Veil of Stars

by Yasmine Galenorn

  I nodded. “That’s fine. We’ll do fine either way. So, about three days to reach Cernunnos’s Palace?”

  He nodded. “We travel from dawn till past dusk. If you have to use the facilities, there’s a private screen and a chamber pot back there. We’ll stop twice—once at noon, once in the late afternoon—to give the horses a break and to empty the pots and clean up.” He folded up the stepstool and placed it inside the door. “We’re ready. Your wood is being stored on one of the cargo wagons. This carriage is heated, so no building any fires.” He looked square at Raven. “I know you’re one of the Ante-Fae and that you carry fire in your belly—no lighting anything on fire, understand?”

  I translated for her and she laughed.

  “Tell him I promise to behave.”

  When I told Kraka what she said, he snorted. “As if one of her kind ever behaves themselves. You travel with interesting friends, Lady Ember.” And with that, he slammed the door shut.

  There was a window to the left side of each bench, so we spread out, watching as the caravan began to move. The horses picked up pace and the swirl of snow beat against the glass, turning the outside world into a kaleidoscope in white.

  I opened the bag of food and pulled out the pie. “Pie for breakfast? Or do you want bread and butter? We have cheese, too, and apples, plus the cookies we have left.” I saw that Sala had added six extra apples to our stash.

  “Pie. The other foods will keep better,” Angel said.

  I brought out the pie, which smelled of apple and cinnamon and sugar. It was bigger than the pies at home and deep-dish, so I used my dagger—wiping it first—to slice the pie into six wedges, two for each of us. We had no plates, so we improvised. We still had plenty of paper towels, so I doubled them and handed Raven and Angel their shares of the pie. As we ate, the caravan rocked gently along and the snow picked up.

  “Three days of sitting here traveling, huh?” Angel said. “Want to read more of the book?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, watching out the window’s going to get old.” I kept thinking of Mr. Rumblebutt. “I hope somebody’s feeding Mr. R.,” I whispered. “I’m worried.”

  “At least I know Raj is home with Curikan,” Raven said.

  “How are things going now? With you and your father?” I finished off my pie and wiped my fingers. “Does he like living in Kalevala?”

  Raven and her father had had a major blowout in December, and he had turned on her and essentially gotten her labeled a pariah in the Ante-Fae community. The whole mess had been nasty and heartbreaking, and I was shocked when she accepted him back into her life after he realized what a stupid thing he had done.

  “All right. Curikan is happy over there. He’s got a long ways to go to ever make up for what he did to me, but he’s trying.” She shrugged. “My mother’s visited a couple times. She says it suits me.”

  “What do you think?” Angel asked.

  “I think…it suits me, too. I never thought I’d like being away from a major city, but we’re living in Tapiola—Mielikki’s woodland—and it’s so peaceful and beautiful. We’ve been meeting a lot of her metsan haltija—the Finnish forest folk. They’re a noble people. The väki of the forest is far more powerful than I ever dreamed.”

  “Väki?” I asked.

  “The…how to phrase it—spirit? Essence? Väinämöinen is teaching me to use the tulen väki—the essential powers of fire. I have to be careful, though, because when I practice my magic, it’s easy to offend the väki of the forest if I get too near the trees or plants. He’s a wonderful teacher, and he can be stern to the point of scaring me, but he’s also funny. He and Kipa get along. In fact, he reminds me of…oh…a grandfatherly Kipa.”

  Her face was glowing, and I realized that there was something different about her. We hadn’t had time to catch up before the battle, and on the road from the Forest of Death, we’d been too exhausted and afraid to talk much. But now I realized that Raven was growing, and she seemed more mature than she had.

  Angel stared at her for a moment. “Are you coming back to live on the Eastside after the training and internship?”

  Raven paused, then cracked a faint smile. “I will come back to visit, but I feel at home in Kalevala. I don’t belong in Annwn, and while I love the Seattle area, I feel like I’m in my element now. I fit in over in Kalevala. Even wearing the clothes that I do, I fit. Raj misses television, but we’ve found ways to circumvent that. And he’s getting more exercise, which is good for him.”

