Marvels and Misfits

by Scarlett Dawn

  “And she is most certainly not a body warmer. We are all freezing. Get used to it.” Father sniffed and shoved the shifter king’s leg off mine. “She is the heir to the Elf Kingdom. Treat her as such.”

  King Athon chuckled darkly, not commenting further.

  It was most certain he had not forgotten who I was…

  The eventual downfall of his kingdom.

  He had to have a plan rolling around in that kingly head of his to save his people, such as finding a shifter as powerful as the royal power. There were a few in our land that came close to us, my cousin, Caspian, being one of them, but it had never happened before—someone ruling without the royal power of our kinds. Throughout history, the rulers had been incredibly careful not to assassinate a ruler without a direct heir. It was the only thing they agreed on every single time.

  No matter what, the Shifter Kingdom would be considered weaker in the other rulers’ eyes without the royal power backing it—unless, perhaps, there was a show of power. I wouldn’t put it past the shifter king to have that in the back of his mind for after his eventual demise. He would have a plan in place; I didn’t doubt that.

  Father smirked down at me. “You are free, my daughter. You may do your business.”

  “Thank you, Father.” I could breathe now without all that added weight. I stretched my body underneath my blanket as much as I could still crammed between Father and King Athon. My back popped horribly loud, and my legs trembled from disuse. “Where is the designated area?”

  “For the women, it’s behind the tree on the right.” Queen Alora coughed hard and shuffled around where she lay. “I will go with you. Queen Mikko, are you coming?”

  “I suppose I will. I must get up, anyway,” Queen Mikko groaned. “It is still damned cold, though.”

  I pulled my fur blanket down and sat up.

  My head swam with dizziness, coiling and twirling.

  I promptly fell back where I had been. “Ow!”

  King Athon stared at the tent’s roof with his hands behind his head and chuckled evilly into the shocked quiet. “Your heir is a Fae damned menace, King Traevon. The Fae are watching this right now and laughing their asses off.”

  “Shut it,” Father griped. He took my hands and carefully helped me to stand on my own. He didn’t release me until I quit swaying back and forth. His emerald eyes watched me closely, and he asked, “Are you good now, my daughter?”

  “I think so,” I replied hesitantly. “I may need some more of the dried jerky, though, before we leave here. I’m not positive I would be able to walk far without it.”

  Father nodded solemnly. “You may have the same number of rations that we had while you were unconscious. Do not fret.”

  King Elon groaned loudly. “We are almost out of that!”

  “Then we should not have eaten so much,” Father snapped. “She will get her portion before we start searching again. That is not up for debate.”

  King Elon finally stated, “Fine.”

  I bent and scooped up my bag—very slowly—while Queen Alora and Queen Mikko readied themselves to go outside with me. I hooked the strap over my shoulder and grabbed my sword, firmly fixing it at my back. I untied the strips holding the flaps of the tent together and then peeked my head out to evaluate our surroundings.

  It looked much like it had before.

  The thick mist curled around the bottom of the black tree trunks and slithered up the bark, reaching as high as it could with tendrils wavering back and forth in the early morning air. The mist crept inside our tent, lingering at the opening. The black bark on the trees shimmered delicately with a thin layer of ice coating them, as did the shadowy leaves far above on the small, warped branches.

  A single white butterfly flew up from the hovering mist and stopped directly in front of me. Its pale glittering wings beat a lazy rhythm as it hovered to stare at me.

  The butterfly fluttered back into the mist.

  I shut my mouth, done gawking at the lone beauty in this desolate morning. “You really didn’t go far, did you?”

  Queen Alora poked my back gently. “We had to find a water source first. It was a bother.”

  My boots crunched on dead, frozen leaves as I stepped outside of the tent. “Where did you find it?”

  “There is a small stream that runs throughout the Blood Forest with clean water—I tested it myself first. I may not have my power, but I know water. I believe it is close by still, but it is hard to find in the fog.”

  Queen Mikko trudged by, glaring at the creeping mist. “The bloody stuff never goes away, either. Even at Wickley Marsh, it recedes at times. This Fae shit is not natural.”

