Chapter Six

The Unmarked, Book One

Oct 24, 2025

Dawn

The cell was cold and damp. The sound of dripping water echoed against the stone walls. Dawn gripped the bars of the cell. Her swollen eye throbbed. Her head ached. Her body shook from the flurry of emotions that coursed through her: rage, fear, confusion. She was not supposed to be here. She had done nothing wrong. She had provided evidence of her innocence. Whether he had any doubts about it or not, the Governor was supposed to conduct a council meeting to discuss her case, and then the members would have had to unanimously decide whether she was innocent or guilty.

But the Governor had his own agenda. Dawn knew what would happen: he would make it look like he had retrieved the information himself, and Dawn would be accused of treachery simply by being affiliated to Lilly.

It seemed that her former mentor had been honest in that regard.

Dawn had always known that the Governor was hostile towards her, but not to the point of having her publicly tortured and executed. What had she done that made him want to kill her?

Hatred seethed inside of her. The Governor was corrupt. He had gone against one of the Nine Principles: Justice. She wasn’t sure if that was worse than what Lilly had done. Was River aware of this? Did he know that his father-

“You’re not supposed to be in here,” said a voice.

Dawn jumped and spun around. Her heart slammed against her chest. She made no effort to hide the shock and confusion that hit her.

Sitting, crossed-legged on the wooden bench that was suspended from the wall of the cell was a smiling Wolfe. It took her a few moments to gather her thoughts and speak. “What are you doing in here?” she asked, completely baffled.

Wolfe perked up. “I asked you first”.

“Were you arrested?” she asked, reaching for the only plausible conclusion.

“Oh goodness no!” he laughed out.

“Then how did you get in here?” she demanded.

Wolfe stood up and sauntered over, until he stood inches apart from her. “How did you?” he replied, placing a finger under her chin and tilting her head up to examine her bruised eye. She slapped his hand away and brushed passed him. She didn’t have patience to play games with Wolfe.

“I’m an idiot. That’s how! I thought I could be pardoned if I shared some valuable information with the Governor. Instead, I sentenced myself to death”.

“Why’d you think the governor would pardon you?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Because! By giving him the information, he’d know I’m innocent!”

“That’s it?”

Dawn frowned at him. “No. I’m also a Guardian of Third Order and his son’s best friend”.

Wolfe leaned against the railings and crossed his arms. “Ding! That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart”.

“Excuse me?”

“By the smooching you’ve been doing with his son, I’d say you’re more than just best friends”.

So, he had seen her.

“And what of it?” she challenged.

“That makes you a target”.

Dawn rolled her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that you’re scary, Dawn. No governor would want you as a daughter in law”.

“Well, you’re straightforward… I’d think any governor would be pleased to marry off their son to me” she answered defensively, placing her hands on her hips.

“If I know anything about governors, it’s that they want their children to succeed them and continue the family legacy. People like you are a threat. Yes, you’re a Guardian, you’re smart and strong. But from the little amount of time that I’ve known you, I can also say that you’re stubborn, impulsive and manipulative”.

“Wow, you’re really firing those insults, aren’t you?”. Dawn said, starting to get angry.

But Wolfe ignored her retort. “A governor wants an easy and complacent partner for their successor. One that goes with the flow and questions nothing. You’re none of those things, Dawn”.

Now it was Dawn’s turn to sit down.

“Even if you would have married River, the governor would have certainly sent you off on some death mission into the Rayless Woods” said Wolfe, casually.

Dawn glared at him. No one spoke of the Rayless Woods. But the moment of shock quickly passed as the weight of her circumstances settled on her shoulders, overwhelming her. She shoved her head in her hands. “So, did you only come here to insult me before I’m dragged off to die”.

Wolfe chuckled. She heard some jingling and then the sound of creaking metal. She lifted her head to see Wolfe standing next to the open door of the cell, twirling a set of keys around his finger, a knowing smile across his face. “I came here to rescue you”.

Dawn bolted from the bench. “How…?” she tried to ask, taken aback. Was she dreaming?

“We can sit here and answer each other’s questions, or we can get out”.

But Dawn didn’t move. “Are we just going to barge through the Governor’s Hall?”

He pretended to think about it. “Yeah, that’s kind of the plan”.

“Are you serious!”

He held his hand out to her. “Do you trust me?”

Dawn regarded his extended hand. “No, not really”.

He grinned. “Then you’re gonna have to” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the cell. His grip was firm, as if he thought she was going to break free and run away. They jogged past all the other empty cells and then up the stone steps. Halfway up, Wolfe turned back to her. “Stay here until I tell you it’s safe”. Then he continued up the spiraling staircase and disappeared behind a wall of stone before she could say anything.

