Battle Strong by Elizabeth McCready (the ebook reader txt) 📖

down his face. He was so afraid of what he would find at the end of those tracks, or what he wouldn't. He had never felt so afraid, it was one thing for Beth to be away from him. But for her to be gone? That thought was unbearable.

"We need to go, more soldiers could be nearby, and you need a healer." Ander whispered to her gently, as he released the tie around her hands. His hands slipped beneath her arms and around her waist helping her to her feet. Together the two struggled through the woods, avoiding any and all contact with others until they reached the bus.

*~*

Beth was not entirely focused when her and Ander had reached the bus, but even someone who was both blind and deaf could sense the hostility between Ander and Noeh. The two had nothing but hate radiating from their core as they glared at each other with eyes that held an uncanny desire to kill. She knew why. Noeh couldn't keep a leash on her, Noeh failed the one thing Ander trusted him to do, so Ander is taking her away. They infuriated each other, anyone could see that.

"Send for a healer." Ander said to Noeh.

"Okay but I'm-"

"You have done enough." Beth cut in, giving Noeh the look that he knew all too well. The only difference was, she made the face to avoid a lashing between him and Ander.

Noeh left, and Beth was thankful for that, but she was also slightly surprised. She never would've thought it to be that easy.

*~*

Ander was unsure if the healer was actually helping Beth. The distress he had been witnessing was painful to watch, and yet the healer claimed she was ready to return to battle by the following morning. But, knowing Beth she'd more likely sleep than fight after an event like that. Beth was a force, but when it came to trauma, she always seemed to want to sleep it off.

Her day had been literal hell. She first had to deal with the sorrow of attending the ceremony of loss of her friend and partner, only then to get kidnapped because of an asshat who was supposed to keep an eye on her, and finally further tortured by a so-called healer. Ander could not wrap his mind around how it must've felt. All of those things to rise against in a matter of sixteen hours. It was unfair.

"Ander." Beth muttered when the healer was out of the room.

"I'm here, I'm right here." Ander whispered softly brushing a hair from the girl's face as tears began to fall. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's not much to talk about." She breathed, Ander noticed something wasn’t right.

"That's okay, you don't have to." Ander pulled the corner of his mouth up. "They are dead anyway."

"Thank you, Ander." She smiled the best she could behind the swollen and discolored skin.

"Hey, I've got your back Donoway." He looked at her, trying to figure out why she still seemed off, seemed afraid.

"Ander," He looked at her, the change in her voice changing his expression. "They know who I am."

Ander's eyes widened as they settled back on Beth, her eyes meeting his. Fear, almost as bad as the fear of Beth being kidnapped. Fear because Beth no longer had leverage. Fear because Beth was now in danger. Fear because Dumarian soldiers know that Calline Ellyzibeth Mansford is alive.

*~*

She always assumed no one would discover her secret. Hoped really. She had been so young when her mother left Isaac, he hadn't been King for very long. He was a horrible father, but an even worse husband. Beth had been lucky, she was too young to really know the depth of evil he showed his family. He had abused both her and her mother for years, and of course gotten away with it. The country viewed Isaac as good, strong, perfect. He was their leader, they wanted him to be that way. So to them he was, but behind closed doors, he was a monster. He is a monster. But his Commanding Soldier was not. That's why he let them go against the king’s orders, to protect them from not only the king, but also from Dumar. He helped them and the others attain new lives and identities that would hide them and keep them from ever being discovered. Instead of Calline Elyzibeth Mansford, she became Beth Donaway. She moved from the castle in Mansford to the small village town of Humes where she and Ander, Emylee, and Jaq’s families settled, where she decided to fight, where she made a new life for herself. A life that she knew would never be fit for a princess, a life that was created to take away that part of her life. But it was also a life that left her fatherless, a life that forced to forget a prior life of royalty, a life with a brother, a life with wealth. 

Beth became someone new the day she and her mother left the kingdom. She was okay with that. But now, she was afraid that the life she left behind would soon catch back up to her. If Dumar knew where she was, it would be easy for her father to find her as well. She had never been afraid before, but suddenly she was. 

*~*

Ander woke the next morning more exhausted than he had been when he'd fallen asleep. That was no surprise to him, he was more surprised that siren hadn't gone off. He muscled his body out of his bunk and searched his cabin for the others who were, of course, nowhere to be seen. After the news he had received yesterday, he wouldn't be surprised if they were forming some sort of escape for Beth, but then he also knew that not even they knew her true identity. She would risk her life telling them.

Ander moved out of the cabin, his eyes not easily adjusting to the sun. Stretching his tired limbs, he walked to the Common Building where he found the others.

"Hey Ander-O! No death bell today!" Peitre called from across the room, bits of food flying everywhere, he seemed drunk.

