Well.
We made it.
Here is the end.
I hope you've enjoyed this journey with me. It has been a time of learning and growing for me--in my writing, my faith, and my maturity. Zoe has grown right along with me and it has been a pleasure to bring her adventure to you all. The editing process will begin anytime now and I will begin readying the story to come to you guys in a properly bound book form. :) I can't wait! It'll be so cool but surreal to see my work as a published book.
Thank you again. Blessings on you all.
Au revoir-
Not-so-Little Firebrand
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIX MONTHS LATER
The sun filtered down through the trees in Braedoch Forest, creating soft patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. Leaves, decomposed from their long sabbatical beneath winter snow, provided rich nutrients for the eager spring foliage that had sprung up in recent weeks and was making its presence known. Birds twittered in the trees, breaking the monastic, almost reverent hush in the air of the ancient forest.
Brac’s stride never faltered as he wove his way through the trees a half-length ahead of Chale. Zoe did not guide him; the stallion sensed the familiarity of the place they were in and he now traveled eagerly onward without her needing to command or direct him. Silence had fallen between her and Tancred since yesterday, when they had descended from the slopes of the mountains and entered the outer fringe of Braedoch. He knew how important this place was to Zoe and respected her feelings as she took it all in after three years away.
Three years. Had it truly been that long? And yet, hadn’t it been decades longer? Time seemed relative to Zoe, occasionally feeling much lengthened, at other times seeming to have hurtled by.
Since the previous autumn, Zoe had kept herself quite busy. Queen Brysa, recently married to Prince Garrick of Aerilya, had contacted Tancred at the end of the previous year with a proposal. Despite the official abolition of the slave trade in Elangsia, she and her new husband were having difficulties eradicating illegal trafficking of human flesh. A black market had sprung up and countless Aerilyans were still kept in bondage in remote parts of Elangsia. King Garrick and Queen Brysa had asked Tancred to investigate the situation and work on ferreting out the slavers.
Tancred had of course disbanded his men by that time, but many of the Hunter’s followers were more than willing to return to help find and bring the remainder of the slave traders to justice. The men with families had declined to join Tancred again; the rest had been at the Ralyn manor before the beginning of the new year.
Shyla had offered to let Zoe stay with her at the manor while Tancred went back into Elangsia, but Zoe had politely refused. She had already talked with Tancred at length and told him in no uncertain terms she wanted to be part of the movement to free the slaves. The excitement that came at the notion of another adventure, another challenge, was powerful incentive...not to mention it meant she would be at Tancred’s side too. The more she prayed and thought about it, the more she felt a gentle urge to go. Had it been Deus giving her a new assignment? Zoe was convinced it was.
That was perhaps one of the best decisions I’ve made yet, she thought privately. From December to April she and Tancred had gone throughout Elangsia with the remains of his band. Their tactics varied with each village, city, and slaver’s rendezvous point they visited. Sometimes they went in undercover, their weapons and intentions hidden. Other times they brashly walked into midnight slave auctions, which were always held in well-hidden areas—and announced that all the slaves were free in the name of the King and Queen of Elangsia.
The task brought a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment to Zoe. To see the hopelessness on the faces of the slaves changed to joy when they were freed, and to watch hundreds returned to their homes in Aerilya, was a pleasure like none other.
More than that, though, Zoe and Tancred’s relationship had deepened and expanded. They had learned to work together in a multitude of situations, most of them complicated or unpleasant. When raiding a heavily guarded cache of slaves in late March, the two of them had fought together so seamlessly they might have rehearsed it. Tancred trusted Zoe to watch his back; and she likewise knew he and his sword stood between her and whatever foes tried to hurt her.
But beyond the fighting aspects of their relationship, their spiritual depth had increased drastically. Tancred was far deeper than Zoe had ever imagined. His spiritual insight had grown invaluable to her. Every night they sat in the camp with the men around a fire and discussed Deus and His ways. Zoe’s faith seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. She was in the center of His will for her and it brought of feeling of contentment like nothing else could.
Then the letter had come.
When Zoe received Taerith’s missive by way of a falcon some months ago, it had taken her a whole day to get over the shock of it all. It had been short and to the point: “Dear brothers and sisters, come home.”
She did not know how many times she had devoured those six short words, struggling to grasp their meaning. Does he really mean home? As in, Braedoch Forest? All of us? Who will come? Who yet lives? What has happened to them all? What changes have occurred?
So many questions. And now here she was at long last; back at Braedoch; and answers were within her reach.
A forked birch, its main limbs twisted oddly, grabbed Zoe’s attention and dragged her back to the present. “We’re close,” she told Tancred, her heart seizing with excitement.
