“Zin.”

She glanced up from the fire after placing another log in it.

Eldin stood just on the edge of the firelight, his eyes absorbing the light

and reflecting it back at her. This is what she liked to call his sinister

mood, where he kept to the shadows, loomed, and brooded.

“Keep it going,” she told Rowan.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, rolling his eyes and hiking his new

cloak closer around his shoulders.

She ignored him and walked over to Eldin. He nodded his head

toward the horses and led her to them.

“It took a bit, but it’s ready.”

Zin furrowed her brow as Eldin bent over their saddles and bags

and picked up something. She blinked a few times, getting her eyes

accustomed to the low light, as Eldin handed her a long, but surprising

light, object. She turned toward the firelight and gasped.

A bow, nearly as long as herself, sat in her hands. The ends

curved outward, the grip smooth and contoured perfectly to her palm.

Flowers carved into the wood stretched from limb to limb. The bow

was dark, hardened by fire.

Rowan peered across the flames, and Zin held it out for him to

see.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“What do you need a bow for?” he asked, not bothering to get

up.

“Protection and hunting,” Zin said, running her fingers along

the length. She set it carefully with her bag and flung her arms around

Eldin. “Thank you.”

He grunted in reply, but, for the first time, hugged her back.

Not just an awkward, stiff armed hug, but a real one with warmth to it.

She lingered a moment longer than she meant to before pulling away

and picking up the bow again, unable to take her eyes off it.

“If you look here and here, there are tiny buttons. Press them

and each limb will fold over so you can store it in your saddlebag. We’ll

start training in the morning,” he said, sitting at the fire next to Rowan,

whose annoyed frown softened.

Zinnia ignored Rowan, trying extremely hard to remember his

entire life had been uprooted, but his attitude the last few days had made

it difficult to sympathize. She ate, curled up under her cloak, and closed

her eyes. She was too excited to start training with her bow to

participate in the low conversation the guys were having.

***

“Keep pulling until your fingers reach the corner of your

mouth. Let that be your anchor.”

Zin’s arms shook as she pulled back the string of the bow. It

was harder than it looked, she didn’t expect the string to be so taut. The

target was nothing more than a scraggly tree, but she still hadn’t hit it.

“Breathe in when you pull back, breathe out when you release,”

Eldin said.

She sighed and relaxed her grip. “It’s impossible. I can’t even

fully draw it.” So far the most enjoyable part of the experience was

Eldin’s chest brushing against her back, and fingers touching hers as he

adjusted her grip and stance.

“It only seems impossible today.”

He was right, of course, but that didn’t make it less difficult.

“Are you guys done yet? You’ve been at it for over an hour and

I’d like to make Laketown tonight.”

Zin glared at Rowan, who was sitting next to the glowing

embers of the fire, eating a handful of berries. “Why are you in such a

hurry?”

He looked at her like the answer was obvious. “A little

civilization would be nice.”

“We were just in Olton a couple of days ago!”

“Yeah, for like, one night.”

“Practice takes time, Rowan,” Eldin said quietly.

“Why did you even come with us? You still act like you're a

prince, even when we aren’t in town!”

Rowan glared at her as he stood and kicked dirt onto the

glowing embers. “That’s because I am one! It’s not like I know how to

be anything else.”

“You could–”

“Zin, he’s right.”

Zin closed her mouth, gripping her bow tight to keep her hands

from shaking as Rowan smiled smugly at her.

“But,” Eldin turned to Rowan. “Zin is right, too. What’s your

end goal, Rowan? You could have turned around and gone straight back

to your Rourke at any point if you didn’t want to give up your claim to

the throne.”

Rowan glanced between them, the smile gone, and his face

turning red. “I don’t know, okay? I went with you because what you

said about the Golden Order scared me, but after the weeks I’ve spent

out here, I feel like my place is still back in Kingston. I know nothing

about hunting, or haggling, or any of this outdoorsy stuff.” He took a

breath and looked at Eldin. “But I also realize I don’t know enough

about my people. I need to know what their lives are like before I return

to Kingston, or else I’ll never be able to help them.”

“Fair enough.” Eldin nodded. “But that means actually

listening to them, observing what it’s like to be them. You can’t act

better than they are and expect special treatment or else you’ll never see

what it is truly like.”

“I understand,” Rowan said.

