Book One: Beginnings

by Nicole Ashley Brown Segda

Kae looks up at him. “So should you.”

  Chase walks toward the window and watches as the rain pounds against the glass. “I’m leaving.”

  Kae’s body tightens. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m tired of this place. The forest.” He turns around to look at Kae. “There’s an entire world I have yet to explore. I want adventure. I want a life.”

  “But what about Joel?”

  Chase strides towards her and grabs her arms. He pleads. “Kae. I want to know who I am. Do you seriously think I can find the answers to my questions here?” He pulls his necklace out of his shirt. “See this charm? My parents gave it to me. It’s the only connection I have to my past.”

  Kae tries to hold back her passion. “You’re going to give up your life here for some wild goose chase? You can’t live in the past, Chase, otherwise you’ll never experience your future. And why do you have to leave now? You have responsibilities here, Chase. People that love you…. How do you think Joel will feel if he wakes up in the morning and discovers that you’re gone too?”

  Chase walks towards the door. “Why can’t you understand? I have to find the answers to my past before I can even consider my future.”

  Kae jumps off the counter. “Do you hear yourself? Do you know how unreasonable you sound?”

  “I don’t care how I sound! I know how I feel and I can’t stay here any longer!” He runs out the door into the pouring rain.

  Kae runs after him. “Chase! Don’t make the biggest mistake of your life. Don’t you think that I haven’t thought about leaving too? But I don’t because my place is here.”

  “Stop lying to yourself. If you weren’t so afraid, you’d be leaving with me. Now go inside, I don’t want you to catch a cold.” He finds the path Ashe and Cole had taken just under an hour ago, heading north instead. His form dwindles as he walks away until, eventually, it disappears altogether.

  Kae stands on the muddy ground as the rain pours down on her. Her shivering body is frozen with despair. She forlornly stares off into the darkness. Grief-stricken, she sinks to the ground and cries. “I’m not afraid….”

  A dim yellow light casts its hollow luminescence on her as the door to the house opens. Joel is standing in the threshold. “Kae?”

  Kae slowly gets up. “Go back to bed, Joel.”

  “I heard voices. Where’s Chase?”

  Kae makes her way towards Joel. “He’s gone.”

  Joel stares at Kae. Her drenched hair. Her muddy clothes. Her face. He can see the pain in her eyes and can hear the somberness in her voice. He lets her pass him in order to enter the house. The door creaks shut. Something inside him wrenches. He looks at the puddle slowly forming as Kae stands motionless before him in her soaking wet bedclothes. Even the little pool of water seems desolate. Kae looks at Joel, her somber gaze matching his own. She slowly walks towards him. Her strength leaves her and she falls to her knees. Joel joins her in her grief, the impact of the loss draining his energy as well. She cradles him in her arms. Pain. Tears.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Smithee is larger than he thought. Miles of forest, and beyond that—more forest. When will it end? He had his fill of nature. If only he could get off this silly continent with its stupid trees. There aren’t even any roads. Sure, he had started off well enough. But he let his curiosity get the better of him. For all he knows he could be traveling in circles. Perhaps his departure two weeks ago was somewhat premature. He hadn’t even taken any food along with him. He is grateful for his knowledge of forestry that he had acquired through Maria’s lessons and Ashe’s explorations, but living off nuts and berries was hardly something he had in mind when he first decided to take this journey. If only he could find Verdana. It has to be around here somewhere. No worries. He’s been lost in the forest before. Not that he is admitting he is lost now. He knows exactly where he is. He’s here. In the forest. On Smithee. The only problem is figuring out exactly where here is.

  A voice startles him. “Ya lost, stranger?”

  Chase turns around. A heavyset man with reddish-brown hair stands before him. His torn clothes are caked with mud and his long gray beard is in desperate need of a trim. He is probably in his mid-fifties, but the layers of filth that cling to his sordid skin make him look much older. The rancid stench emanating from the man supports Chase’s conclusion that he probably lives in this forest and doesn’t get many chances to wash himself.

