The Oaken Throne

by Sara C. Roethle

  “We’re not going to hurt you,” she sighed. “We heard your voices and wanted to make sure you posed no threat. It is quite clear the only threat you pose is to yourselves.”

  “W-what do you want?” the man stammered.

  Anna sighed, then turned to Eywen. “Let us go. I believe they have been scared out of their stupidity.”

  “Wait,” the woman said, stepping around her husband. She glanced warily at Eywen, then turned her focus back to Anna. “We cannot go back to Garenoch. Lady Ealasaid has taken control of the burgh, and is inviting mages in left and right. We didn’t want to be there when the creatures came back.”

  Anna raised her brow. “Creatures?”

  The woman flicked her eyes to Eywen again. “Like him,” she muttered. “They attacked us once. They’ll do it again. My brother died that day.”

  Anna frowned, taking offense to the woman’s classification of the Aos Sí . . . though she supposed at one time, she’d thought the same.

  “Then go to another burgh,” she replied. “There are Faie in the marshes. You’ll die long before you find an inhabitable village, if there are even any left.”

  “The larger burghs are no longer safe,” the woman argued. “They’ve either been overrun by the Faie, or raided by An Fiach. We’d never make it all the way to Sormyr, or any of the burghs up North. We have nowhere else to go.”

  “I do not believe you will convince them,” Eywen interjected, looking at Anna.

  The woman gasped, though she’d already heard him speak. The man looked ready to wet himself.

  Anna sighed. She never should have stopped. Truly, she just wanted to ensure they would not be ambushed. Now she was just wasting her time.

  She walked forward, ignoring the trembling couple, then began stacking the sticks and dried grass where the woman had been trying to build a fire.

  Eywen walked up behind her, then handed her a flint and steel. “They can keep it,” he muttered. “I have another.”

  Anna turned her eyes up to him, surprised he’d be so kind to people calling him a creature, then turned her attention back to building a fire.

  “Why are you helping us?” the woman questioned, daring to venture forward a step.

  Anna struck the flint, creating sparks that soon caught the dried grass on fire. She gently blew on the smoking grass, coaxing out a flame. “If you’re too stupid to listen to me, I can at least give you a chance to survive the night. The fire will keep the lesser Faie away. Don’t let it die. When you’re ready to travel again, head northwest. Don’t go any further south or your fates will be sealed.”

  As if finally making a decision, the woman hurried forward and crouched to warm her hands by the burgeoning flames. At the woman’s wary look, Eywen stepped back, giving them space.

  Anna watched as the man, remarkably gaining courage, slowly approached the fire, moving to the side of his wife farthest from Eywen. Coward.

  “I hope your chivalrous husband at least knows how to hunt,” Anna said to the woman.

  She shook her head. “We’ve nothing to hunt with, but I know which roots and plants are safe to eat. Insects too.”

  Anna widened her eyes in surprise. The husband definitely wouldn’t survive, but the woman might. She stood, stepping back from the fire, then leaned forward to offer the woman the flint and steel.

  She took it gratefully.

  “We’ll leave you then,” Anna announced. “We’ve wasted too much time already.”

  “Wait,” the woman said before Anna could turn away. “We still have some food to share. Please, I apologize for my rudeness.”

  To Anna’s complete surprise, Eywen walked forward and sat, warming his hands by the fire. The husband skittered away, but the woman warily stayed put.

  “What are you doing?” Anna hissed. “We don’t have time to waste. We must find Kai.”

  Eywen peered up at her, mischief twinkling in his sapphire blue eyes. “We haven’t seen a single sign of his passing. For all we know, traveling onward might take us in the wrong direction. We should wait for the Pixies to report in.”

  “Pixies?” the woman gasped, looking between Anna and Eywen with her jaw agape.

  Anna glared at him, but found she could not argue. Plus, the warmth of a fire sounded nice on her cold, achy bones. She crossed her arms. “We should at least bring the horses near.”

  He pointed further behind her, toward a dense copse of trees where Anna could see the dappled rump of her mount. He had silently moved them while she’d been dealing with the frightened couple.