  “So you’re saying…no?” I asked, though I wasn’t that surprised. I’d had a feeling when we saw Raven off to the realm of Kalevala that she was leaving us for good. Oh, we’d see her again but…not on an everyday basis.

  “I’m happy there. I’m ostracized from my people, but the Banra-Sheagh can’t rule the Ante-Fae who are out of her reach. Vixen and Apollo and all my other friends have to make up their own mind about being Exosan, but at least I won’t be adding to their worries this way.” She paused, then said, “Kipa and I wanted to tell you this together, but I’m going to tell you in private because the two of you are so close. He’s asked me to marry him. We’ll stay in Kalevala, where he can run with his wolves freely.”

  “You’re getting married?” Angel shouted, slipping out of her seat to hug Raven.

  I joined them for a group hug. “When?”

  “Not till after I finish my training and internship, but then yes, we’ll get married. I’m to become a goddess of fire over there. I’ll be going through the Gadawnoin, too, Ember, so you can give me pointers!” She beamed, grinning.

  “When did he ask? What did he say?” Angel asked.

  “We were lounging in front of the fire, talking about a trip to meet his stepmother. His father is Ukko, Lord of the Finnish gods, and his stepmother is Rauni—the mother of the pantheon.”

  I blinked. “Who’s his mother?”

  “Kuu, goddess of the moon, but she’s skittish and left Kipa to Rauni’s care. We don’t even know if Kuu remembers giving birth to him.” She shrugged. “Rauni and Ukko brought him up and he treats Rauni like his own mother.”

  “How does that even work? I know Hera was jealous as hell when Zeus went out catting around,” I said.

  “Rauni apparently gave Ukko permission to father a child for Kuu. Kuu didn’t have a mate and wanted a baby. But the moment she gave birth to Kipa, she was done with being a mother, I guess. Kipa told me that Kuu is so focused on the cycles of time, and the sky, that she loses track of anything soil-bound.”

  The Finnish gods sounded very different than the Celtic ones, and I could see Raven fitting into their world.

  “Anyway, so you two were talking about taking a trip and—”

  “And then he told me he had something to ask. He said that when he left home to travel to Earth, Rauni told him she wanted to see him wed and settled because he was a wild child. He promised he would, but he never told them about his relationship with Venla, because she had no desire to become a goddess. She didn’t want to live forever.”

  “Who’s Venla?” I asked.

  Raven blinked. “I forgot you didn’t know. Long ago, Kipa fell in love with a human and he stayed with her until the day she died. She had been beaten by her stepfather, who tried to rape her, and then cast out because she fought him off. The beating injured her uterus, but she healed up and was living in the forest when Kipa found her.”

  I stared at her. Kipa was growing more and more complex with every word. I had thought of him as a player, helpful and fun, but irresponsible. But now I was learning he had a side that made him so much more than that.

  “After that, he asked me if I liked living in Kalevala. When I told him how much I loved it, he asked me if I’d be willing to make my home there, with him, and marry him. And I said yes.” She gave us a gentle smile. “Yes, Kipa’s a wild child like his mother, but I can match him in that, and we’re both passionate. We love each other. I never dreamed I’d marry a god—which means I have to become a goddes
s—but here we are.”

  Angel sighed happily, clasping one of Raven’s hands. “Congratulations!”

  “Well, we have two years till we get married, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to train and by the time I go through the ritual, my powers will be much stronger. Väinämöinen warned me that if I chose that path, I can never become one of the Force Majeure, and I thought for a while about it. But the fact is, I might never become one anyway. Training with him doesn’t guarantee me a spot on the list. And there are already twenty-one of them and nobody seems to be showing any sign of dying.”

  There were twenty-one members of the Force Majeure at any one time, and attrition rate was achieved through only through death. Given all the magicians, witches, and sorcerers in the organization were at least a thousand years old, it would be a long time before Raven even stood a chance of making it.

  “True that,” I said.

