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Authors: J.B. North
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Helen. “She's
probably a few years older than you, dear.”
I
watched helplessly as they walked away. Part of me wanted to go with them, to
make sure Helen stayed safe. But I just turned in the direction of the
orphanage, wading back slowly through the snow. I was rewarded with a spanking
and no lunch.
The
rest of the day, Helen was gone. At dinner, she still hadn't returned. At
bedtime, the bed beside mine was empty. The next day they found her, buried in
a pile of bloodied snow, stiff as a block of ice. Madam Lorraine disappeared
before the law called on her, no doubt fleeing for Kislow while all the little
orphan girls dealt with their grief.
I
never told anyone that I'd let the man take her. Never met anyone's questions
with more than silence.
After
that day, my nights were so much worse.
Because
in the shadows, Helen lurked.
-C hapter Eight-
By
the time I came back up from my trance, the darkness of the tunnel had
disappeared and we’d emerged into the misty day. Small huts surrounded us now,
dotting the crater of Redrune. Sheep chewed on the grass, watching lazily as we
passed them by.
Alyss
was holding my hand, her voice tender as she asked, “Are you okay?”
I
slipped my hand away, smiling even through my discomfort. “Yes, I was
just...caught up in a memory. Do you know what slowed us in the tunnel?”
She
nodded. “There was another carriage coming out of Redrune, but the tunnel
wasn't wide enough for us to pass them. They had to back out.”
“I
was wondering what was going on in your head,” the prince broke in. “Was it a
good memory or a bad memory?”
“A
bad one,” I said. I watched the sheep as they grazed. Watched the men as they
mended fences and the women chasing after children. Prince Matthias, with all
his riches, could do something about those people in the tunnel. I turned my
gaze on him. “Couldn't we help them?”
The
prince shrugged uncomfortably. “Most of those people are poor by their own
actions. They may have been alcoholics or gamblers.”
“Not
the children,” I said. “The children are innocent.”
“What
can we do? If we give the children money, their parents will spend it...and we
can't exactly take the children away from their families.”
Alyss
spoke up. “What about a soup kitchen? The crown could fund it.”
The
prince rubbed his stubbly chin. “My father is tight with his money, especially
now…but it’s not a bad idea. I may mention it to him when we get there.”
The
carriage started to rattle as the road we traveled on gave way to a more uneven
path. We bounced along uncomfortably until the rocks all around us disappeared,
replaced by cliff-face so close that if I opened the door, it would hit the
stone. Several minutes passed and the cliff began to distance itself. Finally,
buildings appeared again.
The
carriage stopped in front of a large castle-like building with large pillars
and a beautiful mahogany door.
I
looked forward to going inside, but before I could follow the others, Sir
Lochlan stepped in front of me. “We need to go see my family,” he said, his
face pale and grim.
My
heart sunk as I thought back on Roland's death and the promise I'd made him.
Now it was time to keep that promise.
I
followed him to the chestnut mare and hoisted myself up, waiting patiently as
Sir Lochlan adjusted the stirrups to match my height. When he was done, he
swung onto his roan and we were off.
We
continued through the rest of the city. It didn't take very long. While Redrune
looked quite impressive from the outside, it wasn't as big as Achron. More huts
began to dot the hills as the larger buildings faded away.
The
farther we got, the more spread out they became until we sidled up to a small
cabin with a sizable garden. Nearby, a few wooly faces peeped out of a shed in
curiosity. A chilly mist began to fall from the sky, seeping the cold down to
my bones. Even though the glow of a warm fire flickered invitingly in the
window, I
probably a few years older than you, dear.”
I
watched helplessly as they walked away. Part of me wanted to go with them, to
make sure Helen stayed safe. But I just turned in the direction of the
orphanage, wading back slowly through the snow. I was rewarded with a spanking
and no lunch.
The
rest of the day, Helen was gone. At dinner, she still hadn't returned. At
bedtime, the bed beside mine was empty. The next day they found her, buried in
a pile of bloodied snow, stiff as a block of ice. Madam Lorraine disappeared
before the law called on her, no doubt fleeing for Kislow while all the little
orphan girls dealt with their grief.
I
never told anyone that I'd let the man take her. Never met anyone's questions
with more than silence.
After
that day, my nights were so much worse.
Because
in the shadows, Helen lurked.
-C hapter Eight-
By
the time I came back up from my trance, the darkness of the tunnel had
disappeared and we’d emerged into the misty day. Small huts surrounded us now,
dotting the crater of Redrune. Sheep chewed on the grass, watching lazily as we
passed them by.
Alyss
was holding my hand, her voice tender as she asked, “Are you okay?”
I
slipped my hand away, smiling even through my discomfort. “Yes, I was
just...caught up in a memory. Do you know what slowed us in the tunnel?”
She
nodded. “There was another carriage coming out of Redrune, but the tunnel
wasn't wide enough for us to pass them. They had to back out.”
“I
was wondering what was going on in your head,” the prince broke in. “Was it a
good memory or a bad memory?”
“A
bad one,” I said. I watched the sheep as they grazed. Watched the men as they
mended fences and the women chasing after children. Prince Matthias, with all
his riches, could do something about those people in the tunnel. I turned my
gaze on him. “Couldn't we help them?”
The
prince shrugged uncomfortably. “Most of those people are poor by their own
actions. They may have been alcoholics or gamblers.”
“Not
the children,” I said. “The children are innocent.”
“What
can we do? If we give the children money, their parents will spend it...and we
can't exactly take the children away from their families.”
Alyss
spoke up. “What about a soup kitchen? The crown could fund it.”
The
prince rubbed his stubbly chin. “My father is tight with his money, especially
now…but it’s not a bad idea. I may mention it to him when we get there.”
The
carriage started to rattle as the road we traveled on gave way to a more uneven
path. We bounced along uncomfortably until the rocks all around us disappeared,
replaced by cliff-face so close that if I opened the door, it would hit the
stone. Several minutes passed and the cliff began to distance itself. Finally,
buildings appeared again.
The
carriage stopped in front of a large castle-like building with large pillars
and a beautiful mahogany door.
I
looked forward to going inside, but before I could follow the others, Sir
Lochlan stepped in front of me. “We need to go see my family,” he said, his
face pale and grim.
My
heart sunk as I thought back on Roland's death and the promise I'd made him.
Now it was time to keep that promise.
I
followed him to the chestnut mare and hoisted myself up, waiting patiently as
Sir Lochlan adjusted the stirrups to match my height. When he was done, he
swung onto his roan and we were off.
We
continued through the rest of the city. It didn't take very long. While Redrune
looked quite impressive from the outside, it wasn't as big as Achron. More huts
began to dot the hills as the larger buildings faded away.
The
farther we got, the more spread out they became until we sidled up to a small
cabin with a sizable garden. Nearby, a few wooly faces peeped out of a shed in
curiosity. A chilly mist began to fall from the sky, seeping the cold down to
my bones. Even though the glow of a warm fire flickered invitingly in the
window, I
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