Between the Water and the Woods

by Simone Snaith

  The Sapients and Theurgists looked at one another in disgust, but it was a fairer decision than Emeline had expected, and it made her hopeful that the king would be reasonable when it came to protecting Equane.

  Rellum stared at the king a moment, clearly unsatisfied. But finally he said, “Thank you, Your Majesty,” and sat down.

  “And now to this other matter…” King Olvinde muttered, letting his eyes fall on the Equanians. “I understand that we are also here today to discuss a sighting of a Dark Creature—specifically, an Ithin—unusual in that it is corroborated by a Lash Knight.” There was some skepticism in his voice, but curiosity too; he scrutinized Reese, and the knight held his gaze steadily. “Let us have your testimony first, shall we?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. These travelers are from the village of Equane, at the southern end of the kingdom. My guard and I intercepted them in Blyne, already on their way to report a sighting in the woods on the outskirts of their village.” Reese cleared his throat and, for the first time, Emeline detected a note of nervousness. Perhaps, despite his confident air, he didn’t like being the center of attention.

  “And how did you discover them?” the king asked. “Were they present when you rescued Rellum Sapient?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Reese said reluctantly, knowing the danger this confirmation opened them up to. “They stopped at the same inn and the assassin briefly held one of the boys hostage in an attempt to escape.”

  There were mutterings among the council; the king peered down at the two boys. Aladane pointed at Dale, who squirmed in his seat.

  “I see. We will question them about that, as well, before they leave,” the king decided. The council stirred again; Dada and Fish gave each other concerned looks. Did this mean they would have to stay longer? “Please continue, Sir Reese.”

  The knight was frowning, but he nodded. “What these villagers saw in the woods was a shadowy creature that gave off a foul smell. But what I witnessed with them, Your Majesty, was altogether different. After their accidental involvement in the events in Blyne, I felt it was my duty to escort them to the capital along with Rellum Sapient, but on our journey, there was a storm so severe that we took shelter in an abandoned manor in the Cinderin Valley. The place was overgrown with trees. During the night, the young lady, Emeline Bird, wandered off. I was concerned when she was gone for some time and followed her. I found her, Your Majesty, being attacked by something in a storeroom.”

  The council members were very quiet now. “All I could see was the creature’s head, but it did wear a hood and it was not a man,” Reese told them hesitantly. “It had huge fangs and eyes, almost like an insect…and it was reaching for her with long claws.”

  Emeline closed her eyes, remembering.

  “This was in the pitch-dark, I gather?” a Sapient asked mockingly. The others chuckled.

  “Silence!” King Olvinde snapped at them.

  Reese gave the Sapient who had spoken a withering look. “It is generally dark in the night,” he retorted. “But my eyes were accustomed to it by then.”

  “Where was Rellum Sapient at this point?” the king asked, looking from the council member to the knight.

  “I was asleep, Your Majesty, and neither saw nor heard any of this,” Rellum declared.

  “What happened next?” the king pressed Reese. Emeline noticed with surprise that his hands were clutching the wooden arms of his throne.

  Reese hesitated, glancing at Emeline. She sucked in her breath, remembering exactly what had happened next: She had used her magic to drive the creature off. Magic that no one in this room could know about. She sensed the stillness of her family on the seat next to her.

  “Emeline…threw some wet vines at the creature and it hissed like a snake,” Reese said carefully. “Then I lashed it and pulled her away.” She breathed out again, slowly, her skin tight with goose bumps. “In all honesty, Your Majesty, it was like no natural creature I’ve ever encountered.”

  The king was staring at Reese, riveted, while the Sapients groused and the Theurgists whispered with excitement. Emeline could see that nothing of the kind had ever been reported by anyone as honorable as a Lash Knight.

  Honorable…Did it bother Reese to keep her secret? Surely it was part of his duty as a knight to report it, to keep faith with the king? Was he choosing her protection over that duty? Was that awful for him—was it difficult? Why would he do it?

