Chapter Seven ~ Things to Come

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"Fear of a name increases 

fear of the thing itself." 
~J.K. Rowling

The ride through the dark forest seemed to drag on forever.

Duke kept his eyes forward, on Sophie. She and Darius rode side-by-side, he on a dark stallion, and she on a white one. Her hair fell down her shoulders unhindered once more and he wondered if she ever put it up. She'd only pulled it back to fight, and directly after had let it free once more. The golden waves had mesmerized him, and now he rather wished for sunlight so that he could see the shine of it.

The air was cool now, though not enough to warrant gloves and thick cloaks. Duke tore his eyes from the riders in front of him and glanced down at his calloused palm, holding leather reins. Apprehension was building and swirling in his stomach. What had he been thinking? Perhaps he'd been so captivated by her innocent blue eyes that he'd agreed too quickly to this undertaking. Perhaps he should have made Cedric aware of the Fire Clan and their apparent interest in killing one of the Wilson family. After all, why would a clan that appeared to be much larger and stronger wish to help them? Why would they care?

It was too late now, though. He couldn't go back. There were men behind him, and Sophie could easily kill him if he changed his mind—he still wasn't entirely sure that she didn't want to. There was something about her that made him shiver with unease.

Onward they went until the sun began to reveal its face, spilling the glorious colors of early morning onto the sky and sending bits of golden light downward to dance amid the dark green foliage. Only when the pink and burnt orange streaks of the sunrise were nearly gone did Sophie slow.

Darius turned around and offered Duke a smile. "We're home."

Home. Duke shifted in the saddle and ran one sweaty palm across Fennel's neck. Two weeks. Only two weeks and he'd be able to return to his sister—that was, if the clan didn't kill him.

The encampment was large compared to that of the Oak Clan, but that came as no surprise to Duke. There was an elegant stone building to one side. Huge oak doors enforced with metal bars marked the entrance into the formidable structure. There were wooden benches to either side of the entryway on which four guards relaxed, talking and laughing. At the sight of the riders, they stood to attention, erect with their chins up.

Duke turned his gaze from them and scanned the rest of his surroundings. Besides the massive stone building, the camp was similar to that of the Oak Clan. Cottages of stone and wood dotted the large area. There were even a few trees within the camp, though most had been cut down.

Each cottage had a round fire ring nearby, and a few had a horse or two tied outside. Duke noticed a gray stone stable adjacent to the building that had caught his attention upon entering the camp. On the other side of the stables was a large pile of hay protected by a wooden roof.

The camp was set up nicely, surrounded by thick underbrush. Like the Oak Clan's camp, it would have been easy to miss if one had not known that it was there.

Duke turned his attention to the people. Many of the campfires were already sending up bright flames. Men and women sat around them; most were dressed well in the colors of the forest. All, even the women, were armed with, at the very least, a dagger at the waist.

A small boy who hardly looked five appeared in one of the doorways. He too carried a dagger at his waist. At the sight of the party still on horseback, he dipped his head respectfully and scurried over to a campfire where Duke assumed his parents were sitting.

Sophie dismounted, and everyone else followed suit.

A man, slim and wiry with black hair and serious eyes, came to meet them, taking her horse's bridle. "Milady." He dipped his head.

"Are my men ready?"

The man nodded in response to her question. "Yessum. Will you be coming?"

Sophie paused, looking over at Duke. "No, not this time. And I want you to stay here as well. We are going to pay Jacob a little visit." She turned to Duke then. "This is Ghost, my officer. Ghost, this is Duke. One of Cedric's men."

Ghost dipped his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Duke returned the gesture though his brow crinkled in confusion at the man's term of respect. He had not expected to be treated with any sort of deference. "Likewise."

Ghost smiled, bowed to Sophie once more, and strode to where six men awaited him on horses. He spoke briefly to them, and Duke watched as they turned and left camp.

"They are going to ride along part of our territory line," Sophie explained. "Though our territory is large, we try to cover as much of it as we can each day."

Duke nodded. "And Jacob. Why does he want our land?"

