Eagle's Path

4. Distrust

4. DistrustAiden watched as Arthur and Anca crouched by Petrana, their faces grim. Erin stood at his side, but he refused to look at her. Did she think her apologies and excuses would wipe everything away? Iolair landed on the far side of the clearing and Aiden walked round towards her, turning his back on Erin. Some part of his mind told him it was disrespectful to turn your back on royalty, but he did not care. If she had wanted his respect, she should not have lied to him.

Before Aiden could reach Iolair, the other Eagles landed beside her, sending a gust of wind through the trees. Arthur broke away from Anca and Petrana, moving quickly towards the Eagles. He touched a hand softly to Kael’s beak. “Is everyone here?” he asked, his eyes scanning the group.

Kael’s head dropped. “All, except Arvid and Johann.”

Mathias slid to the ground from Korak’s back, groaning, his arm tucked against his chest in a wad of reddened cloth. Arthur rushed forward and caught him, putting a supportive arm around him.

“Johann was badly injured,” said Mathias. “Arvid got him out, but he was shot down. It was that magic, like in the chains...”

“What happened to you?” said Arthur.

Mathias grimaced. “I might lose my hand.”

Arthur’s head snapped up, and his gaze found Aiden. “Go fetch Astrith,” he said, his voice urgent.

“I...” Aiden stuttered. “Where—”

“I’ll get her,” said Erin. And before anyone could stop her, she dashed away.

For a second Aiden wondered if he should follow her, but Arthur’s attention was already elsewhere. The Captain helped Mathias to the base of a tree and lowered him to the ground, letting him lean back against the trunk.

“How close are the Brathadair?” said Arthur, turning to Iolair.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But they couldn’t follow us from the cliffs.”

“But the road?” said Arthur. “How soon do we need to get out of here?”

“I don’t know,” said Iolair, dropping her head.

“I need you to find out,” said Arthur. “As quickly as possible.”

Iolair gave a slight bow. Her gaze flicked to Aiden. “Are you coming?”

Aiden took a step towards her—

“No,” said Arthur.

Aiden stopped, puzzled by the sharpness of the command.

“I need Aiden to stay here,” said Arthur. The sharpness in his voice had disappeared, but not all the wariness.

Aiden nodded slowly and gave Iolair a sad smile. “Be careful,” he whispered, giving her a final pat on the wing. She nudged him gently, then spread her wings and lifted into the sky. Aiden watched her go, longing tugging him after her. He tried to tell himself that Arthur would have his reasons. Yet he could not shake the feeling that Arthur’s reasons were simply a lack of trust. Did he think Aiden was Brathadair too?

The breathless figures of Erin and Astrith burst into the clearing. Arthur met them, leading Astrith to Petrana’s side.

A hand caught Aiden’s arm from behind. “Aiden, you have to help,” said Anca, dragging him over to where Petrana lay crumpled on the ground. Astrith was already there, running her fingers over the Eagle’s broken wings.

“Wait a minute,” said Aiden, digging in his heels. “I am not a healer. I don’t know how.”

“No,” Astrith agreed, pulling him down next to her. “But right now you are the only one of us in full strength. The only one who can reliably use the runes.” The Rider looked him in the eye, and Aiden quailed at the desperation he saw there. The Eagle Riders were supposed to be the strong ones, not him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll talk you through it,” said Astrith.

Aiden crouched down next to Petrana, grimacing as the Eagle let out another keening whine. Her chest rose and fell with quick, shallow breaths, but the rest of her body was tense, like she was trying to keep as still as possible. Astrith instructed Aiden to draw Beith, the healer, and direct it first to Petrana’s head and then to various points along her wings and chest. Aiden relaxed a little after the first rune. Beith came easily to his fingers and Astrith gave him very specific instructions, not only on the placement of the runes but also on what to think as he drew them. Sometimes Astrith drew alongside him, and he sensed the Rider pushing some of her own will into the marks.

Eventually Petrana’s breathing slowed and her wings relaxed from their crooked positions. Astrith touched Aiden on the shoulder. “That is all we can do for now,” said the Rider. She smiled, though it was a weary smile. “You did well.”

They went to Mathias next. The Rider opened his eyes at their arrival but did not lift his head from where it rested against the tree trunk. Astrith peeled back the wad of cloth around his arm and Aiden baulked at the sight of the wound that had cut straight through skin and bone.

“Cut if off if you have to,” said Mathias quietly.

“We’re not at that stage yet,” said Astrith. “But this is going to hurt.” Mathias nodded, clenching his jaw.

Astrith instructed Aiden to draw Beith, the healer, Ur, the renewer, and, to his surprise, Teine, fire.

“Are you sure?” said Aiden.

Astrith nodded. “That’s why I said it was going to hurt.”

“Get on with it,” said Mathias gruffly.