Tancred glanced over at her. “You recognize this place?”
“That tree. I could never forget it.” She slipped off Brac and grabbed his reins. Eyes sparkling, she glanced up at Tancred. “I’m going to walk in from here. It’s but a twenty minute hike, if my memory serves me well.”
He nodded his assent. Before he could even dismount, Zoe had plunged on, leading Brac as she jogged further into the depths of the forest. The stallion snorted and broke into a trot to keep up with her. The ground was slightly squishy from late spring downpours and her boots squelched as she hurried up a rise that was covered with pines. As she struggled to the top, Zoe released Brac’s reins and grabbed hold of a pine bough to help her keep her balance. She reached the top a moment later, panting slightly, and gazed down.
Her heart stopped.
Grip tightening on the branch she clutched, Zoe’s eyes fastened unto the flash of achingly familiar dark red hair she had fleetingly glimpsed. It had to be... Is it? Could it... It could not be anyone else. Sam! Twin!
“Tancred,” gasped Zoe, whirling and looked down. “Take Brac, please....”
“Just go,” he said mildly, reaching out and grabbing Brac’s reins as he came up.
She needed no more encouragement. Spinning around again, Zoe tore down the slope toward the spot she had seen the reddish glint. Sam, Sam, Sam... his name thundered through her brain, shooting adrenaline into her veins and giving her strength to pump her limbs faster as she sprinted on. She topped a little hillock and there he was, sitting in the hollow with his back to her, holding a bow and wearing a leather quiver.
“Ahhh!” she yelled, flinging herself at him. He leapt to his feet and whirled, a startled look on his face as she hurtled toward him in a blur of motion. “Sam!”
Before he could react she rammed into him, throwing them both off-balance and toppling them to the ground. Rolling around a couple times, Zoe ended up on top, grinning down at him. Her eyes connected with his startled gray-green gaze. “Zoe?”
“Yeah! It’s me!” She jumped off him and grabbed his hand to pull him up too. With a cry of delight he leapt up and engulfed her in a tight hug, his arms swallowing her completely. With a half-laugh, half-gasp, Zoe managed, “You’ve certainly gotten stronger!”
“You’re stronger too,” he said, pulling back. “Let me look at you. You’re so...different.”
Zoe’s eyes ran over her twin’s face and she slowly sobered, though her heart still pounded with exhilaration. “You’re changed as well,” she said, trying to calm down.
Sam was twenty-one now, like her. They were still roughly the same height as each other, but he was broader and stronger than before. His hair had darkened a little, and his eyes held much more than they once had back in the old, innocent days. Like her, Sam had been faced with hardship and pain. His face had matured as well, giving him the look of a man, rather than a boy.
Reaching forward she gently touched a lock of his hair and said, “You grew up.”
“Me?” he shot back, his tone reminiscent of the years of teasing she had taken from him. “What about you? You look...like...” he searched for words and then his gaze dropped to the daggers she had in her belt and the sword strapped to her back. A faint smile touched his lips. “You look like a warrior. What have you been up to, Twin?”
She smiled ruefully. “I’ve been in a war,” she admitted. “I’m proficient with these weapons, so watch yourself.”
“As if you weren’t proficient before.”
“Hey, you and I both know that three years ago, I had a lot to work on,” she grinned.
“Sam?”
Surprised, Zoe turned around at the sound of a feminine voice. For a second she assumed it must be one of her sisters, but one glance at the figure standing in front of her made her discard that thought immediately. A young woman of medium height and slender build had appeared behind them. She wore a dress made of pale, soft green material that was belted around her hips with a wide, bright sash.
“Who are you?” asked Zoe bluntly and without thinking.
The girl smiled slightly, not appearing taken aback in the least by Zoe’s cool greeting. “I am (not going to tell you her name because it would ruin part of Sam's story--we'll call her "G" as a code name),” she said simply. “You must be Zoe.”
“Yes,” Zoe replied, surprised. “But how—”
“I’ve told G a lot about you,” Sam said, stepping around Zoe and walking toward the young woman. He slipped his arm around her waist and looked back at his twin, a strange light in his eyes. “She comes from the region of Rimera, the place where I began my journeys three years ago. She came back with me.”
Zoe’s eyebrows rose by increments as he talked. Understanding slowly dawned and her mouth dropped slightly ajar. “You mean to say you two are...” she paused, her gaze dropping to the hold Sam had on G’s waist, “I mean you’re...that is...?”
G laughed outright as Sam answered, “Yeah.”