"It is a long story, but it was not always under the protection of our clan. He believes that he, as the leader of the Night Assassins, is the rightful owner."

"I see. And what is a visit to him going to do?"

Sophie smiled rather viciously. "I believe we will be able to convince him one way or another to let the land go."

Duke didn't ask how she was planning to do it. The fierce smile alone was enough to tell him that she would do whatever it took. This was going to be an interesting day.

"Come," she said to him. "Edgar will want to meet you. After that we'll go to Jacob."

Duke swallowed as his mouth went dry. He'd never met a king before, particularly not an outlaw one. He had no idea what to expect.

Sophie either did not notice or did not react to his trepidation. She motioned to the building of stone. "That," she explained, "is where the king and his officials reside. It also contains the room where meetings are conducted, the main room for eating and such, and rooms where we hold criminals."

"Criminals?" Duke asked, interested. "You mean criminals of this king?"

Sophie gave him a sideways look. "Ah, of course that's what I mean." She said nothing more, simply moving toward the building.

The guards pulled the doors open, revealing a corridor that was lit only with torches in wall sconces. The flames flickered weirdly against the stone, giving the hallway an eerie appearance. The inside of the structure smelled musty and old, and the stone floor was worn smooth from the thousands of feet that had walked on it.

Duke had to hurry to keep pace with Sophie, who strode briskly down the hallway. As he hastened after her, question after question raced through his mind, but he kept his silence, too afraid to ask any of them. He was finding himself rather intimidated by the cold and lofty persona that she wore.

"These are Edgar's quarters," she said, halting before a painted door and flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Alright," he replied, fidgeting nervously with his shirt sleeve. He hoped that she couldn't tell how ill at ease he was.

Sophie raised a slender wrist and rapped her knuckles on the door once. It was immediately opened by a guard, who bowed to them and pulled the door open farther.

"My liege, the Clan Protecter," the guard informed in a deep voice.

Stepping into the room, Duke was shocked at the sight of Edgar, sitting on a throne and wearing a crown. He had not realized that the Fire Clan actually viewed their king as, well, that much of a king.

Edgar was dressed in purple and red with large, jeweled rings and bracelets adorning his fingers and wrists. A chain around his neck held a huge ruby, sending shimmering red bits of light in every direction. Duke's eyes went immediately to his right hand, looking for the clan ring that Sophie had on her finger.

He wore a one, though it was larger. It was the same style, a gold band with a ruby. Duke couldn't see the design from where he stood but he supposed that it was similar, if not the same as, Sophie's. He most likely used it as a seal unless Sophie did that for him. Duke was beginning to realize that she was one of the most highly regarded members of the Fire Clan.

"Sir, this is Duke, one of Cedric's men. Duke, this is our king, Edgar."

Duke, unsure how to approach the king, bowed. "A pleasure, sir."

"My liege," Sophie corrected under her breath.

"Uh, my liege," Duke stammered, dipping his head again and keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Duke, it's a pleasure to have you," Edgar replied. "Make yourself at home. Sophie can answer any questions that you have."

"Yes, my liege. Thank you," Duke responded, only then daring to raise his eyes from the ground. Despite the regal and intimidating air of the man, he found his discomfort waning. Edgar seemed peaceful and trustworthy. It was a wonder that he had someone such as Sophie serving under him. Duke sneaked a glance at the Clan Protector, who had her eyes on her king.

"I am going to Jacob now unless you have something else for me to do?" Sophie's tone was casual but polite. She stood with one hand on her belt, the other by her side.

"That will do." Edgar waved a decorated hand in dismissal, indicating that the brief meeting was over.

Duke followed her into the hallway. "Tell me more of Jacob," he prompted as soon as the door had thudded closed behind them.

"We will probably not see him. His right hand takes care of most of his affairs." She continued down the stone corridor as she spoke, not looking back at him to see if he was following.

As the two of them exited the building, Duke saw Ghost and several other men standing by a few horses, which were saddled and ready to ride. One of the men stepped forward, offering a horse to Sophie and one to Duke. Duke smiled at the man, who bowed, not making eye contact.

