Tree of Ages Box Set

by Sara C. Roethle

  The music grew louder, but Finn could still not determine its source. As they walked, it began to seem as if the music was coming from above them. She looked up, and realized with horror that the music was coming from dozens of small cages. Tiny, winged Faie were trapped in the cages, singing and playing tiny instruments as if their lives depended on it. Most had wings too tattered for flight, so that if they did by chance manage to escape their cages, they would likely just plummet to their deaths. Finn glared at the back of the female Traveler, willing the woman to turn around so she could see just what Finn thought of her and her people.

  When the Traveler did not turn around, Finn glanced over at Kai. He looked around worriedly as they walked. She was not used to him showing his nerves, but she supposed the situation warranted it. The Traveler had acted as if Liaden was alive, but there was no saying how close to death she might be. Finn met the passive eyes of many Travelers as they passed. Perhaps there were worse fates to be had in these woods than death.

  Their guide came to a stop in front of a large white tent made of a fabric less sheer than the others. Also, unlike the canopies, this tent had four sides that were staked at each corner into the ground. The front flap was split in two and hung loose at the inner corners, forming a door. The female Traveler stood to the side and motioned for Finn and Kai to enter the tent.

  “I'll go,” Kai said softly. “There's no need for both of us to enter. If I do not return, run. Don't wait even a moment to see if I am alright.”

  The female Traveler clucked her tongue at them. “You must both go. Both or none. I assure you, it is not a trap. At least, not the type of trap your mind has conjured.”

  “Why is it so important for both of us to go?” Kai questioned suspiciously.

  “Would you leave her out here alone then?” the Traveler asked in reply.

  Finn's eyes widened at the idea. “We'll go together,” she said quickly, not wanting to ever be left alone with one of the Ceàrdaman again.

  Kai considered for a moment, then nodded before entering the tent just ahead of Finn.

  It was a trap, were Finn's first thoughts. The tent was completely empty. Only it wasn't. At their feet was the entrance to a great cavern. Stale, moist air wafted up from the abyss.

  “It's a cave,” Kai commented. “Of course it's a cave. Why wouldn't there be a cave inside of a tent?”

  Finn grabbed Kai's hand in an attempt to settle the man's nerves. “Shall we?” she asked, acting much more brave than she felt.

  Kai nodded, and they took their first step into the cavern. Steps carved out of dirt turned into stone a few feet down. The cavern had been very wide and flat to the earth at the entrance, but as they descended the steps a flat ceiling became barely visible above their heads. It was like walking into a cellar, where first you only see stairs going down, but it opens up into a deceivingly large space.

  Glowing lights lined the walls, looking almost like fire, yet too white to be ordinary flame. They were also not held in any sconces that Finn could see. Instead they just floated in place along the walls, illuminating Kai and Finn's way.

  “What is that scraping?” Kai whispered.

  Finn had heard it too, though she'd been attempting to ignore it. It sounded like the click of tiny nails scurrying in places just out of sight. “Rats, maybe,” Finn replied, though she highly doubted it was something as mundane as rats.

  The light intensified as they reached the main chamber. High, sweeping walls made out of glistening stone composed the alcove. The walls seemed too tall for how deep into the earth they had traveled. Either the incline of the path was deceiving, or they had entered a chamber underneath a large rise of land, though Finn had seen no small mountains anywhere near the tent.

  An exaggerated sigh greeted them. “Oh not you again,” whined the Traveler they had met on the road, what seemed like weeks, but only days, before. His face was illuminated by the eerie lights, casting harsh shadows below his long nose and sharp chin. “Go away Dair Child, you have nothing to offer me.”

  The familiar Traveler was accompanied by three more of his kind, yet these three were abnormally tall, even for the Ceàrdaman. Their heads reached up into the darkness as they swayed in their white robes to an unheard rhythm, oblivious to the appearance of their visitors.

  Finn noticed a dark form crumpled at their feet. The form was wrapped in a charcoal colored robe with a large hood, obscuring its face from view, though a tendril of long, dark hair trailed out from the shadowed hood. Liaden.

