We traveled through the cave in silence. Judging by the furtive looks Zeph sent my way, he must have heard me ask Tallis to be my tutor and knew Tallis did not plan to come back with me. He sensed the lie and must have confronted Tallis about it when we were separated.

Tallis had opportunity to tell me the truth! And now he planned to just slip away and not even say goodbye? I had planned to continue our journey this way, in a bitter silence, but the turbulent anger rose consuming me. My steps slowed as we saw the daylight beckon at the end of the tunnel.

"Finally. Thought that cave would never end," Tallis said, snuffing out the torch.

I spun on my heel to face him and tried to keep my voice even. "Thank you for coming with me this far. You're free to go now."

"Excuse me?"

"You want to go, don't you? You got what you want. You're free now so go." I stomped away. He ran out in front of me, and I tried to circle around him but he grabbed my arm pulling me back.

"What are you talking about?"

Shoving his hand off me, I shot back, "We both know you're so smart. So don't play dumb now. I heard you. You don't really care. You used me! Don't even try to deny it!"

He sighed covering his face with his hand. "I don't want you going alone. Remember what we talked about."

"I'm not going alone. I am going with Zeph. As for you, I don't wish to see your face ever again. Now leave!"

"Sienna--"

"You can address me as Princess or Your Highness now. Thank you."

"That's fine. But let's talk about this. I can't just leave you---"

"Yes, you can. You will leave right now because I am ordering you to."

Silence. His eyes took on the fever of a storm. He gave a curt bow, his words cold as ice. "As you wish, Your Highness. You want me to leave? Very well. I don't care."

"I don't care either," I muttered. He walked off into the woods and I stood planted to the ground watching him leave and feeling the sting of tears.

"Point the way to the menhir, Zeph! It's time to save your people," I said, wiping those traitorous tears from my cheeks with the back of my dirty hands.

~~♡~~

I slapped the back of my neck where a blood thief had bit me. My new annoyance with this adventure was the never-ending swarm of bugs that thought I looked like a delicious buffet.

Zeph kept looking at me and finally gathered up the courage to speak. "I am sorry you had to find out Grey's intentions that way. Are you alright?"

"Never better," I said though my words were cut short. I swatted at another bug hitting myself on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I am sure he will be fine---"

"I don't care. And I do not wish to talk about him. Can't you cast a spell to send all these winged pests away?" We have been walking since leaving the cave. Zeph is saving his magical energy for the menhir. But surely a little repellent spell wouldn't be too much.

"No, I can't. That would require a banishing spell." He swatted at a few. "We gnomes can only channel a particular set of Aislei's power."

"Sets?"

"Spacial magic like teleportation, for example. Most creatures are bound to one or two complementary sets of magic. Here, let's take a break here and you can cover your exposed skin with mud," he said as we stopped by a large mud pool. He went on to smear the muck on himself.

"I see..." I did the same and the cool mud did help with some of the itching I had to admit. "Nazam can do all sorts of magic though..."

"Yes... the rėgrup tėloiv is a special case. He has unlocked many channels."

"Wow... I didn't realize how powerful Nazam is."

"Powerful and dangerous. No doubt he went through nefarious means to obtain so much power," Zeph said so with disgust.

"Would you like some bread? I have a little left." I held it out.

He hesitated looking unsure and some other emotion crossed his face. "That is the last of your rations."

"And I am happy to share it with a friend." A tinge of sadness accompanied the thought of Tallis Grey. I shoved it down, determined to just not spare any thoughts or feelings for him anymore. I was not sure if it was a mature choice, but I did not care.

"Friend? Me?"

"Yes, I seem to be low on them... I am sorry for snapping at you a bit ago."

"You are hurt. You feel betrayed. You are a kind person so it will happen to you often, I'm afraid..." he said sadly, refusing the bread. "You really ought to start thinking more about yourself..."

"What do you mean?"

"Grey used your kindness and naivety against you. One would think you would learn your lesson about whom you call a friend."

"Well... It is said and done. I don't wish to talk about it. And yes, I am hurt but I do not want one bad experience to make me so jaded. You don't have to be my friend, but I will be yours. Sometimes friendship is giving and expecting nothing in return." I chewed on my piece of bread thoughtfully. "Can you tell me how Nazam got that power and why you're so afraid of him?"

"Aye, the answer is one and the same. The Blood Faith demands sacrifice of its most loyal followers. Nazam's power came from the blood of almost every creature that feeds from Aislei. Including the blood of my kind."

"That is... terrible... surely my father doesn't know." I did not like how I could hear the doubt in my own voice... I hurried to pursue the conversation to not allow myself time to question what I believed of my father and his friendship with the sorcerer. "You know about the Blood Faith?"

He scoffed but didn't answer.

"Will you please tell me about it?"

"What is there to tell? You're the princess. In some regions of your land, they still practice it."

"Yes... but from what I understand, the practice of sacrificing is now forbidden. Correct?"