Sophie mounted skillfully, looking down at her men. "Let's go." She swung her horse around and her men followed suit.

"Sophie, wait," Darius called, jogging over to her horse, and putting a hand on its bridle.

She looked down at him while reaching up to tie her hair back and out of her face. "You know you cannot come. Jacob wants you dead."

Darius shook his head at her, and Duke could see concern in his eyes. "I don't trust him to leave you alone either."

Sophie finished tying her curls back and once again picked up the reins to her horse. "Jacob will not touch me. He knows he could not get away with it."

"As if the rest of them would care," Darius replied, leaving Duke to wonder what he was talking about.

Sophie leaned down and put a hand on Darius' shoulder. "Stop worrying. We aren't even going to see Jacob, I'm sure. He'll send Saber out," she assured him.

"As if he is any better," Darius retorted, his eyes darkening.

Duke shifted on his horse, suddenly uncomfortable. "Saber?" he questioned, and Sophie looked back at him.

"He is Jacob's right hand."

Duke shot her a questioning look. "Saber, as in the Saber?"

She glanced at him. "Did you not already know that?"

"How would I know that?" Duke asked in annoyance. "A messenger brought a letter telling us to leave. We haven't had any other contact with the Night Assassins."

Sophie, who had looked away, turned back to him. "You mean, they didn't send anyone to your camp to tell you to leave?"

"Uh... no. Is that not a good thing?"

"The signature. Did he give you his family name?" Sophie asked in a disinterested voice, ignoring his question.

"No. Just his first name. Why? What is his family name?"

"It does not matter. I was curious if he gave it. He appreciates secrecy."

Darius watched the exchange with a look of amusement on his face. "Ah, that he does. Same goes for the rest of them."

Sophie jabbed her horse in the sides. She gave Darius a reassuring look as the horse pranced forward. "I'll be careful, Darius. See you when we get back."

Her men and Duke followed as her horse crossed the camp in a fast trot.

As they entered the forest, Duke could feel his heart beginning to pound in anticipation of the meeting with one of the most feared assassins in the Veiled Forest. He had never seen Saber, though he had witnessed some of the aftermath of his criminal behavior. He was glad that Sophie was along. He'd seen her skill with a blade and could not deny her talent. Perhaps Saber respected her, at least enough to refrain from doing anything too rash.

It was late morning by the time they reached a small grove of birch trees. Sophie stopped and dismounted. Her men did the same. Duke jumped to the ground and stretched his legs, rather sore from the long ride. His eyelids were growing heavy. He'd hardly slept the past few days and they'd missed an entire night of sleep.

"Stay here," Sophie ordered, "except for you two." She motioned to Ghost and Duke.

They followed her out of the grove of trees and across a small creek, going a few more yards to the start of a small pathway made of stones. The path continued up a slope, and they followed it, unable to see exactly what it led to until they crested the top of the hill.

There was a large and beautiful stone building right in the middle of the trees. The underbrush hadn't been cleared away, and it grew directly up to the ornate, wooden door.

A tall stone wall could be seen behind the building, and Duke guessed that it circled the camp. It was rather like a mansion, except in the middle of the forest. It must've been a chore to build, he thought in wonder.

Sophie halted at the top of the hill. She stood with her arms crossed and her head tilted, looking up at the building, waiting. It didn't take long for a man to emerge from the trees around the stone mansion.

He was tall and slim with tattoos running up and down his muscled arms. Tangled black hair hung around his thin face, stopping just before his shoulders. His gray-blue eyes studied them closely, narrowing into a nasty leer as he drew closer to them.

"Milady, to what do we owe the pleasure?" His voice was smooth with a hint of mockery.

Sophie ignored it, smiling at him coldly. "Saber. I wish to speak to Jacob."

Saber. This was him. Duke kept his face as emotionless as possible as he studied the outlaw. This was the man responsible for countless brutal killings. The one that nearly every outlaw feared. Yet, he appeared like any other man. Duke didn't know exactly what he had been expecting, but it hadn't been this tall, thin man with half-closed eyes and tattoos running over his scarred arms.