  The capital of the Caster Kingdom had many swamps. If this mist was worse than Wickley Marsh, then it was solely part of the Blood Forest.

  I squatted behind the tree first to handle my morning pee, trying not to think about how Father must have had to change me multiple times while I’d been dead to the realm. That was very un-royal for both of us. I squinted through the fog, my head now lower than it.

  A silver rat with four ears sat a foot away from me on a rock. He rose on his two back feet, holding his top two little feet close to his furry chest, and simply appeared to watch me while I peed. His tail whipped back and forth, and his nose twitched.

  I murmured playfully, “Would you please turn around, good sir? You’re being highly inappropriate right now.”

  The rat’s tail curled around his belly, and he turned.

  His furry back now faced me.

  My eyes widened. “Oh my Fae. Thank you.”

  I quickly hurried to finish and rushed to the other side of the tree. Queen Alora and Queen Mikko were waiting patiently for their turn, their arms crossed over their winter coats to keep warm. I pointed a finger behind me, and blurted, “There is a rat back there that understood me when I spoke to it!”

  Queen Alora rubbed at her red nose. “Why were you talking to a rat in the first place?”

  “That is beside the point,” I mumbled. “It understood me.”

  “How so?” Queen Mikko asked.

  “I asked it to turn around, and it did so.” My eyes were wide in wonder. “It was remarkable.”

  Both queens eyed the tree warily.

  “Well, I’m not going back there now.” Queen Mikko turned on her heel and marched away. “I’ll find another spot.”

  “Don’t go too far,” Queen Alora ordered sharply.

  Queen Mikko simply waved her right hand in the air to indicate she had heard and agreed—a bit rudely.

  Queen Alora turned back to the tree and lifted her red nose into the air. “I will not be frightened off by a little rat.”

  I shrugged one shoulder, and said helpfully, “It seemed nice.”

  “Oh my Fae!” Father shouted. He stepped out from behind the men’s area. “There is a deer back there. It talked to me!”

  Queen Alora shuffled behind the tree, griping, “I better get this done before more creatures come.”

  King Elon stepped out of the tent, muttering, “That is highly unlikely. Deer do not talk. Are you not feeling well, King Traevon?”

  “What did it say, Father?” I walked quickly toward him, ignoring the other king completely. “May I meet the deer? Was it welcoming?”

  Father grabbed my right shoulder before I could pass, saying, “He was positively not friendly. He had sharp teeth and told me to quit shitting on his bed. He wasn’t pleased with me.”

  I bounced on the balls of my feet, really wanting to meet the talking deer. “Well, if you were relieving yourself on its bed, that is a perfectly normal response. Let me go, Father. I’ll be nice and apologize for you.”

  King Athon walked out of the men’s area.

  He dragged a dead, bloodstained deer by its hind legs, its throat sliced neatly open. King Athon’s solid black eyes sparkled in the subdued lighting, and his lips curled back into a cruel grin. King Athon stated happily for all ears, “We’re eating well this morning!”
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  My jaw dropped. “That deer talked, though.”

  The shifter king shrugged a shoulder, his wicked smile still in place. “And I am fucking hungry. The others may be able to live off the little we’ve eaten, but I cannot. Problem fixed for today.”

  King Elon rubbed at his stomach. “Well done, King Athon. I’ll get a fire started for us.”

  My nose scrunched in disgust as King Athon started gutting the poor creature. “Isn’t this a little profane for your kind, King Athon?”

  He peered up from his bloody work. “A deer is a deer—even a talking one. If it isn’t a shifter, I don’t give a Fae damn.”

  Father’s head teetered back and forth. “I’d have to agree with King Athon on this one, Trixie. If it is not a shifter, it is food.”

  I shook my head and crossed my arms. “I don’t agree. And I don’t think he should have done that. There may be more—”

  “Run!” Queen Mikko screamed—she did have a loud scream. She waved her left arm wildly as she sprinted toward us through the mist. “Run, by all the Fae!”

