It was early evening before I found the place where Imogen was being held. The hastily assembled camp lay just on the Avenian side of the border near Libeth, but a hill descending toward the camp allowed me a good view of the interior. The swamplands surrounding Libeth butted up to the camp’s northern boundary. Due to its reputation for thick underbrush and poisonous snakes, no one would dare attempt any crossing of the swamp by foot, and it wasn’t much easier by boat. The other perimeters were surrounded by tall mounds of earth or iron bars with razor ends. It was a larger camp than I’d anticipated, with several buildings and tents of all sizes.
“Your Majesty?”
I swiveled around, sword drawn, as two men approached me. Realizing they had caught me off guard, they raised their hands in a gesture of peace and then each quickly fell to one knee.
When I recognized them, I replaced my sword and asked them to rise. The man who had spoken was Henry Evendell, a talented archer with a good heart who often stood as a vigil at my castle. I didn’t know the second man well, but Evendell introduced him as Herbert, a new but ambitious soldier, also from Drylliad. Both men had bows slung over their shoulders and quivers on their backs.
“Where’s Mott?” I asked.
Out of respect, Evendell inclined his head before speaking again. “He entered the camp this morning, sire, hoping to get to a tent we thought looked different from the others. But we’ve seen no sign of him for hours, and we’re concerned that he may have been captured.”
“Show me the tent.” Evendell pointed it out to me and I squinted, trying to see it better. Several vigils stood around it now. Either a royal was inside, or more likely, a valuable prisoner.
“Did he leave you with orders?” I asked them.
Evendell and Herbert eyed each other, and then Evendell answered, “Before coming here, we secured a small boat near the swamp, on the north end of camp. Once Mott came out with the lady Imogen, we were to use our arrows to clear a path for their escape into that boat.”
“Has there been any sign of her?”
Both Evendell and Herbert shook their heads. Herbert mumbled something that I couldn’t hear and I told him to speak up. Then he said, “There was one more order, sire, but you won’t like it.”
Whatever it was, by the squeamish expression on his face, I already didn’t like it.
“Mott warned us you might come,” he continued. “If you did, he asked us to remind you of your responsibilities for the safety of the kingdom. Not for him, or the lady Imogen.”
Which was a fine idea, except that Mott’s capture had just become the biggest threat to the safety of my kingdom. Also, I had never obeyed Mott before. I couldn’t think of any reason to start now.
“We have to get both of them back,” I said. “You have no idea where Imogen is being held?”
Evendell started to apologize and shake his head, but Herbert lifted his arm and pointed straight ahead. I followed his line to see a group of Avenian soldiers emerge from a tent deep inside the camp. In the center of that group was Imogen, her hands bound and mouth gagged. She seemed uninjured, which was a relief, and the gag didn’t really surprise me. Although we were friends, she’d still scolded me often enough. I could only imagine the blistering words she’d have for an enemy.
My panic rose when I saw Mott being led from the tent Evendell had pointed out. His hands were also bound, and he was limping. For anyone else, the number of blades on him would’ve been too much. But not for Mott. He was strong and fast, and if there were any fewer weapons, he could’ve fought them all and won.
From a third position in the camp, I saw a man walk forward with a barbed whip in his hands. His purpose immediately became clear. Mott would be asked questions about Carthya’s strategies in the war. If he refused to answer, that whip would be used on Imogen. They would force Mott to talk, or things would get worse. Much worse.
Reinforcing my fears, once Imogen and Mott were brought together into a small clearing, he was made to sit in a chair where more ropes went around his arms and feet. The soldiers escorting Imogen turned her to face a crude whipping post, then began retying her arms separately on each side of the wood.
Quickly, I turned to Evendell and Herbert. “Which of you is better with the bow?”
Evendell cocked his head and I told him to build a small fire and then gave him his instructions. Herbert was to come with me. He and I ran down the hill into a narrow valley of the camp, using the growing evening shadows to keep us hidden.
The closer we drew, the more we became aware of the bustle everywhere inside the camp. Vigils stood watch both at the gates and at elevated posts, and were stationed beside several tents within the camp. It would be impossible to get much closer without being spotted and likely shot.
Everything that happened next would have to be done quickly. Herbert nocked an arrow and moved into position. Hopefully, Evendell hadn’t lost us in the waning light and would be watching too.