"Your brother is occupied at the moment." The words fell from Saber's thin lips easily and a jolt of pure shock went through Duke as the cold realization of the situation at hand sank in.

Jacob was Sophie's brother, and he had one of the most feared men in the Veiled Forest under his command. He didn't know whether to be impressed or horrified.

Fear won out and his hand inched toward his blade. They were going to kill him. Blood most certainly took precedence over a stranger from a different clan. Sophie would kill him. She just hadn't gotten around to it yet. She wasn't finished toying with him.

No one seemed to notice his astonishment. Sophie and Saber were staring at each other, as if each was trying to assert their dominance over the other. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Shadow?" Saber finally asked, breaking the tense silence.

"Tell Jacob that if he does not leave the land alone, we are going to have a problem."

"He's not afraid of you," Saber snarled back.

"He should be. The force of the Fire Clan will be on him if he does not comply."

Saber laughed—a malicious, predatory sound. "Let it go. Just let the land go. If you do not, then there's only one way that this'll end."

Sophie's hand went to a knife hilt. "Yes, and it will not be you who lives."

A thin, ugly smile spread over Saber's face as he unsheathed a curved scimitar. He held the blade up and ran his finger over the edge of it. "There is not room for the both of us in this forest any longer, is there?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I have warned my brother. If this is what he wants, then this is what he will get." She bowed to Saber and then spun around and calmly began to make her way back down the hill.

Ghost and Duke followed. Only when they were at the base of the hill did Duke look back over his shoulder. Saber stood at the top of the knoll with his arms folded across his chest, a hard look on his face as he watched their departure.

Sophie did not speak the rest of the way back to camp. Darius met them when they arrived back. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he stared at Sophie, waiting. She did not acknowledge him but slipped off of her horse and handed the reins to one of her men.

"Sophie, you can't." Darius grabbed her arm.

Only then did she look at him. "Can't what, Darius?" she asked in a low, calm voice.

"Fight him."

A duel. Duke understood now. Sophie and Saber were going to fight. It would be a fierce competition, for Saber's reputation preceded him, and Duke had seen Sophie wield a blade.

He decided that the duel would be a good thing. The end would surely result in a death, and the Veiled Forest would be better off with one less unpredictable and unstable assassin. As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he felt guilty. He did hope that she would be alright, but if a duel was what it took to remove Saber from the picture, then it was worth the risk.

He watched as Sophie pulled her arm away from Darius. "It has to be done."

"No. There are other ways to take care of Jacob."

"Like what? A war?" Her blue eyes narrowed into icy slits. "You know full well that my duty as the Clan Protector is to take care of problems like this."

Darius glared at her. "It will be a vote."

Sophie shook her head at him and walked away without saying a word.

Darius watched her go, worry clouding his eyes, and Duke turned to the man. "If she wins a duel, will Jacob leave the land alone?" he asked the officer.

Darius' voice was low with worry, "Yes, if she wins. If not... we are gonna have our backs against a wall."

"How so?"

"Well, first off, we lose the land. And everyone's respect. And without a Clan Protector, we are vulnerable. She takes care of a lot of the problems that arise with other clans."

"Well, you said it would be a vote. And you will vote that she cannot duel. Perhaps others will too." Duke was a little worried himself now. If she lost, then the Oak Clan would have to relocate or fight the Night Assassins themselves, and fighting was not a good option—not with Saber on the opposing side.

"Of course I'll vote no, but I'm not so sure about everyone else. She's indispensable but she's right. It is her job as the Clan Protector."

"Perhaps Edgar will say no to a duel?" Duke asked.

Darius pulled a small flask of whiskey from a pouch on his belt. "No, he's not gonna do that. He'll take her advice. Let's just hope it's a vote."

Duke eyed him and the alcohol in his hand. "You really care for her?" he probed.

Darius tipped his head back, taking a long swallow from the flask

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