  I glared death at the shifter king. “I knew it.”

  Then I took off running away from the danger, with my bag slapping against my left thigh. I zigzagged through two nearby black trees and then ran as fast as my weak legs allowed. I chanced a glance over my shoulder, my breath coming in hard pants.

  Fifty deer were close behind Queen Mikko now. More than I had ever seen combined in my entire life. Their sharp teeth were bared, and their eyes were set on our group as we raced through the Blood Forest.

  Queen Alora tripped over a log right next to me, face planting onto the freezing ground, but quickly shot back up to her feet and sprinted past me—Fae damned long legs.

  King Elon soon passed me too, running alongside her.

  “Faster, Trixie!” Father barked right behind me. “Get your ass moving!”

  “I’m trying,” I shouted frantically. I dodged another tree.

  “Try harder!” King Athon demanded nearby.

  “Everyone, get to the heavy brush!” Queen Mikko bellowed. “It will slow them down!”

  As one unit, we all veered to the left. The black trees were thicker there, and black grass swayed at waist level around the trunks. The pounding of the pack of deer’s hooves beat loudly behind us, the crunch of the frozen shadow leaves like breaking glass. The dense brush was too far, and they were too fast.

  King Traevon yelled, “We aren’t going to make it. Prepare yourselves!”

  I skidded to a stop, sliding on the slick leaves. I pulled my favorite short sword from its scabbard and turned to face the enemy with my feet braced and sword high. My eyes narrowed on the deer while drool dripped from their mouths, their charge not ending in the face of the rulers and myself ready to kill them.

  My chest pumped hard, and adrenaline pushed in my veins. I roared and raced forward, slicing upward in a clean arc, carving through the first neck. I pivoted quickly and stabbed my sword back into the beast ready to bite my head off, its jaws wide and its teeth wet with hunger. I palmed the handle of a dagger and whipped it to the side into another deer’s neck.

  I yanked blades out of flesh and stepped forward to meet the three deer charging me. One reared up while the other two curved around me. I hurled my dagger into the throat of the deer on its hind legs and whirled in a full circle with my sword braced out, slicing the other two across their throats.

  I ducked under a hoof aimed at my head and slammed my sword up into the belly of the beast, ripping it out hard. I sidestepped the entrails and shoved up into another throat bearing down on me. I heaved my sword out and turned in a slow circle.

  All the deer had fallen. None still alive.

  Father twirled his sword playfully, flicking blood at all angles, barely out of breath. “I am still better than you, my daughter.”

  I flashed my fangs. Out of air, I gasped, “I got eight.”

  “And I killed thirteen.” He smirked.

  “And you lied, Princess Trixie.” King Athon stepped over one of my kills. “You are better than someone merely tinkering with a blade.”

  I bent down to clean my sword off on a carcass and shrugged my shoulders, peering up at him through the mist. “I may have downplayed my ability with a sword.”

  He snorted and yanked my dagger out of the throat of the dead and tossed it onto the ground next to me. “That is as accurate as me saying we now have food for quite a while.”

  “You’re sick,” I grumbled.

  “And my belly will be full.” King Athon grinned. He rubbed at his stomach and peered around with glee. “Who wants to help me with these?”

  Queen Mikko stomped forward. “I’ll do it. These Fae damned creatures made me fall into my own piss.”

  Father tipped his head back and laughed loudly. “I wondered where you had run off to.”

  “A rat would have been better than that pack of deer.” Queen Mikko sneered. “I should have stayed with Queen Alora and Princess Trixie.”

  I pointed at her in agreement. “The rat was polite.”

  * * *

  My stomach purred in happiness. Those beasts had made a fine meal. The meat had also given me energy. Not too much, but I wasn’t quite as shaky as I was before. I asked bluntly, “Are we going to sit here all day, or are we going to search like we should be doing?”

  The tent was our backdrop as we sat around a campfire, with the mist over our heads and swirling around our bodies. The sun was at high noon, and this was the best light we would have today.

