The excitement of the chase didn’t die down until the men realized that me sleeping was nonnegotiable. I rode for as long as I could through the province and out into no man’s land, but Daisy was a chatterbox. She’d lived an exciting life thus far, and wanted to impart every piece of wisdom onto me, including where I should sleep, and the softest spots I should lay. I knew she was steadily running down my internal battery, but after being cooped up with Walter for so long, Daisy was a breath of fresh air I couldn’t pass up.
Three of the men went out to hunt up some dinner, while I tried to make myself a little nest to sleep the night away. I was grateful that some of the animals in Avalon also required rest, otherwise I would’ve pushed myself to stay awake until I fell clean off my horse.
“Here, Rosie. Have some dinner before ye lie down.”
I leaned against Daisy’s back, smiling when the twelve other horses sat in a ring around me to keep the men out. “It’s alright, guys. Link’s cool. You can let him in.”
Link bristled as he strode into the fold. “Tha’s right. Fickle horse,” he chided his own steed, who snorted at him in response for being too heavy. Link sat down in the dirt beside me, handing me a chunk of hard cheese, a dinner roll, and a cluster of grapes. “Want me to wake ye when they come back with the kill?”
“No, thanks. This is more than enough food for me.” I looked up at the sky and marveled at the expanse of stars that seemed almost like a disco ball, all spread out up there. Each point of light seemed peaceful up there, looking down on our chaos with bemused complacency. I drew a small amount of solace from their tranquility so high above us. If our world couldn’t be a safe place, at least there was hope for the celestial orbs in the heavens to get along. I pointed to a particularly gorgeous twinkle above us that seemed to wink at me, as if we were sharing some inside joke. “That’s the one thing Avalon’s got on Common. We have a ton of light pollution, so we don’t get a good view of the sky. I can’t believe how many stars you’ve got here. Plus that blue moon? Ours is white. Yours is way cool.”
“The one thing Avalon’s got on Common? Avalon’s got me, for now at least. Tha’s something Common’s lacking.”
“Plus that, of course. All the ladies in Common are no doubt crying themselves to sleep every night, because they don’t get to see your magnificent smile.”
Link flashed me his playboy grin. “Wouldn’t hurt ye to say it once in a while.”
“You’re the king of every girl’s dreams,” I offered, tapping the outside of my boot to his.
“Yours too?”
“Oh, of course. I’m all like, ‘who cares about Bastien?’ All the ladies love Link.”
He sniggered. “Cheers, Rosie.”
“Who was the best kiss of your life?” I asked as we munched together.
Link grinned and laid back on Daisy, who grudgingly accommodated his weight after I vouched for him. “Ah, tha’s not easy, now. I never put much stock in kissing. Best lay of my life? Tha’s a better question.”
“Hit me with it. Who’d you lose your Cocoa Puffs for?”
“Mae,” he cooed wistfully. “Now she was a beaut. Big cherry lips. Legs for days. Woman from head to toe. She had melons bigger than yours, even.”
I scoffed, crossing an arm over my chest. “You’re not allowed to think about my melons, for the record.”
“Can’t ignore prizes tha big,” he teased. “I’m only kidding. But Mae was incredible. Bossed me around in the bedroom. I didn’t think I would like tha, but boy, did I. Most lasses get so overwhelmed when we tumble in the hay, tha I do most of the work. I’m not complaining, but Mae knew what she wanted, and made me beg for what I needed.”
“She sounds fun.”
“Aye, she was. Haven’t thought about her in ages.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders when I yawned. “How about ye? Is Bastien the prettiest lad you’ve ever laid eyes on?” Link batted his lashes at me, trying his hand at girl talk.
“He’s a keeper, that’s for sure. He’s more of an explosion. When we kiss, I don’t know which way’s up. I’ve only kissed two other guys in my life, so I don’t have much to compare it to. Still, he bowled me over from the very first kiss, and probably long before that.”
“Tha’s good to hear. He’s not really the explosion type of lad. To watch him get swept away by ye? Tha was a sight to see.”
