Eden-South (16 page)

“Where have you been?” Logan asked, moving
down the bench to make room for Wolf and Aiden. Both boys looked
exhausted.

“Practising,” Wolf replied, pulling Logan’s
plate of half-eaten food in front of him and eating what was
left.

“Please, help yourself—” Wolf smiled at him,
food sticking through his teeth. “You two have been out there all
day? Do you realize you missed the Captain recently?”

“Crap, was he looking for us?” Wolf asked,
swallowing the huge mouthful he’d been chewing.

“Not you, him.” He motioned toward Aiden.
“Apparently, he was coming to check up on you. What happened?”

Aiden looked down, his face turning red like
it always did when he was embarrassed. “I got thrown off my
horse.”

Logan chuckled. “Well, that was bound to
happen on your first day. At least you’re not injured,” he pointed
out.

Elisa suddenly plopped down beside him,
smiling at the three of them. “Hello,” she greeted them.

“What are you so happy about?” Wolf asked
rudely. She looked taken aback, her smile fading immediately. Logan
wanted to throw a curse his way.

“Nothing. I was just saying hello.” Both of
their faces turned to stone as they looked away from each other.
Elisa turned to Aiden. “How was your training today? I heard you
were riding.”

“It was all right,” he lied. Logan snorted.
“Well, I fell off the horse, or more like got thrown off like a rag
doll, but besides that it was fine. We just came in now, so I’m
pretty sore.”

“Wait until tomorrow,” Logan remarked,
smirking.

“Well, I was speaking with my dad, and
tomorrow you get to train with me.” She smiled. Wolf began coughing
loudly over her, apparently on a piece of meat. Logan was
suspicious, however. “We’re going to work on your archery,” she
continued over him.

“Great,” said Aiden, smiling. Logan watched
Wolf look between the two of them, and couldn’t help but laugh
inwardly at his friend.

Tomorrow with Elisa—Aiden was rejoicing
inside, when a voice interrupted him. “Hey, Aiden,” someone said.
They all turned to see Felix standing there with his tray of food.
He looked nervous now that they all were staring at him.

“Hey,” Aiden replied, smiling.

“Can I sit with you guys?” Aiden felt
bad—the boy looked nervous as hell—so he instantly moved down to
make room for him. The others didn’t seem to mind. He sat down,
looking relieved that he hadn’t been turned away. “How was
riding?”

“Not too bad,” he replied, trying to avoid
telling his story again.

“Aiden, you haven’t eaten anything yet, have
you?” Elisa asked, taking notice of the empty space before him. He
shook his head as she began to get up. “Neither have I. I’ll go get
us something.” She walked off toward Tiny, leaving the boys
watching her from behind.

“Well, isn’t that sweet,” Wolf commented
dryly. He had finished Logan’s food by that time, and started to
get up himself. “I think I’ll go get washed up, and then maybe head
out for an evening stroll.” He winked. Logan laughed, like he knew
exactly where he would be heading.

“Yeah, say hi to the girl for me,” he joked.
“Whoever she might be tonight.” Wolf smiled in response, turning to
leave.

“Where do you think you’re going?” a big man
asked, standing in his way. Aiden hadn’t noticed his approach.
Elisa had come back just as they all turned to see him. “The
Captain wants to see you all in his chambers.”

They looked nervously at one another.
Felix’s face instantly drained of colour. “I’ll let you guys go
then.” He started to get up to leave.

“You come too,” the man instructed. Aiden
looked over at him and shrugged his shoulders. The five of them
followed the man out, as all heads turned to watch them as they
left. His stomach growled in protest, making him regret having not
gotten something to eat sooner.

“Sit down,” the Captain barked as they all
entered his private chambers. It was the room on the top floor,
taking up the whole space. The furnishings were plain; his bed was
the same as the small ones that they slept in. There was a large
fireplace in the room, and chairs stationed around it, but besides
that it was just the same as theirs. Nothing about it spoke of his
rank in the King’s army. The only light in the place came from the
large hearth in the fireplace, casting a low glow in the room, just
around the seating area. The rest of it hid in darkness, making the
mood in the room very eerie. All five of them squished onto a sofa
, Aiden stuck between Felix and Elisa. “Where have you two been?”
he asked first.