“Oh,” Zoe said, fighting her astonishment. Why are you so surprised? You have Tancred; why can’t Sam have this G? Walking forward she addressed the young woman,
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope...we’ll be...good friends.”
“If you live up to the stories your brother has told me, I’m sure we’ll get along wonderfully,” G assured Zoe with a merry smile.
“What has he been telling you?” Zoe asked, shooting a suspicious glance at Sam, who suddenly looked all too innocent.
“Oh, nothing much,” he interjected hastily.
“Sure...” she muttered, eyes narrowed. “I’ll let that pass this once. Come on, sit down, tell me about what has happened to you.”
They sat down and Sam said curiously, “Did you walk all the way back? Where did you travel from?”
“Over the mountains from a country called Aerilya—” Zoe stopped abruptly and then glanced back the way she had come. Tancred. “I, um, rode Brac, actually.”
“Where is he?”
“Over...there.” She motioned slowly toward the hill she had run down.
“You just left him?” Sam stared at her, clearly disbelieving. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Now it was her turn to smile innocently. “Well, little brother, you’re not the only one who has brought back companions from foreign lands,” she began, her stomach twisting strangely.
“Companions...” Sam repeated quietly, his eyes still trained on her face.
Without warning he reached forward and grabbed her left hand. Shock shot across his features. On her finger glimmered a ring fashioned from two gold strands woven together and inset with a fiery red gem. Tancred had given it to her just the month before. They were not yet formally betrothed, but Tancred had made it more than clear that the ring was a symbol of his claim on her. The two of them were not quite ready for marriage, though Zoe knew it was only a matter of time.
Sam shook his head disbelievingly. “No. Zoe, who in the world did you dig up...who did you find who managed to...?”
Her grin simultaneously grew wider and much more hesitant. “His name’s Tancred.”
“Where in the world is he? I must congratulate him,” Sam exclaimed, releasing her fingers and jumping up. “He must be a man of exceptional valor,” he added in a mutter.
Zoe rose to her feet too and punched Sam lightly in the shoulder. “Hey! I’m not that bad, am I?”
“Do you want me to answer that?”
G laughed as Zoe shot Sam a mutinous look. “Yes, you’re exactly as he described you,” she told Zoe.
Zoe smiled back. “I’ve changed some but not a whole lot. Now you two hang on. I’ll get Brac and...Tancred.”
“Make it fast,” Sam ordered.
“Bossy, bossy,” she teased, jogging away. She topped the hill and looked down. Tancred stood halfway down the slope on the other side, stroking Chale’s muzzle. He glanced up, his eyes connecting with hers. “You all right?” he asked as she hurried down toward him.
“Oh, Tancred,” she exclaimed under her breath. Impetuously she threw her arms around him. He laughed and hugged her back, his grip firm and reassuring. “Sam is right over that hill. My brother. My twin! And,” she pulled back and looked up at Tancred, “a girl.”
He chuckled at the tone in her voice. “You begrudge him finding a girl when you bring me back with you?” he challenged, holding up her hand so that her ring shimmered just in front of her eyes.
She smirked at him. “I never said logic was my strongest suit. I’m just surprised. Besides, last time I checked, this ring wasn’t a marriage proposal.”
“You’re right; it’s insurance,” Tancred said, an amused twinkle entering his gaze.
“Insurance?” she asked, feeling suddenly suspicious.
He squeezed her hand and then released it. “So no other man would get ideas about trying to take what’s mine.”
Zoe just laughed.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if most of your siblings have someone with them,” Tancred continued, tossing Brac’s reins at her. “You and Sam are the youngest and you both apparently have brought a significant other with you.”
“I’ll have to ask him if the rest of them are back yet, and, if so, if they brought someone with them.” She hesitated. “It will certainly be different with so many new faces....”
“It’s not like it wouldn’t have happened one day anyway.”
“But it’s so sudden. You can joke about it now, but wait until Kristalyn finds out about you and me. And one day, you’ll have to deal with her meeting a guy.”
“That will be the day,” Tancred replied, his lips twisting wryly as they started up the hill with Brac and Chale.
Sam and G were walking toward them by the time Zoe and Tancred reached the base of the hill together. Zoe studied G carefully and privately decided they made a fine looking couple—though she would withhold that opinion until she had seen more of what this girl with the easy grin was made of, she thought decisively.
Sam and Tancred appeared to be sizing each other up. Zoe glanced from one to the other, surprised at how Tancred seemed to dwarf her twin. He had to be four or five inches taller than Sam.
Slowly, Sam said, “So. You’re Tancred.”
