A Tale of Traitors

Willow: The Protector

Wait...

Elvish spells were invented in such a way that they could only be used to protect someone. My attacker was actually protecting me.

     I couldn't move or speak, and my attacker chose not to either. We sat in silence, my eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness enveloping us. The stones of the cave were enormous and covered in moss; the entrance was so tiny and well hidden that barely any light had crept through the stones. Water dripped onto the top of my head, rhythmically, driving me insane. It felt like forever passed before the man started to move. He stepped in front of me, and I desperately searched the darkness for his face. Adrenaline shot through my veins. I knew those features--it was the man from Realm One, the assassin who had followed me. I was absolutely fuming as I stared into his dark, empty eyes. I wanted to do anything but stand there helplessly. The cave was dark and freezing, the stones growing colder all around me. The trees outside were still quieter than death himself, the looming threat still present in the air. Through every fit of anger that surged across my mind, something deep inside told me I had no reason to be afraid. Some secret knowledge kept my emotions steady.
     It was unnerving the way the assassin watched me, as if he had something quite important to say or do but wouldn't tell me what the heck was in his brain. After a few minutes, my friends started yelling for me. They're coming, I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't even shiver. They're going to punish you, just wait.
"Willow! Run!" I heard Bob yell over and over. "Get far away, like, now!"
"They're not targets," the assassin whispered as he crept silently towards me, pulled me deeper into the cave and held me close. "Trust me."
     I wanted to strangle him. Something dark and terrible tore through the previously silent woods. Footsteps pounded across the leaves. THUNK!

The sound was unmistakeable.

     It was the sound of a body collapsing on the ground. Bob. Guards were shouting. Dragging him away. I tried to scream, I tried to fight back. My hands couldn't shake. I couldn't even growl. One by one, I listened to my friends screaming my name. I heard their footsteps. I heard them fighting back against the guards who were striking, kicking, and beating them. I heard them being dragged away. Rage boiled in my bloodstream, clouding my already darkened vision. All the while, when I could have been out there helping them, I was here with a strange man who was either helping me or waiting for the perfect moment to torture and kill me. Or worse—he could hand me over to the king, and then there was no one who would seize his throne. This is exactly what I had feared: being helpless, alone, and letting everyone around me down. My emotions were so intense that my body trembled. The man froze, as if I'd startled him, not the other way around. Maybe he didn't expect me to be afraid. I was afraid, but the fear wasn't what made me tremble.

It was the fury.

"It's okay," he dared to whisper when the footsteps sounded farther away. "We'll find them."
That most definitely did nothing to calm my nerves, but the spell was somewhat fading.
"The spell will wear off completely in a few minutes, once I'm sure they're gone. Let me explain myself. If you don't believe me, I'll let you go off on your own. If you do believe me, I'll tell you my plan to save your companions and get you to Tormod's throne room unnoticed. I'm sure I've scared you and probably infuriated you, too. Sorry about that..." He hesitated before continuing. " But I think if you hear what I have to say, you'll be pleased."
"Get. Away. From. Me." I snapped through gritted teeth. Everything was tingling painfully, like needles were shooting into my tongue and gums. My face was painfully numb.
He practically flung five feet away. "Are you going to listen?"
I refused to answer.
"My name is Adresin, and I'm the eldest son of Tormod."
"Great. Start."
"Yeah, I know." He looked strangely hurt for a moment, and I realized I needed to shut up. "I... I was convinced that his ways were right because that's how I was raised. I became his most trusted assassin, and he sent me to your realm to kill your queen. While I was there, I learned that my ways were wrong and that I could change them. I was trained by you and the Kaedah Elder, Damian, who treated you like his daughter. I fought Exterminators with you through the never-ending raids. I know you don't remember Damian or me, but we did fight together. After a village of children and soldiers burned down, you received some form of flash drive that had something on it that you wouldn't share with anyone—even me."

Flames flashed across my vision. A little boy bleeding out in my arms. Fire. Blood. Screaming.

