A Deep Cut

A SHOCK BOLTED UP ELLA'S back as the wagon hit yet another stone. She rubbed her back, attempting to provide herself with some kind of relief.

Rhett smiled at her. She jolted forward as he dug his thumb into the aching muscle, arching her back in a mixture of pain and relief.

"Not long now," he laughed. Whenever he laughed or smiled, he did it with his eyes.

When Rhett showed her Tanner's letter in Midhaven, she had no idea what to think at first. They didn't have the money. They had talked about it before. That was why they chose Falstide; tickets from Gisa would cost an arm and a leg. Or more.

The idea of arriving in a new city already indebted to someone was not an idea that she liked to think about. This was meant to be a new start for them, somewhere to build their lives. How could they do that if they always had money looming over their heads?

However, Tanner was a good man. At least, from everything Rhett said, she believed him to be. Rhett was a good judge of character.

In truth, she was backed into a corner. Despite her spine feeling like it was days away from snapping from the vibrations of the damned wagon and the fact that they were running out of coin, Falstide would still be her preferred choice. She didn't want to owe anything to anyone. She was more than willing to put up with another month or so of travelling to truly start anew.

Unfortunately, Tanner had already paid for the ticket from Gisa. No matter what they did, when they arrived in Berona, that fact would remain.

Ella knew Rhett well enough to know that he would not be able to live with himself if Tanner paid out that kind of coin on Rhett's behalf, in good faith, and it was never returned. There was only one true option. She cursed the man in her head.

Ella looked out the back of the wagon. The open plains were behind them, and the foothills of the Lodhar Mountains were on their left. She had never been so far from home. It had only begun to hit her in the last few days of travelling. That sickness in her stomach, a longing for home.

She was happy – moving to Berona was mostly her idea – but that did not mean she didn't miss her parents. The way her father looked at her whenever he saw her, like she was a shining star fallen from the night sky.

The way her mother sat up with her at night, just talking about the world, the stars, boys. She even missed Calen. He really was a thorn in her side most of the time, but he had a good heart, and he always did right by her.

She put her hand on her stomach, as if it would do something to alleviate the sinking feeling.

Ella turned her head to look over the front of the wagon. The city of Gisa came into view just as they crossed the Irnell river. Its massive grey walls wrapped around the city in a semi-circle, stopped only by the coastline. The Beacon Tower rose high above everything else within the city walls, famous for its eternal flame that marked the city for ships far and wide. There were, of course, other beacon towers across Epheria, but this was the first. Her father had told her that. He always thought she wasn't listening, but she was.

Ella leaned into Rhett, resting her head on his chest. Not long now. Decisions aside, it didn't matter to her what they did. It was Rhett who mattered. They would work it out.

The merchant – Master Harson Link – had not charged them anything for the transport. He had sold most of his wares in Midhaven and was meeting a supplier in Gisa. "No sense in taking an empty cart," the wiry old man had said, the teeth he had left spread wide in a friendly grin. The kindness of strangers was not something Ella had come to expect in life. Most people were good at heart, but that didn't always translate to kindness when nothing was offered in return. Harson Link, however, was a kind man.

Ella looked around at the people they shared the back of the wagon with.

One other couple, and a father and his son. Neither pair looked wealthy.

Their clothes were not torn or dirty, and they did not look hungry, but they also did not carry the aura of someone who could afford to live in Gisa.

Although, she supposed to herself, the simple fact that they were riding in the back of a merchant's wagon could have told her that. Perhaps they had family on the other side, like Rhett did. Maybe they were going to Gisa in search of work. They did not talk, so she would never know. They all rode in silence.

Only Rhett's arm catching her shoulder saved Ella from being thrown forward into the small child when the wagon stopped abruptly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, waiting for her disgruntled response before he stood up.

Ella heard voices at the front of the cart, but it was almost impossible to see what was happening.

"Oi, all of you in the back of the wagon, out now. By order of the emperor." The voice belonged to a man. His gruff tone suggested that he was not one who liked to be kept waiting. Barely more than a few moments passed when a soldier marched around the rear of the cart, the black lion of Loria emblazoned across his crimson breast plate. His face looked like he had been beaten off a rock as a child. His nose had clearly been broken in several places, and deep pock marks painted his cheeks. "Did you lot not hear me?" he growled, the impatience in his tone deepening. "Get your arses out o' this wagon, now – fucking Southerners."