“Aye.” Tancred extended a hand and the two locked forearms in a solid handclasp. “And you are Zoe’s twin—Sam?”
“Yes. This is G, my fiancée,” Sam introduced his companion and she curtsied in a graceful but distinctly foreign manner.
“Good day, sir,” she said to Tancred.
“Greetings, lady,” he replied cordially, inclining his head respectfully at her.
“All right, enough of the awkwardness,” Zoe broke in. “Sam, first: what has happened to Duard?”
“Aiden battled him,” Sam said seriously, finally taking his gaze off Tancred and settling it back to Zoe. “Almost killed him, too.”
“I wondered if that might have happened,” Zoe nodded slowly. “But he didn’t kill him?”
“No.” Sam said nothing for a long time. “I don’t think I should say anything more. You need to ask Aiden—and Taerith—yourself.”
“Taerith is home too?” exclaimed Zoe. “That’s great! But, Sam, you must tell me this at least: is Duard dead?”
Again, Sam hesitated tellingly. “Yes.” He cleared his throat and continued, “Believe me, there’s more to the story than you know. Aiden and Taerith did not share very much about what transpired with Duard, and I did not ask. All I know is that before Duard passed on, he gave his blessing on our clan.” Sam sent G a glance that was laden with meaning. “Which actually does make sense if you know a little of the backstory,” he added quietly.
It was all very hard to believe. The man who had so callously dismissed her family had on his deathbed blessed them? I’ll have to talk to Taerith about it sometime soon, she thought, her brow wrinkled.
“What backstory?” asked Tancred.
“I’ve found out a lot about our parents that you might like to hear,” Sam told them, his expression more wise and weary than Zoe had ever seen it.
“What is it, Sam?” Zoe cocked her head in confusion.
“I thought they were murdered,” Tancred inserted, leaning forward and focusing on Sam.
“Oh, they were,” Sam told him. “But G and I worked on tracking their history and finding out why they were killed in the first place. And by whom. It’s a very…interesting story.”
“By whom?” asked Zoe. “Who else but Duard?”
Sam smiled tightly, but his expression was completely devoid of humor. “Before I left Braedoch, Aiden challenged me to find out about our past, our parents, and why we were targeted. I found it; but the answers I found are more than a little surprising.”
“And it’s a long tale,” G added quietly. Her eyes were filled with soberness that struck Zoe. What had Sam and this girl been put through? “But it really was quite a journey and a story worth telling.”
“I cannot wait to hear it,” Zoe replied. “And I would stay and listen now but...” she shrugged and finished in a low tone, “I need to go see the others too. Is anyone other than Aiden and Taerith home yet?”
“Everyone except you and Arnan. I was beginning to worry you weren’t coming, or that you couldn’t come for some reason.” Sam’s expression grew somber, but he seemed to shake of the cloak of sobriety after a moment. “Anyway, I was impatient for your arrival and went hunting this morning, hoping you might come this way since I was told that when you left it was toward the mountains.”
“I’m glad you were out here,” Zoe said warmly. “Your face is one of those I most wished to see again. But tell me, have the rest of the gang brought...um...friends with them too?”
Sam chuckled and was joined by Tancred and G’s laughter. “Friends? You mean friends like G and your Tancred, right?”
She shrugged, grinning impishly. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“So far everyone has brought somebody back with them,” G inserted, looping her arm through Sam’s and smiling.
Zoe’s jaw dropped. “Really?” she breathed. “Everyone?”
“Aiden was home first,” Sam said at last, looking at Zoe knowingly. He knew she would want to see their oldest brother next. “He’s greeting everyone. I think he’s viewing this as his last assignment and duty. He saw us all off; now he is seeing us all back home.”
Heart full, Zoe bit her lip. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask “And did he bring a girl with him?” but she found she could not get the words out. He can tell me himself, she decided. If Sam said everyone had brought somebody back, Aiden must have too...but Zoe did not want to think of that yet. It was too weird thinking of all the new men and women she would have to associate with and accept as part of her family without considering the fact that her big brother, her inspiration and guide, had fallen in love with a girl. It would change so much.
“I have to go see him,” she said, standing up abruptly. “You two going to come back with us?”
G and Sam exchanged a glance. “We’re walking back,” G said. “You both have horses, so go ahead and ride on.”
With a shrug, Zoe agreed. She swept Sam into another close embrace and murmured, “I’ll see you back at home, Twin.” The word home caught in her throat, but she pushed past the emotion and forced her voice to be calm.
She could hear the smile in his words as he replied, “Aye, Zoe. Love you.”
