Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Cerin

Despite committing to Cerin’s plan their trio was still plagued with tension. While Jared appeared was calm, Cerin could feel he was itching to speak, though he had yet to say a word. Not one protest or rebuttal. His silence was even more unnerving than his irritation. Usually Jared was the personification of calm and collected. Even when he became irritated, he never acted like this. Jared always confronted the source of his irritation head on and without hesitation. Cerin knew because he had been the source of Jareds irritation plenty. But this quite simmer was making Cerin more nervous than he wanted to admit. Even now he could feel Jareds eyes on his back. 

To his surprize Jared had let Cerin lead the way. It was his plan so it made sense, but Jared knew that Cerin preferred to watch their backs, rather then lead. But Jareds calm sweep of the arm to indicate he take lead as they broke camp had left no room for negotiation. If Cerin didn’t know better he’d think that Jared had made him take lead just to set Cerin on edge. 

They had decided to stay just inside the tree line traveling parallel to the deserts border, heading for the nearest town. Hopefully someone would have see the girl there. And maybe if they picked up the trail Jareds would return to his usual manner. At least he hoped - that or Cerin would have to confront Jared. This tension wasn’t good for them, especially with Sam here. They weren’t being very good role models with their current behavior.

Ahead of them the trees parted to reveal a small village nestled in a clearing, bordered by forest on three sides and the rocky outcrop over looking the desert on the other. 

Cerin gently eased his horse to a stop just before exiting the treeline. Jared moved up beside him and they silently surveyed the village. Sam had stopped a few paces behind, waiting nervously. The tension between Jared and Cerin was clearly getting to him, and Cerin needed to get Jared alone. They needed to hash this out now, before continuing. 

“Sam,” Cerin said not looking back at the youth.

“Yes,” He said shifting in his saddle. 

“Scout the perimeter,” Cerin ordered.

“Thank god” he muttered before replying, ”got it.” Eagerly, he nudged his horse into a trot, leaving Cerin and Jared alone. 

Cerin let a minute pass, giving Sam enough time to move out of earshot as well as give Jared the opportunity to start the conversation they both knew must happen. But Jared didn’t so much as look at Cerin. 

“So are you just going to ignore me forever now?” Cerin inquired quietly. 

“I dont understand you,” Jared proclaimed.

“Yes you do. You’re the only person that truly understands me,” Cerin said watching Jared’s profile intently. How could Jared say that? He was Cerin’s best friend, his only friend. The only person Cerin trusted. Jared shook his head. 

“I thought so too, but right now you’re a mystery.” 

“What do you mean?” Cerin shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. 

Finally Jared looked at him. When their gazes locked, a million questions swirled in his friends amber eyes. “I indulged you the first night we spotted the girl. I let her slip past. I dont know why, but I know you dont truly intend to capture her.” 

“That’s not true,” Cerin began, but Jared cut him off with a raise of his hand. 

“Don’t play dumb. We both know your heart isnt in this hunt.”

“I want to find her as badly as you do,” Cerin said firmly, holding Jareds gaze intently. Jared studied him for a long moment. Suddenly, Cerin wanted to pull up his hood and to hide from that penetrating gaze. Jared was the only one who could decipher him, who could see through all of his barriers and practically read his mind. That’s what he loved about Jared, but thats also what scared him most of all. 

“I believe you,” Jared sighed. “But we both know that you don’t really want to capture her for the king.”

“I…” 

“Don’t,” Jared cut him off. “You think I didn’t see how you lit up when that girl described her?”

“You know how I hate to stay idle for long,” Cerin protested. His next words were lost though as Jared pinned him with a shut. up. stare. 

Cerin couldn’t talk his way out of this. Not his friends all seeing eyes or this dreaded conversation. So he sighed in resignation and looked back to the village as Jared continued. 

“You didn’t light up at the mention of a heavenschild because you were restless, Cerin. Its because its her.” He could feel Jared searching his face. Cerin knew that despite his efforts to hold a blank expression, Jared saw through it. Jared sighed. “So it is her,” he whispered. 

Yes, it was her. He’d confirmed it when he had seen her up in that tree wrapped in his old cloak. But he couldn’t tell Jared that, he needed to make sure Jared had plausible deniability. He wouldn’t drag his friend down with him. Cerin was already damned, but Jared wasn’t. He had a loving family and a bright future. He wouldn’t condemn his one and only friend. But he wouldn’t lie to Jared either. He had to much respect and trust for him to do that. 

A moment passed as Jared gazed at the town. 

“You can’t save her again,” Jared finally said. 

Like hell he couldn’t. He had made a promise to her mother, and he wouldn’t break it. But he couldn’t tell Jared that either, so he stayed mute. 

