Rue

Chapter 13

One, two. One, two.
Rue made climbing look far too easy. It took nothing at all to fall to the water, but climbing but up drained all my strength. Quarter of the way up, Rue sat on a ledge, dangling her feet off back and forth. I had half forgiven her; I know she wasn’t trying to kill me but make me stronger in her own way. That just meant facing mermaids and the side of a cliff. I would prefer taking her punches again without complaint.
The moment I reached her, she would hop ahead and would sit higher up. I was playing an awful game of tag, and it seemed like I would be “it” forever. Half way up, a ledge stuck out far enough so that I could sit and rest. My throat wanted water, but the relief I would get was probably waiting at the top. Once my legs and hands stopped shaking, I started again.
Any time I could stop, I would. There was no point in overworking myself. I flexed my fingers, working out the sore muscles. The small cuts healed shortly.
Rue leaned over the edge, watching my progress. If she could, I assumed she would be smirking. When I asked if she had any other ideas, I didn’t mean watching me try to survive.
I panted, a few feet away from the top. The hand- and foot-holds were becoming scarce. I hung off the biggest one I could find, my fingers groaning to let go. I shifted my weight to one hand and pressed my foot into the rock. Satisfied I wasn’t going to slip, I reached up with my hand. Rue snaked hers down, taking hold of my wrist. As she started to pull, I walked up the side of the rock. Pulling myself over the edge, I flopped on my back. Rue sat beside me.
“Next time you push me over a cliff, let me drown,” I said.
Rue pulled me to my feet and led me to the forest. She had set up camp after the tree line. It didn’t take her long to light a fire and find us dinner. She returned with more birds and a handful of eggs. I declined the half she offered to me. She seemed to enjoy eating the eggs raw.
Dusk fell, and I made my bed beside the fire. Compared to the rock I slept on the previous night, the few leaves made me feel like I was like lying on a cloud. Rue tended the fire, making sure it was big enough to last until the morning. I rolled over, my back facing the warmth. I heard Rue shuffling, picking up a pile of leaves. I jerked, moving away from the leaves that hit my face.
“Rue?”
She dropped in front of me. She pushed closer, burying her face in my chest. I bit my lip, unsure of what to do. I could hear my pulse in my ears and listened as it tripled. Taking my chance, I draped my arm over her. It didn’t take long for her breathing to slow. I was ready to sleep, but my mind didn’t want to.
“We have to go back tomorrow,” I muttered to myself.
Rue nodded. I didn’t expect her to respond, but I was happy she understood our situation.
“Thank you,” I said. “For trying to make me stronger. No matter what happens, I’ll end this. I promise.”
She must’ve fallen asleep. I meant what I said; I just hoped I would live long enough to keep my promise.

The next morning we returned to the den. I skipped breakfast to spy on the house, but nothing had changed. The outside chores had yet to be done. I settled in my hiding spot, waiting. The chickens clucked louder than usual. Even from here I could smell their stench. Henri abandoned them the day he became king. The grass around the house was growing taller each day. The boards that covered the outside of my prison still stood in place. Was Henri even living there anymore?
I waited until noon. My stomach growled and my legs ached from sitting for so long, but there was still no sign of Henri. I stretched out, rubbing my limbs. I inched closer to the chicken pen. It sat in the middle of the yard, completely exposed to anyone who looked out the windows. Uncle’s old office was on the other side of the house. Its window looked out to the side of the house, just out of the view of the chickens. If Henri was in the office, he would have to stretch awkwardly to see me.
I ducked low, running across the grass. I reached the coop, hopped over the fence, and ducked behind the shelter. It was worse than I thought. Eggs littered the ground and old hay and grass stuck to my boots. Henri must have dumped a feed bag inside once a week or so but didn’t bother caring for the animals.
I collected as many eggs as I could. A few had gone bad from sitting in the sun, but the fresh ones would be a welcome treat. I braced myself to run. I pushed off, grabbing the gate latch and throwing it open. I kept running, not stopping until I was under the cover of the trees. A few chickens wandered out of their pen, and soon the whole flock was pecking at the grass and enjoying their freedom. At least they would have a chance at survival.
