Binarius by Kendra McMahan Page B

might find. It
was odd. Firinne hated this place and what it stood for just as
much as Etheldra did, but she could not condone being unfaithful to
the person she was promised to.
    On the other hand, Etheldra was
trapped by the Aldithenih, and the mere suggestion of leaving
Bricius was putting a threat to her own life. So while Firinne was
revolted at the thought of Etheldra’s suggested adultery, she also
admired her for it. Perhaps sometimes — in this new society that is
slowly being dominated by men — the only power a woman truly had
was her sexual identity. Her sexual identity both enslaved her, and
liberated her.

 
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER
THIRTEEN
    Quiver
     
    It was
still dark as they gathered all of their possessions, and walked
out of the side doors of the castle. Because of how the castle
grounds were built, they had no choice but to risk walking through
the town. Once they had Mabon, they tried to stick to the back
roads of the town. Everything was quiet. Every step they took
seemed louder than it was. They were both on edge. Etheldra was
risking her life, and because Firinne was with her, Firinne could
be condemned to the same fate if they were both caught.
    The gates of the town were always
left open, to welcome traders, and they were guarded by one person.
As it happened, the guard had fallen asleep on duty. Etheldra was
quick to remark how lucky they had been that he was sleeping
because she was fully intent on sneaking up behind him and slitting
his throat. She was acting a bit like she was a little kid sneaking
away from home; running away in the middle of the night, but there
was a sadistic twist behind it that Firinne wasn’t sure
of.
    They made it to the lowest part of
the valley. From here, even if they were spotted, no one would
recognize them from that distance.
    “ Are you sure you want to do
this?” asked Firinne.
    “ Yes, I’m quite sure. I will head
east from here to the coast. There are small towns littered about
in that direction. I’m sure I’ll find somewhere.”
    “ Okay. Well, I wish that you have
a safe journey. It was nice getting to know you a bit. If the
circumstances were different…well...” Firinne shrugged.
    “ I’m quite fond of you as well.
Thanks for inspiring me. Take care of yourself. I hope you can save
Citrine, and of course, your mother.” She squeezed Firinne’s
arm.
    Firinne watched Etheldra until she
looked like a smudge of shadow on the horizon; a mistake in an
artists painting. Together, she and Mabon headed for the
forest.
     
     
     
    The woods were dense with fog, and
the sun was beginning to rise. Even in the cool air, Firinne could
feel the warmth of it on her skin. She was happy to be free of that
prison. She belonged in the woods with nature. It greeted her as a
friend; never judging her, and perhaps that made the woods a better
friend.
    She wondered what would happen once
Bricius had realized that he had lost his woman? Would he send
guards after her? Firinne hoped he wouldn’t. Etheldra was not
perfect, but her life had been riddled with strife. She deserved to
be happy. Maybe once Etheldra was free of Bricius, she could
finally start healing some of her broken parts. The thought crossed
her that someone could be your rescuer, and also your prison.
Bricius was not evil, but he laid claim to a treasure that was not
his to own, thereby adding to the cracks of time…Etheldra’s cracks.
In turn, Etheldra also used him as her escape, without reflecting
on possible repercussions.
    They were already almost a quarter
of the way through the forest. If they hurried, they could make it
to The Forgotten Meadow in the late afternoon. From there, they
could camp until morning. The next day, getting to the river would
take no time at all. This was the easy part, it was what lay before
the mountains, and the mountains themselves, that made Firinne
uneasy.
    The forest was coming alive with
summer. Everywhere she looked, there were new buds of growth.