  The man chuckles. “That cat got yer tongue, ain’t he? Don’t let me looks scare ya. I’m not no noble if that’s what ya was thinkin’.” He wipes his callused hand on his mud-caked overalls and extends it. “Name’s John.”

  Chase keeps his hands in his pockets. “Chase. And I’m not lost, I just don’t know how to get out of this forest.”

  John shakes his head. “Certainly. As far as getting out of this here forest, leave that to me. I know these here woods like I know the back of me hand. If ya don’t mind mah askin’, whatcha runnin’ from?”

  “I’m not running from anything.”

  John shrugs. “Suit yerself. Ya don’t have to tell Old John here ya problems if ya don’t wanna. Makes no difference to me.” He lumbers off into the forest, motioning for Chase to follow him. “How’d ya end up in this here forest, eh? I reckon ya be from these parts considerating the direction ya was coming. Come to think of it, I betcha yer from that little cottage there setting nice and purdy between the Southern Woods and the Northern Woods, which ya are in now.” John looks back at Chase, still a reasonable distance away, when he does not hear a response.

  Chase smiles wanly and mumbles a “Yah.”

  John makes his way through the forest, seemingly following a path that only he can see. He continues with his small talk. “Any ideer where ya headed?”

  Chase rolls his eyes. “No. Any direction away from Smithee is fine with me.”

  “An honest answer. I like that. It seems that nowadays everybody that be headed on a journey has a destination in mind but they just saying that so they don’t sound like some idiot.” John shakes his head and chuckles. “That bravado don’t fool me none so when they says that, they do sounds like idiots without them knowing it.”

  Chase can’t help but laugh. “You’re all right.”

  “Of course I am. It’s them idiots you have to watch out for.” John stops and turns, an amused look on his face. “And some of ‘em idiots are rude too. Ya won’t believe what they said to me.” His eyes widen. “Can you believe they said that I smell like garbage too rotten for a hog to roll in?”

  Avoiding the question, Chase instead replies, “Thanks for the warning. I’ll definitely watch out for flagrant idiots.”

  John slaps Chase on the shoulder. “Atta boy, I knew that there head on yer shoulders be a good one.” He continues winding his way through the forest, still engaging Chase in idle banter. Shortly, they come upon a path. “Here we are.” John stops and points to the right. “About fifteen miles thatta way is the Emerald castle and after that’s the commercial town of Verdana. Five miles beyond that’s the shore. That’s the quickest way out of this here forest. Talk to Tom and he’ll give ya a boat if ya mention me. He be somewhere in Verdana, I reckon.”

  “Thanks for your help. I wish there was something I could do to repay your kindness. Where can I find you if I ever come back this way?”

  John chuckles. “That I cannot help ya with. I go wherever there is work. And sometimes I have no work. And sometimes I have the privilege to work for the king hisself. Yep, yer lookin’ at the man who has mopped the floors walked by royalty. Go to any one of them kingdoms and I’ll betcha me britches they’ve heard of Old John.”

  Chase shakes his head and walks off in the direction John had pointed. The accent is new to him. Although quirky, John seems friendly enough. He only wonders whether the people of Verdana will be as helpful. He eventually comes upon a castle, just like John said he would. At first it just seems to be a hill. There are no distinctive features save a green flag bearing the gol
den outline of a bear. No guards are visible but he can hear a marked rustling coming from the bushes. The simplistic design of the castle intrigues him. Its appearance and form is not typical of other castles he has read about, but he can see the ingenuity of it. Being hidden in a hill and surrounded by trees is fortification in its own right. Perhaps the forest is its walls. And perhaps something unseen protects this humble fortress. Rumors have reached even their little cottage atop the hill that there are things in the real world that cannot be explained by science. He believes those rumors wholeheartedly. That encounter with the lion eleven years ago is ingrained in the back of his mind. An act of God? Something inside of him? Or both?

