Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) (16 page)

Chapter 19:

The Way Things
Are

Garen returned just before dark. They’d already set up
camp and gotten the fire going. Aro and Kei collected a good amount of deadfall
from the surrounding forest while Bo watched the roasting rabbit and small bird
Kei caught during the day.

Their food stores were depleted again and the more
game they could find, the better. They’d barely have enough to get Prince home.
No one said anything about what would happen after. For some reason it just
wasn’t a topic anyone wanted to talk about.

Aro tried not to think of it at all. The thought of continuing
on without Prince left a despairing ache inside of her. She’d lost so many
already. Even though he was only going home, he would still be gone.

Garen dropped a very large bird next to Kei. Aro
raised her eyebrows. "Nice catch. We might actually have some meat left
over tonight."

Kei picked the bird up by its long legs and headed
away from camp to get it ready for cooking. Garen trotted after him, he liked
some of the parts they wouldn’t be eating.

The small bird and rabbit had finished so Aro removed
them from the stick over the fire and split each into quarters. Everyone
devoured their share. Aro saved Kei’s portion and collected the bones for
Garen. When they returned she set up the large bird on the spit while they ate.

Everyone sat in silence, almost full, and watched the rest
of their meal cook.

"So, you know this Rhee-En?" Aro looked to
Garen and then to Prince.

All Alphas are known. There are fewer than twenty
packs.

Garen’s answer was good enough, she looked to Prince.

"Alphas are the nobility of the Were," he
explained. "They also, being immortal, usually hold their position for
some time. The alphas are familiar to us."

"He seemed to know who you are."

Prince frowned.

She wondered what excuse for that he would come up. "Don’t
start with your secrets," she warned.

"I have been out of Rivenward before," he
admitted. "We do have some contact with the Were, particularly those close
to us. Rhee-En’s land borders ours."

"So you’ve met him before," she pressed.

"Yes. Though it was some time ago."

"Can we trust him is the question," Bo said.

Garen snorted at the comment.

"Were are honorable. If he has given us
permission to pass through his land then he will not go back on his word."

"Would the Elves know if he did something?"

Prince smiled slightly. "Yes. It is likely they
know I am almost home."

Aro gasped at this unexpected information. "How
would they know?"

He chuckled. "We have a Seer."

"Like the Fey?"

He smiled wryly. "She sees the future, yes. She is
just not very good. Or she was not when I left. She was quite young, a child. Perhaps
her talent and skill have improved."

Kei changed the subject, "Does Rhee-En know about
us?"

Unlikely,
Garen answered.
Unless he catches us mind speaking.

Aro bit her lip. Whether they would get in trouble for
forming a pack remained uncertain. "He won’t read our thoughts?"

"Were are telepathic," Prince answered.

We speak only. We do not read thoughts,
Garen continued.
Or invade minds. It is considered
rude.

Kei chuckled and Prince glared over at him. Bo’s loud
laughter erupted into the quiet night.

She took the moment to turn the conversation. "Garen,
I have to ask you something."

His ears immediately dropped.

"Where do clothes go?"

He stared at her.
Clothes?

She nodded quickly. "When he changed, he had
clothes on! Where do they go?"

Clearly she’d caught him off guard with her question.
It took him some time to reply. The boys finished their laughing, Prince
muttering something under his breath.

We have two forms, and one spirit. We shift our spirit
from one to the other. The one not in use goes…somewhere else. Our bodies do
not actually change.

"Can you take anything?"

There are rules. Clothing and weapons are usually
fine. Sometimes things don’t come back. Never are we to try to shift another
living creature.
He paused.
Are
you not going to ask?

"It doesn’t matter," Kei said softly.

"All of us are a little…different." Aro
smiled. Garen continued to look like a sad puppy so she stood and moved to sit
next to him. She wrapped her arms around his thick, furry neck and gave him a
big hug. "We’re a pack."

Thank you.

He slobbered a lick up the side of her face.

Jerking back with a squeal, she wiped at her cheek. "You
did not just do that!"

Garen butted his head against hers and she hugged him
again.

I would rather tell you, than have you wonder. My story
is not very interesting. Sometimes, the shift magic goes awry. When I was
young, mine did so. I lost the connection to my human body and became trapped
in this one.

"Oh, Garen…"

My pack could not help me, though they tried. Nothing
could be done. They did not cast me out either, however a Were who cannot shift
has little standing in a pack. After a time, I chose to leave and be on my own.

"But you’re with us now," Aro said firmly.

Yes, though most of the time I do not understand you
at all. You are certainly the strangest pack.
He turned his head toward the ravine.
Rhee-En comes.

"Someone needs to turn the bird," Bo said.

Aro cursed and scrambled forward.

When Rhee-En approached their fire his sudden presence
did not surprise them. She thought he looked a little disappointed.

Smiling in welcome, she gestured vaguely around the
fire. "Please join us. Have you eaten?"

He nodded and glanced around the circle before
choosing an open spot between Bo and Prince. "I have, thank you."

She grinned. "It’s not quite ready yet anyway."

He chuckled and she had the sudden thought his voice
would taste wonderful slathered over the roasted bird. Perhaps she was losing
her mind.

