him on the neck, whispering so quietly that Alex had no idea what secret they were sharing this time. Billy belonged to the children of Laneby—a gift from Master Frederic when Billy became too old to work on the field—but after all those years Nick still had a special bond with him.

As Nick gave him a pat, Billy charged at such a speed that embers flew upwards in every direction, causing coals to turn into flames mid-air before they whirled back to the ground.

She turned away, pulling Fox along with her. He was holding his hands over his fire-damaged face to protect himself. The skin on his arms was now the same colour as his hair: black as coal.

"It's not me," he squeaked, his muscles tightening against her. "I don't know what's wrong with this fire. It's acting all strange."

"Don't worry." Her trembling lips almost threatened to say 'Ben'. He and Fox were roughly the same height and now their hair was the same too. A tear rolled down her cheek. Since she would never be able to hug her little brother again, she held on tight to Fox.

Seb was steering Billy towards the shallow part of the river, where she always used to wash her family's clothes. Deciding to let him take Abby had been selfish. She would never forgive herself if she had sent both of them to their deaths.

What would Lord Brandon think of her now? Not too long ago, when they had been riding to Doe Hill to check on the deer population, he had told her that certain decisions, however small, can have consequences so big that they will change the course of history. Making choices fueled by the emotions of the moment were nearly always the wrong ones.

It was only now that she understood what cryptic nonsense he had been rambling about. She was easily the fastest rider of the four of them—even Lord Brandon had said so himself. But those merchants with their slit tongues who passed Laneby on their way from and to the capital had made her dread what was out there for her.

Whenever they were standing outside the tavern with a pint of ale in their hands, there was always one that began yapping about the abomination that she was. A girl hunting with a bow and arrows—that was absurd. Girls should not be trained like men; they were only good for mothering and being obedient little housewives.

If that was what the Sundalers believed, she never wanted to meet another one. Especially not the King, even though he should be wiser than all of his citizens combined.

She felt a prod in her ribs. The culprit was Nick, his forehead twisted into a scowl. "We need to leave. Now. We're too much out in the open here, and it's a long way to Sundale."

"Leaving... yes."

Though she was standing in the ashes of the trees that had always proudly guarded the village, the first step was too hard. Bile rose at the back of her throat. She knew the Forest of Lane like the plains and valleys of her own face, yet the world beyond the forest was uncharted territory.

"But Nick, I don't want to leave. Not yet anyway," Fox snivelled.

"We have to." Alex lifted her foot, showing him the holes in the sole of her shoe. "I don't want to either, but we can't stay. There's nothing to keep us here."