There was a carriage waiting for us at the gates the following morning. It took a lot of willpower to tear me away from the deep, soft bed and fluffy pillows of the Huryl citadel. It was a lot nicer than our accommodations last time we had stayed in the capital city. I found a lot of tension wash away from me, and I woke happy and rested for the first time in a long time. I only wish I could have said the same for my friends.
Will and Fynn were both on guard as we watched Samara’s servants load the carriage. It was a tall, wooden box on wheels, the kind I remember seeing in a Jane Austin movie. There were four comfortable seats inside which faced each other, and two doors with windows on either side. The servants were loading boxes and bags on the back and top of the carriage, with Jorge standing not far away overseeing the whole operation with a meticulous eye.
“What’s wrong with you two?” I hissed angrily as Will started poking through the bags.
“I don’t trust what the Queen said,” Fynn replied simply. Will nodded in agreement and withdrew his hands from a bag as a servant yanked it away from him.
I rolled my eyes. “It’ll be fine. Besides, I have a feeling we should be going north. This way, we get a ride.”
Will raised an eyebrow at me and I punched him playfully in the arm.
“I thought we were going to have to talk our way out of executing Will. This is much easier.”
Will’s mouth dropped open. I laughed and patted him reassuringly on the back before moving away to talk to Jorge about our route. Will look up at Fynn questioningly.
“She was supposed to have told you before we got here,” Fynn shrugged.
Will crossed his arms over his chest and sat down on a box, exhaling sharply. Fynn gazed over to Jorge.
“What him closely. Something just isn’t right.”
The mute Will could only nod thoughtfully.
*****
“My Lady,” Jorge greeted me with a slight bow as he motioned for the servants to resume packing the carriage.
“I thought I told you to call me Leila,” I said.
“And I told you why I cannot,” he snapped, “my Lady.”
I took a step back reflexively, surprised by his sudden harsh tone, but I forced myself not to turn and flee back to my friends.
“The carriage will take us through the mountains and part of the plains,” Jorge was saying, gazing to the northwest. “Once the snow gets deep enough, we’ll switch to a sleigh and travel until we reach the meeting point.”
I nodded approvingly. “Where will the Samran meet us? From what I recall, the northern plains are a desert of snow.”
Jorge shot me a look of barely controlled distaste. I was taken aback once more by the hostility in his eyes, but it was only for a moment before he regained his composure. He smiled sweetly.
“Forgive my rudeness, my Lady,” he apologized. “I forgot how well versed you are with this unfamiliar land. The Samran have chosen a well marked site. I shall know it when we arrive.”
The not-so subtle barb in his apology was not lost on me, but I nodded all the same and returned to where Fynn and Will stood waiting. Will stared at me with undisguised anger, and I sighed.
“I wasn’t going to let them kill you,” I assured him. “I needed to know what was going on with the Huryl.”
Will raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his foot, waiting. I took him by the arm and led him a safe distance from Jorge and the Huryl servants, so we would not be overheard.
“With Cedrik gone, Damaeon has a new enemy,” I whispered. “I wanted to meet her, so we would know who we were dealing with. The opportunity Samara gave us was too good to pass, don’t you think?”
The anger melted from Will’s face, to be replaced by surprise and finally understanding. He nodded and squeezed my arm, a proud smile on his silent lips. I smiled back, glad to have the confusion between us cleared up. As we turned to go back, Will’s eyes narrowed and he shook a warning finger at me. I laughed.
“Fair enough. No more using you as bait without permission.”
Jorge was standing impatiently next to the loaded carriage as Will, Fynn, and I approached. He opened the door and gestured for us to enter. I took a deep breath as I ducked into the carriage, steeling my nerves for our inevitable confrontation with the dragon.
*****
During the trip down the mountain, Jorge told us about the creature we would be facing, and about the northern Samran tribe. I sat next to Fynn, across from Jorge, enthralled by his history. Will, sitting uncomfortably next to Jorge, kept his gaze firmly out the window while Fynn kept his eyes closed and appeared to be dozing.
Jorge told me of the four human tribes, the Samran were the most skilled huntsmen. They lived in the north, originally following migrating herds and gradually lost contact with the other tribes. They’re very territorial, he said, and when the Huryl originally conquered them, it was a long and terrible war. After their defeat, the Huryl king decreed that each Samran chief must send his first born daughter or second born son as a hostage to ensure their continuing goodwill.
I thought back to our meeting with the new Huryl Queen, and how she had said Cedrik had been holding her prisoner. It must have been horrible for her to be forced from her family and the lands she grew up in to be a slave to Cedrik. I suppressed a shudder just thinking about it. Suddenly something Jorge mention recaptured my attention.
“Wait, what did you just say about elves?” I asked.
Jorge shook his head. “Not elves, elldar. An ancient tribe of elves – their ancestors, possibly. I just said the Samran were the only humans to ever trade with them, according to legend.”
“Legend?” I repeated.
“The elldar are extinct, vanished centuries ago.”
I stifled a yawn, the gentle rocking of the carriage luring me to sleep.
