C. 15 A Little Wager

Taking a deep breath, I tried to ignore what had happened earlier and focus on learning my way out of the castle. From the looks of the gate, however, I most likely wouldn't be allowed to exit unless escorted. Glancing at the forest, I gnawed the inside of my lip as the urge to drift into their friendly embrace. An embrace that was riddled with dark shapes that disappeared and reappeared behind the ancient trunks.

Feeling Wraith begin to drift that way, seeming to follow my urges even as I simply thought about them, I didn't correct him. Glancing over my shoulder, Ryan looked like he was going to say something but kept his mouth shut as his eyes drifted to Ayon. When his eyes widened in warning, I knew I had been caught.

"You can try but you won't get far." Ayon announced, his voice moving away from me as he continued. "I would be sure of it. You are not ready and I will pull rank out here."

Rolling my eyes, I clicked my tongue and nudged Wraith back to the main road. It didn't matter much, the pull and desire to go into the forest was just as overwhelming as always. Even when I saw the streak of white well above the average height of a normal animal, it only added to the intrigue when I glanced toward the movement and it rushed toward me.

A gust of wind nearly caught me off guard as it blasted my hair back. It was surprisingly warm and I thought I could hear the faint sound of howling as it rushed past. Shaking my head, I laughed at the exhilarating feeling that now pounded through my body. Glancing over my shoulder, I winked at Ryan, lowered myself and put the reins against Wraith's ears. He didn't give it more than half a thought before he took off like an arrow.

Rushing past Ayon, I couldn't help the laughter that escaped my throat. Over this, I could hear the pounding of hooves as Ryan came up behind me and Ayon behind him. Though I could see the annoyance dancing behind his dreamy gaze, those piercing blue eyes narrowed as a smirk pulled at his lips.

Turning back to the road, Wraith was throwing his head away, wanting to go even faster. I didn't mind the thought, however, when we came across a large branch laid across the road, Wraith snorted. Letting out a harsh huff of air, he planted his hooves then leapt over the obstacle. This all happened in a blink, knocking the wind from my lungs as he landed on the other side of it. He didn't miss a beat and seemed almost offended that I thought otherwise for even a fraction of a second.

After a few more minutes of riding, the road widened and the tree line wasn't as suffocating. On either side of the road, it fell to a gentle slope with a field of wheat and another of corn. It seemed to almost back up to the forest, but from how it grew, and the way they all seemed to avoid this place, I knew there was some distance between it and the crops. Even along the side where I could see the beginning of the fields, they were a good four feet from the first row of trees. Ryan then decided to go ahead on his own, scouting out the area for some other reason. He didn't say and I didn't ask.

I did slow my pace to where I could easily meet Ayon. He looked just as annoyed as he did earlier, though now, as we got further away from the castle, the stress seemed to release from his shoulders with every breath he took. The thought of this made me want to laugh out loud, though I managed to contain myself.

"How's he doing?" I asked, clearly referring to Ryan. Still, he had the nerve to ask who I was talking about without even saying anything. Narrowing my eyes yielded a better result as he decided to clear his throat and sigh.

"He can't be that bad."

"He isn't horrible, but he needs work."

Again I rolled my eyes and spoke without thinking. "Not everyone can have the freakish ability to see in the dark and kill without thought."

Without missing a beat, Ayon shrugged, not disagreeing. "I kill to keep the members of the castle safe. I only did what I thought was necessary. You still haven't explained to anyone how you got over there."

"Nope."

I shook my head, bringing Wraith to a trot. I had no intention of telling anyone anything. If Nicolaus did know, he didn't say anything and Ayon had his own agenda that most likely included reporting his day to the king. If he didn't say anything, then there was no need for it. I fought back the nervous laughter that threatened to bubble up as I slid a hand over my stomach.

So stupid. So damn stupid!  I thought to myself as I avoided looking at Ayon, though I could feel him looking at me.

"Not feeling well? We can turn around."

Shooting him a glare, I heard him chuckle with an exhale before clicking his tongue and catching up with Ryan as I followed close behind.

     Nearing the village boarder, we reached a large corral flanked by a humble home. Upon our arrival, five children ran out of the house to meet us. As I dismounted, one of the younger children ran up to me, pushing her messy blonde hair away from her face.

Smiling at her, I knelled down to greet her. "Hello, what is your name little one?"

"Elana, ma'am," when she spoke there was a small lisp from the gaps in her teeth. "Can I take your horse? I'm really good at it, just like my brothers! Let me show!"

"Elana, get back over here. I am sorry my lady," a soft voice scolded the little girl.

"But I'm not bothering them mama." Elana pouted, her little hands reaching for the reins.