“I love you too,” she murmured, pulling back and swinging up on Brac simultaneously. She looked down at G and half-smiled. “It was good meeting you, G. I hope we find time to spend together soon.”
“I would like that,” G nodded, a smile lighting up her face.
Zoe and Tancred turned their stallions around and Zoe took of at a canter, cutting around trees with ease. Brac was pleased to be going again and he went onward at a brisk clip. Zoe’s hair, worn loose, blew back in the wind like a fiery curtain. Happiness surged through her veins, but it was not yet complete. Nay, before contentment could truly settle over her, she had to first see one more person.
And Deus willing, she thought, I’m on my way to him right now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ten minutes later, Tancred swung off Chale and moved past Zoe to take the lead for a moment. Zoe was too enthralled with her surroundings to notice or really care. Tancred led the stallion around a sharp corner in the twisting forest path, so that Zoe and Brac were out of view behind thick bushes and trees. High spirited even after another day spent journeying, Chale butted Tancred’s shoulder playfully.
Movement on the path up ahead caught Tancred’s eye and he stopped. Two figures stood on the path facing him, perhaps twenty feet away. A second later Tancred recognized them both, but the shock that the recognition brought with it immobilized him for a long moment.
One was a young woman with sunny hair, sparkling green eyes, and golden-brown skin. Kristalyn! What was she doing there? This is Braedoch Forest, not Mairbrac. We’re not in Aerilya anymore. Why is she here? What had he missed? And as swiftly as his joy arose at seeing his sister safe and looking well, when Tancred’s gaze shifted to the tall figure standing beside Kris, it evaporated and his nerves resonated with deep, raw shock.
The man was tall and strong of build, with a thatch of almost black hair that overshadowed a deeply tanned face. Dressed in the simple clothes of a woodsman but standing erect and poised as any capable warrior, his dark blue gaze pierced the distance and met Tancred’s. Recognition, shock, wariness, and more flashed through those eyes, matching Tancred’s inward thoughts perfectly.
For they had met before, and each man remembered the encounters.
They had parted months ago, and each man thought they’d never see each other again.
Tancred knew the man who stood beside Kristalyn only as “Assassin.” There must be more to him and his past but at the point Tancred didn’t care, couldn’t think, wouldn’t wait. The only thing he knew was that Kristalyn was in danger as long as she was near this killer. And Tancred would die before he allowed anyone, much less a mercenary from Elangsia, harm his sister.
Dropping Chale’s reins, Tancred’s hand shot up and he had wrenched his broadsword out of its sheath almost before he knew what he was doing. Almost simultaneously, the assassin’s sword was out as well, its familiar steel blade glinting in the sunlight. Tancred took three strides forward when Kristalyn moved quickly to stand in front of the assassin.
“Tancred, wait!” Kristalyn commanded, her voice calm but forceful.
Before he could decide how to respond, a footfall was heard on the path behind him. Without turning, Tancred knew that Zoe had rounded the bend.
What he hadn’t expected was what she said when she came into view. “Aiden!”
Aiden.
Aiden?
Aiden was Zoe’s brother. Zoe’s oldest brother. The one who had given her Brac. The one she longed to see the most. But…this man, this assassin—he was Aiden? The man who had been sent to kill Tancred in Ruma? This was Zoe’s brother?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zoe struggled to take in everything before her. She had recognized Aiden the second she rounded the bend, but immediately after the first rush of joy she had abruptly seen that something had gone very wrong. Tancred was not looking at her; his gaze was trained instead on Aiden and the person who stood halfway in front of him—a golden-haired young woman who seemed strangely familiar though Zoe hardly spared her a glance. But more than that, Tancred’s broadsword was out and his body was tense as it was only just before he engaged in battle. Aiden stood in a stance that matched Tancred’s exactly, down to the drawn weapon.
But what was the most shocking was the hostility that shone from Aiden’s eyes as his gaze transferred from Zoe back to Tancred. Confusion racked Zoe, spinning her thoughts as though they were an eddy in a river. What was the matter with Aiden—or Tancred for that matter? Why did they look like they were ready to charge at each other and begin hacking away until one of them was the victor? There was no time for her to demand answers from either of them, though Tancred’s name was forming on her lips, for at that moment Aiden reached out, shoved the golden-haired girl out of his way, and stepped forward, his intentions clear by his antagonistic demeanor.
Tancred, never one to back away from a fight, began to advance too. Zoe didn’t understand what was happening, but she knew she had no time; she simply had to act. Dropping Brac’s reins to the ground, she sprinted forward, drawing her sword as she went. Darting in front of Tancred, her chin lifted defiantly, she threw herself between the two men and brandished her sword. Aiden was being unreasonable, and she would not let him hurt Tancred if it meant she had to fight her big brother herself.
