The Collectors of Peyka

Chapter 12

"Alto?" I asked. His palms went for the sky while he continued forward. When Phelim lifted his arrow, I threw my hands up in front of him. "Wait. I know this man. Alto, what are you doing here?"

"I've come for you," Alto said. He kept his eyes trained on the arrow behind my palm.

My mind raced with a thousand thoughts. The hole that formed in my chest the day I sent him away had broken open again. The pain, the anguish, the loneliness all flooded in with a single rush. They were things I refused to recognize until the reason was staring me in the face.

I'd missed Alto. I missed his obsession with food, his quick wit, and his charming smile. I missed his goofy laugh and the way he looked me over whenever we'd return from battle. But he stood before me, claiming that he'd come for me. I thought back to my dream about his betrayal and understood. He was there because the commander forced him to.

I dashed forward with the dagger in my right hand. As I closed my left arm around Alto's neck, I swung behind him and used my speed to throw him across the dirt. He grunted with the impact. I flipped on top of him and slipped in a jab to his lower jaw. My knuckles screamed at me, but I wouldn't give in to my emotions. I bit down on the inside of my lip to stifle a tremble. With another crack to his left cheekbone, he put up his hands to fight.

His fist met my windpipe and I gagged. With an open opportunity, he shifted his weight on top of me and pinned me to the ground. When he leaned in and whispered, I stopped struggling. I let my body fall flat and the dagger met the earth.

"I'm not here to kill you," he said. His whisper tickled my ear and my face flushed. I could feel his heart hammering against mine. "Now would you please stop greeting me with violence?"

"How- how am I supposed to believe you?" I asked between gasps. When I looked at Phelim, his face contorted into a wild twist. Confusion played a game with his features as he tried to figure out what was happening. "Forgive me," I panted at him. "Forgive me. This is Alto. He's- my greatest ally."

"That's all?" Alto offered his infamous wounded expression, by pouting his bottom lip and dropping his eyes.

"I'm not sure if I believe that," Phelim said. He fixed his bow to the space between Alto and me. "But even so, he can't stay here. Move along with your business, collector."

When he said it, a gasp emitted from the few stragglers that remained in the village circle. A child turned to gawk but its mother swept him under her arm and shoved him inside of a tent. I raised my hands again after I shoved Alto away and stood up.

"He means no harm. Please, Phelim-"

"I said he can't stay. One of you is a compromise. Two of you puts a target on our village," Phelim said. His voice was strong and bold, and when the order reached Alto, Alto laughed. "Why is he laughing?"

"Because you've said something funny?" Alto suggested. He stood up and rubbed his hands together. "That's the reason I've come. Your people are already in danger. Nordfast marches on the village and you want to discuss relationships."

"Liar. No one knows where this village is. Unless..." Phelim stopped and I turned to gape at my long lost comrade. Phelim's eyes narrowed at Alto and a twitch of amusement flittered across Alto's mouth. "You led them to us."

"Enough!" Clionna shouted as she waddled between the gathering hunters. Seven bows poked arrows into the air in our direction. "You will not spill blood on sacred soil." When she made to step forward, Phelim tried to stop her but she pulled away. She approached me and took my face in her cold hands. "Venus, the name of the element's child. At last, we know what to call you."