Chapter 3 Shadows Of The Past

• The morning dawned gray and cold, the storm clouds lingering over Silverbrook as if reluctant to release their grip. Ariella woke to the sound of birdsong mingled with the faint clatter of dishes in the kitchen.
• Linnea was already bustling around the hearth, preparing a simple breakfast. Kael sat at the small wooden table, his cloak folded neatly beside him. His gray eyes tracked Linnea’s movements, but his expression was guarded.
• Ariella stepped into the room, the amulet tucked safely beneath the folds of her dress. “Good morning,” she said softly, her gaze flicking between the two of them.
• Kael nodded once, while Linnea merely grunted, too preoccupied with her task to respond.
• “Eat,” Linnea said, setting a bowl of porridge in front of Kael. “You’ll need your strength if you’re planning to head out today.”
• Kael stared at the bowl for a moment before picking up the spoon. “Thank you,” he said, though the words sounded foreign on his tongue.
• Ariella took a seat across from him, curiosity gnawing at her. “Where will you go?”
• Kael didn’t look up. “North. Toward the mountains.”
• Linnea froze, her back to them. “The mountains?” she asked, her voice tight.
• “Yes,” Kael said. “I have… business there.”
• Linnea turned slowly, her eyes narrowing. “The queen’s patrols are thick in the northern regions. You’re either very brave or very foolish to go there.”
• Kael’s lips twitched in a humorless smile. “Maybe a bit of both.”
• ---
• The tension in the room was palpable, and Ariella couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Kael’s story than he was letting on. She decided to press further.
• “Why are you really here?” she asked. “You said you’ve heard of us, but that doesn’t explain why you came to Silverbrook.”
• Kael met her gaze, his eyes hard. “I needed shelter. That’s all.”
• But Ariella wasn’t convinced. “And what about the queen? Why do you care if her patrols are nearby?”
• Kael’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he wouldn’t answer. Then he leaned back in his chair, his expression distant.
• “The queen took everything from me,” he said quietly. “My family, my home, my honor. Everything.”
• Ariella’s heart ached at the raw pain in his voice. She wanted to say something, to offer comfort, but the words wouldn’t come.
• Linnea, however, wasn’t so hesitant. “You’re not the only one who’s suffered under her reign,” she said. “But running won’t solve anything.”
• Kael’s eyes flashed. “And what would you have me do? March into the capital and challenge her alone?”
• “If that’s what it takes,” Linnea said sharply.
• Ariella stared at her grandmother in shock. “Linnea!”
• But Linnea didn’t back down. “The queen’s power grows stronger every day. If no one stands against her, she’ll consume everything in her path. Including this village.”
• ---
• Kael pushed back his chair and stood, his expression unreadable. “Thank you for the food,” he said stiffly. “But I won’t be your savior.”
• Linnea’s eyes softened, but there was still steel in her voice. “Then at least don’t make things worse for the rest of us. Whatever you’re running from, don’t bring it here.”
• Kael didn’t respond. He picked up his cloak and slung it over his shoulders, his movements precise and deliberate.
• As he moved toward the door, Ariella felt a pang of regret. Despite his guarded demeanor, she couldn’t help but feel that his arrival was more than a coincidence.
• “Wait,” she said, standing abruptly.
• Kael paused, his hand on the doorframe.
• “You can’t go yet,” she said, the words spilling out before she could stop them. “Not while the queen’s patrols are so close. It’s too dangerous.”
• Kael turned to face her, his gray eyes softening just slightly. “Danger is nothing new to me.”
• “But—”
• “I’ll be fine.”
• Ariella’s chest tightened as he stepped outside, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
• ---
• The day passed in uneasy silence. Ariella tried to focus on her work, grinding herbs and mixing poultices, but her mind kept drifting back to Kael. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she should have stopped him, or at least convinced him to stay longer.
• As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the village in a warm, golden light, Ariella stepped outside to gather firewood. The air was crisp and still, the storm’s fury now a distant memory.
• She was stacking logs in her arms when she heard it—a faint rustling in the trees. She froze, her heart pounding.
• “Who’s there?” she called, her voice trembling.
• For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, a figure emerged from the shadows.
• It wasn’t Kael.
• The man was tall and wiry, his face partially obscured by a dark hood. His eyes gleamed with a predatory light, and a wicked smile spread across his lips.
• “Well, well,” he said, his voice oily and cold. “What’s a pretty thing like you doing out here all alone?”
• Ariella’s blood ran cold. She backed away slowly, her mind racing.
• Before she could scream, the man lunged.
• ---
• A blur of motion stopped him in his tracks. Kael appeared out of nowhere, his blade gleaming in the fading light. The hooded man stumbled back, his smile replaced by a snarl.
• “Who the hell are you?” the man spat.
• Kael didn’t answer. He moved with the precision of a predator, forcing the man to retreat step by step.
• “You made a mistake coming here,” Kael said, his voice low and dangerous.
• The man growled and lunged again, but Kael was faster. With a single, fluid motion, he disarmed his opponent and sent him sprawling to the ground.
• “Tell your friends,” Kael said, pressing the blade to the man’s throat, “this village is off-limits.”
• The man nodded frantically, his bravado gone. Kael stepped back, and the man scrambled to his feet, disappearing into the woods without a backward glance.
• Ariella stared at Kael, her chest heaving. “You came back.”
• Kael sheathed his sword, his expression unreadable. “I didn’t have a choice.”