  “My guard and I got everyone outside as fast as possible,” Reese continued. “But Loddril, the assassin, managed to escape in the confusion. Shortly afterward, I heard him screaming somewhere on the grounds.”

  The council members suddenly fell silent on both sides, almost as if afraid.

  “By the time I reached him, his attacker was gone, but he was torn to shreds—clearly mauled by something with long claws.” In the stillness, Reese’s deep voice reverberated throughout the room. “I believe he was killed by the creature we saw in the house.”

  The king cursed quietly. “And you saw and heard none of this either, Rellum?” he asked with some skepticism.

  “No, Your Majesty.” Rellum was indignant. “I was hustled out into the night, imagining it must be an attack by thieves or another assassin!”

  The king frowned at Reese. “Do you have any physical evidence of this creature?”

  “Only this, Your Majesty.” From a pouch at his waist, Reese produced the scrap of the Ithin’s hood; Emeline had forgotten he’d kept it. He held this up, and King Olvinde gestured to one of his blue-cloaked servants, who hurried forward to accept it from the knight and bring it to the king.

  “This was stuck to the end of my whip after I lashed the creature. I don’t understand why, but it’s burned,” Reese said.

  Excited gasps sprang up from the Theurgists. Several of them craned their necks to see the ragged cloth in the king’s frail hands. Emeline heard one of them whisper something about “blood that burns.”

  King Olvinde stared down at the cloth, almost as if he were afraid of it.

  Then he began to cough harshly, covering his mouth with one trembling hand; he tried to speak, but the coughing racked his thin body. His attendants quickly moved closer—one of them put a steadying hand on his shoulder, the other handed him a silver handkerchief.

  “This is a—This is a new develop—” King Olvinde lost his voice again. Everyone in the room watched in alarm as he shivered and retched up something into the handkerchief.

  “I need to reflect on this account,” he whispered finally. The room was now quiet enough for everyone to hear it. “And I’m afraid I am unfit for…further discussion today.” He winced and whispered something softly into an attendant’s ear.

  “His Majesty has adjourned the council session for today,” the man announced quickly. “It will continue at the same time tomorrow, his health permitting. You are all dismissed.”

  Surprised, Emeline turned to stare at Dada and Fish—they were both frozen in place. The council had ended without any testimony from them at all. How long would they have to stay in the city?

  Emeline’s heart flip-flopped between fear and heat. She had more time to spend with Reese, but it was in a dangerous place, full of dangerous people.

  Without another word, King Olvinde submitted to being gathered up from his throne by the blue-robed men; they led him to the mirrored door through which he’d entered. The Sapients and Theurgists, who appeared completely unsurprised, were now scraping back their chairs and rising to their feet.

  Reese stood in place, waiting respectfully for them to leave first. Emeline caught his eye for a moment, but then he looked away. When would he hold her gaze again?

  thinking about our crops, Bird,” Fish told Dada as they filed out of the council room. Reese was ahead of them with Innish. “We already lost a day yesterday, and now we’ve got to do this again tomorrow? How long will it go on? I h
ope there haven’t been any pests—or bless water, any blights.”

  “Dilla would call on our neighbors for help. Everybody would pitch in,” Dada reminded him. Fish nodded gloomily.

  “Sir Reese, if I may speak to you?” Rellum Sapient’s voice called. The rest of the council had left, but he and the stern female Sapient from the academy were lingering expectantly in the corridor.

  Reese sighed heavily, glancing back at Emeline and the others. He said something quietly to Innish and went to meet the Sapients.

  Innish waited for the villagers to reach him, then said to Dada and Fish, “Sir Reese believes you should return to your rooms promptly today. I can escort you.”

  His voice was calm, but the message was clear: The danger they were in was real. It was time to hide away in their rooms. Emeline looked at Dada and bit her lip; his face was grim.

  “Thank you very much,” he told Innish, taking Dale’s hand.