I turned towards town, longing to visit the villagers. I spent most of my time by myself, but seeing old faces would be nice. Aunty had left with my younger cousins, so she wouldn't know Henri tried to kill me, but what was Henri’s excuse for the villagers about my disappearance? If the hunting parties had become a common thing, the villagers must have come to Uncle's house more than once.
I reached the river and stripped my clothes. Jumping in, the chilled water woke me up to the core. I ducked under the water, scrubbing at my hair and arms. Sleeping in a cave with a wolf and on the ground had made my clothes filthy. Rue was always clean, but that might have been because she was a Faerie.
I wandered farther in until the water reached my neck. The smooth stones rubbed against my feet, relaxing me. I leaned back, half floating.
A few summers ago, Henri, Lore, and I had all snuck out to go swimming in the middle of the night. Lore brought two of her friends and Henri invited several of his. It wasn’t far from the current spot, where the river widened to become a small pond. Those days were the best of my life, and thinking how happy I was to just be there, I knew such days were never going to happen again.
I let the water carry me off. The summer flowers were starting to bloom and the water warming. If Henri hadn’t tried to kill me and this whole situation with Rue wasn’t a mess, I might have enjoyed myself.
I swam upstream, finding where I had left my clothes. I dragged them in the water, doing my best to wash the dirt and sweat smell out of them.
“—crazy for coming out here every day. What are you looking for? All the wolves are dead.” The voice was hoarse from years of smoking. I ducked as low as I could into the water, pushing myself close to shore so I might be hidden by the grass. My ears perked up, listening to the conversation.
“They’re not. There is at least one more out in these woods I have to kill.” Henri’s voice was easy to recognize. Something seemed different about it though. Maybe he was tired.
“The village is safe. I can understand why you have a need to hunt them but—”
“I need to kill her before she hunts me!” Henri snapped.
I held my breath. Henri must not have slept for the past three weeks, worried about Rue hunting him down. I wish I could have asked what she had done to scare him so much.
Perhaps it was what he had done. Henri thought I was dead, and he knew Rue and I were close; he just didn’t know how close. I wasn’t quite sure either, but so long as he thought we were lovers, it meant he had to face the wrath of Rue of the Winter Colored Hair.
“You’re paranoid, boy—”
“I am this village’s leader! I am not a child.” There was a groaning noise from Henri, followed by what sounded like a boot kicking a branch. “I will retire for today, but tomorrow morning, we continue.”
Henri and the man he was with stomped off. His arguments escalated the more the man with him protested, even long after they walked by me. I waded in place, waiting until I heard the noises of the forest. I let out a sigh, relieved Henri wasn’t thirsty or wanted to wander too close to where I was. Gathering up the eggs in my shirt, I pushed my feet off the rocky bottom, and let the water carry me down river.
Rue’s den wasn’t far from where the river branched. If I had to go back to confront Henri, I figured I might as well save my energy and relax.
I was trying to calm my mind; meanwhile Henri was scared for his life. It made him an easy target. Perhaps after he saw that I wasn’t dead, I could talk to him once to apologize to Rue and step down as king. If he refused, I would have to swallow my fear and kill him. Stripping Henri of his title was never my intention, but seeing all he had done made me realize that in a few years, he would grow to be more unstable and possibly cause a real war against one of the other council members. If killing one person meant thousands were saved, I would do it.
The current slowed the closer it came to where the river branched out. A small pond opened up, sweeping me into its middle. The current lost its strength. The bottom of the pond dipped lower. It was above my head, but I could enjoy a place to swim that had no mermaids.
I abandoned my clothes and the eggs on the shore, assuming they were as clean as I could get them. I took a breath and waded under the water. I stayed under for as long as I could. The water was refreshing, and if I could, I would stay in it all day. The weather was a little warm, but when my normal temperature was that of a human’s fever, a little cold water was welcoming. I pushed up, wiping the water from my face as I reached its surface. I scared a small turtle; it jumped off its basking log to hide in the water.
A hand tapped me on the shoulder. I spun, already knowing who it was, but still jumped at the sight of Rue.
“You startled me,” I admitted.
She must have seen me in the water and thought to climb in herself. She didn’t bother taking her fur dress off.
