Tree of Ages Box Set

by Sara C. Roethle

  “Where is everyone?” Finn asked, walking toward the fire with Naoki bounding behind her.

  “Are you truly so unobservant?” Anna snapped.

  Finn frowned, reaching a hand out absentmindedly to pet her dragon friend.

  Anna sighed. “Sativola went for more wood, and the other men clambered off arguing about where they want to go from here. Maarav went off with Ealasaid . . . ” she trailed off, glancing warily around them. That had been quite some time ago.

  “Oh wonderful,” Kai grumbled, moving to stand next to Anna with his cloak wrapped tightly around him. “They’ve probably all wandered off to be eaten by errant Faie.”

  “We should probably find them before that happens,” Anna sighed, lowering her hands to her sides.

  Kai groaned. “Why do I have a feeling this is going to be like the Blood Forest all over again?”

  Anna smirked. “Because you’re not an idiot.”

  Iseult didn’t speak, but it was clear he was not pleased. He offered Finn a hand up from where she crouched near the fire with Naoki. Still holding her hand, he said, “Please, stay by my side at all times.”

  Kai snorted. “Yes, please do. We all remember what happened last time we traveled into a forest filled with Faie.”

  Anna smirked as Finn’s complexion deepened with a blush. Anna had been held prisoner whilst her companions traveled through the Blood Forest to find her, but Kai had filled her in on what she’d missed. Finn had become even more Faie struck than anyone else, taking off on horseback in search of her family. She and Kai had ended up lost all night, not finding their other companions until the next morning.

  At the time, hearing the tale had been amusing. Now that Anna knew just who Finn’s family was, she was leaning more toward terrifying. Had the Cavari truly been in the Blood Forest that night, or was it simply an illusion? Hopefully Finn would not see them this night as well, because Anna feared she would have to abandon them all to run the other way.

  Finn’s breath fogged the air in front of her face. Naoki had chosen to prowl around near her feet, leaving her without the extra warmth around her shoulders. Iseult stuck close to her side, his hand on the pommel of his sheathed sword as his eyes scanned the dark trees around them. Behind them walked Kai and Anna. Finn grudgingly admitted to herself that she was glad the pair was currently safe, but only to herself. She’d never say so out loud.

  “I believe we’ve found our first missing party member,” Iseult grumbled, drawing Finn out of her thoughts.

  She peered past Iseult’s pointing finger to see a glint of golden curls in the moonlight. “Sativola!” she gasped, prepared to run off toward the man, but Iseult caught her by the arm.

  “We don’t know if he’s under a Faie spell,” he explained. “He may be dangerous.”

  She nodded, then glanced back at Kai and Anna.

  Kai sighed. “I suppose I’ll be going first then.” He walked around Finn, dodging a playful swat of Naoki’s talons to approach Sativola, who was happily dancing in the moonlight.

  Finn, Iseult, and Anna followed after Kai silently, though Finn doubted Sativola would notice their presence even if they shouted at him. He seemed entirely enthralled with his twirling dance.

  “Why is he shirtless?” Anna hissed near Finn’s shoulder.

  Finn tried not to laugh. They were all in horrible danger, and she should not find the situation humorous, but she couldn’t help a small smile. Sativola had given Kai a constant ribbing over becoming charmed by the Sirens when they were out to sea. If they all survived, she imagined Kai would have his revenge teasing the large, masculine man about his half-naked twirling in the moonlight.

  “Sativola?” Kai questioned, nearing his friend.

  Sativola didn’t seem to hear him, and instead continued to twirl.

  “Perhaps you should kiss him,” Finn whispered, stepping up behind Kai with Iseult at her side. She had been the one to kiss Kai to break the Siren’s spell, a memory she still blushed at whenever she thought of it. She would not mind if Kai had something to blush at too.

  Kai glared back at her. “I imagine one of you ladies should have that pleasure.”

  “I think he’d prefer you,” Finn teased.

  Iseult sighed and left Finn at Kai’s side to approach Sativola. He cocked his fist back, then hit poor Sativola square in the jaw.

