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JUSTAN TOOK THE LAST bite of his morning meal of ham, eggs, and hash. He was surprised to find that the food here was very good and now that he considered it, the bed he had been given had been quite comfortable as well. He would have to remember to visit this inn on his return journey. He was sure Merrilyn would love visiting with the innkeeper’s wife and daughter, though he had not had time. Norwulf village was not quite as barbaric as Justan had once imagined the towns along the Borderlands to be.
He leaned back in his chair, watching his men as they played a game of cards with a few of the locals. He would allow them another round before insisting they begin their search again. He hoped to make it through the mountain pass by the next evening.
A conversation across the room caught his attention—he was sure he had heard someone say the word "Alaith" a moment ago. At a table by the kitchen, three men spoke animatedly with the innkeeper. One of the men looked like a farmer, or perhaps a shepherd, who had just come in from the fields. The man sitting beside him he recognized as one of the guards who had been at the front gate. Justan guessed the third man to be a local merchant of some kind. He leaned in to listen more closely.
"Yes, sir!" the merchant was saying. "We met them this morning as they were walking with the sisters. The missus even gave her a blanket she made as a gift. She was truly kind to my missus, she was. Right kind to her."
The guard piped in. "I saw them yesterday with Beatny and could hardly believe my eyes!"
They men nodded, bobbing their heads in agreement.
The merchant piped up again. "Can you imagine? The woman was completely insane one day and right as rain the next! It's incredible!"
"Well, there's no doubt about it in my mind," said the innkeeper. "She's an Alaith, and that's all there is to be said."
This comment brought Justan to his feet. The men glanced up in surprise as he approached their table. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but did you say you have seen the Alaith?"
They all gaped at him.
Justan took a deep breath and tried again. "Did you see the Alaith?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the innkeeper said with a nod. "She arrived here little over a day ago now and is the guest of the Weavers."
Justan grasped him by the shoulder. "Where can I find them?"
"I saw them heading up the eastern slope of the mountain about an hour ago," said the farmer.
Without another word, Justan made his way through the room and out the front door in search of his horse. The customers all looked at each other and shrugged. Then, remembering the soldiers, they turned to stare at them. The prince's men regarded each other for a moment before they jumped up from their seats, knocking over chairs and spilling beer mugs in their hurry to follow. Running to their horses, they tried their best to catch up.
They finally reached Justan at the edge of the village, where he sat glaring up at the mountain. From here the road seemed treacherous, twisting and winding across the ragged face of the mountains, but he spurred his horse on nonetheless and as they climbed they found the path easier to manage than it had first appeared.
Justan couldn't believe he had been so close all day. Here she was, practically under his nose, and he had been sitting around watching men play cards. He could kick himself, he was so irritated. Justan leaned forward on his horse, listening. He thought he had heard something ahead. Raising a hand, he signaled for his men to stop and hold silent so that he could listen more intently.
There it was again—the scream of a woman being chased by something. Kicking his horse in the haunches, Justan raced across the slope toward the sound. He feared he was too late. As he rounded a large slab of rock at full gallop, the scene before him brought him to a surprised halt.
He had indeed found Merrilyn, who was squealing as she ran across the green fields. Only, instead of the enemy he had feared, she was being chased by Aiden—who grinned as he threatened her with a handful of mud. Three other women watched from the edge of the field, laughing and clapping at the game between the two young people. Normally, Justan would have laughed at their antics. Instead, he huffed angrily. This sound caught the attention of a woman sitting nearby.
"Does their behavior displease you, sir?"
Justan looked down at her and figured this must be one of the Weaver sisters the innkeeper had mentioned.
She sighed as she watched them running back and forth upon the grass. "They're only being silly. They have, after all, had quite a journey. I suppose they deserve a little fun."
Justan’s frown deepened but she wasn't looking at him and didn't seem to notice.
"It is lovely to see young love, isn't it?"
He grumbled a curse under his breath. The woman glanced up at him sharply, but turned towards the other horsemen who appeared over the edge of the trail behind him. Their arrival also drew the attention of the rest of her party.
"Justan!" Merrilyn cried. Carrying the edge of her gown, she raced down the hill toward him while the others followed at a slower pace. As she reached his side, she spoke without seeming to notice his scowl or the way he kept clenching and unclenching the reins with his fists.
"You won't believe all that has happened, Justan! It has all been too incredible, really! There is just so much to tell you. And Aiden..."
"Yes," he interrupted. "Yes, tell me about Aiden, Merrilyn. How is it that he ended up with you out here on the Borderlands when he was supposed to be keeping you safe in Nomar?"
Merrilyn stepped back, her hands falling to her side.
"And why are you playing games on a mountainside while our enemy chases us across the country—and all the while, my brother remains missing along with his men? Does it not concern you that we have been searching far and wide for you, risking our lives to find and protect you, only to discover you frolicking in the sheep fields with your lover?"
The women gasped. Merrilyn turned crimson.
Aiden stepped forward, frowning. "Your Highness, it is not as you suspect! You are wrong about Merrilyn—"
"Am I? From where I sit, it looks like two lovers have run off together while our kingdom sits on the brink of war with an unknown enemy."
