Heart of the Winterland Page 9

  Angel sat on a nearby log, a smug look on her face. Voice hovered above her shoulder. “Oh, that? Well, it couldn’t have been the guardian of the wood. After all, she’s only a myth.” Angel smirked.

  Cali’s temper flared; she bent down and grabbed the first thing she found: a small rock, and hurled it in Angel’s direction. “Don’t start with me! I get blinded, knocked over by a beast, and wake up with a whole night gone by. The last thing I need is some saucy fugitive going on about a guardian.”

  Angel dodged the rock easily and jumped to her feet. “You’re the one who ignored me when I mentioned the potential danger. You’re the one who got all princess-like and fainted at the first sign of trouble. Do you have any idea what it’s like carrying your royal highness through this wood?”

  Cali’s anger left her in a rush. She carried me! Mortified, Cali pursed her lips and sank to the ground.

  “Well, if you are both finished badgering each other, I will enlighten Cali,” Voice said wearily. “If nothing else, it will be a pleasant relief from your squabbling.”

  Angel rose from her seat. “I’m sorry, Voice, it must be tiresome listening to us quibble. If it’s all the same to you, I think I need some time to myself.” Angel picked her way across the forest floor and climbed onto a rock, out of hearing range.

  Voice came to hover by Cali, letting the silence stretch. Cali shuffled uncomfortably. Voice sighed. “When you’ve had time to think about it, you might consider apologizing to her.”

  “Why? She—”

  “No. It is time for you to listen. Hopefully your ears will serve you better than your tongue has of late.”

  Cali snapped her mouth shut, eyes wide with shock. When it was clear there would be no further interruptions, Voice continued.

  “I realize you had a nontraditional upbringing for a princess. Indeed, it was unusual for anyone. That is neither here nor there. You have a duty as a princess, crown princess I might add, to treat people with respect and grace whether or not they’re your subjects.” Voice floated back and forth, her form of pacing.

  “Being a princess is a responsibility. If you ever truly wish to rule your country as queen, you must learn to act with dignity, especially when it is hard. I’m not condoning Angel’s teasing, but you are not her, and she is not my charge.”

  Cali’s shoulders lost their defiance, and her eyes glittered with tears.

  Voice continued softly, “Now, there is no need for me to lecture you further. You wished to know what happened. Angel’s fear of a guardian proved well-founded. We were attacked by a pair of wolves controlled by the guardian, at which point you fainted.” Voice paused, her tone filled with worry. “Something stopped her, something about you.”

  “What does she want with me?”

  “I do not know, which I confess concerns me. She stared at you for a long time before calling off her wolves and demanding we follow her and wait here until you awoke. Considering she had the advantage, we obeyed.”

  Just as Voice finished, Cali spotted a woman entering the clearing. She stopped a few feet away and stared at Cali. Two grey wolves stood on either side of her. The guardian. The woman’s piercing green eyes studied Cali for several seconds. Finally she stepped forward, moving gracefully despite her height.

  “A Sjadian. In my wood.” Her voice rang out light and clear as a bell. A shiver of apprehension and a thrill of wonder shot through Cali at the same time. There was something powerful and dangerous in the woman before her who carried herself with such poise and command. She wore a laurel green dress that trailed slightly behind her. Her long ash-blonde hair was captured in a braid that hung mere inches from the ground.

  Cali stood and tried to keep her voice steady, “I am Calisandra, Crown Princess of Trabor. I do not know what a Sjadian is, but I can assure you I am not one.”

  “Do not lie to me,” the guardian responded coolly. “I know a Sjadian when I see one, though your eyes are strange for your kind. I wish to know what you are doing in my domain. You either came here seeking trouble, or you are young and have forgotten your heritage.”

  Cali was stunned. How could she convince this woman that she wasn’t a Sjadian, whatever that was? Never before had she been in such a situation. She winced; this whole trip consisted of a bunch of firsts. Her first human, her first escape, and her first attack.