  Sativola staggered backward, then looked up at Iseult in shock. His nose let out a small trickle of blood, but at least he’d stopped dancing. The shock and anger on his face slowly faded as he took in his surroundings, including Finn, Anna, and Kai standing off to one side. Next he looked down at the curly blond hair on his bare chest.

  “What in Tirn Ail happened?” he asked, returning his gaze to them.

  “Faie,” Iseult answered simply. He lifted Sativola’s tunic and cloak from the forest floor and handed them to him. With a glance at Kai and Anna, he returned to Finn’s side and urged her onward. Naoki chirped and began trotting at her other side.

  Sativola joined Kai and Anna, and they continued their search.

  They hadn’t gone far when Finn heard Anna sigh.

  “What is it?” Kai whispered. “Do you see . . . something?”

  Finn turned to see Anna gesture off into the trees. “Something over there,” she muttered, sounding defeated.

  Iseult looked to Finn, and she nodded. Anna must have been seeing into the gray. To their right was something . . . magical.

  Veering off their chosen course, the party all made their way toward where Anna had pointed. Before long, they heard soft giggles and masculine laughter. Finn resisted the urge to run forward, already knowing who was ahead of them. Ealasaid was the only missing female member of their party, and so, was likely responsible for the giggles.

  “Well this should be interesting,” she heard Kai whisper.

  They continued in the direction of the giggling until Ealasaid and Maarav came into view. They were seated near a small pond, surrounded by scraggly young trees. Finn watched in horror as Maarav leaned forward and stole a kiss. Rather than being offended, Ealasaid giggled again.

  Finn hurried forward and wrapped her arms around Ealasaid, pulling her to her feet. She knew a Faie spell when she saw one, and also knew that no one should have to kiss anyone they wouldn’t under normal circumstances.

  Maarav hopped to his feet just as the others reached them. “Unhand my bride!” he shouted, but Iseult cut him off before he could make a grab for Ealasaid, who struggled against Finn’s grasp.

  “Should we hit him?” Kai asked.

  Anna snickered. “I volunteer my services.” She walked right up, poked Maarav on the shoulder, then punched him as soon as he turned toward her.

  He reeled back from the hit, then laughed. “My lady,” he began, looking down at Anna, “while normally I’d encourage your behavior, I’m afraid I’ve promised myself to another.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, then turned back to Ealasaid.

  She had stopped struggling against Finn’s grasp and instead started to cry.

  Finn frowned, taking in the loving gleam in Maarav’s eyes as he gazed at his bride. “I don’t think the spell is broken,” she groaned, then finally let Ealasaid go. She couldn’t very well hold on to the woman all night.

  Free of her grasp, Ealasaid hurried to Maarav’s open arms.

  Sativola stepped up to Finn’s side, observing the loving couple. “This is more embarrassing than dancing in the moonlight. Agreed?” he whispered.

  Finn sighed. “I believe so, at least for Ealasaid. I think she’ll be quite appalled when she learns her first kiss went to Maarav.”

  “First kiss?” Anna and Kai said together.

  Finn was glad the darkness hid her blush. She wasn’t sure who her first kiss had gone to in her previous life, but in this one it had gone to Kai, also as the result of a Faie spell . . . at least on Kai’s part.

  “She told me while we were on the ship together,” she explained.

  “Bring them wit
h us,” Iseult ordered, putting an end to any more talk of kissing. “Hopefully the spell will break by morning.”

  Ealasaid and Maarav started kissing again.

  “Perhaps one more slap, just to be sure?” Finn questioned, wanting to slap Maarav herself for taking advantage of the young girl, Faie spell or no. Naoki let out a low growl that Finn interpreted as her agreement.

  Before anyone human could answer, a howl cut through the night, sending a chill down Finn’s spine. She’d heard such a howl before.

  Her canine encounter with Bedelia suddenly fresh in her mind, she turned to Iseult. “That sounded like one of the Faie wolves, the ones that bit my friend. Their bites cause illness.”

  “We should return to the fire,” he stated. “It should serve to keep them at bay.”

  “What about the others?” Kai questioned.

