Vidia

Climb

"We should wait for tomorrow to travel. We need rest." Dain suggested.

"We need to hunt. You attacked and we lost all our food." Vidia shivered despite the warmth.

She looked at her surroundings and saw a faint outline of a mountain in the fire light.

"There is a mountain. Animals would be there. Plus, we would be able to see where we are." Vidia said.

"I don't know how you saw that in the dark. Must be an elf thing." Dain laid his head on his arm and relaxed near the fire.

Vidia feared what would happen to Dain when she got back to the palace. The kingdom would vote to kill him instantly. And Vidia knew that she had to agree with the people, no matter the circumstance.

But what if the elves were the real bad guys? What if the Nyx weren't as bad as she'd thought?

"Dain, was that kid really yours? Because your tatoo covering half your face doesn't make you appear a child lover."

"No. Nyx army raided villages before yours. We killed almost everyone during the raids. But I couldn't bring myself to kill Hudson. So I kept him with me." Dian's eyes were full of pain at the flashbacks.

"I never had children." Vidia said. "Now I don't even know if fighting for what Iris wanted is the right thing to do."

"You know that your friends sent me with you because I was a criminal. They didn't want to risk anyone but my life. They didn't care if I died swimming to you."

"Even if that is true," Vidia began. "I knew you would survive. Anyway, what does your tatoo on your face mean?" Vidia looked at Dain and a silver intricate tatoo covered half his face.

"Any royalty must get it."

———-

When dawn came, the fire had burned out. Vidia and Dain packed up what they had, which was barely anything, and began walking towards the mountain.

Vidia's clothes had mostly dried. She was trying to think of something to say but the walk remained silent and awkward.

Suddenly Dain stopped and Vidia almost slammed into him. He grabbed Vidia's hand and pulled her behind a bush.

"What?" Vidia whispered.

"Three o clock." Dain whispered back. Vidia peered her head behind the tree and saw two men in uniforms similar to Dain's.

"Are they looking for you?" Vidia asked. Dain shrugged his shoulders unsure.

Vidia knew that Dain would go with them in a heartbeat. So Vidia looked at the tree she was behind.

"I'll take care of it." Vidia began to climb up the tree.

When she was above Dain's soldiers, she looked down and her mouth dropped open. Dain was talking with his soldiers! He was trying to escape! Vidia had to make her move now.

She jumped off the branch she was sitting on and as she fell, she grabbed both the soldier's necks in each arm and threw them to the ground.

Vidia kicked one of the soldier's heads and knocked him unconscious when she was grabbed from behind and pushed to the ground.

Dain stood over her, holding her down.

"What are you doing?" He yelled but Vidia kicked him in the shin. He let her go and she tackled the other soldier. He was about to say something when Vidia punched him in the nose. His head swung back and hit a rock. He, too, lay unconscious.

"Why would you try to escape!" Vidia yelled at Dain.

"Because you were going to kill me in your palace anyway!"

"Dain, I-I wasn't." Vidia stuttered. "I don't want to kill you. Ugh, why do I feel like I'm fighting for the wrong cause!" Vidia stepped closer to him. "Maybe elves are bad. Maybe I'm just as bad as them."

Dain didn't dare say anything to make Vidia even more irritated. So he once again led the way to the mountain in awkward silence.

A while later, in the hottest part of the day, Vidia and Dain began to climb the mountain. It didn't have any paths and the mountain was so steep that Vidia has to almost use all fours to climb.

Dain stopped again and Vidia looked ahead of him. The mountain had narrowed leaving only a thin slab of rock to cross.

"I can't." Dain said and backed away.

"Wait, hold on. Are you afraid of heights?" Vidia started to laugh.

"It's not funny." Dain said. He regretted admitting he was a king now.

"It's like crossing a thick tightrope. It's not hard." Vidia said and she began to cross.

She looked forward and tiptoed her way across.

"Your turn. I'm right here." Vidia tried to comfort Dain.

Dain looked at Vidia and she smiled. He took his first wobbly step and balanced himself with the next. Halfway across, Vidia's eyes darted to something behind him.

"What?" Dain asked.

"Nothing. Just hurry up." Vidia said. She didn't want Dain to know what was behind him. But she knew if he didn't hurry, they would both be killed. For a mountain lion was sneaking up.

"Dain stop!" Vidia said. She met him on the slab where he was. "Grab my hand."

Dain gave Vidia a weird look but slightly held her hand.

"We need to jump." Vidia said.

"What?" Dain asked. He knew they needed to get up the mountain. But not down.

"Up there!" Vidia pointed to the rock above her when the mountain lion gave out a mighty roar.

Dain looked at it and began to jump as high as he could up the wall.

Vidia followed but her hand was sliced on a rock. She began to fall towards the lion's waiting jaws but Dain caught her hand. He made it up the wall and onto level grass.

Vidia grasped her other hand onto his wrist.

Dain pulled her up onto the clearing.

Both Vidia and Dain lay on the ground next to each other, laughing at their victory.

"Vidia." A voice said. Vidia looked at Dain but he seemed not to hear the voice and he kept laughing.

Iris?