  He walks on past the castle. The dense forest gradually thins to become nothing more than a copse of newly sprouted saplings. Ahead of him, ruddy stones form a perimeter around a rather large city. An iron gate is lowered, restricting passage through the twenty-foot tall threshold of the city. Sentries pace the high-walled structure, their golden armor gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. A guard calls down to Chase, his voice barking with command. “What business do you have in Verdana, stranger?”

  A subtle wind sweeps around Chase, bearing a hint of salty air. The ocean is not far. He could bypass the city, but there is that little matter of a lack of transportation. Chase opens his arms in a gesture of friendliness and answers the guard. “I am a traveler, sir. I seek food and rest.”

  “From what parts do you hail?”

  Chase clears his throat. “Between the Northern Woods and the Southern Woods is the cottage where I have spent all but three years of my childhood, sir.”

  The guard harrumphs. “The only people that have come from that direction are three women. Unless my eyes and ears deceive me, you are male.”

  Chase sighs but manages to keep the irritation out of his voice. “Please, sir, I mean no harm. I only seek refuge for the night.”

  “From what do you seek refuge?”

  An edge laces Chase’s words. “I am not running from anything, sir. I am on a journey.”

  The guard consults with one of his companions and then coughs. “We cannot let you enter.”

  Chase closes his eyes and clenches his fist. Why does everything have to be so complicated? All he wants is a place to sleep, something to eat, and a boat. Does he appear to be that much of a threat? He’s not even armed. What’s he gonna do, hit them with a stick? Well, if it came to that … Chase shakes his head and keeps his voice controlled. “I am sorry to have troubled you, it’s just that Old John said….”

  The guard’s voice once again bellows from above him. “What name did you just say?”

  The anger bubbling inside Chase is ready to explode. He is now trying to leave and the guard is still pestering him with questions. Chase glares up at the guard and retorts. “Old John.” Chase turns to walk down the path from which he had just come, but the sound of clanking iron stops him. The metal gate is being raised. The guard announces from his post atop the wall, “Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”

  Chase walks through the entrance, not bothering to answer the guard. He is peeved at the moment, and why does everybody think he is running from something? He tightens his jaw in frustration. But his anger is gone as quickly as it had come, replaced by his innate curiosity of new things. A little town bustles with life. Children run through the streets; their laughter warms his heart. Dogs bark and chase their tails. People sell their wares. Their voices ring through the streets that are lined with booths and some more permanent structures constructed of wood. The two-story buildings serve as both places of business and the homes of those who own them. As Chase traverses the wide lane, he notes that signs are posted above each door, indicating the purpose of the dwelling.

  Chase enters through a doorway marked “The Green Tavern.” Bars tend to be good sources of information. He strides towards the bartender who is diligently wiping clean some mugs. The bartender raises an eye when Chase enters, but continues on with his business. Chase clears his throat. “Excuse me, I am looking for a man who goes by the name of Tom. Do you know where I can find him?”

  The bartender ignores him but one of the customers speaks up. “What business do ya ‘ave wit’ ‘im, aye matey?”

  Chase turns to look at the man who has spoken. Red stubble adorns his chin, and his skin is weathered from many years spent at sea. He seems to be in his forties, and the distant look in his blue eyes foretells the wisdom he has gained from experience. Chase answers, “I need a boat, sir.”

  The man laughs. “An’ what makes ya think that e’ll give one to ya?”

  “Old John said that if I needed a boat, Tom will be the person to talk to, sir.”

  The man slowly rises from his seat at the counter and walks towards Chase. He stops inches from Chase’s nose and glares down at him. “How’d ya know Old John?”

  Without flinching, Chase replies, “I met him in the Northern Woods while on my way here, to Verdana.”

  “Did he warn ya about me?”

  Chase can see a glimmer in his eyes, instantly relaxing. “Unless you’re a flagrant idiot, no.”

  A hearty roar bellows from deep within the man’s belly. “Hey, Pete, get my friend … whad’ya say yer name was?”

  “I didn’t, but the name’s Chase.”

  The man laughs again. “Pete, get my friend Chase here a bite to eat, will ya? He looks famished.”