I yawned again, and sat up to stretch as I swallowed the last of my dinner. “I think I’m gonna turn in, so, you know, scram.”
“Sleep away, but ye don’t leave my side. The lads can watch the perimeter well enough while I guard ye.”
“Link, you don’t have to do that. I’ve worked on the wall with everyone here. They’re all cool.”
“It’s sweet tha ye think ye have a choice in the matter. If I ever lost my mind and settled down, I’d expect Bastien to do the same for my lady. Shut your eyes, wee Rose. I’ll watch out for ye.” Link snuggled me closer to him, so my head rested on his shoulder. He was leaning back on Daisy, providing me with a comfortable place to rest.
Some days, that’s the very definition of a great friend.
My arm wrapped around his middle, giving him a light squeeze of gratitude. “Goodnight, Link.”
He kissed my forehead, making me feel treasured and safe. We’d left the comfort of our province long ago, and had been riding through land that belonged to no one now, the scenery getting less green the further we went. I was acutely aware of how exposed we were without the cover of enough trees to keep us hidden from the shadows. Though I wanted to assure him and myself that I didn’t need to be guarded while I slept, a knot in my chest loosened when Link held me tighter in the quiet of the evening. “Goodnight, wee Rose.”
My eyes drifted shut while the men kindled a fire a stone’s throw away. Daisy and the other horses had worn me out in a way I hadn’t been exhausted in a while. Walter hadn’t liked to talk to me, so I’d only been able to take short naps when I was locked in the saferoom with him. It wasn’t long before the crackle of the fire and the dull murmurs from the guys lulled me to sleep.
11
The Remnants of a Province Long Gone
It wasn’t unheard of in Avalon for whole sections of the land to remain untouched after the famine swept through when a Jewel of Good Fortune deserted a province. Still, traveling through the empty Province 4 was a sadness that couldn’t be capped. A holy hush fell over us, and even the horses understood that the bramble and dried-out bushes we passed were not to be disturbed.
Province 4 had belonged to my late cousin Roland, who died because he attacked me. Not enough of his people were willing to leave the comfort of Province 1 to make his land strong enough to stand on its own. After his death, they didn’t have a leader anymore. It was a prudent move to join forces with Lane, merging the provinces so we could stand more boldly in front of Morgan. Now they had a duchess to fight for them, which they were all grateful for. Still, to lose a whole state’s-worth of land like this was a hit none of us took lightly.
One of the soldiers, Marcus, stopped his horse and dismounted. We all followed suit, watching as he scooped up a fistful of hard dirt and sprinkled it in his pack. There was a hard look in his eyes as he surveyed the area. I didn’t need to ask him which province he’d come from; it was clearly Province 4 his heart still belonged to.
The man next to him placed his hand on Marcus’ shoulder, and something about the reminder of support set his tongue loose. “This land could’ve been thriving and bursting with life. Duke Roland got the Jewel of Good Fortune back. I saw this place not more than a handful of memories ago. It was a home we took pride in, and it welcomed us with open arms when we dragged our families here, tired of Morgan’s abuse. I wish more of us had believed in him. I wish more of us had stood up against Morgan le Fae when Duke Roland came back to claim us. But now…” His gaze took in the same desolation we did. There were rotting trees, no wildlife, and a dried pit where I’m guessing a river had once been off in the distance.
Even the mountains we were riding near seemed to have a “get out now” kind of M.O. to them.
The soldier who still had his hand on Marcus’ shoulder tried to speak peace into the inner tumult. “This land will be ours once again. The Avalon Rose will defeat Morgan le Fae. We have King Urien now. Have faith, friend. Avalon will unite before the end.”
“Before whose end?” Marcus asked without blinking, searching out solace in the bramble. “So much of me feels gone with my homeland.”
Marcus was drawn into a hug by his friend, and we all bowed our heads, observing the sadness with a respectful silence for the wars that had taken too much from us all.
