The Reader - Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

The water was frigid under her toes and Emmeline was beginning to regret her promise to bathe in the creek. 

At its deepest, the creek rose to Emmeline’s chest. But the current wasn’t fast and she was able to scrub the layer of grime that had accumulated over the past few days. She ran her wet fingers through her hair, brushing out the knots. 

When she climbed out of the creek she searched the satchels, picking a fresh tunic and peeling off her soaked garments. 

Her boots were beginning to build callouses on her feet and Emmeline’s new leggings seemed soft on her skin. Her deep purple tunic flowed past her fingertips and it wasn’t exactly practical for forest-going. But it was fine if she were to head into a village. 

Clara was awake when Emmeline returned, the smaller girl smiling at her. Emmeline had missed all of them in her short duration at the Slaver’s Mansion. 

Newt was discussing the risks of Sky Plateau when she walked into the clearing. 

“... the harvest is good, so they should have plenty of food. And we can ride the horses up the sides that were carved out for passages, so we’ll be able to bring them along.” Newt was stroking the side of Void’s neck. “Besides, worst case we can run again.” 

“Do we want to risk being caught?” Emmeline asked, causing everyone to turn and see her. 

“Last time it was only because of that boy,” Newt argued. “I know it’s a sensitive subject for you, Echo, but we need food. There’s no way we can make it to the Ruins in Layene without it.” 

Emmeline rubbed her arms slowly. “I suppose if there’s no other options. Do we have coins?” 

Forrest held out a small pouch to Emmeline. She took it, surprised by the weight of the bag. Inside was a fair amount of tiny golden coins. “It’s all I have,” Forrest mumbled. “But I forfeited my life when I came on this journey, so you can keep it.” 

Emmeline’s eyes were wide as she peered at Forrest. “Are you sure? I’m sure Newt and I have some gold…” 

“No, we need food.” Forrest took the pouch back from Emmeline and secured it around his belt. “I say we head to the Sky Plateau. Emmeline and two others can take the back roads and simply find their way through where there’s no as many people. The other three of us can make our way down the main roads and purchase some goods. We’ll leave our weapons with Emmeline’s group to not look suspicious and we’ll only take one horse.” 

“Sounds good,” Coral noted. “I’m in.” 

“Me too,” Newt agreed. “We don’t really have a choice.” 

“I’ve always wanted to see an actual village,” Beckett sighed, sending a look at Clara. 

“Of course I’m in!” Clara exclaimed. “I love people.” 

Everyone looked to Emmeline expectantly. She knew she was outvoted - they would go to the Plateau whether she wanted to or not. And Forrest’s plans had permitted her to avoid people. She would have two others with her as well.
“I suppose I have to agree,” Emmeline said, her voice low. “It shouldn’t take too long. But who is coming with me and who is shopping?” 

“Beckett’s wanted by literally every single person in both Kingdoms,” Newt pointed out. 

The younger boy seemed disappointed that he wasn’t going to be walking through the heart of everything, but Emmeline was glad to have some time with him. After all, this whole quest was just to save Beckett. Now, of course, it involved saving everyone, but it had started with Beckett. 

“I want to go with Beckett and Emmeline,” Clara volunteered, sparking odd looks form the others. 

“Seriously? What happened to ‘I love people’?” Coral raised an eyebrow. 

Clara blushed. “First of all, you guys would’ve sent me with Emmeline and Beckett anyways. I’m too young to be travelling, especially without parents. And my looks aren’t exactly common, so it’ll be harder for me to blend in.” She gestured to her fiery red hair. “Second, I can heal Beckett and Emmeline if anything goes wrong. Our whole quest kind of revolves around both of them.” 

“I mean, she makes a good point,” Newt said with a shrug. “Why not?” 

“Let’s go,” Forrest said, getting to his feet. We ride to the base of the Plateau before splitting up.” 

“Sounds good,” Emmeline said, but she had the sinking feeling something was going to go wrong. 

The Plateau was way taller than Emmeline had been expecting. They had separated at the bottom, as to not draw attention to themselves by anyone waiting outside the village for visitors. It was a steep climb but Void had managed. 