“What happened to them?” I muttered as my eyes began to drop closed.
Jorge smiled almost gently. “Enough for tonight. Sleep, and when you wake, we’ll be ready for the next part of our journey.”
I barely heard the end of the sentence as I rested my head against the soft back of my seat and slipped into slumber.
*****
The woods were dark and cold enough for me to see my breath as I exhaled slowly , taking in my new surroundings. There was no snow on the ground or resting on the leaves of the tall, ancient trees. There were, however, fanciful frost patterns on the small glass windows of the nearby houses.
I took a step closer, examining the patterns on the glass. The windows were small eyes on the small house, tall and slender, and the colour of tree bark. They blended so seamlessly with the woods around them, I could have sworn some of the roofs were sprouting leaves. I smiled, at ease in his strange forest village and I turned full circle with my arms outstretched, eyes closed and head tilted towards the barely visible night sky.
My feet crunched on the gravel path that wove its way among the houses like a serpent. The sound of my movement echoed loudly through the village. I was unconcerned that there were no other sounds, no birds or animals, no wind and not even the sound of the people who must live in this strange place. All was silent and peaceful; until the rumbling began. It started off as barely noticeable, but grew quickly into a deep thundering sound that shook the branches of the trees. Surprise, I stood facing deeper into the village, towards a massive tree that was thicker than any I had ever seen before. It was so tall its branches were lost in the low clouds. I lowered my eyes to the base of its trunk, where tall roots arched from the soil like earthen rainbows, and I saw motion. A group of four figure were huddled beneath the roots, clustered together. They were far enough away that I could not see their features, but I read terror in their body language.
As I took a step towards them, they rose together and began to run. I heard the rumbling again, louder than before, and only seconds after the figures vanished from my view four horsemen thundered past. None of them spared a look in my direction, so keen they were on their prey. As they too passed, I ran after them. The stone covered road seemed to grow longer as I hurried after them horsemen, pausing only as a shriek filled the still air. I turned the corner at a run, the distance between me and the large tree suddenly vanishing, and I saw the bodies of the three figures I had seen earlier, lying in a large pool of red blood. The horsemen had left the village, and their victims where they lay.
I put my hand to my lips, fighting the urge to vomit and turning my head from the gruesome sight. A noise made me raise my eyes and I saw a child climbing out from behind a pile of boxes. He had long hair so pale it looked white, and large brown eyes that stared directly at me. His skin was dark for someone who lived in such cold and his ears long and pointed. He held my gaze for a long time before turning to the three murdered figures. Walking past me as if I were not there, he crouched next to one of them and gently touched her skin. Tears welled up in his eyes, but his face remained expressionless as he rose to his feet and looked once more at me. I heard the rumbling of horses’ hooves return.
“Run!” I hissed, motioning with both arms for him to flee.
The child didn’t move. He stood like a statue, staring at me. I took a step backwards, away from him.
“Run!” I cried again, this time louder.
The rumbling was almost upon us. The child nodded as if he understood me, and fled into the forest. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face the coming horsemen, knowing there was nowhere for me to run. The pounding grew louder as I waited.
*****
The rumbling vanished as the carriage suddenly stopped, and I woke up blinking in surprise at the lack of movement. The seats across for me were empty, Will and Jorge obviously outside the carriage, and I lay with my head against something soft. A familiar, comfortable scent filled my senses and I nearly closed my eyes again to drift back asleep.
"Awake yet?"
Surprised, I sat bolt upright, blushing furiously. Fynn was grinning at me, and my eyes fell from his face to his shoulder, where until recently I had been sleeping. I looked around, trying to find something else to say, but my eyes were always drawn back to his face. Something in his brown eyes reminded me of the dream I had just had. Not wanting to remember the dream, I forced my eyes to the empty seats.
"Where are Will and Jorge?" I asked.
"Outside, seeing to the sleigh," Fynn replied, gazing out the window.
The world outside was bathed in white, fluffy snow. I gasped in delight. I had not seen snow since arriving in this world, and it instantly reminded me of my old life and the happier times with my parents and Nathan.
"Why didn't you go to help?" I asked curiously.
Fynn grinned. "You were sleeping so peacefully on my shoulder, I couldn't wake you."
I felt myself blushing again.
"Besides," Fynn continued, "I hate the cold." He turned to me, his face serious. "Listen, Leila, there's something about - "
"Ready to go?" Jorge asked, interrupting Fynn as he opened the door to the carriage and let in a cold blast of air.
Fynn immediately moved away from the cold as Jorge climbed in to join us, closing the door behind him. He held two bundles in his arms, which he casually tossed onto the empty seat beside him.
"Put these on before going outside," he instructed. "The sleigh is closed, but not as warm as the carriage. The servant who was supposed to drive us to the Samran meeting place is ill, so I'm sending him back to the capital with the carriage. I'll drive the sleigh."
I nodded. "How long will it take us to reach the meeting place?"
Jorge shrugged. "Not too long. We should reach it by tomorrow morning. We'll stop for a meal about halfway, and continue all night."