Aiden’s shock at her bold move was impossible to miss. Zoe struggled to know what to say, what to do at this point. Nothing came to mind, so she just stayed where she was: her sword remaining upright, a tangible barrier between Aiden and Tancred.
A slight movement to Zoe’s right was picked out by her peripheral vision and caught her attention, though her gaze remained trained on Aiden. It was soon followed by an unfamiliar feminine voice.
“They won’t move, Zoe. You’ve stopped them for now.” A pause followed, and Zoe struggled to concentrate on the meaning of the woman’s words. “My name is Kristalyn. I realize you don’t know me, but I know quite a lot about you. The man you are with is my brother, Tray.”
Zoe lowered her sword a fraction, and turned her head slightly so that her eyes met the calm green gaze of the young woman who was with Aiden. Kristalyn. This was Kristalyn; the one Zoe had wanted to meet. Tancred’s beloved little sister.
“Why do you call him Tray?” The inane question was out before Zoe could stop it.
Kristalyn only laughed. “It’s my childhood nickname for him. When we were young, his name was just too hard to say.”
Just then Aiden’s sword sank and he stepped forward, coming to a stop just beside Kristalyn. At the same time Tancred moved up to Zoe’s side. But this time Aiden’s gaze was not on Tancred; it was completely focused on Zoe.
“Zoe? Kristalyn?” Aiden’s voice was quiet and unsure. His eyes burned into Zoe’s as he repeated in a near whisper, “Zoe?”
Zoe’s sword blade dropped all the way this time and she stepped toward Aiden, compassion rising. Reaching out her left hand, she rested it lightly on his shoulder. She might not understand everything that was going on, but the fact remained that this was Aiden, and she had long desired to see him. The circumstances weren’t ideal, but still…. Forcing reassurance into her voice she said, “I’m here, Aiden.”
Tancred’s fingers dug into Zoe’s shoulder and he pulled her away from Aiden in a none-to-gentle way, simultaneously stepping in front of her she that she was mostly behind him. “Stay away from her, Assassin,” he said, his words ringing out in a cold, hard manner Zoe had rarely heard from him.
She twisted out from beneath Tancred’s hand and stared at him, confused and touched with anger. “Assassin? What are you talking about, Tancred? This is my brother.”
“How dare you tell her of that!” Aiden sounded completely enraged, which drew Zoe’s attention back to him. Aiden glared at Tancred, fairly glowing with fury. “You’re trying to turn her against me,” he accused Tancred. “What else have you done to her?”
Before Tancred or Zoe could respond, Kristalyn broke in, her voice softer than before. “It is her.”
Zoe turned toward Kristalyn, as did Aiden and Tancred. Utter confusion blanketing Zoe’s mind, dulling her thoughts just when she needed them to be sharp. What was going on?! Deus, help me!
“You are the girl from Ruma,” Kristalyn stated, clearly addressing Zoe.
“Ruma? When were you ever in Ruma?” demanded Tancred of his sister, incredulity highlighted by his words.
“I was trying to save your life, Tray, but Aiden decided to spare it anyway,” said Kristalyn.
Zoe’s head spun. “Wait—what?” she demanded, completely lost.
Ruma? Kristalyn had been in Ruma? More importantly, Aiden had been in Ruma. Had she been so close to her big brother and oblivious to his presence? Zoe might have been upset about that fact had not Kristalyn’s last words been so odd. What did she mean about Aiden decided to spare Tancred’s life? What am I missing? She was about to ask Kristalyn just that when Tancred’s sister began a much-needed explanation.
“Aiden was sent to kill the Hunter. I found out and went after him. We landed in Ruma where we watched Tray and a mystery girl who must have been you, Zoe.”
Zoe was still stuck on “Aiden was sent to kill the Hunter” so she just nodded mindlessly to confirm that she was in fact the girl Kris had seen.
Kristalyn continued: “Anyway, Aiden made more than one attempt on Tray’s life; however, I was able to stop him. Until Aiden himself saw what he had missed before.” Kristalyn stopped for a moment and looked Tancred. “Tray, you and Aiden are a lot alike, and you both know it. It is the reason Aiden spared your life when he could have killed you.” Zoe was so intent on listened to Kristalyn that she almost missed the glance that passed between Tancred and Aiden. “But what you don’t know is that Aiden is the one who helped me to stop the Wild Men. Without him, they would have entered the battle, and we would have lost.”
“The battle,” Zoe murmured, trying to assimilate all the information Kristalyn was presenting. She looked at Aiden, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I saw you there, or at least I thought I did.”