"I was your number two," he said, when it was obvious I had lost focus. "You talked to me about the information but never let me see the flash drive. Whatever you saw, you deleted from the drive. You destroyed it, actually. I came to see you one night because you were supposed to come to training but never showed. I figured something was wrong. Turns out, I was right, and you were tackling a man who was much larger and stronger than you. He was about to bash your brains out for the knowledge that you had, but I pulled him off of you. I cast the amnesia spell. I told you to run."
"Why?" My head was pounding. Helena Magdalena had said whoever cast the spell was powerful, that they cared about me. Maybe I should listen more carefully to what the assassin had to say.
"That's not the end. I waited until it was safe to come looking for you. I distracted you so our friend Treiu could subdue you until you remembered who we were."
Treiu was the man who threw a freaking bag over my head!
"You foiled our plan when you escaped his grasp, cut off your hair and slipped through the portal. I don't know what got into you... the amnesia spell must have been a lot stronger than I meant it to be. I'm not good with casting spells. I kept your hair and requested that Damian let me forge it into something you could wear. It's called a Mind Seeker, and it was made by the most talented Dwarf in Realm Two. If you put it on, you'll remember everything. I'm tracking you because Tormod knows what a threat you are, and he wants to kill you. Damian and, frankly, the rest of Realm One want you home where it's safe for you. We're really missing our warrior."
"Any... proof?" The stabbing feeling had spread up to my eyes, making concentrating difficult. 
"I have pictures." He began to reach into his bag, but when I backed away--which felt like my arms were being torn off--he stopped moving. "Do you want to look in the bag yourself?"
"Yeah," I nodded, wincing in pain as I reached out my hand.
     He handed it over, and I searched the first pocket, the one he'd wanted to open. Inside were pictures, just as he said there would be. One was of an older Kaedah man and me—a girl who must be me—raising our glasses in a celebratory cheers. Our swords were still bloody, the men around us tired and cheering. The next picture was of me and some girls whose faces I couldn't recall. But we looked really, really happy. The third picture was of a gorgeous pink lady who must have been royalty. She was doing my makeup but laughing at me, because I was clearly not enjoying it. We were dressed up for something--maybe a festival of some sort.
"That's your queen," Adresin spoke quietly.
"What?"
"The queen of Realm One. She's a rebel too... your job became defending her after Tormod realized he couldn't control her anymore."
"Is this you?" I asked in disbelief as I showed a photo of us. Why was my arm around him?
He nodded.
"How... I... I don't think I can handle the past right now." I finally decided, reluctantly handing over the photos. "No, I mean, I--thank you, but I need to save my friends." The rage came rushing back. "Why in the world did you tear me away from them?"
"The scouts were following your group for the last ten minutes or so, waiting for the opportunity to get you distracted enough for them to strike. I needed to pull you away. If they had seen your face and caught you, it would have been game over for all of your companions."
"Does Tormod know there are intruders in this realm?"
"He will know by now, but he probably thinks it's related to the mermaid and siren rebels in Realm Five. As long as you're not mentioned, he shouldn't worry too much. We can get in and out without being noticed, get your friends, and get to wherever it is you want to go. Worst case scenario, he'll send one or two spirits to search the area."
We were quiet for a moment.
"Any chance you've got some bombs or something?" I asked.
"Always," he smirked, pointing to the bag. "You want to blow some holes in his base?"
"Unless you have a better plan."
"I don't." He hesitated. "Are you hiding something from me?"
"No, of course not." I lied. When I saw it wasn't working, I rolled my eyes and said sarcastically, "I'm just going to trust you whole-heartedly and tell you everything I know."
"Fair enough."
"Can I ask you something?"
He nodded.
"Why did you shoot at us on Earth?"
He looked genuinely surprised for a minute.
"You shot into our car and we could have died."
"Oh, yeah. That wasn't very smart of me, I'm sorry. I wanted to take out the traitor. No one would have been fatally hurt. I am an excellent shot."
"I'm frequently referred to as a traitor." My eyes narrowed.
"Damian sent word that someone in your group is a traitor. One of the people traveling with you now is going to try and sabotage your mission. If you trust the wrong person, you'll all end up dead and this rebellion will be pointless."
"That's... no."
"As much as it sucks to hear, it's true. I don't trust any of them."
"They wouldn't hurt me. Most of them have actually saved my life at points."
"It's a clever tactic to get someone to trust you. Come on, I was an assassin for years, and you trusted me before."
"Trust between you and me is going to need a lot of work," I stepped back. "But if you're willing to prove it, I do sort of need the help."
"That's what I'm here for," he sighed. "Mind if I make a call first?"
"Seriously?"
"Damian wanted to know the second I found you. He already hates me. I don't want to give him reason to hate me more."
"Why does he hate you?"
"He doesn't understand why you—trust—me."
"So does no one else trust you?"
"Some people trust me because you do."
"I'm sorry that I can't remember you." I said more sincerely than I thought I meant.
"Don't worry about that now. You don't need something else on your plate." He smiled sadly. "So can I make that call?"
"Yeah," I said quietly. The voice on the other end of the phone picked up immediately. After a moment of mumbling one word-answers, Adresin turned to me.
"Damian wants to talk to you."
"What do I say to someone I can't remember?"
"Tell him you're safe for now and you'll be home soon."
"But I won't be home soon."
"Just tell him. Pretend you're going to do what he wants."
"I don't want to lie--"
He put the phone in my hands and I slowly raised it to my ear.
"Hello." I said as confidently as I could.
"Willow?" A raspy voice said from the other end. "Oh, thank God. Are you alright?"
"I'm safe for now, and I'll be home soon." My voice cracked.
"I'm glad you're safe, I really am. I hope you know how proud I am of you, and how greatly we've missed you," the old man's voice started to shake with emotion. "Please stay safe. Stay with Adresin, Darling."
"Thank you, I will."
"I'll call soon." And with that, the man hung up.
"We need to go now." I wiped a tear from my eye, though I didn't feel like crying. It was like the depths of my soul were screaming for me to remember how much I cared about both these men that had suddenly reentered my life. I just couldn't remember, and I didn't have the time to. I needed to focus. My personal life could wait.
"Are you starting to remember anything?" He asked hopefully.
"A little bit. Maybe." I headed for the opening of the cave. "I guess I need to be a little more honest with you."