Journey of Darkness

by Samantha Jacobey

  “That’s it. Turn and come to me.”

  Her hands trembling, she shook them, unsure if it were caused by the cold stone or sheer fright. A hundred feet into the trees, she entered a small clearing. Even in the darkness, she could see the outline of his massive form as his hot breath poured over her. Thinking of the gem of hamar, which she still carried in her pocket, she knew she could use it to illuminate him if she chose.

  “What do you want?” she said aloud, unsure if he could speak to her with a normal tongue.

  “Kaliwyn,” he hissed.

  The word tickled her flesh, sending a flurry of prickles across it, as if ants had discovered her and poured over her skin. “I do not know that word,” she breathed.

  “It is your name, princess.”

  “My name is Amicia,” she lied, knowing full well that was the moniker given to her by the humans who had raised her.

  “I told you before, you cannot lie to me,” he growled, swinging his head so that his massive eye stared her in the face. “Do you fear me?”

  “Should I?” she stammered, then raised her hand, placing it upon his chin. The feel of it excited her, and she ran her fingers along his jaw. Pulling the stone from her pocket, she lit it, examining the soft green of his scales, pale and alluring.

  Noting a scar as she worked her way down his neck, towards his body, she sighed, “I can’t believe they bound you.”

  “You speak of the satyrs.”

  “Of course. They had no right to attack you. I saw you come down to converse to Preivia. I have often wondered what was said,” she supplied, her fingers trailing along as she studied him with her left hand, her magical stone in the right.

  He could detect every touch, even through his thick hide. The feel of her mortal skin teased his senses, and the scent of her stung his nostrils. “Your dragon heart is strong, Kaliwyn.”

  “I told you, that isn’t my name. If you must address me, you shall call me Amicia or Ami. That is what I prefer,” she scolded, turning to face him.

  His large glossy eye blinking at her, he laughed with a low rumble that filled the air.

  “Shh,” she commanded, stepping towards his head. “The others will hear!”

  Bumping her chest with his muzzle, he groaned, “Fine. I will remain your secret.”

  Her heart beat wildly at the offer. “I do not wish to see you again,” she informed him tartly. “Say what you must and be done with it.”

  He had intended to kill her; that had always been his plan. To have her stand before him, with that bravado of hers. To inform her of her name before he stole her last breath. “What you wish matters not, princess.”

  Narrowing her gaze, she squinted angrily, certain he had been listening to them all the while, as Bally and Rey often insulted her snidely using the same term. Princess. “You infuriating beast. Why must you torture me?”

  Rising to tower above her, he glared down at her small form, considering how easily he could end her. Recalling what had transpired the night he had stood before the council, he growled, “Take care, Amicia, mortal of the rim. I have watched over you, but in the forest, I will not always come to your aid.”

  “Watched over me?” she spat, but he leapt into the air, knocking her down as he took flight, headed south out over the desert.

  Watching as he disappeared, Amicia sighed. Picking herself up and dusting away the dried pine needles and dirt, she used the stone to light her way back to the brook. There, she darkened it and returned it to her pocket as she followed the stream to their camp.

  “There you are!” Rey scolded, catching her at the place she had sat only a while before. “Where the hell did you go?”

  “I went for a walk. Do you mind?” she bit angrily. “I don’t need you hanging over my shoulder every second of the day.”

  Her hair catching the moonlight, floating around her like a shimmering golden halo, he couldn’t help himself. Looping his arms around her waist, he pulled her firmly against him. “You scared the shit out of me, disappearing like that,” he growled, the swear punctuating the depth of his emotion.

  “And?” she pushed against his chest, fighting to free herself.

  He didn’t reply. Instead, he nuzzled her cheek with his beard before he kissed her. She ended her struggle and yielded to it, a slow searching connection between them. The feel of him scorched her, after standing in the warm air spewed by the dragon, her breath shallow with emotion.