I was about to ask him how he would drive the sleigh all night, but he moved back to the door, crouching near it with his hand resting on the door. He shot a disgusted look at Fynn and nodded his head once to me almost respectfully.
"Hurry up and get changed, my Lady. You, Woodwalker, come with me. Give the lady some privacy."
As Jorge left the carriage, Fynn shot me a look indicating our conversation wasn't over yet. He took one of the two bundles and slipped out of the carriage door. I saw him standing next to it, putting on a hat and mittens and wrapping himself in a large blanket-like coat. Then he moved out of view.
I looked at the remaining bundle. It was comprised of some thick leggings, a tunic, fur-lined boots, a thick cape with a fur-lined hood, mittens, a scarf, and a hat. All in white. I sighed, wondering if I would be forced to dress in white for the rest of my life as I drew the shades over the carriage's small windows and began to change.
*****
Secure in my warm clothes, I left the carriage for the snowy outside world. As I landed on the ground, my feet immediately sank nearly up to my ankles and I pushed my way through the snow to my companions. The sleigh Queen Samara had given us to use was beautifully decorated and made of dark polished wood. It was covered with a leather tent that could be folded down in good weather. It reminded me of a convertible back home. It was drawn by two strange creatures I had never seen before. They looked a lot like horses, but they were as white as their surroundings and their coats were thick with coarse fur. Their feet didn't sink into the snow like mine were, and looked vaguely like those of a camel. I made it to where Jorge stood, watching as Will, Fynn, and one of the Huryl servants finished securing our gear to the sleigh.
"What are those?" I asked, pointing at the creatures.
Jorge raised an eyebrow. "Snowmares. Fastest creatures to move in this wasteland. Careful though, my Lady. They're known to bite and their teeth are sharp."
Ignoring his words, my curiousity stupidly getting the better of me, I walked up to the snowmares. The closest one exhaled sharply, its breath making a little cloud that rose up to its ears before disappearing. One red eye was fixed on me, although the beast didn't move. I sensed the spirit within the animal, calling to it as the spirits so often called to me. Cautiously, I lay my mittened hand on its flank and patted it. Another puff of breath, but no movement as I made my way towards its head. I felt Jorge watching me, waiting to leap in and save me before the beast could take off my head. Slowly, I touched the snowmare on the nose and it whinnied like a horse, its ears forward and welcoming my touch. I heard a surprised whistle behind me, and turned to see Jorge watching with grudging admiration. Patting the snowmare a final time, I rejoined him, feeling quite smug.
"Best get into the sleigh and stop bothering the animals," Jorge said, adding. "My Lady."
I ignored his tone as best I could and breezed past him to where Fynn and Will were waiting. Will raised an eyebrow at me as Fynn raised the leather flap that would shelter us as we moved. I winked at him when I knew Jorge was not looking and pulled myself into the sleigh. Inside was cozy, but not very warm. There was a single wide bench covered with animal furs. I snuggled into them as Will joined me. The flap closed and reopened on the other side, and Fynn practically dove into the warmth of the furs. The three of us sat so close that there was barely room for our arms, but none of us seemed to mind. The added body heat only improved the temperature of the sleigh.
"I hate the cold," Fynn muttered, burrowing deeper into the furs.
Will laughed soundlessly as outside, Jorge cracked a whip and the snowmares began to move. The sleigh lurched and we were off. We rode in silence, Fynn to absorbed in his misery to speak, and Will unable to make a sound. I was lost in my own thoughts about the dream I had and the lost child left alone in the ghostly village. The memory of his face was so sad that I felt tears forming in my eyes. Will noticed too, for he reached up and touched one of my tears gently with one finger, his own eyes echoing my sorrow.
"I'm sorry," I told him. "I was thinking of something."
Will furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to ask a question, his lips forming the word but no sound escaping. He frowned in frustration and exhaled sharply.
"I was thinking of home," I told him, unwilling to share the real reason. "The snow reminds me of Christmas with my family."
He blinked in confusion at the word 'Christmas', and I laughed to myself as I realized my error. As we continued to travel, I explained the winter holiday to Will and how my family had always celebrated before Nathan had died. I knew Fynn was listening too, but he made no movement on his side of the sleigh. Will listened intently to everything I said, and it seemed like no time had passed at all before the sleigh stopped and Jorge opened the leather flap. He didn't enter, only stuck his face in, but some of our precious warmth fluttered through the gap as the cold air surged in. Fynn buried himself deeper in the furs.
“Time for a little break,” he informed us. “You three stay tight in there. I’ll get some shelter and a fire going.”
Will pushed back his coverings and began to move towards the opening. Jorge held up a hand to stop him.
“No, stay in the warmth, lad. I’ll be all right on my own.”
Will raised an eyebrow at him and glanced back to me for support.
“Making a
shelter and building a fire seems like a lot of work for one person in this
weather,” I said. “Will can help you, and you don’t have to worry about him
talking your ear off.”
Will narrowed his eyes angrily
at me after the last remark. Jorge sighed and moved out of the way so Will
could exit the sleigh. He let the flap fall and only Fynn and I remained in the
sleigh.