"Elana!" A stern male voice presented itself now. The little girls' fingers stopped just short of the smooth leather. "What did your mother just tell you?" The older looking man wiped his hands on his apron as he emerged from behind a stone wall. "Oh, it's you Ayon. What brings you here?"

Ayon dismounted, handing the reins to one of the older boys. "May I present lady Nyx Willow. Future queen of the Sobell Kingdom."

The man's face fell before he started to stumble over an apology, reaching for Elana. "I am terribly sorry. Please forgive my daughter, she is still young."

Waving my hand, I laughed as lightly as I could, "It isn't a bother, really." Looking at the little girl, I smiled and handed her the reins. "Elana, do you think you can show me where he goes? I think he would follow you best."

Elana looked at me, then to her father who, after a moment of thought, allowed her to take the reins. She was so excited that her entire body was trembling as she reached up and patted Wraith's chest. Stamping the ground with his hoof, he shoved his muzzle in the little girl's hair and began to smell her. Elana giggled, scratched his nose, and proceeded to pull slightly on his lead, he followed her easily. Sniffing her hair as he trudged behind her.

"I am sorry about that my lady," the man's voice was clearer now when he spoke. "I am Ian, my wife Bella. We are happy to meet you. Please feel free to use our stables as long as you need."

Watching Wraith, he lowered his head further for Elana to remove the bridal. "It looks like I have the best caretakers right here. We will be back to get them in a while if that is all right?"

"Of course, my lady," Bella and Ian agreed in unison. Both turned to go back to their chores. While the other children and Elana were already leading Wraith and the other mounts to the paddock.

Adjusting the bag on my shoulder, I looked at the village. There were shops, eateries, and a tavern or two that I had seen on my way in. I wasn't sure what to expect. "What do you suggest, captain?"

"You lead, I follow my lady." Ayon replied dryly.

"That isn't helpful," I muttered as I made for the village.

There were vendors selling everything from clothing and jewelry to animals that looked like they belonged beyond the borders of the Silver Mist Forest. The terrified looks in their eyes made my heart ache as I scratched a lynx under his chin, smiling at the thought, as Ryan joined us. The lynx's purring was loud and made the crate vibrate. She rubbed her face against my palm, licking my fingers gingerly as she gazed up at me. After a few minutes, the shopkeeper walked up with a rather impatient look on his face.

"If you aren't looking to buy it, I'll need to ask you to leave." He held a walking stick, the top of it was a carved stone shaped into a bear's head.

Reluctantly, I gave the lynx one more good scratch before moving on. The poor creature called after but was quickly silenced by the stick. As my steps faltered. I could feel Ayon behind me, urging me forward and to another stall. Each one of which seemed to blur together after a while, one stand would have better deals while another would have finer looking produce. Thankfully, it seemed that there was only one stall selling animals in small cages. The realization made me somewhat happier as I picked up three skewers of grilled fish. I managed to pay before Ayon could say anything, shoving the snack into his hand. Ryan took his silently, his eyes not leaving Ayon for very long.

I didn't want to step beyond my own bounds, but Ryan was the one I brought with me and the way he looked at Ayon, I couldn't tell if he wanted to kill him or worship him in the moment. Trying to shrug it off, I continued to walk as I ate my grilled fish. I didn't find more than a few bones and when I was finished, a child ran up and collected the waste from the three of us.

Watching them run off, I was drawn to a flyer stuck to one of the stalls advertising an event in the old arena. Upon closer inspection, it was a prize fight. The winner would walk away with a haul of twenty silver pieces. A lot of those that looked at it had the spark in their eyes to win but they soon discouraged themselves when the name Thomas began to circulate. When this happened, most everyone looked away from the flier with their own hopes and instead hurried to the arena to get a good seat.

Frowning with interest, I glanced at Ayon then back to the surging crowd. Huffing a sigh, I fell in tandem with the throng and didn't think twice about looking back. He was supposed to follow my lead and Ryan did whatever it seemed Ayon told him to do. So much for having someone in my corner, though I counted Eryn as missing in action. She would always be by my side.

Wondering my way around the streets, we eventually came to the arena. Just outside of it were carts of rotten food to throw at the losers. Wincing at this, I thought it a right better than what others could be subjected to. Viktor Kayne was one of the few I knew of that punished failure with starvation and humility.

Shaking my head, I turned back to where Ayon and Ryan should have been. Instead, I found unfamiliar faces and the feeling of being watched. The hairs raised on the back of my neck causing my eyes to dart around as casually as possible. After a moment, I finally landed on Ayon's shoulders, standing near the betting window. Ryan, by his side, cracked his neck and glared at Ayon. As I made my way to them, Ryan saw me and nearly paled at the sight of me.

"What's going on? Are you going to be fighting, Ryan?" I looked at the roster, so far he was the only one that was willing to fight this Thomas for the silver pieces.

