“What do I do now?” I asked Khoda.

“You must ride home; after that it’s up to you," he answered.

Orius didn’t hold my hand when we walked back to Koinb; he was still wary after my outburst. Khoda stood next to the horse and Orius mounted. I began to, but something stopped me.

“Wait,” I said.

I stepped down and loosed the fabric from around my neck, spreading it flat on the ground. I kneeled, then curled a fistful of ash into it. Then I gathered its four corners and tied it into my waistband.

“Alright, let’s go home.” I placed my foot on Khoda’s back and mounted Koinb. In a moment, we were streaking through the growing darkness. Whatever scant light made its way through the ventilation shafts faded quickly. Soon we had nothing lighting our way but the incandescent glow from Khoda’s silver coat. Once again, we took the longest leg of the journey first, stopping to eat an hour’s ride from the stairwell.

At last the grey stone stretched to meet us. The light had increased slowly so that we could finally see unassisted. We halted and I jumped to the ground. Searing pain shot from my feet to my knees and I stumbled forward. My feet had gone numb with the cold and didn’t appreciate being used so suddenly.

I turned and helped Orius down. Koinb’s white hide was speckled with grey ash. I leaned my head on the high shoulder and heard his heartbeat. Mine synced with it and he sighed. I moved to his head and stroked his nose.

“I’d love to take you with us. But you’d hate it where I live; there are no open spaces, plus it’s all stone,” I said.

“You’ll have to come and visit me, then,” he replied.

I blanched and stepped back. “Did, did, did you just. Did you just. Talk?”

Khoda barked a laugh behind me. Orius looked confused.

“I have always talked,” Koinb said, “But you never understood me.”

“Then why can I understand you now?” I wondered.

“I don’t know,” he responded.

Khoda stepped between us. “Your hearts aligned. They beat together and contained like sentiments.”

“Then why could I understand you from the first moment you spoke to me?” I asked.

“Our hearts were aligned long before we met,” he said simply. His tongue lolled out in a kindly grin.

My mouth snapped shut and an ember of bitterness flamed in my mind. For a moment, I tried to extinguish it, but it burned steadily despite my effort. He meant well but his answer only reminded me of his prolonged absence in days, weeks, and years past. Which reminded me of his absence on the first floor so long ago. I turned away and began walking toward the staircase.

“You will come visit, won’t you?” Koinb called after me.

I stopped and sighed, then turned around. “Yeah, I’ll come visit.”

“Good,” he pawed the ground then looked at Orius. “You come to visit, too.”

Orius’ eyes turned to saucers and he inhaled in shock. “She’s not crazy! You really can talk!”

“You better hope I’m not crazy!” I responded. “We’ve got five flights of stairs to climb before breakfast and you’re stuck with me the whole way.”

Orius’ face scrunched at the unpleasant climb. I patted him on the back and moved to the staircase. He followed with Khoda behind him. At the first step, I turned and looked back. Koinb had turned and was trotting away. I faced forward and began the upward trudge. Darkness overtook my vision, and I soon felt Orius’ hand slip into mine. I squeezed back gently.

Khoda soon took the lead, and I saw the hair on the back of his neck raise. He sniffed the air, but didn’t say anything. The monotonous climb allowed drowsiness; the insides of my eyelids felt like sandpaper. We were soon jerked from our growing stupor. On the second floor, Khoda stopped short and growled at the yawning darkness before us. I pulled Orius behind me.

“Did you really think that killing the witch would keep us away, Princess?” The oily voice asked.

“You do not have permission to speak to her, Cheikos,” Khoda snarled.

The voice laughed. “Have it your way, then.”

I felt rather than saw Cheikos coming at us. Though it was already frigid, the air turned even colder. It thickened to make anything more than a gasp impossible. Orius yelped as one of his eardrums burst. Khoda whined softly but moved into an aggressive crouch. His ears flicked back and forth.

“When I say, take Orius and run,” he said.

