Page 27 of Forgotten Fate

“I’m here,” Magda screeched, tears flooding her eyes. “I’m here, you’re okay.” I felt a small tear escape from my own eye, and I quickly wiped it away. Elias watched me, expressionless.

Nadia slowly began to sit up, and Magda grabbed her in a tight embrace. “Thank you. Thank you both,” Magda said through tears as she cradled her sister in her arms.

Nadia turned her head to see who her sister was talking to. Her eyes darted between me and Elias before she turned back to her sister. “What happened?” she asked.

“Dammit, Nadia,” Magda cursed. “I told you not to eat berries you don’t recognize. You almost killed yourself!”

“I…I’m sorry,” Nadia replied, her voice still slightly brittle. “I was just so hungry.”

Magda sighed. “I know. It’s alright. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She looked up at me then at Elias. “These two saved your life,” she told Nadia.

The girl turned to us again. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“If you’re hungry,” I began, “we may have some food for you to eat.” I looked to Elias, waiting for him to argue that we needed the food rations for ourselves, but he only watched Magda and Nadia without saying a word.

“No,” said Magda. “We couldn’t possibly ask for anything more from you.”

“Our bellies are full, and we can always hunt for more. It’s no trouble,” I said.

Magda smiled. “Thank you, Aura,” she said. “And thank you, Elias.” She turned to him and he gave his typical nod.

We led the sisters back to our camp, Magda and myself on either side of Nadia to help her walk. Elias carried their small pack of belongings while I carried my own. We reached our camp where the fire had now dwindled to only embers and smoke. We set Nadia down, and I reopened my pack to grab some of the bread and cheese, both of which were becoming more stale with each passing day. I handed each sister a few pieces, and the girls devoured their meager meal like they hadn’t eaten in days.

I sat on a boulder and watched them while Elias stood and leaned against a tree. “So what are you two doing out here on your own?” I asked them.

“We got lost,” Nadia answered with her mouth full. “We were heading to Chatus.”

Magda shot her a glance, suddenly wary about us being strangers again. But when her gaze turned to me, she seemed to relax slightly, possibly remembering the events that had just transpired and that we could be trusted, to some extent.

“Yes, we were on our way to Chatus with a small group. A few days ago, we were chased off the trail by a band of raiders,” she continued. “We escaped, but we were separated from our group. I…I only hope they made it out alive as well.” Magda looked at the ground with an expression of sadness. Nadia placed a hand on her older sister’s trembling leg to comfort her.

“He’s okay, Mags. Don’t worry,” Nadia comforted. Magda smiled and placed a gentle kiss on her sister’s brow.

I wondered who they could be talking about, but did not pry. I looked up and saw Elias observing me. When our eyes met, the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile that did not reach his eyes. What was he thinking about?

“We don’t know how to get to Chatus from here,” said Nadia. “Or back home. We’re completely lost.” I looked at Magda and she dipped her head in confirmation.

My gaze moved back to Elias. “How far are we from Chatus?” I asked him. The sisters both turned to look at him.

Elias’s golden eyes remained on me. “Two days. Maybe three,” he answered.

I pondered this for a moment. This would add precious days onto our journey, if we were to escort them. And King Darius was likely the first person my father would have contacted when he discovered I was missing. My father could have been in Chatus at that moment, urging King Darius to send help to look for me. But when I looked to the girls, their bodies thin and their supplies scarce, I knew they needed our help.

“We’ll take you there,” I said.

Elias stood up straight. “Aura,” he said. I raised my hand to silence him, something my father often did during important meetings. It seemed to work. The sisters watched us with intrigue.

“It’s okay, Aura,” said Magda. “You have helped us more than enough.”

I smiled at her. “Please excuse us a moment,” I told her. I walked to Elias and placed my hand on his, the icy hot sensation radiating through me. He looked down at our hands. “Walk with me?” I asked him. His eyes narrowed, but he obliged.

Once we were out of earshot, but the girls still in sight, I turned to face Elias. “Aura,” he began. “You know we cannot take them.”

“They’ll die otherwise,” I countered. “Bandits or predators willsurely find them, if they don’t starve to death first.”

Elias’s honey-eyes looked me up and down, and I held back a shiver. “Why do you care so much for them?” he asked in his deep voice. “You don’t even know them.”

I held his gaze. “A princess does not turn her back on someone who needs help,” I whispered. I learned this ideology from my mother, the Queen of selflessness. My true inspiration. One of the few solid memories I had of her – one that wasn’t muddled with fog – was of her offering food and coin to a homeless man we passed on the streets of Oreross when we walked to the market together. I remembered the happy tears in his eyes as he thanked her.