Will watched me with pleading eyes, slowing inching away from the group and deeper into the forest. Fynn, too, was eager to move as his gaze swept over the trees for signs of another faerie attack. Cyrus stood firm, with his arms crossed over his chest and a disapproving frown on his young face. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Will,” I said at least, “do you know where the acorn is?”
The mad soldier nodded energetically, his long hair leaping around his face. I smiled at him and moved to stand next to him.
“Will can lead us,” I decided. “Since he’s the one who stole the acorn in the first place, I bet he knows who has it. The Huryl won’t realize we have Will to guide us!”
Will flinched a little at my last words, but took me by the hand and steered me through the woods, back in the direction he had come. He moved quickly, increasing the distance between us and our companions, until I could scarcely hear them moving in our wake. I followed willingly, grateful to have found him unharmed and safe. After the battle Fynn had described, I had feared the worst. Glancing at our joined hands, I noticed a red mark circling Will’s wrist. The wound was fresh, and I could see small pinpricks of blood where the skin had been rubbed raw.
“Leila,” Will spoke, his voice soft and hesitant. I waited as he gathered his thoughts, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Have you still the faerie trinket?” he asked, keeping his back to me.
I reached into my pocket with my free hand and drew out the silver necklace that had once belonged to the Faerie Queen. I held it in my palm, the sunlight breaking through the canopy and glinting off its shiny surface. Will glanced over his shoulder at it for a split second before turning away.
“Put it on,” Will said, “but keep it hidden.”
“Will,” I
began, “what’s wrong? You’re acting – “
“Please,” he interrupted, the
word barely audible.
Releasing his hand, I slipped the silver chain over my head and tucked the locket away from sight. I felt the metal cool against my skin, and my marked palm began to tingle. I rubbed my hands together absently as I regarded Will. Behind me, I could hear the others catching up.
Turning slightly, I saw Cyrus in the lead, loudly muttering about the insanity in my decision. A few steps behind him was Jakob, rolling his eyes and sighing at the young Dyrel’s rant. Fynn, stoic as ever, ignored his mortal companions as best he could.
As the sun began to set, we reached the edge of the forest, where it began to rise into the foothills of the mountains. The spirits within me were eager to be released after their long dormancy within the Elven Forest, and I proposed we stop for the night. As I gathered wood and permitted the fire spirits to ignite it, I saw Jakob standing on his own a little ways off. I joined him, standing quietly at his side while trying to determine what had caught his attention. Ahead of us, the tree line thinned visibly, replaced by the rocky paths of the mountains. I was reminded of the journey Jakob and I had taken, of the rock spirits, the Huryl, and of the wild man Cireno.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I offered.
Jakob looked at me in confusion. “What for my thoughts?”
I smiled. “It’s a way of asking what you’re thinking.”
The soldier nodded in understanding and returned his eyes to the mountains. “We’re heading for the Huryl capital.”
I blinked in surprise. “Are you sure?”
He pointed to the left of the mountains. “That pass brings you to the road leading to my village. I grew up around here, although I’ve never approached it from this direction.”
I swallowed hard and brought one hand to touch the locket hidden beneath my shirt. For some reason, the motion comforted me. Jakob pointed further up the mountain pass.
“There’s a well used track from the capital to this forest. The loggers use this area for wood, since there aren’t a lot of forests on Huryl lands.”
“Where’s Will leading us?” I asked softly, not yet willing to betray Will’s trust.
“If we follow the mountain pass, we’ll be at the capital tomorrow. I guess we wait until then to see what Will’s up to.”
“Lady Leila! Jakob, sir!” Cyrus called. “Come and eat!”
I tried to smile reassuringly at Jakob as we turned to rejoin our friends, but my expression only served to betray my anxiety. Instead, it was Jakob who tried to reassure me by putting his arm around my shoulders and leading me to the fire.
***
The following morning, we broke camp early as Will lead us confidently towards the mountain path. I exchanged a nervous glance with Jakob, who only nodded slightly and rested his hand on his sword. As the trees began to thin, I could once again see the faeries who hunted us. I’m sure Fynn saw them as well, but he kept his eyes forward and moved purposefully to the forest edge. At the last copse of trees, before the woodland melted into the rough rocky terrain, a sudden chill wind picked up. The breeze quickly became a gale, tearing at our clothes and faces, preventing us from moving forward.
“Leila!”
Jakob yelled over the shrieking howl of the wind. “Call off the spirits!”
I shook my head slowly against
the force of the storm. “This isn’t their doing!”
“It is hers,” Fynn said calmly.
I looked over at him and found he was completely untouched by the maelstrom around us. He stood relaxed, his arms hanging at his sides and a sad expression on his face. His eyes were focused on a particular spot before him, and I followed his gaze to the root of our problem. Hovering before Fynn was the angry, howling face of the Faerie Queen.
“Aefynnelldar, you have forsaken me!” the Queen moaned. “You have abandoned me for another!”
“It is time,” Fynn told her almost gently. “For centuries I have served you. Release me.”
“Never!” the face cried. The wind picked up as her anger grew. “I found you when all the others had left you. I made you what you are!”
“A heartless collector of souls,” Fynn said. “I have found a new purpose and will no longer be bound to your selfish whims.”