Astrith and Aiden drew the runes together, Astrith guiding them onto Mathias’ arm. Aiden thought he could hear Mathias’ teeth grinding. After a few seconds, Astrith quickly wrapped a clean bandage around the other Rider’s wrist.

Movement flashed in the corner of Aiden’s eye. He turned to see Iolair swooping into the clearing.

“What news?” said Arthur.

“The Brathadair are massing in the courtyard,” said Iolair. “I think they mean to follow us.”

Catanta kii-ed in agreement.“We have to assume they mean to re-capture us.” “Or worse,” said Kael. “They don’t need us alive anymore.”

Arthur drew himself up to full height. “We leave now. Someone fetch Leif and Halvard. We pack what we can and go. Now.”

“What about Petrana?” said Anca. “I don’t think she can travel far.”

“She’ll have to manage somehow,” said Arthur.

“If there’s rope and blankets and harness enough, we can make a litter,” said Astrith. “The horses can pull it, though it won’t be comfortable.”

“It will have to do,” said Arthur. “Let’s get to it.”

There was a rush of activity as the Riders set to work. Some ran back to the camp where Leif and Halvard awaited with the horses. Anca remained with Petrana, refusing to leave her Eagle’s side. Astrith, Sigurd, and Svana rapidly cut some nearby saplings to create a frame for a stretcher. Aiden brought all the blankets and rope he could find and they cobbled together a litter.

Aiden saw Iolair disappear into the sky again. He could only assume she was keeping watch. The rest of the group gathered, and they harnessed the horses together to bear the strain of the litter. It took six Riders, with help from Aiden and Erin, to manoeuvre Petrana from her position on the ground to lie on top of the stretcher, but at last she was ready to move.

Iolair swooped down to join them.

“Brathadair hunters have started marching out from Cairn Ban,” she said breathlessly.

“Then it’s time to move,” said Arthur.

“Wait,” said Aiden. “What about Falkor?”

Arthur gave a grim look. “Falkor stayed behind to fight Dageny. He wouldn’t want us to wait for him.”

“But what if he needs our help?” said Erin.

“He stayed so we could escape. If any of us went back in there, it would only risk everything he’s fighting for,” said Arthur. His voice was firm, but Aiden could see a furrow between the Captain’s eyes. How could he do that? Put duty before the life of his comrade, his friend?

“What of Johann and Arvid?” said Svana quietly.

Sigurd put an arm around her shoulders. All the Eagle Riders fell silent.

“There is nothing we can do for them. Though it feels wrong to leave them here...” Arthur swallowed. “We cannot take them with us.”

“They will not be forgotten,” said Leif. “But they would not want us to risk our lives in search of their bodies.”

Arthur took the lead rope of the horses and gave it a sharp tug. The group started moving, painfully slowly at first, but gradually getting faster. The Eagle Riders kept close together, surrounding Erin in their midst. The Eagles took wearily to the sky, those that could scattering in different directions, hoping to make their trail harder to follow. Most though, flew close above the treetops, their tattered wings only just enough to keep them aloft.

Aiden kept to the rear of the group, glancing over his shoulder often. At every step he expected to see the shadows of their pursuers, but the woods remained eerily empty. For now, the Brathadair did not know where they were, but it would not last long. As soon as their camp was found, it would be an easy trail to follow.

Arthur set a punishing pace through the rest of the day. A dull, unshakeable ache began forming in Aiden’s limbs and only grew worse the further they walked. He could not imagine what deep reserves of strength were keeping the Eagle Riders moving.

The group journeyed until dusk, the trees thinning to allow glimpses of the deep blue sky above. At last Arthur held up a hand, signalling a halt. The Eagles came in to land a few moments later.

“We’ll rest here for a little while before all our cover is gone,” said Arthur.

Aiden looked around. They were almost at the edge of the forest, the open expanse of moorland visible through the trees ahead.

“What about the Brathadair?” said Maire. “Is it safe enough to stop?”

“Even if it’s not, we don’t have much choice,” said Leif. “We are all too tired.” “Iolair, will you take one last scout for us?” said Arthur.

Iolair bowed to the Captain, and then tilted her head towards Aiden. “Do you want to come with me?”

Despite his weariness, Aiden stepped quickly to her side, biting the inside of his cheek to hide the grin spreading across his face.

“No,” said Arthur. “It would be better if Aiden stayed here. I want all the fighters close at hand should anything happen.”

Aiden nodded, giving Iolair a longing glance before stepping away. Iolair’s head turned slowly, and she fixed Arthur in an unblinking stare before taking off silently into the night sky.

“We need to keep the Princess safe,” said Arthur to Aiden, as if justifying his orders. Something about it struck Aiden as odd. Why would the Captain feel the need to justify himself to a lowly Feather Guard? Unless that was not the real reason for stopping Aiden from flying again with Iolair. It was not the first time Arthur had stopped them.

He doesn’t trust me, thought Aiden. None of them do.