I swallowed hard, unsure how I felt about the grand hope being that I would end my own mother. I mean, of course we couldn’t let her keep going on unchecked, but what power did I really have? I could affect policies, sure, and I did my best to raise Province 9 up on steady ground that would hold true for all of us. Aside from that, though, I didn’t have many other plans. I didn’t know how to overthrow Morgan. Is that what they were all expecting me to do? Was I supposed to be coming up with some sort of plan? We were just trying to get our region functional for now. My fingers twisted in the hem of my shirt, and I wondered just what kind of insanity might have to possess me to storm her castle, or whatever the expectation was. I’d barely made it out alive the first time, and didn’t relish the notion of going back.
Link reached over and held onto my hand to stop my fingers from twisting in the fabric of the hem of my tank top. “Best not worry about it all right now,” Link promised in a whisper. “No matter what the people say, it won’t come down to you having to murder your mammy.”
I gulped up at him, worried that it very well might. I didn’t know how to ask for what I needed, and wasn’t sure he could give it to me anyway. I wanted the Untouchables to stay with me, to make sure the nation we were precariously reassembling would hold under Morgan’s wrath. I wasn’t sure I could stand strong under her special brand of cruelty.
People often write off the court jester, but I’d always known Link was wiser than penis jokes and goofball antics. He squeezed my hand, and as if he could read my mind, he pulled me closer and spoke low in my ear. “We’ll stay with ye until ye send us away. T’won’t do for ye to get a crown, and then have it so quickly snatched away.”
I didn’t have the words, so I snuggled into Link’s side to show him my gratitude.
Link kissed the top of my head with affection he didn’t bother to conceal from the men. “The Brotherhood won’t abandon our sister to ruin. I’ll stay with ye while ye figure this whole mess out.”
“I love you, Link,” I finally worked out. “Thank you.”
I could hear the smile in his voice. “Right ye are to love me. I’m adorable.”
A few hours into our trek through Province 4, Marcus had pepped up a bit and volunteered to be our tour guide. “Over here is where the dance hall used to be. Every Saturday night when I was a boy, there was music to fill the whole square. They would start playing, and by the end of the first song there would be wall-to-wall people, crammed in to get a little lightness through the night.”
“What kind of songs did they play?” I asked as I cantered beside him.
I expected him to answer with folk music, or if I was lucky, gangster rap. I startled when Marcus belted out a loud, operatic tune that was just lively enough to dance to. “‘Never, not ever have I seen a land as ripe and as lovely as four. Nothing, no nothing could tell those sweet mountains to bow to neighboring shores.’” Then he went in for the chorus, not holding back for the groans of the horses, who didn’t have the same taste in music as Marcus. “‘The light in the sun is a lantern to some when compared with Province 4!’”
The men clapped politely, but Marcus had been so passionate in his opera that I hooted and cheered as if I was at a Lost and Forgotten concert (which, incidentally, I had gone to with Judah once, and we screamed ourselves hoarse).
Marcus tipped his head to us, his cheeks pinking when he bowed his chin at me. “Thank you, Princess.”
“When we get back, remind me to ask around to see if there are any musicians. I think that’s a great idea, having a music night for people to flock to. Once a week, dance your brains out and get crazy. I like that. Good idea, Marcus.”
Marcus spluttered as his chest puffed with pride. “Your majesty, I didn’t mean to suggest anything should change about your kingdom. Everyone is just happy to be free. Your lovely face is all the music they need.”
I balked at him, and let out a nervous laugh. “Okay, sweet as that is, it’s a bunch of baloney. Music night. First thing when we get back. Where do you think? Is there a building big enough, or should we just have it in Town Square?”
“Town Square,” one of the other men ruled.
One of the others countered the idea. “But what if the weather’s foul?”
I grinned back at them with hope that optimism and play hadn’t been beaten out of them over the years. “Then we’ll be the province that dances in the rain. In fact, I think that’s exactly who we should be.”
The men cheered, and something about the wildness of it all drove the horses a little faster, bringing smiles to each of our faces.
It wasn’t until after a few minutes of the breeze whipping through our hair that the smiles broke. The sound of one of the men and his horse cried out, making us all turn to investigate the problem. Daisy and I slowed with the others, turning to find one of the horses crying out on ground, writhing in frustration. “It’s the Caisse D’épines! Run!” she whinnied.
