Mark if Destiny

by K. T. Webb

  “Like you would not believe. But, in the end, you have a constant reminder that you have not done what you are supposed to do yet. That your journey isn’t over.”

  “Sure, sounds like a great way to spend the rest of my life.” Honor hoped her voice did not give away how she was feeling.

  “I promise it is not as scary as it seems. Some people probably know their destiny right away, I am sure you are destined for something great,” Rowan nudged her with his shoulder.

  Honor smiled and rolled her eyes, she wondered if she should tell him about the Makt soldiers. Their presence would not change their plans to go to the practitioner at Milltown, so she did not think it would matter. Thinking of the practitioner made her squirm. Rowan was trying to put her mind at ease, but she doubted there was any truth to his statement regarding her destiny. Not considering the life she had led so far. How could she be destined for greatness when she had lived such an insignificant life? She would fight to fulfill whatever destiny she was given, but her expectations remained realistic. From what she had heard, most destiny marks were of little impact to the world and based more on who one would marry or how many children one would bear. Honor did not even know if she wanted either of those things for her future.

  After her foray in the forest, Honor was ready for a dip in the cool waters of the nearby stream. Grabbing the canvas bag she used for bathing, she made her way down to the water. Years before, Maris had shown her the best bathing spot that kept her away from prying eyes. The men in their makeshift family were fiercely protective of their women, but that did not stop the occasional passerby from attempting to take what was not theirs.

  Honor hopped across the smooth river stones dotted between the banks. Her destination was beyond the cover of the low-hanging trees that lined either side of the fresh water creek. Just past a curtain of willow lay a pool of clear water inviting her to submerge her tense muscles.

  Once she was certain of her solitude, Honor removed her clothing and stepped into the pool. The frigid liquid sent a shock through her system and goosebumps rippled along her skin. Late Autumn in Alderwood meant the earth was preparing to freeze. She knew it would not be long before taking dips in the calm depths of the pond would have to wait until spring. Her people had already started collecting barrels of fresh water to use for washing throughout the winter.

  Honor loved the privacy of her bath more than most knew because of the magical company she would expect each time. Delta, a river nymph, would often spend time regaling Honor with stories of the world she had yet to explore. Delta first appeared to her when she was around ten. Honor had slipped on one of the smooth rocks on the bank and fallen into the water. She could swim, but she was not prepared for the sudden immersion and panicked. Delta was there. She materialized below the flailing young girl and hoisted her to the surface with little effort. Maris was beside herself with fright when Honor shared her story. Of course, they all knew about nymphs and the other creatures that lived in the in-betweens, but very few had ever seen one.

  Honor knew Delta was special from the beginning. She did not know why she deserved to be saved that day in the pond, but she had always wondered.

  Now, as Honor gently massaged the natural soap made with a hint of lavender and mint into her hair, she waited for her friend to appear. Honor dunked her head into the water, relishing in the fresh feeling. She carefully ran her fingers through her auburn hair, rinsing the dirt away. When she broke the surface, Delta was seated on a rock not too far away.

  “It is been awhile since you came to see me. You must have smelled horrendous.”

  Honor laughed openly at the nymph. Delta was difficult to describe to anyone who had never had the pleasure of meeting a nymph. Hair the color of riverbed sand was tangled with the things one may find floating along the babbling creek. Twigs, leaves, even tiny smooth pebbles sometimes fell from her locks as she moved. Her eyes were a muddy brown with tiny flecks of an otherworldly blue. Honor had grown quite fond of the nymph and looked forward to their visits each time she bathed or took a swim.

  “It is only been a few days, Delta. I did not smell that bad.”

  The nymph shrugged and went back to whispering to the tiny fish that surrounded her rock. Honor appreciated the blunt honesty that flowed naturally from Delta, but it was also one of the many reasons she sometimes wondered why the nymph had saved her to begin with.

  As a rule, they detested humans. Nymphs belonged to an entirely different world. Those that were governed by the unseen power coursing through the natural world set themselves apart from those living in the world of man. Saving a human girl had probably gone against everything inside the magical creature, and yet she had done so without hesitation. Anytime she questioned Delta on her actions, she was told to mind her business and stop asking ridiculous questions. Honor knew the nymph never did anything without reason, so there must have been something about her that had spoken to the creature that day.

  As she swam to the edge of the water, a rustle in the trees caught her attention. Rowan emerged from the branches stopping short at the sight of Honor in the water. His cheeks flushed crimson.

  “Oh. I wondered where you’d gone. Um, I guess now I know.”

  “Rowan! You could at least look in the other direction.” Honor knew he had a plain view of every inch of her body from his high vantage point.

  He cleared his throat and turned away quicker than he had intended. His jerky movement sent him falling forward into the base of a willow tree. As he over-corrected, he tripped over a protruding root and belly-flopped into the water. Honor gave a pointed look to Delta who rolled her eyes and faded away without a word. Honor knew from their lifelong friendship that Rowan could do many things, but swimming was not one of his talents. He flailed about, desperate to find a foothold in the clear water. Honor knew he would not find one, the water was at least three feet deeper than he was tall. With only a momentary consideration for her nudity, Honor dove back under the frigid liquid and pushed her friend to the surface. He sputtered out water and sucked in air.