Ayon tossed his pot to the woman behind the window. Her chest nearly poured out of the thing when she reached for the pouch of coins. Running her fingers lightly across her left breast as she sat back, batting her eyes and smiling seductively at him.

Raising my eyebrows, I looked from the woman to Ayon who, by my surprise, was watching me intently. Swallowing hard, I cleared my throat and looked at him as straight-faced as I could.

"What?"

"I'll wager something with you, Nyx." Ayon spoke evenly, his voice never wavering even as the crowd took notice of the challenge given. "Your man against a prized fighter of ours. Thomas is more than a fair fight for your guard. I will wager five gold pieces that Thomas wins."

My face must have shown my confusion because this prompted him to jingle the coins between his fingers. The coins bounced and danced in his palm. Taking a deep breath, I shrugged and looked at Ryan. His look of absolute shock made me nervous, but I had a feeling he would be fine, or at least I hoped he would be.

"Fine." I produced my own coin pouch and pulled the coins needed from it. "What should happen if either one loses?"

Ayon didn't answer, instead he took the coins from my hand and put them on the counter in front of the woman. Winking at her, then at me, he looked at Ryan and gestured for him to get ready. Pivoting to him, Ryan was gone before I could say anything.

"If he loses," Ayon leaned in close so his shoulder nearly obscured my vision as he spoke in my ear softly. "He belongs to me."

It was just like home, except this was one man's life and not multiple. Scoffing, I turned my face to him just barely so my words brushed his neck.

"Try not to punish him too harshly for losing then."

It wasn't that I didn't have hope he would win, but the way the other men seemed to avoid this Thomas on purpose made me wonder what he was capable of. If Ryan did lose, he would be Ayon's puppet and, based on what I had seen, that might not be that horrible of a situation.

Smirking at me, Ayon gave me a side long glance with those heart-stopping eyes before he pulled back. Without a word, he led the way to a door that was more or less guarded by someone. Silently I followed him, the feeling of being watched creeping once again over my shoulders. Avoiding the urge to shake myself, I hurried to catch up with Ayon, getting more excited the more the crowd began to get restless and call for a fight.

As we made it to the guarded door, a monstrous looking man stood up from where he was leaning against the building, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he stood over me. His head was covered in scars and he was missing teeth. Those that remained were filed to a point. I lingered on their face longer than I had intended. Instead of glaring back, he simply smiled and opened a small door.

His cracked, yellow teeth showing clearly as he greeted us. "Ayon, his majesty let you out!" Holding his arm up before turning to me, "Finally found one that enjoys brutality as much as you?"

"That remains to be seen," Ayon finished as he held his arm out. "After you, my lady."

I could hear the deep rumble of laughter as the door was closed, throwing us into complete darkness. I froze in the small space, the light thudding of Ayon's boots stopped as he stood behind me.

"Just keep going forward?" He managed a grunt as I picked my way around various objects that were left in our path. While I struggled, I knew he could see perfectly. I wanted to know how. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I gagged and coughed before covering my mouth.

"What's that smell?"

"It's an herb that people smoke, drink and chew on. You'll get used to it, Nyx." Pushing me along, he felt my reluctance. "We are almost there. If we are lucky, your friend will just be a warm up entertainment for the people."

After another minute or so, we came to a door that was closed tight. The two worn mud steps were illuminated by a torch positioned on either side. Ayon pulled a set of keys from under his clothing, the fire light gleamed from the silver and brass keys. When he unlocked it, nothing happened. Only the sounds of cheering and groans could be heard. Just as I was about to speak up, there was another audible thud that seemed to shake into the ground beneath our feet as the door was opened from the other side.

"Ayon? Who is that with you?" A voice sounded from just beyond the door.

"A friend. Let us in."

The door was pulled open completely, revealing a hulking man that studied me with curiosity, his scarred lips covered in a dark liquid. "Well, well look here. My lady," the massive man exaggerated a bow. "If it is a fight you want to see, we are having a bit of entertainment already. Please," the man held up his hand, allowing us entry.

We barely bothered those that were already seated or standing along the railing. Mostly, men jeered the combatants but there was the occasional woman among them. Poised but keeping a close eye on the fight just the same. All of them looked to have come from some sort of standing. Looking closely, I recognized a few of my father's regulars from gatherings and meetings. While words were not exchanged, we acknowledged the others' presence.

"The beautiful farm boy vs the agile Lynx," a woman was making the announcements, her voice rang though the arena. The dress she wore was cut short on the chest and rode high on her legs, showing just enough skin to make one's eyes linger. The crowd didn't quiet as she continued. Despite this, her words rang out clearly. "Thomas Brackenridge against a stranger who willingly took this challenge. I have been told that not only is there silver on the line, folks, but gold as well! A bet was placed by two members of our elite box. Who will come out victorious?" As she made the announcement, two men entered the dirt arena.