Ella was about to say something, but Rhett squeezed her shoulder, just enough to let her know that now was not the time. He was the first to jump off the back of the cart.

"Of course. Right away."

The soldier grunted, looking him up and down as he walked past. Rhett was easily half a foot taller than the man.

Ella and the rest of those in the wagon followed Rhett's lead, jumping down from the back of the cart and making their way around to the front.

Harson Link had come down from his seat at the front of the cart, and his bony old fingers fidgeted with the straw hat that he now held clutched to his chest. He stood beside Rhett, with five soldiers lined out in front of them. It all seemed odd to Ella. What was the empire doing stopping random carts on the road to Gisa?

"Is there something I can do, sir?" Harson said, stumbling over his words. "I haven't done anything wrong."

Amusement was painted on the face of the soldier with the broken nose.

"And I'm just to believe you, old man? You ain't done nothing wrong, and I should just let you go without being sure?"

The old merchant looked like he was about to answer, but then he thought better of it.

"Don't put yourself in an early grave, old man," the soldier said. He laughed and looked over towards his men, who all laughed in kind. It was the kind of laugh that you did when you didn't think a joke was funny, but

you knew what was expected of you. "We are looking for someone. All we need are some names, and then you can be on your way. Easy enough?"

The old man nodded.

"Easy enough?" the soldier repeated.

"Yes, sir."

Another soldier stepped forward. He was young, definitely not more than twenty summers. He carried himself with the walk of a man who was trying to make a name for himself. Though, his armour looked as if it had been made for a taller man – passed down through family, maybe – which did not help him in that regard. The soldier moved up through the group, asking each their name in turn. He started with the other young couple. He stared at the man as if he were not nearly a foot taller than the boy. "Name?"

"John Tarnell."

The soldier lingered for a minute, looking John up and down, as if a few more moments of nervous waiting might change his answer. When he was satisfied that John's name wasn't going to change, the soldier moved on to his partner. The father and his young son received a similar treatment, even the boy, which seemed unnecessary to Ella.

Everything seemed fine until Ella gave them her name.

"Ella Bryer."

It was as if the wind changed. Ella might not have caught it, were it not for the surprise in the soldier's eyes. He had been trying so hard to seem intimidating that he couldn't hide the way his eyes turned. It was a mix of surprise and nerves. He looked over to his captain, the man whose face looked like the wrong side of a horse's ass. His stony expression offered nothing but the slight twist of a smile at the corner of his mouth. He nodded.

The young soldier's stance shifted slightly wider as he turned back towards Ella. "Ella Bryer, we're going to need you to come with us, by order of the emperor." The other soldiers moved, surrounding the group of weary travellers, who had all expected to be wheeling through the gates of Gisa before sunset.

"Excuse me?" she blurted out. She attempted to catch the words with her hands before they left her mouth, but it was an exercise in futility.

"There must be some mistake here. Please, we are on our way to catch a vessel to Antiquar." Rhett was as surprised as she, as well he should be. The idea that anyone outside the villages would know her name at all was

surprising, let alone a group of imperial soldiers on the merchant's road to Gisa. It had to be a mistake.

"We don't need any trouble. Just come with us, and the others can be on their way," the soldier repeated firmly. He reached out to grab Ella's shoulder. Instinctively, she tugged her shoulder away, out of reach of the man's hand. His hand immediately fell to the pommel of his sword.

"Whoa!" said Rhett. Ella heard the nervousness in his voice, which only served to make her nervous as well.

What is happening?

Rhett stepped forward with his arms open. "Can we please just talk?"

Two of the soldiers immediately dropped their spears to hip height, their tips aimed at Rhett's stomach.

"Do not step closer," one of them called. Again, he had to be less than twenty summers.

Rhett raised his hands in the air, backing away slowly. Ella felt the situation slipping out of control. The soldiers were jumpy. Something was very wrong.

