Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 28

Ildri grinned to herself over her brilliant escape as she walked towards her room, but with each step she could feel her manic glee slipping away, leaving only the terrible things that she had heard from Charles.

More deaths, more battles.  It was terrible, she thought as she slammed her door shut and threw herself down on her bed.

Of course, there had always been rumours of discontent and war coming to Wildwood from the outside.  There were more now, but even two months ago the tales seemed more like tales told to scare little children, frightening on the surface but without real sustenance, but they were different now.  Ildri had been plunged headfirst into the rumours of war, and they no longer seemed like simple scary stories.

It was a terrible reminder that all the danger had not stopped in the outside world simply because Ildri had returned to her place of comfort.  Forces were at work outside of Wildwood and even could threaten the safety of her precious home.

They had Lord Wildwood to lead them, of course, but he was just one man.  He was as trustworthy, wise and honourable as his father had been, but he was still just one person.  Just like Ildri.  Ildri was one person and she had spent her life being dependent and helpless, like a child.  But Ildri was a child no more.

War had come and as much as she did not want to think about it, it was too late.  Pretending that it was not would not change the reality, that she and everyone she loved were in danger from forces beyond her control.  War was like fire, it would ravage and consume the land until there was nothing left to consume.  Like fire, war was indiscriminate.  It would destroy any that got in its path, old or young.

Ildri hated being at Wildwood, feeling useless and discontent.  It was worse than being somewhere else, because it was the place she loved.

But it was not entirely Wildwood that had changed.  It was Ildri.

She hated all the changes, the new people, the new walls, but if she had never left, she knew she would not have felt that way.  The old Ildri would have been excited at the increased activity and thankful for any additional protection.

Ildri was not the same as she had been.  For better or worse, her encounter with Ty had changed Ildri forever.

* * * * *

Ildri's general malaise grew into a slow sense of frustration over the next couple of days.  Everything moved so slow and it felt as if all of Wildwood were holding their breaths and waiting for something.

Or perhaps it was all Ildri's imagination.

She continued to follow her usual pattern and time continued on.  Ildri worked in the kitchen, took her short walks and tried to seem as normal as possible so that no one would worry about her.

Ildri's day was going just like any other day.  She was in the kitchen peeling potatoes for lunch.  Chef was making meat pies and Kallie was helping Matt wipe down counters.

The door opened and Damani rushed in.  "Did we get a letter from Anya?" he demanded his sister.

Kallie glared at Damani.  "That's no way to talk to a lady, Damani."

"Fine, fine.  Did we get a letter?" he asked in a slightly nicer tone.

"Yes," Kallie said primly.

"Go on, then.  Read it," Damani ordered.

Kallie sniffed.  "Read it yourself."  She threw a letter onto the clean counter.

"I already read all day," he complained.  "Read it to me, Kallie."