  “I gather each member picks an acolyte and trains them for years…like understudies. But I’m not patient enough to wait for that and I don’t think being in the Force Majeure would suit my temperament. So when Kipa asked me to marry him, I knew that was the right path.” She motioned to our benches. “Move it, I want to stretch out my legs. I’m still tired from the past few days.”

  We reluctantly returned to our benches and after speculating what our weddings would be like, we continued reading the mystery. After a while, the rocking of the caravan made me sleepy, and I wasn’t the only one yawning. So we bundled down in the early afternoon for a nap, waking for dinner. The caravan continued to travel along, but outside the storm was getting worse, and I wondered how they would keep on the path come dusk. But my question answered itself.

  When night fell, shortly before we stopped to make camp, I glanced out the window and saw a trail of blue lights marking the sides of the path. I wasn’t sure if they were lightning flits or what, but they glowed so bright that they were impossible to miss, and they were spaced out every hundred yards or so. They lined the road, and so the caravan managed to stay on track until the movement eased and we pulled off to the other side.

  Kraka knocked on our door before popping his head inside. “We’ll be making camp here. Come out while we empty your chamber pot. You missed this afternoon.”

  The chamber pot was like a portable toilet, and it was on wheels. After we exited the carriage into the chill of the night, Kraka called one of his men to attend to it for us.

  “The fiancée of a god will not empty her own chamber pot on my caravan,” he said.

  I realized he was currying favor for the future, but that was fine with me. “Thank you,” I said. “I’ll tell Herne what good care you’ve taken of us.”

  “Thank you, milady. Now return to your carriage. There’s a lock on the inner door. I suggest you use it. While my men are trustworthy, as I said, the other passengers aren’t to be trusted. While my men keep watch, we can’t guarantee something won’t happen. If you’re locked in, so much the better. I noticed you have weaponry.”

  “We do, and if for some reason the Star Hounds attack—they attacked us a few nights back—then call us. We can fight.”

  “I believe you,” he said. “Now go and sleep well.”

  After his man brought the now-empty chamber pot back to us, I shut the door and locked it. “We should still keep watch,” I said. “I trust Kraka, but I don’t want to be caught unprepared.”

  And so we kept watch, with Angel taking first shift, Raven the second, and me the third. All through the night the howling of the wind kept up a steady pace, and I prayed we’d be able to continue come morning, given how fast and thick the snow was falling.

  Chapter Ten

  The second and third day of the trip were boring, but we made good time. We didn’t pick up anyone else, and stopped at only one village along the way for more cargo. Whoever was in the other carriage kept to themselves and, as nosy as I could be, I decided to take Kraka’s advice and leave well enough alone. We finished the book we were reading, and another, and were about to start on a third when, near late afternoon on the third day, the caravan stopped.

  Kraka knocked on our door and I opened it. “We’re near the palace. Eselwithe village is right up ahead, and Eselwithe is at the base of the Forest Lord’s lands.”

  I knew that village—and so did Raven and Angel. We’d been there often enough.

  “Can you take us into Eselwithe? Walking in this snow could be dangerous. Though the storm has let up, I don’t trust us to not get lost.”

  “We’ll let you off at the edge. We’re not scheduled to stop in town so it would be disruptive for the caravan to trundle through.” He glanced at the sky. “Get your things together—it won’t be long before we’re there.”

  We gathered our things as the caravan began to move again, finishing off the last of the bread and cheese and cookies. By the time we were ready, the caravan stopped. Outside of the window, we could see the houses of the village.

  “Should we make for the portal itself?” Angel asked.

  I frowned, then shook my head. “My gut tells me to go to the palace.”

  “All right, but let’s try to find someone to guide us. The landscape looks so different with so much snow.” Raven frowned. “It snows a lot in Kalevala too. And even though it’s another realm, we still get the effects that Finland does with the sun—the land of the midnight sun, you know.”

  “I thought that was Norway,” I said.

  “I thought it referred to Alaska,” Angel countered.

  “There’s more than one land up that high toward the Arctic Circle. The reference can be made about all of them,” Raven said. “Okay, let’s get moving.”

