Chapter 56

"We climb." He said with a devilish grin.

"We climb? Are you mad?!" I asked trying to keep my voice a whisper but with how loud the river was, it hardly mattered.

He just continued smiling.

I clenched my fists and jaw so hard it hurt.

"How?" I ground out.

The Sovereign turned his eyes to look up at the wooden rafters spanning along either side of the bridge, I followed his gaze. One of his fingers went up and pointed at them.

My mouth gaped open.

"Well, come on then ladies, we don't have all day." He said watching us expectantly.

"You go first." I said crossing my arms.

He raised an eyebrow at me but eventually rolled his eyes signalling he would do what I said.

He climbed to the crest of a large rock and reached for the rafters.

"Wait!" I called and climbed the rock as well, "You need to tie your pack, else it will fall."

He rolled his eyes again and his fingers went to the two straps on the leather pack and he began to tie it expertly. I watched curiously; I wondered if it had to do with his ability to pilot ships.

Finishing the knot he reached his hands up and held onto the rafter above him. Stretching his arm he grabbed the next one, and then the next. Slowly his body began moving along the bridge.

"Brigitte, would you like to go next?" I asked swivelling to face the woman.

Her brown eyes were trained on the Sovereign as she watched fearfully, her eyes lowered to mine, "I-I suppose." She climbed up the boulder and standing on her toes she reached the first rafter. Reaching—the same as the Sovereign had—she grabbed hold of the next and made her way, following closely behind the Sovereign.

Over the past few days, ever since we'd left that first town, the two had seemed to get along well. I don't what it was about it but I didn't like it.

Doing the same as the previous two had, I obtained the first rafter and feeling the burn of the rough wood on my hands I reached precariously for the next rafter.

I was soon following the pair and could feel the irritating burn in my arms from overuse.

I looked down and swallowed hard, feeling my heart leap in my chest. The river was churning wildly beneath my dangling feet, the white water crashed against the stone supports of the bridge and I could feel a light spray reach me.

Raising my eyes I saw Brigitte ahead of me by four or five rafters and began the trek again.

Nearing the end my arms were shaking and on fire with pain.

I winced as my blistered fingers caught the unrefined wood and stung terribly.

The Sovereign landed on the ground, his legs seemed to shake a little but he steadied himself. Brigitte landed next and she caught hold of the stone bridge for support. I grimaced as I thought of how I would make it to the ground.

The pebbled ground now beneath my dangling feet I let go of the rafter and a small yelp escaped my lips as I landed and my legs, not used to working, gave out and I collapsed to my knees.

Sitting back I checked over my blistered and bloodied hands and saw that the other two's were in the same condition, I rose unsteadily to my feet.

Pulling on the straps of my pack I was made painfully aware of a sliver in my palm. Wincing, I sucked it out with my mouth.

After we'd recovered from the endeavour, we climbed secretly up the hill and hiding behind a tree we spotted our two horses.

Helle and Dahlia.

I smiled as we moved through the trees and shrubs till we finally caught up to the slow moving cart.

The sun was low in the sky and the moon was yet to show his silver face and black eyes. I shuddered as I recalled his face.

The drunken man was paying no heed to what happened behind him and we successfully retrieved our two mares.

I stroked Helle's mane and petted her grey coat as Brigitte did the same to Dahlia's black one.

Climbing onto the horse I hugged her smooth neck lovingly, "I missed you girl."

I ran my fingers through her mane as I waited for the Sovereign to get on.

My brow furrowed when he still had not sat atop of Helle. I looked at Brigitte and saw that she was atop Dahlia.

"Sovereign?" I called lightly, my eyes scanning the twilight lit trees, "Sovereign?"

I couldn't see him.

Clicking my tongue Helle began to walk slowly forward.

"Sovereign?" I called again, this time a little louder.

"Hydie." I heard Brigitte say softly behind me, my eyes turned to look at her, "We're still near the bridge, they could hear you."

I thinned my lips and nodded, "Bastian? Bastian?" I called. It was strange calling his name.

"Where could he have gone?"

We circled back to where we'd last seen him and saw him standing there a distant expression on his face.

"Sovereign." I whispered as I leaned down from Helle's height.

His eyes snapped out of whatever daze they were in previous and he looked at me confused but his eyes quickly changed to carry his normal mocking glint.

"Can I help you?" He asked as he watched me descend from the mare.

My brows drew together as I beheld him, he looked the same as before but his hair had a few new furrows and his eyes continued darting between me and the trees.

Looking behind me at the darkening forest I saw nothing. Looking back at him he was now staring at the ground.

Rolling my eyes I assumed he had lost it and I began to set up a small camp with the help of Brigitte.

Resting our heads on the tree roots we settled down to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

He stretched his sore fingers and shoulders as he knelt on the ground next to the horses.

The flower and maid were both sitting on their respective horses.

Standing he stretched and his eyes fell on the figure of a man standing amidst the trees. Bastian froze when he saw the blue eyes staring back at him.

His mind began to haze as he watched them and he soon felt his feet move forward of their own volition to follow the eyes.

Blinking and shaking his head he opened his eyes and found he was back where he'd been before, as though he'd never taken any steps, looking up the eyes were gone.

Hearing his title being called he turned and saw the flower sitting atop her horse. He could see the glint of her grey eyes in the dim light as he hurriedly changed his face to a more casual one to hide his momentary confusion.

"Can I help you?" He asked as his eyes looked over her shoulder to check and see if the eyes were there.

She brushed him off and he couldn't help but sigh in relief. Something about those eyes had rattled him and he was not enjoying the experience.

Resting his head against a smooth tree root he closed his eyes desperately hoping, as he had the previous three nights, that he would not receive another dream or vision.