Broken Hero

Chapter 10

Elsa's POV

No.

I rejected the thought reflexively.  It couldn't be him.  Not here on the wall.  Not when I was about to trick the invaders by emptying their explosives.

"What's wrong, Elsa?" Jack asked.  "You look pale."

What was his plan?  Was he here to kill someone?  Or just to keep an eye on me? Or was it some other reason I hadn't even thought of yet?

Raul gave me a pointed look which I was sure Jack didn't notice.  His hand reached into a pocket and pulled out an arrow just far enough so I could see it.  Right.  I breathed a word to blow his cover and Jack was dead.  Not that he needed a marked arrow at point blank range anyway.

"Elsa?" Jack repeated.

"It's nothing," I answered.  "I just . . . I know this soldier.  From the training camp."

"It was a pretty brief meeting," Raul added.

"That's good.  What's your name, soldier?"

"Raul, sir."

"That's an unusual name.  Can't say I've heard it before."

"My dad liked to experiment with names."

Jack shrugged before continuing on.  How Raul got his name wasn't important to the crisis at hand.  "What information do you have to report?"

"The emperor didn't know anything about what was going on here, but he had sent me with the message that the wall is to be held at all costs and that invaders were on their way."

"A little late for that."  Jack sighed and rubbed his head.  "I need to go organize the night watch.  Elsa, would you mind showing Raul around?"

"Sure," I said, forcing the single word out of my mouth.  I watched Jack as he marched away and out of earshot.

"That was almost too easy," Raul said.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Keeping an eye on you.  The others are having second thoughts about your trustworthiness even though I told them what was on the line for you."

"You're going to mess everything up!  Go back down the wall right now."

"You can't order me around."

"On this wall I'm second in command."

"And I don't answer to any of you, so why should that matter?"  He shook his head.  "Also, we've waited long enough.  It's been three days.  Place the explosives tonight."

"Tonight?  That's not enough time!"

"You've had plenty of time.  Besides, you have me here to help now.  And I brought with me the arrows just in case anybody tries to stop you."

He ran a hand along the rim of the wall as if imagining it in pieces at his feet.

"This wall will come down tonight."

———

My hands trembled as I fumbled with the last explosive.  I had only managed to secure myself one hour in my room undisturbed.  Even now Raul was probably waiting outside my door just in case I decided to try anything.

I jammed the rusted nail into the explosive casing to create a hole right next to the fuse.  Once the hole was made I carefully titled it over my satchel.  Gunpowder plumed into the air.  My hair, skin, and clothes were already dusted with it despite my best efforts, but I had managed to get most of it off so that it wasn' visible.  This was the last bomb I had to empty before the process was complete.

"Hey, Elsa?"  Kristoff's voice startled me so badly that I dropped the explosive.  Black powder coated the front of my shirt like an evil stain.

"Sorry, she doesn't want to be bothered right now," Raul said from the other side of the door.

"What?  I'm sorry, who are you?  And why are you standing outside of her door?"

"I'm an old friend of Elsa's.  She asked me to make sure nobody bothered her."

The explosive was a little more empty than I would have liked, but it would have to do.  I jammed it into my bigger bag, the one full of explosives.

"An old friend?  What's your name?"

Go away, Kristoff, I pleaded silently.  Really not a good time right now.

"I could ask you the same thing," Raul said.  "Who do you think you are?"

"I asked first.  Besides, I outrank you."

"No need to get pushy.  It's Raul, ok?  I'm a childhood friend of Elsa's.  We grew up together before I moved to the capital.  If you want to tell her something then just say it to me.  I'll pass on the message."

My heart leapt into my throat.  Of all the lies to make, why did you bring my childhood into this?  Kristoff is literally the only person on the wall who would see right through that!

Please don't notice, Kristoff.  Please ignore it . . .

"Liar.  Who are you really?  Tell me now before I call for the other soldiers."

"That won't be necessary."

I lunged to my feet as a thump sounded outside.  I threw open the door.

"Stop!  Don't kill him!"

I didn't know who I was yelling to save: Kristoff or Raul, but I just knew I had to stop it.

Raul had Kristoff pinned to the wall with a dagger to his throat.  Kristoff's eyes blazed as he fought for air.  Raul hardly glanced at me.

"What, him?"  He laughed.  "He's a liability now.  Spare him and within minutes everyone will know what you're planning to do."

"Please, let him live.  He never did anything."

"Did you hear a word I said?  If you want to keep this a secret then he has to die.  Or did you change your mind about following orders?"

"Maybe I just decided that I want them to be able to escape.  You promised that I could."

Raul scowled.  He withdrew his dagger and stepped back as Kristoff sagged.

"What's going on?" Kristoff croaked as he massaged his throat.

"I don't have a choice," I explained.  "This is Raul.  He's one of the invading soldiers.  He's here to make me blow up the wall.  If I don't, they're going to kill everyone."

"But . . . you're going to blow up the wall?"

I hugged him.  "Please trust me.  Get Jack and the others away from the wall."  I lowered my voice to barely a whisper.  "Keep them on the wall, but not in the open.  Don't lower your guard."