  “Infuriating Faie,” she muttered, then sat beside Eywen.

  “I’m Ranna,” the woman introduced, the fear in her brown eyes now replaced with glittering curiosity. She pointed to her coward husband, “This is Therin.”

  “Warm greetings,” Eywen said politely.

  Anna’s scowl deepened.

  “Please,” Ranna began, “tell us where you came from. I never thought to see a human woman traveling with one of the . . . ” she trailed off, glancing at Eywen.

  “My name is Eywen,” he introduced, “and I am Aos Sí. My cheerful companion is Anna.”

  Ranna glanced at Therin. “Fetch them some of our bread and cheese,” she ordered. “We must thank them for their kindness.”

  Clearly still debating running away, Therin shuffled toward their supplies.

  “No need,” Anna interjected. “We have supplies of our own.” She gave Eywen a cool look. “And we’ll be leaving soon.”

  “Yes,” he replied, “but first I’d like to hear any news you might bring. You mentioned a Lady Ealasaid?”

  Anna’s eyes widened, realizing perhaps Eywen wasn’t just trying to infuriate her. If they could glean any new information, they could send some of the Pixies back to relay the news to Finn.

  Ranna nodded. “Yes, Lady Ealasaid. She’s a magic user, if you can believe it. Late one night she claimed Lord Gwrtheryn’s estate with a hoard of black-clad fighters. Now they’ve taken over the entire burgh, inviting in any magic user willing to fight for their cause. They’ve even constructed extra defenses around the burgh.”

  “Then why did you leave?” Anna questioned. “You’d think a well-fortified burgh would be preferable to Faie infested woods.”

  Ranna shook her head. “No one is safe around so many magic users. Their powers cannot be trusted. Not to mention they draw the attention of An Fiach and the . . . ” she glanced at Eywen again.

  “Aos Sí,” he finished for her.

  She nodded, then turned her attention back to Anna. “So you see, we had to leave, if not out of fear of the Aos Sí, then because of the mages.”

  Anna felt her back stiffen at the woman’s attitude. She herself would likely be deemed a mage if they knew she could travel to the in-between in her dreams, and sometimes even in waking.

  “Do you know what Lady Ealasaid plans?” Eywen questioned.

  The woman shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is she’s gathering an army, and wherever armies are gathered, destruction follows.”

  Eywen gave Anna a meaningful look, and she subtly nodded. If the prophecy were to come true, Ealasaid would become Finn’s enemy. One would need to die, and it seemed Ealasaid was actually taking her preparations seriously. They needed to warn Finn.

  While Eywen continued speaking with Ranna, Anna cast her gaze overhead, hoping to spot the Pixies. With an army of men to the north, and an army of mages to the east, it seemed things were escalating.

  All that was left to learn of was what sort of army Oighear had amassed . . . and when they would all collide.

  Keiren cleaned her fingernails with a dagger while she waited at the disgusting little inn in Badenmar. If Óengus didn’t show soon, she’d find him herself.

  She leaned back in her wooden chair, balancing precariously while the fat little innkeep watched her with a wary expression on his sweaty face. She knew she stood out in the tiny burgh with her fine clothes and skin not marred with
dirt or sheep manure, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. A woman of her apparent age traveling alone would stand out no matter how she looked.

  She heaved a sigh of relief as Óengus strode through the open door of the near-empty common room. His pale blue eyes, so pale they almost seemed white, spotted her immediately.

  Observing him from his worn plain travel clothes to his slightly overgrown silver hair and beard, she frowned. He looked about ten years older than when she’d last seen him.

  He approached her table and sat across from her, lifting a hand to halt the innkeep’s advance.

  Keiren watched as the fat little man glanced between them both warily before retreating back behind the bar.

  She turned her attention to Óengus. “Whatever you have to say better be good. I left a fine room in a well-guarded estate for this.”

  He raised a silver brow at her. “Growing quite comfortable around the Queen of Wands, I see. I would have thought her to be your enemy, given her previous travel companions.”

