Dulindir let an arrow fly, but the Bearagon swatted it aside with a massive paw. Astrid flung a stone, but it had no effect on the Bearagon’s thick hide. It roared again as it stood between them and Isadora, but it wasn’t attacking them.
“It’s protecting her,” Teofil said.
“Of course it is,” said Dulindir. “It’s her servant.”
“I knew him as Logan back at my job,” Thaddeus added. “I wonder who he really is.”
Isadora pulled herself up and glared at them over the Bearagon’s broad back. Blood streaked her face and matted her hair, but Thaddeus could see her cuts were already healing, most likely from the amount of water she had consumed. She grabbed a handful of the Bearagon’s fur and pulled herself up until she sat astride the beast.
“I could easily kill you where you stand,” she said. “But I won’t. I’ll leave you stranded here, in the middle of the Lost Forest and this dead village. Thank you for leading me straight to this place and allowing me to return to my true, fully powerful form. As a show of appreciation, let me leave you with this.”
She gestured toward the well, and the stones collapsed into the shaft.
“No!” Thaddeus shouted. Teofil held him back as he tried to run toward the ruins of the well.
“And now, Nathan will die a long, slow, agonizing death,” Isadora said. “But maybe you can make it back in time to hold his hand as he takes his last, painful, blood-soaked breath. Shame he won’t be able to share any more family secrets with you.” She flashed that cold smile once again. “I’ll tell your mother you said hello.”
Isadora dug her heels into the Bearagon’s sides, and with a final growl, the monster bounded off into the forest.
Thaddeus fell to his knees, and Teofil crouched down with him, holding him tight as he cried. What had Isadora meant by that? What other family secrets were waiting for him to uncover? Not far away, Thaddeus heard Astrid sobbing, and he mentally pulled himself together. There had been deeper betrayals revealed than those that affected him personally, and Astrid needed Teofil now more than he did.
“Go to her,” Thaddeus said. Dulindir was on his knees beside her, rubbing her back.
“Are you sure?” Teofil asked.
“I’m fine, really. Dulindir and I will inspect the well. Astrid needs you.”
Teofil kissed him quickly on the lips before hurrying over to gather Astrid into his strong arms. She leaned into his chest and sobbed harder, saying incoherent things while Teofil stroked her back and made quiet sounds of comfort as he cried with her, both of them grieving their brother.
Dulindir joined Thaddeus, and together they approached the well. They looked over the damage and carefully picked at a few of the rocks. Many of the stones had collapsed into the shaft and sealed it.
“It’s gone,” Thaddeus said in a quiet voice. “We’ll never get to the water now.” Isadora had a head start to the mountains and, most likely, his mother in her dragon form. Everything they’d been fighting for was lost. And all because of Thaddeus’s request to change their objective.
“I don’t think it’s completely sealed up,” Dulindir told him.
“What do you mean?”
“These larger stones appear to have wedged inside the shaft. Some of the smaller ones fell into the water at the bottom, yes, but most were caught by these larger ones stuck up top.” Dulindir pointed them out. “See? If we carefully remove the smaller stones from on top of the larger, I may be able to slip past the blockage and retrieve more of the water.”
“That sounds dangerous,” Thaddeus said. “Those larger stones could fall in at any moment. Any movement could bring them down.”
Dulindir looked up at him, and Thaddeus saw the determination in his expression. “I’ll not let anyone else die by her hand. I refuse.”
“How do you know each other? Were you in the village all those years ago when she attacked?”
“It’s a long story,” Dulindir said and looked away. “And we don’t have time for it right now. Ask me again another day.”
“All right. Let’s get to work, then, shall we?”
Chapter 12
Thaddeus helped Dulindir lift another stone, and they carried it a few feet away from the well before dropping it. Thaddeus paused to look at his dirty but uninjured hands, amazed all over again at the magic possible from a bit of water. But there was more to do, and he wiped his hands clean on his jeans as he returned to the well. Astrid and Teofil had joined them a short time ago, and now all four stood staring into the dark, narrow opening.
“It’s going to be tight.” Dulindir looked up at Thaddeus with grim resolve. “But I’m willing to try it.”
“Are you sure? I can’t ask you to risk your life for me to be able to take some magic water back to my father. For all we know, he might already have died.”
“Stop talking like that,” Teofil scolded him with a scowl. “Let’s get the rope and lower Dulindir into the well.”
“What will he use to bring up the water?” Astrid asked. Dark circles had formed beneath her puffy eyes. Each time Thaddeus looked at her, he just wanted to pull her into a tight hug and tell her how sorry he was about everything. Though she and Fetter had had their differences, most likely initiated by Isadora herself, Thaddeus could tell Astrid had felt close to him. He couldn’t imagine how deeply the sense of betrayal had cut her. And to have it combined with the unknown fate of Fetter himself most likely magnified the pain. Thaddeus figured Fetter was still alive somewhere. If not, Isadora would have happily offered up that fact before leaving them.
Right now, however, they had no time to sit and discuss the many possibilities of Fetter’s fate. They needed to get the water and hurry back to his father.
“Oh, right,” Teofil said. “He—sorry, Isadora cut the waterskin.”
“Didn’t we have more than one?” Thaddeus asked. “I thought we did.”
“It was in Fetter’s—” Astrid stopped speaking, the words catching in her throat as tears welled up in her eyes. She shook her head and angrily swiped them away. “Stupid. I’m acting stupid. Sorry.”
“It’s okay, Astrid,” Teofil said in a quiet voice, putting an arm around her. “We’re all a bit stunned about what happened. It will keep sneaking up on us for a while.”
“Here!” Dulindir shouted from the other side of the clearing. “I found his pack.”
He trotted back to them, long blond hair flowing behind to reveal his intricate, pointed ears. Thaddeus was heartened to see a faint blush color Astrid’s cheeks as she watched Dulindir approach them. He wondered if Teofil had noticed Astrid’s growing attraction, and what he thought of her having such feelings for an elf. Even though Astrid was the older sibling, Teofil often acted like her older brother. She protested and gave Teofil guff about it, but Thaddeus thought she secretly enjoyed her brother’s protectiveness.
Teofil took the pack from Dulindir and squatted down. He hesitated a moment, the strap of the pack wrapped loosely around his hand.
“You okay?” Thaddeus asked.
Teofil looked at him. Tears shone in his eyes, but he smiled. “I will be.” He opened the bag and pulled everything out. A couple of shirts, a pair of pants, some socks, and a small frayed and battered notebook lay on the grass. Then Teofil pulled out the canteen Thaddeus had had with him at the beginning of the trip.