"May we start with proper introductions? I am
Rhee-En, alpha of the southernmost pack." He turned to Prince, a smile
playing at his lips. "I believe they call you Prince."

"They do," Prince said sharply.

Rhee-En didn’t press the issue, though clearly he knew
Prince’s real name.

"I am Bo, formerly of the Kingsport Palace Guard."

The Were’s brows drew together. "Kingsport?"

"Across the sea," Kei answered quietly. He
watched the Were carefully, his eyes very faintly glowing yellow.

"A Fey not caught in the fury. I can count on one
hand the number of such I have seen in the last two centuries. Yet, you seem
young and all of them were from before the fall."

Kei didn’t answer, so Aro did before the silence
became too unbearable. "Kei’s parents were free of it, too."

"Who were your parents, young one?"

"Ketheris and Dalsia."

The Were again looked surprised. "I see. I did
not know they had a son."

"You knew my parents?"

"Of course. My land surrounds Furia. Are they
well?"

"Dead."

Rhee-En bowed his head formally. "I am sorry to
hear that."

Kei looked away. Aro reached over and took his hand.

"And you are Aro, also from this…Kingsport?"

"Arowyn Mason, and yes."

"You mentioned a shipwreck before."

"I did. The Frans allied with our enemy the
Gelanians and invaded. Kingsport fell and the Frans took many of my people as
slaves, including all of us. Well, not Garen. The ship wrecked off the coast of
Franua and we escaped."

He turned to Prince. "You have been in the west?"

Aro raised her eyebrows, from her short summary of events
that was what he thought important?

Prince frowned. "Yes."

"How are things there?"

"The humans occupy the whole continent now,
though are mainly gathered in great numbers along the coast and major
waterways. Still, their numbers increase more rapidly than we had thought."

"They breed like mice," the Were muttered,
shaking his head. "Even here, on the limited land we have allowed them,
their numbers increase to the point they cannot feed themselves. In the north
Cier-En is having trouble with them growing bold and trying to push into the
forest. He says there could be war soon."

"This is not good news."

"They must not breach the boundary," Kei
said softly, his eyes glowing brighter.

"Not to worry, there is no possibility of that.
We are quite aware of the danger that would cause."

Aro struggled to follow the conversation. "What
danger?"

Rhee-En raised a hand for her to wait and turned back
to Prince. "That is not the worst of what I wanted to speak to you about."
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "The Vor are rising again."

Prince nodded, his face more serious than she’d ever
seen it. "You had mentioned that. How bad is it?"

"Growing worse each year. At first it was one or
two. Now they are coming down in greater numbers and more often. It is worse
here in the south, but is happening all up the Veil."

Bo interrupted. "What veil?"

"The Death’s Veil. The mountain range."

"Do my people know?"

The Were shook his head. "I do not know. None
have reached the wardwall. We have made sure of that."

"You have not sent word?"

"This happens from time to time, but it is
getting worse these past few months. It is possible another wave is about to
start. As you are heading home, I thought you could take word."

"Of course."

Aro took advantage of the momentary silence. "What
are Vor?"

Rhee-En regarded her solemnly. "The Vor are dark
creatures, monsters of your worst nightmares. We were created to fight them,
humans were not. They would wipe out your cities in a day, and they would feed,
and they would grow stronger."

"You talk like there is so much difference
between us," she snapped.

"There is. You were not meant to be here."

She stared at him in shock. "What…" She
didn’t even know what to say.

"Humans," he clarified. "This world is
a prison for the Vor. We, the Elves and Fey and Were, fought them on our home
world and then were sent here in order to ensure they did not escape. This
world was empty when we came."

"We…we didn’t come from your world?"

"No. Though our makers certainly knew of your
kind, thus the resemblance. Perhaps they even created you on some other world."

Bo laughed out loud. "Don’t mind him, Aro. He is
telling you tales."

Rhee-En growled. "I assure you I am not."

The entire idea, of other worlds, that humans were so
different, was almost more than she could deal with. "How did we get here
then?"

"I imagine the same way we did, through a Rift.
The question we’ve not been able to answer is how that was possible. This world
was supposed to have been blocked off. Your people arrived on the western
continent. It was some time before we even knew they were there. Now, things
are getting out of control."

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Maybe
we were here first."

Rhee-En laughed. "No. You were not here. Our
makers created this world. That is what they do." He glanced at the fire. "Humans
do not understand we are protecting them. You are greedy creatures."

She couldn’t really argue with that. A lot of humans were.
If they weren’t, she’d still be safe at home. She’d still have a home.

"I believe your dinner is burning."

Aro cursed and once again sprang forward to tend to
their scorching dinner.

Rhee-En turned back to Prince. "The humans want
the forests, and think to mine the Veil."

"That would not go well for them."

"No, it would not. Should they push the issue we
will be sore pressed to continue our patrols if we have to fight them. If
another wave of Vor is about to come, we will need the Elves. Out here."

Prince frowned and shook his head. "We guard from
within Rivenward–"

"So you have in the past, yes. Even though our
numbers are growing, we will not have enough warriors."