Emmeline had taken the satchels from Newt and Coral. Forrest’s was on Rusty Bob’s back, and it was heavy. Emmeline had also taken most of the weapons and piled them on the horses as well. 

Although they didn’t know their way through the village, Clara was confident that they would manage well enough. Most villages were pretty straight forward. 

“This is so cool,” Beckett breathed, gazing at the houses in awe. Emmeline smiled to herself, feeling almost like a mother to both of the children. “You’d think that something as beautiful as this would be somewhere more accessible.” 

“If you think this is awesome you should see the Sprite Hunters Cave,” Clara told him. “It’s roomy and cozy - unless you have to share a room.” 

“Why are you called the Sprite Hunters?” Emmeline asked. 

“I don’t know, exactly,” Clara shrugged. “It was Gwen’s idea. She said she was originally hunting for Sprites because she thought she could make money off of them. But we met her and whatever, most of us are orphans, so she took us in. We adopted the name, but normally we refer to ourselves as the Hunters because it’s shorter.” 

“So it’s like a nickname,” Beckett decided. Then he turned to Emmeline. “I heard you have a nickname too. Newt called you Echo.” 

Emmeline shrugged. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with others calling her the name - it made her feel like she was still at the circus. But if Beckett really wanted to call her Echo, Emmeline would endure it. “It’s just something my old master called me because I didn’t really know how to speak so I echoed everything they said.” 

“Is Clara a nickname too?” Beckett asked Clara, stepping over a large puddle on the ground. 

Clara shook her head. “Nope. Clara is a short name.” 

“And Beckett is long?” Beckett asked and Clara nodded. “So I could have a nickname too?” 

“Do you want a nickname?” Clara asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Beckett thought for a moment. “Beck? Kit? I should think a nickname would be fun.” 

“Beck sounds better, Kit is very feminine,” Emmeline said. “Beck, is that okay?” 

Beckett’s face lit up. “Of course! Beck sounds like peck. Or deck.” He smiled to himself and Emmeline couldn’t help but smile too. 

Life was different for Beckett, he had never really interacted with humans. So when the concept of another name came to him, it was certain he would want one too. And Emmeline felt that he needed to learn the ways of modern life, so she wasn’t opposed to his new nickname. 

Clara and Beckett continued to chatter incessantly, occasionally making turns around small corners. Emmeline was left leading Void through the skinny streets, relying entirely on Beckett and Clara to lead her out of the village. Luckily, it seemed everyone was at the market and the back roads were empty. 

In fact, it seemed a little too derelict. 

That’s when Emmeline saw the smoke. It was rising from the other side of the village, slowly drifting towards them. “Fire,” Emmeline murmured to herself. “Why is there fire?” 

Her heartbeat started to quicken, and Emmeline quickly yanked Beckett and Clara back. 

“What was that for?” Clara said, her face twisted in fury. 

Emmeline pressed her finger to her lips just as a man came around the corner. His expression was blank and he didn’t appear to see the group, which was weird because he walked right by them. 

“We need to hurry,” Emmeline hissed when the odd man had passed. “Something is wrong. How close are we?” 

“Not far,” Clara said. “I think, at least. What about the other?” 

“They can handle themselves,” Emmeline said, hoping that she was right. Could her friends fend for themselves? Coral had Lithby’s Blessing, so if there was fire she would be fine. And both Forrest and Newt were fair fighters, so they would be fine too. 

Emmeline hoped, at least. 

Clara started moving again, Beckett trailing behind her, his knife extended from his palm. The boy seemed unsteady, but Emmeline was shaking more. Void picked up the pace to a trot as they rounded yet another corner. 

“Look,” Clara said, pointing ahead. 

Emmeline peeked around the corner and could see a gate just ahead. They were at the exit! Just as Emmeline was about to bolt she felt Beckett’s hand on her wrist. 

He pointed to a small crowd that was gathering not far away. Emmeline couldn’t exactly make out any facial features, but she could tell by the body language of some of the villagers that they had the same blank expression as the man they had seen earlier. 