  King Elon picked at his teeth with a sharp stick. “We’re waiting for the food to settle. That was a large meal compared to what we’re used to here.”

  Queen Mikko snorted softly. “You say that every day.”

  “Let’s go.” King Athon stood to his feet and brushed off his leather pants—brown this time after changing. “King Elon and Queen Alora, make sure the fire is put out properly. King Traevon, clean up from our meal. Queen Mikko and I will pack up the tent.”

  King Elon sneered. “I think I want to sit longer.”

  “Then you will get left behind, and you’ll need to catch up.” King Athon bared his teeth. “Do you wish to traipse through the Blood Forest alone?”

  “I don’t know who made you our leader here, but you are Fae damned annoying,” King Elon griped, though he did stand up. “Queen Alora, we apparently have another job to do.”

  “What would you like me to do?” I asked patiently.

  King Athon scowled down at me. “Rest while we work, Princess Trixie. You will not be holding us up today.”

  I lifted my chin high. “That could not be helped before.”

  “Just shut up,” he growled. “I am tired of listening to your elven voice.”

  “Like your shifter accent is any better?” I snipped. “Did you learn to speak from an actual animal? You do realize you don’t have to growl every Fae damned word out of your mouth, right?”

  “Please, Princess. Your voice sounds like you have something stuck up your Fae damned ass, it is so clipped. Or do you? Did you play with your little toy while you changed your clothes and popped it into the wrong hole?”

  Father barked, “King Athon! That is enough.”

  Queen Mikko snorted. “Yes, enough, you two. We are going to lose the light if we don’t get this done.”

  I flashed my fangs but stayed silent.

  King Athon growled at the entire group and then prowled through the mist toward the tent. He may not have his power right now, but he still walked like a tiger. The shifter king was Fae damned disgusting.

  I rubbed my stomach, hoping nothing came back up because of him. Simply seeing King Athon set my fangs on edge. If I could rip his throat out, I would be so happy right now because meeting that bloody man had destroyed my life.

  I sighed hard and lay back—resting.

  The rulers moved around in silence. None talked to the other. I didn’t blame them one bit. Currently, I was only stuck with one ru
ler I couldn’t get rid of, while they had four others they were stuck with. I couldn’t even imagine being in their slippers. It must be damned exhausting.

  I closed my eyes. It was peaceful this way.

  “Get up! We’re leaving.” The toe of a boot kicked my hip—right on my bruise.

  “Ow!” I shrieked, rolling instinctively away from the attack.

  King Elon’s green eyebrows snapped together in confusion on his face, the pale blush of his silver skin wrinkling on his forehead. “What did I do?”

  “Nothing, I’m fine,” I hissed, my cheeks instantly pinking in embarrassment. I stood to my feet and brushed off my clothes that were littered with rotted leaves. “It’s just a bruise. You hit it by accident.”

  King Athon strolled by holding the tent, chuckling under his breath. “I bet that’s from the third time your father dropped you yesterday.”

  I stared at his retreating back, calling after him, “Three days is a long time to hold someone! It’s not his fault.”

  King Elon sniggered. “You hit the ground hard that time.”

  Queen Mikko tossed me my bag, stating kindly, “It was later in the day, and we should have stopped before then. It really wasn’t his fault.”

  “I know. I’m not upset at him.” I rubbed at my right hip softly. “I hope it will heal soon, though.”

  Father walked from behind the black trees of the men’s area. “Are we ready?”

  “We are,” I answered instantly. I didn’t want anyone teasing him about the bruise. “What way are we headed today?”

  “To the south.” Queen Alora pointed to the left, her multi-hued hair swinging in her ponytail—only a few leaves were stuck in it. “We tried the north, but it was all uphill, and the terrain was too risky.”

  My lips pinched together. “We’ll have to go that way eventually to get to any other sections of the Blood Forest.”

  She nodded her head. “But not now. We’ll do this section before tackling that.”

  King Athon stalked to our group, shouldering his bag. He rumbled in his deep tone, “Let’s go, everyone. We have about six hours of decent sunshine before we’ll need to make camp again.”