"Aye, yes, but making something illegal doesn't mean it can't be done. Just means it's done quietly." At the look of panic in my eyes, he added, "But the practice has most certainly declined since Queen Charna."

"Queen Charna. You know about her, too?"

"Don't tell me you don't..."

"People at the castle seem reluctant to talk about her. Father doesn't even have her portrait up."

"Queen Charna was a force to be reckoned with before the time of the rėgrup tėloiv. A priestess of the Mother, she practiced blood magic. A painful magic. She didn't just sacrifice for her magic, she tortured. Her shadows fed on fear."

"What... happened to her..."

"I do not have firsthand knowledge of events that happened in your court. All I know is, soon after returning from the Ogre's War and claiming the throne after your grandfather's death... your father sentenced his queen-wife to death."

The piece of bread stuck in my throat. Was she really that evil? And even if she was, was it right for my father to kill her? She was not only his wife but mother of his children.... Saffron was only a baby. Did my oldest sisters know? I remembered Ruby's unusual coldness and Carmine's dismissal of the duchess. Yes, they knew, and they didn't want to talk about her.

~~♡~~

"This is it, isn't it?" I asked when we approached a hill. The large stones were placed in an intricate pattern in the clearing. Strings connected the stones zigzagging to and fro. Tattered strips of different colored cloths were tied to the strings as was an assortment of acorns and rocks that banged together in the wind. Candlesticks were half melted onto some stones. Tall stalks stuck out of the ground with holes punctured throughout. Wind would travel through the holes creating a ethereal sound.

Visually, it was easy to tell it was a sacred place, but I could also feel it, too. It was like a pull. The energy of the forest was drawn here in a spiral. When I described it to Zeph, he appeared surprised.

"You really are in tune with the Heart of Aislei," he murmured.

"Well, you did say I had a deep connection."

"Right... I did."

"Are you excited to go home, Zeph? Do you need to rest or do you have enough magic to use the menhir?"

"Yes, we should go now.... now before my resolve weakens."

We stood in the center and Zeph began chanting the words. The opening of the hidden cave was quite uneventful, but the menhir was anything but. The whistling of the stalks grew louder as the wind picked up. It started sounding like screams. Ancient markings on the stones began to glow. Suddenly, everything was spinning. I was not sure if it was me spinning or the stones or the land itself.

If I thought teleporting with Zeph before made me sick, I had no idea. One minute I was standing and the next minute everything was black.

~~♡~~

Spots of light danced in my vision when I came to. My head hurt as I forced my eyes open to the sensation of time having passed me by. Did I faint?

The first thing I noted was the soft ground my cheek was pressed against. I never knew the earth could feel so soft and cool. I was not in the open. Sunlight tried to break through the cracks in the foundation of the stone hut that sheltered me. The next thing I noted was the rough rope that clasped my wrists and ankles together. The rope that captured my wrists lead to a sturdy wooden post.

I pulled myself up.

What is happening?

Before I could make sense of anything in my head, the covering that served as a door was drawn back. A large figure had to crouch down to enter the structure. Then the silhouette straightened up as much as it could, still needing to tuck in his head. The creature was in one word, terrifying. The dusky skin was taut over massive bulges of muscle. Deep grooves of scars marred his skin. His neck was as thick as his head, which possessed a few oily strands of dark hair. His big, misshaped ears were asymmetrical. One arm was considerably thinner than the other. It curled up to his chest unmoving. He wore shabby armor and no shoes. I stared at his yellow-stained teeth with over biting tusks.

An ogre. Oh no... where is Zeph?

"H-Hi..." I stammered then yelped when the deformed ogre suddenly lurched at me. He grabbed my foot. My bondage did not allow me to kick him. He was muttering in a foreign language as he cut the ropes on the ankles then shoved my legs away. I breathed a calming breath, feeling hopeful I held out my wrists and asked, "Thank you... um, do you know where my companion is, the gnome?"

The ogre merely grunted ignoring me then pulled the thick wooden post out of the ground like it was a mere toothpick. He yanked on the rope. And when I didn't do what he wanted, he yanked it harder. The rope bit fiercely into my flesh as it pulled me up to my feet. Then the grunting ogre quickly exited the shelter dragging me along after.

Distraught, I found myself to be a captive in an ogre encampment. They were all around and it seems the giant in front of me was actually a runt. They came in variations of gray and beige tones. And though there were other distinguishing features to separate one from another, they were all giants with rippling muscles and clad in armor...

I almost had to run to keep up with Runt's strides, not wanting the rope to cut into my raw skin. My eyes wandered freely to find where they may be keeping the gnome.

If he were still alive.... Ogres had great appetites. I shook away those thoughts. How was I going to get out of this? How did I even get myself in this mess? Last thing I remember was traveling through the menhir.

