TfV - Return - Part 3

Asking around Bellfall had only left Ranna with sore legs and a headache. It seemed everyone in the city was as much in the dark as she was regarding the royal family’s situation. She did learn a few things about Prince Fredrick though; he often went into the city and spoke to the people, under the protection of his guards; he liked reading; and he spent a lot of time in the castle gardens. This information only perplexed Ranna. Prince Fredrick seemed like a nice enough character; why would he abandon his duties, and his people?

“Ugh...” Ranna only just stopped herself from resting her head on the table (bad manners in a café).

“Things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d like, huh,” said Talia, sipping her espresso.

“You haven’t heard anything new either, have you?” Ranna replied, leaning back in her chair.

Talia shook her head. The group had briefly split up to cover as much of the city as possible, but that also proved to be useless – for Ranna, anyway. While she was away Talia had managed to acquire several new articles of clothing, but no answers.

“Perhaps we should make for the nearest town and ask the people there if they have seen him,” Aubrey suggested after finishing her piece of carrot cake. “If the person you tried to catch outside Bellfall was indeed the prince, there is a chance he tried to take shelter somewhere close by.”

“That would not be the smartest thing for him to do,” said Talia. “People would still recognise him.”

While Ranna agreed with her, she was prepared to act on Aubrey’s suggestion. They would not get anywhere if they did not consider every possibility. “The nearest town is Hedge,” she said. “Well actually it’s more of a village, but still, it’s a place worth checking out. We’ll go there tomorrow.”

“I’m going to hazard a guess that you plan on having us walk there,” Talia said. “Am I right?”

Ranna grinned. “Of course. We could all use the exercise.” In actuality she did not want to spend money on the train if she could just walk the distance, even if it would take much longer. But she wasn’t going to tell Talia that.

“Of course...” Talia smiled wearily. “Well, I suppose I did agree to come, so I won’t complain. I’ll just eat a massive breakfast to give myself loads of energy.”

“Good idea,” Ranna said.

-

Sharing a room with Talia and Aubrey was fairly pleasant once Ranna was able to block out the various night time noises the two of them made; she couldn’t tell if Talia’s sleep talking or Aubrey’s loud breathing unnerved her more. She could have sworn at some point they even held a conversation about whose turn it was to clean the tavern. Even when asleep and miles away from work, they never really escaped it.

After a breakfast large and rich enough to satisfy Talia (Ranna and Aubrey had the same and were only able to eat half of theirs), they set off for Hedge. The road was much like the one to Bellfall, though thankfully the wind had abated since yesterday and they were able to enjoy a walk in the sun.

Now that they only had each other to pass the time, Talia wasted no time in starting up a conversation. Had it been about anything else, Ranna would have happily joined in. Unfortunately, while she did eventually expect Talia to bring it up, she hadn’t thought it would happen the following day.

“So what’s with you and Alastair?” A gossipy question, but there was no demanding tone to back it up; Talia seemed to realise it was a sensitive issue.

“We were classmates back at the academy.” Ranna tried to ignore her discomfort upon remembering not just Alastair, but her entire three years at Bellfall Academy. Ralla! That name rang in her ears. Squirt, pipsqueak, toothpick.

“What was it like?”

“It was... tough.” Ranna noticed Aubrey giving Talia a hard stare, and while she was grateful, she was also embarrassed that the cow girl had figured everything out so easily. I was never that good at hiding stuff.

Talia pressed on despite Aubrey’s look. “What did you do?”

“Physical training, swordsmanship, things like that.”

“Was Alastair any good?”

“He was pretty good, yeah.” Why’re ye crying, Ralla? I didn’t hit ye that hard, did I? “Looking back on it, it’s no wonder he ended up where he is now.” If ye can’t take this how can ye expect to fight for the royal family?

“I bet he couldn’t hold a candle to you, though.”

Ranna tried to smile. Talia meant well. “Nah. Like he said, I really was a scrawny weakling back then. At least for the first year or two, but even then...” Ye might be getting stronger, but if we can still easily pound ye into the ground, so can the enemy. Oh, look, ye let the attacker slip past and now he’s killed Queen Meriel. Good job, hero.