  Iseult shook his head. “I will not risk an encounter with the wolves.” He glanced at Finn. “Without treatment, their bites are fatal.”

  Finn pawed at her hair nervously, worried about the other crewmen, though she had no desire to face the wolves again. “Perhaps they’ve already returned, and are wondering where we are,” she suggested.

  Iseult put a hand on her back and guided her to begin walking in the direction of their camp.

  Maarav gallantly swooped Ealasaid up into his arms, carrying her in the same direction.

  Kai moved to walk at Finn’s side, opposite Iseult, with Anna beside him. “At least you weren’t the one to get Faie charmed tonight,” he whispered, leaning toward her shoulder.

  Finn smiled sadly at him. “The night is still young, and the Blood Forest no longer has a boundary for us to escape.”

  He let out a long sigh as their boots crunched over dried leaves and broken branches. “You’re right. It does feel just like the Blood Forest. Too bad we no longer have Anders and Branwen with us to explain the Faie lore.”

  Finn nodded, deep in thought, highly doubting either of the twins were even still alive.

  Anders stifled a groan. His feet were absolutely killing him. Niklas, the Traveler with whom he’d taken up company, never seemed to tire. His tall, spindly form, covered with a shapeless gray cloak, seemed to glide over the rocky ground. The land around them was barren and open, though given the season, it should have still boasted wild heather, and the monotonous hum of insects.

  “The nights have been growing unusually cold,” Niklas commented, startling Anders.

  Anders looked around at the softly rolling hills, gently illuminated by moonlight, surrounding the narrow dirt road they walked. It was cold, almost unbearably so, but the temperature was far down on the list of his worries.

  He pushed his dirty red hair out of his face, long since freed of the braids he’d worn during his time with An Fiach, The Hunt. “I take it the cold is somehow significant to you?”

  Niklas nodded, his bald head gleaming in the light of the moon. His oddly reflective eyes flicked to Anders, then back to the road ahead of them. “Faie magic often leaves a chill in the air. It’s as if the very land they tread upon hangs somewhere between reality and the in-between. It’s always cold where the barriers between the worlds are thin. The changes are happening more quickly than we predicted.”

  Anders knew the we he referred to were the Cèardaman, more commonly called the Travelers. The lore had them labeled as craftsmen, but Anders had come to learn their craft was prophecy, and the keeping of history. They had many gifts, most of which Anders was sure he didn’t understand. Sometimes it felt as if Niklas stared into his very soul, yet the Traveler for some reason still required his aid to access his family’s Archives. The Travelers could not be all-knowing if they were in need of books written by humans.

  “And what changes did your people predict?” Anders asked finally.

  Niklas curled his bloodless lips into a grim smile, then restated the prophecy Anders had now heard many times. “The seasons are changing. The lines are faltering, undoing the old and bringing life to the new. Trees will fall, and changed earth will be left in their place. A storm is coming.”

  Anders looked up at the cloud-obscured moon, just as a brilliant streak of lighting cut through the dark sky, illuminating their surroundings for a brief moment. A light drizzle of rain began to fall, but that was the second least of Anders’ worries, right after the cold. The brief flash of lightning had revealed eyes, countless pairs of glowing eyes, watching them from the hills.

  Either Niklas did not notice, or he was not overly concerned. That made one of them.

  They walked on through the night. Anders was constantly aware of the feeling of eyes on him, but nothing ever attacked, likely because of Niklas.

  By morning, Anders’ new primary worries were the painful, grumbling knot of his stomach, and his feet feeling like they might be bleeding within his boots.

  This was the longest they’d traveled with so few breaks, and such little food. In the beginning Niklas seemed at least a little interested in keeping Anders alive, but as time wore on, he became increasingly obsessed with their goal.

  Though Anders was dreading reaching the Archive and attempting to enter with a Traveler at his side, he breathed a sigh of relief as the ornate fortress came into view in the early morning light. The golden hue of the expansive central building, domelike in shape, seemed to shimmer in the thin, cool air. Surrounding it were the lodgings, other communal buildings where many scholars spent their entire lives, and multiple long wings housing countless books and other recordings. In fact, the Archive could be considered a city unto itself, for the people within had all they needed to survive.