Rue ducked under the water, popping up on the other side of me. She flicked her hand, splashing water on my face. I grinned, swinging my arm to return the favor. Rue ducked before the water hit her, disappearing. She sank deeper, but spotting the white in the green water wasn’t hard. I dived after her, trying to keep up. My swimming was poor compared to hers.
I came up for air. Rue followed soon after, the very frightened turtle in her hands. She dropped it in mine. I let it go immediately, hoping it could find a better hiding spot next time.
“You shouldn’t torment the animal,” I teased, messing up her already tangled, soaked hair.
She splashed me again, disappearing from my sight. I turned, searching for the glimpse of white. I dropped under, opening my eyes. I could see a few feet ahead, but nothing looked like the Faerie.
I came up and saw her on the shore. She stood where my shirt was, slipping it on over her dress. It was too long for her, a little shorter than her usual fur dress. She turned to leave, checking to see if I was following. I swam for the shore, tripping over a branch. I stumbled to my feet, running after the Faerie who had stolen my shirt.
I winced when a few rocks cut my bare feet. I watched Rue’s feet, following her footsteps. She knew where to step, even when running. I dashed, reaching for her arm. Rue noticed and skipped to the right just past my fingertips. I laughed, pushing my limbs to run faster.
The wind kissed my face, drying my hair and skin. I longed to run forever, trying to keep pace with Rue, but my lungs were starting to burn for air and my pace was starting to slow.
Rue stopped ahead of me. I jogged up, and not wasting the courage I grabbed her hand, and pulled her close. I wrapped my arm around her waist. My shirt was still damp. Rue’s arms stayed at her side. My heart raced, questioning why in the world I would have thought doing this was a good idea. My grip started to loosen, when she snaked her arms around my waist. She squeezed me; my bones groaned, but I ignored the pain.
I buried my face in her hair, taking in its scent. It calmed me, but my heart still raced.
“I have a confession.”
Tomorrow I planned on facing Henri. I wanted to wait until he was more vulnerable, but the thought that he might get lucky one of the days he was out in the woods and might manage to kill Rue terrified me. He had killed me once in his mind, so doing so again wouldn’t be a problem. In the slight chance that would happen, I needed her to know.
I swallowed. “I’m in love with you, Rue of the Winter Colored Hair, and I want to protect you from Henri. I’m confronting him tomorrow. I need you to stay hidden, please. I’ll come find you when everything is over.”
Rue let go, pushing me away far enough so she could look up. She shook her head, her eyes glossy.
“It’s too dangerous. I can’t risk having you there. Promise me you won’t follow.”
Again she said no.
“It’s my fault we are in this mess. I have to fix it. I won’t die,” I chuckled, hiding my own nerves. “Come on, I know how to cheer you up.” I reached for her hand, but she pulled away. I offered again, flashing a small smile. So long as I kept the mask on, I prayed to Aldreina Rue wouldn’t notice my shaking.

Stealing potatoes, a few underdeveloped carrots, beans and several other vegetables from the old garden was easy. It was run with weeds, and the rabbits had already gotten to it long before I had. Henri was nowhere in sight or smell. The chicken gate was still open, proving he simply didn’t care enough.
I snuck back into the attic, gathering the ancient spoons that had been forgotten in the boxes, along with some paper, pencils, and a few other supplies. I wrapped the vegetables and other items in my shirt and patched up the window. I checked around before jumping from the roof to the ground.
I jogged back to the cabin I had stayed in so many times. Rue was already there, nursing a fire to life. A rabbit sat in the old cooking pot that was half filled with water. I dropped the vegetables on the table, clean after a quick wash in the river.
I had no knife. I snapped the carrots into the smallest pieces I could and smashed the potatoes on the table until the chunks were bite sized. Rue offered the herbs she had picked. I knew nothing of how they tasted or if they were even edible, but in the water they went. Carrying the pot over the fire, I hooked the handle above it.
It was noon, so a few hours were all that would be needed to cook the makeshift, early dinner. Rue watched the pot until it started to boil, losing interest then. I fetched the cards Henri and I used to play with. Teaching Rue to play any card games was a challenge; she couldn’t ask questions about rules or mistakes. Eventually that grew boring as well.
