Chapter 143: Ghosts of the Past

The day began like the normal everyday would and all Viktor would think of was to go to the market and help out the best way he would. Just as he was placing a bag of flour in one merchant's booth, his eyes fell upon the someone so familiar,a dark-haired young girl. His heart skipped one beat; this was the girl he once saved from the soldiers, in the woods. "Can that really be her?" whispered Viktor to himself. She whirled into a spin, over her shoulder, her wide eyes with fear in them fell on his. Then she turned silently around and disappeared into the maze of stalls. "Wait!" exclaimed Viktor dropping whatever it was that he had been doing to go chase after her. It was impossible to catch up with her in that crowd. "I won't do anything to you!" he yelled out. She didn't stop. Soon, she turned a corner into the shade of a forest surrounding the village. Viktor didn't give it any further thought, he took the same path and followed her. "Please-just wait!" he yelled out loud across the woods. She turned this time and looked back at him, a look of fear was seen in her eyes. she went on without looking back. he followed her into the forest, without thinking about it . At last, they reached the cave entrance, almost invisible behind a tangle of heavy vines. The girl paused one instant then reached around and slipped inside. Viktor stopped in the opening, getting his breath. "She's hiding in here," he muttered to himself, reaching inside to pull vines aside and step into the cool darkness of the cave. The air was damp and cold. Viktor listened carefully with his ears to catch the least crackle of sound. "It is all right," he whispered. "I won't harm you. I'll only help you." He walked deeper into the cave, growing accustomed to dim light filtering through fissures in the stone. But when he got to one corner, she was no longer there. "What the…?": Viktor's voice whispered out, his voice echoed off the wall. He searched high and low, but she had just disappeared into the cave. Angry an frustrated he hunched against cool stone walls, running his hand through his hair. "Who am I?" he wondered, saying to himself aloud. Viktor let out a deep, heavy sigh and began to turn his head to make his way back out into the cave. The surrounding forest seemed quiet now on purpose. When he finally returned to his cottage, he was shocked to see the same little girl with Alfonso. Alfonso was seated across from her, his arms crossed. 'Viktor," Alfonso said, noticing his friend at the doorway. 'You're back." She stood before Viktor, hood flung back, and showed her features to him. Viktor's eyes enlarged to utter wonder. "Daisy?" he shouted in amazement full in his tone. She inclined her head softening her features. "It's me," she spoke in a firm voice, "Daisy, the queen's handmaid." Further yet, Viktor uttered his thoughts: "I thought-I thought one of the village girls." She straightened her back, and from some, silent strength in her, her little size seemed to grow. "I have been watching you both," she admitted at last. "Since you helped me out in the forest, I had kept my distance but had to be sure who you were." "Watching us?" Alfonso grumbled at every word, suspicion laced in his tone. "Why? "To make sure you were not a threat," Daisy explained. "Enemies of the Queen are everywhere, and I could not risk showing myself to anyone who would report back to her." Viktor's brow furrowed. "So, why now? Why reveal yourself to us tonight?" Daisy faltered, looking at one man and then the other. "Because I've seen enough to know I can trust you. And because I need your help." Alfonso's eyebrow arched. "Help with what, precisely?" "Protect the alpha's body," Daisy said firmly. "Araidne's soldiers show no quarter. They seek anyone they think could bring them news about the Alpha. I've been hiding myself, trying to gather information. But return soon, In the meantime, "And what do you want from us?" Viktor asked. Daisy spoke closer to them, her face deadpan: "I want you to keep up the good job of staying hidden, still managing yourselves to be very capable, and to fit into villages. Most importantly, I want you to ready yourselves for the time that will come. I'll be bringing in information, and that's the kind of thing which will even the playing field for us.". Alfonso crossed his arms over his chest. "Why the bloody hell should we trust you? We're probably walking into some sort of trap." The girl didn't flinch; instead she stared right back at him. "Because I have absolutely nothing to gain by crossing you. If Araidne finds me, I am as good as dead. My loyalty was with Queen Reika, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe." Viktor looked at her a moment, then nodded. "I believe her," he said simply. Alfonso sighed, his face softening. "Fine. But if you're lying…" "I'm not," Daisy said firmly. She reached for the hood of her cloak, pulling it over her head. "I cannot stay long. If Araidne's soldiers catch wind of me being here, it will put us all in danger." Viktor frowned. "Where will you go? "Back in the shadows," Daisy said, "but I'll be back at the proper time and, until then, on your guard. And so out into the darkness vanished Daisy, leaving not a great lot to where she had once been standing save the softest sound of gentle feet receding from them. It did pass between them-an entreating glance-the weighty silence between Viktor and Alfonso. "Do you think she told it. "I don't know," Viktor said. "But if there's even a bit of a possibility she is here to help, then we can't afford to ignore it." Alfonso blew a thick breath out as he rubbed his neck. "Things just don't get better, do they? The best Victor could do was force a thin smile, "Nope, they don't."