  The confusion must’ve shown on Cali’s face because the woman’s eyes softened. “You truly do not know of what I speak. Your look speaks of Sjadian blood, and yet . . .” She paused and looked thoughtfully into the distance. “Now that I look at you more clearly, I can see that you are not all Sjadian. Perhaps that explains your lack of knowledge.”

  Cali’s temper started brewing. Everyone seemed to know more about her than she did. She hated feeling ignorant. It was like being in a dark room where everyone but her had candles and she was left to fumble blindly.

  No matter how angry I am, I cannot lash out. This woman is holding us hostage, and until we can find a way to escape, it is best to not anger her.

  She drew on an inner reserve of strength, and put all the dignity she could muster into her words. “In truth, I am who I said. The words you speak of Sjadian are unknown to me. It is also true that my past is shrouded in mystery. My friend, Voice, has recently begun to tell me the tale of my country’s history. There is still much that is unclear to me. Perhaps you know something about myself that I do not.”

  The guardian stared at Cali, her expression unreadable. She glided across the space that separated them. They stared at each other, neither one moving their gaze off the other’s face.

  Chapter 9

  Angel’s voice broke the silence. “Are you two just going to stand there playing power games? Us common folk are hungry.”

  The tension vanished. Cali and Voice broke out into gales of laughter. Cali didn’t really know why she was laughing; the comment hadn’t been all that funny. The stress of the trip, combined with the anxiety of their current situation, had obviously taxed her emotions.

  The guardian stared impassively at them. Her stoic manner only made Cali’s nerves worse and induced more laughter.

  Voice was the first to regain her composure. “Considering you are a minor royal yourself, I do not know that you qualify as common.”

  Angel smiled wanly. “You would have to be from Mazushuĭ to understand fully. My country is different than the ones I’ve seen in my travels. We don’t have peasants; it’s rare for someone to be starving. As removed from the throne as I am, it puts me only a little above the status of most Mazushuĭns.” With a tilt to her head and an uppity tone, she added, “So yes, I do qualify as common.”

  Cali burst into giggles again, but managed to choke out, “Okay, Your Commonness, what would it please you to eat?”

  Maintaining her attitude of false dignity, Angel put a finger to her lip as if giving the question serious consideration. “It would please us to feast on roasted fish with a side of fruit cut into the shapes of butterflies.” She spun her back to the group, skirts whirling around her ankles. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she added, “And my commonness would like a piece of mincemeat pie as well.” She flounced across the small open space and plopped herself onto a log.

  At this, the guardian’s stone mask cracked and she smiled warily. Cali and Voice erupted back into laugher. Angel looked up from her log and smirked in satisfaction.

  Finally, Cali and Voice managed to control their hysteria. Angel kept her position on the log, but Cali could see that she was anything but relaxed.

  The guardian’s smile was gone, but her face had softened and when she spoke there was none of the previous harshness.

  “It would seem I judged you too hastily. Let us start over. My name is Tera. I am sorry for the fright my friends and I have caused you. Shayalans call me a guardian, when all I am is a prisoner with claws. I cannot leave this forest, therefore to protect myself, I do not let others in.”

  Cali’s forehead crinkled in conf
usion. “But why? I grew up without other people, and I was lonely. I can’t imagine keeping people away from me on purpose.”

  Tera smiled tiredly. “May you always retain that outlook. Life has left me jaded, and I have felt the burn of cruelty. It is a long story, and I am sure you have no wish to hear an old soul’s woes.”

  “I hope to always enjoy the companionship of my fellow humans,” Cali said wryly. “However, I don’t wish to remain ignorant of their faults. We would be honored to hear your tale if you wish to share. Also if it wouldn’t be too troublesome, I am curious about these Sjadians.”

  Tera hesitated and Cali sensed that she was under intense scrutiny. Something tickled deep within her, like gentle fingers searching her soul. She squirmed and the sensation fled.

  Tera’s face again resumed its benign, distant look. “I suppose it won’t do any harm to share my tale. As for Sjadia, I know little, but will share what knowledge I have.”