  I gave Kraka our wood, and he gave us back our rope. We said good-bye and I promised to recommend his caravan to Herne and Cernunnos. As they headed out, Raven, Angel, and I entered Eselwithe.

  There were few people on the streets, but we stopped in at the Trader’s Day Post—a shop that catered to travelers. They hired out guides and horses, along with leading other trips. I approached the counter. An Elf looked up, breaking into a smile.

  “Lady Ember! You grace us with your presence.” He scrambled to stand at awkward attention.

  Given I’d never been in the Trader’s Day Post before, I wasn’t sure how he knew who I was, but then it occurred to me. The village belonged to Cernunnos. Chances were my engagement to Herne had been announced, and Cernunnos and Morgana weren’t shy about using Earthside technology like printing up posters. They could have easily sent out fliers about our upcoming wedding.

  “Thank you,” I said, wanting to ask him how he knew about it, but I decided to leave that for another time. “My friends and I need a guide to the palace. We got lost in Caer Arianrhod and made our way here from there. I don’t trust our navigational abilities.”

  “Of course. In fact, I have horses you can ride. Given you’re Herne’s consort, of course there’s no charge. I’ll have a guide lead you to the palace here in a moment.” He paused. “Would you like blankets to drape over your head so the snow doesn’t chill you too much?”

  I nodded, pulling out my coin sack. “Yes, but I insist on paying you. Here, take what we have left.” I started to take the coins out of the sack, but he shook his head.

  “No, milady. There will never be a charge for Herne’s fiancée or her friends.” He quickly moved to the side and motioned to a man lounging near the woodstove. “I have a job for you. Deliver these women to the palace. Don’t tarry, and make certain they get there safely or your life is forfeit.”

  The man jumped up, nodding. “I’ll ready the horses,” he said. “I’ll return when they’re saddled.”

  We gathered by the stove to wait. I wanted to do something in return for the shopkeeper’s generosity, so I found several trinkets—a couple belt buckles that were hand engraved—for Viktor and Yutani, and a beautiful handwoven scarf for Talia. This time, I insisted on paying for them—it was one far’en and five qiks.

  Th
e guide reappeared a short while later. “We’re ready, milady.”

  We followed him out into the snowstorm, where instead of horses, we found a carriage. The guide beamed. “I thought we didn’t have any available, but look what I found.”

  Relieved—I wasn’t looking forward to riding a horse through the snow—we clambered aboard and he shut the door, making certain we had blankets tucked over our laps first.

  I leaned back, exhausted. The past five days had been grueling and the thought of going home was so appealing that tears welled up in my eyes. I missed my cat and Herne and our home and everything familiar. We had seen more of Annwn than I cared to, at least in this manner.

  “Tired?” Angel asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah. I imagine we all are.”

  Raven nodded. “I miss Raj and Kipa.”

  “Let’s hope Echidna won,” Angel said. “If not, who knows what we’ll be going home to.”

  “Yeah.” I didn’t want to think about what might happen if Typhon won, and I had managed to stave off most of the thoughts in that direction since we landed in Caer Arianrhod. But now that we were close to going home, they came charging back like gangbusters. I sighed. “I suppose we should talk about what happens in case…in case we aren’t on the winning side.”

  “You mean, if Typhon won?” Raven said. “What I want to know is since they’re both immortal, how can either one win?”

  “They may be immortal, but remember, the gods can be hurt. They can be maimed, and they can be knocked unconscious. And during that time, they can be bound. When the pair clashed, remember, it was strong enough to open a vortex and throw us here.” I leaned forward to look out the window. “Let’s just hope Echidna was able to bind Typhon.”

  Sometime later, we could see Cernunnos’s palace looming large under the silvery sky. The massive stand of oaks that housed the Forest Lord’s palace was covered with snow, a magical sight as lights filtered out from the myriad rooms and chambers within the tree palace. The trees all sprang from one central trunk, trunks calving off from the central core. Roots wound together to form the staircases that curved up the trunks, leading to different rooms and chambers. The steps looked like they’d been cleared, but all in all, the snow made the palace more magical in every way.