Anxiety coursed through her. Why was Wolfe trying to help her? And how had he retrieved the keys? He didn’t even know why she had been imprisoned. It made no sense. But now was not the time to question his loyalty. She’d rather take her chances at escape than to be kept locked in her cell with no other way out.

Dawn waited. And waited. She began to get restless. What was taking so long? Just as she convinced herself that Wolfe had been stopped, and was preparing her next move, Wolfe came running down the steps. Apart from being winded, he appeared to be totally fine. “Let’s go”.

She bolted after him; nervous at what awaited them in the next room. They emerged into the main hall.

And there was nothing.

The place was completely deserted. She looked at Wolfe, terrified. Of him. Usually, this part of the hall swarmed with Guardians. Why was it empty? Wolfe’s easy-going expression – the one she was already so used to seeing - was replaced with a grim one. “We don’t have much time”.

Dawn followed him wordlessly. She was absolutely baffled. They were marching straight for the front doors! He was crazy! But before she could decide to turn back, Wolfe pushed the doors open, and Dawn’s breath caught in her throat. She slowly walked out onto the stone steps as her attention was captured by the scene before her. In the distance, she could see thick, black smoke pillaring into the night sky.

Wolfe turned back to her. “You okay?” he asked.

Her head swam. “What happened?” she breathed in shock.

He regarded her. “There was a fire that started at the inn”. He paused, “The perfect distraction, right?”.

Dawn glared at him.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he had started the fire, somehow. And she couldn’t understand why he would go to such great extents to “rescue” her.

He watched her a long moment. “Because I can. Now, let’s go”.

Dawn stood firm. “No.”

“Dawn. This is our only opportunity to escape. Don’t pass it up”.

But she couldn’t get herself to move. “What about all the people in that fire? They need help”.

Despite her stubbornness, Wolfe kept a calm demeanor. “They are getting help. From every Guardian and Member in the vicinity. That’s why the streets are empty. There are no Guardians in sight. Is offering one extra set of hands among hundreds worth being tortured and executed for?”

She wanted to argue. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell him that after seeing her heroic acts, she would be pardoned. But she knew that wouldn’t happen. The Governor was corrupt, and he would find a reason to execute her, no matter what she said or did.

Dawn took a deep breath and made her resolve. She followed Wolfe to an alley on the side of the Governor’s Hall where a wagon filled with travel gear was attached to a black, monstrous-looking horse. Wolfe pulled out a large wool blanket. “Get in” he said and tilted his head towards the wagon. Dawn rolled her eyes and obeyed, ignoring his attempt to help her climb in. She nestled among the supplies and winced at the throbbing pain in the back of her skull. Wolfe covered her with the blanket. There was a moment of pause, and then she felt the wagon being pulled, and heard hooves echoing on the cobblestone.

The eye she had been punched in during her failed escape fight was now swollen shut. She blinked her other eye furiously as rings floated in her field of vision. Dawn knew exactly what awaited her. “Oh, dear Tariah, please no” she whispered in horror.

The next hours were torturous and excruciating. It seemed as if someone had placed an iron nail to the back of her skull and was pounding it in with a large hammer. Dying would have been better than this. Her body was drenched in sweat. Every bump caused her head to hurt in a million different ways. Tears streamed down her face, and she could barely breathe under the tarp. She kept her eyes shut and continuously swallowed to fight down her nausea. She needed water. She needed air. She needed to get out of this damned wagon! It took every ounce of self-control to keep herself from throwing herself out.

One of the Guardians had slammed her in the back of the head with the butt of his sword. Why hadn’t he just thrust the blade into her chest and been done with it? A moan escaped her lips and she cursed herself for making noise.

You’re a Guardian! Pull yourself together! She ordered herself: over and over and over again.

***

The wagon finally came to a stop. Dawn’s face was sticky with tears, and her entire body shuddered. They must have reached the city gate. The Guardians would be asking for Wolfe’s passport and letter of authorization. Dawn’s heart pounded. According to protocol, they would have to check his belongings. She would be discovered. Dawn prepared herself to attack. With what? Nothing. She would use the element of surprise. Normally, there would only be two guards. She could do it. Her hands were sweating. Adrenaline pumped through her; all pain forgotten. She braced herself and waited for the moment the tarp would be lifted. She waited.

And waited.

What in damnation was taking so long?

The wagon suddenly began to roll. The Guardians hadn’t checked the wagon. It was against protocol to let a traveler enter and leave a city without searching his wagon. The guards could easily be arrested for this. But it didn’t matter. They didn’t check the wagon and that meant she was safe. For now.

The Governor was corrupt. Guardians held no integrity. Her mentor was a Rebel. What else was happening in Aura that she did not know about? Were things like this happening outside of Aura as well? Dawn’s heart broke. The home she had thought to be mighty and perfect, was broken and flawed.

