Part 26

When Zara awoke, it was like trying to orient herself after being lost in a thick, dark fog. It felt like her blood had been replaced with sand, everything from her limbs to her eyelids aching and exhausted. She laid there for a few, long moments, letting her thoughts slowly and lazily trickle back together. The cellar and her broken leg. Wren's potion. The pack turning against one another, and Ardon. Watching as the light drained from his eyes.

And of course, Ronan, turning up out of the blue with Silas at his side.

At the thoughts of the Huntsman, her eyes cracked open, hoping to find him. She found herself staring up at a blanket leaves and twisted branches overhead. Pieces of a dusty, purple colored sky peeked through. Still night then, though it appeared dawn was on its tail. She shifted, struggling to pull herself into a sitting position. Her red cape had been draped over her like a blanket and she freed her trapped arms from beneath it before bracing herself with her elbows. That was as far as she got before the world around her began to tilt. A wave of nausea rolled through her and she closed her eyes, waiting for it to pass.

"She's up. Ronan, she's waking!"

There was a soft, familiar voice whispering urgently from somewhere next to her. The young girl's voice was followed by the sound of footsteps before someone dropped to the ground next to her. Zara's eyes fluttered open and she found herself looking up into a handsome face and a pair of green eyes she knew all too well by now. There was a rush of emotion inside her, her heart swelling in an unfamiliar way at the sight of him. It was far from unpleasant though.

Before she could say a word, she was pulled into a warm embrace. Ronan's head fell onto her shoulder, his arms encircling her middle. Zara's response was immediate, her body reacting to him without first consulting her mind. Her fingers dug into his shoulder blades, before gliding their way into his damp curls. When they finally pulled away, he was grinning at her in a way that reminded her of when they had first started their quest...it seemed eons ago now. Ronan kept one arm around her shoulders, helping her to sit up.

"You're alright. Both of you," Zara said, turning her head to look at Annika who was smiling at her and looking more at ease than she had ever seen her before. Zara noticed her nightgown had been replaced with a too big brown colored shirt and tan canvas pants with boots.

"Am I that easily forgotten?"

Zara's lips twitched and looked around to find Silas leaning against the nearest tree, arms crossed over his chest.

"After all," he continued, sauntering closer, "I am the one that set those mangled human bones of yours. Not to mention aided in your rescue."

A quick glance at her broken leg revealed it had been properly set into a crude, but effect splint made of tree branches and wrapped in clean, white cloth. She felt a rush of gratitude for him then...to be honest, she wasn't sure how she would ever be able to repay him for everything he had done for her.

Zara perked an eyebrow. "I didn't need a rescue. I would've found a way out on my own," she said lightly. Ronan chuckled and the smirk that had been attempting to tug at her mouth before finally had its way as she and the Nightwalker locked gazes. Silas' own red eyes glinted with mirth. She bowed her head. "Thank you. I owe you....again."

He looked pointedly toward her wrist. "I think you'll be able to repay me one day. Although I bloody well hope it's nothing to do with a pack of werewolves and malicious psychopath next time." He sighed, and she subconsciously wrapped the fingers of her other hand around her wrist. She had a feeling her and Silas' new, strange connection had somehow aided in him and Ronan coming to her aid.

"How are you feeling?" Annika asked, scooting closer to her. The girl's eyes swept down Zara's form, and she followed her gaze to the cloth tied tightly around her bicep. No wonder she still felt so weak...she'd almost forgotten all about the blood Ardon had stolen from her. Thankfully, he hadn't enough time to take anymore or she was certain she never would have opened her eyes again. She could still vividly picture the rage on his pointed face, the way they had fought and scuffled on the forest floor. She could still feel the blade of the knife against her throat. She swallowed hard, as if almost expecting to still feel that pinprick of cold pain. Then she cleared her throat, flushing slightly as she realized the two siblings were watching her with concern. As per usual, Silas merely looked amused.

"What happened? You and Annika were supposed to leave, not come back," she said, looking back at Ronan.