“Good. I suggest the first person you talk to is Zin.” Eldin

turned, picking up his saddle blanket and fitting it on Kūma.

Zin blinked and looked at Rowan. He was just as surprised as

she was.

“Well, yeah, I guess that makes sense,” he said, shrugging.

“What’s life like for you, Zinnia?”

She sighed and rubbed her face. “Let’s get moving, I’ll tell you

on the road.”

They saddled their horses and Zin took special care to unstring

her bow and fold it like Eldin taught her. When they were back on the

road to Laketown, Zin answered Rowan’s questions to the best of her

ability.

“So, where did you grow up?” Rowan asked, fidgeting with his

reins.

“Greenrock.”

“Really? I’ve never been there.”

“It’s very green. There are a lot of malachite mines being so

close to the craters. Green dye is the main export. I worked in the dye

shops when I was ten and eleven after my father had an accident in the

mine.”

“Where is he now?” Rowan trained his gaze on her, curiosity

bright in his eyes.

“Dead.”

“Oh. Um, I’m sorry.”

Zin smiled wanly at him. “Thanks. It’s fine, though. He’s been

gone awhile now.”

“Did your mother work in the dye shops too? I’ve heard

children often follow their parents' professions.”

Zin didn’t answer right away. He had managed to hit on the two

most sore points of her life right away. “I never knew her. Died just

before I saw my first comet pass. The only thing I have left of her is this

bead.” She touched the wooden bead hanging from her hair.

Rowan was quiet, staring into the distance. They were crossing

through the very edge of the Windview Plains, the opposite end she and

Eldin had traveled through. Golden grass swayed in the light breeze and

dark clouds gathered on the horizon. Zinnia wondered what he was

thinking. It didn’t feel like she said much, but he had taken something

from the conversation.

They caught up to the rain around mid-afternoon, putting a

damper on everyone's mood. The tall grass gave way to rocky terrain.

This part of Alarya was completely flat, with the plains stretching off

to their left and a desert dubbed The Desolation several leagues to their

right, meaning no chance of shelter until they reached the Unmapped

on the edge of the lake up ahead.

“If we hurry, we can make it to Lake Colossal before it gets

worse.” Eldin had to yell over the downpour.

“It can get worse?!” Rowan asked. He huddled under his cloak,

wet hair plastered to his forehead.

“Much worse,” Eldin said, and Kūma launched into a gallop.

Zin snapped her own reins and Trigg followed behind. The Unmapped

came into view as flickering lights in the distance, and the horses

redoubled their effort without urging from their masters.

Eldin was right. As soon as they entered the Unmapped,

thunder rolled across the sky and lightning forked through the clouds.

They found the first tavern with stables and hurried inside. Zin pulled

off her cloak. It dripped onto the dry straw covering the stable floor.

She hung it over an empty stall door and led Azra into it, taking off her

saddle and blanket to hang next to her cloak. A brush sat on a shelf on

the wall, so she took it and began brushing Azra down, getting as much

water off as possible. She tossed it to Rowan when she was finished and

checked on her saddlebags. Everything on the inside was still dry. She

was glad to have listened to the storekeeper when he suggested the

waterproof ones.

“Let’s go inside,” Rowan said as he and Eldin finished with

their horses. He crossed his arms and shivered, hair falling in wet curls

about his forehead. He looked miserable.

Zin led the way back out into the rain and through the tavern

door. It was nowhere near as busy as the one in Bridger, but it wasn’t

empty. Lazy chatter filled the room and eyes flitted across the

newcomers, but no one bothered them. Even Eldin caused less of a

disturbance while the three of them traveled together.

“Find a table. I’ll get drinks and pay for the stables,” Eldin said,

walking up to the bar.

Zin found a table out of the way in a back corner.

“Why do you always choose tables that are hidden?” Rowan

asked, sliding into a chair.

“Because no one can sneak up on us from behind.”

“Does it really matter?”

“Sure. Those thugs in the tavern in Bridger could have

incapacitated us faster had we not seen them coming. At least we fended

them off long enough for Eldin to reach us before anything happened.”

Rowan shuddered and nodded. “I didn’t know how unruly it

was out here. Do the laws even matter?”

“Depends on how close you are to Kingston or the Golden

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Lords.”

“But we’ve seen guards in every town, except the Unmapped,

I guess.”