  “Well we'll just take our companion and be off then,” Finn replied, gesturing to the hooded form.

  The Traveler's annoyed expression shifted into a wide grin, showing his disturbingly sharp teeth. “She was the payment for your information. You are wasting your time. Unless . . . well, unless you have something better to offer.”

  “What are you doing to her?” Kai interrupted angrily.

  The Traveler cocked his head at Kai. “I was not speaking to you. You have nothing to offer.”

  Kai started toward the Traveler in a rush of anger. Finn barely managed to catch his arm to hold him back, but after a moment's hesitation, he obeyed her gesture.

  “What do you want?” Finn asked as the lump in her throat dropped to her stomach.

  “I will trade one woman for another. You may take your friend's place,” he said, as if he weren't asking her to give up her life.

  She had to buy time, though for what, she did not know. “What would you do with me?”

  The Traveler took a step forward, making Finn's pulse quicken. It took every ounce of her self-control to not take a step back as her stomach turned to ice at the man's nearness.

  The Traveler laughed, greatly amused by Finn's discomfort. “The Gray Lady sees the inbetween places. With her, I can see them too. That is quite a boon to give up, and I would not do so at all if you weren't of the Dair. You can teach us to travel the trees. That could be of great use to us, especially in the coming times.”

  Finn had no idea what the Traveler was talking about. “What do you mean?” she questioned. “The coming times?”

  “The changes,” the Traveler said excitedly. “I told you they were coming. It will provide great opportunities for the more . . . industrious races. You must decide quickly. We are running out of time.”

  Again with the running out of time Finn thought. “That doesn't explain anything. I would know what you would have of me before I agree to anything.”

  The Traveler clucked his tongue as if Finn was being very silly. “I've explained that already. We require knowledge of your gifts. Not another Dair Leanbh has been sighted in one-hundred years. You aren't exactly a prime specimen, but you'll do.”

  Finn began to step forward, but Kai grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “This is mad. We are not trading anyone. You kidnapped her from us, you've used her against her will, and now you will give her back.”

  “No,” the Traveler stated simply. “I will not.”

  Finn allowed Kai to hold her close to his side, away from the Traveler. Had she really just attempted to trade herself for Liaden? Her mind felt as if it was covered in thick mud. “Then why not just take me as well?” she asked, confused. “Why even give us the option of a deal?”

  The Traveler took a large step forward, and suddenly was just inches in front of Finn's face. He acted like Kai wasn't even there. “There is power in a proper deal, my dear,” the Traveler whispered. His breath smelled like spoiled milk. Finn wrinkled her nose and wanted dreadfully to step away, but her feet felt frozen in place.

  “Well we never made any deal, so I don't think you have any power,” she whispered back shakily. “I think I'll take my friends and leave.”

  Surprise crossed the Traveler's face, but was quickly wiped away as he reached his knobby hands toward Finn's cheek. Seconds before he would touch her, Finn brought the heel of her boot down onto his toes. The Traveler looked at her in astonishment, allowing Finn the time to pull away from Kai an
d swing her fist, landing a club-like blow against the side of the Traveler's nose. He fell to the ground, cursing and bleeding all over the place. During Finn's distraction, Kai rushed from her side to gather Liaden. The three tall Ceàrdaman watched expressionlessly as Kai lifted Liaden into his arms like a child and carried her toward the entrance of the cavern.

  Finn hurried to follow him, then stopped short as another white-robed Traveler appeared blocking their way out of the cavern. The hallway was too narrow to go around him, so they would have to go through. Kai had begun to charge the Traveler with Liaden still in his arms, when red blossomed across the belly of the Traveler's robes. An object shifted underneath the red-stained fabric, then withdrew. The Traveler dropped to the floor, dead.

  In his place stood the best sight Finn could think of at that moment. Iseult, covered in blood, holding his short-sword in his right hand. His face was pale and rigid with fatigue, but Finn could see the relief in his eyes as he paused for a fleeting second to stare at her.