"Okay, we'll go with you, but can you please just tell us what this is about? And just let these other people go. We don't even know them." Ella did her best to keep her voice calm and level. Her father had always told her that she could change the tone in a room with the tone in her voice. He was not often wrong. She stepped closer to the soldiers and raised her hands in the air, just up to her shoulders, to show them she wasn't carrying anything.

"Just you," the soldier barked. Keeping his hand over the pommel of his sword, he grasped Ella by her shoulder with his free hand, pulling her in closer to him. Ella batted at him with her hands, but it was no use. Even if they were the same size, her palms did nothing against his armour.

"You let her go, right now!" roared Rhett. He whipped his sword from its scabbard in a blur. There was not so much as a tremble in Rhett's blade as he held it out in front of him, but his eyes were on fire.

"Rhett, no!" Ella might as well have been screaming at a stone wall, for all the good it did.

"If you harm a hair on her head, I will take your head from your shoulders." Rhett's voice was flat and measured. He meant every word.

The cocky young soldier pulled Ella in tighter. He wrapped the inside of his arm around her neck and held out his sword. "I dare you to try, Southern scum!" The soldier spat on the ground.

The other soldiers pulled inward, tightening the circle around the group of travellers. The boy whimpered as he hid behind his father's legs. A worried look was on the man's face. The other couple had barely moved an inch, the woman's head buried in her partner's chest.

"Just let her go."

"You are in no position to be—"

The man's words were cut short as he cried out in pain. That was something her mother had taught her, not something her father would approve of. "If you ever find yourself in that situation, Ella… Praise thegods, you won't. But if you do…" Her mother had said, pointing to her heel, as she gave a swift kick backwards, a smirk on her face.

It worked just as Ella had hoped. The young man rolled around on the ground with his hands between his legs. Ella's heart felt like it was about to explode. She immediately ran towards Rhett. A shriek escaped her mouth as something caught her by the foot, sending her hurtling towards the ground.

A shooting pain erupted in the side of her head when she landed.

"Stupid bitch!" the soldier spat as he heaved himself to his feet and sent a swift boot into her rib cage. The coppery taste of blood sprinkled her mouth. She coughed viciously. It felt like her lungs would come out of her chest.

Before she could collect her thoughts, something landed on the ground beside her with a thud. She turned and screamed as the soldier's cold eyes returned her gaze, blood streaming from where his neck had been attached to his body. Within seconds, screams and shouts filled the air. The shriek of steel on steel rang harshly in Ella's ears.

She clamoured to her knees, still dizzy from hitting her head. She reached out with her hands. Finding purchase on the wheel of the wagon, she used it to heave herself up to a hunched position. Her ribs ached with every breath, and blood rolled over her lip, trickling down her chin.

A sinking feeling enveloped her when she saw Rhett standing in the middle of the three remaining soldiers, long cuts along his thigh and shoulder. Aside from the young soldier who had grabbed Ella, there was another, crumpled in a heap at Rhett's feet, blood streaming from his neck.

She looked around quickly. The boy and his father were gone; they most likely bolted in the chaos. She would have done the same. Harson Link –

may the gods harbour his soul – was strewn out in the dirt, soaking in his own blood. Ella's heart ached. He was such a kind man.

Wailing caused Ella to spin her head. The other man from the cart launched himself at the soldiers, taking one of them to the ground in a bouldering tackle. Tears rolled down his partner's eyes as she screamed after him.

In the confusion, Rhett slid his blade through the heart of one of the other two soldiers, then rounded quickly to block a blow from the other. The captain. His already horrid face was contorted in fury. He swung wildly at Rhett, roaring unintelligibly into the air. Rhett side-stepped one of his haphazard swings, ducked under it, and cracked him around the back of the head with the pommel of his sword. The soldier fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Ella!" Rhett ran over to her, his hand outstretched. She grasped it with all her strength, so much so she saw him wince momentarily. "We need to go, now!"

"What about the others?" She hadn't even noticed that she was screaming. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest that it drowned out everything else. She saw the reluctance in his eyes. He didn't turn his head, just kept his gaze fixed on her own.

"Ella, we need to go. Now—"

He spat out the last word, snapping his mouth closed as blood trickled out and over his lip.

Every hair on Ella's body stood on end as her heart dropped into her stomach. "Rhett! Rhett, what's wrong?"