“What’s the Caisse D’épines?”
The men cried out in alarm at my words, jerking their horses to move further away from the injured one. Link was the only one who seemed to understand the situation, and was able to stay on top of it. “Soldier, hop on with one of us. Everyone else, ride ahead as fast as ye can! Go!”
I didn’t have it in me to ride away and leave this dude. I trotted Daisy over to him, wondering what the crap Caisse D’épines actually was, but knowing this wasn’t the time to ask. I gasped when I saw vines camouflaged in with the dirt, wrapped around the felled horse’s ankles. She cried for me to help her, so I hopped off of Daisy and drew my knife to cut her free.
Link jerked me away from the brown, ropey plants that tightened painfully around the horse’s ankles. “No! Rosie, get back on your horse! If the vines get ye, there’ll be no getting back up!”
“But she’s stuck!” I balked, confused as to how Link could just leave the horse like this. “If we don’t help her, she’ll die out here!”
Link’s voice held the edge of a command to it. I realized that on this trip, he was the captain, and I was being insubordinate. “On your horse, Rosie!” he ordered with trepidation plain on his face.
The abandoned horse whinnied in agony as I turned my back on her, and my morals. The long sound of defeat and woe shook my bones as she called out into the fading daylight, telling the barren land about the plight that had befallen her as her ankles were crushed.
12
Caisse D’épines
The soldier who’d lost his horse to the Caisse D’épines was named Wyatt. He wasted no time hoisting me back on my horse. Then he climbed on behind me with a fearful expression on his face. “Hurry, Princess!” He took the reins and snapped them, jerking us forward, with Link at our side.
“What the crap is going on?” I winced at the sound of the fallen horse’s desperation. We were leaving the injured mare to ruin, and all Daisy could think of was that she was grateful it hadn’t been her.
“Faster!” Link ordered, and I knew he was keeping our pace so as not to leave us behind. Daisy chugged as fast as she could, but a quick getaway was just plain harder with two people on your back than only one.
“Link, we can’t leave her like that! She’ll die!”
Link didn’t answer me, but spoke to Wyatt. “Don’t stop until the sun sets. I mean it. Don’t slow for nothing. I
f we saw one Caisse D’épines, there are others hiding out there.”
“Yes, Captain. Quick feet are our only hope.”
I wanted to demand answers, but all of a sudden, something burst out from the ground ahead of us, shooting up into the air at least three stories high. It was a branchless, brown tree trunk with dozens of spindly vines that hooked out like tentacles, snatching at the air, as if in search of a tasty treat. Daisy shrieked in time with me, but didn’t rear up, thank goodness. She obeyed Wyatt, who recovered quickly and veered right. Link darted left after his horse spooked.
I screamed when another tree trunk burst through the dirt in our path, driving us further to the right. I didn’t understand what these things were, and knew this wasn’t the time to ask questions.
“Take the reins, your grace!” Wyatt said, pulling his sword from its sheath. “Steer us toward the others, if you can. I’ll defend us if one of the vines should strike.”
“On it!” I cried, grateful I could be useful through the foreign situation. I took the reins in my trembling hands and tried to steer Daisy with a calm that might make her trust me. I wanted to communicate that this would all be okay. It was a good lie, and she pretended she bought it.
The vines went berserk from the tops of the mammoth trunks, moving like agile and ambitious octopus tentacles – alien and unpredictable in their paths.
I tried to keep my focus, zeroing in on the others, who weren’t all that far off. They were riding towards a gap in the mountains, and I wondered if the plan was to flit through and hide on the other side. I tried to think of it all as a video game, with stakes no higher than Judah doing his obnoxious victor’s dance if I lost. I tried not to gulp at my impending death, or that of the man whose life I was now responsible for. We dodged too many narrow misses, but Daisy obeyed, not losing her focus as we closed in on our goal.
I nearly cried when Daisy flitted through the gap between the two mountains. The others were catching their breath, grateful to see us returned to them.
Untouchable Girl: A Fantasy Adventure (Faite Falling Book 6) Page 7