  “Stop them!” yelled the Traveler who Finn had incapacitated. He clutched a bloody nose as he got to his feet. “Get them!” He ordered the tall, silent Travelers. “Leave the women alive!” he added as the large forms glided toward them.

  Iseult grabbed Finn's arm and shoved her ahead of him. Next came Kai with Liaden. They ran down the stone corridors, with the eerie lights flickering wildly. Time is running out, Finn thought giddily as fear and excitement fought for control of her brain. Her sleeve was damp with blood where Iseult had grabbed her, and she tried to not think too hard on where it came from. She reached the cavern entrance and exited the tent ahead of the others. She had expected more Travelers to bar her way, but she had not expected the utter chaos in front of her, making the blood on her sleeve seem minor in comparison.

  Faie of all shapes and sizes fought with the Ceàrdaman. The white canopies that had seemed so elegant before were tattered and stained with dirt and blood where they touched the ground, and some had been set on fire.

  The small cages that hung from the trees had been opened to reveal that the tiny, tattered Faie could indeed still fly. Finn witnessed this firsthand as one of the ethereal forms came to hover right before her eyes. Rage twisted the tiny creature's face as it considered Finn, then flew on. If Finn had not been mistaken, the creature had held a small twig, whittled to a needle-like point in his hand. The point had been stained crimson with blood.

  Finn shuddered and started forward, seeking a way out of the chaos. She would have tripped over the bloody prostrate form of the female Traveler that had guided them to the tent, but Iseult grabbed hold of her arm and guided her around the corpse, instructing her to go around the backside of the tent instead. Kai followed with Liaden still unconscious in his arms.

  The way behind the tent was less crowded with fighting, though not entirely clear. “Left!” Iseult shouted just as a quarreling pair nearly took Finn's right arm off from behind. The fighters tumbled to the ground in front of her, oblivious to her presence. As she watched, the Traveler in the fight ripped a lizard like creature the size of a small wolf off his now mutilated leg, and began stabbing at the base of the creature's neck with a small dagger. The creature attempted to rear back, but only managed to drive the dagger up underneath its reptilian skull, effectively ending its life.

  With the lizard creature dead, the Traveler shoved the corpse aside and turned his attention to Finn. This attention was short-lived, however, as Iseult promptly shoved his sword through the Traveler's chest, nearly pinning the man to the ground. “Go,” Iseult ordered as Finn stood frozen in shock.

  When Finn did not move, Iseult withdrew his blade from the Traveler and pulled her forward. She tried to shut out the scene around her, but her eyes were inevitably drawn to the carnage. The forest had seemed so empty in their travels, yet the number of Faie attacking the Travelers far outweighed the numbers of the Travelers themselves. Where had they all come from?

  “We have to do something,” Finn mumbled to herself.

  “This is not our fight,” Iseult replied, pulling her close to his chest to avoid a slim, nymph-like creature with scales covering her slender legs. The creature went screaming past them, intent on a nearby Traveler wielding a large axe.

  “Why aren't they attacking us?” Finn asked as they took a quick respite near the trunk of a tree.

  “They are here for the Travelers. This is the beginning of a war,” Iseult answered.

  “Another war amongst the Faie?” Kai breathed heavily. Carrying Liaden was beginning to take a toll on him.

  Iseult nodded, looking in far worse shape than Kai. “And it will not remain contained in this forest. We must leave this place and get as far away as possible, preferably to another continent.”

  An army of tiny flying men darted past and Iseult urged Finn forward once more. They neared the edge of the battlegrounds, but still had to exhibit caution as various Faie were steadily pouring in from the periphery. Most of the Travelers remained in the center of the battle, defending their camp. Eventually the sounds of battle grew distant, and the tension within the party eased.

  “The Travelers will be slaughtered,” Finn observed quietly as she was ushered into a relatively tranquil copse of trees. “Why?”

  Iseult's face was grim. “The Ceàrdaman have kept the Faie in the Blood Forest all of this time. We believed they had left the mortal world willingly after the last war, but we were wrong. Things are changing now, and the Faie believe that to remain trapped here would mean their end. Each race wants to assure their place in the world.”