  “Ami, if you don’t know how much I love you by now, you never will,” he breathed. “You can stop waiting for Piers. You can stop pretending I’m just some man caught up in this crazy adventure with you.”

  Staring into her clear green eyes, he waited. His hazel orbs holding her there, as if in a trance, she scowled. “Do you think I could be won so easily?”

  “No,” he confessed, releasing her to stand on her own but maintaining his grip upon her back. “But I wish the chance to court you. Please. Allow me to prove myself to you.”

  Dropping to his knee before her, he caught her hand, pressing it to his lips. “I’ve been so patient, Ami. I’ve waited for you since the day I met you. Walking you to the head, my heart screamed you were the one.”

  “That’s romantic,” she clipped. “I’m sure that line works with all the girls.”

  Standing slowly, he pursed his lips. “Laugh at me then. Go on, have your fun. It doesn’t change the way I feel about you.”

  “Rey, you don’t even know me,” she whispered, thinking of her meeting with the dragon and the secrets she kept from him. “I don’t even know myself,” she confessed, shaking her waves. “I promised Piers I would leave him alone because I need time to discover who I really am.” The hurt in his eyes clear, her heart softened. “Please don’t look at me that way.”

  “What way?” he sniffed, fighting not to cry.

  “As if I’ve torn out your heart and stomped it on the ground,” she sighed, sliding her hand into his. “I’ve always known of your caring. Even when I have tried to discourage it, I knew it was there.”

  “But you long for Piers.”

  “Yes. I have always wanted to be his,” she acknowledged, her chin dimpling. “But I won’t ever be his.”

  “No, you won’t,” he concurred, catching her hair and pushing it away from her face. “Tell me yes. Agree that I may court you.”

  Raising her hand to catch the side of his face, her fingers ran along his jaw. Thinking of the dragon and the familiarity of the touch, she laughed in spite of herself. “You’re a silly man, Reynard Daye. To push so hard…. To wait so long.”

  “I’ll wait longer if you require it,” he said softly. “But I know letting him go would be easier if you had a love of your own.”

  “I’ll consider it,” she said with a gentle nod. “Would that be enough?”

  More than he had, he agreed with a broad grin, “You know it will.” Taking her hand, he kissed the inside of it gently, then led her back to the others. They had stretched out with their heads next to the fire, their feet pointed out and away, like tips to a star.

  “Our group has grown too large,” she teased. “We don’t fit next to the flames these days.”

  “We’ll manage,” the Mate replied, laying his arm across the rocks.

  Removing her hand from her blanket, Meena reached for him and gave him a squeeze. She hadn’t loved a man since her husband passed, but the one next to her made it difficult not to give in. Made it hard not to want to try again, even at her age.

  Love’s Treasure

  Arriving on the outskirts of Heewan a few days later, the group hid among the woods to the east and formulated their plans. “Are you sure this is the northernmost city?” Piers asked, looking over the dwellings and people anxiously.

  “I’m positive,” Meena grinned at his cautiousness, always protective of his crew. “Have no fear, Mate. The rest of the wizard community will be much less hostile than those you encountered in Whitefair.”

  “They’re wearing th
e same robes,” Rey observed. “We brought what we found in Meena’s closet. Maybe we should wear them and try to blend in, just in case.”

  “Aye,” Piers agreed. “Hostile or not, it would serve us well to pass as locals, or in the least as if we belong.”

  Unpacking one of the litters, they located the hooded articles and held them up for inspection. “They are all pretty much the same,” Amicia observed, glancing at the taller woman. “Such pretty colors,” she added with a smile.

  “Most of them are mine,” Meena pointed out as the Mate pulled on a more masculine shade. Helping him secure the rope tie around his waist, she said more quietly, “This one belonged to Jaco, my husband.”

  When her eyes flicked up to meet his, Piers caught her hands and held them still. “Meena, I’ve warned you about me.”

  “Silly man, you think a woman of my age doesn’t know how to take care of herself?” she laughed.