“We were just practising some more,” Wolf
replied. Aiden felt nervous speaking around the Captain. He was a
terrifying man.

“I told you to bring him back here.”

His words hung in the air. No one wanted to
look at either of them. Aiden felt horrible. He hadn’t even thought
about the chance Wolf would get in trouble for keeping him out
there.

“I apologize, sir,” Wolf replied. “We wanted
to get a little more work in before dark. It was irresponsible of
me. It won’t happen again.”

The Captain just grunted, before sitting
down across from them on a large cushioned chair.

“We just heard news from our men in the
north. They are stationed at the base of the mountain in secrecy,”
he began. “It looks like the army there is on the move.”

Silence filled the air, each person feeling
a mixture of fear and anticipation. Aiden and Felix looked
hesitantly at one another. Both faces reflected the same
feeling—they weren’t ready. It was all becoming too real now, the
immense danger for them all suddenly tangible.

“How long until they’re here?” asked Wolf,
the only one brave enough to speak.

“We’re assuming they will be torching and
raiding the smaller villages on the way, so that might take up more
time. I’d say two weeks at the most.” Two weeks. Aiden felt the
colour fade from his face, and his palms became clammy. “It is
critical, now more than ever, that you all be ready to fight.” He
looked straight at Aiden. “Can you be ready?”

“We’re ready,” replied Logan
enthusiastically. He looked down the line at Aiden and smiled
encouragingly. “Don’t worry, Aiden. With the three of us helping
you, you’ll be just as ready as the rest of us.” Wolf looked
hesitantly at Aiden, mirroring the same scepticism Aiden felt. It
wasn’t much time, and he had a lot to learn.

“I want you all to be training as many hours
in the day as you can,” the Captain said, interrupting their
private silent exchange. Aiden knew Wolf was just as doubtful about
him being ready in two weeks, although Logan seemed to think it was
a piece of cake. “I will let the others know tomorrow, so keep this
quiet. For now, go get some rest and be prepared to work harder
than you’ve ever worked before. I’m only telling you all before the
others, because I have the most faith in you. Each one of you is
the best at what they do,” he said, hesitating when his glance
reached Felix. They both looked at each other before the Captain
continued. “I’m looking to you to encourage the others, and lead
them. You are young, but you’re the future of this army, and you
need to establish your role now when it is the most important.” The
feeling in the room was tense. “Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir,” they responded together. He
dismissed them after this, sending them to their rooms to have what
would surely be a horrible sleep.

Lying in his bed, Aiden stared up at the
ceiling contemplating the idea of running away. Perhaps Diana would
send him back if he asked. Surely, she wouldn’t force him to stay
there if he didn’t want to. Then he thought about the friends he
had made, and pictured them failing against this northern army. He
knew he couldn’t just let that happen, but he didn’t really know
what
he
could do.

“You asleep?” someone whispered from the
door.

“No,” he replied, thankful for the
distraction. Elisa walked silently over to his bed, sitting
cross-legged at the foot. He sat up against the headboard, looking
at her in the moonlight. She was the most beautiful girl he had
ever known. He wondered what she thought of him.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, keeping
her voice low.

“Scared,” he replied honestly. “I’m not sure
I can do this, Elisa. I don’t really understand the magnitude of
this yet, but I have some idea of what is to come, and if it is
anywhere near that, I know I can’t do it. Being faced with one
opponent is one thing, but hundreds, maybe thousands? Is it even
possible that we will win?” He felt hopeless, pouring his private
thoughts out to her. She listened silently, waiting a few seconds
before responding.

Clearing her throat, she moved up the bed a
bit, reaching her hand out to cover his, which lay on the blankets.
“I understand exactly how you feel. Even though I’m from here, I’ve
never actually taken part in a war. There hasn’t been a war like
this in Eden in centuries. Don’t you see? We’re all just as scared
as you, but this is our destiny,” she spoke urgently. “Everyone has
a purpose in life, and this is ours. You were picked by our God and
Goddess to come here and fight. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?
That must give you some confidence that you will succeed. Put your
faith in them; they would not have brought you here if they
couldn’t protect you.”

