The Annex

Chapter 29

"I got it," I squealed with delight as I brought a large trout to shore. The Commander had taken a few days to rest and recuperate and in my spare time, I had mastered the art of spearfishing. I didn't miss the fleeting grin that had flashed across his face when he thought I wasn't looking. The Commander had stayed aloof for the entire two days. It made me believe that I had imagined his lips against my temple. It made me shove the foreign longing that I had for him deep down inside. I proudly showed off my fish as the Commander began to pack our belongings. I started a fire and smoked the fish as we prepared to leave. We had moved our temporary camp to the other side of the mountains to avoid being spotted by any patrols.

With the horses packed and ready to go, I gave the mountain one last look before mounting Val. We rode down the side of the mountain and according to the Commander's observations, we would be encountering a patrol soon. We had precious little time to cover the distance to the only safe path out of the valley.

"Come on," the Commander said as he pushed the horses to a faster pace. The sound of the hoofbeats unnerved me. I was afraid of being found. But I knew that with the Commander at my side, I was well protected. We broke across a small meadow and covered the area quickly. When we had reached the cover of the forest once again, the Commander slowed the horses, giving them time to rest.

"Commander," I asked, trying to catch his attention. He ignored me.

"Can you tell me where you got those scars from." I broached the subject tentatively. I saw him stiffen in the saddle. So he was listening to me.

"Why," his voice was strained.

"I want to know what happened," I said softly. He stayed silent. I had almost given up hope on digging into who the Commander was. Hearing war and battle stories would help me deny the inexplicable draw I felt. I could fight loving a monster.

"When I was eight and orphaned, the mistress of the orphanage had a bad temper that only worsened with alcohol. I was her outlet." The words cut into my soul and I felt a stray tear slip down my cheek. The coarseness of his voice revealed years of suppressed emotion.

"I'm so sorry." I had been unprepared for his answer. I had expected a war story, abattle, an attack. But in the place of the monster I had wanted stood a boy, broken and battered. I spared a look at his face and was met with his usual stoic expression. How would I ever fight it?

"Don't be," he dismissed and I dropped the subject, hating to see how it affected him. I decided to change the subject.

"My father used to tell me that the Palace was filled with Old Magic. But I never really believed that the Old Magic was real. I thought it was just brilliant architecture. So now that I know that well, magic is real. Is Old Magic really all over the Palace?"

"Yes."

"Have you met others like you? Besides Atlas."

"No."

"I wonder if there are others out there. I mean there must be. If you and Atlas were both in the same orphanage. I mean the odds of that. There must be more of you. You couldn't have been the only ones. I wonder why we haven't heard more. I mean I'd heard of magic and men and women that had magic but I always disregarded it all. That's probably why. Some of the people who have magic might not even know it themselves. Like Atlas," my mind began to run wild with all the possibilities. "Have your powers gotten stronger, the more you practiced?"

"Yes."

"Maybe some of these people just haven't practiced their magic at all." I realized that my comments and questions had all been met with single word answers and I closed my mouth. The Commander probably didn't want to speak. Our journey was plunged into silence once more.