Shaking my head with a light smirk, I watched as Ryan and another man strode forward from opposite sides of the arena. Ryan looked calm, having chosen to remove his shirt caused a lot of the female attendants to scream in approval. He was no doubt impressive, that was clear to see now, as he didn't bother with clothing. His pants were loose on his legs but synched at his waist, hanging low and squeezing the defined lower abdomen that only came with years of rigorous training.

I was able to make out the pale lines along his arms and back. Some were longer or wider than others, while one on his back stood out particularly. It looked gnarled, the flesh around it was pulled tight in such a crude way as to keep him together. As Ryan rose his arms, it only gave way to what had been presented. The ragged scar tissue wrapped around his back and ended just below his belt line. He looked like someone had tried to slice him in two.

Swallowing hard, I glanced sideways at Ayon. He seemed just as surprised as I had been, as well as many of the others in the crowd. The sight of the scar created an excited clamor among them, even as their favored stepped forward.

Thomas Brakenridge. He was sculpted like any soldier but bore none of the scars. From there, I could see how rough and calloused his hands were. He was no doubt a farm boy that helped his family and if he was the only one there, it only aided in his appearance. His chest, however, was larger than mine and as he flexed, I swore it came up to his chin without him even lowering his head.

Thomas took a low stance while Ryan stood upright, waiting for the signal. The moment it went off they collided. I could hear the crack of bones the instant they did, neither pulled back. Ryan took it and gripping the back of his opponent's head, he brought his knee up full force against his nose. Thomas stumbled back, easily regaining his footing. Bringing his heel around to connect with Ryan's cheek. As bone connected once again with bone, neither flinched.

"One," Ayon counted.

Confusion filled me as both men pulled away from one another, circled and collided once again. Thomas managed to grab hold of Ryan's leg, forcing him to the ground. His foot slammed into his ribs. Twisting him around and slamming him on his chest, Thomas gave a barrage of blows to his face and head. Somehow, Ryan managed to break free, just before another forceful blow connected with the ground. The impact caused a cloud of dirt to form.

"One. Not bad." Ayon spoke again, his voice low.

The crowd was fixated on the spectacle in front of them, a proper fight had been given to them when they didn't expect it, but it was also going by too quickly for some.

"What is this?"

"Third hit is the end of the match," Ayon whispered, his attention fixed on the men below. "It is rarely that easy, but seeing as Ryan is the aggressor, usually it is a match until one man can no longer fight," Ayon peered into the arena. "From the looks of it, the fight will be decided by Thomas. He is the favored fighter in this match. Besides, I need your guard to be able to breathe and stand upright if he is to be any use to me. If he loses, it will only hurt his training."

"Speaking from experience?" I turned to him, with a smirk. He didn't say anything but the pull at the corner of his mouth confirmed it for me. Looking away from the fight for even a moment, I managed to miss the snapping of bones but managed to turn just in time to watch as Thomas fell to the ground holding his arm as it bent at an unnatural angle.

"That's not going to go over well." Ayon scanned the arena, watching as Ryan circled his opponent like pray. Ayon turned to the door we entered through. "We need to get him before something happens."

Following him, he went behind the door and it was opened for us once again. It felt strange to be stuck there with him again, but mostly due to the smell. Above, there had been little stench, the ventilation was surprisingly impressive. Pushing him along, we reached the other side quickly. Pushing myself out of the doorway, I tried to scan the crowd. We managed to find Ryan at the same time. Before I could move, his hand blocked my path.

"Stay here." Ayon growled, his cold glare making me recoil.

Digging my nails into my palms the entire day had begun to feel like a waste. The only moment I didn't mind was when there was a show of strength that everyone seemed obligated to attend. There were men and women from all backgrounds, so my presence wasn't that strange among them. Ayon returned with Ryan. He looked at me for instructions. My attention turned to the beaten guard; his face was still smeared with blood. The split in his eyebrow and lip still bled but he looked ready to go again, unable to keep his attention from the arena doors.

"Is there a place we can get him cleaned up?" I asked Ayon, trying to get this taken care of as quickly as possible. Now that the fight had ended, I wanted to get away from the arena. Eyes were on me once more and I couldn't help the shudder that escaped my shoulders as I shrugged the feeling off.

Ayon nodded, keeping a tight grip on Ryan's arm. He made sure to get his winnings before he pulled Ryan along, leaving me to trail behind. I stayed close to the pair, despite what Ayon might think and the state of his own consciousness, I still believed that these two were able to defend themselves just by their appearance alone. Still, the ever creeping feeling of being watched only became more suffocating as we wound our way along the back alleyways to a place only Ayon knew.