They were gathered around something Emmeline couldn’t see either, but she couldn’t focus on that. Maybe the others could make it out because the crowd was so focused on whatever they were staring at. “Let’s run while they’re distracted,” Clara suggested, gesturing towards the gates. 

Was it just Emmeline’s imagination, or were the gates slowly sealing? She didn’t waste time finding out, she grabbed Void’s bridle and pulled the horse towards the gate. 

Beckett and Clara crept behind her, their feet padding softly on the dirt ground. The metal of the gates glinted in the high sun, and Emmeline could see them shifting slightly. They were definitely closing, and quicker than Emmeline was expecting. 

Emmeline made a last attempt dart for the gate, and Void managed to wedge herself between the gates, stopping the movement. 

Luckily, Emmeline and the others hadn’t been spotted yet. Emmeline braced herself against the gates, wincing at the warm metal. She pushed, forcing her weight against the gates until they budged enough for her and the horse to pass through. Beckett and Clara followed suit, the gates clanging softly behind them. 

Emmeline let out the breath she had been holding in. 

They had escaped, and hopefully Newt, Forrest, and Coral had managed to slip out too. At least Beckett was safe - the world wouldn’t end quite yet. Emmeline still had a chance to Write a new future. 

“We made it,” Beckett sighed, wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead. “That’s new - we didn’t die or get injured!” 

“Don’t say that,” Clara mumbled, wiping her palms on her skirt. “Coral, Forrest, and Newt haven’t joined us yet. They could be dead - or worse.” She frowned, deep in dark thoughts. 

“What’s worse than being dead?” Beckett asked. 

Clara began to say something but Emmeline cut her off. “How long do we wait for the others? We don’t have a map or food.” 

“I didn’t think of that,” Clara admitted. “I suppose we make a camp and wait. If they don’t come by nightfall we should send someone in to the village to search for them. And by someone I mean me.” 

“Sounds good,” Beckett shrugged. “Where do you want to set up camp?” 

“Let’s check out the forest some more,” Emmeline suggested. “We’re close to the edge of the Plateau, which means there’s not too much for them to search. They could also already be out here.” 

“I doubt it,” Clara said. “They had to get food, not just make their way through the village.” 

“Here is good,” Emmeline stated, putting her hands on her hips. She unloaded Void, placing the supplies around their makeshift camp. Her stomach growled, but she knew the others would be bringing food soon enough. 

But as the sun began to set, it was clear that something was holding Forrest, Coral, and Newt back. They still had shown no sign of themselves, and Clara and Beckett had been taking turns watching the gates to see if their friends appeared. Beckett was worried for Rusty Bob, but Emmeline assured him that no one would want the horse dead. 

Her friends, however… 

Stop it, Emmeline told herself. You would know if something was wrong. The smoke could’ve just been for a butcher shop or a bakery. Nothing is wrong. Maybe the blank expressions were because of alcohol or something. 

As the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, Clara lit a fire before sighing. “I guess I should sneak in and make sure nothing is holding them up. Be back in a few.” 

Before Emmeline could voice her objections the younger girl was gone, leaving her and Beckett alone at the fire. Emmeline couldn’t find her voice, so they sat in silence for a while until Beckett finally spoke up. 

“So you’re really the one who started this all?” he asked, dropping his gaze to the ground. “Out of all the people you’ve Read, I’m sure many have troubling deaths. But why come after me? How do I die that you came all this way for me?” 

“I don’t know how you die,” Emmeline admitted. “Sometimes my visions are cut off if someone pulls me away from my subject. And your Reading was different, more clipped and more scenes.” She paused, because she still hadn’t answered Beckett’s other question. Why had she come all this way to save him? 

“I’m not really saving you,” Emmeline said at last. “I’m saving the entire world from a war.”

Beckett was silent for a moment. “I’m glad you came all this way to save me.” He looked up, meeting Emmeline’s eyes. “That first day that we met in the tent, I was so terrified until I met you. I didn’t think I would live through the day.”

His sky blue eyes glistened with tears. “I miss my parents - even though I didn’t really know them.” 