  They strode farther on and stopped in an area more hidden by trees. Kai took the opportunity to set Liaden down momentarily, then looked back to Iseult. “What do the Faie intend to do once outside of the forest?”

  Iseult shook his head. “That is not something I intend to stay around to find out.”

  Finn leaned her weight against a nearby tree, still confused. “The Ceàrdaman knew this was coming, that time was running out. They stand no chance of prevailing. Why would they stay?”

  “Time is running out,” Kai repeated, more to himself than to his companions. “You're right, they knew.”

  A large crunching sound from behind them drew the party's attention. A creature greatly resembling a tree revealed itself from within the shadows. Its long trunk-like body, covered in chipping bark, was disproportionate to its short, spindly legs and arms, but that was not the most unnerving thing about the creature. On top of the trunk was one of the ugliest faces Finn had ever seen. Pieces of bark fell off the face as its crooked mouth formed a smile under a massive, knobby nose. Kind, deep green eyes peeked out from uneven, wrinkly eye-sockets to focus on Finn.

  “Is that what I think it is?” Kai asked quietly.

  “I think . . . ” Finn began. “I think it's a Trow.”

  “I can hear you,” the creature bellowed. “I would think you would be less astonished, Tree Sister.”

  Kai looked at Finn askance. “Tree sister?” he questioned skeptically.

  Iseult grunted in impatience. “We must go. I do not want to be here when the Faie finish with the Travelers.”

  The Trow cleared his throat, making a sound like the breaking of a hundred tiny branches. “So you will not join us in our fight?” he asked, looking directly at Finn and ignoring the men.

  “I fear I have nothing to fight with,” Finn said quickly, not wanting to anger the creature, “and we really must be going.”

  The Trow waved them off with one spindly arm. “As you wish,” he grumbled, then stalked past them toward the sounds of battle.

  “Gather the woman,” Iseult instructed Kai.

  Kai did as he was told and retrieved Liaden. Iseult led them farther away from the battle, and soon the sounds of fighting could no longer be heard at all. Finn was not sure if that meant that they had gained enough distance, or if the fighting had finished. Her stomach turned at the thought of the slaughtered Travelers.

  “Where are we go
ing?” Kai demanded. “Won't we just get lost again?”

  “The Faie will not hinder us this time,” Iseult answered plainly.

  Kai stopped walking. “And just how do you know that?”

  Iseult sighed, his impatience clear on his face. “I had . . . an encounter. The Faie no longer desire this forest. Keeping us here would be pointless. They will not try and trick us again, though if we keep wasting time, they may grow tired of toying with the corpses of Travelers and come looking for some new entertainment.”

  That was enough to get Kai moving. Finn scanned the forest for signs of Àed. They had left him at the opposite side of the camp, and had not seen him at all during the fighting. She hoped he was alright.

  Her prayers were answered quite suddenly as the old man in question came stomping through the forest toward them. He had Kai's numerous sheathed weapons and Finn's small dagger strapped around him, making him look like a haphazard porcupine. “What are ye fools waitin for!” he called out. “There's a war a'happenin and we need to be as far away as possible!”

  Iseult gave Kai an I told you so kind of look as the party picked up their pace to catch up with the old man. Àed's shaggy brown mule-horse trotted behind him, matching the old man step for step. Finn noticed that Àed was not even holding the horse's reins anymore. It simply followed him of its own will.

  Àed stopped long enough for Kai to place Liaden across his mule-horse's saddle, then they ventured on together, trusting that Àed was leading them in the right direction. The forest had lost some of its darkness, and the light trickling in showed them the late afternoon sun.

  Finn could no longer hear the sounds of battle, and though she felt nearly too tired to walk, it seemed they had escaped the worst of the forest.

  Hope blossomed within her chest. Soon they would be out of the forest, and she could continue her quest to become a tree once more. Of course, if there was an opportunity for a little more adventure before she grew new roots, she would not shirk it.