Stone Sacrifice ✔️Chronicles of Grey BOOK ONE [COMPLETED]

Chapter Twenty-Four

Over the next several weeks, travel was blissfully boring, but there was one thing that happened of note which I will tell you.

It was when we traveled through Havricton when I first noticed it. Or rather, Arion did. We had gone through to pick up some supplies and the others, of course, wanted to stay the night in an inn there. It made me nervous after what had happened last time but the Shadows knew this place well and the owner of the establishment treated us to their office in the back to play sticks so once more we had a lovely night. Aitch had grown up not far from there so he was especially boastful, even for him, and not wanting to ruin it, I had let him win a game as I suspected Arion had as well, though I was sure Aitch didn't notice.

But when we were walking back through, late in the night and on our way to our rooms, Arion had slowed me down behind the others with a silent touch of my arm and leaned in close. "Can you hear those men in the corner?"

I looked to the corner his eyes flicked to and shook my head so he moved us so we sat in the booth against theirs and I listened carefully and curiously.

"...gone bloody mad, you have.."

"I'm telling you Jorshi, she's alive and she's coming back."

"It's not that I don't believe, it's the fact that you're stupid enough to wear that band on your arm, or even think it. The Knights can be here any minute."

"They're not coming. You're not the first I've spoken to. Besides, it's a risk worth taking. If the Lost Princess is coming back to ascend to the throne, she may need help."

"Which we can't give her because of the Grey Stone."

"She's remained hidden for over eighteen summers, friend, there very well may be a way to think her name seeing as she's lasted this long." There was a pause and some ruffling. "Take the cloth and wear it, friend, for the Greyov princess."

There was a long pause, then a sigh. "You know I want Marqis off the throne, as does everyone, but anyone wearing one of these cloths are a target for the Dragon Knights."

"It is true, but if there's a nice score of people already wearing them, and the more who does, the less likely it is the king will come for us. Besides, if you're willing to fight for her if she needs it, then you're willing to risk the band." There was a tap. "Just think about it."

He left then and I caught a look at that blue piece of fabric tied to his upper arm over his clothing. I had seen two people wearing this in town, but thought nothing of it at the time.

But they were the ones who believed. The ones eager to help. The ones who were brave enough to risk their lives on the off chance that I may one day need to go to one of them for help. It warmed my heart greatly...

But also frightened me, because I finally understood what all the movement had been about with the dragons. They'd went east with the army of course, looking for me, but there has been movement all over the kingdom and I feared greatly that it was because of these people wearing blue. If this man had not been taken already, that meant that there must be many of them indeed, but like going through a list, the king was doing his best to smother each and every one of them, even if that meant he killed them all.

But other then this new understanding, the journey was nearly dull. We passed through the valleys with no problems, and crossed the Wicked River without being attacked by the trolls that tended to roam there near the bridges. The wet lands were laborious to walk through, but other then a few swarms of irritating bugs and a near strike of a rotsnake, it was uneventful.

Arion became quieter as we travelled, but... not kinder, simply different. Though he had been protecting me since the beginning, I began to feel like I was less of a burden on him and more of a responsibility he took with honour.