  After gesturing for them to follow, Tera walked off through the trees. One of the wolves darted ahead, disappearing into the underbrush, while the other dropped behind the group. Voice drifted next to Tera, discussing the wildlife and plants. Cali was about to catch up and listen when Angel caught her elbow, letting Tera and Voice pull further ahead.

  Angel glanced over her shoulder. Cali followed her gaze, feeling a tingle run down her spine at the sight of the grey beast following them.

  “Cali, we need to figure out how to escape. This guardian, Tera, she admitted that she normally kills people who enter her wood. Those wolves have been prowling around, guarding us.” She lowered her voice even further. “And while you were sleeping, Voice and I took turns testing to see if we could wander off. We kept hitting a barrier of some type. It didn’t look like anything was there, but we couldn’t get past it.”

  “She seems friendly enough.” Cali couldn’t see what was so frightening about Tera. Sure, Tera’s wolves had attacked her, but she was unharmed.

  Angel ground her teeth. “How can you be so dense? What part of being held hostage do you not understand? Nice people don’t hold other people against their will.” Before Cali could respond, Angel stomped ahead, putting herself halfway between Cali and Voice.

  Cali followed behind, chewing her lip and trying to see if she was really being that naive. She was so focused she didn’t see the trees come to an end until light warmed her face, causing her to look up. A bright meadow lay before her. A breeze tickled the grass, causing it to undulate like waves across water.

  Cali gasped; the long grass was a beautiful blend of lavender, cerulean, and emerald. It was like someone had taken a sunset from Trabor and mixed it with the pines to create this clearing.

  In the center of the meadow stood a dusky rose pavilion. A white flag waved from its peak. The front flap of the tent was rolled up, exposing silken cushions and downy quilts.

  Suddenly every ache and pain that plagued Cali’s body assaulted her in full force. Days in the saddle, followed by stumbling through a dense forest, had left her bruised and tender. She was sure she looked frightful. Looking longingly at the comforts she was familiar with, Cali found herself homesick for the first time.

  ❄❄❄

  Voice watched Tera herd Cali and a reluctant Angel to the luxurious tent. Amongst the soft pillows, both were asleep within minutes, leaving only Voice and Tera to watch the sun continue its path across the sky.

  Tera beckoned for her to follow, then stepped lightly through the grass and settled beneath the wide-spreading branches of an oak. She sat for a moment in silence, petting the fur of one of the wolves. “You knew, even before I said anything, that she was Sjadian.” The statement hung in the air between them.

  Voice responded warily, “Her mother was Sjadian, but Cali has no knowledge of that and has always lived in Trabor.”

  Tera brought her head around to stare at Voice. “Regardless, why did you not tell her of her heritage?”

  “I have been informing her of her history during this journey. Things have been rushed and I have not reached that part of my tale yet. As it was, I had not made up my mind whether or not to tell her. I only know the name of her mother’s country, and its place in her heritage is of miniscule importance.”

  Tera let the silence descend again before replying. “You are hiding something. I do not know what, nor is it my concern. I am the last of my people, and my lifespan rivals that of the Sjadians. There are few things that escape my notice. Do not fear, I will not reveal that you are keeping secrets. Sometimes,” she said bitterly, “secrets are necessary.”

  In one smooth motion, Tera rose and headed back to the pavilion. Voice remained under the boughs of the tree until night fell and darkness claimed the meadow.

  ❄❄❄

  Kota sat rigidly in the saddle, staring at the forest before her. All evidence pointed to her prey entering that cursed wood, and two sets of footprints proved the girl was no longer alone. She struggled to keep her breathing even. The rage built up inside her, threatening to boil over at any moment. She felt Dikala’s presence beside her, his calmness agitating.

  “They can’t stay in there forever, Captain,” Dikala said. “She won’t let them stay. If we’re lucky, she’ll do away with them and save us the work.”

  “How will we know if the guardian kills them or not?” T’Nahke asked.