That is when I caught sight of an ancient-looking stone bridge we passed under. I swiveled my head around and confirmed my suspicions. Beyond the tents and makeshift weapon racks, all the small shelters, the more permanent structures led me to believe this is a gnome's village. Zeph's home. The Clan Beneath the Bridge.

I caught sight of a few gnomes. They were easy to miss since my line of vision was drawn to the bigger occupants. They scurried around trying not to get in the ogres' way.

They have been invaded...

My steps had slowed and the sudden sharp yank of the rope sent me down to the ground. Runt growled angrily. He pulled and pulled, but I could not get my feet back on the ground due to his impatience. I ended up being dragged roughly, which made him even more angry.

"Stop it! I'm trying!" I yelled.

A whip lashed at the ground next to me. The whip was not long and narrow nor did it consist of multiple tails. It was a broad strap with spikes. I glanced back at the ogre who wielded it. He was already bending at the knees, his face in mine. Afraid I would pass out from the stench, I struggled to take gulps of air. His wide set beady eyes were narrowed. He had a huge prominent jaw that made his ears look relatively small and an upturned smashed nose, that was probably broken a few times. I nicknamed him Jaw.

He roared in my face. I closed my mouth and eyes to the onslaught of spit then scrambled away backwards. He lashed the spiked whip at me again. I rolled and dodged, but it nicked my arm. I yelled in pain and the monsters whooped, grunted, and hollered around me. The rope yanked again, and I managed to get to my feet using all my leg muscles to not go tumbling forward.

As we continued through the village, more ogres joined the procession going towards the unknown destination. Jaw kept behind me ready to use the whip if I should fall again... I glanced down at my wound. The whip had torn my sleeve. The layers of white lace --already brown and tattered--- were now stained with my blood.

Surprisingly, I felt a calmness come over me. I was going to die. My eyes watered and my hands began shaking.

What else could I do except die?

I am a princess... I could be rescued like those damsels in Cerise's stories.

No, I shouldn't have faith in such. After all, no one knew where I had gone. I do not even know how far the menhir transported us. The only one who knew at least which direction we headed was Tallis.... and he was getting as far away from the castle as he could.

The crowd broke to reveal a wide granite dais. Upon it was a large chair that featured many skulls piled upon one another. A behemoth of an ogre sat there. If gambling were something I could do, I'd wager that is their leader. What do ogres have? War Chief. Not just a Chief, War Chief because ogres were constantly at war with someone. They reveled in violence; I remember my father telling us one night amid a bedtime story.

The War Chief had shoulder length black hair that was shaved down on one side of his head. He wore no shirt, just a row of round black coals hung around his neck and spiked armbands. His bulky hand rested on the pommel of a broadsword that was as big as him.

He stood after Runt had hammered the post back down into the ground in front of the dais. I was beginning to feel like a sacrificial goat. And I prayed to the Divinities that my imagination was just getting the best of me. Chief studied me silently. All the ogres followed his lead, falling into a nerve-wrecking silence. My legs shook and that's when I remembered the dagger. I could feel it, though it was not as secure as I would like from me being tossed about like a doll. Its hilt was still caught on my garter. Perhaps I could use it to cut these ropes off when I am alone again...

"Gnirb em eht gnome!" Chief suddenly hollered making me jump.

A rustling in the crowd then a gnome was shoved out in front of the chief. It was Zeph.

I blew out my relief to see he was still alive. Chief pointed his meaty finger at me and asked him something in his garbled tongue. He didn't seem pleased. Zeph had his hat twisted in his grip like he did when he asked me for help. He spoke to the Chief in an unsteady voice, assuring him of something. They conversed back and forth. I could not understand what they were saying but they were obviously talking about me. I didn't understand what was going on which did not help my nerves at all.

"Zeph... what is he saying?" I whispered to him.

I was immediately shoved down to the ground and Jaw held the whip high. He was shouting at me at the same time Zeph was pleading with the Chief. The Chief narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Zeph continued to beg. The whip lashed down and hit my leg. I was too focused on Zeph and the Chief to try to avoid the direct hit. It punctured into the side of my left thigh just about my knee. I screamed as the pain radiated down to my foot.

Jaw reared it back again still shouting. Tears blinded my vision, but I tried to wiggle away from the incoming hit. I barely registered the Chief yelling now. He caught Jaw's arm preventing the next strike.

Jaw huffed then grunted submissively. The pain was too much.... I fought my body, trying not to pass out again. I cannot afford to. Not again. Who knows what I will wake up to next...?

Spots danced in my vision and a cold sensation shrouded my brain. The noise and colors of the world blurred together. I felt myself being yanked up again. Somehow, I managed to stay on my feet though my steps were unsteady. Runt or Jaw, I could not be sure, some ogre had a hand squeezing my shoulder and I leaned into it to keep from falling down and keep weight off my injured leg. The bruise that no doubt was forming was worth not getting hit with Jaw's whip again.

Curses... I passed out again.