My goal was to keep our minds off what was to come. Rue didn’t need to worry, and I didn’t need her to see me worry. A happy Rue meant she wouldn’t follow me to my death. I drew pictures for her, letting her draw her own. Her lines and pencil movements were rough, but she got the basic idea. She seemed to enjoy it, continuing even after I started to spoon our dinner into bowls. I wished there was bread or at least some spices. Even with her herbs, the taste was bland. Rue didn’t seem to mind; she shoveled her food in, and was soon after seconds, then thirds.
I was full after just one, so I left her the rest. I was starting to question her eating habits as she filled the fourth bowl, but questioned it more when she opened the door and placed it outside.
The old wolf lapped up the meal, taking its time now that it was the only member left. I felt sorry for it—its family had been taken away one by one to be trophies for my cousin. Rue petted the wolf, feeding it the rest of the pot’s contents. The wolf snorted and turned and left for the den. Rue watched her companion leave.
By dusk my eyelids were starting to fall. With all the running around and swimming, my body needed rest. Henri said he was going to hunt in the morning, and if it was like today, he would return around noon. I needed to sleep early if I was going to sneak into my old home just after Henri left.
I dusted the scratchy wool blanket that still smelled of must, but washing it at this time of night was out of the question.
“You can have the bed; the floor is mine,” I said to Rue. I bunched my shirt into a ball, testing that it would be comfy enough for the night.
Rue tugged at my arm, pointing to the bed.
“It’s yours. Go to sleep.”
Her protests grew in the silence. She tugged harder, using her massive strength to drag me forward. I sighed, and not wanting to argue, I put the fire out and pressed my back against the wall of the cabin. It was cold from the gaps in the wood, and I would have a sliver or two by morning, but Rue wouldn’t have to deal with it.
I draped the blanket over us, wishing there was something else to use as a blanket. I scratched my arms, cursing the day my father left the awful thing. Rue sat up and pulled the blanket off me. She shot me a glance in the dying light, and as I blinked, she disappeared. It didn’t take her long to return with my old blanket from the attic. I wished I had grabbed it myself, but in my haste, there was no time. The soft fabric of this one was more than welcome compared to the wool blanket. I stuffed some over my shoulder, making a cushion away from the wall.
“How did you get in? Was it because I invited you in once before?”
She nodded, resting her head on my arm. She must be able to enter the cabins freely because they belonged to nobody.
“Did you see anything odd?” I questioned, distracting myself. She continued to inch closer, subtly enough that I might not have noticed if I wasn’t so awake.
She shook her head, indicating no.
“Are you comfy? This bed is old, I know, and rugged, but it’ll have to do for now. I can’t wait until I can sleep in my own bed,” I rambled on and on. I must have bored her to death. Rue’s eyes started to close and eventually her breathing slowed.
She looked different when sleeping. Her vacant face was something I had grown used to, but when she slept, it looked as if she had emotions. Her face was soft and calm and I swore the corner of her lip was curled up in a tiny smile.
I wanted to see her smile. It was something I would pay anything for.
After everything tomorrow, if I survived, I was going to march up to Titania and make her a deal. My life was long; if I offered a few years of it, it could be doable. I had already offered my firstborn to Rue, so I wasn’t sure what else Faeries could want. My knowledge came from fairytales. As far as I knew, if you wanted more, the price had to be paid in some way with yourself.
Rue’s lips curled up, a faint smile crossing her face. I leaned closer, thinking it was a trick of the light. I grinned myself, realizing Titania’s curse worked only when Rue was conscious. In her sleep, she was free to smile. It wasn’t the brilliant smile I had drawn her with, but it was better than nothing. I leaned closer, brushing the few strands of hair from her face. The smile twitched and faded, returning to her blank expression.
“Sorry to wake you,” I whispered, realizing how close I was.
She nodded. Her gold eyes glowed in the dark. I couldn’t read the emotion behind them, but like with the hug, I took my chance.
I kissed her.
I refused to count feeding me water as a kiss. She was doing it to save my life, and I was grateful for it, but I wanted to return the favor without my life on the line.
I pulled away, hovering.
“I’m sorry—” Rue kissed me back.
I didn’t care if I died tomorrow.