Chapter IV

The bar downstairs was lit by lanterns that cast a golden glow about the room, filling the air with a pleasurable sense of a rustic aesthetic. Lights reflected off the dozens of bottles behind the bar tender, and people had filed in making lots of noise and began to order drinks by the pint.

Faust would have no clue we left; pillows were in our place and the thrum of heartbeats around us would be more than enough to dull his senses. The bar was mostly filled with Horde soldiers, and it almost shook me.

"What's the plan?" I asked, and Petra held up a hand.

"We act!" She said dramatically, and I stiffed a laugh as we strolled in.

We walked up to the crowded bar and ordered a few glasses of waters. The bartender put a few olives in as per our request. We had never been drunk in our lives, and I was not planning on it. Wolves that get drunk lose control and start shifting in crowds. No thanks, I want to live.

"Truth or dare?" I asked Petra, and she rolled her shoulders.

"I've done two truths so... dare." She said, and I looked around. A small band was playing, but they were clearly bored.

"I dare you to tell me how you feel about Noah?" I said mischievously and rested my chin on my hand that I'd propped up on the round wooden table.

"Gosh, you're a real snoop you know that, right?" I shrugged as I popped an olive into my mouth with a slight grin on my lips. Petra pondered the question a moment before she spoke again.

"I like him, you know this. I've missed him, and I missed you." Petra admitted. She and Noah had been an item when we lived in Lupin – just a silly crush – but wolves mentally mature three times as fast as a human does.

"Let's just talk." I offered, and she nodded.

"Do you think... this is right?" She asked after a while. I looked up at her and shook my head.

"Talking to Horde officers? No way-" I stared but she shook her head.

"No... I mean yes, but... Azure, we're going into hiding; we're not helping someone win this war." I realized what she meant, and the more I replayed it in my head, the more the ache in my chest grew.

"No. I am just afraid to pick a side, we all are. Whatever side we chose –," I cleared my throat, and she nodded knowing I meant the Rebellion. "The other would target our race specifically with the intent to exterminate. We're not just Etherians, Petra, we're something bigger, we're a threat." I whispered urgently as fear danced in my eyes.

An Elevated heartbeat throbbed so loudly I thought my ears would pop. Petra, and I looked at the door and saw a Horde officer burst into the room.

"We had wolf action; there was a wolf shifter spotted in the Tiega!" She screeched. I froze as my heart shot up into my throat as it pounded wildly, and Petra turned pale.

"When?" someone asked as she started passing a small blue pad screen over all their small tablets.

"Yesterday, but the feed just got in; this girl practically flew across a ravine." When someone held their screen at an angle, I was able to see the image.

I twitched. I was biting my lip so hard it bled. I looked at Petra. The girl on the screen had frizzy auburn hair, with a jean jacket, a white sweater and was looking back over her shoulder as she ran towards a line of spruce and birch trees.

Petra grabbed my arm, and pulled me out of the bar, no one seeing us as we made it back to our room.

We opened the door, and I slid into the room. Faust sat up as I ran over to him. "Faust, we have to go, they've got my picture from the bots." I spoke.

Faust shook Noah gently, while saying to me. "Get the bags. Leave whatever we can."

I yanked out personal items from my bag. One of the two books, the ink bottles, and spare parchment from Noah's bag. Petra swung Noah's left arm over her shoulders as Faust did the same on his other side. I rolled up my sweater sleeves over the jean jacket cuffs and buttoned it up over the rest of my sweater, so it wasn't visible. Petra also yanked my hair into a fraying bun to add to the disguise.

Noah was awake and had an arm around Faust while Petra helped me with the bags and was able to walk a little better than before.

"Use the back door." Faust said as we walked to the opposite end of the hall that lead out to the bar. We emerged onto a rickety wooden staircase down the side of the bar, and we quietly descended it.

The street was empty, aside from a few drunk soldiers that had passed out at the side of a few buildings.

"We should take a skiff and we'll be able to get away. They'll catch us easily if we go on foot." Petra said, and I nodded. Faust set Noah in one of the parked skiffs and clambered in himself.

I ran up to the nearest soldier – who was passed out on the steps of the bar – and searched him for keys he did not wake up, and I drew forth a few keys from his left pocket. I stepped onto the skiff and handed the keys to Faust who turned them in the ignition.

The skiff started with a warble, and I sat very flat on the ground next to Noah to make sure he did not slide around and break another bone. Petra was at the front with Faust, and I felt my hair tear at my face as we sped over the trees.

"Hold on! we'll be able to make it to the place-" Faust said, and I looked up.

"Faust, we can't! We have to go to Bright Moon!" I shouted without thinking.

"Why?" He shouted back at me, and franticly searched my face.

"I can't explain right now!" I said, and he looked East, then West. "Faust... it's the right thing to do." I said loud enough for him to hear.

He sighed, and looked back at me, before saying something, and then turned East, towards Bright Moon...