My eyes were blurring with the pressure but I managed to nod slowly. I tried to move some of the energy out away from us, but it was too heavy. Cheikos, tall and clothed in forest green, came into sight. He wielded a dagger blade in each hand with a broadsword strapped to his back.

Khoda sprang. When the two collided, the pressure around us evaporated. I don’t know whether the air returned to its normal freezing temperature; Khoda told Orius and I to run and we bolted. We took the stairs two at a time until we almost reached the fourth floor. Suddenly the staircase behind us grew silent. I turned around and a blast of icy air hit my face. We sprinted up the remaining stairs and I threw my shoulder against the door that led to Jacob’s room. As soon as it opened enough to allow Orius and then myself through, we flung ourselves into the bright light and shoved the door closed. I drew my sword and motioned for the astonished Jacob to keep quiet. Orius still held his ear; blood was just starting to drip between his fingers. I pushed him gently toward Jacob and gestured for it to be examined. Jacob took the boy over to his washstand and gently cleaned the ear, then wrapped it lightly. I turned from them and put my ear to the door. Another minute longer and I sheathed my blade.

“I think we’re okay for now,” I said doubtfully, walking over to the pair. “Will your ear heal alright?” I asked Orius.

“It might, it might not. Jacob gave me some stuff to put on it at night. He said it’ll help,” he replied.

“But you must put it on every night,” Jacob said pointedly.

I smiled. “Thank you. We had,” I paused, “Some trouble in the staircase.”

His head swiveled between Orius and me. “You must be joking,” he said with a smile on the edge of his voice.

I rolled my eyes and tried to suppress a grin. “We should be going. How can I repay you?”

“Stay alive,” he motioned to Orius, “Keep this one alive, and preserve your vows.” For the first time he noticed my dress. “It’s about time we had some royalty who could hold their own in the battles of their kingdoms.”

I bowed deeply, and Orius followed suit. After Jacob glanced outside to make sure the hallway was empty – it was quite early in the morning so people should still have been in their homes – we left.

“We should get horses. They’ll be expecting us soon,” Orius spoke. I nodded and he looked around us. “I know where we are, follow me!”

He set off at a faster pace than I would have chosen, but one that we needed. After a few turns we came to a stable. He trotted down to the second stall and peeked inside.

“Marcus!” He hissed. “Marcus get up! It’s Orius! I need your help!”

“Orius?” a sleepy voice responded. “Orius! It really is you! Where are you now? Rumor has it you’re up on the fifth floor!”

“Shhhh, you louse!” Orius laughed. “I’m up there, alright. Personal messenger to the captain of the guard!” He showed off the patch on his uniform proudly, then turned serious. “Look I your help. We need a horse to get back to the fifth floor by calling hour.”

“Who’s we?” Marcus asked just in time to notice me standing a few paces away. “Oh. You one of the new soldiers they’re bringing in to guard the Princess?”

Orius began to decline but I spoke before he could reveal who I was. “Yes, I am. Will you help us?”

Marcus smirked when he heard me speak. “Alright, lady bodyguards!” He slid a rope bridle on the horse he shared the stall with and led it out. “You can use my mare Plucky for now. Just send her back when you get the chance; I’m in no need of her for a while yet.”

“Thanks, I owe you one!” Orius took the bridle and led Plucky to the mounting block. As we situated ourselves, he asked, “Do you think Khoda is alright?”

My throat tightened. I had mentally avoided the question until now. “He’s lasted through worse; I’m sure he’s fine,” I whispered.

Orius didn’t broach the subject again. He directed me to the main staircase and we made our way to the fifth floor. All was empty and quiet until our journey was halfway over. I nudged Plucky into a canter as people began to bustle about the main causeway. We alternated between walking and cantering until we reached the Gate.

I jumped from the horse’s back and helped Orius down. The guards immediately recognized me and rushed to open the entrance. They bowed as we walked through. I knew one of them as the soldier from the line who tried to hold me back from where Nathan and the witch were fighting. I laid a hand on his arm as we passed.