Council of Fugitives

My eyes opened again while it was still dark, and it took me a minute to figure out why. Someone was crying muffled, voiceless sobs. I sat up and saw Donal’s little body convulsing a few feet away from me, trying so hard to be quiet. Jinge was also awake. He was sitting on the other side of the fire, keeping watch. Our eyes met -- his practically glowed compared to the darkness of the rest of his body. I moved towards the young king and hugged him until he stopped crying and fell back asleep.

“He was at odds with his father.” Jinge said quietly. “It’s kind of you to do that, human girl.”

I smiled weakly. “I feel bad for him.”

“He’ll get over it.” Jinge threw another log on the fire.

I woke up again in the dim morning feeling sore and unbearably cold. Still, I helped bury the fire and the remains of the deer, and got ready to be on the move again. Donal smiled at me and whistled a bouncy tune as he dug around in his saddlebag (his had a saddle, but it was the only horse that was saddled up), as if he hadn’t cried for weeks. He pulled out the same ball that he’d used to changed the gate the night before, and a rolled up paper. The paper had a map and symbols all over the map. I tried reading it over his shoulder, but didn’t understand a bit of it. He inspected the ball, and found the single marking on it, and then the same marking on the map.

“Apparently we’re in the North-Western part of your continent, Ashlyn.” Donal said. He pointed to the map. It looked like somewhere near the Canadian border. “The closest gate is here, so we could be there in a day if we wanted to.”

“But do we want to go there?” Ciaran asked.

“We could hide here for a while.” Jinge suggested. “The weather will be nice for a few months.”

“Months?” I interrupted. The three of them looked at me.

“Was this your plan? Just hide? Until when? I can’t stay here for months! I have things to do!”

“I can’t face Brand like I am now.” Donal said. “I have to hide.”

“There has to be some way you can --”

“Ashlyn,” Donal stopped me, rolling up the map again. “I’m just a child.”

There was no way I’d live here for months. I did not want to camp in the woods without a sleeping bag and repeat my last semester of college. “Then how did you face him last time? How did you stop him from killing you when he’d already killed your father?

“We barely escaped alive! I walked into the throne room in time to see Brand stab my father, and when he tried to choke me, I made my skin burn his hand, Before I ran, I put this on.” Donal held up his wrist, indicating the large key bracelet. “He’ll have to kill me to get it off. But if I try to fight him again while I’m still like this, he probably will, easily. I managed to teleport myself to Ciaran and Jinge and get out. Right now I have all the doors to our worlds closed. But that will only slow him down. The only way we’ve made it this far is by luck.”

“But that’s something,” I continued. “If we set a trap for him, maybe you could win!”

“With all due respect, my lady, don’t be ridiculous.” Donal started putting everything back in his saddlebag.

“It’s not ridiculous! We go back, find out where he is, one of us takes him on alone, and the others spring on him at once! Or you could have him monologue like villains always do, and expose his crimes to the public, which would have them on your side! There are plenty of ways, I’m sure of it!”

“You don’t know him, Ashlyn.” Ciaran said. “He’d be too smart to fall for something like that.”

“The human girl is right.” Jinge said, which surprised everyone.

“What?” I stuttered.

“It is not fitting for a king to hide in the shadows. You’re quicker than he is, sire.” Jinge continued, rubbing the scruff on his face. “He’s very strong and smart, but he won’t be expecting much from you, or Ciaran. He’s always looked down on the both of you. We have those keys, and surprise on our side.”

“See?” I said eagerly.

Both Donal and Ciaran looked troubled.

“Give it some thought.” Jinge said. “In the meantime, we’ll travel towards the nearest gate, and you, sire, will continue to train in your magic when we stop and rest.”

Donal groaned.

“Brand will not rest, and neither will you.” Jinge was stern.

“You can do it.” Ciaran laid a supportive hand on Donal’s shoulder.

“You're not off the hook.” Jinge informed him. “You will be finding the best strategy against your brother.”

Ciaran groaned.

“If, finally, we all conclude that there is no possible way to trick and defeat him, then we will wait." He turned his dark, shadowy head toward me. "You can spare a few days, can’t you, human girl?”

            “If it’s only a few.” I conceded, smiling at him.