His eyes were burdened with a thousand emotions...guilt, relief, exhaustion, weariness, happiness. She couldn't pick just one. He hesitated, locking eyes with his sister before answering. "We didn't get very far before we decided to turn back."

Annika was nodding in agreement, rummaging in her pocket. A moment later she produced the Finder's Glass in her palm. "It stopped working not long after we left...I think it knew we wanted to turn back." She offered Zara a small smile.

Zara didn't know what to think. She wasn't even certain there were words that could convey how grateful she was, that these two people had put their lives at risk for hers. She had spent so long beating herself up over her inability to save Gray, making herself believe that she was useless, unworthy of being cared for. For her, it had been a long while since she had last allowed herself to believe that someone out in the world might disagree. And especially Annika, after everything she had been through...Zara reached for the girl's hand and squeezed it, conveying her gratefulness without the use of words. Her mouth still seemed too stubborn to form them.

"We were already on our way back when Silas showed up," Ronan added, giving the other man a half smile.

Silas returned it, though to Zara, his smiles still always looked as if he knew something the rest of the world didn't. "Another useful quality of a blood bond. You're much easier to track than the usual prey."

Zara wrinkled her nose at the word 'prey' and he let out a low chuckle.

"I relayed your message to the forest guard, and was even able to give them a nudge in the right direction. They just arrived at Ardon's little home not long ago. After all the action, conveniently enough for them." He rolled his eyes. "Initially, they seemed fairly unhappy that the two of you have been traipsing about their precious forest, mucking things up. However, I think the demise of the wolf king and his pack may have put you back in their good graces," Silas said, clasping his hands behind his back.

Her pulse leapt a little at his words and she could feel Ronan's eyes on her expectantly. Back in their good graces. How long had she been waiting for that? How long had that one hope been simmering inside her? And yet, it didn't bring nearly the amount of elation she had thought it would. Instead of jumping to her feet and running, or rather limping, off to find them, she found herself glancing up toward Ronan. His expression softened when their eyes met and she could feel the heat of his hand against his lower back as his fingers traced small circles through the fabric of her shirt.

"Well, there you are then. Looks like you may get what you want after all," he finally said.

His words only made her feel slightly more conflicted. And a little foolish, if she were being honest. She wasn't sure what she wanted now. It was a strange, unexpected feeling, to have entered the forest with one certainty and to be leaving with another entirely.

Silas cleared his throat. "While I'd love to stay, that big, deadly yellow thing in the sky will be rising soon." He looked at Zara and she could have sworn his smile appeared to be...fond? Or perhaps she was imagining it. Why on earth a Nightwalker would be fond of a human who seemed to always be getting herself into trouble, she didn't know. "Never let it be said that I doubted the abilities of a mere human such as yourself...you did alright, Zara. I look forward to our paths crossing again, " he said. It was the first time she could remember him using her name. With his kind, she knew it was a gesture of respect. "Huntsman." He dipped his head once in Ronan's direction before turning abruptly on his heel and disappearing into the trees. He hesitated for a moment, and called over his shoulder, "By the way, you have a visitor."

His words caused Zara's brow to furrow in confusion, but before she could ask, all traces of him were gone, as if he had never been there at all. She couldn't help but to roll her eyes. It was his usual exit, after all.

The sound of leaves and twigs crunching underfoot grabbed her attention, and despite Silas' warning, her hand still went to her hip. Searching for a sword that was still not there. She let out the softest of aggravated sighs, wondering if any of her belongings had survived their time with Ardon and his pack. This thought, however, scattered as soon as she saw a familiar head of fiery red hair appear through the trees.

"Amalia!" Zara said in surprise, trying to stagger to her feet. Much to her dismay, her strength had not all yet returned so standing was easier said than done.

"Slow down," Ronan grunted in an amused tone as he tightened his grip around her shoulders and helped her to stand.

Her old friend greeted her with a soft smile, though it turned into a frown as soon as she saw the condition she was in. Zara hadn't looked in a mirror, but she didn't need one to know she probably looked a wreck, even minus the broken leg.

"I'm fine," Zara said quickly, brushing off Amalia's look of concern. "Really."

Ronan let out a low hum. "Says the girl who was unconscious not even an hour ago."