  “Goodness, Rowan, you are a mess. Here, get out and wait for me beyond the willows. I was done washing up, anyhow.”

  Honor kept one arm wrapped around Rowan’s waist as she waded to the water’s edge. He grabbed onto the same tree root that led to his current predicament. Honor could not help but chuckle through her annoyance. His sopping wet hair reminded her of a dog she had once encountered years ago. It was walking in the rain, sad and alone, and appeared to be wondering what it had done to deserve such a lot in life. Looking at Rowan, Honor saw the same bewilderment all over his face. He carefully crawled to the top of the slope and pushed his way through the tree curtain.

  Honor waited to be certain he was gone before climbing out and gathering her clothes. She wiped herself down and pulled her billowy white top over her head. Next, she fought her still-damp skin to bring her pants up to her waist. When she was clothed enough to face Rowan, she emerged from behind the willows.

  “Did you want something other than to drown?” She asked with an arched eyebrow.

  “Dad is looking for you. He said there’s something lurking in the trees around the edge of camp.”

  “And this was an emergency? It could not have waited until I returned?”

  His cheeks were tinted with pink again, “He told me to find you right away. It might could have waited, but it seemed urgent. He seems to think something followed you from your hunt.”

  Honor swallowed against the lump in her throat. She knew if anything had followed her, it was the baby left behind by the canthion she had slain. Or worse, it could have been its mate. Canthions were one of the few animals that attacked for sport rather than just for food. As carnivores, they were not too picky about what kind of meat they devoured for a snack. If they were indeed being stalked by a full-grown canthion, it would strike in the dead of night. It would destroy their camp and the people living in it without a single thought.

  Before
she could express her suspicions, another thought crashed into the forefront of her mind. The Makt. Could they have found the camp? What would happen if they did? The people of Milltown may not notice them if they removed their uniforms, but their encampment was so small and closely knit that visitors would be spotted immediately. Questions would be asked, and if the Makt were not satisfied with the answers, her family could be hauled off to the work camps. It was not exactly illegal to live away from civilization, but it was considered questionable. Some chose to live outside of the villages that dotted Alderwood. Others had been shunned from society and had no choice but to live on their own.

  “Where does the sound seem to be coming from?” Honor inquired.

  “The trees. Dad seemed to think it was a larger animal.”

  Honor was not sure if the relief that flooded her was warranted or not. A canthion, she could fight; fighting the Makt was like attacking a never-ending wave. If one Makt soldier fell, two more would arrive to replace him. When she was younger, Honor had once wondered if all the young men of Pallisaide were required to join the Makt and serve the king. It was the only logical explanation for why their numbers never seemed to dwindle. At least it was the only logical explanation she could imagine with her limited experience. When she learned more about the Makt from the people in her encampment, she discovered it was not that simple. Joining the Makt was a way of life that changed everything for the young men who joined.

  If Gray thought there was an animal circling the camp, she probably did not have to worry about soldiers until she and Rowan arrived in Milltown. She was hoping they would not encounter any soldiers at all.

  “Okay, let’s get going. Looks like I am going to have to squeeze in another hunt before we party tonight. Saige is going to be so mad, I promised her she could do my hair like a ‘proper girl’.”

  The two chuckled at the idea of her doing something even remotely feminine. She had never been one for frivolities, and nothing seemed more frivolous to Honor than dressing up or doing more than braiding her long tresses.

  “Saige should be used to that disappointment by now. It is not like you haven’t been avoiding her for years.” Rowan smiled at his best friend.

  Their kinship had been immediate when they were young. As an only child, it should have been hard for Rowan to accept that his parents had taken on the care of a nine-year-old girl they found when they moved him to the middle of the woods. Instead, the eleven-year-old boy had readily accepted his new playmate and grew to love her deeply. The feeling was mutual. Rowan had become more to her than she ever would have imagined. There was no way she would let him know that her feelings extended far beyond the friendship they’d built, not until after she received her mark.

  When they arrived back at camp, it was clear Gray had instructed everyone to be on high alert. The men and women had gathered the children into one tent and stood guard on all sides, ready to end the life of anything that may bring them harm. Gray was pacing the line of trees at the edge of the clearing where they’d build their camp. Honor and Rowan rushed to him, ready to help in any way.

  “Honor, I am glad you are here. Something is out there. I saw your hunting trophy earlier, could something have followed you back to camp?” Gray regarded her intensely.

  Honor knew he was not usually that sharp with her, but he took safety seriously when it came to the hunt. She was not sure how to tell him about the baby she had spared. Would he be upset due to the circumstances or would he stick by what he had always taught her; sometimes mercy is the most powerful tool.

  “When I dispatched the canthion, I discovered a baby nearby. It ran away before I could do anything, but it could not have been more than a few years old,” she hung her head slightly, “I guess it could have followed the scent of its mother.”

  Gray nodded. “I understand why you let it go. I would have done the same. A baby has no use to us and hasn’t yet learned to kill. Taking his life would have been the same as one of the brutes murdering us for sport. We’ll keep watch as we prepare for the feast tonight, but I am assuming we are in no danger.”

