by Toni Cox
Suddenly, a narrow game trail appeared in front of her and she stepped on it gladly. Unhindered, she made good time and soon smelled the guard’s fire.
She treaded cautiously, taking care not to step on any dry branches. She cloaked herself in her bubble of air, concentrating on masking her smell as well. She knew Wolf; once he had her scent, he would find her. She pined for her wolf and wished she could take him with, but he would only get in the way, especially if they travelled by air most of the time. She tried to take him on a ride on Midnight’s back once, and it had not been much to Wolf’s liking.
Creeping forwards, she found her hiding place. It was so well hidden, had it not been for the guard sitting on a low stool by his fire, she would not have known exactly where to look, approaching from this side of the forest.
She first checked for signs of Wolf, but could not see him and assumed he was at the main camp. She noticed someone had slashed at the vines she had grown to conceal her gear. Using Earth magic, she removed more of the vines until there was an opening large enough for her to remove the first bag.
Unfortunately, this one did not contain the rope she wanted and she had to dig around. The dry branches of the shrub rubbed together, making an eerie noise.
The guard turned from his fire, looking in her direction. She froze as she was, with her arm half in the small hole she had made. The guard rose from his seat and walked over with a torch. He paced along the line of shrubs for a short while and, once he was satisfied there was nothing there, went to sit by his fire again.
Maia silently exhaled the breath she had been holding and used her magic again to remove more of the vines holding her stash together. The vines slithering across the branches hardly made a sound, a better alternative than cutting the dry branches, which made too much noise. The only problem she had now, even with all the vines removed from her side, was getting her bags through the various openings in silence.
She started with the smaller bags, which fit through well enough. Once she had as many as she could carry, as well as the rope, she threw it all over her shoulders and headed back.
When she reached the place, she found Blaid pacing impatiently and anxiously amid the trees. Midnight growled low and Blaid ran to her to take the bags off her shoulders.
“How much more is there?” he asked. “Do you have to go back?”
Briefly she stared at him. “Yes, we will need it to get through winter. There are two more bags and two chests, although I don’t think I will be able to carry the kist.”
Float them.
“It wasn’t easy the last time I tried and then I wasn’t trying not to make a noise.”
“Float them? Do you mean levitate?”
“I suppose so.”
“Levitation is difficult. It is old magic. Few of our Elementals still know how to do it. Master Margoth knew how, but he passed on before he could teach me.”
Maia’s lips formed a silent O, not sure how to respond to that. She had not known about the old magic and they had never spoken much about their teachers before. She suddenly realised she did not know Blaid all that well. There had only ever been brief exchanges between them, as well as their physical relationship. She had learned more about him in the past two Quarters than she had over the past two years. It was time they really got to know each other, especially if she wanted him to help her.
“Hurry back to us, Maia. Be careful,” Blaid prompted her.
She took off running again.
This time, she knew where she was going and the forest provided the game trail from the moment she entered it.
The moons stood high in the sky when she reached the bushes once more. The guard poked coals with a stick. Maia more felt, than saw, a rider come past, but he was obviously patrolling the treeline, so did not stop to chat to the guard.
Maia settled and looked at the tangled branches. She needed to distract the guard.
She watched as the man poked the red coals again. He would need to put more wood on soon or it would go out. Unfortunately a small pile lay close to where he sat, so he would not even have to get up to add logs to the fire.
Thinking about the fire gave her an idea. She moved swiftly south, hugging the treeline and gathering firewood as she went. When she thought she was far enough, she knelt and made a fire. At a hundred paces or so away, if she lit the fire, the guard would see it. He would investigate, giving her the opportunity to free her gear from the bush.
Once she had set out the wood in such a way that the first small flames would not be seen, she used her Fire magic to light it. The small fire burned brightly within the centre. Until the flames started to devour the outside logs, the guard would not see the flames, giving her time to return.
She had another idea. One of the items she always travelled with was her medicine bag. Not her big one, but a smaller one that hung from her waist and only contained the absolutely necessary items to save a life. It contained popper nuts. If cracked open and roasted, they could treat almost any poisoning. If thrown into a fire whole, though, the shell would whistle shrilly before popping open. With a grin, she added a few to the fire. They would take a few minutes before they whistled.
Running back, she counted the minutes. She ducked into the dark forest just as the first whistling sounds reached her ears. They were faint, but distinct, and were sure to attract the guard’s attention.
By the time she knelt beside the bush again, the guard had stepped away from his fire and was looking toward the tiny spec of light in the distance. From here, the whistling was barely audible. Maia watched the guard anxiously, hoping her ploy worked.
When he finally left his post to investigate the disturbance, it took her a moment to realise she was alone. Frantically, she yanked on the branches of the bush, trying to get her stuff clear so she might levitate them along the game trail back to where Blaid and Midnight waited.
Sweat dripped off her forehead, even in the cold night air, and in her mind the stack she built took a lot longer than expected.
