The Sanctuary

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

The sun was still rising when our troupe set out. The sky was brightening, a full range of purples, yellows and pinks that was breathtakingly beautiful to behold.

The Briarwood Forest was a largely dense forest, filled with large trees and animals that stayed in the shadows. We knew it like the back of our hand; it was not just our home but the one thing that separated us from the Farsay enemy. And the land that was rightfully ours.

The Riders had been deeply split in opinion regarding the Farsay prisoners return. Some thought this was nothing but trickery; others believed three children were not worth the revealing of our home to the Farsarian Army. Madame Widow had stubbornly decided the trade had to be made.

The war was imminent. There was no longer time to hide.

They will find out we are underground, Madame Widow had explained. They don’t know where. The Briarwood Forest is our protector. And it will continue to protect us until we are ready to rise up.

Michael thought it was bullocks and made his opinion well known. Edwards was quite behind that stance as well. They didn’t think after the weeks the prisoner had been with them, it would be a safe bet to return him even if there were children’s lives at stake.

Madame Widow was staunch in her opinion. And so a small group of Riders blindfolded the Farsarian prisoner, and began to lead him on their five-day journey to the Kingdom.

When it was announced that I was to accompany the rider troupe, and stay in charge of the Farsarian until the hand-off, Jonrick has raised his shackles.

“There is no way she is coming on such a dangerous trip,” Jonrick had grated out, surprisingly to Madame Widow.

She had given him a lifted brow with no response. I could not understand Madame Widow’s agenda.

The trek was a long one, especially hindered by dragging a blindfolded man through the treacherous wooded forest. I knew of Riders who could complete the journey in just over two days. It would take them much longer to reach the meeting point the bastard Farsarian King had outlined in his note. The day was spent in silence, as Edward and Samson pushed the Farsarian prisoner along. Chara tracked their path from the front, while Michael did so from the back. Jonrick and I stayed infront and behind of the prisoner respectfully, covering all sides from unexpected attack.

On their first day of journey, they trekked until sundown, only resting for a few minutes to refuel off dried meat and water before continuing on. At sundown, the prisoner sat by a tree, useless as he was as the rest of them set up camp.

Chara had a fire blazing instantly, roasting a rabbit she had somehow caught unbidden to them all. It amazed me how easily Chara could hunt and capture food. She could probably live completely without the Sanctuary’s protection just here in the Briarwood Forest.

I sat by the fire as the rest of the Riders bustled around her, a bit more nervously than usual. It was something they had never done before, something they were not used to. There was a feeling in the air that prickled our skin, raised our hair on end and created huge lumps in our throats.

Jonrick settled down beside me, peering at me hesitantly.

“Are you –“

I shot him a glance and Jonrick rose his hands in the air. “Not going to ask, I know. You’re a Rider now.”

I scowled. I hated the condescending tone of his voice, even though I knew he was not meaning to be. There was no auguration, no special announcement of me becoming a Rider. Although I never thought I would want one, something about it made it much more official. I was finally considered something important in the Sanctuary, yet it was rather anticlimactic.