  Honor agreed but appreciated that Gray would keep the perimeter guarded. There was no need to be careless when there could be something more lurking in the shadows. With no further excuses to keep her from the inevitable, Honor made her way to the tent where Saige lived and worked. Before long, she would be reluctantly transformed into a human doll for a middle-aged woman.

  Chapter 2

  “You know, I wish you would come by more often. I could do so much with this hair,” Saige huffed as she brushed through Honor’s tangles.

  “Yes, I am well aware.”

  Saige played with the long locks as she stared at her subject in the mirror. “I always wanted a daughter. Did I tell you that?”

  Honor smiled in response. She had heard the story before, but never in full and certainly not from Saige herself. Before she came to live at the camp with their family, she lived in a village in a county to the south. Her husband had been a soldier for the Makt but defected because he did not agree with the actions the King wanted them to take. He took his family from Pallisaide and ran to a village he thought would be far enough away for them to live the rest of their lives unnoticed by the Makt. He was wrong. Saige, her husband, and their son, Ash, lived happily for just two years after he defected. The funny thing about ghosts from the past is that they never stop haunting you.

  Soldiers invaded their new village, dragged him out of their home in the middle of the night, and slit his throat in front of his family. His wife and child watched him bleed to death as the Makt held them back. The Makt captain told Saige they were allowed to live after the ordeal to remind all soldiers and their families that they would never be able to sever ties with the most powerful force in Alderwood.

  Saige and Ash fled their home and went north. They had intended to reach The Ice Forest just beyond the borders of Alderwood and take refuge in the villages at the foot of Mount Crystalline. Instead, Maris found them and brought them back to the camp. She told them to stay for as long as they needed, they ended up setting down roots and staying with their new family.

  Ash was only a year younger than Honor; they had played together as children. Honor never mentioned it to him, but she had heard Ash cry out in the night for the father he was probably watching die again in his dreams. Whenever he would have those night terrors, Saige would sing him to sleep once more. Honor often pictured the two of them in the privacy of their tent, still mourning the loss of a man who was brave enough to walk away from the Makt. Saige had often told Honor she wished her husband were still alive. They had planned a large family but never had the chance to have more than one son. She loved Ash, but her heart was stuck halfway between what was and what could have been.

  “I think you would have wanted a daughter who actually liked being a girl,” Honor laughed, trying to fill the silence even though she never knew how to relax around Saige.

  She was not an unpleasant person; she was actually quite friendly and always wanted to help. The issue Honor found was that Saige was so scarred by the loss of her husband that she struggled to get outside of her own head long enough to keep from falling into episodes of depression. She was happiest when engaging in the craft she had once loved. In her old life, Saige had been employed by the wealthy men and women of Pallisaide. It was her job to make them beautiful and help them maintain the perfect image so many desperately wanted to portray. Now, her chances to “style” someone were few and far between. Honor would sometimes ask Saige for a haircut or request that she use some of her herbal concoctions to soften the locks, or a mask to brighten her skin. It gave Saige a feeling of purpose and got her to talk more about the things she enjoyed in life rather than allowing her to dwell in the past.

  “When you have faced the things I have, you learn to accept that things can be wonderful just as they are. And while you may not be a typical girl, you are definitely perfect the way you are. It is fun to get do
lled up, but no amount of make-up could change the beautiful soul you are,” Saige whispered.

  Honor knew Saige felt that deep in her soul. The words almost made her choke up, but she sat still and plastered on a smile. “Well, shall we see what your palette of colors can do?”

  “Absolutely.” Saige returned her dazzling smile and busied herself with making Honor look like a completely different person.

  By the time her transformation was complete, the sun had already begun to dip below the horizon. Maris was busy with the stew while Rowan roasted the canthion meat over the open fire. Honor could not help but feel out of place in the flowing skirt and tight corset she had been forced into. Her hair was braided around the crown of her head while the rest bounced freely to her hips. She could practically feel eyes following her as she made a beeline for the safety of her own tent. Her plan to avoid Rowan and Gray backfired.

  “Hold it right there, ma’am, I know everyone who lives here, and I cannot say I have seen you around here before.” Gray gave his best impression of a proper gentleman.

  “Very funny. I already feel naked; do you really have to draw attention to this?” Honor looked to Gray with pleading eyes.

  He laughed at her discomfort before a warm smile spread across his features, “You look beautiful, Honor.”

  “Thank you, Gray.”

  She had almost made it back to her tent when a voice stopped her short and sent shivers down her spine. The tone was different from anything she had heard before. It stole her breath away.

  “Honor . . . you look,” Rowan could not find the proper words.

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I look like a girl,” she quipped to help ease the tension between them.

  “Not exactly what I was going to say, but you aren’t wrong. You are gorgeous.” His eyes were wide and lit with something she could not quite pin down.

  “Thanks, do you want to wipe the drool off your chin?” Honor laughed as she playfully shoved him. She ignored the discomfort of butterflies fluttering about in her belly as he chuckled at her joke and wiped his chin when he thought she could not see.