  “I don’t want you to be hurt,” he said softly, giving her palms a firm squeeze.

  “Let me worry about my heart, and you worry about yours,” she replied, leaning forward and lifting her chin to graze his lips with a gentle kiss.

  Noticing the silence around them, the Mate stepped back, dropping her and clearing his throat before he announced, “Very well, then. When we get inside, everyone stays close, but we can spread out a little. Perhaps pairs would be good for keeping up with everyone.”

  Reaching for Ami, Rey seized her arm and quipped, “Got my partner,” with a loud laugh.

  Glaring at him, she didn’t argue. Glancing down at Oldrilin, she asked, “Is it safe to take her in? And what about you,” she cut her gaze over at their newest friend. “What if they’ve heard about your abilities and want to arrest you?”

  “I doubt that they have,” Meena said with a shake of her dark curls before she donned her hood. “But, you are right about the siren. It would be best if she remained outside.”

  “I’ll stay with her,” Bally offered, taking a seat next to her on the ground.

  “I thought you wanted to explore,” Amicia pointed out in surprise.

  “Well, the last lot tried to kill us,” he chuckled anxiously. “I think I’d rather have a look at the forest here. Zae and Animir can form a team, and we’ll poke around finding bugs and sticks to mess with,” he added with a wink at Lin, knowing their smallest member well.

  “Bally play with Lin,” the siren grinned, wringing her small hands.

  Amicia smiled at her response. The siren had slowly been regaining her personality after her rough treatment at the hands of her captors in Whitefair. Her black eye and bruised skin had healed in a matter of days, but it had taken much longer for her to trust again. She feared the mermaid’s child-like innocence would never return, as she now looked at the world with changed eyes.

  “Aye,” Bally agreed. “As soon as the other’s leave, we’ll search out some things to explore.”

  “Just don’t wander too far from camp,” Piers instructed with a firm nod. “The rest of us will go in, get what we need, and get out.”

  “What are we looking for, exactly?” Animir asked.

  “We need some sturdy line for making the winter coats from the leather. A punch for forming the holes for it, as well. Any dried food you can come by at a fair price, in case we run into an issue with game and scavenging,” he listed.

  “I want some cloth,” Meena spoke up. “We could all do with a change of clothes, as these won’t last forever,” she observed.

  “Then we’ll need needles and thread for that, too, although I don’t see that as a priority,” he confessed.

  Her brow furrowed, she countered, “I’ll take care of that.”

  Rolling his eyes, Piers puckered his lips at her stubbornness but said no more against it. Head-strong and fiercely independent, he had learned quickly that she would form her own opinions about almost everything. “Fine, just remember we have to carry whatever you come up with.”

  “I won’t,” Meena nodded, pleased to get her way.

  “How are we going to pay for all of this?” Amicia demanded. “We spent all that we had getting out of Whitefair.”

  Glancing at each other, Rey and Piers each looked away, neither of them caring to explain.

  Seeing their displeasure, Bally leapt at the chance to share. “They took it off the dead guys that attacked us,” he beamed.

  “You stole money from the bodies of men?” Ami gasped. “What a horrid thing to do!”

  “Hey!” Piers snapped, putting a pointed finger in her face. “First off, they attacked us, so the fact that they died was mostly their fault. Second off, they didn’t need it anymore, and we did.”

  “You searched their corpses and stole their last coins,” she pushed in disbelief.

  “Exactly,” he agreed, removing the digit from in front of her and placing the hand on his hip. “And now we’re going to spend them to get what we need to make it to the north.”

  Amicia held her breath, not wishing to argue further over things that could not be changed. “Fine,” she grunted, holding out an open palm. “Let’s have it.” She glared at him angrily as he opened his bag and passed out the supply, handing each of the women a third. Her eyes wide, she gaped at the amount. “They had all of this on them?”