“I miss my parents too, and I have no idea who they were.” Emmeline felt a pang of sadness in her chest. She wished Master Zoro had never picked her up in the first place, maybe she could have lived a normal life. 

“Can I tell you something?” Beckett asked her, his voice no more than a whisper. 

“Of course,” Emmeline whispered. 

Beckett shuffled nervously. “When I was asleep for that century or so, there were people who spoke to me. They … they told me things that I thought would help me. And one of the things was, well… I think I have magical powers,” he blurted out. 

Magical powers? Beckett wasn’t Cursed or Blessed, so magic was unlikely. Unless, of course, there was some sort of magic that was only in the bloodline of the royals. 

“What kind of powers?” Emmeline asked, trying to unlock whatever secrets were still buried in Beckett’s brain. 

The boy shrugged. “I don’t know what they are, or how to use them. It’s so confusing, not knowing anything.” He pounded his tiny fists on the ground. “I wish I could just understand!” 

Emmeline wrapped her arm around the boy, trying to comfort him. “You want to know a secret of mine?” She couldn’t hide her Writing forever, and Beckett would probably be the first to use it. “The real reason we’re going to Layene is so I can learn to Write. Then I can change the future, I can change everything.” 

Beckett took this information relatively well. “I kind of assumed there was another reason for why we’re going to Layene.” 

He was quiet for a minute before he spoke. “Do you think if you Read me again you can find out what my powers are?” He looked at her, his eyes wide. Emmeline froze, her hands trembling. A second Reading? 

“I don’t know,” Emmeline whispered, her voice shaking slightly. 

As much as it would be helpful for Beckett to know his magic, if there even was magic, Emmeline didn’t want to Read him again. What if she found out something embarrassing about him? Or what if she saw something bad? 

“Please, Echo,” Beckett whispered, his plea barely audible. 

“Fine,” Emmeline decided. She immediately regretted the decision but she couldn’t turn back. No, now Beckett was removing his tunic. 

Emmeline tried to control her racing heart and thoughts, but the black markings on Beckett’s back began to blur before her. She didn’t hesitate, she thrust her hand towards Beckett, her fingers grazing his skin for only a moment. 

Again, the pictures flashed before her eyes much faster than before. But they slowed down enough for Emmeline to make out a few scenes. 

A silver-blonde haired woman clutching the boy to her chest. He is scared, but he doesn’t know what it means to be scared. 

Darkness with soft shapes floating gently through the air. They have comforting voices, very slow speech that takes a while to come from their mouths. The boy feels peaceful, he relaxes. His muscles loosen and the floating shapes whisper soft lullabies. 

A girl with green eyes is staring at him. Terror courses through his veins as he feels the cool touch of the guard’s gloves on his back. The girl says something but her voice is rushed and the boy can’t make out what she says. He focuses on her eyes, the only identifiable thing about her as the world is blurry around him. Scared. Scared. Scared. 

Two taller figures are leading him through the long corridors of a castle. His bare feet pad softly on the ground. 

Blood. Swords. Death. And twelve large chariots running straight for each other. 

Pale green light like the forest in the morning as the sun begins to rise. It radiates from the boy, pulsing. He shakes from emotions; rage, fear, grief, and so many others. The green light grows brighter and brighter, but not warmer. The boy smiles to himself, this is it. His power, he knows what he is… 

Emmeline felt herself being yanked away. She stumbled backwards, tripping over tree roots as she scrambled away. 

Beckett was sitting not far away, breathing harder. His eyes were clouded over but Emmeline wasn’t sure why. “Beck?” she called out, trying his new nickname. “Beck, are you hurt?” 

“Emmeline, watch out!” the boy called, his eyes clearing. 

“But your power!” Emmeline said. 

“But look!” He pointed behind her and Emmeline wheeled around to find Newt, Forrest, Clara, and Coral standing there. She was excited to see them at first, until she noticed their blank expressions and drawn weapons. 

Emmeline’s stomach dropped. 

Newt was there, but at the same time he was gone. A shell of his former self. In his hand was a sharp sword, the blade pointed directly at Emmeline. “Die!” he demanded. 

And then all chaos broke loose.