  Keiren waved him off. “The girl is a naive little fool, easy to mold to my needs. A far better choice for an ally than the Snow Queen, I’d wager.”

  “Actually, that is why I’m here,” he explained.

  A small smile crossed her lips. Of course he wanted to come back to her.

  “Do not smile so soon,” he taunted. “I am here not to leave Oighear’s service, but to offer you a deal on her behalf.”

  She tilted her head, cascading red hair over her black cloak. “And what could the Snow Queen possibly want from me? You would assume I’d be her enemy after I helped Ealasaid’s mages defeat her Aos Sí.”

  Óengus shrugged. “Oighear is rather pragmatic for an ancient Faie. She views Finnur as the primary threat. She would like to work together to eliminate that threat, so that she and Ealasaid might face each other for the final battle.”

  Keiren smirked. “And why would I ever agree to that? Finnur is more likely to attack Oighear than Ealasaid. If I truly cared which of the prophesied queens survived, I would let Finnur eliminate Oighear all on her own, while Ealasaid bolstered her ranks unhindered.”

  Óengus smiled, though it was more just a baring of teeth. “Do you truly believe either could crush the tree girl on their own? Against each other, the battle would be fair, but against Finnur? Oighear fears her. She does not fear Ealasaid. The only chance either Oighear or Ealasaid stand against her is to work together.”

  Keiren resisted the urge to laugh in his face. Did he truly believe she cared? Her only concern was breaking down the barrier to the in-between. Unless Oighear could offer her that, there was nothing she wanted from the Snow Queen.

  Still, the situation was rather curious. “We both know Ealasaid will never willingly work with someone who killed most everyone she cared about. Barring that, what does Oighear wish me to do?”

  “Simply lead Ealasaid in the right direction,” he explained. “When the time comes, Oighear will be there.”

  She stroked her chin in thought. She had no intention of granting Oighear’s wishes, but it might prove useful to let her think she would, at least for a time.

  She straightened in her chair. “I’ll need time to think about this, of course.”

  Óengus nodded, then reached into the pocket of his cloak, withdrawing a large crystal. He offered it to her. “When your decision is made, hold this against your bare skin. You’ll be able to sense when it is ready for you to speak.”

  She took the crystal gingerly, quickly dropping it into the satchel resting on the floor beside her chair. She’d be careful not to speak around the thing, touching or no.

  His crystal delivered, Óengus stood.

  She gazed up at him. “One last question, if you do not mind.”

  His eyes cool, he nodded for her to continue.

  She smiled. “What do you stand to gain in serving Oighear? Do you truly believe she can return your shadow?”

  His expression remained utterly emotionless as he replied, “I no longer know what to believe, but I stand a better chance serving a queen wishing to save her race, than a lonely sorceress who’d not only betray the woman she once loved, but her own father.”

  She smirked, though inside her heart felt as if it had been suddenly encased in ice. “Who are you to speak of loyalty?”

  He shrugged. “No one at all, but that does not mean I cannot value it in others.”

  With that, he turned and walked away, striding back out the open door of the inn.

  She scowled at that open doorway long after he was gone. She and Óengus were more alike than she’d ever enjoy admitting, but it wouldn’t stop her from stringing his body up for the crows once she was done with him.

  Rising from her seat, she gathered her things in preparation to depart. Yes, she’d have her revenge on Óengus, but not before she proved to him that she could have granted his wish, if only he’d been loyal to her.

  Naoki crept along through the mists of the in-between. She’d been spending much of her time there, searching for an unknown force that beckoned her. The one she thought of as her mother was fading. Dark things lurked in the spaces between realms, things Naoki could never catch. If she did, she would quickly end them.

  She stretched out her white wings, wishing she could fly across this strange place. Surely she’d find what she was looking for more quickly that way. Yet, her wings no longer seemed able to hold her. They hadn’t held her since she was a baby, sailing haphazardly across the sea toward a light she could not resist. The light that had beckoned her was her mother, whose magic tasted of home.

