We spent that evening in the small valley. I was exhausted, but I couldn’t bring myself to fall asleep right away. A part of me thought that if I closed my eyes, Fynn and Jakob would be gone again and Cireno would be standing over me. I shuddered, ignoring the pain I felt in my stomach. I could see Cireno through the flames of the fire spirits, his eyes wide with shock and fear, his burning hand reaching out to me as he cried out silently. I had watched him die by my own hand, and I had felt nothing.
Someone came to sit beside me, and I recoiled involuntarily. I didn’t want my friends to see me as the monster I had become, one who killed without remorse.
“I’m sorry,” Fynn said, starting to rise to his feet. “I didn’t know you wanted to be alone.”
I grabbed him by the arm to keep him from leaving. “No, please stay.”
Fynn sank back to the ground, and we both stared out at the mountains for a few moments. I noticed again how pale he looked, how the shine had faded from his hair, and the twinkle had faded from his eyes.
“Be careful, Leila,” he said at last.
I glanced at him in curiousity. He turned to look deeply into my eyes and I found myself instantly lost in their depths.
“When you call on the spirits, be careful,” he repeated. “Don’t use them lightly.”
I nodded and he smiled and patted me on the leg. He turned his gaze once more to the scenic mountains and took a deep breath.
“I never thought I’d see the mountains,” he said softly.
“Why did you leave the forest?” I blurted, instantly regretting it.
He smiled again. “I had to. I heard you were in trouble.”
I blushed deeply and he laughed, which caused me to blush even more. I remembered the words of the rock tribe, how the spirits were vying for my affection so I could give one of them dominance over the world. I no longer doubted Fynn, but I had to know if my fears were real.
“Fynn,” I asked almost shyly, “are you helping me to get control over the world?”
The smile immediately disappeared from his face. “Who told you that?”
“The rock tribe said the spirits wanted me to hand the world to them. That’s why they’re helping me.”
Fynn shook his head. “That’s why the spirits are helping you, but I’m not a spirit like them. I’m the only one of my kind, and I serve the Faerie Queen. The faeries were promised nothing from you.”
I smiled and hugged his arm. “I know. I had to make sure. Thank you.”
Fynn put his arm around my shoulders and held me close. I felt safe in his embrace and all the doubts and worries that had been plaguing me vanished into the night air.
“Get some sleep,” he whispered into my hair. “Tomorrow, we’ll head back to the Wood.”
***
“Leila! Get up already!” Clothis snapped, kicking me gently.
I rolled over and winced as a stone found a place in the small of my back. Sitting up slowly, I felt as if I had been run over by a steamroller. All the muscles in my body ached, and I stretched them as best I could before standing. Jakob still slept, recovering slowly from his brush with death, and I saw Fynn leaning against the stone wall with his chin on his chest. Clothis was bustling around, packing up supplies found in Cireno’s cave and cooking breakfast over a small fire.
“How are they?” I asked, stirring the pot of simmering oats.
“Jakob just needs some rest,” Clothis reported. “He’s bruised and sliced, but he’s a strong man.”
“And Fynn?” I pressed, trying to sound casual.
Clothis sighed. “The Woodwalker is another story. I don’t think he’s ever left the Wood before. It’s the source of his power. He told me he doesn’t know what will happen if he’s gone for long.”
I stared at Fynn in horror. How could he leave the forest knowing that he would weaken and maybe die?
“We have to go,” I said urgently. “Now. We have to get Fynn back into the forest. When we’re there, maybe we can find Ruella to help us with Jakob. We can regroup and decide what to do next.”
Clothis smiled admiringly at me. “Well, well. Look who woke up and became the little leader?”
“Leila?” Jakob moaned from the other side of the fire.
I hurried over to his side and knelt next to him. He raised his head and blinked sleepily at me, a smile forming on his face.
“I thought you were a dream,” he said, reaching up to touch my face.
I smiled. “Take it easy, Jakob. We’ll find shelter in the Wood, and get you some help.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. “A little beat up, but nothing I can’t spring back from.”
I held his hand tightly in mine. I only knew a few rudimentary first aid tricks from my time at school, but I knew enough to realize that Jakob needed serious rest and clean bandages. He would get sick in no time if we lingered here. He lost a lot of blood, and I was worried, no matter what Clothis or Jakob said. I smiled bravely at him.
“After breakfast, we’ll head out.”
Clothis came over with two steaming bowls of porridge. She knelt next to Jakob, who shot her an angry look for intruding on us. With a wink, she handed me the other bowl.
“Go wake up the Woodwalker,” she said. “I’ll tend to this one.”
The angry look turned to outrage as I nodded and stood. I heard Jakob say something to Clothis, and heard the Dyrel laugh at him. Cupping the bowl in my hands, I sat next to Fynn and gently shook him awake. He looked at me with the same dead eyes I had seen in the village, long ago. I pressed the bowl in his hands.
“Eat this,” I told him. “You’ll feel better.”
He smiled at me and took the food. “You presume to know what will make me feel better, little milk maid?”
I ignored him. “What do you think you’re doing here, anyway? Clothis told me you couldn’t leave the forest.”
Fynn’s smile vanished. “Clothis shouldn’t presume either. I’m fine.”
The rest of the meal passed in silence. Clothis fed Jakob, who was staring at me the whole time. I ate apart from my friends, worried about Jakob, angry with Fynn for risking his life, and still hating myself for enjoying Cireno’s death. I had concluded that if I did not feel sad about killing him, I must have enjoyed it. I shuddered, revolted with myself. I wanted to leave the valley and this part of my adventure far behind, and when Clothis touched my shoulder to tell me it was time to leave, I could not have been more ready.
Fynn led the way back to the Wood, following the path he had traveled to get here. Clothis followed him, with Jakob leaning heavily on her shoulders, and I brought up the rear, carrying the pack of supplies we had looted from the dead man’s cave. I felt it was my burden to bear. The walk did not take long, and by the early afternoon we were in the foothills and I could see the tall peaks of the forest spread out before us.
Suddenly, Fynn paused. Clothis halted so suddenly I nearly ran into her. She glanced over her shoulder at me, and I shrugged sheepishly.
“Something’s wrong,” Fynn whispered. “The trees are calling to me.”
“Very astute, Woodwalker,” a familiar voice said.
Commander Mattis stepped out from behind some tumbled rocks. He applauded slowly as he surveyed our ragged little group. With a sharp whistle, the path leading to the Wood was overrun with Huryl soldiers, at least fifty of them, all eagerly awaiting their chance to cleave us in two.
“Give us the girl and the deserter,” Mattis ordered, “and we’ll let you return to your forest.”
Fynn said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he rested one of his hands on the dagger he wore at his belt. Clothis gently passed Jakob to me, and moved to stand beside Fynn, her own sword ready to be unsheathed.
“Refuse us,” Mattis continued, snapping his fingers. Dozens of torches sprang to life from the back row of soldiers. “And we’ll burn your precious forest to the ground.”
I gasped and clutched at Jakob, who was struggling in my grip to get to Mattis. I couldn’t let the forest burn. The spirits who lived there, Ruella, and most importantly Fynn – they would all die. But if I allowed myself and Jakob to be captured, we would be executed. There was no way Fynn and Clothis could fight through fifty armed soldiers. I bit my lip. What we were going to do?