  She thought of the fountain, secluded in the courtyard, and her pulse quickened. Maybe she could find a quiet time to practice her magic. Maybe. She knew she shouldn’t, but it was building inside her like water against a dam.

  Innish hustled them back through the grove and out through the great silver doors onto the street. They walked a short distance, passing the Mother’s Milk, while the guard kept an eye out for a red carriage.

  The boys looked bitterly disappointed.

  “Do we have to just sit in the rooms?” Aladane complained as a carriage for hire slowed to a stop for them.

  “Yes,” Innish told him.

  “Son of a maggot,” Aladane muttered, under his breath.

  “Hush. I reckon you boys have had enough excitement,” Fish said darkly. “I reckon we all have.”

  They climbed into the empty carriage and Emeline looked out the window at the gates, wondering if Reese had freed himself from the Sapients yet. What did they want with him, exactly? Were they arguing with him about his testimony?

  Was he safe?

  She faced forward again, fisting her hands in her lap. The driver caught her eye—he was a husky man with silver-tinted spectacles, gazing back at her intently. He nodded oddly to himself before pulling out into the crowded road, busy with carriages, bicycles, and people.

  “Dog fight!” Dale exclaimed, pointing at two of them barking at each other on a corner. The owners were struggling to pull the dogs away, while some boys Emeline’s age cheered them on. She was surprised to see that the boys were very plainly clad in homespun shirts and trousers. They looked more rough-and-tumble than anyone she’d seen in the capital.

  It reminded her of what Reese had said in the market. About no one paying attention to the people who were poor. About the way he’d had to fight to escape it.

  “Dale, Reese is from a small village like us,” she said. “And he had no money before he became a knight. He did what Fish says is impossible.”

  Dale’s face lit up, but Fish snorted.

  “I’d like to know how he managed that,” he said.

  “Me too,” Dada said.

  The carriage slowed suddenly and drifted toward the side of the road. She looked for passengers to be picked up, but there were none—they had stopped on a quiet corner outside of a closed printing shop. Across the street was a small, empty park.

  “Where are we?” Dada asked Innish, who shook his head, scratching his beard.

  Their driver appeared at the window and stared in at them; Emeline noticed he wore a necklace with a small silver wheel pendant. “Sorry for the delay,” he said tightly. “I just have to check something in the engine.”

  “It sounds like it’s running smoothly,” Innish said, surprised. The driver shrugged and disappeared from view. Innish frowned.

  “I’d be curious to see the engine on this thing myself,” Fish said, reaching for the door.

  “No, stay inside,” Innish said quickly. He opened the door and ducked out, a small fear starting to gnaw at Emeline’s stomach. Was something wrong?

  A second later, he reappeared at the window, his expression wary. “He’s gone,” he told Fish and Dada.

  “Gone where?” Dada asked, startled.

  “I’m not sure. But I didn’t like that pendant he was wearing,” Innish said, scanning the road around them. “It looked like a Sapient symbol.”

  “Bless water,” Fish muttered.

  Alarmed, Emeline reached for the door, but Dada pushed her and the boys back into their seats. “Be still,” he ordered.

  “Does that mean he’s a Sapient?” Aladane asked, confused. Emeline heard another carriage turn onto the road behind them.

  Innish’s head was turned, looking down the street. “No…but he might be a supporter.”

  “What does that mean?” Fish demanded.

  Innish didn’t answer. The other carriage rumbled suddenly louder, as if it were driving very fast.

  “By the kingdom…” Innish murmured. Then he yanked open the door, shouting, “Get out! Get out!”

  Emeline sprang to her feet, but it was too late—an impact from behind sent her flying. The steam-carriage rocked forward, its back wheels up in the air. Her head struck the luggage rack. Fish’s elbow jammed her in the stomach—Dale’s head knocked into hers—Innish was shouting—the splintered door, hanging on one hinge, slammed against her leg.

  Then the coach crashed back down—hard—throwing everyone back.

  She was sprawled across the seat, breathless. Her head throbbed; it felt like the luggage rack had cracked it open, and blood stung her eye. Distantly, she heard the other carriage roar away.