"Perhaps you are sitting in the wrong seat then," said the old woman beside him.
Justan couldn't help but notice the contempt in her voice. She gestured for him to dismount, and he surprised even himself by obeying. Taking the reins of his horse, she offered a small curtsy.
"Your Highness, you owe this young woman an apology. And perhaps she owes you an explanation as well."
Though her voice had been gentle, Merrilyn bowed her head before the woman’s stern gaze.
Justan scowled at Merrilyn, but she wouldn’t turn her still-blushing face toward him. He took a step toward her as the old woman led her sisters away, but Aiden didn’t budge.
One of the women came back, her eyes filled with sympathy as she took Aiden's arm, pulling him along with her to prevent his interference in the matter, as it was clear he didn't intend to leave Merrilyn alone with the prince. He hesitated, still furious, but finally allowed himself to be dragged away.
Merrilyn stood silent as Justan approached her. He stopped, still several feet from her, and leaned into the hillside to keep his balance on the uneven terrain. Glaring at her, he swallowed his anger with deep breaths. When he finally spoke, it was hardly more than a harsh whisper.
“Do you know how worried I have been?”
Merrilyn’s expression softened, a line of worry forming on her brow.
“When I learned the wizard was after you, I raced home. Each hour I was away from you was torture. Imagine, then, how I felt to arrive in Nomar and discover that you weren’t there at all. The servants all claimed you ran off with your lover.”
Merrilyn’s blush deepened, but her eyes flashed with anger. “Why should you think Aiden my lover? Surely I’ve given you no reason to think so.”
“What else should I think, Merrilyn? You recognized him the day we found him in the forest, though I don’t remember you ever mentioning him before. Then, I see you holding hands with him the day after you heal him. After you were injured, he offered to escort you home, promising to guard you with his life.”
Merrilyn flinched at each angry accusation, backing away from him as he spoke.
“I returned to find you both had disappeared. The only clue as to where you’d gone was a note saying you’d run off together into the mountains.”
“Justan, I left alone. I had no idea Aiden was going to follow me. I only discovered along the way that he had come along to watch over me. And he has never acted in any way that could be considered inappropriate. If he promised you that he would protect me, it seems he has only been keeping his word. You should be thanking him instead of accusing him of such things. Though why you should care is beyond me.”
This last sentence was said softly, but he heard her. Anger flared in his eyes. In three quick strides he had her back pressed against the rock face of the mountain above. His gaze burned into hers, and he could see fear in her eyes.
"What are you doing here, Merrilyn?" He spread his hands wide indicating the mountains and the remote countryside of the Borderlands.
"Loian told me to come to the Norwulf Mountains, so I did," she said without looking at him.
"Why?" he asked with such disdain that it drew her eyes up to his.
"What do you mean by that, Justan?" Her chin rose a notch, her eyes challenging him.
He scoffed, shrugging. "Why would you come all the way out here just because ‘Loian' asks it of you? How do you know you weren't dreaming, or that it wasn't some kind of a trick? Why should you do anything this god asks you to do? Don't you know the danger you are in?"
"I already told you, Justan. He speaks to me. It wasn't a dream or a trick. He came to me at the palace and told me to travel north to the mountains."
Justan rested his hands on his hips and shook his head angrily. This girl made him want to scream.
"Merrilyn, why are you being so stubborn? Don’t you see that you are going to get yourself killed? That wizard has been searching for you ever since the ambush at the waterfall. He must be close by now. I don't see how you can be safe out here alone with no one to protect you but Aiden. You must come with us back to the palace where we can keep you safe from him."
Folding her arms, she shook her head. "I am not alone here, Justan. Hiding in the palace will not prevent the wizard from finding me if that is what he wants. Let him come and we will see which is stronger—the wizard, or Loian."
Justan had never seen this side of her before. Slightly awed, he almost apologized. But in his mind, he saw her body lying motionless on the ground, remembered the fear that had gripped him after what had happened the last time she met with the wizard. Raising himself to his full height, he stared down at her.
"You will come back with us to the palace of Nomar, Merrilyn. You have no other choice."
"My choice, Your Highness, is to remain here and fight the battle that must be seeking me out. I choose to be faithful to Loian, who has given me my gift. If you cannot understand that, if you will not believe in me, then you might as well go. In your eyes I see nothing but doubt, so go ahead and turn around. Run home. I will fight without you. And when I return to Nomar, you can apologize as you should have done in the first place.”
She stood, hands on her hips, her hair fluttering in the breeze and in that moment he fought the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her thoroughly. Instead, he turned on his heel, stormed over to his mount and hoisted himself aloft.
"You and Aiden are to meet me at the inn by dawn tomorrow, where we will begin our journey home."
He turned his horse around until he faced in the direction of the village, but paused. Just in case his instructions were missing the proper emphasis, he added, "king's orders, Merrilyn!"
Justan rode away, past the men who had been waiting nearby. They followed as he raced past them. He knew she had to be furious, so he didn't stop when he heard her scream into the mountain air behind him. Firmly setting his jaw he determined not to look back—until he heard her scream again.