Page 161 of Kingdom of Embers and Ruin

Herrick remembered the husband and wife in Veter that brought their child to the people’s court, the slaughter in Amsbrook, and the runeansuz, a sign from the gods that had been given with the lives of the townspeople. The rune that so starkly resembled the scar cutting through Maude’s face. The gods were trying to tell him something; Herrick was sure of it, but what?

Galderwas acting stranger every day except when he was with Maude; then theirgalderworked seamlessly together. If she was his fate and he was hers, why did she run? Why has shebeenrunning from her fate?Galderhad begun to act up ten years ago, around the time Maude had received her scar and fled from her life and her fate.

Something had happened that day that even Maude did not see, separated from society the way she had been for a decade.

Herrick needed to find her, and together, they would find out what the gods had in store for them all.

Gunnar tried and failed to move some of the dirt from the nearby gardens to try and smother the fires, but Herrick forbade him from trying again when his sickly pallor got worse with every use of hisgalder.

“It looks like there is an air shield around the flames, both feeding and protecting it,” Herrick observed. “Stand back; I want to try something.”

Everyone, including the guards who were attempting to toss buckets of water onto the raging fire, stepped back. Herrick gathered his focus and thought about Maude, bringing his water to the surface. He remembered how her skin felt against his when they were both sweat-slicked, how her skin burned under his touch as he soothed it with his ice.

He extended one hand to the flames, directing a block of ice into the center of the fire. As if the flames recognized hisgalder, they parted enough to allow the ice to slip through. Constructing a few more blocks, Herrick was able to pave a walkway between flames that did not burn or melt his ice. Sweat trickled down his back at the effort to place them, but soon, the resistance lifted, and he could breathe again.

“Well done,” Gunnar said, slapping a hand weakly on Herrick’s back.

He looked over his shoulder to his oldest friend, and concern flared in him.

“Gunnar, you have to stay here. You’re not well enough to ride as hard and fast as we need to,” Herrick told him.

“Over my dead body,” Gunnar huffed, swinging onto his horse.

“Yes, that’s what I’m worried about,” Herrick muttered before looking at his friend. “If I think even for a second that you can’t handle yourself, I’m ordering you to fall behind.”

Gunnar grumbled something he didn't catch but ultimately waved his hand in surrender. Herrick pulled himself up to sit in the saddle of the dark chestnut stallion, smoothing his hand over its neck to calm it before leading them all through Maude’s fires.

Once they were clear of the city, Herrick looked over his shoulder and said, “We keep riding until sundown. We’re probably already leagues behind her.”

They all nodded as Herrick launched his stallion into a sprint.

They rode for almost two days before they finally reached the outskirts of the desert surrounding Logi. Herrick rested very little, even when they had to stop for the horses and Gunnar. His friend had suffered another epileptic episode from the strain of riding for so long. Herrick’s need to find Maude and help his friend warred with each other until they were forced to rest for longer than he would have liked.

He could see the journey wearing on his friend, but the stubbornness that shone there was so like Maude’s that he couldn’t stop Gunnar from joining them. He was worried about her, too, just like Liv was. Hakon was the only person who had remained taciturn, suspicion laced in any words he bothered exchanging. He ignored his brother, choosing only to focuson finding Maude and whether he was angry with her for leaving them behind.

It had felt like a betrayal to Herrick, and while Maude was impulsive, he knew she wouldn’t have rushed off like this if there wasn’t a good reason. Maybe it wasn't even a good reason, but one born from spite and anger that he knew dwelled deep in her broken soul. Herrick knew that no matter what the reason, Maude had not used him for any ill gain on her part. But something had happened, and he needed to hear from her lips what was worth leaving him behind.

He felt Liv walk up to where he had been standing, facing where Logi stood in the early morning of the third day since leaving Dagsbrun.

“Are you ready?” She asked lightly.

“Ready?” Herrick asked, unable to peel his eyes from the horizon where his heart was being tugged toward.

“To find out why she left?”

“I’m not sure,” Herrick answered honestly. “I just know I need to find her. I have this nagging feeling that I’m going to be too late.”

“Gunnar looks stronger; we should be able to continue soon,” Liv offered, turning back to the horses.

“Why do you think she left?” he asked before she could get too far.

Liv was quiet for a moment while she considered.

“I think she left because she loves you, and that scares her. I think she’s a complicated woman with trauma to work through. I think she knows you are part of her fate, and she ran from it like she has wanted to since she first fought you in that pit.”

With that, Liv walked away, leaving that thought with him as he continued to stare toward where he knew Maude was now.

She had spent her life running from her fate, and now she had run from him. Maybe Liv was right. Whatever may have come to light most likelyscared her, and she ran. But that didn’t make him feel any better or make him any less angry with her. The fatemark on his chest began to pulse. They were running out of time.

---