A twig snapped behind her. Her heart hammered frantically in her chest and in her panic, she felt the bubble of air around her quiver. A whine made her look down and there sat Wolf, wagging his tail. His big brown eyes looked at her, but unfocused, as if he wasn’t sure exactly where she was. She grinned ruefully; there was no hiding from Wolf.
Kneeling, she quietly called him to her. He hesitated for a moment, but then ran straight at her and licked her face. She had let her guard down just enough for him to smell her, but maybe he would have found her even if she had been paying full attention to disguising her smell.
“You cannot come with me, Wolf,” she whispered in his ear.
He whined.
“You need to look after Aaron for me.”
She sent Wolf images of Aaron and Rothea and with her mind asked the wolf to return to them. Wolf cocked his head at the instruction and whined again. He was not happy about leaving her and she eventually had to order him away.
With his tail between his legs, and Maia’s heart in pieces, her wolf left, trotting across the plains towards the main camp.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Maia concentrated on lifting her cargo. She cursed as a bag fell from the wobbling contraption. She picked it up and slung it over her shoulder. She did the same with the other bag. Then, with only the small chests and the kist to worry about, she tried again. The object floated steadily and, with of relief, she pushed it along the game trail long before the guard returned to his post.
Midnight hovered over the dark forest, battering the trees below with the wind from his wings. Blaid had managed to climb down a rope thrown from Midnight’s back and was now on the ground awaiting the first load of bags Maia had tied to the same rope.
Maia felt the effort it cost Midnight to hover on the same spot for such a length of time, but her dragon was strong and fit, and stubborn to boot; he would not give up that easily.
The parcel swayed dangerously as the roped lengthened
and at one point Maia was concerned it would get stuck on the trees. Belura now stood next to Blaid, asking the trees to allow the packages to pass.
They repeated the procedure twice until all bags and chests were on the ground. Now came the difficult bit; the kist. Hanging precariously from Midnight’s underside, Maia attached the rope to it and then asked Midnight to let it go. The kist dropped rapidly for about twenty paces, before the rope caught it.
The rope twanged and Maia was sure it was going to snap. Midnight dipped dangerously as the full weight of the falling kist pulled on the rope. Maia lost her grip on the saddle straps and dangled precariously beneath Midnight’s stomach, attached only by her right foot stuck in one of the loops.
Maia swayed, watching the heavy kist swing and, just as she thought the rope would hold, it tore. Free of his burden, Midnight suddenly rose, dislodging Maia’s foot and she fell.
I have you, Midnight’s thought reverberated in her mind as his talons clamped around her.
The last thing she saw before Midnight turned and rose higher to steady himself, was Belura spreading his arms and instantly the trees below her extended their branches, catching the kist before it hit the ground.
Thank you, partner of my soul.
Midnight rumbled deep in his chest and then circled the area three times while Maia reeled in the torn rope and attached herself to it. Her dragon began his descent and, thrashing the canopy of the trees with his wings, hovered to allow Maia to lower herself.
“Are you all right?” Blaid ran to her, helping her detach herself from the rope, and then he took her in his arms.
Her heart still raced from the close call and, with all her senses heightened, she was acutely aware of Blaid’s scent. She let him hold her for a moment longer, savouring his nearness, but then stepped away from him.
Belura, you have my gratitude for saving my belongings. You are truly the master of this forest.
I ask. Not command. Forest is friend, not servant.
Maia inclined her head, letting him know she understood. Even her Earth magic was not as strong as what Belura demonstrated by catching the kist. Never had Maia seen a tree move, unless moved by the wind or stirred into action by Earth magic. This, however, was different; the trees made the motion without outside assistance. Belura had only asked the trees to catch the kist. The trees did the rest. This was a kind of magic Maia had not learnt and, the more time she spent with Belura, the more curious she became.
Find a place to roost, Midnight. Try to stay out of sight, Maia told her dragon.
Will keep watch, he replied, and the wind in the trees lessened as he rose high and then flew south over the dark forest.
“How are you feeling?” Maia asked Blaid.
He grinned at her, a smug look on his roguish face. “Alive. It feels good to be active again. Come; let us get these things to Belura’s cave.”
Been awaiting your return, Belura interrupted them. Belura has gift.
A gift? Blaid asked.
The Riven dipped his head towards Blaid, then uttered a shrill whistle that echoed eerily through the forest.
At first, nothing happened, but then Maia heard sounds behind them and they turned to look down the narrow game trail. With a soft nicker, Lilith trotted around a gnarly rock olive tree and down the path towards them.
Blaid swallowed hard and then he stepped forward to embrace his horse. Maia could clearly feel both their Eläm glow brighter with the joy of being together again.
Maia had wondered what had happened to the wilful, black mare, but had not dared to ask, thinking she might be dead. Yet, here she stood, her black coat gleaming and sleek, as if someone had taken special care to brush her.
She looked towards Belura and felt his acknowledgment in her mind.
She has been waiting. Guest of my forest. Time is right now.