She gave him a sardonic look, but couldn't exactly deny the fact that she was having trouble standing without him there to support her. "I'll be fine," she repeated, glancing back at Amalia.

"You have always been strong." Amalia said with a nod. She tugged her lower lip in-between her teeth for a moment, eyes flickering from Ronan to Annika. "I was hoping we could have a moment to speak. The commander asked me to find you."

Zara felt that same leap in her chest, though she still unsure of how to decipher the feeling. She nodded slowly. "Sure, of course. "

She tried not to feel like a child, or an elderly woman, as Ronan passed her off to Amalia, who immediately slung an arm around her waist and helped her walk back in the direction she had come from. Once Ronan and Annika's voice had faded, they slowed to a stop. Zara rested her shoulder against the nearest tree, giving Amalia an expected look.

"I'm glad to see you alive. And that you found your missing person," the other girl began, pushing back a few flyaway strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail. Annika must've gotten her change of clothes from the guard then. "I've thought about you each day since you left. And then when we received the news from the Nightwalker...the captain at the outpost tried to turn him away at first. If I hadn't been there, I'm sure he would have."

Zara felt a momentary stab of guilt as she remembered the trouble Amalia had gone through to make sure they entered the forest unseen. "Do they know you helped us?" she asked.

Amalia shook her head. "No, I managed to convince him your Nightwalker was telling the truth without revealing my part in the plan." She offered Zara a small smile, one that she quickly returned.

"I suppose you want to know what happened? With the werewolves?" Zara asked after a small pause in the conversation. To her surprise, though, Amalia shook her head.

"The commander thinks the less details, the better. The entire situation is a sticky one at best...after all, you and that Huntsman broke several laws. Of course, you've already been pardoned. I think you were excused from the moment he laid eyes on Ardon's body."

Zara felt a prick of relief. Though she had been the one to plunge the knife into his chest, had seen with her own eyes as he drew his last breath, a part of her still had been fearing he had somehow lived. "While I'm relieved I won't be seeing the inside of a jail cell, I am wondering...if it's not to arrest me, what is it you need?"

Amalia shifted her weight from one foot to the other, crossing her arms over her chest. She was quiet for a moment, as if carefully picking and choosing her words. "I have a proposition for you...and while it may not be the exact one you were hoping for, I need you to consider it. In the entire history of the guard, no one has ever been dismissed and then allowed to resume their duties. Even in light of the good you've done here, laws cannot be changed," she began. "However, the Red Capes are prepared to offer you a position as a Whitehaven guard. Consider it...a stepping stone. Five years of service with the castle guards without incident will allow you a preliminary position among the Red Capes again. Though I can't be certain the level of trust you'll receive. You'll be a Red Cape, but it may not be in the way you hoped..."

Amalia trailed off and Zara immediately knew what she meant. She would be a low-level guard. More of an errand girl than anything else. There would be no patrols for her. If she made it to that point, she reminded herself. She would first have to pay her duty as a castle guard. And while the idea didn't necessarily make her cringe, the idea of being stuck inside the castle day in and day out, guarding prisoners or keeping the high-walled courtyard free of trespassers, it gave her a sense of suffocation.

What she had loved about the forest guard, was the freedom. The late nights spent on patrol, alone or with another Red Cape, the scent of fresh air and feeling of open space. Yet that wasn't all of it, though. Had Amalia offered her this deal two weeks ago, Zara would have said yes without hesitation. She would have donned a White Guard polished, navy blue uniform in a heartbeat if it meant eventually wearing the red cape again. Now, though, she wasn't thinking about shades of red or blue. She was thinking about shades of green. Particularly the evergreen color of a certain Huntsman's eyes. For so long, the only place she thought she could ever belong had been among the forest guard. Yet now, she wasn't so sure. There was a whole world out there.

"Well?" Amalia asked, raising her brows. "What do you say?"

Zara inhaled deeply and let it out through pursed lips. She cycled through the options in her head, but found she really didn't need to. She knew what her answer would be. And as the words left her lips, there was no doubt.

It was the right decision.