“Guards will uphold what they’re told to uphold. I haven’t been

everywhere, but there seems to be a pattern of each city making up their

own rules unless the Golden Order has someone stationed.”

Rowan sat back, resting his chin in a hand. Eldin walked up and

Rowan glanced at him, moving over to make room. Eldin sat and passed

around tankards of ale.

“Why do you even buy one if you have no reason to drink it?”

Zin asked, accepting her own.

“People look at me less. They feel easier about me being here

if I’m doing something.” He turned to Rowan. “Now’s the time to listen

to people talk. You’d be surprised by what you can learn from pieces

of conversation.”

Their table was quiet as they each focused on the conversations

going on around them. Zin set her sights on the barkeep. She was tall

and thin, her apron stained and frayed at the edges, but she had a pretty

smile. A man sitting at the end of the bar had her charmed. He wasn’t

much older and a sword with rust on the pommel hung at his side.

“…Adventurer’s Guild is fantastic. They pay out every time I

complete a quest and give bonuses for getting it done in a timely

manner.”

“I don’t know, Gaz. Life here is simple, I make enough to live

on. Why complicate it with adventures?” She leaned her elbow on the

counter and rested her chin in her palm. It gave Gaz a good look down

her shirt.

He didn’t refuse the offer. “I have a feeling life is going to get

complicated real fast without the help of the Adventurer’s Guild, so

might as well come with me.”

“My shift doesn’t end for a few hours…”

“Trust me. We should leave now.”

Zin stopped breathing and locked eyes with Eldin. He heard it

too.

“Stables, now.” He was out of his seat in a flash, knocking over

a tankard as he yanked Rowan to his feet.

“Wait, what?”

Eldin didn’t stop to explain. Zin followed as fast as possible,

moving around grumbling patrons and empty chairs. They crashed

through the door in time to see a flame climbing up a house at the far

end of the village. The rain had stopped, but the clouds still covered the

sky and shrouded them in darkness. Lightning flashed as several people

galloped down the road on horses, torches in hand, and laughing.

“More Adventurer’s Guild,” Eldin sneered. “I dislike them

more with every meeting.”

“How can you tell?” Rowan asked as they slid into the stables.

“The man at the bar made it pretty obvious.” Eldin threw the

blanket and saddle on Kūma, not bothering to make sure it was straight,

then helped Zin and Rowan. The doors crashed open as a guild member

with a torch ran in, an unhinged grin across his face and long greasy

hair in his eyes.

“Go!” Eldin cried. Zin jumped on Azra and flicked her reins,

running straight toward the guild member. He flung himself out of the

way and Zin was out the door, Rowan on her heels. The flames had

spread in the moments they were in the stable. People were streaming

from the tavern and running in every direction. Zin nudged Azra toward

Colossal Lake, dodging townsfolk.

“What about Eldin?!” Rowan cried. He was crouched low over

Trigg, white knuckling his pommel.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Zin called. Rowan said nothing

as their horses pounded over the sandy beach, following the curve of

the lake until they hit the Royal Road. Another smaller lake glittered to

their right as the setting sun dipped beneath the clouds and turned the

air itself orange.

Smoke billowed from the Unmapped, sending Rowan into a

coughing fit. Zin slowed Azra and glanced over her shoulder, looking

for Eldin. A red and yellow ball of flame engulfed the Unmapped, but

no one was there. She bit her lip and squinted, trying to see into the

shadows.

Rowan gobbled the rest of the water in his waterskin and

covered his mouth with his arm. Zin’s eyes were streaming, the smoke

burning them. They couldn’t stay here. As she turned Azra, a dark

silhouette marred the fire. Eldin, flying toward them on Kūma, cloak

streaming behind him.

He pulled up when he got near. “We have to keep moving,”

“But what about all those people?” Zin asked.

“There’s nothing we can do now. They’ll make their way to

Laketown or build anew, just like they always do.”

“Hold on,” Rowan said, moving Trigg to be level with Kūma.

“Are you saying this happens a lot?”

“Why do you think they are called Unmapped?” Eldin said.

“I just thought—well, I guess I didn’t really think about it. I

just knew they existed.” Rowan’s cheeks turned red.

“That’s where we lived before all this, Rowan. We lived in an

Unmapped.”

“What? No, it had a name, I know it did.”