How will I ever repay you for what you have done for me? Blaid asked the Riven. I will forever be in your debt.
Maia watched in amazement as her gear travelled across the forest floor as if by magic.
Belura walked behind them, waving his black, shadowy arms, giving out requests to the forest Maia could not understand. Yet, she felt the forest respond to him; in her mind, the forest glowed brighter in those places he commanded.
She walked in a trance, watching the roots lift and the branches stretch to carry her goods all the way back to the cave. Blaid rode ahead, sitting atop Lilith and talking to her softly.
When they reached Belura’s home, he helped them carry it all in, lifting the heavy kist as if it weighed nothing. Once inside, Maia set to work to sort through it. Some items had gotten wet with the rain and most of the food was spoiled.
Belura sat watching her, fascinated by the items she pulled out. Once Blaid had seen to Lilith, even he came to join her, looking through her things.
“Looks like you planned for a long journey,” he commented.
“I was unsure how long it would take to find you and we can’t go back to Shadow Hall.”
“I wish it weren’t so,” Blaid said, “but I know the rules all too well. Besides, your father made it clear how he feels.”
“For now, we need to set our feelings aside. I wish to be with you, but we need to save our people first.” Maia looked down at her hands. “I wish I knew where to start. In my head, I thought just finding you would present me with a solution, but I feel as lost as before. Silas said to follow my instincts, but my instincts tell me I am not yet strong enough to deal with this kind of threat. Of course, together we are stronger, but look at what happened after the last war. I was almost defeated.”
Blaid took her hand. “I was not beside you, as I should have been. We still channelled each other’s energy, but we were not there for each other during the fighting. I think, if we are to be together, we need to learn how to do that. We have different powers, and working in harmony might require some training. Please, do not look so crushed.”
“I am not,” Maia looked up, defiantly. “I know there is a way; we will find it. You are right. We should train together, learn each other’s powers, strengths and weaknesses, so that we may compensate where the one is weak and the other strong. I know in my heart we can do it, I just wish I knew where to start.”
Blaid was quiet, stroking Maia’s hand. His touch felt good and she forgot about unpacking her things for a moment.
Not a master of spoken words, but thoughts are clear. I can help. Show you the way. Creatures come, destroy my forest, torture my animals, always killing, burning. Need to fight.
You could help us? How? Maia asked, hopeful.
Teach you to fight like me. Teach you magic of the earth. Make you stronger. Then you go, find your people, end the invasion.
Thank you, Belura. You have done so much already. We will be forever in your debt.
Make the killing stop and your debt will be paid.
Maia and Blaid nodded solemnly at Belura’s statement and their pact was made. While Maia carried on sorting, they discussed their training. Both were surprised at Belura’s knowledge of warfare, but he had already been looking after the forest when the giant red cedars were mere saplings and he had seen many people come and go, often fighting. He had learned then to protect the forest.
After Maia had repacked everything and changed into fresh clothes, she sat by the fire, making dinner. Belura had found them potatoes, cabbage, carrots and various other vegetables, which she made into a stew.
“I really could do with some meat,” Blaid complained.
“Do you think you are ready to change into the wolf to go hunting?” Maia asked.
Blaid tilted his head, looking at her sheepishly. “I would like to eat meat as myself. Grilled, succulent, spiced with herbs. Do you not long for meat?”
“I stopped eating meat some time ago. It is only my connection to you that makes me think of it on occasion,” Maia admitted. “I am a Life Elemental. Eating the flesh of an animal that was alive before makes me feel ill.”
“Yes. Like I said, it is my connection to you that makes me want it from time to time. I even had dreams of hunting as the wolf.” She shuddered at the thought of the dream and the hot blood dripping from her mouth.
“Belura has given me permission to hunt for food, provided I do not let the animal suffer. Before we start our training tomorrow, would you do me the honour of hunting with me?”
“Aye,” she agreed, “let us hunt together. We do need to learn each other’s ways and hunting is a good way to start.” Maia paused to ladle stew into a bowl. “In the meantime, this will have to suffice,” she added with a grin.
They rose before dawn and took their bows. Belura was nowhere to be seen, already gone on his daily walk, this time further than usual, so he would not get in the way of the hunt.
They greeted Lilith on their way out, but left the mare by the cave. They found their way to the first game trail and followed it for about two hours. They did not want to hunt too close to Belura’s home. When the birds started singing, Midnight confirmed that the bright, yellow disk had breached the horizon.
Maia learned to hunt at an early age and, within Shadow Hall, the only one who rivalled her skill with the bow was Archer. And now maybe Jasmin.
She also knew the forest; how to walk silently, to read the spoor of the animals and identify them, as well as knowing what habitats certain animals preferred. Although she had not hunted much recently, she remained confident and sure-footed.
Yet, the forest around her was different from the forest she knew. The sheer number of brambles in the undergrowth made not only walking difficult, but also seeing into distance. She almost felt claustrophobic, and the feeling that they were being watched raised the hairs on the back of her neck.