His lips tried to move. More blood spilled over them like wine from a cup. He looked down, holding his hands around his stomach. A polished steel spear tip jutted out from just below his belly button, dripping thick red blood onto the dry dirt below. "Ella?"

He dropped to his knees as the spear was yanked backwards, pulled free of his body.

"No! No, Rhett…" She could hardly see. Her eyes welled with tears. She couldn't breathe. "No, no, no…."

Ella cupped her hands, pushing them against Rhett's stomach, but the blood just poured through her fingers. She couldn't stop it.

He fell onto his side, then rolled onto his back. He tried to talk, but every attempted word summoned forth spurts of blood.

Ella's head pounded. Her eyes were raw, and her stomach sank into the depths of the void. She was going to be sick.

"Don't you dare!" she roared. "Don't you dare leave me! Rhett Fjorn, donot leave me alone!"

Rhett reached up and rested his hand on her cheek. The slightest of smiles touched the corner of his face, just short of his eyes. "I… would…

do it all…" He was cut short as he coughed up more blood.

"Rhett… please… I can't do this, not without you. I can't…"

He rubbed his thumb against the side of her cheek, like he always did.

She did everything she could to burn that feeling into her mind, to etch it into every crack and crevice.

"Rhett…"

His hand dropped to his side. His chest fell. Ella's throat dried up. She wanted to scream, but her entire body had lost feeling. Her tears dried up, along with her throat. She felt her heart ripping.

"Get on your feet, or I swear to the gods, I will run you through as well."

The soldier's voice was like a rusty nail being dragged across steel. It was the younger of the two. The captain stood behind him, his hand pressed against a bloody gash on the back of his head.

Ella filled her emptiness with rage.

It was like something had possessed her. Ella leapt to her feet, screaming so hard that her lungs burned. The soldier didn't even have the time to swing his spear. He howled as she crashed into him. Grief and rage consumed her. She clawed at him, feeling the skin peel away under her nails. His screams washed off the back of her mind.

Something hard hit her in the side. The force of the blow sent her spinning to the ground. She landed on her back with a crash. Her ribs howled, as if someone had struck her with a hammer.

Something sharp nicked a cut into her neck as she lay there.

"Oh, you better be able to give me a reason why they want you alive, because if you don't, I will just slit your throat now and pretend we never found you. And I would smile while I did it." The man with the battered face stood over her – the captain. She pushed her neck forward, only stopping when she felt the sting of the blade cutting into her skin. She stared at him, rage burning in her eyes.

"Oh, has the kat got your tongue?" The man's laugh was wicked. It made Ella's skin crawl.

"Just gut the bitch!" screamed the young soldier, still lying on the ground. He held his hands to his face to hold back the cascade of blood that

streamed from where Ella had torn strips from him. She hadn't noticed him stop howling in pain.

"Will you shut—"

A low rumbling growl cut the captain's words short. The next sound that filled Ella's ears were the howls of the man as something tore him from his standing position. His sword clattered against the dirt beside Ella's head.

Ella pulled herself up onto her elbows, just catching sight of the grey flash of fur as it bounded across the dirt, leaping onto the younger soldier.

The screams turned Ella's stomach. She closed her eyes. The only sounds were the thumping of her heart as it pulsed through her body and the crunching of bones snapping like twigs. Ella took a deep breath in, holding it for a moment before she released. I'm coming.

A long moment passed. She heard cautious steps, muffled in the dirt, making their way towards her. Something pushed up against her stomach and gave a rumble of familiarity. Ella peeled open her eyes, unsure if she wanted to see what it was that tore apart those men so easily.

"Faenir!" she shouted, overwhelmed by shock and surprise. "What are you doing here?" She immediately dragged the wolfpine into a tight embrace, ignoring the blood that matted his ashen grey fur. "Wait, if you're here… Where's Dad and Calen? Did you all come after me?"

All she got was a nuzzle in response.

Ella looked around, scanning the landscape, hoping to catch sight of her brother or father. Her heart skipped every second beat at the idea of seeing them, but all she saw was emptiness. Swirls of dust whipped across the ground, and there was the occasional cluster of trees.

She pulled Faenir in close. His warmth comforted her as she sobbed uncontrollably.