  “Yes, almost a thousand coins between the six of them,” the Mate informed her with a somber expression. “It’s all we have, so spend them wisely,” he commanded, glancing at Baldwin and Oldrilin before he called, “That’s it. Let’s get in there and get back out.”

  Placing her newfound riches in her coin bag, Ami turned to Rey and sighed, “That’s us.” Placing her hand in his, he led the way, the others only a few yards ahead of them.

  No gates guarded this sprawling town, as the houses were constructed differently, even if the people appeared much the same. Entering via one of the streets, where carts were pulled by beasts of burden, they followed one such wagon down to the center of town where the market stood in a wide-open courtyard surrounded by other structures and shops.

  Once there, they paused, taking in the vastness and variety of the stalls. “It will take all day to explore this,” Rey breathed.

  “Aye,” the Mate agreed, “I think we should regroup. Meena and Ami can go in search of the material and sewing supplies. You and I can visit the blacksmith, and you other two see if you can scrounge up any food. We all need to be back here before the sun disappears behind the buildings.”

  “Ok,” Ami agreed, glancing at her female comrade doubtfully before handing her bag of coins to Piers. “You’ll need these, I’m sure.”

  “Aye,” he nodded, accepting the pouch and leading Rey into the throng of the crowded market.

  “I believe we should start on one end and work our way across,” Meena suggested.

  “Good idea,” Amicia agreed, following her to the southern wall of the arena. Her plan sound, they found a large shop in one of the adjacent buildings to the plaza of stalls that had been filled with offerings to suit many needs. “Beautiful colors,” Amicia observed, her fingers stroking a few of them as they entered.

  “Hello,” a young man with red hair and pale blue eyes welcomed them right away.

  “Greetings,” Meena nodded, taking charge. “We will need a large assortment this day. Can we be accommodated?”

  “Of course,” he grinned. Clasping his hands together eagerly, his eyes fell on her companion. “I shall keep a tally for you on the cost.”

  “Splendid,” Meena praised, beginning her search.

  Following, the clerk busied himself straightening the stacks of material but remained close at hand, presumably in case he was needed. When their gaze met, Amicia could feel a connection between them if only for a moment. Her heart beat faster, and her breaths grew shallow as he held her stare. He looks familiar, she mused, her mind drawn for a moment to the day of her mother’s funeral and the boy who had presented her with a single rose. Older, perhaps? Surely not.

  Spying the
bolts of white in assorted weights and weaves, Meena offered one, “I think Piers would prefer this.”

  Drawn back to the present, Amicia giggled, “It’s so drab.” Running her hand over a silkier version, she suggested, “This would make nice under garments.” Watching as Meena considered the cloth, she whispered to herself, “How many days does it take to fall in love?”

  Hearing her, the other woman chuckled, curious at the observation. “Apparently not many.”

  Her eyes wide, Ami glared at her. “So, you are in love then,” she accused. Flicking a quick glance to see the shop owner had given them some room, she pushed, “Does he feel the same? You know he will never marry you,” she jabbed, striking out in pain. “He’s too old for a wife and family, or so he says.”

  “Ah, but what does it matter?” Meena continued to smile, the glow about her unshaken. “If we never wed, we will have loved each other while we could. I’m old enough myself. I cherish what we have and will take whatever he is willing to give.”

  Blinking a few times, the girl hissed, “It does not bother you, sharing his bed as so many have before you?”

  “No, I’m not a child. I will hold him for as many days and nights as I am able. It has been many years since a man touched me with the caress of a lover or looked at me with eyes filled with tender care. Those things are precious, Amicia, and should never be taken for granted or be wasted in demand of a vow,” she finished in a huff.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you,” Ami sighed, averting her gaze, again noting they were not completely alone. “I’m a bit jealous, I guess.”

  “You wanted him to marry you, but he refused,” Meena nodded. “I’ve heard. But it does not mean that he doesn’t love you.”

  “I know,” Ami agreed, deeper sadness leaking into her voice, “but it still hurts.”

  “You will have a suitor when the time is right.”