Aiden glared over at Tancred and challenged, “You let her join the battle?”
“I’d have liked to see you stop her,” Tancred replied immediately, his tone still touched with anger, but not as much as before.
Aiden didn’t say anything for a moment, but finally he glanced at Zoe and said, “Still my Firebrand, I see.” He glared back at Tancred and added firmly, “But that gives you no right to endanger her.”
“I chose to go to battle, Aiden,” Zoe said decisively. She paused and then added in a quieter voice, “I’m not just your Firebrand anymore. I’ve grown up. I made my own choice.”
Shock at her declaration shot across Aiden’s features. And with good reason. Three years ago Zoe would have never said something like that. Aiden was her first allegiance back then, the one she would have always rallied behind. Now, it was crystal clear to Aiden that Tancred held that position.
“Aiden.” Kristalyn’s voice was soft and drew Aiden’s once-more shocked gaze from Zoe’s face. Zoe watched as something was communicated between the two of them, something Zoe couldn’t decipher.
Aiden finally looked back at Zoe and said very quietly, “Very well, Zoe, you’ve made your choice as only you can.”
“Belittling her choices won’t bring her back to depending on you again,” inserted Tancred, almost warningly. Zoe inwardly groaned. She knew Aiden had not been putting her down, though she also understood how Tancred might see Aiden’s words as disparagement.
“I would never belittle my sister,” Aiden replied hotly. “Can you say the same?”
“Aiden! Tancred!” Zoe said sharply, stepping forward so that she was again positioned at Tancred’s side but facing Aiden directly. “That’s enough from both of you. First of all, Tancred, Aiden would never belittle me. Second of all, you have to calm down, Aiden. Tancred is not replacing you. You are still, and always will be, my big brother.”
At that moment, the sound of clear laughter rang out in the air, sounding completely foreign after the heated emotions that still hung in the air. Zoe looked over at Kristylan in disbelief. Was she mocking them?
“You should listen to yourselves,” she said. “Face it; neither one of you has to like this, but you’re both going to accept it. Tray, I’m in love with Aiden. And Aiden, unless I miss my guess, Zoe is in love with Tancred.”
“You’re in love with him?” demanded Tancred. “Kris, he tried to kill me in Ruma!”
“Yes, but then he saved your life and mine. Besides, we’ve covered this already. Aiden is a good man, Tray. If you’d give him a chance and stop being so stubborn, you’d know that.”
Zoe glanced from Kris to Tancred to Aiden…and then back to Kristalyn. “You’re in love with Aiden?” she asked bluntly.
“I am,” Kris replied firmly. “And I’m going to be living here from now on.”
Zoe blinked at the assurance in Kristalyn’s words. Tancred didn’t take it so calmly. “Living here from now on?” he repeated, quiet but incredulous. “You’re just leaving your life, your friends, and your family without a glance back? Were you planning on ever telling me this, Kristalyn? Or were you just going to disappear without a trace or a simple goodbye?”
Sorrow passed over Kristalyn’s face. “Is that what you think of me now, Tray? That I would tell you nothing and never return? I’ve hated being away from you for so long. But, just as Zoe is now your first alliegiance, so is Aiden mine. And though I would hope to return home often, his place is here and mine at his side. Surely now you can understand that.” Gently Kristalyn tipped her head toward Zoe, making her point impossible to miss.
She spoke the truth, and Zoe knew it. Aiden and Tancred looked less convinced.
Moving slowly but with purpose, Zoe lifted her sword and slid it back into its scabbard on her back. She turned her head to Tancred and said simply, “She’s right.” Clearing her throat, Zoe gently laid her hand on Tancred’s right forearm, which was taut from gripping his sword’s hilt for so long. “My place is beside you, and your sister’s is to be by my brother. And while it will take some getting used to, I know in the end it will be better than any other outcome. Deus’s hand is in this.”
Kristalyn agreed, “This is the best way.” She smiled at Aiden—an expression that revealed even more of her deep, unique beauty—and then turned to include Zoe and Tancred. “We now have two homes that we will live in, and our paths, rather than being split, have been joined.”
Aiden sheathed his sword. “Kristalyn is right. But for this moment, you are at our old home, and it is once again ours. Come on, Zoe, let’s find our siblings and enjoy it all together.”
He raised his right arm in invitation and Zoe stepped forward to give him a side hug that brought back hundreds of childhood memories all at once. Though she relished the security of his arm around her, one worrisome thought still plagued her: what did Tancred think of all this? He still had not said anything.