Face it, ye can’t do this.

Talia looked like she wanted to say something more, but she just nodded. Ranna pressed on, grateful that the interrogation was over for now. However Talia’s words would not let her be so easily. She had never managed to graduate because she had to leave Bellfall to take care of her sister Rory when their mother died. Ranna had been devastated; while mourning her mother, she realised her dream to join the Royal Guard was now completely crushed, and no matter how hard she trained, she could do nothing about it. It had been a bitter pill to swallow, and she thought the years had dulled the ache somewhat, yet Alastair dug it up with just a few words. Her regret clung to her like a shadow.

I never got the chance to prove myself.

The trek to Hedge passed by in a haze for Ranna after that. She was partially aware of Talia and Aubrey talking beside her, but she was not in the mood to join in. She knew they were concerned, and she had tried to placate them with a stiff smile, but of course she fooled no one.

Hedge was a small area similar to Dustgrove in that it had only the essential shops and few residential spaces. It was a traveller’s rest stop, a checkpoint more than anything else. Ranna wasted no time in exploring the village, asking everyone she walked past about Prince Fredrick. At first the responses were much the same as in Bellfall; that was, until they entered the tavern.

It was smaller than The Short Fletcher but also much brighter, with green decor and a faint smell of alcohol. Because it was early noon, there were not many people there. Ranna caught Talia heading instinctively for the bar and she grabbed her tail before she could go further. “You don’t work here,” she said.

“Oh. Right.” Talia cleared her throat, and then turned sharply to Aubrey, who was giving the patrons her cold stare. “Aubrey! You don’t work here either. Relax your face.”

“My face is relaxed,” she replied.

Ranna snickered, heading over to the table occupied by a tall, brown ferret. His archer’s tunic suggested he was a Havran native, so there was a chance he knew something. “Hey,” she said. “Mind if I sit here?”

The ferret jumped at her voice, as though he hadn’t seen her approaching. His eyes widened and he shook his head. “B-be my guest.”

“Thanks!” Ranna sat opposite him and gestured for Talia and Aubrey to come over. Now that she was up close she noticed the ferret seemed rather thin, even more so than someone of his species usually was. She wasn’t one to judge (she knew she wouldn’t appreciate it if someone she just met were to analyse her), so once they were seated, she pushed the thought away and began. “Have you heard what happened with Prince Fredrick?”

The ferret’s claws tapped at the table. “I... have, yes. What about it?”

“D’you have any idea where he might have gone?”

“Hmm.” The ferret looked down at the table. “Yes. I know.”

Ranna almost gasped aloud, just able to reign herself in. Finally, someone who knew where the prince could be! “So where is he?”

“He... is in Nemon, last I heard. However I am... unsure of his exact location.”

“Nemon?” Aubrey raised her eyebrows.

Ranna shared her surprise. She had seen Prince Fredrick just yesterday, and already he was in a completely different region. He really moved fast.

“If he is there, and others know of this, why has no one tried to bring him back yet?” Aubrey asked.

“I d-don’t know.” The ferret shook his head vigorously. “I just know... that he’s there.” Ranna had been about to thank him, but before she could speak he leapt from his chair. “I have something to attend to. Excuse me.” And he was gone, zipping out of the tavern and leaving an open mouthed Ranna in his wake.

“Ferrets really are high energy,” Talia murmured.

Ranna nodded, though she was getting some energy of her own. With the prince’s location known, they had to act quickly and follow the ferret’s example. “C’mon, let’s go to Nemon.”

“We do not know where to go in Nemon,” Aubrey said. “It is not a small region. He could be anywhere there.”

“Yeah, but at least we know he’s there and not here.” Ranna was well aware of her irrationality; if this were any other situation she would be prepared to consider Aubrey’s point. But they had no time to waste. They had to find Prince Fredrick.

“How are you planning to get there?” Talia asked. “Boat?”

“Airship,” said Ranna, standing up. “It’s faster.” Not cheaper, but she couldn’t worry about money now. “You’re welcome to stay in Bellfall while I look. I don’t wanna drag you around—”

“No, we will go,” said Aubrey, while Talia nodded.