“I’m not as skilled as you …”

“Not yet, but we will work on it. Aiden,
you’re not horrible; you’re actually very quick at picking things
up. Your axe is average—there are many people who couldn’t handle
it as efficiently as you do. Your riding is getting better, and
you’ve only done it once. That is amazing, Aiden,” she cried,
squeezing his hand gently. “There are many people who wouldn’t be
able to pick up these things as quickly as you are. If we just
really focus and work extra hard, you can be just as good as Wolf.”
He snorted in disbelief. “I mean it. You can do this, and we will
help.”

Looking out the window, he saw the two large
moons hanging in the sky. Elisa had told him once that they were
like the eyes of their God and Goddess, looking down at the people
of Eden. Gazing at them, he wondered if maybe she was right. Would
they have bothered to bring him over if he couldn’t perform as well
as the rest?
Unless it was a mistake,
he thought. What if
Alistair was just some crazy old man who thought up this wild idea
about a boy from the other world? There were just too many doubts
for him. Sighing, he tried to smile at Elisa, faking some
confidence for her sake.

“You know what is worrying me the most?” she
said quietly. He shook his head in response. “The villages between
there and here. All those people are in danger, and they won’t be
able to defend themselves. The King won’t let that happen, which
means the war will have to take place somewhere between us and
them.”

“Well, isn’t that better?” he asked,
confused by her fear. “That way, the Capital City won’t be in
immediate danger.”

“I’ve never been away from the city,” she
confessed. He slowly nodded his head, understanding what was really
bothering her.

“Well, I’m a long way from my home, and I’m
doing just fine. You’re quite possibly the most skilled, talented,
and bravest girl I’ve ever met, Elisa. I think you’ll be just fine,
regardless of where we’re stationed.”

She smiled thankfully back at him. “You
really think I’m the most skilled girl you’ve ever met?” she asked,
laughing.

He laughed back. “Most definitely. I’ve
never met a girl like you. You’re absolutely fearless to me, and
you handle situations like they’re nothing. You have no
reservations when approaching difficult scenarios. It’s amazing.
Not to mention you’re stunning on top of it all.” The last sentence
slipped out, and his face instantly heated. Thankfully, the room
was dark enough to hide it. She also sat silent, probably surprised
by his compliment. Leaning over, she kissed him softly on the
cheek. He froze as her face was close to his.

“Thank you.” She smiled, backing away. “I’ll
see you tomorrow?” He nodded his head, and she got up just as
silently as she had come, leaving him alone again with his
overwhelming feelings. I’m never going to fall asleep now, he
moaned, covering his face with the blankets.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The men ran rapidly through the village,
throwing people to the ground and smashing in doors. Residents were
dragged out of their homes, almost all still in their sleepers,
their faces frozen in fear. The homes were set on fire, the night
sky lit up with the multiple burning buildings. Screams filled
every crevice of the small village, children yelling for their
parents, and women screaming for help as the soldiers took
advantage of them.

She had been hiding under her bed, having
heard the men in the houses next to theirs. It wasn’t long before
the sounds of boots filled the lower floor of her home, and she
could hear her father yelling something at the men. It didn’t
matter what he said: the men laughed, and before long she could no
longer hear his voice. She wanted to cry out, but covered her mouth
instead, trying as hard as she could to control her tears. They ran
down her face from fear and despair for her people. The chiefs of
the village had known that it wouldn’t be much longer before the
army from the north would come down, but they hadn’t expected them
this soon. There had also been some hope that they would pass by
the smaller villages, so they didn’t waste time.
Obviously, that
wasn’t the case,
she thought bitterly.

“Let go!” her mother screamed. Her body
began to shake, desperately wanting to go out and save her family,
but knowing that she would just be dead alongside them if she did.
Her father had given her strict instructions to hide, and stay
hidden. The sounds of boots climbed the stairs and went down the
hall slowly, stopping in the doorway of each room. Their house was
a small wood cabin like the rest of the ones in the village. The
main floor consisted of one room, with a small kitchen and a small
sitting area. The top floor had three bedrooms on it. One was her
parents’, one was hers, and one had been her brother Felix’s before
he had left. She could hear the person stop at his room; hers was
the last. Tightening her hand over her mouth, she tried to calm her
breathing down so he wouldn’t hear her. Tears still streamed down
her cheeks, blurring her vision as she saw the boots appear in the
doorway.