"Chew. Swallow. Never call me that again."

"Well, someone didn't get laid last night."

"And you did?" Beth retorted from her spot on the sofa, Peitre put his hands in the air.

"Easy there, princess. It was just a joke."

"Don't call me that." She barked.

"Damn, what is up with you people and nicknames?" Peitre mumbled as he flopped onto the sofa next to Noeh, who didn't so much as raise his head, and took a gulp of alcohol from a little silver flask.

Ander and Beth looked to each other from across the room, the anger in their eyes soon faded into the confusion they had been so badly trying to hide. Ander had so much trouble trying to figure out what was on her mind, she had never been the kind of person to show emotion, yet he always saw right through her fronts. He couldn't any more.

"Hello, soldiers." An unknown voice called over the speakers in the ceiling, "Battle has been placed on temporary withdraw put into effect by Dumar. The Dumarian soldiers have raised their white flag and requested immediate contact with the Quill, therefore battle comes to a stalemate." Ander and Beth looked to each other eyes wide. "In the meantime, we expect nothing but training from you. We have left new weapons and- supplies, for lack of a better term- in the stables. We hope to see you prosper, and prove your worth. Good luck." A triple tone beep sounded from the speakers and the six, excited for their new weapons, lunged for the door.

Ander was surprised to see even Beth spring off the sofa, whatever that healer had tortured her with must’ve worked, she seemed giddy as if the prior day hadn’t even happened. He watched as the wild teenagers pulled the door to the stable open, greeted by some of the most terrifying horse brays he'd ever heard. In amazement, he ran to join his team and beheld the sight of six beautiful horses snorting and stomping in the stables.

"You may not choose the animal. The animal may choose you." Ander read from the banner hanging in the aisle.

"It says that we let them out into the field and they will come to us." Quinn said.

"They have names." Beth said, a smile on her face. "This one here," She pointed to a dark grey horse, "Achilles, male. This one," she moved to the next stall that held a brown horse with a white stripe on its face. "Zandra, female." She moved to the next where a golden horse with white mane and tail stood tall, "Apollo, fitting. Male." She crossed the isle to the next stall where a light grey horse stood still as a rock. "Kamau, female." Next was a red-orange colored horse, smaller than the rest, "Finnegan, male." She reached the final stall, her stall, where a jet black horse stood, nostrils flared. "Calypso, female."

“How long is this supposed to take, exactly?” Noeh grumbled.

"We have time." Ander nodded to Stievan and Quinn who dipped their heads and departed to either side of the stable, releasing the horses into the pasture. He smiled at Beth, "Today, you and I get a little piece of home." The remaining four walked to the pasture to join Steivan and Quinn.

*~*

The six spread themselves out in the pasture. Noeh hated the idea of a filthy, wretched animal choosing him. In his opinion, man is to be dominant and man is to choose. Not the other way around. He had never liked animals. Any of them, what is the big deal about some dirty, loud, and dangerous shitter that licks its own ass for fun. But still he sat, waiting for an animal to somehow choose him. In the pasture he saw the horses running like savages. Neighing viciously, rearing up on their hind legs, kicking the air and each other, snorting, pawing the ground, being animals. He didn't understand why he and his five had to sit and wait for one of the disgusting creatures to calm down long enough to choose them.

*~*

Beth sat quietly watched the beautiful creatures run and stretch their legs. She couldn't stop, and she knew Ander had his eyes fixed on her. She was fascinated, and for once at peace. The creatures in front of her could kill her in a second, but she didn't care. They were the most magnificent things she had ever seen, so fierce and strong. Living powerfully, like nothing and no one could ever stop them.

It must’ve been hours before horses calmed. They were standing in a perfect line in the middle of the pasture, one stepped forward, the small gelding, Finnegan. He walked to Stievan and sniffed him, shook his head and trotted to Quinn the horse stopped and sniffed the air in front of him, Quinn held out a hand. The horse neighed and trotted on, he was about to pass Noeh but then he stopped. He stared Noeh in the eye, and unlike anything she had ever seen lowered his head, eyes closed, and let out a sigh. The horse laid down beside Noeh, he had chosen. The other five clapped as Noeh scowled and looked at the horse that was now nudging his elbow, with a look of pure disgust Noeh laid a hand on the horse’s head and bore a fake smile.

The next horse stepped out. Zandra whinnied delicately and pranced about as if she were a show pony. She was in front of Peitre when he laughed, she halted and fiercely neighed in his face as if he were trying to kill her. The frightened boy nearly pissed himself trying to crawl away from the horse. The satisfied creature perked her ears forward and continued on prancing to Quinn where she too bowed her head and laid beside him.

"I think I'm going to like