Drawing back from Aiden, Zoe glanced at Tancred and met his eyes. He stood there: tall, strong, and capable; his sword still unsheathed and face unsmiling. What was he thinking? Would he remain stubborn and unyielding? Please, Tancred, Zoe silently asked him with her gaze.
After another long moment, Tancred lifted his sword and sheathed with a rasp of steel that rang with finality. “Sounds like a plan,” he said at last, a grin breaking through his impassive features as he relaxed. Kristalyn laughed, and then walked forward to be embraced by her brother.
After they pulled apart, Zoe smiled first at Aiden, the one who had freed her to become Firebrand, and then at Tancred, the man who held her heart. “Let’s go home.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zoe struggled up the steep, forested hill that rose a quartermile behind the Romany home. It had been a favorite haunt of hers during her growing up years and she had yet to visit it, though she had been home for close to two weeks now. It had been a marvelous time of sharing, remembering, learning, and reaching out. There were many new faces and names to learn and tales to tell. Some siblings were married; children and animals overran the house and stables; and all nine of the Romanys had been vastly changed by their years away.
The sun was setting and cast its crimson and orange rays across the green boughs of Braedoch. Zoe reached the crest of the hill and stopped, awed to stillness by the sight before her. The hilltop was curiously bare of trees, providing a breathtaking view of the setting sun. The skyline was filled with clouds tinged gold, pink, orange, pale green, and cobalt. The sun itself was a dazzling orb of fire that slowly began sliding out of sight behind the distant Cirthian Mountains. Zoe wrapped her arms around her midsection and watched, her loose hair blowing back as a sweet breeze drifted by.
A twig snapped in the woods behind her, and then grass rustled as Tancred walked up the hill to join her. He stopped beside her and stared at the sunset for a long moment. “Deus’s gift for us tonight,” he stated in a low tone.
“Aye.” Zoe sighed and continued softly, “Sometimes I wish it would never end; that I could preserve nights like this and make them last forever. This beauty is so perfect—and so fleeting.”
Tancred wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she gratefully leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. They stood together companionably for another long silence as the sky changed infinitesimally with each passing moment.
“It’s almost time to return,” Tancred said at length.
Zoe’s arms crept around Tancred and she held unto him as though he were an anchor. “I know,” she whispered, knowing full well Tancred spoke of their pending return to Aerilya. “I’m sure it’s right, and that I will be happy because I will be in the center of Deus’s will. It’s just going to be hard to say goodbye.”
Tancred’s grip tightened. “Believe me, I know.”
“You have to leave Kristalyn,” murmured Zoe, empathizing.
He just nodded.
“We’ll make it through,” she told him, tilting her head up to look at him. “You know we’ll be back to visit her and Aiden, and they’ve already promised to visit us whenever they can. It’s like Kristalyn said—we have two homes now.”
“Aye.” Tancred looked down at her and smiled slightly. He shifted so that she stood in front of him, her arms still wrapped around him. “It is strange how things worked out, isn’t it? You come back here, only to leave once more for Kris’s homeland. Kristalyn leaves Aerilya, just to settle down and live in the same place you were raised.”
Zoe laughed. “I still find it hard to believe,” she admitted. “Deus is incredible.”
“That He is.” Tancred reached a hand up and ran his finger down her cheek. “I’m especially glad He saw fit to give you to me, Zoe Romany.”
Zoe’s lips curved up into a smile. “No, I’m the grateful one. For I, who wanted adventure and purpose, have found both in the Hunter of Mairbrac and the God he professes. There are still hundreds of slaves hidden throughout Elangsia who need to be rescued, bought, purloined, and otherwise snatched from the hands of those who would use dishonorably.” Zoe’s smile grew softer even as her eyes shone with conviction. “And who but the Hunter will do the rescuing, buying, purloining and snatching?”
“I see only one problem with this picture,” Tancred said, resting both his hands on Zoe’s shoulders. “You mention this Hunter as if he were a lone operative. You failed to mention his secret weapon—the fiery lady who fights at his side.”
Zoe laughed. “Ah, you’re right,” she said, tilting her head. “The Hunter and his Lady. I like the sound of that.”
Tancred’s eyes were lit with intensity as he looked down at her. The sun’s last rays burnished their features; the melodic summer wind whispered through the grass atop the hill. Tancred’s head came down; Zoe’s chin came up; and as the sun slipped behind the edge of the mountains, casting purple dusk across the land, the Hunter kissed his Lady.
And the harmony of two hearts joined to one by the hand and purpose of Deus Himself could be heard as it wended its way up into the velvety heavens while night fell over Braedoch Forest.
THE END