I was spotted soon after I began running for a quiet area of the wall. An Avenian at watch called out for me to stop, but a whoosh hissed through the air and Herbert’s arrow found him. Others would be alerted now, but I didn’t need much more time.
At the wall’s base, I reached into the sack of gunpowder I’d stolen earlier that day. I withdrew a generous amount and laid it in a heap, then ran away as quickly as I could. Seconds later, Evendell sent a flaming arrow directly onto the heap. The gunpowder instantly exploded the entire wall. I was thrown off my feet and rolled behind a nearby rock to protect myself from falling debris. When the worst had passed, I peeked over at the collapsed wall and widely scattered wreckage. Perhaps I’d used too much gunpowder that time.
I went at a full sprint back toward the wall. Those who had survived began shouting for help, but Herbert remained watchful and fired off arrows at anyone who took notice of me. Once inside, I realized there was far more attention being paid to the destruction of the wall than the cause of it. If I kept my head down, I would be able to pass right through the crowd.
I climbed the ladder of an abandoned watchtower until I could see Mott and Imogen. The soldiers with them had gathered in close to guard their prisoners, or perhaps to protect one another. There were more than I could fight, and far too many people who could hurt my friends before I could stop them.
I climbed down again and took shelter behind a building to consider my next move. A quick glance inside the nearest window revealed it was full of weapons, in my opinion far more than Avenia needed. I dumped more of the gunpowder next to the building and then ran as if my life depended on it. Mostly because, well, it did. Just as had happened before, I wasn’t nearly far enough away before a flaming arrow hit it and the building exploded. This time, I didn’t shelter myself as well and got a nasty scrape on one arm, not to mention a chunk of rock nearly landed on me. If both Evendell and I survived this, we would have to discuss his timing when explosives were involved.
By then, general chaos had erupted in the camp. Soldiers were being ordered to the places I’d already destroyed, but several others were running as far from it as they could get. The confusion helped me, but what I really needed was to get at the soldiers around Mott and Imogen.
So my last use of gunpowder went to another nearby supply building, this one full of food and blankets. I left the entire bag beside it, and then gave a signal to Evendell. This time, he allowed me more distance before he lit the explosive. When it blew, I heard orders for all available soldiers to surround the camp and prepare for an invasion.
I rather liked that. My invasion had already happened, and the thing I wanted most was for them to clear out the center and move to the flanks of their camp.
A hand tapped my shoulder and I turned to see Herbert next to me. All I had asked of him was to stay in a safe position where he could pick off anyone who prevented my entrance into the camp. But he had gone beyond that and followed me inside. I nodded at him in thanks for his loyalty and motioned for him to come with me.
Mott and Imogen had not been entirely abandoned. One young soldier stood behind Mott’s chair with a crude sword pressed against his prisoner’s chest, waiting for whatever terror he expected to come at him. Two other larger soldiers guarded Imogen. The man with the whip and the remaining soldiers had been ordered away.
I quietly instructed Herbert to position himself with a solid view of Imogen while I prepared to sneak up behind Mott. Our timing would have to be perfect, and Herbert would have to be fast because he had two targets.
The instant I crept from the shadows, Herbert fired his first arrow, hitting one of Imogen’s vigils. By then I was directly behind the boy standing watch over Mott. With my left hand, I brought a knife to his neck, as my right hand steadied his arm holding the blade against Mott’s chest. The boy stiffened, and without a word I pulled that arm back and lowered it. When I looked up again, Herbert had downed the second soldier beside Imogen. He would now watch this area until Mott and Imogen were free.
The boy behind Mott released his sword into my hand carefully and squeaked, “Please don’t kill me.”
My memory flew back to several months ago, when the orphan Latamer had begged me for the very same favor. I had never intended any harm toward Latamer, and not toward this boy either.
With my knife still at the boy’s neck, I told him that if he tried any tricks, an arrow was already nocked with his name on it. He agreed to cooperate and I ordered him to untie Mott.
While he worked, Mott said, “I’m sorry, Jaron. The trap was for me.”
“We were both tricked.”
“I knew it was you when I heard those explosions.”
I flashed him a grin. “Imagine the possibilities if I’d had more gunpowder.”
Mott didn’t act impressed, but I knew he was. They were fine explosions.
Then I ran over to Imogen, whose honey brown eyes blazed with disapproval. I knew she’d be angry with me — she often was. I rarely blamed her for that since, admittedly, I usually deserved it. But this time, it wasn’t the sort of anger I could laugh off. We remained in a very dangerous situation.