“It did. All Unmapped have names to the people who live in

them.”

Rowan slumped on his horse, finger twirling in his mane, and

he coughed again.

By the time they reached Laketown, night had fallen, but the

storm had cleared and the stars shone brightly. Zin was staring at them

when she saw one shoot across the sky.

“Oh, did you guys see that? Falling star! And there’s another

one.”

Within moments, the sky was full of them. People piled into

the streets, watching the night light up with stars falling across the sky.

“I never get tired of this,” Zin said, leaning against the back of

her saddle. Thousands of them burned over their heads, some small,

some so large they lit up the night like day. Everyone stood transfixed.

Zin turned to Rowan with a smile, but it faded when she saw

tears glistening on his cheeks. “What’s wrong, Rowan?”

He shook his head and wiped his face with his sleeve. “This

day always reminds me of the journey after I was taken from home. It

happened the second night, and all I could think of was the last time the

sky fell. Eldin and I sat together on the hill outside the village. I swore

I’d never watch it until I found him again, and here we are.”

“That’s sweet, Rowan.” Zin reached over and squeezed his

hand, but his eyes were on Eldin. She turned back to the sky, and as the

last of the stars fell, Rowan coughed again, but this time, it didn’t stop.

“Rowan?” Eldin asked, moving Kūma closer to Trigg. Rowan

swayed in the saddle, gasped, and his eyes rolled into the back of his

head. Eldin caught him before he could fall, and signed, disappearing

in a flash of shadow.

Zin looked around as the people in the street made their way

back into their houses, and found Eldin kneeling on the side of the street

with Rowan in his arms. She slipped off Azra and grabbed hold of

Trigg’s reins. Kūma followed on her own.

“What’s happened?”

Eldin glanced up at her as he felt Rowan’s forehead. “I think

he’s caught dragon fever.”

Zin felt unsteady on her feet and was glad the horses held her

up. Dragon fever was no common sickness and could be deadly.

“We need to get him somewhere warm, find an alchemist.

Eldin, he could die.”

He looked gravely up at her and stood as if the prince weighed

nothing. “I know. Let’s find a place for the night, and I’ll find an

alchemist.”

Zinnia nodded, unable to take her eyes off Rowan’s still form.

Just moments ago he seemed fine, but now his face was a sickly gray

and shiny with sweat. They hurried through the streets, squinting at

signs outside of buildings until they came to the Laketown Inn.

“You go in and get the room. Open the window and I’ll meet

you up there,” Eldin said. Zin nodded, slipping the reins of the horses

to the hitching post outside the front door. The lobby was quiet, with

only a clerk behind the counter counting coins. She looked up as Zin

came in and smiled, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Hello there, dear. Do you need a room?”

“Yes, please,” Zin said, taking out her money pouch.

“Did you hear Westlake is burning?” The woman shuddered as

she took Zin’s coins. “Poor dears. I hope everyone got out okay.”

Zin agreed and thanked her for the key, running lightly up the

stairs and finding the room number that matched the key. She closed

the door as softly as possible, then ran to the window and threw it open.

With a brush of the shadows, Eldin materialized in the room and laid

Rowan on the bed.

“Get a fire going. I’m going to find the alchemist.”

“But what if he’s left? Gone home?” Zin asked, worried they

wouldn't get the medicine in time.

“That’s why I’m going and not you,” Eldin said, and with a

word, he was gone again.

Zin threw the neatly piled logs into the hearth and started it with

a flint and steel hanging in a pouch. The flames flared to life, and she

took off her bag, digging through nuts and berries, the healing balm

Eldin gave her, pretty rocks she found on the way, the white ribbon

from half a pass ago, and pulled out her water skin and the old shirt she

wore when she first met Eldin. Tearing the shirt into strips, she wet one

down and placed it on Rowan’s forehead. She pulled the covers over

him and he mumbled in his sleep.

“Rourke?” His eyes cracked open, but they were glazed by

fever and Zin had the impression he wasn’t seeing reality. “Rourke, I

dreamed about him again. Eldin. That he whisked me away from this

castle and all its annoying politics.”

Zin smiled, flipping the cloth to the cool side. “It must have

been a good dream.”

Rowan sighed, his eyes falling shut again. “Yeah. I just wish

he would have liked me more than that girl. Then it would have been

perfect.”