“I know that you won’t let me help,” Jared began and Cerin shot him a damn right look. Jared only sighed again. “Do you even have a plan?” he asked pointedly. 

No he didn’t have a plan but Jared didn’t need to know that either. 

“I thought so.” 

Mother Luna above, sometimes he hated how they could practically read each others minds. 

“You can’t save her,” Jared repeated. Cerin refused to acknowledged the words. 

“Listen to me!” Jared growled suddenly gripping Cerin’s arm painfully tight. 

Cerin calmly studied Jared’s agitated expression, “I am listening.” With that Jared deflated, looking almost defeated. 

“Look, Im worried about you. If you don’t capture her, who knows what the king will do to you.” Most likely kill him. “And you can’t just run with her.” Cerin gave him a confident grin, you wanna bet gleaming in his eyes. “Im serious, Cerin. You can’t run. Your good, but so am I. You know they will send me after you. Or worse, First.” Jared was right. The First Kingsman would have no mercy. And he would definitely track them down. “And they’ll never believe she’s dead, at least not coming from your lips. Not without proof. Not with your current standing, precarious as it is. This is your last chance to get back into the kings good graces.” 

Jared had a point. Cerin hadn’t thought beyond keeping the girl safe. But he didn’t care about his own life and they both knew it. That was why he always got into trouble, doing unnecessary things that didn’t benefit the kingdom - or more accurately the king. 

“If you run you can never stop and never come back,” Jared continued, a silent if your lucky lacing his words. 

Cerin opened his mouth to tell Jared that he was ok with that when the thunder of hooves drew their attention to the village. Sam was galloping towards them. He must have gone into town to give them more time. But what could have happened to make him return in such a rush. He joined them in a spray of dirt and a skidding of hooves. 

“There’s news from the capital,” he blurted, anxiety riddling his movement, reminding Cerin of how young Sam really was. Just a boy of sixteen. 

“What?” Jared asked, seemingly unfazed by Sams urgent declaration. 

“There has been an attempt on the kings life.”

“That’s nothing new,” Cerin snorted. Jared glared but he just shrugged. His dislike for the king was no big secret, at least not between the three of them. Sam was loyal to the two of them to a fault, leaving room for Cerin to relax around the youth. And they had all witnessed the atrocities the king had brought down on their kingdom. Neither Jared nor Sam blamed Cerin for his criticism, especially since it was a wide known fact that his mother had been a heavenschild, descendant of the race heavens blessed by the celestial gods.

Ignoring Cerin’s ill comment, Sam continued, “No, but his daughter, the first princess has been kidnapped. Apparently, the attempt on his life was merely a distraction for their true objective, obtaining a hefty ransom. The King is calling all of the ranking kingsmen back to the capital to find and rescue her.”

“He’s really taking no chances,” Cerin muttered. 

“Well, despite his many...” Jared thought carefully before choosing the least offensive words he could, “short comings, he does love his family.” 

It was true, the king, although ruthless and often cruel as a ruler, was a loving father and husband. This juxtaposition often puzzled Cerin. How could a loving father and husband condemn a whole race of people to death, resulting in the greatest genocide in history. Cerin would never understand.  

But right now he had bigger things to worry about then the king’s split personality. The kidnapping of the princess and the recall of the kingsmen could work in his favor. Cerin now knew that the heavenschild was alive and safe. After four years, he finally had more than his gut feeling and hope, he had proof that she was still out there. Thats all he needed. He could answer the summons, and let her escape. It was perfect. After all who could blame him for following orders?

“So what do we do?” Sam asked, fervor lighting his features. Cerin smiled at their pupil, so excited by the possibility of joining the rescue party. 

“We,” Jared pointed between Sam and himself, “are going to answer the summons.” 

Momentarily confused, Cerin looked to Jared. When their eyes met he knew. 

“No,” he said shaking his head. “You heard Sam, all ranking kingsmen. That includes me,” Cerin reminded his friend. 

“And I say you are going after the heavenschild,” or else his expression said. They stared each other down, neither of the backing down. 

“Oh come on guys! Not more of this! I can only take so much of you two fighting,” Sam wined.

“Were not fighting,” they said in unison.

After a few seconds of continued staring, Jared sent Sam back into the village to gather supplies for their journey back to the capital. Grumbling something about hating it when mom and dad fought under his breath, Sam dutifully steered his horse back into town, leaving them alone once more.

“Are we really fighting like a couple?” Cerin asked playfully hoping to lighten the mood and loosen Jared up. 

“Well, we are like his parent’s, you know,” Jared quietly remarked. Thats right. Sam was an orphan. He’d nearly forgotten. 

“Don’t think you’re going to get out of this with a little joking, Cerin,” Jared said pinning him with a don’t even think about it look. 

“I can’t disobey orders,” Cerin shrugged. How could Jared argue with that?