And what was she doing? She would be viewed as a renegade. She couldn’t imagine herself running and hiding forever. She needed to expose Aura’s corruption, but how would she do that without evidence? She didn’t have any of the documents Lilly had left behind. Moreover, if Aura’s political leaders were corrupt, who was to say that other regions weren’t corrupt as well. For the first time in her life, Dawn didn’t have a plan.

After what seemed like half an hour, the wagon stopped, and Wolfe lifted the blanket off her. “How are you holding up?” he said. But Dawn was not in the mood. She stood up and climbed out of the wagon. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she was overcome with a wave of nausea. The world tilted. She lost balance and her legs gave way beneath her. The next thing she knew, she was on her hands and knees, retching her guts out. When the fit was over, she wiped her mouth with the back of her arm and stood shakily. Her muscles were stiff. And a headache lingered.

Wolfe watched her with a concerned expression. “There’s a creek down there. To drink and… wash”. Wolfe’s eyes lowered. Dawn looked down to her chest and realized she was splashed in vomit. “Let me help you” he said. She wanted to refuse, but the moment she moved to walk, her head began to spin. Wolfe caught her before she fell. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and they walked slowly to the creek. They were close. She wished she could inhale his smell of pine needles and wood smoke, but all she could smell was the sour odor of her puke.

He led her to the creek. Wolfe stood awkwardly next to her. Dawn eyed him. Was he expecting her to jump in fully dressed or for her to get naked in from of him?

“Are you expecting a show?”

Wolfe laughed.

“You can go now” she said flatly.

Wolfe raised his hands in defense and turned to walk back to the wagon. “Don’t drown” he called over his shoulder. When he was out of sight, Dawn stripped herself down to her undergarments and slipped into the waist-high water. The chill of the stream was refreshing. Dawn splashed water against her face and tried to wash the vomit from her shirt. Then she proceeded to rinse her hair from the sweat and blood.

Moments later, Wolfe returned, one arm covering his eyes, the other holding a blanket. “I am not looking!” he shouted louder than necessary. He threw the blanket to the bed of the stream. Dawn pulled herself out of the water and wrapped herself in the warm fleece. She shivered from the cold but was grateful to have cleansed her body from all the grime.

“Better?” he asked, still covering his eyes.

“Yeah” she answered hoarsely.

She dressed back into her old pants and her wet shirt.

“You can stop being an idiot now” she said.

Wolfe uncovered his eyes and smiled. They walked back to the horse and the supplies.

“We’re going to have to leave the wagon behind, take what we can, and then ride as far away as possible from here”.

Dawn inwardly groaned. She wanted to build a fire, wrap herself in the blanket, and sleep forever. But she knew it was wise to get as much distance from Aura as possible. They spent the next fifteen minutes rummaging through the wagon for supplies. She figured that this wagon didn’t even belong to him. It was all farm supplies.

But Dawn found a satchel which she filled with half a loaf of bread, some dried meat and an empty waterskin.

“Ready?” Wolfe asked when they had finished. Dawn hesitated. She looked into his eyes and was brought back to the night they had met. Before all of this mess began. Then, for a moment, she reconsidered. Maybe meeting him was when everything had begun. Whatever trust she had felt towards him was starting to evaporate. Did he somehow have something to do with all of this? What if the Governor hadn’t wanted to kill her, but simply to get rid of her, and Wolfe was part of the plan? That’s why there weren’t any Guardians that had tried to stop him. That’s how he had gotten the keys and entered her cell.

Wolfe noticed her reluctance. “I have something that you might want” he said.

Her brows furrowed. Wolfe pulled a box from his satchel. Her box. She took it from his hands and looked inside. All the documents were there. Relief flooded over her. She recalled the Governor’s words.

The person who will give Her Eminence this information will be very…blessed.

These documents were her only hope. If she could bring them to Tariah, then she could be pardoned. She could expose Aura’s corruption. She could make a life for herself.

“Wolfe…how did you get this?”

He gave her a small smile. “We can stand here and answer each other’s questions, or we can get a good head start”.

Dawn nodded emphatically. She shoved the box into her satchel. Wolfe mounted his horse and helped her climb up. She pressed close against his back and wrapped her arms around his torso. The smell of wood smoke and pine needles filled her senses. She let herself relive what she had felt when they had danced together. When the rest of the world had disappeared, and it had been just the two of them. She still didn’t fully trust him, but for the moment, she allowed herself to enjoy the sense of hope and comfort he brought her.

Wolfe pulled on the reins. “Hold on tight!”

Dawn squeezed her arms around his body as the animal bolted, full speed, away from Aura.

Away from home.

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