  Chapter Five

  Bedelia deftly secured her saddlebags onto her horse’s back. She felt bad taking one of the few mounts they had, but it was the only way to reach Garenoch in a timely manner. Àed prepared his horse at her side. For added height, he stood on a large chunk of stone, previously one of the many Druidic statues adorning the fortress courtyard.

  Bedelia checked that her bedroll was properly shielded from the rain they’d surely encounter, then stuffed her icy fingers into her breeches pockets, letting her soil brown cloak fall forward over her shoulders. Turning to stare back at the stone fortress, she shifted her weight to her good leg. She still hadn’t told Finn that the poison from the Faie wolf bite had returned, just as she hadn’t told her about her encounter with Keiren.

  She wasn’t really sure why she hadn’t. The information that Keiren hoped to destroy the barrier to the in-between might prove valuable to Finn, especially since Branwen, the wraith, hoped to achieve the same end. Yet, Keiren had shared that secret with her, and her alone. Keiren might not be capable of loyalty, but she herself was, however displaced.

  Sensing movement behind her, she looked over her shoulder. Finn emerged into the courtyard with Iseult trailing her. She seemed ethereal in the morning mist, with her long hair billowing behind her. Her thin form appeared weak, as if she might break in half at any moment, even though she was one of the most powerful beings in the land. She’d proven as much by not only enlisting the Faie as her servants, but by forcing the Cavari to fall to their knees before her.

  Reaching her, Finn pulled her into an embrace. Bedelia returned the hug, guilt snaking through her. Part of her hoped the Faie bite would take her life soon, just so she wouldn’t have to feel the guilt of deceit any longer . . . and she wouldn’t have to confront Keiren either.

  Finn released her, then peered into her eyes. “Promise me you’ll be careful, and tell Ealasaid the same. I know she’s faced An Fiach before, but this army of men is seemingly endless, or so say the Pixies. Their threat should not be taken lightly.”

  Bedelia nodded. “We’ll do our best to reach Garenoch before them.”

  With a final smile, Finn turned next to Àed, wrapping him in a hug. “If I do not see you again,” she muttered, “I will assume Keiren has you locked in a dungeon somewhere, and I’ll drop everything to find you.”

  Àed chuckled as he pulled away from her embrace. “Don�
��t be doin’ that, lass. Me old life isnae worth much anymore.”

  “It’s worth something to me,” she stated firmly. “Your daughter has put us all through a great deal of trouble, and I will not stand idly by if her antics continue.”

  “Aye, lass,” Àed said, patting her arm. “I know ye will not.”

  As Àed turned away to mount his horse, Bedelia lifted her gaze to Iseult.

  He nodded in acknowledgement, not needing to speak to convey the silent promise between them. As warriors dedicated to a cause, they would both do what needed doing, and Iseult would protect Finn while she was away.

  With a heavy heart, Bedelia mounted her horse, wishing it was Rada. She wondered if her long-time companion still lived somewhere within the Snow Queen’s realm, or if she’d fallen in battle with one of the Aos Sí atop her back.

  She waved to Finn and Iseult as she and Àed turned their mounts toward the open gates. It would take several days to reach Garenoch, even with pushing the horses to swiftly reach the burgh.

  She wasn’t sure if she hoped Keiren would still be there, or not. In her heart she knew she had unfinished business with the sorceress, but matters of the heart had always frightened her far more than any battle or threat of death ever could.

  Iseult watched as Bedelia and Àed departed, then turned away as two of the Trow sealed the gates behind them. Finn left his side to approach the stables, weaving her way around fallen chunks of statue.

  He followed, reaching her side as she stopped in front of Loinnir’s stall and stroked her palm up and down the unicorn’s white forehead, ruffling the portion of silky white mane resting between her ears. Finn wore the shroud tied around her waist instead of stored away in her private chambers.

  “I’ll take Loinnir when I meet with the Cavari,” she explained distantly. “She will nullify their magic if necessary.”

  He stared at her, but she did not turn to meet his gaze. “You intend to address them soon?” With the shroud out of hiding, he should have known. She’d want the extra power.