“I’ll inform them of your mission to capture the heavenschild. They will have elecen other kingsmen on the hunt for the princess. We won’t need you. 

“Im the same rank as you Jared, you can’t stop me from returning with you.”

“Cerin,” Jared growled menacingly. “Im trying to help you. You will capture that girl. We sent word that we were on her trail. The king knows she’s alive as definitively as we do. If you don’t go, he will send someone else after her. And who knows what any of the others will do to her. Not all of them are like us. They might just kill her on sight. After all the order is dead or alive for all heavenschildren.” 

Luna above, Jared was right. S**t. 

“The only way you can protect her is if you capture her,” Jared continued. “That’s the only way she can stay safe.”

“Safe? How is bringing her back to the capital safe?” he finally bit out, breaking his earlier vow of silence on the matter. 

“It’s as safe as she can be. its the only guarantee that she will stay alive.” A foreboding for now, hung unsaid in the air between them. Jared was right, but Cerin didn’t want to acknowledge it. His only course of action, the only course that would guarantee her life, was for him to hunt her down. 

“And you will return with her to the capital,” Jared said firmly. 

Cerin only looked at him, his mind already made up. He was her best chance and together they would have to run. “Don’t even think about it,” Jared warned. “You can’t run, we’ve already been over this. It would only postpone your deaths. You can’t hide from me, or the First.” 

“You would really come after me?” he asked, a little hurt by the notion.

“You know the answer to that. If I was ordered to, I wouldn’t be able refuse. You know that.” Thats right, Jared had a family. And it wasn’t unheard of for the king to kill in order to motivate those unwilling to follow his orders. Jared’s family would be in danger. They couldn’t run like he planned. And everyone knew Jared was close to him, that Cerin would die for Jared. There was no way the king and the First wouldn’t use that to their advantage. How had the situation gone so far south in so little time. Just minutes ago he had had a plan. Damn Jared for his logic. 

“So what do I do?” Cerin sighed, not seeing anyway out of this predicament. 

“You capture the girl and return to the capital.” 

“And then? I can’t let her die.” Not like her mother had. Not like his mother had. He couldn’t watch another innocent Heavenschild die. Especially not her. 

“I will think of something,” Jared promised.

“No, Jared. I can’t drag you into this, or your family,” he shook his head.

“You’re not dragging me anywhere. Im volunteering. And you have no say in the matter. Besides, we both know that she isn’t the only heavenschild in danger here.” Cerin’s eyes widened in shock. How could Jared know? He had been so careful.

“You didn’t really think I wouldn’t realize it? After all this time? After all of our mental conversations?” 

“What?” Cerin blurted in confusion. 

“Oh Cerin, you’re so naive sometimes. Everyone knows that those blessed by the moon can communicate telepathically.”

“Thats just a rumor,” Cerin scoffed. But now that Jared mentioned it… he vaguely remembered communicating with his mother without words. Why hadn’t he realized it sooner? He looked at Jared fear and apprehension curdling in his guy. Oh s**t. 

Don’t worry. No one else knows. Besides the only reason this is even possible is because I too have a little Heavenschild blood in my veins. 

Cerin’s eyes widened in shock and his jaw fell open. “But how?! Only women heavenschildren inherit the blessings,” he protested. 

“And yet here you are,” Jared motioned to Cerin as if he was proof. “While it is less common for men to inherit, it is not so rare, a fact you’d know if your mother had not perished so early,” Jared said mournfully. 

“But,” Cerin started.

“You cannot tell me you haven’t felt it, the growing pull of Mother Luna. I’ve been eating you Cerin. Your strength increases with ever moon turn and I can feel your powers growing.” 

Cerin didn’t deny it. He’d been ignoring all of that hoping it was untrue. His mother had told him he was blessed, but after her death he had prayed it was untrue. [EDITING HERE]

Only enough to send you my thoughts down the channel. Its your power that allows this. 

“What do you mean?” Cerin, testing the link. 

Jared cringed before speaking aloud, “You opened the channel, way back when. On our first near death mission. But I can only send brief thoughts and feelings. Any more and it becomes very difficult, very quickly,” he grimaced rubbing his temples with one hand. 

This was so much bigger than Cerin had ever considered. Now there was truly no way he could run with the girl. He couldnt leave his best friend - the man who had always had his back, who had kept his secret, and who he now knew was his kin - behind in the process. Nor Jared’s family either. 

Fine, Cerin shot down the now obvious channel, with a little anger and whole lot of trust. 

“Meet me at our cabin in two weeks. We can decide on our next course of action then,” Jared said with a smile, sending a wave of complete trust back down the channel in return. 

“Guess I have some shopping to do,” Cerin sighed. Jared only chuckled as together they spurred their horses down into the village.