  “Are you all right? Em? Boys?” Dada gasped. He disentangled himself from Aladane, who groaned.

  “I’m all right,” Emeline murmured, her vision slowly unblurring. Everything hurt.

  “What happened?” Dale whimpered.

  “That thing rammed right into us,” Fish breathed in disbelief.

  Innish peeled the broken door back and looked in, wild-eyed. “Is everyone all right?!”

  “I won’t know until I get out.” Fish fumbled down the mangled step.

  Emeline managed to get to her feet and follow slowly, Fish helping her to the street. She was trembling.

  The other carriage had crashed into them…and driven away! A Sapient supporter had tried to hurt them, maybe even kill them…!

  Had he…He couldn’t have been ordered to…?

  “That was deliberate,” Innish said soberly. He was staring off in the direction the other coach had taken. “The driver left us here to be struck.”

  She shivered, sinking down onto the pavement. Her head felt wet. Dada was examining Dale and Aladane; her brother had a bloody lip, Aladane was holding his wrist, and Dada himself had a deep scratch on his cheek and a tear in his shirt. Fish’s eye was swelling up.

  “You’re telling me that steam-carriage hit us on purpose?” Fish demanded. Innish nodded, his hand on his gun. “We’re damn lucky we aren’t dead!”

  “Em, your head!” Dada hurried over toward her.

  She felt sick, but she tried to smile. “I’m fine. I promise.”

  “You’re bleeding!” He was frantic, and it made her heart throb.

  “We’re close enough to walk to the inn,” Innish told Fish.

  Fish glared at him, rubbing his eye. “And what happens if someone runs us down while we’re walking?” he snapped.

  “We’ll stay out of the open. Come, let’s go quickly,” Innish gestured to Dada, who pulled his children to their feet and followed.

  * * *

  Leather-garbed guards arrived at a merciful speed to stand at the inn’s front gates. Dada had rushed everyone inside their rooms as soon as they reached the inn, shutting them up firmly. In the washroom, Emeline listened to her family talk, running warm water into the basin. The blood on her head was drying, tangling he
r hair.

  “Bird, I think we should get out of here tomorrow morning,” Fish said.

  “I don’t think we can,” Dada said unhappily. “We’re part of a royal council session. You heard the king—he wants to question us himself.”

  And what about Equane? Emeline thought, gingerly washing her wound. The Ithin are real. We still need the king to send the village protection.

  “But we didn’t agree to all this!” Fish exclaimed. “We already drove across the kingdom, Bird. We did our part yesterday, or Reese did it for us, and now we’re done. The king knows what we saw. We need to get our wagon back and head home.”

  “We don’t even know where the wagon is, Fish.” Dada sounded so tired.

  “We don’t even know if the king will be well enough to see us tomorrow!” Fish threw his hands up. “We could be stuck here for weeks. You’ve got your family here, but I’ve left Dilla and the boys!”

  Emeline quickly patted her hair dry and went back out to join them. Fish was pacing around the room while Dada sat slumped in a chair.

  “I don’t want to leave yet,” Dale said quietly. He and Aladane were sitting on the beds, looking from one man to the other.

  “Me neither,” Aladane insisted. “But I don’t think my wrist is working right.”

  “Let me see it,” Emeline said, hurrying to their side. “Dale, go wash your lip.”

  “I think it’s a sprain,” Dada told her, glancing at Aladane.

  “First they take our wagon, then they start following us and threatening us….” Fish muttered. “Now they’re trying to—”

  “Fish,” Dada snapped, and he fell silent. Emeline knew Dada didn’t want to frighten the boys. She was proud of them, though, for not wanting to run home and hide. Part of her wanted to. But the best part of her was angry. Very angry.

  How dare these people attack her family? They could bicker among themselves all they wanted, but they had no right to hurt the ones she loved. Her people didn’t deserve to be used as pawns in some mad scramble for power.