“You cannot live in this world without me,” the Queen laughed.
I felt the necklace begin to burn on my skin. Wincing against the sudden pain, I closed my eyes for a moment. A scene I had never seen before flashed before my closed eyes. I saw a forest, deeper and more ancient than any I had ever known. I heard childish laughter as a small figure with long white-blonde hair and long pointed ears dashed before my eyes. The moment passed, and I was returned to the real world.
“The Lady will sustain me,” Fynn was saying.
The face of the Faerie Queen laughed and spoke, but her words were lost in the wind. Fynn stiffened, but held his ground. I desperately wished there was something I could do.
“Very well, Aefynnelldar,” the Queen grinned slyly. “We shall see how you fare without my love. I cast you from Faerie. You are exiled, and homeless once more.”
Fynn fell to one knee as the wind began to rip at his hair. He was growing pale and his skin was becoming translucent as the faerie magic vanished. I was reminded of our brief sea voyage, when he had been without the magic of the Faerie Queen and had almost disappeared forever. A thought flickered to life in the depths of my mind. I had sustained Fynn and the spirits while on the boat. Perhaps Fynn would not be lost after all.
Another vision appeared. A dozen tall, lean figures, each with the same long white-blonde hair and pointed ears. They stood amongst the trees in a frightened huddle, women and men, clinging to each other. One raised his head, terror spreading across his features as he opened his mouth to call out. Suddenly a rain of arrows descended on them, bathing them in a shower of crimson blood. One by one they fell, their eyes and mouths wide open in surprise as a small army of mounted men thundered past them. I blinked to clear the tears forming in my eyes and was brought back.
The locket around my neck flared up suddenly with an intense heat. I thought for a moment it would burn a hole through my chest, when it cooled down as suddenly as it had heated. I squinted into the wind and saw Fynn rising to his feet, some of the colour returning to his otherwise pale complexion. He said nothing as he stood before the gasping face of his former mistress.
I fell to my hand and knees against the force of the Faerie Queen’s wind, bowing my head momentarily. I felt someone push up against me, and saw Jakob’s hand next to mind. Peering at him through my blowing hair, he smiled at me and winked. His sword was drawn and he held it tightly in his other hand as he rested on one knee. I took a few deep breaths and raised my head to witness the confrontation between Fynn and his queen.
“I will never allow it!” the Queen was shouting.
She struck at Fynn again, faerie darts disguised as rain in the wind. Fynn was hit, blood appearing on his exposed flesh in thin ribbons, but he held his ground. I winced sympathetically, almost feeling the sting of the darts on my own skin. Suddenly I felt the presence of the wind spirits nearby, and turning my head saw two of them hovering at the edge of the magical storm. They were drawn here by me, I knew, but feared to intervene against the powerful Queen. That they had exposed themselves was a good indication, I thought, that the Queen’s storm was weakening. Silently, I urged the two spirits forward, asking them to protect Fynn from the faerie’s fury. They gleefully leapt forward, circling around the Woodwalker on the air currents and deflecting most of the wind away from him. Jakob shifted his position, placing his body between the Faerie Queen and me. In the slight calm that he created, I could focus my energy on helping Fynn.
He had not moved an inch since rising to his feet. He kept his arms hanging at his sides, his sword firmly in its sheath. It was clear from the pained look in his eyes that he had no desire to fight his mistress, or accept her punishment. The Queen’s face, on the other hand, was tiring. Much of the rage had escaped from her expression, and the vicious scowl was becoming more of a disappointed frown.
“I made you!” she shouted out of desperation. “I will unmake you!”
“No,” Fynn said quietly. “You saved me, and I thank you for it, but the debit is repaid. I am yours no longer.”
The wind gradually faded, much to the disappointment of the wind spirits. Jakob rose to his feet and helped me to mine. Close by, Cyrus released the tree he had been cling to and moved to join us. Will popped up from behind a rock, and climbed on top of it to watch the final scene.
The Faerie Queen had grown smaller until her face was its normal size again. It floated up to stare deeply into Fynn’s eyes and drew closer. Gently, the Faerie Queen kissed him on the lips, and a tear rolled down Fynn’s face. With a final nod, the Queen of the Faeries vanished from sight. Will began to applaud.
“What just happened?” Cyrus asked.
“I’m free,” Fynn stammered. “But, I don’t understand how.”
I smiled and ran towards him, wrapping my arms around his muscular chest and hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace, and I felt him rest his cheek on the top of my head.
“Onward, brave potatoes!” Will shouted. “Not far, not far!”
Jakob caught me by the arm as I released Fynn and moved to follow Will once more. I looked up, surprised at the sudden motion, and saw the doubt and mistrust in the former Huryl’s brown eyes.
“Wait a moment,” Jakob whispered to me. “Remember what I told you. This way will lead us right to the Huryl capital’s main gates. Not a great place for us right now. If we follow the other trail, we can head through my village and come at the city undetected.”
“Come, come!” Will called. “The end is in sight!”
I bit my lip in thought. Either way, we would end up at the Huryl city, but would it be safer for us to follow Jakob’s advice? I had trusted Will this far, perhaps I should have enough faith in him to lead us.