Sophie POV
The southern territory looked like a different world. The trees grew closer together.
The air was thick. My boots sank into the mud. I stared at the plants. I looked for the jagged leaves of wild ginger.
I searched for swamp lilies. I also needed the sulfur root. It grows in the heart of these wetlands. It provides a savory depth to the broth.
This depth balances the heat of the peppers. Alaric stayed close to me. He moved with quiet power. He didn't act like a king. He acted like my protector.
"Is that what you need?" Alaric asked.
He pointed to a cluster of small pods.
"Yes." I said.
"Those are the marsh lilies. They provide the floral notes for the duck soup. Be careful. The stems have fine hairs. They irritate the skin."
Alaric reached into the thorns. He did not hesitate. He plucked the lilies. He placed them in my leather satchel. His hands remained steady. I saw a small scratch on his thumb. He ignored it.
"We need the blue flowers now." I said.
"They only grow near running water."
We walked toward a creek. The sun was setting. Roland walked ten paces ahead. He scanned the trees. His hand never left his sword.
"We are running out of time Alaric." I said.
I felt the pressure in my chest.
"The journey back will take hours. The competition starts at sunrise. If we miss the opening ceremony, the Moon Crescent Pack wins by default."
"We will make it, Sophie." Alaric said.
He looked at me. His eyes were firm.
"I will not let the clock defeat you. Focus on the herbs. I will focus on the path."
We reached the creek. The water was clear and cold. I saw the flowers. They were small and delicate. They grew in the moss between the wet stones.
I knelt down. The cold water soaked my clothes. I began to pluck the blue petals. These flowers would give the beef its aroma. They were the heart of the first dish.
"I have them." I said.
I stood up. I wiped my hands on my cloth.
"We have everything. Let us move."
The walk back to the Silent Peak was a test of endurance. We did not stop to rest. We did not stop to drink. My legs felt stiffed. My lungs burned.
Alaric asked if he should carry me. I know he was tired too. He just wants me to be fine. He kept a hand on my back. He pushed me forward when I slowed down.
"The blacksmith should be finished by now." Alaric said.
"He must be." I replied.
"Without that cooker, these lilies and flowers are useless. I cannot tenderize the meat in time with a normal pot. The marrow will not release its essence."
"Kaelen looks like a man of his word." Alaric said.
"He knows the stakes. Thomas is there to ensure he does not sleep. No man ignores the command of a king's beta."
Alaric was trying to make me laugh. I smiled. I had called him the King's Beta. Now he is using it to tease me.
We climbed the steep path back to the forge. The smell of coal and hot iron met us.
The sky is now dark. The first stars appeared. We reached the clearing.
I saw Kaelen standing his long wooden table. Thomas stood next to him. They both looked like they had been through a war. Their faces were black with soot. Their shirts were soaked with sweat.
In the center of the table sat an iron vessel. It was thick and dark. It had a lid with a brass locking mechanism. A small weight sat on top of a vent. It was the pressure cooker.
"It is done." Kaelen said.
He sounded exhausted.
I ran to the table. I touched the cold iron. I felt the seams. They were tight. I checked the valve. It moved freely. This was the key to my victory.
"Thank you, Kaelen." I said.
"This is perfect. It is exactly what I drew."
"It was difficult." Kaelen said.
"The seals had to be exact. Thomas helped with the bellows. We worked through the night. The iron resisted. The pressure of your deadline forced my hand."
"You did well, Thomas." Alaric said.
"It is a strange machine, Sire." Thomas replied.
"But it holds the heat. It hissed at us all night."
We were all exhausted. The walk from the south had drained my strength. Alaric looked tired. Kaelen and Thomas had not slept in twenty four hours. The pressure cooker sat on the table like a prize.
"We must rest." Kaelen said.
"The sun will rise in a few hours. You need your strength for the journey and the kitchen."
We moved into the small stone house. I found a corner with dry straw. Alaric sat beside me.
Roland stood near the door for a moment before sitting down. Thomas leaned against the wall. We fell asleep quickly. The silence of the mountain covered us.
Only a few hours of sleep. The room was still dark. Someone tapped my shoulder. It was Kaelen. He moved silently. He placed a finger to his lips.
"Someone is coming." Kaelen whispered.
I felt Alaric stir beside me. He was awake instantly. His hand went to his sword.
Roland and Thomas were already on their feet. They were moving silently. The air in the room was heavy.
Suddenly, the silence broke. A small bell near the gate gave a sharp, ring.
Cling.
"Quiet." Kaelen whispered.
He moved toward the iron gear on the wall.
"I have set silver wires in the bushes. They are alarms. They tell me when the perimeter is breached."
Cling. Cling. Cling.
Three more bells rang in succession. They came from different directions.
"They are many." Kaelen said.
His voice was flat.
"And they are coming fast. They have surrounded us. This is not a coincidence. This is an organized hunt."
Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling.
The sound became a frantic chorus. The bells were screaming now. The pressure of the situation felt physical.
"They are getting close." Kaelen said.
"What do we do?" Alaric asked.
He drew his sword. He stepped in front of me.
"Protect the Chef." Kaelen commanded.
"I know how to defend my home. Roland get to the gate. When I give the word, open it wide."
Roland moved to the gate. He gripped the wooden bars.
"Once the gate is open, I will pull this gear." Kaelen explained.
"It triggers the silver tipped arrows. It will clear the entrance."
Cling. Cling. Cling.
"Now!" Kaelen yelled.
Roland threw the gate open. He stepped to the side. I saw a mass of grey fur and dark leather.
Rogue wolves were gathered at the entrance. They were snarling. Their eyes were fixed on me. They ignored the iron. They wanted me.
Kaelen pulled the gear. The mechanical thud shook the ground. Dozens of silver arrows hissed from the walls. They tore through the front rank of the rogues. Many fell. But more took their place.
They were jumping over the walls now.
Kaelen threw a spare sword to Alaric.
"Go! Take Sophie and go!" Kaelen shouted.
He grabbed a smithing hammer.
"We will handle them! Just go, Cassian!"
He used the name of the Beta.
"Keep the girl safe!" Kaelen screamed.
"Someone sent them for her! They do not want anything! They want the chef! They want to end the competition before it starts!"
A rogue jumped from the roof. He aimed his knife at my throat. Alaric lunged. He caught me. He swung his sword. He drove the blade into the rogue's chest.
I fell down to the ground. The impact knocked me. The iron cover of the pressure cooker slid off. It hit the dirt. It rolled into the center of the fight.
"The cover!" I screamed.
"Alaric, we need the lid!"
"Don't worry! I will bring it in time! Just go! Follow the path!" Kaelen yelled.
He smashed the head of a rogue with his hammer.
"The lid is useless if you are dead!"
"Go inside the house!" Kaelen pointed.
"There is a small hole in the back room. It leads to the secret forest trail. Go now!"
Boom!
A cloud of smoke exploded in the courtyard. Kaelen had triggered a smoke pot. It blinded the rogues.
Alaric gripped my hand. His palm felt hot.
"Run!" He roared.
We crawled through the narrow hole in the back of the house. We emerged into a dense part of the forest.
We ran through the thorns. My cloak caught on branches. I ripped it free.
Thomas stopped. He turned around. He looked at the smoke rising from the forge.
"Roland, continue with the Alpha and the Chef." Thomas said.
He checked his daggers.
"I will handle any of them I come across. I will slow them down. They cannot track what they cannot see."
"Are you sure?" Roland asked.
"Yes." Thomas said.
"I am the fast. Go. Keep her moving toward the palace."
Thomas vanished into the dark. Roland, Alaric, and I ran for miles. My chest was tight. Every breath was a struggle.
We reached a crossroad. The path went left and right. Roland stopped.
"Follow the left path." Roland said.
"I will take the right. I will make enough noise to lead them away. I will distract the main group. I will see you at the palace gates."
"Do not die, Roland." Alaric said.
"I have no intention of dying today, Sire." Roland replied.
Alaric and I ran through the left path. He did not let go of my hand. He pulled me along.
We ran for a long time. The forest remained silent. The only sound was our footsteps.
Then, I heard the sound of snapping branches.
Six rogues stepped out from the trees. They had surrounded us. They did not look at Alaric. They did not care about the King. They looked at me. Their blades were leveled at my stomach.
Alaric stood his ground. He planted his feet. He took a defensive stance. He began to fight. He was really good with a sword. He fought with one hand. His other hand stayed firmly on my arm. He kept me behind him.
"Stay behind me!" He commanded.
He parried a blow from an axe. He spun. He cut the throat of the rogue on his right. He was fast. He was lethal. But there were too many. They attacked from all sides.
The pressure of the ambush was overwhelming.
A rogue lunged from the shadows. His sword was inches from my neck. Alaric roared. He pulled me into his chest. He drove his sword into the stomach of the attacker.
I saw a flash of silver. A rogue's blade caught the shoulder of Alaric.
"Your Majesty! You are hurt!" I yelled.
"I am fine!" Alaric said.
He did not slow down.
"Before they can get to you, they must pass through me!"
One rogue was faster than the others. He was violent. He lunged for my stomach with a dagger. Alaric did not have time to parry. He jumped in front of me.
The blade pierced his side. I heard the sound of the sword cutting through his tunic and skin. Alaric groaned.
He stumbled. But he did not fall. He swung. He killed the man who stabbed him.
I looked at the blood. It was dark and thick. I looked at the forest.
The weight of the last three days hit me. The fear for Alaric was the final blow. My knees became weak.
My vision blurred. I headed for the ground.
Everything went blank.