  The bartender looks up and nods to a girl waiting in a corner for his instructions. The girl bustles through a door off to the side of the bar. The bartender returns to wiping down the mugs but directs an occasional glance towards Chase.

  The man speaks the thoughts of the bartender. “It isn’t often we get strangers in these parts. Everyone has been a little wary lately, especially with the war and everything.” He extends his hand. “I’m sure you’ve probably assumed as much, but I be Tom.”

  Chase shakes his hand. Tom’s firm grip is callused and belies many years of grueling work, but his smile is friendly. He motions for Chase to sit down at one of the five tables and then takes a seat himself. He leans back in his chair and sighs, “We’ll leave in the morning. Until then, why don’t ya go look around? I’ll get a room for ya at the Emerald Inn while yer at it.”

  The girl returns from the back room with a tray of cold stew and a piece of bread. Chase smiles up at her as she carefully places the items on the table in front of him. Her eyes do not avert from the task at hand, but a tinge of red begins to paint her cheeks. She briskly turns, thankful that this handsome boy with his dazzling blue eyes is too hungry to notice her blush. She retreats to the back room, only to be reprimanded for not serving the guest his drink. She grabs a clean mug from the counter and prepares to pour the ale when Chase calls to her. “Just water, please. I don’t drink.” Pete looks up from his work but his expression is unreadable. The girl fills up the mug with water and brings it over to the table.

  Tom heartily laughs as Chase inhales his food and empties the glass. The girl recedes to her corner, stifling a giggle and casting wary glances at her boss. Pete seems oblivious just cleaning the mugs, but she knows better.

  Chase nods and rises from his chair. He walks out the door, no longer hungry and relieved that he will be able to continue on his journey.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “We’re making good progress. At this rate, we’ll be at the base a few days earlier than we expected.”

  Cole sighs, “I don’t see why you’re so eager to get there. I think that three years of our life given to play mercenary in this war that is not even ours is long enough.”

  Ashe looks over to him and smiles. “If you look at it that way, it will seem like a lot more than three years.”

  Cole rolls his eyes. “So how do you propose I look at it?”

  “Well, I see it as an opportunity to help those in need. They wouldn’t have called us into this war if it wasn’t….”

  Cole puts his hand on Ashe’s shoulder. “Do you feel that?�
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  Ashe cautiously looks around. He doesn’t see or hear anything, but he certainly can feel something. He closes his eyes and tries to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. His breathing slows as he focuses upon the strange aura unfamiliar to the forest. His mind rules out the signatures of him, Cole, and the animals around them. A sudden coldness fills him and he is abruptly taken back to the present place and time. His eyes open with a quickness. “We’re being watched.”

  Cole’s body tightens with awareness. “I do not recognize the presence, but I feel as if I should.”

  Ashe shakes off the uneasiness. “Let’s keep going.”

  Cole removes his hand from Ashe’s shoulder and nods.

  * * *

  Joel enters the kitchen and pulls up a chair beside Jessica. He rubs his eyes and yawns.

  “Good afternoon, sleepy head.” She smiles.

  Joel looks around. “Where’s everybody?”

  “Kae and Lara were going to Verdana today to pick up some supplies, remember?”

  Joel lowers his head in defeat. “They’ve left already, haven’t they?”

  “At the crack of dawn. They should be in Verdana by now.”

  Joel agitatedly taps his finger and pouts. He was going to complain but he thinks better of it. If he hasn’t learned his lesson by now, he never will. He sighs, “Where do you think Chase is?”

  Jessica shrugs. “I’d laugh if he is still on Smithee.”

  Joel does laugh. “Yeah.”

  A scream pierces through the house. Moments later Maria comes barging into the hallway from Joel’s bedroom. “Joel!!”

  Jessica looks at Joel from across the table and smirks. “What have you done now?”

  Joel rises from his chair and shrugs. He walks into the hallway, Jessica not too far behind.

  The look of absolute disgust mirrors the revulsion in Maria’s voice. “What is a rat doing in your laundry?”

  Jessica giggles but then swallows her outburst when Maria casts a warning glance at her.