  While the spired gates around the complex had at one time brought Anders comfort, making him feel safe, now the sight was daunting. Positioned above and around the gates were numerous Archive Guards, supplied by the Gray City, Sormyr. Anders would only need his parents to verify his identity to pass through the gates. Niklas was another story.

  Unfortunately, Anders could not simply enter and retrieve the tomes Niklas desired. The Traveler claimed he would need to be there to identify each book, and Anders would not be allowed to take them outside of the Archive.

  Suddenly Niklas halted, still far enough from the Archive that the guards would not be overly concerned with their presence. “We will wait here,” he explained. “Make camp and a meal if you must, but be prepared. We await the right moment.”

  “Is something going to happen?” Anders gasped, wondering if Niklas’ people had interpreted a portion of the future involving his family’s Archive.

  Niklas nodded. “Yes, and you will be needed. Prepare to be important, for once in your life.”

  Anders sighed, surprised that the insult didn’t even sting. He’d let enough people down, and had been let down in return, that his pride was a thing of the past. While he wouldn’t mind regaining a measure of importance, he did not trust the grim cast to Niklas’ features. Important men could be either heroes, or villains.

  Anders wondered which one he was about to be.

  Chapter Three

  Finn sat up with a yawn. She stretched her arms over her head, reluctantly letting the cool air hit her upper body. She wanted nothing more than to retreat back into her bedroll, but after the events of the night, she knew they should not linger away from the road.

  She yawned again. She and Iseult had taken first watch, while Kai, Anna, and Sativola had taken the second. Maarav and Ealasaid hadn’t been allowed to participate in standing guard, since they seemed unable to pull free of the Faie spell. Sitting up fully, she searched around for the pair. She didn’t see Maarav, but her eyes eventually found Ealasaid, sitting near the fire with a morose expression. Ah, it seemed the spell had broken.

  Finn wiggled the rest of the way out of her bedding and stood, plucking her cloak from the pile to wrap around her shoulders. She walked toward the fire, then took a seat beside Ealasaid on a portion of tree trunk.

  “I’m such a fool,” Ealasaid muttered, leaning forward to b
ury her head in her hands.

  Finn glanced around again for Maarav, but saw only Iseult and Anna tending to the horses and fixing a cold meal, respectively. Naoki circled Iseult’s feet, chirping up at him, and he’d occasionally toss something down to her, likely a small scrap of meat judging by how quickly she gobbled each morsel.

  Finn turned back to Ealasaid. “Where are the others?”

  Meeting her questioning gaze, Ealasaid explained, “He went off with Kai and Sativola to search for the other men.”

  She smiled softly. “He being Maarav, I assume?”

  Ealasaid nodded, then reburied her face. “He wasn’t even embarrassed,” she groaned. “We woke up this morning in each other’s arms, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek and thanked me for the entertaining evening.”

  “You didn’t-” Finn cut herself off, searching her mind for a tactful way of asking what she was thinking. “You didn’t entertain him too much, did you?”

  Ealasaid snorted and lifted her head. “No, thank the gods. Just kissing. Lots, and lots of kissing.” Down her head went back into her palms.

  Finn patted her back. “Try not to worry too much about it. You are not the only one in our party who’s been affected by Faie tricks. Once I ran off into the woods on my own, putting all of my companions in danger, and while we were sailing, Kai nearly flung himself into the ocean to reach the Sirens.”

  Ealasaid groaned, but finally revealed her face and smiled. “You’re right. It was a spell and not really me. I just wish Maarav had shared in my embarrassment, at least a little.”

  Finn returned her smile. “Come now, he’s probably just feeling down that you no longer wanted to rest in his arms come morning.”

  Ealasaid smiled a little wider, then Anna approached and handed them each a slice of bread topped with white cheese. She looked like she wanted to say something, then Sativola came crashing out of the trees, followed by Kai, Maarav, Tavish, and Rae, the latter two with their eyes downcast and a bit of blood on their clothing.