Chapter Seven

  Part Six

  The girls followed Yor’s River north, until they came to the edge of the city itself. The walls of the city of Yor enclosed the entire city, but here there was a round grated circle to let the river through. And not too far away was an old looking carriage. There were no horses nearby, but Line could just make out horse tracks heading towards the Rivers Pass.

  There were fewer stalls here, and barely any people around. So Line wasn’t that bothered as she walked straight into Yor’s River.

  “Umm... Line?” Ali asked after her.

  “It’s alright” the river had a calm flow to it and as it reached her thighs, the coldness started to finally hit her. She let out a gasp but continued walking to those metal grates.

  Arasha knelt down by the riverside, also not wanting to reap the chill of Yor’s River “horse tracks, Ali”

  Ali winced “dammit. I really do need to pay more attention”

  When Line reached the grates, she noticed some of them were loose. She pulled on one slightly, and fully pulled a metal bar out. The bars that was loose would surely be able to fit a horse through.

  “Line, please tell me you're just really strong and that those bars aren’t cut” Ali practically pleaded with her.

  “Ali, I’m sorry to say that I have to disappoint you on that front”

  “No...” Ali moaned.

  Through the Rivers Pass, Line could just make out the faint traces of more horse tracks along the river “The tracks continue northwards”

  Arasha gave a nod, clearly calmer than she was before “and so, we follow”

  “and so, we follow” Line repeated.

  “wait”

  “Yes, Ali?”

  Ali winced “but it’s cold”

  Arasha sighed and walked into the river.

  “But I’m shorter than you both, the river will come up higher for me”

  “Ali, if you wish to stay behind, be my guest. But for now, we’re going to follow the tracks” Line said.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “Wait!”

  “Yes, Ali?”

  “How cold is it really?”

  Arasha sighed and pulled Ali into the river “this cold”

  Ali immediately gasped at the sudden cold that seeped into her clothes “Line! Arasha’s bullying me!”

  “You’ll be fine when we get to the other side” Line answered honestly.

  Ali grumbled to herself as she followed the two others through the grate.

  Now on the other side of Yor’s Wall, they each climbed out of the river onto muddy grass dirt.

  “please tell me that one of you can use runes to dry our clothes?” Ali asked.

  “Ali, we’re monks. We don’t have the capability to use runes” Line responded.

  “I do” Arasha spoke up.

  Ali’s eyes widened “my saviour!”

  “I’m not that good with runes yet, I am still just a monk not a sage. But I can still try”

  “thank you”

  Arasha drew a rune in the air with her middle and index fingers, and when they rune was completed she suddenly reached out and a strong heat began emanating from that point.

  “When did you start learning runes, Arasha?” Line asked.

  “master has been teaching me” she smiled and pulled down her shirt collar to reveal her collar bone, and there was a faint scar that looked like a small rune “I have more. They’re for letting me be able to use runes. I can’t use them without these scars” she pulled her collar back into place “let’s continue”

  Line led the scout, and began tracking the horses that came through here. The followed the river for a good few hours before Yor’s Loch made itself known on the horizon. This Loch was surrounded by a light woods, and a thick mist that hung just above it. And slightly hidden by trees, they saw a very humble looking wooden cabin.

  “do you think that’s it?” Ali asked “I don’t see any horses”

  “But the tracks do head in that direction” Line added.

  “How stealthy are you guys?” Arasha asked.

  “extremely” Ali smiled.

  “wait. Should we not have someone go back and notify the authorities if we think this is the place?” Line asked “we should be careful”

  “There’s no harm having a look first though” Arasha answered “and besides if we do get in trouble, we can just beat any one up”

  Line sighed.

  “Trust me. It’ll be fine” Arasha smiled and went ahead of them.

  “Line, I’ll go back”

  “thank you, Ali”

  “Be careful”

  “I’m always careful”

  Ali raise an eyebrow at that “really?”

  “don’t catch a cold” and before hearing Ali’s response, Line followed after Arasha.

  *

  In the darkness a young woman cowered in the corner of stone cell. The walls felt slightly damp to the touch, and the stone ground was scattered with old dry hay. The air was heavy here, and smelled of an old iron that forever lingered. Outside of the bars of her cell was a long metal operating table, stained a deep red. Heavy looking knives and saws hung on the walls by thick chains.

  There was another cell beside her. But that one stood empty. She didn’t know whether to be thankful that nobody else was down here with her or to be scared that she knew she was next.

  A door creaked open, and the sound of footsteps followed. She couldn’t see them just yet, but she knew that someone was coming down the stairs. Appearing from down a darkened doorway was a candle light. It was bright enough to act like the sun down here, so she couldn’t help but squint against the light.

  A tray was placed by the gap in the bars of her cell. It was feeding time. The figure turned without a word, just like they always did. But before the figure fully left the room, she could’ve sworn she heard a faint laugh from them. That laugh now haunted her.