“But you can’t just walk into a Fae village and ask for a healer!” Leonid cried.
“Actually, I can. I am versed in many of the Fae dialects,” Rohan stated.
“He is! He was just telling me all about it, but… but you’re human!” Serxio flapped his arms. “They’ll lock you up the moment they see you! Or worse, they’ll kill you on sight!”
“It’s said that not all the humans returned to Rirea before the Wall went up. I doubt we’re the only ones here. Besides,” Rohan drew the hood of his coat up, “I’ll keep this up and my head down. You two stay with Finn, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Leonid stepped in front of the exit to the tree. “I am sorry, my king, but I cannot allow you to do this. Let me go in your stead.”
“Do you know Ulsethi? Oetfati? Elean?” Rohan asked.
Leonid blinked. “I don’t even know what those are.”
“They are Fae dialects. I know them. I can converse with the Fae. You cannot, Leonid,” Rohan said gently as he clasped the Guard captain’s arm and pushed him to the side. “I need you to stay here and keep Finn safe while I’m gone.”
Leonid’s head lowered. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to convince you that… well, I know Finn means a lot to you, but you are king and he is--”
“Just as important as I am, Leonid,” Rohan finished for him, though that was not what Leonid was going to say.
“Yes, your majesty,” Leonid said tightly, not willing to gainsay him.
He put his hand on Leonid’s shoulder. “I know I am king, Leonid, but a king serves his people just like his people serve him or he is not worthy of the title.” He glanced over at the softly moaning Finn. “I do not know if I could forgive myself if I did not try everything to save Finn. Do you understand, Leonid?”
Leonid’s head lifted. “You are a good man. I would give my life for you even if you were not royal. That is why… well, please, be careful.”
Rohan nodded. “I will be. I promise.”
“If Leonid cannot go with you then I will!” Serxio had straightened up to his full--though not considerable--height. The plumes on his hat drooped, and he tried to blow them up, out of the way.
Both Leonid and Rohan stared at the young noble with slightly disbelieving looks.
“Serxio, though I am honored that you would like to assist me, I don’t think...” Rohan began.
“I know that I’m not a fighter. I don’t know any Fae dialects, but I am good at two things!” Serxio held up a finger. “First, I am a people person.”
“You think you can seduce a Fae when you can’t even speak their language?” Leonid’s right eyebrow curled up in disbelief.
Serxio sniffed. “Yes, I can! I seduced the Countess of Duchesney, and she did not speak a word of Common nor I of her language, and yet we are the best of friends.”
“You do have a way with people,” Rohan had to admit that.
When there was a difficult guest to be entertained, he always sent Serxio to warm them up before he got there. Invariably, men and women found the young noble entertaining, if nothing else, and he put them at ease. Serxio did have good instincts like that.
“And second?” Leonid was frowning. “You said there were two things.”
“I can run very fast,” Serxio said.
“Meaning?” Leonid was really frowning now. His whole face was a frown.
“That if we get into trouble I will run back to you, Leonid, so you know what’s going on and can save the king,” Serxio explained.
“If his majesty gets captured, you bloody well will too!” Leonid shook his head violently.
“No, I am actually as slippery as an eel. I will get away and come back here,” Serxio insisted. “The king cannot go alone, Leonid. And since I’m not good with weapons, someone who is needs to remain behind to protect Finn.”
“This is a terrible idea, my king,” Leonid growled.
“Perhaps.” Rohan considered Serxio’s words and good qualities. Perhaps he could help. Finally, he nodded and said, “All right, Serxio. You’ve proved your worth in this, but the plumed hat has to go.”
“My hat?” Serxio clutched it with both hands as if he or Leonid were about to snatch it from his head.
“And you need to wear a cloak. That outfit… glows,” Rohan told him. The elaborate purple and green silk affair would attract too much attention. “We’re trying to keep a low profile, Serxio.”
“If you’re really serious about helping his majesty, you won’t balk at giving up some of your plumage,” Leonid stated, still frowning. His Guard captain clearly did not like this plan one bit, but he realized that it was happening.
With a sigh, Serxio surrendered the hat and donned the gray patchwork cloak and hood that Leonid shrugged off of his own shoulders. The young lord didn’t even grumble that it was muddy and stained--at least not too much--before pulling the hood over his head.
Rohan strode to the vine-covered entrance to the tree with Serxio at his heels. He glanced back one last time at Finn. The young man looked paler than ever and Rohan felt his heart being squeezed tighter in his chest.
I will save you, Finn, Rohan promised. I swear it.
DARK DREAM
I’m late! Finn Ashton thought as he frantically rode Sweetfire to the cabin in the woods. Rohan is waiting for me! I can’t miss him! I can’t!
Yet even as Finn thought this, he felt it was wrong, but he couldn’t explain why. And yet he couldn’t stop his racing thoughts long enough to figure out what it was that was bothering him. He had to get to the cabin, yet the Lupine Woods were actively working against him.
Some of the paths he followed doubled back on themselves, seeming to go in large circles, before he would find himself in the exact same spot he’d started from. He’d take other paths but those would come to dead ends at the base of one of the huge, poison-weeping trees or a cascade of impassable boulders. He’d even tried going off the paths altogether using his natural ability to navigate the woods to find the cabin. But it seemed his sense of direction had left him as well. No matter what direction he went, he ended back in the same place he had begun in the center of the woods with no cabin in sight.
And that was where he was now.
Sweetfire danced underneath him as Finn cast right then left to try and see if he had missed any sign of where he might go, but there was no direction he had not already gone, no path he had not already taken. He wheeled Sweetfire around to look behind him. Perhaps he wasn’t even facing in the right direction to get to the cabin! But everything looked the same. A tremor ran through him and cold sweat poured down his face.
Which way? Which way? Which way?
He dragged his hands through his hair until it practically stood straight up. Sweetfire whinnied, mirroring his distress.
Rohan will wait, Finn told himself. He won’t leave right away just because I’m not there yet. But… but… didn’t I already meet him?
That sense of wrongness flooded him again and he went still. His breathing was the loudest sound in his ears, making it hard to think. But he forced himself to do so.