Ranna smiled, secretly relieved. She was alright with travelling on her own and had done it many times, but she also appreciated company. “Thanks.” She left the tavern, closely followed by her friends, prepared to hurry back to Bellfall so she could take a train to the nearest airport.

She was only halfway back to the city when she had to abandon that plan.

There it was again; the odd stench that permeated the air and caused Ranna to halt in the middle of the road. It was much stronger this time, and now she could place it: it was the scent of death.

“Oh, that’s unpleasant,” Talia murmured, covering her nose.

“It seems a beast has left their prey to rot nearby,” said Aubrey. “But if that is the case, would we not have smelled it on our way to Hedge?”

Ranna looked at the path but only saw rocks and dirt. The strength of the smell suggested it was nearby, so she should be able to see the source.

Her ears pricked as a sudden sensation came over her. It was one she was familiar with from years of training and it made her fur stand on end.

They were being watched.

Aubrey also noticed it, as she adopted a defensive stance.

Talia looked quizzically at her before her expression changed to one of shock. “Ranna! Look!”

Ranna followed Talia’s gaze past Aubrey and saw a deer shaped figure standing a little distance away. His small antlers were distinctive enough on their own, but he also wore the same dark red robe as before, so there was no mistaking who this was.

“What?” Nevertheless, Ranna couldn’t believe it. “He’s supposed to be in Nemon!” She didn’t have time to think about it now. Here was her second chance. This time she would catch him.

Before she could even take a step, he looked over at her, and the expression on his face stopped her dead. It was completely blank. No anger, no fear, no shock. Nothing at all. His eyes seemed unfocused, like he was looking past her, at something she could not see.

“Prince... Prince Fredrick?” she called out, trying not to alarm him while feeling more than a little alarmed herself.

The young stag didn’t even twitch. It was as if he had not heard Ranna at all. It seemed he was completely unaware of her presence.

“What’s going on?” Talia whispered, her fur bristling.

Ranna’s instincts were telling her to run; this might look like Prince Fredrick, but it was not him. It couldn’t be. Nevertheless she forced her legs to move forward. Her heart dropped lower with every step.

The prince stood unmoving, like a doll. He had no idea Ranna was near. As she approached, the smell grew stronger. His fur was not dull because of age. His robes were not tattered from lack of care. His unfocused eyes were not from daydreaming. He couldn’t daydream anymore.

“He’s dead.”

The words were out before Ranna could stop them, her legs threatening to give way. She couldn’t believe this. The Prince of Bellfall was dead.

“He can’t be dead; he’s standing right there...” Talia’s voice shook.

“I’ve heard about this.” Ranna didn’t want to believe it. It was a recent phenomenon; how could it already be happening again, and to Prince Fredrick, of all people? “This is necromancy.”

“Necromancy...” It was obvious Talia couldn’t quite focus. “I think... I remember people mentioning it at some point...”

“If that is the case, the necromancer controlling him should be somewhere close, correct?” Aubrey said, her voice as firm as always.

“Maybe.” Ranna’s mind refused to work. She could not think at all. What was she supposed to do now?

Prince Fredrick’s corpse stood before them, unmoving. It did not seem like it was going to attack them. Whoever was controlling it was probably not very skilled, or they may not be that close by after all. There was a chance they had no idea their corpse had even been seen. Ranna could tell that much even in her current state.

After some moments, clarity returned to her and anger came with it. She would find the necromancer responsible for this, the one who killed Prince Fredrick. She would get revenge on the royal family’s behalf.

Then again, what right did she have to be the one to do it? With a heavy heart she realised she had to tell the king and queen what had become of their son. They would decide what to do next. She was not part of the family or the Royal Guard; it was not her decision to make.

“We need to go...” she said slowly, “to Bellfall.”

“We’re just gonna leave him like this?” Talia said.

“He’s dead, and whoever’s controlling him doesn’t know how to pull the strings.” Ranna turned away from the prince’s corpse. “It’ll be fine for now. I need to tell the family what’s happened.”

Talia’s ears lowered. “But...”

“Come on.” Ranna sighed deeply. “Let’s go.”