I first removed the gag from her mouth, and when I did, I felt overwhelmed by a sudden desire to kiss her. The pull was stronger than anything I’d ever felt before, and was a feeling I didn’t entirely understand. But I held back and instead asked, “Are you hurt?”
Ignoring that, she said, “You know what they’d do to Mott and me just for information. What do you think they’ll do to you?”
“If we get out of here, none of us will have to find out.”
“No, Jaron, please just go! This place is a trap. I am the trap!”
Her body wiggled while she argued, and though her legs were free, she was complicating my attempts to reach her tied hands. I said, “You can help me or not, but I won’t leave without you!”
She huffed, and then went still so that I could reach her ropes. While I sliced at them, I said, “Once we’re free, we’ll run toward the swamp. Mott has a boat waiting there.”
“We won’t make it. Not all of us.”
“We’re just going to run. Don’t look back. Just run.”
“They were asking Mott about you, but at first he wouldn’t tell.” Imogen bit into her lip with worry. “Once they brought me here, and the whip, he told them he would cooperate. I begged him not to. I hate that they used me against you. I’d rather be dead than be the cause of your downfall.”
I hesitated long enough to look squarely at her. “Never say that. I need you alive.” I went back to work and added, “I’m nearly through the rope. Get ready to run.”
She had one hand free by then and used it to comb her fingers through my hair, brushing the strands away from my face. Thick and brown, it had been cleaned up from the coarse chopping I had given it before I went to the pirates. Now I wished it were longer so there could be more for her fingers to get lost in. Even here, I felt drawn to her touch and had to force myself to concentrate on the rope.
“When you’re finished, let me have your knife,” she said. “I can fight too.”
Once her other hand was free, she gave me a warm embrace. I thought about Roden’s comment that I had been lying to myself about Imogen. Maybe she had told herself some lies as well.
Before I could speak, she whispered, “Whatever happens next, promise me that you will choose to live.”
Behind us, Mott finally tore free from his binds. When Herbert went to help him stand, the young Avenian who had untied him immediately ducked into the shadows and escaped. Mott grabbed the boy’s sword from me and said, “We must hurry. He’ll tell everyone we’re here.”
I put my knife in Imogen’s hands, aware of my fingers brushing against hers, and then pulled her along with me. “Go!”
We weren’t even out of the trees before a new group of soldiers rushed at us. Herbert continued firing arrows into the clearing, doing what he could to open a path for us. I guessed that Evendell was somewhere outside of the camp, watching for us as well. Mott yelled at me to leave, and as he fought, Imogen and I broke through the group and headed toward a hill.
Even more soldiers appeared, and I told Imogen to get to the top where Evendell could see her and protect her. Once she went down the other side, she’d be out of sight with a clear path toward the boat. I swung at whoever was closest to me, found my mark often enough, and dodged attempts to leave similar marks on me. When the crowd thinned to only a few, I broke through them to follow Imogen.
By then, she was nearly at the top of the hill. But instead of running down the other side, Imogen paused to look back at me. A soldier came out of nowhere and lunged for her, but her knife was faster and she left him clutching at his bleeding leg.
“King Jaron is down there!” a heavy man at the crest of the same hill yelled. “That’s him! Shoot him!” He pointed directly at me, then an archer nearby raised his bow and nocked an arrow. Where was Evendell, or Herbert, to fire at him first? I needed a place to hide, but the hillside was bare. I was in trouble.
Imogen must’ve heard the order too. The archer’s eye was on me, so he didn’t see her coming when she crashed into him. His arrow that had been intended for me flew far off course. Imogen picked herself up, but the heavier man grabbed her arm. She bit down on his flesh, and when he released her, she ran again.
I yelled as I ran up the hillside, hoping to draw their attention back to me, but their anger was focused on Imogen now. The archer drew another arrow and lined it up with her as she ran away along the spine of the hill. She turned back, just long enough to look for me again.
Despite the noise and confusion throughout the camp, a whoosh through the air became louder than all else. The archer’s arrow found its mark high in her chest. Still turned toward me, her face twisted with pain, and then she fell from the top of the hill. Her body rolled down the other side and out of my sight.
I continued running, certain that I could find her and save her again. Somehow.
But even as I ran, I heard a soldier call from the other side of the hill. “We’ve got the girl! She’s dead.”
And with those words, my entire world collapsed.