  “They say she leaves the bodies of her victims outside the tree line as a warning to others. What will be more difficult is if she lets them go. They could come out anywhere,” Dikala replied.

  No, they won’t come out anywhere. The girl is trying to go home. Kota wasn’t sure exactly where home was for the troublesome girl, but she wasn’t captain for nothing. East of the Tónghuà Forest lay a seaside town, one of the largest trading ports in the kingdom. She sensed the girl would go there and when she did, they’d be waiting for her.

  Spurring her mount to the east, Kota set a brisk pace. She was glad when neither of the men commented on her actions. She and Dikala had developed a smooth, non-verbal communication. T’Nahke wasn’t used to working so closely with her, but seemed to take everything in stride.

  As they trotted along, the two behind her struck up a conversation.

  “I don’t understand why we didn’t continue the hunt through the forest,” T’Nahke said. His voice rumbled like rocks rolling down a mountain. “Not that I’m eager to enter that place, you know what they say about it. I’m sure the duke wouldn’t care this once if it means capturing Red.”

  Kota glanced back, catching Dikala’s eye. A knowing look passed between them. Neither one believed the duke wouldn’t care.

  The forest reeked of magic. Kota hated magic of any sort. It reminded her too much of home and how powerless she’d been to stop her exile.

  It had taken her decades to find her footing in this strange country. She would’ve been lost if it wasn’t for others like her, others who’d come willingly from her country to seek a new life in a new land, to escape the crush of oppression. Even as they fought to blend in and make a place for themselves, they never forgot.

  Magic was rare in Shayal, and most people could change their lives if they worked hard at it. Her homeland was different; it was full of magic wielders.

  Dikala urged his horse forward alongside Kota’s. T’Nahke dropped back further, as if he sensed their need for privacy.

  “Some days I wonder what it would’ve been like there,” Dikala said softly.

  Kota’s mouth tugged down into a frown. She didn’t want to have this conversation. Not now, not ever.

  “I was born here so I only know what the others say, which isn’t much. My father just says, ‘magic is evil’ and ‘appreciate what you have here’.”

  They rode on in silence, until Dikala realized he wasn’t going to get anything out of her. He sighed and dropped back, leaving Kota to her thoughts.

  ❄❄❄

  Cali stirred at the smell of roasting nuts. The aroma reminded her of nights in front of the fire
place at home. The fogginess of sleep dissipated as she sat upright. She stood and stretched before leaving the tent. The moon hung in the sky, illuminating the meadow and lending it an enchanted air.

  Outside the pavilion, Angel and Tera sat chatting around a roaring fire. The heavenly scent of something Cali could not describe wafted through the air, mingling with the nut scent.

  “You are awake.”

  Cali jumped. “Voice, you scared me! I did not see you there.”

  “I am sorry, Princess.” The smugness in Voice’s tone indicated she wasn’t sorry at all.

  “You did that on purpose,” Cali accused.

  “Maybe. When you did not notice me . . . Let us say I could not resist.”

  Cali heard the barely contained laughter and bit her lip trying to hide a smile. “I do believe this trip has been good for you, Voice. I’m quite sure you are developing a sense of humor.”

  Serious now, she glanced at the fire where Tera sat, before whispering, “Angel is suspicious of Tera. She says I’m being foolish to trust her. Oh, Voice, I want so badly to know about Sjadia, but do you think we’re in danger?”

  Voice spoke slowly, as if choosing each word carefully. “For all intents and purposes, yes, we are hostages. Yet, I do not get the feeling that Tera means us any harm. After watching her interactions, I believe she is lonely.” She stopped and Cali sensed that she was studying Tera. “From what I can gather, she kills people in self-preservation. By having her wolves carry out the act, and doing it instantly, she has no chance to form any sort of bond with the victims.”

  Cali nodded as understanding dawned on her. “But she’s curious about me and now she’s had time to see us as people.”

  “Precisely. I do not think we are in any danger from her. When the time comes, I believe she will let us go.”